Jesus is truly for everyone. There is no one too great or too insignificant for Him to save. For love of God’s children, He had come to save us from our sins. The good news for us is that regardless of race, language, or even religion, so long as we come to Him, He will minister to us and heal us—not just us, but our family.

This is truly the good news to be shared with one and all. So we who’ve experienced the Lord should be bold to go out and share this message with everyone. Amen.


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First reading
Jeremiah 31:1-7 ·
You shall be rebuilt, virgin of Israel

I will be the God of all the clans of Israel – it is the Lord who speaks – they shall be my people.

The Lord says this:
They have found pardon in the wilderness, those who have survived the sword.
Israel is marching to his rest.
The Lord has appeared to him from afar: I have loved you with an everlasting love, so I am constant in my affection for you.
I build you once more; you shall be rebuilt, virgin of Israel.
Adorned once more, and with your tambourines,
you will go out dancing gaily.
You will plant vineyards once more on the mountains of Samaria
(the planters have done their planting: they will gather the fruit).
Yes, a day will come when the watchmen shout l on the mountains of Ephraim,
‘Up! Let us go up to Zion,
to the Lord our God!’

For the Lord says this:
Shout with joy for Jacob!
Hail the chief of nations!
Proclaim! Praise! Shout:
‘The Lord has saved his people, the remnant of Israel!’


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Gospel
Matthew 15:21-28
The Canaanite woman debates with Jesus and saves her daughter

Jesus left Gennesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, ‘Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.’ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. ‘Give her what she wants,’ they said ‘because she is shouting after us.’ He said in reply, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said ‘help me.’ He replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.

For our sins, we deserve death. But in His mercy, our Heavenly Father sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us on the cross, so that through our repentance, our sins are forgiven. And we have hope of life eternal with Him.

This is our faith! While we must be obedient to our leaders, we must be obedient to the Lord our God first and above all. For He is the truth, the life, and the way.

On all matters of faith and morals, we must remain true to the Lord our God. Amen.

Saint John Mary Vianney, Priest  pray for us…

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First reading
Jeremiah 30:1-2,12-15,18-22
Your wound is incurable but I will heal you

The word addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord: the Lord, the God of Israel says this: Write all the words I have spoken to you in a book.

Yes, the Lord says this:
Your wound is incurable,
your injury past healing.
There is no one to care for your sore, no medicine to make you well again.
All your lovers have forgotten you, they look for you no more.
Yes, I have struck you as an enemy strikes, with harsh punishment so great is your guilt, so many your sins.
Why bother to complain about your wound?
Your pain is incurable.
So great is your guilt, so many your sins, that I have done all this to you.

The Lord says this:
Now I will restore the tents of Jacob, and take pity on his dwellings: the city shall be rebuilt on its ruins, the citadel restored on its site.
From them will come Thanksgiving and shouts of joy.
I will make them increase, and not diminish them,
make them honoured, and not disdained.
Their sons shall be as once they were, their community fixed firm in my presence,
and I will punish all their oppressors.
Their prince will be one of their own, their ruler come from their own people.
I will let him come freely into my presence and he can come close to me;
who else, indeed, would risk his life by coming close to me? – it is the Lord who speaks.
And you shall be my people and I will be your God.


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Gospel
Matthew 15:1-2,10-14
Any plant my Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots

Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said, ‘Why do your disciples break away from the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands when they eat food.’ He called the people to him and said, ‘Listen, and understand. What goes into the mouth does not make a man unclean; it is what comes out of the mouth that makes him unclean.’
    Then the disciples came to him and said, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were shocked when they heard what you said?’ He replied, ‘Any plant my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them alone. They are blind men leading blind men; and if one blind man leads another, both will fall into a pit.’

We must never be afraid to speak up for the truth, and the truth is to be found in Jesus Christ alone.

He will come to our aid in our moments of difficulties and challenges, especially when speaking the truth so that hearts may be converted.

Let us adopt the heart of our Lord in all things so that if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die in the name of the Lord. For death has no hold over us, for we know we shall rise with him. Amen.

Saint Alphonsus Mary de’ Liguori, Bishop, Doctor pray for us…

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First reading
Jeremiah 26:11-16,24
‘This man has spoken to us in the name of the Lord’

The priests and prophets addressed the officials and all the people, ‘This man deserves to die, since he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.’
    Jeremiah, however, replied to the people as follows:
    ‘The Lord himself sent me to say all the things you have heard against this Temple and this city. So now amend your behaviour and actions, listen to the voice of the Lord your God: if you do, he will relent and not bring down on you the disaster he has pronounced against you. For myself, I am as you see in your hands. Do whatever you please or think right with me. But be sure of this, that if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood on yourselves, on this city and on its citizens, since the Lord has truly sent me to you to say all these words in your hearing.’
    The officials and all the people then said to the priests and prophets, ‘This man does not deserve to die: he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.’
    Jeremiah had a protector in Ahikam son of Shaphan, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.


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Gospel
Matthew 14:1-12
The beheading of John the Baptist

Herod the tetrarch heard about the reputation of Jesus, and said to his court, ‘This is John the Baptist himself; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’
    Now it was Herod who had arrested John, chained him up and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John had told him, ‘It is against the Law for you to have her.’ He had wanted to kill him but was afraid of the people, who regarded John as a prophet. Then, during the celebrations for Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and so delighted Herod that he promised on oath to give her anything she asked. Prompted by her mother she said, ‘Give me John the Baptist’s head, here, on a dish.’ The king was distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he ordered it to be given her, and sent and had John beheaded in the prison. The head was brought in on a dish and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. John’s disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went off to tell Jesus.

Prophecies are generally for the building up of the Lord’s people and our Lord’s kingdom. It is a truth that we must discern carefully the word and will of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and be obedient in following His will. If it is to prophesy over others, then we must do so with integrity and due diligence, because the Lord has found us worthy to carry His message to them.

Whoever the message is meant for, is free to accept or reject the message. 

We can only bless them and say, “If it is the truly the word of God, may it bear fruit in your life. And if it’s not, we cast it out in His most precious name that it has no hold over you. Amen.

Saint Ignatius Loyola, Priest pray for us…

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First reading
Jeremiah 26:1-9 ·
Jeremiah preaches in the Temple of the Lord and is threatened with death

At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘The Lord says this: Stand in the court of the Temple of the Lord. To all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the Temple of the Lord you must speak all the words I have commanded you to tell them; do not omit one syllable. Perhaps they will listen and each turn from his evil way: if so, I shall relent and not bring the disaster on them which I intended for their misdeeds. Say to them, “The Lord says this: If you will not listen to me by following my Law which I put before you, by paying attention to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send so persistently to you, without your ever listening to them, I will treat this Temple as I treated Shiloh, and make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.”’
    The priests and prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah say these words in the Temple of the Lord. When Jeremiah had finished saying everything that the Lord had ordered him to say to all the people, the priests and prophets seized hold of him and said, ‘You shall die! Why have you made this prophecy in the name of the Lord, “This Temple will be like Shiloh, and this city will be desolate, and uninhabited”?’ And the people were all crowding round Jeremiah in the Temple of the Lord.


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Gospel
Matthew 13:54-58
A prophet is only despised in his own country

Coming to his home town, Jesus taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? His sisters, too, are they not all here with us? So where did the man get it all?’ And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Let us surrender ourselves completely to the Lord, for in His mercy and love, the Lord our God is the one who makes us become perfect vessels of His love, mercy and grace poured out for our brethren.

We shall sit attentively at His feet listening to His word and will for us. Bringing out the old in light of the new, in the prophecies of the old. We have hope of eternal life with Him. Amen

Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop, Doctor pray for us…

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First reading
Jeremiah 18:1-6
When the clay goes wrong, the potter starts afresh

The word that was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘Get up and make your way down to the potter’s house; there I shall let you hear what I have to say.’ So I went down to the potter’s house; and there he was, working at the wheel. And whenever the vessel he was making came out wrong, as happens with the clay handled by potters, he would start afresh and work it into another vessel, as potters do. Then this word of the Lord was addressed to me, ‘House of Israel, can not I do to you what this potter does? – it is the Lord who speaks. Yes, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so you are in mine, House of Israel.’



