*Our Lady of Mount Carmel*
*FIRST READING*
A reading from the Book of Exodus (Exodus 2: 1-15a)
She named him Moses, for she said, “Because I drew him out of the water”; and when he had grown up, he went out to his people.
In those days: A man from the house of Levi went and took to wife a daughter of Levi. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could hide him no longer she took for him a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with bitumen and pitch; and she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds at the river’s brink. And his sister stood at a distance, to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, and her maidens walked beside the river; she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to fetch it. When she opened it she saw the child; and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son; and she named him Moses, for she said, “Because I drew him out of the water.” One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to’ his people and looked on their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together; and he said to the man that did the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?” He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh, and stayed in the land of Midian.
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*RESPONSORIAL PSALM* Psalm 69:3.14.30-31.33-34 (R. see 33)
*R. You who are poor, seek God, and your hearts will revive.*
I have sunk into the mud of the deep,
where there is no foothold.
I have entered the waters of the deep,
where the flood overwhelms we. *R.*
But I pray to you, O Lord,
for a time of your favour.
In your great mercy, answer me, O God,
with your salvation that never fails. *R.*
As for me in my poverty and pain,
let your salvation, O God, raise me up.
Then I will praise God's name with a song;
I will glorify him with thanksgiving. *R.*
The poor when they see it will be glad,
and God-seeking hearts will revive;
for the Lord listens to the needy,
and does not spurn his own in their chains. *R.*
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*ALLELUIA*
Psalm 95:7d.8a
Alleluia. Today, harden not your hearts, but listen to the voice of the Lord. Alleluia.
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*Gospel*
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew Matthew11:20-24
It shall be more tolerable on the day of judgement for Tyre and Sodom than for you.”
At that time: Jesus began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgement for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgement for the land of Sodom than for you.”
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*Today's Reflection*
There is a feeling of pain that come with unreturned affection. Parents expect, even when they do not say it, that the resources they spend on their children will enable them to turn out better persons. When the reverse happens, regret sets in. jesus came close to that as he looked at places where most of his mighty works were done. God has shown us so much love. He sent his son to die for us, and secondly, he manifests daily in the events of our lives. We may not have reached where we want to be in life. But we aren’t where we used to be. How do we respond to all that which we have received from God?
