How Great is our God! Indeed merciful, loving and ever living Lord and God; Father almighty, You have given us Your only begotten Son that we might have life to the full!

Forgive our past stubbornness of heart, we accept Jesus fully into our lives and have been changed from within by the power of His life, death and resurrection. Through Him we have been restored as Sons and Daughters so loved by You. Through Jesus we claim our Heavenly inheritance for we have been anointed Priest, Prophet and King!

Let us therefore go out into the world as beacons of His light, and bring healing and revival to the ends of the earth! Through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

First reading

Job 38:1,12-21,40:3-5 ·

The immeasurable greatness of God

From the heart of the tempest the Lord gave Job his answer. He said:

Have you ever in your life given orders to the morning

    or sent the dawn to its post,

telling it to grasp the earth by its edges

    and shake the wicked out of it,

when it changes the earth to sealing clay

    and dyes it as a man dyes clothes;

stealing the light from wicked men

    and breaking the arm raised to strike?

Have you journeyed all the way to the sources of the sea,

    or walked where the Abyss is deepest?

Have you been shown the gates of Death

    or met the janitors of Shadowland?

Have you an inkling of the extent of the earth?

    Tell me all about it if you have!

Which is the way to the home of the light,

    and where does darkness live?

You could then show them the way to their proper places,

    or put them on the path to where they live!

If you know all this, you must have been born with them,

    you must be very old by now!

Job replied to the Lord:

My words have been frivolous: what can I reply?

    I had better lay my finger on my lips.

I have spoken once… I will not speak again;

    more than once… I will add nothing.

Gospel

Luke 10:13-16

Anyone who rejects me rejects the one who sent me

Jesus said to his disciples:

    ‘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, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. And still, it will not go as hard with Tyre and Sidon at the Judgement as with you. And as for you, Capernaum, did you want to be exalted high as heaven? You shall be thrown down to hell.

    ‘Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me, and those who reject me reject the one who sent me.’

Yes, indeed Angels are on hand to aid us on our pilgrim journey home. How sad that very few embrace this truth and ask for their help especially the help of their very own guardian angels.

Many a time when facing a potentially dangerous situation or terrible accident I have felt the presence of my guardian angel who helped me avoid it. For instance, I missed a step while looking at my phone and walking down a long flight of steps, and somehow managed to grab hold of the railing. While I twisted my ankle a little, was otherwise unscathed! Praise the Lord! Another incident happened many years back when my canoe capsized, and I wasn’t wearing a life jacket. The sea water was rough and I almost drowned. I drank a fair bit of water and while struggling I stayed afloat with help from an unseen hand; till a friend from another canoe came to lend a hand and passed me my life jacket that was floating in the water. And there have been many other situations over the years.

Today as we celebrate the feast day of these powerful Archangels who are still helping mankind throughout history and even today, let us pray that we all may be reunited in Heaven glorifying the Lord of hosts. Amen

Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels Pray for us… 

First reading

Daniel 7:9-10,13-14 ·

His robe was white as snow

As I watched:

Thrones were set in place

and one of great age took his seat.

His robe was white as snow,

the hair of his head as pure as wool.

His throne was a blaze of flames,

its wheels were a burning fire.

A stream of fire poured out,

issuing from his presence.

A thousand thousand waited on him,

ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.

A court was held

and the books were opened.

I gazed into the visions of the night.

And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,

one like a son of man.

He came to the one of great age

and was led into his presence.

On him was conferred sovereignty,

glory and kingship,

and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.

His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty

which shall never pass away,

nor will his empire ever be destroyed.

 

Gospel

John 1:47-51

You will see heaven laid open, and the Son of Man

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, ‘There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ said Nathanael. ‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ And then he added ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.’

Our Father is the King of the Universe, all power, might and Glory is His now and forever! We are His sons and daughters created in His image coheirs in glory with Christ! How then are we living out this truth having been anointed at our baptism and again at our confirmation? Have we even embraced this truth? Are we already exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit to build His Kingdom?