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Gospel
Matthew 13:47-53
The fishermen collect the good fish and throw away those that are no use

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the just to throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
    ‘Have you understood all this?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old.’
    When Jesus had finished these parables he left the district.

Being a Christian after the heart of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is never easy. We sometimes feel as though we are ostracized because we do not think like the world does. We do not play the games that the world does, speak the language, or find humor in sinful things.

It is not always easy to remain in the straight and narrow, and it’s a constant battle fighting against temptation and sin. But we shall reign victorious, for the strength, the fortitude, and the grace are upon us through the Holy Spirit.

We are an alleluia people, because we have hope, in our Resurrected Lord and so even if we die, we know we shall rise in Him, for He is the resurrection and the life. Amen.

Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus pray for us…

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First reading
Jeremiah 15:10,16-21
They will not overcome you, because I am with you


‘Woe is me, my mother, for you have borne me
to be a man of strife and of dissension for all the land.
I neither lend nor borrow,
yet all of them curse me.

‘When your words came, I devoured them:
your word was my delight
and the joy of my heart;
for I was called by your name,
Lord, God of Hosts.
I never took pleasure in sitting in scoffers’ company;
with your hand on me I held myself aloof,
since you had filled me with indignation.
Why is my suffering continual,
my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
Do you mean to be for me a deceptive stream
with inconstant waters?’

To which the Lord replied,
‘If you come back,
I will take you back into my service;
and if you utter noble, not despicable, thoughts,
you shall be as my own mouth.
They will come back to you,
but you must not go back to them.
I will make you
a bronze wall fortified against this people.
They will fight against you
but they will not overcome you,
because I am with you
to save you and to deliver you
– it is the Lord who speaks.
I mean to deliver you from the hands of the wicked
and redeem you from the clutches of the violent.’

————

Gospel
John 11:19-27
I am the resurrection and the life

Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ ‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said:

‘I am the resurrection and the life.
If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?’

‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.’

In the readings of today, the Lord our God, who is all-loving and merciful, looks upon all of us as wheat. We become Darnel only if we are unrepentant and continue to sin, doing evil.

For until the day our eyes are closed, we have hope, as long as we turn to Him. But if we continue to refuse to acknowledge the Lord Jesus as our Savior and refuse to turn away from sin, then at very the end, judgment is upon us.

Lord Jesus, keep me close to You. Change my heart, oh Lord, that I may always be found true to You. Amen.pp.


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First reading
Jeremiah 14:17-22
We confess our wickedness; you, God, are our hope

The Lord said to me:

Say this word to the people:
‘Tears flood my eyes
night and day, unceasingly,
since a crushing blow falls on the daughter of my people,
a most grievous injury.
If I go into the countryside,
there lie men killed by the sword;
if I go into the city,
I see people sick with hunger;
even prophets and priests
plough the land: they are at their wit’s end.’

‘Have you rejected Judah altogether?
Does your very soul revolt at Zion?
Why have you struck us down without hope of cure?
We were hoping for peace – no good came of it!
For the moment of cure – nothing but terror!
Lord, we do confess our wickedness
and our fathers’ guilt:
we have indeed sinned against you.
For your name’s sake do not reject us,
do not dishonour the throne of your glory.
Remember us; do not break your covenant with us.
Can any of the pagan Nothings make it rain?
Can the heavens produce showers?
No, it is you, Lord.
O our God, you are our hope,
since it is you who do all this.’


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Gospel
Matthew 13:36-43
As the darnel is gathered up and burnt, so it will be at the end of time

Leaving the crowds, Jesus went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, ‘Explain the parable about the darnel in the field to us.’ He said in reply, ‘The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that provoke offences and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Listen, anyone who has ears!’
____

Time and time again, the Lord our God calls us into an intimate relationship with Him, for He wants to bless us, anoint us, and set us free into the world to bring His love with us.

Even if our faith is as small as a mustard seed, He will work in us such that we will grow fivefold, tenfold, and into a large tree in which anyone and everyone can take shelter. They can come to us and feel the presence of our Lord. Their burdens shall be lifted because in our hearts we carry the love of our dear, sweet Lord, Jesus Christ.

But if we continue to choose sin, then we lose this wonderful relationship that we have with Him, we will then wither and die into nothingness. For the Lord alone is life, and to remain in that intimate relationship with Him, we will grow and flourish and have life to the full in Him. Amen.


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First reading
Jeremiah 13:1-11
Let this evil people become good for nothing

The Lord said this to me, ‘Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it round your waist. But do not dip it in water.’ And so, as the Lord had ordered, I bought a loincloth and put it round my waist. A second time the word of the Lord was spoken to me, ‘Take the loincloth that you have bought and are wearing round your waist; up! Go to the Euphrates and hide it in a hole in the rock.’ So I went and hid it near the Euphrates as the Lord had ordered me. Many days afterwards the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go to the Euphrates and fetch the loincloth I ordered you to hide there.’ So I went to the Euphrates, and I searched, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. The loincloth was spoilt, good for nothing. Then the word of the Lord was addressed to me, ‘Thus says the Lord: In the same way I will spoil the arrogance of Judah and Jerusalem. This evil people who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the dictates of their own hard hearts, who have followed alien gods, and served them and worshipped them, let them become like this loincloth, good for nothing. For just as a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I had intended the whole House of Judah to cling to me – it is the Lord who speaks – to be my people, my glory, my honour and my boast. But they have not listened.’


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Gospel
Matthew 13:31-35
The smallest of all seeds grows into the biggest shrub of all

Jesus put a parable before the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the biggest shrub of all and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and shelter in its branches.’
    He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.’
    In all this Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; indeed, he would never speak to them except in parables. This was to fulfil the prophecy:

I will speak to you in parables
and expound things hidden since the foundation of the world.

Today’s first reading must be read over and over again, and we should truly embrace the message of hope contained therein. For it is very reassuring that, no matter the trials and challenges we face, that causes us sometimes to feels as though we are dying. Yet, in our dying, we have hope to be raised to new life in our Lord and dear Jesus Christ.

It is always an opportunity to show the world that the living God lives within us. In spite of the circumstances of our lives.

And in today’s Gospel, just as our Lord Himself did not come to be served, but to serve. By dying for us on the cross, He has set us free to live life to the full in Him without sin. So let us follow after Him and serve our brethren with the joy of the Lord in us. Amen.

Saint James, Apostle – pray for us…

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First reading
2 Corinthians 4:7-15 ·
Such an overwhelming power comes from God and not from us

We are only the earthenware jars that hold this treasure, to make it clear that such an overwhelming power comes from God and not from us. We are in difficulties on all sides, but never cornered; we see no answer to our problems, but never despair; we have been persecuted, but never deserted; knocked down, but never killed; always, wherever we may be, we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus, too, may always be seen in our body. Indeed, while we are still alive, we are consigned to our death every day, for the sake of Jesus, so that in our mortal flesh the life of Jesus, too, may be openly shown. So death is at work in us, but life in you.
    But as we have the same spirit of faith that is mentioned in scripture – I believed, and therefore I spoke – we too believe and therefore we too speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus to life will raise us with Jesus in our turn, and put us by his side and you with us. You see, all this is for your benefit, so that the more grace is multiplied among people, the more thanksgiving there will be, to the glory of God.



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Gospel
Matthew 20:20-28
‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’

The mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons to make a request of him, and bowed low; and he said to her, ‘What is it you want?’ She said to him, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You do not know what you are asking’ Jesus answered. ‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ ‘Very well,’ he said ‘you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.’
    When the other ten heard this they were indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

We can only be fruitful for the Lord if we are attentive to His word and will for us.

If we listen attentively in His presence, discern, and totally absorb into our very being His living word.

It is true our fidelity and integrity. That, as a Shepherd, the Lord our God sees His flock.

So let us turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. Amen.

