SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Friday

Year II

Readings

First Reading
Jas 2:14–24, 26

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 112:1–2, 3–4, 5–6

Gospel
Mk 8:34–9:1

Meditation on Today’s Readings

Taken from the Vatican II Sunday and Weekday Missal
Written by Celia Sirois

In Genesis, the central problem of the story of Babel is answered in the story of Abraham. In the story of Babel, the people of the land of Shinar decide to secure their own existence. “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky,” they say, “and so make a name for ourselves.” But their efforts end in disaster and they are scattered all over the earth, just as they feared. In the language of today’s Gospel, they sought to save their life but lost it. Abraham, on the other hand, surrendered his life in faith and saved it.

The Letter of James goes on to show that Abraham’s faith was proven in his works, specifically in his readiness to sacrifice Isaac. In offering his only son, Abraham was surrendering his own future as well. James says that for such faith in action, “he was called ‘the friend of God.’” What God asked of Abraham, Jesus asks of all his disciples. Faithful following of Jesus entails self-denial and self-sacrifice. There is no other way.

The copyright for the Sunday Missal Introductions is:
Copyright (c) 2001, Daughters of St. Paul
The copyright for the Weekday Missal Introduction is:
Copyright (c) 2002, Daughters of St. Paul