Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
October 6, 2021
Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 463
Reading I
Jonah was greatly displeased
and became angry that God did not carry out the evil
he threatened against Nineveh.
He prayed, “I beseech you, LORD,
is not this what I said while I was still in my own country?
This is why I fled at first to Tarshish.
I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God,
slow to anger, rich in clemency, loath to punish.
And now, LORD, please take my life from me;
for it is better for me to die than to live.”
But the LORD asked, “Have you reason to be angry?”
Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it,
where he built himself a hut and waited under it in the shade,
to see what would happen to the city.
And when the LORD God provided a gourd plant
that grew up over Jonah’s head,
giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort,
Jonah was very happy over the plant.
But the next morning at dawn
God sent a worm that attacked the plant,
so that it withered.
And when the sun arose, God sent a burning east wind;
and the sun beat upon Jonah’s head till he became faint.
Then Jonah asked for death, saying,
“I would be better off dead than alive.”
But God said to Jonah,
“Have you reason to be angry over the plant?”
“I have reason to be angry,” Jonah answered, “angry enough to die.”
Then the LORD said,
“You are concerned over the plant which cost you no labor
and which you did not raise;
it came up in one night and in one night it perished.
And should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city,
in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons
who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left,
not to mention the many cattle?”
Responsorial Psalm
- (15) Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship you, O Lord,
and glorify your name.
For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds;
you alone are God.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
Alleluia
- Alleluia, alleluia.
You have received a spirit of adoption as sons
through which we cry: Abba! Father!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”
He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.”
Readings for the Optional Memorial of Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, virgin
Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Bruno, priest
Reflection: JESUS, OUR MODEL OF PRAYER
Today Jonah learns his third lesson that God's love is inclusive, extending to all mankind. He was furious that God had not destroyed Nineveh. The Lord unmasked Jonah's selfishness. Jonah knew his scripture. Finally, he knew that God was a God of tenderness and compassion, “slow to anger, rich in graciousness, relenting from evil” (Ex 34:6). In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus summarizes all of his teaching on prayer in seven petitions addressed to the Father. Here in Luke's Gospel there are five petitions. Taken together, like the 10 commandments, the first three speak to us about our relationship with God. The other four speak to us about the relationships among us. Let's look at Luke's five petitions. The title 'Father' expresses the new relationship with God. It is the basis of communion. (1) To sanctify the Name: Yahweh means 'l am with you. The Name of God is sanctified when it is used with faith. (2) Your Kingdom come: The only Lord and King of human life is God. It is the fullness of life. This Kingdom will come when the will of God is completely fulfilled. (3) The daily bread: In Exodus, the people received manna in the desert. Jesus invites us to fulfil a new Exodus, a new way of sharing in a fraternal spirit which will guarantee bread for all. (4) Forgiveness of debts: Forgiveness is obtained by forgiving others' debts. It was a new beginning. The Gospel wants to begin everything new! (5) Not to fall into temptation: In the new Exodus, the temptation was overcome thanks to the grace and strength that people received from God.