Saint Charbel Makhlouf, Priest pray for us…


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First reading
Jeremiah 3:14-17
Come back, my disloyal children

Come back, disloyal children – it is the Lord who speaks – for I alone am your Master. I will take one from a town, two from a clan, and bring you to Zion. I will give you shepherds after my own heart, and these shall feed you on knowledge and discretion. And when you have increased and become many in the land, then – it is the Lord who speaks – no one will ever say again: Where is the ark of the covenant of the Lord? There will be no thought of it, no memory of it, no regret for it, no making of another. When that time comes, Jerusalem shall be called: The Throne of the Lord; all the nations will gather there in the name of the Lord and will no longer follow the dictates of their own stubborn hearts.




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Gospel
Matthew 13:18-23
The man who hears the word and understands it yields a rich harvest

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are to hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the evil one comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the man who received the seed on the edge of the path. The one who received it on patches of rock is the man who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But he has no root in him, he does not last; let some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, and he falls away at once. The one who received the seed in thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this world and the lure of riches choke the word and so he produces nothing. And the one who received the seed in rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.’

All through our life’s journey, the Lord has been present with us, many a time calling us back to Him.

Since sin entered the world, we have to struggle to remain steadfast, to be holy as our Heavenly Father is holy. In our struggle, He has always been there to embrace us, and we return to His loving arms. He fills us with an amazing abundance of His living water, so that we can go on as fertile soil, bearing great fruit for Him.

Therefore, sisters and brothers, we must strive each and every day to renounce the work of the enemy, so that we do not end up as leaky cisterns that hold no water.

Instead, we endeavor to be instruments of His powerful grace and bring His living water to all that we meet. Amen.

Saint Bridget of Sweden, Religious pray for us….


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First reading
Jeremiah 2:1-3,7-8,12-13 ·
I brought you to a fertile country and you defiled it

The word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying, ‘Go and shout this in the hearing of Jerusalem:

‘“The Lord says this:
I remember the affection of your youth, the love of your bridal days:
you followed me through the wilderness,
through a land unsown.
Israel was sacred to the Lord, the first-fruits of his harvest; anyone who ate of this had to pay for it,
misfortune came to them –
it is the Lord who speaks.”

‘I brought you to a fertile country to enjoy its produce and good things; but no sooner had you entered than you defiled my land,
and made my heritage detestable.
The priests have never asked, “Where is the Lord?”
Those who administer the Law have no knowledge of me.
The shepherds have rebelled against me;
the prophets have prophesied in the name of Baal, following things with no power in them.

‘You heavens, stand aghast at this,
stand stupefied, stand utterly appalled
– it is the Lord who speaks.
Since my people have committed a double crime:
they have abandoned me,
the fountain of living water, only to dig cisterns for themselves, leaky cisterns
that hold no water.’


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Gospel
Matthew 13:10-17
Prophets and holy men longed to hear what you hear

The disciples went up to Jesus and asked, ‘Why do you talk to them in parables?’ ‘Because’ he replied, ‘the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them. For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled:

You will listen and listen again, but not understand,
see and see again, but not perceive.
For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,
their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,
for fear they should see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their heart,
and be converted
and be healed by me.

‘But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’

How intimate is our relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? That our hearts are restless until we rest in Him. That we seek daily to be in His presence, listening attentively to His word and will for us.

As we celebrate the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, we dwell on the readings that show us just how intimately she loved the Lord, that she would seek Him out in the wee hours of the morning, and how distressed she was that she could not find His body. Because of her intimate relationship with Him, the Lord gave her an important task—a message to be sent to His brothers.

Likewise, we too are sent to share the good news of the resurrected Lord to all, so that anyone who comes to believe in Him shall be saved. Through that relationship with our Lord, one and all will have life to the full in Him.

Amen.

Saint Mary Magdalen – pray for us…


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First reading
Song of Songs 3:1-4
I found him whom my heart loves

The bride says this:

On my bed, at night, I sought him
whom my heart loves.
I sought but did not find him.
So I will rise and go through the City;
in the streets and in the squares
I will seek him whom my heart loves.
I sought but did not find him.
The watchmen came upon me
on their rounds in the City:
‘Have you seen him whom my heart loves?’
Scarcely had I passed them
when I found him whom my heart loves.


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Gospel
John 20:1-2,11-18
‘Mary, go and find the brothers and tell them’

It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’
    Meanwhile Mary stayed outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, still weeping, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away’ she replied ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’ As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not recognise him. Jesus said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.’ Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She knew him then and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbuni!’ – which means Master. Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and find the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ So Mary of Magdala went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her.

So long as we do not take the Lord our God for granted, His mercy and His love, and if we are genuinely repentant of our sins, then we know that His mercy and love for us are unconditional.

He will willingly embrace us, when we turn our hearts back to Him because He loves us dearly. We want to remain in an intimate relationship with Him by listening to His word and will for us. Help us, loving Father, to remain steadfast in You. Amen.

Saint Laurence of Brindisi, Priest, Doctor pray for us…


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First reading
Micah 7:14-15,18-20 ·
Have pity on us one more time


With shepherd’s crook, O Lord, lead your people to pasture,
the flock that is your heritage,
living confined in a forest
with meadow land all around.
Let them pasture in Bashan and Gilead
as in the days of old.
As in the days when you came out of Egypt
grant us to see wonders.

What god can compare with you: taking fault away,
pardoning crime,
not cherishing anger for ever
but delighting in showing mercy?
Once more have pity on us,
tread down our faults,
to the bottom of the sea
throw all our sins.
Grant Jacob your faithfulness,
and Abraham your mercy,
as you swore to our fathers
from the days of long ago.


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Gospel
Matthew 12:46-50
My mother and my brothers are anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven

Jesus was speaking to the crowds when his mother and his brothers appeared; they were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.’

If we are to follow after the heart of Jesus, our Lord, then we must be at all times merciful, even to those who persecute us and seek to destroy us.

Perhaps not physically, but by their plotting and bad-mouthing. They might seek to kill our spirits or tarnish our reputations. No matter what the case, we shall always remain faithful and obedient to the Lord, who asks that we be merciful and loving, even towards our enemies.

For he, the Lord alone, will vindicate us in his time. Amen.

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First reading
Micah 2:1-5
The plotters of evil will not escape


Woe to those who plot evil,
who lie in bed planning mischief!
No sooner is it dawn than they do it
– their hands have the strength for it.
Seizing the fields that they covet,
they take over houses as well,
owner and house they confiscate together,
taking both man and inheritance.
So the Lord says this:
Now it is I who plot
such mischief against this breed
as your necks will not escape;
nor will you be able to walk proudly,
so evil will the time be.
On that day they will make a satire on you,
sing a dirge and say,
‘We are stripped of everything;
my people’s portion is measured out and shared,
no one will give it back to them,
our fields are awarded to our despoiler.’

Therefore you will have no one
to measure out a share
in the community of the Lord.



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Gospel
Matthew 12:14-21
He cured them all but warned them not to make him known

The Pharisees went out and began to plot against Jesus, discussing how to destroy him.
    Jesus knew this and withdrew from the district. Many followed him and he cured them all, but warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah:

Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved, the favourite of my soul.
I will endow him with my spirit,
and he will proclaim the true faith to the nations.
He will not brawl or shout,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
He will not break the crushed reed,
nor put out the smouldering wick
till he has led the truth to victory:
in his name the nations will put their hope.

If the Lord our God is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings in our life, then we will be obedient unto Him and He will take care of us in all our years. He will refresh us and extend our lives as necessary for His glory.

We have the bread of life, Jesus in the Eucharist who sustains us, body, mind, spirit and divinity. He gives of Himself to us so that we may Him and brethren our living sacrifice for His glory. Amen
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First reading
Isaiah 38:1-6,21-22,7-8
The Lord hears Hezekiah’s prayer and heals him

Hezekiah fell ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, ‘The Lord says this, “Put your affairs in order, for you are going to die, you will not live.”’ Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and addressed this prayer to the Lord, ‘Ah, Lord, remember, I beg you, how I have behaved faithfully and with sincerity of heart in your presence and done what is right in your eyes.’ And Hezekiah shed many tears.
    Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, ‘Go and say to Hezekiah, “The Lord, the God of David your ancestor, says this: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will cure you: in three days’ time you shall go up to the Temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. I will save you from the hands of the king of Assyria, I will protect this city.”’
    ‘Bring a fig poultice,’ Isaiah said, ‘apply it to the ulcer and he will recover.’ Hezekiah said, ‘What is the sign to tell me that I shall be going up to the Temple of the Lord?’ ‘Here’ Isaiah replied ‘is the sign from the Lord that he will do what he has said. Look, I shall make the shadow cast by the declining sun go back ten steps on the steps of Ahaz.’ And the sun went back the ten steps by which it had declined.