Are you done with giving excuse after excuse for not taking up your cross to follow after our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? No time, not holy enough, not prayerful enough? What else is there? If Jesus is truly the way, the truth and the life for all of us then how can we tarry in following Him, the Lord of lords, King of kings! Progress not perfection, for we shall only truly be perfected through Christ our Lord. Our duty is to simply go and spread the news of the kingdom of God, so that all who come to believe in Jesus will have hope of eternally life with Him. Amen

________

First reading

Job 9:1-13,14-16

How can man be in the right against God?

Job spoke to his friends:

Indeed, I know it is as you say:

    how can man be in the right against God?

If any were so rash as to challenge him for reasons,

    one in a thousand would be more than they could answer.

His heart is wise, and his strength is great:

    who then can successfully defy him?

He moves the mountains, though they do not know it;

    he throws them down when he is angry.

He shakes the earth, and moves it from its place,

    making all its pillars tremble.

The sun, at his command, forbears to rise,

    and on the stars he sets a seal.

He and no other stretched out the skies,

    and trampled the Sea’s tall waves.

The Bear, Orion too, are of his making,

    the Pleiades and the Mansions of the South.

His works are great, beyond all reckoning,

    his marvels, past all counting.

Were he to pass me, I should not see him,

    nor detect his stealthy movement.

Were he to snatch a prize, who could prevent him,

    or dare to say, ‘What are you doing?’

How dare I plead my cause, then,

    or choose arguments against him?

Suppose I am in the right, what use is my defence?

    For he whom I must sue is judge as well.

If he deigned to answer my citation,

    could I be sure that he would listen to my voice?

Gospel

Luke 9:57-62

‘I will follow you wherever you go’

As Jesus and his disciples travelled along they met a man on the road who said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus answered, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’

    Another to whom he said, ‘Follow me’, replied, ‘Let me go and bury my father first.’ But he answered, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.’

    Another said, ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say goodbye to my people at home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

Have we not had trials and tribulations in our lives? Are there not moments in our lives where we feel all alone, lost and in a dark tunnel with no way out? Know then that our Lord Jesus Christ is with us through it all! And so we cry out to Him, “Let my prayer come into Your Presence, O Lord.”

For Jesus is life and always and above is life giving, His precious blood poured out for us many, gives us life to the full! Can we disciples after the heart of Jesus do any less? Do we allow ourselves to seek revenge for any injustice we may face? Nay! We shall turn all curses into Blessings by Blessing those who curse us!

Jesus grant me Your Grace to be life giving in all that I say and do. Amen

Saint Vincent de Paul pray for us…

First reading

Job 3:1-3,11-17,20-23 ·

Why did I not perish on the day I was born?

Job broke the silence and cursed the day of his birth. This is what he said:

May the day perish when I was born,

    and the night that told of a boy conceived.

Why did I not die new-born,

    not perish as I left the womb?

Why were there two knees to receive me,

    two breasts for me to suck?

Had there not been, I should now be lying in peace,

    wrapped in a restful slumber,

with the kings and high viziers of earth

    who build themselves vast vaults,

or with princes who have gold and to spare

    and houses crammed with silver.

Or put away like a still-born child that never came to be,

    like unborn babes that never see the light.

Down there, bad men bustle no more,

    there the weary rest.

Why give light to a man of grief?

    Why give life to those bitter of heart,

who long for a death that never comes,

    and hunt for it more than for a buried treasure?

They would be glad to see the grave-mound

    and shout with joy if they reached the tomb.

Why make this gift of light to a man who does not see his way,

    whom God baulks on every side?

Gospel

Luke 9:51-56

Jesus sets out for Jerusalem

As the time drew near for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely took the road for Jerusalem and sent messengers ahead of him. These set out, and they went into a Samaritan village to make preparations for him, but the people would not receive him because he was making for Jerusalem. Seeing this, the disciples James and John said, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?’ But he turned and rebuked them, and they went off to another village.

