＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Sirach 44:1, 9-13

 Let us now glorify illustrious men,

The ancestors of our peo­ple. others are not remembered and have disappeared as if they never existed. It is the same for their children.

 But now consider the godly men whose good deeds have not been forgotten. Those who came after them benefited from the rich legacy they left; their race remained faithful to the Covenant, their children followed their ex­ample. Their family will endure forever and never will its glory be tarnished.

 

Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a & 9b

The Lord takes delight in his people.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊     
Mark 11:11-26

 So Jesus entered Jerusa­lem and went into the Temple. And after he had looked all around, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.  The next day, when they were leaving Bethany, he felt hungry. In the distance he noticed a fig tree covered with leaves, so he went to see if he could find anything on it.

When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. Then Jesus said to the fig tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit!” And his disciples heard these words.  When they reached Jeru­salem, Jesus went to the Temple and began to drive away all the people he saw buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the stools of those who sold pigeons. And he would not let anyone carry anything through the Temple area.

 Jesus then taught the people, “Does not God say in the Scriptures: My house will be called a House of Prayer for all the nations? But you have turned it into a den of thieves.”  The chief priests and the teachers of the Law heard of this, and they tried to find a way to destroy him. They were afraid of him because all the people were captivated in his teaching. When evening came, Jesus left the city.

 Early next morning, as they walked along the road, the disciples saw the fig tree withered to its roots. Peter then said to him, “Master, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered.” And Jesus replied, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, if you say to this mountain: ‘Get up and throw yourself into the sea,’ and have no doubt in your heart but be­­lieve that what you say will hap­­­­pen, it will be done for you. 

There­­­fore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it shall be done for you. And when you stand to pray, forgive whatever you may hold against anyone, so that your heavenly Father may also forgive your sins.”

 

 Gospel Reflection：

Sandwiched between the episodes of the fig tree is Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. He drove out those who were buying and selling within its perimeters. These are ordinary people trying to eke out a living. Most of them engaged in unfair trade practices like inflating the price of their goods, low rates in exchanging foreign currencies, and bribing the priests to declare most of the offerings not bought from them as unfit.

This in turn would force people to buy their overpriced animals as offerings. Jesus may be angry at these. This unjust economic set up in the very shadow of the Temple rendered the holy place a den of thieves. It is not only the outside of the temple but the inside as well that needs cleaning.

For people sometimes go there to make a commercial transaction with God. They will do something for God so as to oblige God to do something for them. These commercial prayers persist until now. The cleansing of the Temple must continue until this very day.