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Gospel
Matthew 12:1-8
The Son of Man is master of the sabbath

Jesus took a walk one sabbath day through the cornfields. His disciples were hungry and began to pick ears of corn and eat them. The Pharisees noticed it and said to him, ‘Look, your disciples are doing something that is forbidden on the sabbath.’ But he said to them, ‘Have you not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry – how he went into the house of God and how they ate the loaves of offering which neither he nor his followers were allowed to eat, but which were for the priests alone? Or again, have you not read in the Law that on the sabbath day the Temple priests break the sabbath without being blamed for it? Now here, I tell you, is something greater than the Temple. And if you had understood the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the blameless. For the Son of Man is master of the sabbath.’

It is our own arrogance and ungratefulness that leads to our own downfall, for all that we have comes from the Lord—our God, who loves us so dearly and wants to share the intimate relationship He has with His Son, Jesus, with us.

If we adopt a heart of gratitude and offer Him worship and thanksgiving, we will not want or be in need. We will always have all that we need to build His kingdom.

So let us always raise our worship and thanks to Him as we glorify Him by the way we live our lives. Amen.

Saint Bonaventure, Bishop, Doctor pray for us…


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First reading
Isaiah 10:5-7,13-16
Assyria’s arrogance and coming ruin

The Lord of hosts says this:

Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger, the club brandished by me in my fury!
I sent him against a godless nation;
I gave him commission against a people that provokes me, to pillage and to plunder freely and to stamp down like the mud in the streets.
But he did not intend this,
his heart did not plan it so.
No, in his heart was to destroy, to go on cutting nations to pieces without limit.

For he has said:

‘By the strength of my own arm I have done this
and by my own intelligence, for understanding is mine;
I have pushed back the frontiers of peoples
and plundered their treasures.
I have brought their inhabitants down to the dust.
As if they were a bird’s nest, my hand has seized
the riches of the peoples.
As people pick up deserted eggs
I have picked up the whole earth,
with not a wing fluttering,
not a beak opening, not a chirp.’

Does the axe claim more credit than the man who wields it,
or the saw more strength than the man who handles it?
It would be like the cudgel controlling the man who raises it,
or the club moving what is not made of wood!
And so the Lord of Hosts is going to send
a wasting sickness on his stout warriors;
beneath his plenty, a burning will burn
like a consuming fire.


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Gospel
Matthew 11:25-27
You have hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children

Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’

Let us not remain in our sins and heed the Lord’s call for us to repent and to be faithful to the Gospels.

For even though our enemies may surround us, as long as we stand for the Lord, He will stand with us. We have nothing to fear.

But if we continue to be unfaithful, then we will have to face the consequences of our actions. For it is not the Lord who has abandoned us, but we who have abandoned the Lord.

Lord Jesus, I stand for you and you alone always. Amen.

Saint Camillus of Lellis, Priest pray for us…


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First reading
Isaiah 7:1-9 ·
Isaiah tells the king not to fear

In the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Razon the king of Aram went up against Jerusalem with Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, to lay siege to it; but he was unable to capture it.
    The news was brought to the House of David. ‘Aram’ they said ‘has reached Ephraim.’ Then the heart of the king and the hearts of the people shuddered as the trees of the forest shudder in front of the wind. The Lord said to Isaiah, ‘Go with your son Shear-jashub, and meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the Fuller’s Field road, and say to him:

‘“Pay attention, keep calm, have no fear,
do not let your heart sink
because of these two smouldering stumps of firebrands,
or because Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah
have plotted to ruin you, and have said:
Let us invade Judah and terrorise it
and seize it for ourselves,
and set up a king there,
the son of Tabeel.
The Lord says this:
It shall not come true; it shall not be.
The capital of Aram is Damascus,
the head of Damascus, Razon;
the capital of Ephraim, Samaria,
the head of Samaria, the son of Remaliah.
Six or five years more
and a shattered Ephraim shall no longer be a people.
But if you do not stand by me,
you will not stand at all.”’


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Gospel
Matthew 11:20-24
It will not go as hard with Sodom on Judgement Day as with you

Jesus began to reproach the towns in which most of his miracles had been worked, because they refused to repent.
    ‘Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. And still, I tell you that it will not go as hard on Judgement day with Tyre and Sidon as with you. And as for you, Capernaum, did you want to be exalted as high as heaven? You shall be thrown down to hell. For if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have been standing yet. And still, I tell you that it will not go as hard with the land of Sodom on Judgement day as with you.’

In today’s context of the readings of the day, it is not good enough to simply attend the Sunday Eucharistic celebration dutifully or to offer our little mass offering. The reminder for us today is to cease to do evil, learn to do good, search for justice, and help the oppressed. We should plead for those who cannot fend for themselves and care for those who cannot care for themselves.

We are reminded that as Christians, we need to perform spiritual and corporal acts of mercy. How we treat one another and how we welcome the prophet among us goes a long way in the eyes of the Lord, for He is the one who sent His anointed ones to minister to us.

Instead of looking at one another with jealousy over the gifts and talents that we possess, we should embrace one another as fellow children of God, so loved by Him. For all of us have been gifted, and all of us have a part to play in His kingdom.

So let us embrace and love one another as we should. Amen.

Saint Henry pray for us…


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First reading
Isaiah 1:10-17 ·
Take your wrongdoing out of my sight


Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the command of our God, you people of Gomorrah.

‘What are your endless sacrifices to me?
says the Lord.
I am sick of holocausts of rams and the fat of calves.
The blood of bulls and of goats revolts me.
When you come to present yourselves before me,
who asked you to trample over my courts?
Bring me your worthless offerings no more,
the smoke of them fills me with disgust.
New Moons, sabbaths, assemblies –
I cannot endure festival and solemnity.
Your New Moons and your pilgrimages
I hate with all my soul.
They lie heavy on me,
I am tired of bearing them.
When you stretch out your hands
I turn my eyes away.
You may multiply your prayers,
I shall not listen.
Your hands are covered with blood,
wash, make yourselves clean.

‘Take your wrong-doing out of my sight.
Cease to do evil.
Learn to do good,
search for justice,
help the oppressed,
be just to the orphan,
plead for the widow.’


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Gospel
Matthew 10:34-11:1
It is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be those of his own household.
    ‘Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.
    ‘Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me.
    ‘Anyone who welcomes a prophet will have a prophet’s reward; and anyone who welcomes a holy man will have a holy man’s reward.
    ‘If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.’
    When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.

We are indeed men and women with unclean lips, unclean minds, and base desires. But it is through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has purged away all our iniquities and restored us to make us whole.

We have been restored to sons and daughters of God, our Heavenly Father, who so loves us. And no evil can overcome us.

For we are marked as His children through our baptism to share His love, mercy, peace, and joy with everyone so that whoever calls upon the name of Jesus, they too will be saved. Amen.

Saint Benedict, Abbot pray for us…

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First reading
Isaiah 6:1-8 ·
Isaiah’s lips cleansed with a burning coal

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord of Hosts seated on a high throne; his train filled the sanctuary; above him stood seraphs, each one with six wings: two to cover its face, two to cover its feet, and two for flying.
    And they cried out to one another in this way,

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. His glory fills the whole earth.’

The foundations of the threshold shook with the voice of the one who cried out, and the Temple was filled with smoke. I said:

‘What a wretched state I am in! I am lost,
for I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips,
and my eyes have looked at the King, the Lord of Hosts.’

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding in his hand a live coal which he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. With this he touched my mouth and said:

‘See now, this has touched your lips, your sin is taken away, your iniquity is purged.’

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:

‘Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?’

I answered, ‘Here I am, send me.’