Today’s First reading is not quite easy to understand if we read or see it in human terms. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and reveal the heart of God….

Who is the author of life itself, if not the Lord our God, so indeed Blessed be the name of the Lord! For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. And so as a beloved child of God my Heavenly Father so love by Him, I can do greater things for Him through Jesus His Son my Saviour. For I am a servant of my brethren and a humble servant of the Lord my God.

You and I are the nameless man in today’s Gospel, for truly having childlike faith in the Lord our God we too can cast our devils in Jesus name! For it is written, “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Amen (Mark 16:17-18)

 

First reading

Job 1:6-22 ·

The Lord gave, the Lord has taken back: blessed be the name of the Lord

One day the Sons of God came to attend on the Lord, and among them was Satan. So the Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you been?’ ‘Round the earth,’ he answered ‘roaming about.’ So the Lord asked him, ‘Did you notice my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth: a sound and honest man who fears God and shuns evil.’ ‘Yes,’ Satan said ‘but Job is not God-fearing for nothing, is he? Have you not put a wall round him and his house and all his domain? You have blessed all he undertakes, and his flocks throng the countryside. But stretch out your hand and lay a finger on his possessions: I warrant you, he will curse you to your face.’ ‘Very well,’ the Lord said to Satan ‘all he has is in your power. But keep your hands off his person.’ So Satan left the presence of the Lord.

    On the day when Job’s sons and daughters were at their meal and drinking wine at their eldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job. ‘Your oxen’ he said ‘were at the plough, with the donkeys grazing at their side, when the Sabaeans swept down on them and carried them off. Your servants they put to the sword: I alone escaped to tell you.’ He had not finished speaking when another messenger arrived. ‘The fire of God’ he said ‘has fallen from the heavens and burnt up all your sheep, and your shepherds too: I alone escaped to tell you.’ He had not finished speaking when another messenger arrived. ‘The Chaldaeans,’ he said ‘three bands of them, have raided your camels and made off with them. Your servants they put to the sword: I alone escaped to tell you.’ He had not finished speaking when another messenger arrived. ‘Your sons and daughters’ he said ‘were at their meal and drinking wine at their eldest brother’s house, when suddenly from the wilderness a gale sprang up, and it battered all four corners of the house which fell in on the young people. They are dead: I alone escaped to tell you.’

    Job rose and tore his gown and shaved his head. Then falling to the ground he worshipped and said:

‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

naked I shall return.

The Lord gave, the Lord has taken back.

Blessed be the name of the Lord!’

In all this misfortune Job committed no sin nor offered any insult to God.

Gospel

Luke 9:46-50

The least among you all is the greatest

An argument started between the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Jesus knew what thoughts were going through their minds, and he took a little child and set him by his side and then said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For the least among you all, that is the one who is great.’

    John spoke up. ‘Master,’ he said ‘we saw a man casting out devils in your name, and because he is not with us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘You must not stop him: anyone who is not against you is for you.’

Youth fades swiftly before you know it you are greying and not as fit as you once was. Perhaps you are already struggling a little daily with aches and pains. Is this the cross that you bear for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?

How has it led others closer to Him? How is your suffering for Him redemptive? Have you used your gifts and talents to build up His Kingdom?

Thank You Jesus for loving me. For by Your life, death and resurrection You have set me free to live fully in Your love. Let me follow after You by Your example. Let me win souls for You! Amen

First reading

Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8 ·

Remember your creator in the days of your youth

Rejoice in your youth, you who are young;

let your heart give you joy in your young days.

Follow the promptings of your heart

and the desires of your eyes.

But this you must know: for all these things God will bring you to judgement.

Cast worry from your heart,

shield your flesh from pain.

Yet youth, the age of dark hair, is vanity. And remember your creator in the days of your youth, before evil days come and the years approach when you say, ‘These give me no pleasure’, before sun and light and moon and stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain;

the day when those who keep the house tremble

and strong men are bowed;

when the women grind no longer at the mill,

because day is darkening at the windows

and the street doors are shut;

when the sound of the mill is faint,

when the voice of the bird is silenced,

and song notes are stilled,

when to go uphill is an ordeal

and a walk is something to dread.

