Thursday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time (II)

Official Translation

Reading 1 – James 2.1-9

My brothers and sisters,
do not hold the faith of our Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ, with partiality.
For if someone with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue,
and a poor person in filthy clothing also comes in;
and you pay special attention to the one who wears the fine clothing,
and say, “Sit here in a good place”;
and you tell the poor person, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”;
have you not shown partiality among yourselves,
and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my beloved brothers.
Did God not choose those who are poor in this world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom
which he promised to those who love him?
But you have dishonored the poor person.
Do not the rich oppress you, and personally drag you into court?
Do they not blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?

However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture,
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.
But if you show partiality, you commit sin,
being convicted by the law as transgressors.

Responsorial – Psalm 34.2-3, 4-5, 6-7 Resp. 7a

R. The Lord hears the poor who cry out.

I will bless the Lord at all times.
His praise will always be in my mouth.
My soul shall boast in the Lord.
The humble shall hear of it, and be glad.

R. The Lord hears the poor who cry out.

Oh magnify the Lord with me.
Let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.

R. The Lord hears the poor who cry out.

They looked to him, and were radiant.
Their faces shall never be covered with shame.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles.

R. The Lord hears the poor who cry out.

Gospel – Mark 8.27-33

Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
On the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do humans say that I am?”
They told him, “John the Baptist, and others, Elijah,
and others, one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”
He commanded them that they should tell no one about him.

He began to teach them that the Son of Human must suffer many things,
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and after three days rise again.
He spoke to them openly.
Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him.
But he, turning around, and seeing his disciples,
rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan!
For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of humans.”