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Gospel
Matthew 10:24-33
Everything now hidden will be made clear

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘The disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor the slave to his master. It is enough for the disciple that he should grow to be like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, what will they not say of his household?
    ‘Do not be afraid of them therefore. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.
    ‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.
    ‘So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.’

Time and again, we are reminded of just how much our loving Father loves each and every one of us, that He always calls us back to Him, even though we have greatly sinned against Him. He looks forward to embracing us once again, and He is ever willing to shelter us from all evil and harm. So let us turn to Him, for through His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, we shall be wiped clean. Through His precious blood, He will cleanse us and make us white as snow, so that we can live life to the full in Him.

Our mission is to share His love and the joy of the Gospel with all that we meet. And even though we may face rejection and sometimes even persecution, the living God dwells within us and will guide us to say and do all that we need and must according to His will. Amen.

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First reading
Hosea 14:2-10
A call to conversion and promise of safety

The Lord says this:

Israel, come back to the Lord your God;
your iniquity was the cause of your downfall.
Provide yourself with words and come back to the Lord.
Say to him, ‘Take all iniquity away so that we may have happiness again
and offer you our words of praise.
Assyria cannot save us,
we will not ride horses any more, or say, “Our God!” to what our own hands have made, for you are the one in whom orphans find compassion.’
– I will heal their disloyalty, I will love them with all my heart for my anger has turned from them.
I will fall like dew on Israel.
He shall bloom like the lily,
and thrust out roots like the poplar, his shoots will spread far; he will have the beauty of the olive and the fragrance of Lebanon.
They will come back to live in my shade; they will grow corn that flourishes, they will cultivate vines as renowned as the wine of Helbon.
What has Ephraim to do with idols any more when it is I who hear his prayer and care for him?
I am like a cypress ever green, all your fruitfulness comes from me.

Let the wise man understand these words.
Let the intelligent man grasp their meaning.
For the ways of the Lord are straight, and virtuous men walk in them,
but sinners stumble.

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Gospel
Matthew 10:16-23
The Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves.
    ‘Beware of men: they will hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the pagans. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes; because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you. ‘Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved. If they persecute you in one town, take refuge in the next; and if they persecute you in that, take refuge in another. I tell you solemnly, you will not have gone the round of the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.’

Hear the Lord our God sing to your heart. ”Come back to me with all your heart. Don’t let fear keep us apart. Long have I waited for your coming. home to me and living deeply our new life. Our Lord does not want to see you hurt in pain or want you to be destroyed by your sin, but wants you to live life to the full in Him.

And so, let us turn back to him with all our hearts and lead all those who have left His side back to Him as well. That is why he sends those of us who are faithful out, to bring the lost back, to tend to the sick, to heal, to minister to them, to make them whole, so that they too can live a peaceful, joyous life to the full in Him.

And we shall depend only on one thing only: the Holy Spirit, who will guide us, strengthen us, and lead us, bringing everything that we do into fruition for the glory of the Lord. Amen.

Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and his Companions, Martyrs pray for us…


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First reading
Hosea 11:1-4,8-9 ·
I am the Holy One in your midst and have no wish to destroy

Thus says the Lord:

When Israel was a child I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt.
But the more I called to them, the further they went from me; they have offered sacrifice to the Baals and set their offerings smoking before the idols.
I myself taught Ephraim to walk,
I took them in my arms;
yet they have not understood that I was the one looking after them.
I led them with reins of kindness,
with leading-strings of love.
I was like someone who lifts an infant close against his cheek;
stooping down to him I gave him his food.

Ephraim, how could I part with you?
Israel, how could I give you up?
How could I treat you like Admah,
or deal with you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils from it,
my whole being trembles at the thought.
I will not give rein to my fierce anger,
I will not destroy Ephraim again, for I am God, not man:
I am the Holy One in your midst and have no wish to destroy.



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Gospel
Matthew 10:7-15
You received without charge: give without charge

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘As you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge. Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with a few coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the workman deserves his keep.
    ‘Whatever town or village you go into, ask for someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave. As you enter his house, salute it, and if the house deserves it, let your peace descend upon it; if it does not, let your peace come back to you. And if anyone does not welcome you or listen to what you have to say, as you walk out of the house or town shake the dust from your feet. I tell you solemnly, on the day of Judgement it will not go as hard with the land of Sodom and Gomorrah as with that town.’

Sin makes us deaf and dumb to the goodness of the Lord. We cannot hear His word and will for us, nor can we sing His praises.

Nonetheless, the Lord’s love for us is such that He will pursue us to restore us, so that we can live life to the full in Him.

Let us turn away from all sin, renounce the work of the enemies, and cast aside all vehicles that will keep us away from Him.

To God be the glory, now and forevermore. Amen.

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First reading
Hosea 8:4-7,11-13
They have sown the wind; they will reap the whirlwind

Thus says the Lord:

They have set up kings, but not with my consent,
and appointed princes, but without my knowledge.
Out of their own silver and gold they have made idols,
which are doomed to destruction.
I spurn your calf, Samaria,
my anger blazes against it.
(How long will it be before they purge themselves of this, the sons of Israel?)
A workman made the thing, this cannot be God!
Yes, the calf of Samaria shall go up in flames.
They sow the wind, they will reap the whirlwind;
their wheat will yield no ear, the ear will yield no flour, or, if it does, foreigners will swallow it.

Ephraim has built altar after altar, they have only served him as occasion for sin. Were I to write out the thousand precepts of my Law for him, they would be paid no more attention than those of a stranger.
They love sacrificing; right, let them sacrifice!
They love meat; right, let them eat it!
The Lord takes no pleasure in these.
He is now going to remember their iniquity
and punish their sins; they will have to go back to Egypt.



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Gospel
Matthew 9:32-37
The harvest is rich but the labourers are few

A man was brought to Jesus, a dumb demoniac. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke and the people were amazed. ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel’ they said. But the Pharisees said, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts out devils.’
    Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.
    And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’

Such is the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for us that He does not just want an ordinary relationship with us. He wants an intimate relationship, where two hearts are joined as one, just like husband and wife.

In His great love for us, He is merciful, patient and kind. Some of us who are hemorrhaging with sin and overwhelmed by the challenges of the world, He restores to full health. And those who are dead in their sins or dead to the world, who have no hope, He restores to the life that should have been lived with and in Him.

Lord Jesus, I am yours, as you are mine, now and forevermore. Amen.

Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin, Martyr pray for us…


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First reading
Hosea 2:16,17-18,21-22
I will betroth you to myself and you will come to know the name of the Lord

It is the Lord who speaks:

I am going to lure her
and lead her out into the wilderness
and speak to her heart.
There she will respond to me as she did when she was young, as she did when she came out of the land of Egypt.

When that day comes – it is the Lord who speaks –
she will call me, ‘My husband’,
no longer will she call me, ‘My Baal.’
I will betroth you to myself for ever,
betroth you with integrity and justice,
with tenderness and love;
I will betroth you to myself with faithfulness,
and you will come to know the Lord.


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Gospel
Matthew 9:18-26
‘Your faith has restored you to health’

While Jesus was speaking, up came one of the officials, who bowed low in front of him and said, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and her life will be saved.’ Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him. Then from behind him came a woman, who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years, and she touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I can only touch his cloak I shall be well again.’ Jesus turned round and saw her; and he said to her, ‘Courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health.’ And from that moment the woman was well again.
    When Jesus reached the official’s house and saw the flute-players, with the crowd making a commotion he said, ‘Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep.’ And they laughed at him. But when the people had been turned out he went inside and took the little girl by the hand; and she stood up. And the news spread all round the countryside.

Our loving Lord seeks to restore us, to make us whole. And so, when we turn back to Him, through the sacrament of reconciliation, we are restored and renewed as though we had never sinned— we become as we were, children of God, so loved by Him when we were purified through our baptism.

And so, we must strive with all our hearts, minds, and souls to remain holy as our Heavenly Father is holy. We look not into the past of our lives but remain steadfast in our new life in Him. Come, Holy Spirit. Take charge. Guide me. Amen.

