Fifteenth Sunday, Ordinary Time. Year B - Sunday, July 11, 2021 (EPISODE: 310)

Fifteenth Sunday, Ordinary Time. Year B - Sunday, July 11, 2021

(EPISODE: 310)

Readings for Fifteenth Sunday, Ordinary Time. Year B
FIRST READING: Amos 7: 12-15
Ps 85: 9ab+10, 11-12, 13-14. "Lord, show us your mercy and love and grant us your salvation. "
SECOND READING: Eph 1: 3-14 or 1: 3-10
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (cf. Eph 1: 17-18). Alleluia, alleluia! May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our heart. That we might see how great is the hope to which we are called.
GOSPEL: Mark 6: 7-13

Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Image ID: 409997863-
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - APRIL 2, 2016: Stained Glass window in St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague.- By jorisvo
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for Fifteenth Sunday, Ordinary Time. Year B - Sunday, July 11, 2021 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ordinary-15b-episode-310/s-8ikFqPyB6oR  
(EPISODE:310)
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Prologue:  As Saint Paul Says in the Second reading today: "God has showered us with EVERY spiritual gift," – so it is good for us to pause and ask ourselves…. how are we making use of all of these gifts to live our lives in harmony with God's loving vision for the world.?

The spiritual gifts include wisdom, understanding, knowledge, discernment, courage, reverence, and wonder.   
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Homily: Jesus must have known the effect and the "radical originality" of what he was proposing. The gospel this weekend highlights the differences in the first reading.
 
There were people in Jesus' time, who were "professional prophets"; they were born into a family of prophets; This was the "family business"; just like others might be carpenters; some were prophets; And they made their money and earned their bread and shelter by plying their trade as a prophet; which was often a rather financially rewarding occupation. Particularly if you told people what they wanted to hear and avoided offending anyone with the truth.
 
But Amos in the first reading makes it clear that he is no "professional prophet," but rather, Amos is simply a poor shepherd; called by God to speak God's message to the people. He is not here to reinforce people's self-serving world-views. He is here to build up the Kingdom of God, not the Kingdom of "Me."

Jesus calls his followers to that same authenticity and simplicity -- to be open and faithful to God's word and God's vision, no matter how challenging, no matter how difficult. However, at the same time, Jesus is calling us to an attitude and practice of simplicity in our lifestyles, and desires; To live more simply and to travel lightly and with less baggage; whether it be physical, spiritual, or emotional baggage.
 
It is such an attractive and reassuring message, in a world where we seem to be being called to the opposite - to possessiveness; to indulgence; to self-realisation; to materialism and to an unapologetic participation in unwholesome words, practices and thoughts.
 
Jesus commissioned the disciples to go out "two by two." --In our modern culture the desire "go it alone" on projects and challenges is a fairly familiar approach, but this 'being an island unto oneself," would have been a much rarer attitude, back in the days when belonging to a community was almost EVERYTHING. One's survival often depends upon it. Nowadays it seems a popular goal to be a 'self-made, - self-sustaining person'.

Our Lord teaches the wisdom of "not going it alone" on our spiritual journey, especially when we're trying to share our faith or live it in its very public dimensions. In the process of taking our faith out into the world and living it, we may not need a lot of baggage, but we do need other people of faith to support us; to inspire us, guide, help and, even at times, challenge us - There is really no such thing as a solo Christian and Christianity is not something that we can do best all by ourselves.
 
We know it is so much easier for a person to tear down others' plans and arguments than it is to build them up and to help make them work........
There seem to be all-too-many examples of people throughout the world "acting before proper, sober evaluation, " or by actually seeking messages that reinforce our pre-determined interests.

Christ calls us to act after due consideration for the kind of world we are creating by our decisions.  Jesus' gospel certainly is not about self-serving choices...
 
Jesus wanted his disciples to 'travel light' so to be free to live his good news. Our Lord commands us to be detached from "things" -  because "things," and ever-increasing possessions can easily clutter and weigh us down – block us from achieving our goal of proclaiming His gospel in action and word.

Someone once said that "half the confusion in the world comes from being unable to realise just how little we really need."

So, if it is harder than ever for us to know how little we need (and how little some others actually have) perhaps the problem in our modern culture at the moment is that there is an alarming (and increasing gap) and a blurring between the concepts of "want" and "need ".
 
And Our Lord clarifies this action with his teaching and example –
"As you travel through life......travel light!!
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References:

Homily –
Fr Paul W. Kelly

Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. Image ID: 409997863-
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - APRIL 2, 2016: Stained Glass window in St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague.- By jorisvo 


Fifteenth Sunday, Ordinary Time. Year B  (Sunday, July 11, 2021)  (EPISODE: 310)
The Lord be with you.
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{{May Our Lord's empathy abide in you.}} welcome everyone, we gather -  To offer or praise, prayers and intercessions to our loving God

As one family in Christ, let us prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries by calling to mind our sins. 

You raise the dead to life in the Spirit. Lord, have mercy//You bring pardon and peace to the sinner. Christ, have mercy// You bring light to those in darkness. Lord, have mercy//

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
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Ps 85: 9ab+10, 11-12, 13-14. "Lord, show us your mercy and love, and grant us your salvation. "

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (cf. Eph 1: 17-18). Alleluia, alleluia! May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our heart. That we might see how great is the hope to which we are called.
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PREFACE: Sundays II
EP III
(theme variation: 1 )

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{I pray this week brings you an ever deeper experience of Our Lord's compassion and love}

Go forth, the Mass is ended.

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Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to our weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection"  - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants  — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989,  and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009,  The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful -   " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'.   E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).

Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -  By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.

- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of William John (Bill) Kelly (1942-2017) -  Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

"Quiet Time."  Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.

- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly.  Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer.  Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

Sound Engineering and editing -  P.W. Kelly.
Microphones: - Sennheiser MK4 Cardioid Condenser; and  Shure Motiv MV5 Digital Condenser.

Editing equipment:    NCH software - MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software

NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 12.44

Sound Processing:  iZotope RX 6 Audio Editor

[ Production -  KER -  2021]

May God bless and keep you.
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