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First Reading: James 2:14-24, 26
What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
"Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,"
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.
Indeed someone might say,
"You have faith and I have works."
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
You believe that God is one.
You do well.
Even the demons believe that and tremble.
Do you want proof, you ignoramus,
that faith without works is useless?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works
when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
You see that faith was active along with his works,
and faith was completed by the works.
Thus the Scripture was fulfilled that says,
Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness,
and he was called the friend of God.
See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
For just as a body without a spirit is dead,
so also faith without works is dead.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R./ Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord's commands.
Blessed the man who fears the Lord,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R./ Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord's commands.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R./ Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord's commands.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just man shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R./ Blessed the man who greatly delights in the Lord's commands.
Gospel Reading: Mark 8:34--9:1
Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the Gospel will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
What could one give in exchange for his life?
Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words
in this faithless and sinful generation,
the Son of Man will be ashamed of
when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
He also said to them,
"Amen, I say to you,
there are some standing here who will not taste death
until they see that the Kingdom of God has come in power."
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
we believe in you with all our being.
Let this faith never be a lifeless belief
in abstract truths outside ourselves,
but a deep personal commitment
to your Son, Jesus Christ.
Give us the courage, we pray you,
to live for our brothers and sisters
and if need be to lose our life for them
and for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction
Today, we have in the first reading one of the most important passages of James: faith demands commitment—or, as Jesus will say in the Gospel, consistent discipleship. "Faith without works is a dead faith," a mere belief in theoretical tenets. Sometimes, James is opposed to Paul—that was Luther's main difficulty—because Paul says we are saved by faith, not works. Both take "works" in a different sense. "Works" for Paul is the observance of the Jewish practices of the old Law, from which the Christian is liberated, but for the follower of Christ, says Paul, faith works through love, through adherence to Christ. So, let our faith shine in works of love and service.
Gospel Introduction
Being a disciple of Jesus implies journeying with Jesus on the way of the cross. Christians, followers of Christ, are people marked with the cross. We make the sign of the cross not merely symbolically when we pray but also in real life, whether we like it or not. We have to learn to accept the cross with Jesus.
General Intercessions
– For the community of the Church, that our leaders may inspire us by their faith and that we may bring our joy and peace to a world in dire need of hope and love, we pray:
– For the communities of our families, that parents may inspire their children by their living faith and help the young to become honest seekers of justice, truth, and Christian hope, we pray:
– For all of us here, that our faith may prompt us to live and practice what we believe and that we may have enough faith in one another to build up together a real Christian community, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father,
with bread and wine, we express our faith
in the paschal mystery of Jesus, your Son.
Let this faith recognize him here among us
and fill us and our meager works
with his consistent and persevering power,
that we may live as we believe
and hold on to Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
you have begun your good work in us
because you believe in our capacity
of living the life of your Son.
Let him bring it to completion,
that it may be a life filled with goodness and love
and that the world may have become a bit better
because we have lived in it.
Let this Eucharist lead us to you,
our God, for ever and ever.
Blessing
What, indeed, is the use of our faith if we do not live by it? What is the use of believing in love if we do not love? What is the use of believing in forgiveness if we cannot forgive? Live as you believe, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