Saint Elizabeth of Portugal pray for us…

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First reading
Amos 9:11-15 ·
I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel

It is the Lord who speaks:

‘That day I will re-erect the tottering hut of David,
make good the gaps in it, restore its ruins
and rebuild it as it was in the days of old,
so that they can conquer the remnant of Edom
and all the nations that belonged to me.’

It is the Lord who speaks, and he will carry this out.

‘The days are coming now – it is the Lord who speaks –
when harvest will follow directly after ploughing,
the treading of grapes soon after sowing,
when the mountains will run with new wine
and the hills all flow with it.
I mean to restore the fortunes of my people Israel;
they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them,
plant vineyards and drink their wine,
dig gardens and eat their produce.
I will plant them in their own country,
never to be rooted up again
out of the land I have given them,
says the Lord, your God.’



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Gospel
Matthew 9:14-17
When the bridegroom is taken from them, then they will fast

John’s disciples came to him and said, ‘Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunken cloth on to an old cloak, because the patch pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; if they do, the skins burst, the wine runs out, and the skins are lost. No; they put new wine into fresh skins and both are preserved.’

We are God’s children, His holy temple in which He longs to dwell within our bodies, our hearts, and minds. Day by day, as we grow in intimacy through His word and following His will for us. We can surely cry out to the Lord, “Lord, I want to see You.” 

Saint Thomas’ love for our Lord was so great that he could not believe the Lord showed Himself without him being present. He was right that his love for the Lord would be equally matched, and yet the Lord loved him more. He chose to reveal Himself to Saint Thomas, just as He longs to reveal Himself to each and every one of us. 

Oh, resurrected Lord, come dwell in my heart. Amen.


Saint Thomas, Apostle – pray for us…


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First reading
Ephesians 2:19-22 ·
In Christ you are no longer aliens, but citizens like us

You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord; and you too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit.



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Gospel
John 20:24-29
‘My Lord and my God!’

Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When the disciples said, ‘We have seen the Lord’, he answered, ‘Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’ Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him:

‘You believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’

The Lord our God can use any of us, whether we think ourselves worthy or not, to prophesy on His behalf, to lead all men and women back to Him. Those who have turned away from Him and sinned. And if they refuse to listen, then they will have to face the consequences. Nonetheless, we must do all we can to lead them back to Him.

We should be grateful and thankful that our church, established by Christ Jesus himself, has given us the gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we can hear the words of absolution spoken through His priests in persona Christi. Therefore, as far as possible, we should go regularly for the Sacrament remorseful for having sinned, so that we can be  fully reconciled with our loving Lord.

Glory to You O Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.


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First reading
Amos 7:10-17 ·
The Lord took me from herding the flock and sent me to prophesy

Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel as follows. ‘Amos is plotting against you in the heart of the House of Israel; the country can no longer tolerate what he keeps saying. For this is what he says, “Jeroboam is going to die by the sword, and Israel go into exile far from its country.”’ To Amos, Amaziah said, ‘Go away, seer;’ get back to the land of Judah; earn your bread there, do your prophesying there. We want no more prophesying in Bethel; this is the royal sanctuary, the national temple.’ ‘I was no prophet, neither did I belong to any of the brotherhoods of prophets,’ Amos replied to Amaziah ‘I was a shepherd, and looked after sycamores: but it was the Lord who took me from herding the flock, and the Lord who said, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.” So listen to the word of the Lord.

‘You say:
‘“Do not prophesy against Israel,
utter no oracles against the House of Isaac.”

‘Very well, this is what the Lord says,
‘“Your wife will be forced to go on the streets,
your sons and daughters will fall by the sword,
your land be parcelled out by measuring line,
and you yourself die on unclean soil
and Israel will go into exile far distant from its own land.”’


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Gospel
Matthew 9:1-8
‘Your sins are forgiven; get up and walk’

Jesus got in the boat, crossed the water and came to his own town. Then some people appeared, bringing him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, my child, your sins are forgiven.’ And at this some scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming.’ Knowing what was in their minds Jesus said, ‘Why do you have such wicked thoughts in your hearts? Now, which of these is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ – he said to the paralytic – ‘get up, and pick up your bed and go off home.’ And the man got up and went home. A feeling of awe came over the crowd when they saw this, and they praised God for giving such power to men.

We must not only resist evil, but we must detest it with all our heart, mind, and soul. For we must be filled with living water, which brings streams of justice and integrity.

Otherwise, like the swine consumed by the demoniacs, we will be driven to our destruction.

For evil cannot be reined in. If not cut away, it will grow and overwhelm us.

Let us always call upon the Lord to help us. Lord Jesus, cover me with Your precious blood, that I may be purified, sanctified, and protected from all evil. Amen.

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First reading
Amos 5:14-15,21-24
Seek good and not evil so that you may live


Seek good and not evil
so that you may live,
and that the Lord, God of Hosts, may really be with you as you claim he is.

Hate evil, love good,
maintain justice at the city gate, and it may be that the Lord, God of Hosts, will take pity on the remnant of Joseph.

I hate and despise your feasts, I take no pleasure in your solemn festivals.
When you offer me holocaust, I reject your oblation, and refuse to look at your sacrifices of fattened cattle.

Let me have no more of the din of your chanting, no more of your strumming on harps.
But let justice flow like water, and integrity like an unfailing stream.



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Gospel
Matthew 8:28-34
The Gadarene swine

When Jesus reached the country of the Gadarenes on the other side of the lake, two demoniacs came towards him out of the tombs – creatures so fierce that no one could pass that way. They stood there shouting, ‘What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the time?’ Now some distance away there was a large herd of pigs feeding, and the devils pleaded with Jesus, ‘If you cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.’ And he said to them, ‘Go then’, and they came out and made for the pigs; and at that the whole herd charged down the cliff into the lake and perished in the water. The swineherds ran off and made for the town, where they told the whole story, including what had happened to the demoniacs. At this the whole town set out to meet Jesus; and as soon as they saw him they implored him to leave the neighbourhood.

It is for love of us that the Lord sends us prophets and people to remind us that we should turn away from sin and return to Him. He is waiting patiently to welcome us back with open arms. However, if we choose to ignore His call and adamantly stand against Him, then we will have to face the consequences.

For the Lord wants us to live life to the full in Him and to be disciples empowered to bring His love, peace, mercy, and healing into the world. We don’t realize just how much we can do so in His name.

In today’s gospel, the Lord asks, “Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?” This is because if the disciples were faithful and understood that they were empowered by Him, they too could calm the raging seas in His name.

Lord Jesus, I thank you for your faith and love in me. Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will. Amen.

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First reading
Amos 3:1-8,4:11-12
It is for all your sins that I mean to punish you

Listen, sons of Israel, to this oracle the Lord speaks against you, against the whole family I brought out of the land of Egypt:

You alone, of all the families of earth, have I acknowledged,
therefore it is for all your sins that I mean to punish you.
Do two men take the road together
if they have not planned to do so?
Does the lion roar in the jungle
if no prey has been found?
Does the young lion growl in his lair
if he has captured nothing?
Does the bird fall to the ground
if no trap has been set?
Does the snare spring up from the ground
if nothing has been caught?
Does the trumpet sound in the city
without the populace becoming alarmed?
Does misfortune come to a city
if the Lord has not sent it?
No more does the Lord do anything
without revealing his plans to his servants the prophets.
The lion roars: who can help feeling afraid?
The Lord speaks: who can refuse to prophesy?

I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
and you were like a brand snatched from the blaze;
and yet you never came back to me.
It is the Lord who speaks.

This therefore, Israel, is what I plan to do to you,
and because I am going to do this to you,
Israel, prepare to meet your God!


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Gospel
Matthew 8:23-27
Jesus rebuked the winds and the seas, and all was calm

Jesus got into the boat followed by his disciples. Without warning a storm broke over the lake, so violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat. But he was asleep. So they went to him and woke him saying, ‘Save us, Lord, we are going down!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?’ And with that he stood up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and all was calm again. The men were astounded and said, ‘Whatever kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.’

As disciples of our Lord, we must always trust in the Holy Spirit, who will guide us to safety and lead us.

Even if we have to die for our faith, we know, like Saint Paul and Saint Peter, that we will rise again with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life.