Yet the almond tree is in flower,

the grasshopper is heavy with food

and the caper bush bears its fruit,

while man goes to his everlasting home. And the mourners are already walking to and fro in the street

before the silver cord has snapped,

or the golden lamp been broken,

or the pitcher shattered at the spring,

or the pulley cracked at the well,

or before the dust returns to the earth as it once came from it, and the breath to God who gave it.

    Vanity of vanities, the Preacher says. All is vanity.

Gospel

Luke 9:43-45

They were afraid to ask him what he meant

At a time when everyone was full of admiration for all he did, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘For your part, you must have these words constantly in your mind: “The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men.”’ But they did not understand him when he said this; it was hidden from them so that they should not see the meaning of it, and they were afraid to ask him about what he had just said.

Who are we before Christ our Lord whom we profess to love?

Have we grown in our faith such that we have stepped out in faith to heal, cast out demons and to share the good news that the Kingdom of God is at hand? If not then why not? When is a good time to start if not now?

Did Jesus say go make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and teach them all that I have commanded you….Only when you are holy, only when you are good and ready?

If we profess that Jesus is the Christ of God our Heavenly Father, the anointed One. Then how can we not embrace that we are little Christs conformed to the image of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Anointed and sent by our Baptism into the world  to be fruitful for Him?

Here I am Lord! I stand ready to do Your Will. Amen

Saint Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) pray for us….

First reading

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 ·

There is a time for every occupation under heaven

There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven:

A time for giving birth,

    a time for dying;

    a time for planting,

    a time for uprooting what has been planted.

A time for killing,

    a time for healing;

    a time for knocking down,

    a time for building.

A time for tears,

    a time for laughter;

    a time for mourning,

    a time for dancing.

A time for throwing stones away,

    a time for gathering them up;

    a time for embracing,

    a time to refrain from embracing.

A time for searching,

    a time for losing;

    a time for keeping,

    a time for throwing away.

A time for tearing,

    a time for sewing;

    a time for keeping silent,

    a time for speaking.

A time for loving,

    a time for hating;

    a time for war,

    a time for peace.

What does a man gain for the efforts that he makes? I contemplate the task that God gives mankind to labour at. All that he does is apt for its time; but though he has permitted man to consider time in its wholeness, man cannot comprehend the work of God from beginning to end.

Gospel

Luke 9:18-22

‘You are the Christ of God’

One day when Jesus was praying alone in the presence of his disciples he put this question to them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’ And they answered, ‘John the Baptist; others Elijah; and others say one of the ancient prophets come back to life.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ It was Peter who spoke up. ‘The Christ of God’ he said. But he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone anything about this.

    ‘The Son of Man’ he said ‘is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.’

All the riches in world, the pleasures we seek, the sights we travel to see, the wealth we work hard to accumulate for our family and our old age amounts to nothing if we don’t a relationship with the Lord our God in our lives. Jesus! Is the greatest treasure this world had and will ever have for generations to come! The joy, peace and love which we find in Him is everlasting.

So instead of living in fear of losing what we possess, of having sinned against men and God, of being suspicious about everything and everyone, of living in anxiety. Why not repent and come to Jesus? For whatever we have done or failed to do, Jesus seeks to set us free. He loved us while we were still sinners and continues to love us each and every day of our lives. He will transform us from within so as to shine brightly for Him in world.

If we are to remembered in this world, let us be remembered for our life lived in Him. Remembered for what we had and continue to have in Jesus. Amen

First reading

Ecclesiastes 1:2-11 ·

Nothing is new and all is vanity

Vanity of vanities, the Preacher says. Vanity of vanities. All is vanity! For all his toil, his toil under the sun, what does man gain by it?

