Reading 1, 1 Kgs 10:1-10

¹ The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame and came to test him with difficult questions.

² She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels laden with spices and an immense quantity of gold and precious stones. Having reached Solomon, she discussed with him everything that she had in mind,

³ and Solomon had an answer for all her questions; not one of them was too obscure for the king to answer for her.

⁴ When the queen of Sheba saw how very wise Solomon was, the palace which he had built,

⁵ the food at his table, the accommodation for his officials, the organisation of his staff and the way they were dressed, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings which he presented in the Temple of Yahweh, it left her breathless,

⁶ and she said to the king, 'The report I heard in my own country about your wisdom in handling your affairs was true then!

⁷ Until I came and saw for myself, I did not believe the reports, but clearly I was told less than half: for wisdom and prosperity, you surpass what was reported to me.

⁸ How fortunate your wives are! How fortunate these courtiers of yours, continually in attendance on you and listening to your wisdom!

⁹ Blessed be Yahweh your God who has shown you his favour by setting you on the throne of Israel! Because of Yahweh's everlasting love for Israel, he has made you king to administer law and justice.'

¹⁰ And she presented the king with a hundred and twenty talents of gold and great quantities of spices and precious stones; no such wealth of spices ever came again as those which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

Gospel, Mk 7:14-23

¹⁴ He called the people to him again and said, 'Listen to me, all of you, and understand.

¹⁵ Nothing that goes into someone from outside can make that person unclean; it is the things that come out of someone that make that person unclean.

¹⁶ Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'

¹⁷ When he had gone into the house, away from the crowd, his disciples questioned him about the parable.

¹⁸ He said to them, 'Even you -- don't you understand? Can't you see that nothing that goes into someone from outside can make that person unclean,

¹⁹ because it goes not into the heart but into the stomach and passes into the sewer?

²⁰ And he went on, 'It is what comes out of someone that makes that person unclean.

²¹ For it is from within, from the heart, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder,

²² adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly.

²³ All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean.'

September 2010

October 2010