Our Lord has promised the Holy Mother Church. Is built on the solid foundation of the rock of Christ Jesus himself. And God with us, who can be against us?

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles – pray for us…

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First reading
Acts 12:1-11
‘Now I know the Lord really did save me from Herod’

King Herod started persecuting certain members of the Church. He beheaded James the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he decided to arrest Peter as well. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread, and he put Peter in prison, assigning four squads of four soldiers each to guard him in turns. Herod meant to try Peter in public after the end of Passover week. All the time Peter was under guard the Church prayed to God for him unremittingly.
    On the night before Herod was to try him, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with double chains, while guards kept watch at the main entrance to the prison. Then suddenly the angel of the Lord stood there, and the cell was filled with light. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him. ‘Get up!’ he said ‘Hurry!’ – and the chains fell from his hands. The angel then said, ‘Put on your belt and sandals.’ After he had done this, the angel next said, ‘Wrap your cloak round you and follow me.’ Peter followed him, but had no idea that what the angel did was all happening in reality; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed through two guard posts one after the other, and reached the iron gate leading to the city. This opened of its own accord; they went through it and had walked the whole length of one street when suddenly the angel left him. It was only then that Peter came to himself. ‘Now I know it is all true’ he said. ‘The Lord really did send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happen to me.’



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Second reading
2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18
All there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me

My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.
    The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.



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Gospel
Matthew 16:13-19
You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’

We must always do a thorough examination of conscience and not delude ourselves into thinking  we are okay. Even the slightest sin against the Lord our God is heinous in His eyes.

But when we cry out to Him, He will always be there to say, “Yes, come to me, my son, my daughter. Let me heal you and restore you.” For it is His great love that He wants to restore us fully, so that we can live life to the full in Him.

So that we can go on, empowered by Him to minister to our brethren who are in need of healing, restoration, peace, love, and joy. Rest on me, Lord, that I may be whole and fully empowered to do your will. Amen.

Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop, Doctor pray for us…

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First reading
Lamentations 2:2,10-14,18-19
Cry aloud to the Lord, daughter of Zion


The Lord has pitilessly destroyed all the homes of Jacob; in his displeasure he has shattered the strongholds of the daughter of Judah; he has thrown to the ground, he has left accursed the kingdom and its rulers.

Mutely they sit on the ground, the elders of the daughter of Zion; they have put dust on their heads, and wrapped themselves in sack cloth. The virgins of Jerusalem hang their heads down to the ground.

My eyes wasted away with weeping, my entrails shuddered, my liver spilled on the ground at the ruin of the daughters of my people, as children, mere infants, fainted in the squares of the Citadel.

They kept saying to their mother’s, ‘Where is the bread?’ as they fainted like wounded men in the squares of the City, as they poured out their souls on their mothers’ breasts.

How can I describe you, to what compare you, daughter of Jerusalem?
Who can rescue and comfort you, virgin daughter of Zion?
For huge as the sea is your affliction; who can possibly cure you?

The visions your prophets had on your behalf were delusive, tinsel things,
they never pointed out your sin, to ward off your exile.
The visions they proffered you were false, fallacious, misleading.

Cry aloud, then, to the Lord, groan, daughter of Zion;
let your tears flow like a torrent, day and night;
give yourself no relief, grant your eyes no rest.

Up, cry out in the night-time, in the early hours of darkness; pour your heart out like water before the Lord.
Stretch out your hands to him for the lives of your children who faint with hunger at the entrance to every street.

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Gospel
Matthew 8:5-17
‘I am not worthy to have you under my roof: give the word, and my servant will be healed’

When Jesus went into Capernaum a centurion came up and pleaded with him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘my servant is lying at home paralysed, and in great pain.’ ‘I will come myself and cure him’ said Jesus. The centurion replied, ‘Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my servant will be cured. For I am under authority myself, and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man: Go, and he goes; to another: Come here, and he comes; to my servant: Do this, and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those following him, ‘I tell you solemnly, nowhere in Israel have I found faith like this. And I tell you that many will come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven; but the subjects of the kingdom will be turned out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.’ And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go back, then; you have believed, so let this be done for you.’ And the servant was cured at that moment.
    And going into Peter’s house Jesus found Peter’s mother-in-law in bed with fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
    That evening they brought him many who were possessed by devils. He cast out the spirits with a word and cured all who were sick. This was to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah:

He took our sicknesses away and carried our diseases for us.

Sin, like a leprosy, invades our lives and that of our families and communities. It robs us of our dignity and our good conscience. And if we are not careful, it can even destroy relationships and lives. But Jesus is there for us and willing to heal us and restore us to sonship and daughterhood. All we need is to repent and turn back to Him. As we cry out to Him, He will surely hear us and cure us.

Lord Jesus, I’m yours and yours alone. Cleanse me that I may be white as snow, to serve you and my brethren with all my heart and soul. Amen.

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First reading
2 Kings 25:1-12
The sack of Jerusalem and the final deportation

In the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with his whole army to attack Jerusalem; he pitched camp in front of the city and threw up earthworks round it. The city lay under siege till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. In the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, when famine was raging in the city and there was no food for the populace, a breach was made in the city wall. At once, the king made his escape under cover of dark, with all the fighting men, by way of the gate between the two walls, which is near the king’s garden – the Chaldaeans had surrounded the city – and made his way towards the Arabah. The Chaldaean troops pursued the king and caught up with him in the plains of Jericho, where all his troops deserted. The Chaldaeans captured the king and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, who passed sentence on him. He had the sons of Zedekiah slaughtered before his eyes, then put out Zedekiah’s eyes and, loading him with chains, carried him off to Babylon.
    In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month – it was in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon – Nebuzaradan, commander of the guard, an officer of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. He burned down the Temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses in Jerusalem. The Chaldaean troops who accompanied the commander of the guard demolished the walls surrounding Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan, commander of the guard, deported the remainder of the population left behind in the city, the deserters who had gone over to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the common people. The commander of the guard left some of the humbler country people as vineyard workers and ploughmen.



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Gospel
Matthew 8:1-4
‘If you want to, you can cure me’

After Jesus had come down from the mountain large crowds followed him. A leper now came up and bowed low in front of him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘if you want to, you can cure me.’ Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I want to! Be cured!’ And his leprosy was cured at once. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Mind you do not tell anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering prescribed by Moses, as evidence for them.’

The Lord with us! Who can be against us? This is an encouraging reminder in the first reading, where an enemy so tremendous and powerful was over confident that they could easily conquer what they set their minds to. But the Lord God was with His people, and they the enemy had to leave with their tail between their legs.

As disciples of Christ, we must treat everyone with respect and dignity, just as how we want to be treated. A reminder for us: to take the utmost care of all that is holy, and to share the precious gift of the word of God with all those who will listen. Amen.


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First reading
2 Kings 19:9-11,14-21,31-36
The Lord protects Jerusalem from Sennacherib and the Assyrians

Sennacherib, King of the Assyrians, sent messengers to Hezekiah saying, ‘Tell this to Hezekiah king of Judah, “Do not let your God on whom you are relying deceive you, when he says: Jerusalem shall not fall into the power of the king of Assyria. You have learnt by now what the kings of Assyria have done to every country, putting them all under the ban. Are you likely to be spared?”’
    Hezekiah took the letter from the hands of the messenger and read it; he then went up to the Temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. Hezekiah said this prayer in the presence of the Lord, ‘O Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, enthroned on the cherubs, you alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth, you have made heaven and earth.

‘Give ear, Lord, and listen.
Open your eyes, Lord, and see.
Hear the words of Sennacherib
who has sent to insult the living God.

‘It is true, O Lord, that the kings of Assyria have exterminated all the nations, they have thrown their gods on the fire, for these were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, and hence they have destroyed them. But now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, I pray you, and let all the kingdoms of the earth know that you alone are God, Lord.’
    Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah. ‘The Lord, the God of Israel,’ he said, ‘says this, “I have heard the prayer you have addressed to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria.” Here is the oracle that the Lord has pronounced against him:

‘“She despises you, she scorns you,
the virgin, daughter of Zion;
she tosses her head behind you,
the daughter of Jerusalem.
A remnant shall go out from Jerusalem,
and survivors from Mount Zion.
The jealous love of the Lord of Hosts shall accomplish this.”