    A generation goes, a generation comes, yet the earth stands firm for ever. The sun rises, the sun sets; then to its place it speeds and there it rises. Southward goes the wind, then turns to the north; it turns and turns again; back then to its circling goes the wind. Into the sea all the rivers go, and yet the sea is never filled, and still to their goal the rivers go. All things are wearisome. No man can say that eyes have not had enough of seeing, ears their fill of hearing. What was will be again; what has been done will be done again; and there is nothing new under the sun. Take anything of which it may be said, ‘Look now, this is new.’ Already, long before our time, it existed. Only no memory remains of earlier times, just as in times to come next year itself will not be remembered.

 

Gospel

Luke 9:7-9

‘John? I beheaded him; so who is this?’

Herod the tetrarch had heard about all that was being done by Jesus; and he was puzzled, because some people were saying that John had risen from the dead, others that Elijah had reappeared, still others that one of the ancient prophets had come back to life. But Herod said, ‘John? I beheaded him. So who is this I hear such reports about?’ And he was anxious to see Jesus.

Jesus is calling all of us today, to leave everything there is not of Him and to follow after Him. To leave corporations/companies who engage in unscrupulous practices. To leave organisations which act unjustly or act against human dignity and the sanctity of life. Finally, for us all to turn away from all sin and temptation; and to be faithful to the Gospel.

For our loving and merciful Lord did not come to call the virtuous but us sinners. Though Him alone our sonship and daughterhood is restored and we have hope of our Heavenly inheritance that awaits us. Through Him we can love as we ought to, become the best versions of ourselves for Him, for our families and for our brothers and sisters in Him.

Let us therefore lead lives worthy of our vocation. For love of Christ, we will bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. We will live as One Body in Him in Holy Communion. Amen

Saint Matthew Pray for us…

First reading

Ephesians 4:1-7,11-13 ·

We are all to come to unity, fully mature in the knowledge of the Son of God

I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all.

    Each one of us, however, has been given his own share of grace, given as Christ allotted it. To some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. In this way we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself.

Gospel

Matthew 9:9-13

It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick

As Jesus was walking on, he saw a man named Matthew sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

    While he was at dinner in the house it happened that a number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When he heard this he replied, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

The Lord knows our heart and so let us who truly love Him with all our hearts not be fearful. But like flowing river after the heart of our God let us water the land with His living water!

Holiness is not something we strive and attain on our very own. Holiness is a reflection of our deep personal relationship with God our Heavenly Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit. When we hear His Word so clearly each and every day of our lives and live it according to His Word and will for us. All for love of Him and of our brethren.

Find me Holy in my Love for You O Lord, as I serve my Brethren in Your Love and Mercy. Amen

Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Priest, and Paul Chong Hasang, and their Companions, Pray for us….

First reading

Proverbs 21:1-6,10-13

On wickedness and virtue

Like flowing water is the heart of the king in the hand of the Lord,

    who turns it where he pleases.

A man’s conduct may strike him as upright,

    the Lord, however, weighs the heart.

To act virtuously and with justice

    is more pleasing to the Lord than sacrifice.

Haughty eye, proud heart,

    lamp of the wicked, nothing but sin.

The hardworking man is thoughtful, and all is gain;

    too much haste, and all that comes of it is want.

To make a fortune with the help of a lying tongue,

    such the idle fantasy of those who look for death.

The wicked man’s soul is intent on evil,

    he looks on his neighbour with dislike.

When a mocker is punished, the ignorant man grows wiser,

    when a wise man is instructed he acquires more knowledge.

The Just One watches the house of the wicked:

    he hurls the wicked to destruction.

He who shuts his ear to the poor man’s cry

    shall himself plead and not be heard.

Gospel

Luke 8:19-21

‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God’

The mother and the brothers of Jesus came looking for him, but they could not get to him because of the crowd. He was told, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see you.’ But he said in answer, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.’

There is no time like the present to do good, without hesitation and with the joy of our Lord. For God is good all the time! Jesus Himself never waited to do good, He never withholds His mercy and love! Was there a Sabbath that prevented Him from doing the works of His Father? No! For He is the Lord of the Sabbath!

