Sunday June 9, 2024
Tenth Sunday of the Year B
Office: Psalter Week, Te Deum
Mass Proper; Gloria. Creed. Preface of Sunday
Vestment: Green
Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mysteries
Vespers II of the 10th Sunday of the Year
Theme of the Sunday: JESUS AND THE EVIL SPIRIT—TWO IRRECONCILABLE ENEMIES
The first reading describes the battle between good and evil. Who will win? The Bible assures us that a person born of woman will defeat the evil spirit. The gospel presents to us the only one capable of defeating the devil: Jesus. We see the disciples, his new family, in his house and they listen to his word. The second reading shows us the vision we should have both of our life and of the world. We are pilgrims on the way to God. We will achieve full life when the evil in each of us is completely overcome.
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON cf. Ps 27:8-9
The Lord is the strength of his people, a saving refuge for the one he has anointed. Save your people, Lord, and bless your heritage, and govern them forever.
THE GLORIA
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you, We bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
COLLECT
Grant, O Lord, that we may always revere and love your holy name, for you never deprive of your guidance those you set firm on the foundation of your love. Through our Lord…
FIRST READING
“I will put enmity between your seed and her seed.”
A reading from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 3:9- 15)
[After Adam had eaten of the tree,] the Lord God called to him, and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all cattle, and above all wild animals; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
The word of the ‘Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 130: 1 -2.3-4.5-7a.7b-b (R. 7bc)
R/. With the Lord there is mercy, in him is plentiful redemption.
Out of the depths I cry to you,
O Lord; Lord, hear my voice!
O let your ears be attentive
to the sound of my pleading. R/.
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you is found forgiveness,
that you may be revered. R/.
R/. With the Lord there is mercy, in him is plentiful redemption.
I long for you, O Lord,
my soul longs for his word.
My soul hopes in the Lord
more than watchmen for daybreak.
More than watchmen for daybreak,
let Israel hope for the Lord. R/.
For with the Lord there is mercy,
in him is plentiful redemption.
It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities. R/.
SECOND READING
“We believe, and so we speak.”
A reading from the second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 4:13-5: 1)
Brethren: Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we too believe, and so we speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer man is wasting away, our inner man is being renewed every day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
The word of the Lord.
ALLELUIA John 12:31-32
Alleluia. Now shall the ruler of this world be cast out, says the Lord; and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“Satan is coming to an end.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 3:20-35)
At that time: Jesus went home with his disciples; and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. And when his friends heard it, they went out to seize him, for they said, “He is beside himself.” And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” And he called them to him, and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man; then indeed he may plunder his house. “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” — for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” And his mother and his brethren came; and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brethren are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brethren?” And looking around on those who sat about him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brethren! Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
THE CREED (I Believe)
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Celebrant:
Inspired by the life of Mary, the new Eve, who heard the word of the Lord and kept it, we come to the Lord in prayer for the grace to be able to carry out God’s will in all aspects of our lives.
FOR THE CHURCH: that, by the power of the word of God, the sacraments and the sacramental, she may continue to liberate those who are held captive by the forces of darkness. Let us pray to the Lord.
FOR THOSE IN CIVIL AUTHORITY: that they may defend the lives and property of the citizens, work towards the eradication of societal ills and the restoration of peace among their people. Let us pray to the Lord.
FOR THOSE BURDENED WITH ANY KIND OF DIFFICULTY: that they may realize that their struggles with difficulties and sufferings can only be overcome in Christ, in whom there is fullness of redemption. Let us pray to the Lord.
FOR OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY: that, in our daily struggles, we may always trust in God’s perfect plan for our lives and be given the grace to submit to his will. Let us pray to the Lord.
FOR OTHER INTENTIONS: (the sick, church projects or other activities).
FOR THE DEAD, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF OUR PARISH COMMUNITY AND FAMILY MEMBERS: that they may find eternal rest with the Lord. Let us pray to the Lord.
We pray in silence for our private intentions.
Celebrant:
God our heavenly father, with you there is mercy and fullness of redemption. Help us to overcome the evil that tends to separate us from you and, in your compassion, answer our prayers. Through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
If we love God, we will make efforts to keep His commandments. The devil strives to make believers do things that are contrary to God’s will so as to put in them hatred and disloyalty to God. In the first reading, we read of how Adam attempted to hide himself from the presence of God having offended God’s will. Original Sin per se soured humanity’s relationship with God. However, God’s boundless love announced in the Garden of Eden the redemption of the world through the seed of the woman who crushed the head of the serpent. It therefore hurts that the scribes who came from Jerusalem said Jesus casts out demons by the prince of demons. They refused to acknowledge the power of God over Satan and that explains their sin against the Holy Spirit as evidence by the gospel reading of today. Believers should take to heart the words of Saint Paul in the Second Reading by not allowing themselves to be governed by the passing things of earth but by the eternal things of heaven.
TODAY SAINT AND QUOTE: St Ephrem – June 9th
-Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven.
PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL
– Thank God for His word today.
– Lord Jesus, I desperately want my child, friend, brother (mention their names) to return to Christ in His church.
Let your powerful grace flow into their lives in the name of Jesus.
– Ask the Lord Jesus to soften their hearts, prepare a path for their conversion, and activate the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Let Us Pray,
In the power and authority that you have given me, I say to all addictions, perversions, chemical dependencies, occult powers, generational courses, evil covenants, hopelessness, worry, doubt, fear, despair and all symptoms of any such illness that you must submit to the name of Jesus.