‘This, then, is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:

‘“He will not enter this city,
he will let fly no arrow against it,
confront it with no shield,
throw up no earthwork against it.
By the road that he came on he will return;
he shall not enter this city. It is the Lord who speaks.
I will protect this city and save it
for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”’

That same night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. Sennacherib struck camp and left; he returned home and stayed in Nineveh.




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Gospel
Matthew 7:6,12-14
Treat others as you would like them to treat you

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls in front of pigs, or they may trample them and then turn on you and tear you to pieces.
    ‘So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.
    ‘Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to perdition is wide and spacious, and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.’

Our loving father only wants his children to be obedient and to follow his laws, which were given to us out of love so that we will always live ordered lives according to his will. But if we choose our own way and turn our backs on him, do we expect no repercussions for our choices? If we have chosen evil over good, if we have chosen sinful lives, then we can only expect that sin will consume us, which will lead to our own destruction.

We are told in today’s gospel not to judge others. Perhaps we judge others according to our own standards, and yet we ourselves are not living to those standards. If we must compare ourselves with others, perhaps we should compare how much we have loved and put that love into action for the well-being of the least of our brethren.

Let’s always choose to love and not to judge, and to try to outdo one another by how much we love others. Amen.

Saints John Fisher, Bishop, and Thomas More, Martyrs, Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop pray for us…


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First reading
2 Kings 17:5-8,13-15,18
There was none left, but the tribe of Judah only

The king of Assyria invaded the whole country and, coming to Samaria, laid siege to it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah on the Habor, a river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
    This happened because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshipped other gods, they followed the practices of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed for them.
    And yet through all the prophets and all the seers, the Lord had given Israel and Judah this warning, ‘Turn from your wicked ways and keep my commandments and my laws in accordance with the entire Law I laid down for your fathers and delivered to them through my servants the prophets.’ But they would not listen, they were more stubborn than their ancestors had been who had no faith in the Lord their God. They despised his laws and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and the warnings he had given them. They pursued emptiness, and themselves became empty through copying the nations round them although the Lord had ordered them not to act as they did. For this, the Lord was enraged with Israel and thrust them away from him. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only.



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Gospel
Matthew 7:1-5
Do not judge, and you will not be judged

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; because the judgements you give are the judgements you will get, and the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given. Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own? How dare you say to your brother, “Let me take the splinter out of your eye,” when all the time there is a plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye.’

Just like Elijah and Elisha, we, the disciples of Christ Jesus our Lord, have been empowered and sent into the world through the power of the Holy Spirit to reconcile children with their fathers and mothers, and for all to be reunited with the Lord God. Through repentance, penance and the deep desire for reconciliation.

So that when we fall asleep in love, we shall rise in the love of our Resurrected Lord and Savior.

Just as the Lord has been merciful to us and has forgiven us our sins, we too shall be merciful to all and forgive them their sins against us.

Let us always walk humbly in the presence of the Lord, our God, to bring His mercy, love, peace, and joy into the world. Amen



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First reading
Ecclesiasticus 48:1-15
The spirit of Elijah fills Elisha


The prophet Elijah arose like a fire, his word flaring like a torch.
It was he who brought famine on the people,  and who decimated them in his zeal.
By the word of the Lord, he shut up the heavens, he also, three times, brought down fire.
How glorious you were in your miracles, Elijah!
    Has anyone reason to boast as you have? –
rousing a corpse from death, from Sheol by the word of the Most High;
dragging kings down to destruction, and high dignitaries from their beds; hearing reproof on Sinai, and decrees of punishment on Horeb; anointing kings as avengers, and prophets to succeed you; taken up in the whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses;
designated in the prophecies of doom to allay God’s wrath before the fury breaks, to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children, and to restore the tribes of Jacob, Happy shall they be who see you, and those who have fallen asleep in love; for we too will have life.

Elijah was shrouded in the whirlwind, and Elisha was filled with his spirit;
throughout his life no ruler could shake him, and no one could subdue him.
No task was too hard for him, and even in death his body prophesied.
In his lifetime he performed wonders, and in death his works were marvellous.


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Gospel
Matthew 6:7-15
How to pray

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this:

‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name be held Holy, your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.
And do not put us to the test, but save us from the evil one.

‘Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.’

In today’s first reading, we hear how Elisha asked for a double share of Elijah’s spirit.

As for us, we need not ask, for our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, who has already ascended into heaven has given us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the fullness of God Himself poured out on us.

Let all our works therefore be for Him and His glory alone not our own. As faithful disciples of our Lord, we are one in communion with Him, and everything we say or do is to glorify the Lord our God. Amen

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First reading
2 Kings 2:1,6-14 ·
Elijah is taken up to heaven

This is what happened when the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in the whirlwind: Elijah and Elisha set out from Gilgal, Elijah said, ‘Elisha, please stay here, the Lord is only sending me to the Jordan.’ But he replied, ‘As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you!’ And they went on together.
    Fifty of the brotherhood of prophets followed them, halting some distance away as the two of them stood beside the Jordan. Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water; and the water divided to left and right, and the two of them crossed over dry-shod. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Make your request. What can I do for you before I am taken from you?’ Elisha answered, ‘Let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’ ‘Your request is a difficult one’ Elijah said. ‘If you see me while I am being taken from you, it shall be as you ask; if not, it will not be so.’ Now as they walked on, talking as they went, a chariot of fire appeared and horses of fire, coming between the two of them; and Elijah went up to heaven in the whirlwind. Elisha saw it, and shouted, ‘My father! My father! Chariot of Israel and its chargers!’ Then he lost sight of him, and taking hold of his clothes he tore them in half. He picked up the cloak of Elijah which had fallen, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
    He took the cloak of Elijah and struck the water. ‘Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ he cried. He struck the water, and it divided to right and left, and Elisha crossed over.



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Gospel
Matthew 6:1-6,16-18
Your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
    ‘And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.
    ‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’

When we have sinned, and I would emphasize, when we have greatly sinned against the Lord, our God, we do not only have to repent or be remorseful of our sins, but we must be penitent. In the Old Testament, we see there’s a progression, or rather the Lord God teaches the people progressively. The Lord recognized that Ahab had repented, fasted, and such, and He was mercifully spared immediate death.  Though we know that Ahab eventually met his end on the war front.

We are all called to be perfect, as our Heavenly Father is perfect. And it is a fact: that we can only be perfected through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Still in our journey, we must strive for perfection through extraordinary love for one another. We must love beyond the way the world loves. To love the least of our brethren, the poor, the sick, the widow, the outcasts.

Open my eyes to see those you want me to love Lord. Amen

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First reading
1 Kings 21:17-29
The punishment of Ahab and Jezebel foretold

After the death of Naboth, the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, ‘Up! Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, in Samaria. You will find him in Naboth’s vineyard; he has gone down to take possession of it. You are to say this to him, “The Lord says this: You have committed murder; now you usurp as well. For this – and the Lord says this – in the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick your blood too.”’
    Ahab said to Elijah, ‘So you have found me out, O my enemy!’ Elijah answered, ‘I have found you out. For your double dealing, and since you have done what is displeasing to the Lord, I will now bring disaster down on you; I will sweep away your descendants, and wipe out every male belonging to the family of Ahab, fettered or free in Israel. I will treat your House as I treated the House of Jeroboam son of Nebat and of Baasha son of Ahijah, for provoking my anger and leading Israel into sin. (Against Jezebel the Lord spoke these words: The dogs will eat Jezebel in the Field of Jezreel.) Those of Ahab’s family who die in the city, the dogs will eat; and those who die in the open country, the birds of the air will eat.’
    And indeed there never was anyone like Ahab for double dealing and for doing what is displeasing to the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the most abominable way, adhering to idols, just as the Amorites used to do whom the Lord had dispossessed for the sons of Israel.
    When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments and put sackcloth next his skin and fasted; he slept in the sackcloth; he walked with slow steps. Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, ‘Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; I will bring the disaster down on his House in the days of his son.’



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Gospel
Matthew 5:43-48
Pray for those who persecute you

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’