Bible Readings - May 22, 2024

Reading 1

James 4:13-17

Beloved:

Come now, you who say,

"Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town,

spend a year there doing business, and make a profit"–

you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow.

You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears.

Instead you should say,

"If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that."

But now you are boasting in your arrogance.

All such boasting is evil.

So for one who knows the right thing to do

and does not do it, it is a sin.

Matthew 5:3

Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

Psalm 49:2-3, 6-11

Hear this, all you peoples;

hearken, all who dwell in the world,

Of lowly birth or high degree,

rich and poor alike.

Why should I fear in evil days

when my wicked ensnarers ring me round?

They trust in their wealth;

the abundance of their riches is their boast.

Yet in no way can a man redeem himself,

or pay his own ransom to God;

Too high is the price to redeem one's life; he would never have enough

to remain alive always and not see destruction.

For he can see that wise men die,

and likewise the senseless and the stupid pass away,

leaving to others their wealth.

John 14:6

I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;

no one comes to the Father except through me.

Gospel

Mark 9:38-40

John said to Jesus,

"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,

and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."

Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.

There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name

who can at the same time speak ill of me.

For whoever is not against us is for us."

John 14:6

I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;

no one comes to the Father except through me.