25th Sunday in Ordinary Time - B - September 19, 2021

The wicked say:

12 Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.

17 Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
18 For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
19 With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
20 Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.

For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A contemplation by David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, "Isn't David hiding himself among us?"

1 Save me, God, by your name.
Vindicate me in your might.
2 Hear my prayer, God.
Listen to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have risen up against me.
Violent men have sought after my soul.
They haven"t set God before them.

Selah.

4 Behold, God is my helper.
The Lord is the one who sustains my soul.
5 He will repay the evil to my enemies.
Destroy them in your truth.
6 With a free will offering, I will sacrifice to you.
I will give thanks to your name, YHWH, for it is good.
7 For he has delivered me out of all trouble.
My eye has seen triumph over my enemies.

16 When you find jealousy and selfishness, you will find a weakness and people doing all kinds of evil. 17 But you will find the wisdom that comes from God is first of all holy. Then, it is full of peace. It wants to find an agreement, not a fight. It wants people to act with mercy and do good things. It is sure. It does not say one thing and do another. 18 When people make peace, they sow the seeds of God s will in their lives.

4:1 Where do your fights and your wars come from? Is it really a fight between your mind and heart? Isn t it really a fight between what you should do and what you want to do? 2 You really want something but you do nothing to go get it. You would kill for it and are jealous of others who have it, but you do not have it in your hand. You pick fights and make wars, but its not yours. Why? Because you don t ask for it. 3 And if you ask for it, you don t receive it because you ask only for yourself, not for the good of others.

16 For, where (there is) jealously and selfish ambition, there (is) instability and every bad practice. 17 But wisdom from above is first (of all) pure, then peaceful, agreeable, obedient, full of mercy and good fruit, without uncertainty and hypocrisy. 18 The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those making peace.

4:1 From where (are) the wars, and from where (are) the battles among you? (Is it) not from here, from your pleasures, the (ones) making war with your (body) parts? 2 You desire but you do not possess, you murder and are jealous but are not able to obtain, you fight (battles) and make war, you do not possess because the (thing) you do not ask, 3 you ask and do not receive because you ask poorly, so that you might freely spend (your request) in your pleasure.

After the argument with the Pharisees, 30 Jesus and his followers left the area and traveled throughout Galilee. But, Jesus did not want anyone to know where he was going. 31 On the trip, Jesus taught his followers. "The Son of Man is arrested by the leadership in Jerusalem and they will kill him," Jesus told them. "But, three days later, he will rise from the dead." 32 His followers did not know what he was talking about. And, they were afraid to ask him about it.

33 Jesus and his followers went to Capernaum. At home, Jesus asked his followers, "What were you talking about on the way here?" 34 But they all fell silent, because they were talking about who was the most important in the group. 35 So, Jesus sat down, called the Twelve together, and began to teach them. "If someone wants to lead, he must be the least important follower and serve everyone else," Jesus told them. 36 Then, Jesus took a small child, stood the child in front of the Twelve, and hugged the child. 37 "Whoever helps someone as small and unimportant as this child because of me, helps me. And, whoever helps me really helps my Father, the one who sent me."

30 Having gone out from there, they went through Galilee, and HE did not want that some might know (it). 31 For, HE was teaching his disciples, and HE was saying to them, "The SON OF MAN is handed over into the hands of men, and they will kill HIM. Having been killed, HE will rise up after three days." 32 They did not understand HIS (statement) and they were afraid to ask HIM (about it).

33 They went into Capernaum. Having come (home), HE asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" 34 But they were silent. For, along the way, they argued with each other who (was) greater. 35 Having sat, HE called the twelve (together) and said to them, "If someone wants to be first, he will be the last of all and the servant of all." 36 Having taken a small child, HE stood (the child) in their midst. And having embraced (the child), HE said to them, 37 "Whoever welcomes one of such small children in MY name welcomes ME. And whoever welcomes ME does not welcome ME but the One having sent ME."