St. Eusebius of Vercelli, bishop /

St. Peter Julian Eymard, priest 

＊＊＊1st Reading＊＊＊  Leviticus 23: 1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37

Yahweh spoke to Moses, There are the appointed feasts of Yahweh at the times fixed for them, when you are to proclaim holy assemblies.

At twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month is Yahweh’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of this month it is Yahweh’s feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you shall eat bread without leaven.  On the first day there will be a sacred assembly and no work of a worker shall be done.  For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to Yahweh and on the seventh day you shall hold a sacred assembly and do no work of a worker.”

Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,  “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land that I will give you and you reap its harvest, you will bring to the priest a sheaf, the first fruits of your harvest  and he shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

 From the day after the sabbath, on which you bring the sheaf of offering, you are to count seven full weeks.  The day after the seventh sabbath will be the fiftieth day and then you are to offer Yahweh a new offering. “The tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. You are to hold a sacred assembly. You must fast, and you must offer a burnt offering to Yahweh. 

“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of Tents for Yahweh, lasting seven days. The first day you shall hold an assembly; you must do no work of a worker.  For seven days you must offer a burnt offering to Yahweh. On the eighth day you are to hold a sacred assembly and you must offer a burnt offering to Yahweh. It is a day of solemn assembly in which you shall do no work of a worker.

These are the appointed feasts of Yahweh in which you are to proclaim holy assemblies for the purpose of offering offerings by fire, burnt offerings, grain offerings and drink offerings to Yahweh, according to the ritual of each day. 

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

 Matthew 13: 54-58

 He went to his hometown and taught the people in their synagogue. They were amazed and said, “Where did he get this wisdom and these special powers?  Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t Mary his mother and aren’t James, Joseph, Simon and Judas his brothers?  Aren’t all his sisters living here? How did he get all this?” And so they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “The only place where prophets are not welcome is their hometown and in their own family.”  And he did not perform many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

 

Reflection gospel：

“ISN’T THE CARPENTER’S SON?”

 If it were not easy for people at the hometown of Jesus, having seen his miraculous power at work and having heard his teachings, to believe that he is the Messiah and the Son of God, it would be much more difficult for contemporary young people or adults who have not developed faith in God and questions the existence of institutional religions to believe in a Jesus who lived more than two thousand years ago.

In a casual conversation with a young man, who professes to be a non-believer, said he could not believe that this Jesus is the son of God and that he existed or lived on this Earth based on the bible and other books. In reply, I suggested he goes to a quiet place to be alone with himself and sincerely ask God for the gift of faith and to reveal his son to him. I added that he would know Jesus exists and who Jesus is when he experiences genuine love.