Yesterday at Mass I was mesmerised by the first reading from the book of Leviticus. It touched me in a deep way. I was listening to God my Father tell my older brothers (the Jewish people) through Moses, that He wanted oblations and ceremonies to commemorate His decrees! What was being stated by God was awesome! because what God wanted was for His people to commemorate Him and stand for Him while living in and amongst a pagan society! This is us now! We live in and amongst a pagan society but we are to commemorate and celebrate God as He decrees, attending the Holy Mass and receiving the sacraments, being faithful with our prayers and keeping the doctrines of Our Holy Catholic faith. Below is Gods word to Moses in Leviticus First Reading: Leviticus 23: 1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37 1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 4 These also are the holy days of the Lord, which you must celebrate in their seasons. 5 The first month, the fourteenth day of the month at evening, is the phase of the Lord: 6 And the fifteenth day of the same month is the solemnity of the unleavened bread of the Lord. Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread. 7 The first day shall be most solemn unto you, and holy: you shall do no servile work therein: 8 But you shall offer sacrifice in fire to the Lord seven days. And the seventh day shall be more solemn, and more holy: and you shall do no servile work therein. 9 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 10 Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: When you shall have entered into the land which I will give you, and shall reap your corn, you shall bring sheaves of ears, the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest: 11 Who shall lift up the shed before the Lord, the next day after the sabbath, that it may be acceptable for you, and shall sanctify it. 15 You shall count therefore from the morrow after the sabbath, wherein you offered the sheaf of the firstfruits, seven full weeks. 16 Even unto the marrow after the seventh week be expired, that is to say, fifty days, and so you shall offer a new sacrifice to the Lord. 27 Upon the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the day of atonement, it shall be most solemn, and shall be called holy: and you shall afflict your souls on that day, and shall offer a holocaust to the Lord. 34 From the fifteenth day of this same seventh month, shall be kept the feast of tabernacles seven days to the Lord. 35 The first day shall be called most solemn and most holy: you shall do no servile work therein. And seven days you shall offer holocausts to the Lord. 36 The eighth day also shall be most solemn and most holy, and you shall offer holocausts to the Lord: for it is the day of assembly and congregation: you shall do no servile work therein. 37 These are the feasts of the Lord, which you shall call most solemn and most holy, and shall offer on them oblations to the Lord, holocausts and libations according to the rite of every day, Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 81: 3-4, 5-6, 10-11ab R. (2a) Sing with joy to God our help. 3 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel: the pleasant psaltery with the harp. 4 Blow up the trumpet on the new moon, on the noted day of your solemnity. R. Sing with joy to God our help. 5 For it is a commandment in Israel, and a judgment to the God of Jacob. 6 He ordained it for a testimony in Joseph, when he came out of the land of Egypt: he heard a tongue which he knew not. R. Sing with joy to God our help. 10 There shall be no new god in thee: neither shalt thou adore a strange god. 11 For I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt. R. Sing with joy to God our help. Alleluia: First Peter 1: 25 R. Alleluia, alleluia. 25 The word of the Lord remains forever; This is the word that has been proclaimed to you. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel: Matthew 13: 54-58 54 And coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogues, so that they wondered and said: How came this man by this wisdom and miracles? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Jude: 56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence therefore hath he all these things? 57 And they were scandalized in his regard. But Jesus said to them: A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. 58 And he wrought not many miracles there, because of their unbelief.
