TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24TH 2024.

TWENTY-FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.

FIRST READING
Various sayings.
PROVERBS 21: 1 – 6, 10 – 13

The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin. The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but every one who is hasty comes only to want. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeing vapour and a snare of death. The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbour finds no mercy in his eyes. When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise; when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge. The righteous observes the house of the nicked; the wicked are cast down to ruin. He who closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself cry out and not be heard.

The Word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 119: 1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44 (R.) 35a

R/. Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.

Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord! R/.

Make me grasp the way of your precepts,
and I will ponder your wonders. R/.

I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
your decrees I have upheld. R/.

Grant me insight that I may keep your law,
and observe it wholeheartedly. R/.

Guide me in the path of your commands;
for in them is my delight. R/.

I shall always keep your law,
forever and ever. R/.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION 
Luke 11: 28

Alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL        
“My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
LUKE 8: 19 – 21

At that time: His mother and his brethren came to Jesus, but they could not reach him for the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brethren are standing outside, desiring to see you.” But he said to them, “My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

*Chipiri 24 Gunyana – September;* *Vhiki 25 regore**Chiverengo chokutanga:* _Tsumo 21,1-6.10-13__Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mubhuku reTsumo_Mwanangu,1 Mwoyo wamambo uri mumaoko aTenzi,anoutendeutsira kwaanenge achida.2 Zviito zvose zvomunhu zvingatarisike sezvakanaka kumuridzi wazvo,asi Tenzi anoyera zvinangwa zvomunhu.3 Kuita zvakarurama noruenzaniso,ndizvo zvinodiwa naTenzi kupinda chibayiro.4 Kutsvitsvinyara uye kuva nemwoyo wokuzvikudza,chitadzo, ndiwo mwenje wavakaipa iwoyo.5 Kunyatsoronga zvinhu nemazvo, kunowanisa zvakawanda,mandichimbidzike anobereka urombo.6 Kuwana upfumi namanyepo ibvute rinongopfuura uye iriva rorufu.10 Mwoyo womunhu akaipa unodokwairira uipi, haana tsiye nyoro nomunhu.11 Kana anoshora akarangwa, voruzhinji vanongwara.Kana mungwaru akadzidziswa, anowana ruzivo.12 Iye mururami anoongorora imba yomuipi achapinza vakaipa mukuparadzwa.13 Munhu anodzivira nzeve kumurombo anochema kwaari,iyewo achazochema pasina anomunzwa.*Shoko raTenzi.**Rwiyo rwokutsinhira:* _Nziyo 119,1.27.30.34.35.44. (D – 35)_*(D) – Nditungamirirei TNZI, munzira yemitemo yenyu.*1 Vakakomborerwa zvavo vanoupenyu husina chinoshoreka,vanofamba zviri pamutemo waTENZI.27 Itai kuti ndinzwisise mufambiro wemitemo yenyu;ini ndichanyatsofunga nezvamabasa enyu anoshamisa.*(D) – Nditungamirirei TNZI, munzira yemitemo yenyu.*30 Ndakasarudza nzira yokutendeka,ndakaisa zvirongwa zvenyu pamberi pangu.34 Ndipeiwo kunzwisisa ndichengete mutemo wenyu,ndiutevedze nemwoyo wangu wose.*(D) – Nditungamirirei TNZI, munzira yemitemo yenyu.*35 Nditungamirireiwo munzira yemitemo yenyunokuti ndinoifarira.44 Ndichagara ndichichengetamutemo wenyu narini narini.*(D) – Nditungamirirei TNZI, munzira yemitemo yenyu.**Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka:* _Ruka 11,28_*Areruya, Areruya.* Vakanyanyokomborerwa avo vanonzwa Shoko raMwari, vachirichengeta. *Areruya.**Shoko Rakanaka:* _Ruka 8,19-21__Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naRuka_19 Kwakazouya amai vaJesu navakoma, navanun’una vake, asi havana kukwanisa kusvika paari pamusana pechita chavanhu. 20 Akataurirwa kuti amai venyu navakoma navanun’una venyuvamire panze. Vanoda kukuonai.21 Asi iye akati kwavari, “Amai vangu navakoma, navanun’una vangu ndavavo vanonzwa shoko raMwari vachiita zvarinoreva.”*Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi.

*GOSPEL REFLECTION: Becoming Jesus’ Mother and Brothers*_September 24, 2024__The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” (Luke 8:19–26)_The term “brothers” in this passage is obviously not to be understood that Jesus had blood brothers. It is a dogma of our faith that Jesus was the only Child of Mary. At that time, it was common practice to refer to one’s extended family as “brothers.” This would have especially applied to Jesus’ cousins and perhaps even those who were unrelated by blood but were from the same village.As these relatives of Jesus stood outside and announced their presence, what did they expect Jesus to do? His “brothers” might have been there to try to talk some sense into Him. We know from other passages in the Gospels that some of Jesus’ extended family thought He was out of His mind. Therefore, it is possible that these brothers were there to resolve an extended family conflict that was erupting as Jesus began His public ministry.Jesus’ response was not a rude response. This is clear from the fact that Jesus lived the perfection of charity. But true charity is always grounded in the truth. Jesus spoke a truth that cut through the merely human ties and conflicts that were driving these brothers. By saying, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it,” Jesus was challenging His brothers to stop looking at Him only in an earthly way. Everyone, including His relatives, needed to learn to see Jesus as the Son of the Father in Heaven. It was the act of accepting Jesus’ divine identity and submitting in obedience to the will of the Father that established a much deeper bond with Him. That is the relationship that Jesus desired with His earthly brothers.The mother of Jesus, on the other hand, was also perfect in every way. She was free from the disorder of sin and even her mind was clear, being filled with perfect wisdom and understanding. Therefore, when it was reported to her what Jesus said, she would have understood and believed.https://youtu.be/NrEkp1BtrIA?si=2ouRtivQo8hcrhYWSaint Bede says that when we hear the word of God and obey it, we become Jesus’ “mother” by bringing Him forth into the world through our words and actions. This also makes us Jesus’ “brothers” because our obedience makes us all children of the Father in Heaven.By the gift of the fullness of grace, our Blessed Mother would have fully understood that her unity with her Son was primarily the result of their shared obedience to the Father’s will. She not only experienced the Son of God being conceived within her womb, she also had the profound experience of conceiving Him in her heart through her obedience to the will of the Father. That “conception” of Jesus within her Immaculate Heart would have been unmistakably clear to her and the cause of her greatest joy. For that reason, she would have treasured this spiritual motherhood of her Son as the greatest gift of all, even more than the gift of natural motherhood.*Reflect,* today, upon the fact that you are also invited to be the “mother” and the “brother” of Jesus. You share in these holy callings through obedience to the will of the Father. The more clearly you hear God speak and the more fully you obey all that He says will determine the depth of spiritual union you have with Him. Our natural selves must give way to the supernatural life of grace. Make the choice, with our Blessed Mother, to pursue the glorious life of grace so that you will conceive the Son of God in your heart, become a true child of the Father in Heaven, and become a spiritual brother or sister of our Lord.*PRAYER:*_My divine Lord, Your love for Your earthly mother was perfect in every way. That earthly bond was transformed and elevated by Your spiritual union with her on account of Your mutual obedience to the will of the Father. Please draw me into Your divine Family by helping me to listen to and to obey all that the Father speaks. Jesus, I trust in You.