＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Eara 6: 7-8, 12b, 14-20

 Let the governor of the Jews together with their leaders build the House of God on its former site.

This is the command I give as to what you should do to help those Jewish leaders rebuild the House of God: pay the expenses in full and without delay, with the income from taxes of the province at the other side of the River which is allotted to the king.  

 And may the God who makes his Name dwell there crush every rebel, king or people, who goes against this and tries to destroy the House of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, give this command. Let it be carried out at once.”

 And the leaders of the Jews continued to make pro­gress in building, encouraged by what Hag­gai, the prophet, and Zecha­riah, the son of Iddo, had said; and they finished the work ac­­­cording to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus and Darius.   The House was finished on the third day of the month of Adar in the sixth year of the reign of Darius.

 The children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of those who had returned from exile celebrated the consecration of this House of God with rejoicing, offering on this solemnity one hundred young bulls, two hun­dred rams and four hundred lambs; and twelve he-goats as a sin-offering for all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

Then they installed the priests according to their ranks, and the Levites according to their classes, for the service of the house of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.

 Those who had returned from exile celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month,  for the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, and all of them were clean. So, they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all who had returned from exile, for their fellow-priests and for themselves.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Luke 8: 19-21

Then his mother and his relatives came to him, but they could not get to him because of the crowd.  Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing out­­side and wish to meet you.”  Then Jesus answered, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

 

Reflection gospel：

“THOSE WHO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND DO IT.”

Our biological make-up determines the closeness of our relationship with our mother, father, sister(s) and brother(s).

Other than a relationship with a friend, these are the closest possible relationships that one can have to another person. But in today’s short gospel reading, Jesus established a determinant that goes beyond biological relationship, that is, the bearing and the keeping of the word of God. this is the one thing that connects and brings us into close relationship with Christ.

Hearing and keeping God’s word means taking Jesus in our life, making him an integral part to us, without whom life fails. When this happens, Christ takes possession of us and assumes a central place. That is why we can now say: “I am sister/brother to Christ, a sister and a brother to others because of Christ’s love them.

It needs to be noted that this relationship with Christ constitutes hearing and doing. Both are needed in building a relationship with him. Hearing the good news is not enough. It requires the addition of action.