Bible Diary

Daily Reading

Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
444

FIRST READING

1 TM 3:1-13

Beloved, this saying is trustworthy:
whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task.
Therefore, a bishop must be irreproachable,
married only once, temperate, self-controlled,
decent, hospitable, able to teach,
not a drunkard, not aggressive, but gentle,
not contentious, not a lover of money.
He must manage his own household well,
keeping his children under control with perfect dignity;
for if a man does not know how to manage his own household,
how can he take care of the Church of God?
He should not be a recent convert,
so that he may not become conceited
and thus incur the Devil's punishment.
He must also have a good reputation among outsiders,
so that he may not fall into disgrace, the Devil's trap.

Similarly, deacons must be dignified, not deceitful,
not addicted to drink, not greedy for sordid gain,
holding fast to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
Moreover, they should be tested first;
then, if there is nothing against them,
let them serve as deacons.
Women, similarly, should be dignified, not slanderers,
but temperate and faithful in everything.
Deacons may be married only once
and must manage their children and their households well.
Thus those who serve well as deacons gain good standing
and much confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.

PSALM

PS 101:1B-2AB, 2CD-3AB, 5, 6

Response: I will walk with blameless heart.

Of mercy and judgment I will sing;
to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.
I will persevere in the way of integrity;
when will you come to me?

I will walk with blameless heart,
within my house;
I will not set before my eyes
any base thing.

Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret,
him will I destroy.
The man of haughty eyes and puffed up heart
I will not endure.

My eyes are upon the faithful of the land,
that they may dwell with me.
He who walks in the way of integrity
shall be in my service.

GOSPEL

LK 7:11-17

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,
and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
As he drew near to the gate of the city,
a man who had died was being carried out,
the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her,
he was moved with pity for her and said to her,
"Do not weep."
He stepped forward and touched the coffin;
at this the bearers halted,
and he said, "Young man, I tell you, arise!"
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming,
"A great prophet has arisen in our midst,"
and "God has visited his people."
This report about him spread through the whole of Judea
and in all the surrounding region.

Daily Reflection

God can and does indeed, when necessary, intervene in the normal running of His universe. He either does it through people or by Himself.

Paul emphasises that God guides his church through the 'presiding elders and 'deacons'. Therefore they must have an 'impeccable character', since they represent God’s action in the world. But God also uses us, chosen in Baptism, as witnesses of His loving presence in the world.

The Gospel illustrates how God also intervenes by Himself. The scene is that of a funeral procession and Jesus, noticing that the deceased is the only son of a widow, acts because he ‘felt sorry for her’. The people recognise Jesus’ action of raising the young man from the dead as being ‘prophetic’ in that ‘God has visited his people’.

Today, God still wants to visit His people. Are you available for God to intervene in the world through you?