We disciples of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are sent to be His light into the world! When is a good time to share His light with everyone? When is a good time to teach them so that they fully understand just how much the Lord our God loves them when they ask? How clearly do you hear the Lord’s call and will for you?

Bless me Lord, give me a fresh anointing this day so that I stand upon the lampstand of Your love, and Your light in the world. Amen

First reading

Proverbs 3:27-34

The Lord blesses the home of the virtuous

My son, do not refuse a kindness to anyone who begs it,

    if it is in your power to perform it.

Do not say to your neighbour, ‘Go away! Come another time!

    I will give it you tomorrow’, if you can do it now.

Do not plot harm against your neighbour

    as he lives unsuspecting next door.

Do not pick a groundless quarrel with a man

    who has done you no harm.

Do not emulate the man of violence,

    never model your conduct on his;

for the wilful wrong-doer is abhorrent to the Lord,

    who confides only in honest men.

The Lord’s curse lies on the house of the wicked,

    but he blesses the home of the virtuous.

He mocks those who mock,

    but accords his favour to the humble.

Gospel

Luke 8:16-18

Anyone who has will be given more

Jesus said to the crowds:

    ‘No one lights a lamp to cover it with a bowl or to put it under a bed. No, he puts it on a lamp-stand so that people may see the light when they come in. For nothing is hidden but it will be made clear, nothing secret but it will be known and brought to light. So take care how you hear; for anyone who has will be given more; from anyone who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.’

Listen all you have ears and understand that Abba Father loves you dearly and only wants what is best for you. And so, He has given us His living Word, His Word made flesh, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Through Him we have hope of eternal life and yet even while we are still alive, we can live our lives to the full in Him. We have the Blessed assurance that as we die in Him, we shall rise to new life with Him.

And so how are we embracing our dearest Father in Heaven’s Word given in great love for us? Are dwelling on His word daily in His presence? Having received His Word and Will for us, have we then put it into action? For if we have that we should have already started yielding a harvest for Him.

Jesus, I want to walk with You this day and every day in Your presence, in the land of the living. Let Your Word be a lamp unto my feet. Amen

First reading

1 Corinthians 15:35-37,42-49 ·

The resurrected body is heavenly by nature

Someone may ask, ‘How are dead people raised, and what sort of body do they have when they come back?’ They are stupid questions. Whatever you sow in the ground has to die before it is given new life and the thing that you sow is not what is going to come; you sow a bare grain, say of wheat or something like that. It is the same with the resurrection of the dead: the thing that is sown is perishable but what is raised is imperishable; the thing that is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious; the thing that is sown is weak but what is raised is powerful; when it is sown it embodies the soul, when it is raised it embodies the spirit.

    If the soul has its own embodiment, so does the spirit have its own embodiment. The first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; but the last Adam has become a life-giving spirit. That is, first the one with the soul, not the spirit, and after that, the one with the spirit. The first man, being from the earth, is earthly by nature; the second man is from heaven. As this earthly man was, so are we on earth; and as the heavenly man is, so are we in heaven. And we, who have been modelled on the earthly man, will be modelled on the heavenly man.

Gospel

Luke 8:4-15

The parable of the sower

With a large crowd gathering and people from every town finding their way to him, Jesus used this parable:

    ‘A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell on the edge of the path and was trampled on; and the birds of the air ate it up. Some seed fell on rock, and when it came up it withered away, having no moisture. Some seed fell amongst thorns and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell into rich soil and grew and produced its crop a hundredfold.’ Saying this he cried, ‘Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!’

    His disciples asked him what this parable might mean, and he said, ‘The mysteries of the kingdom of God are revealed to you; for the rest there are only parables, so that

they may see but not perceive,

listen but not understand.

‘This, then, is what the parable means: the seed is the word of God. Those on the edge of the path are people who have heard it, and then the devil comes and carries away the word from their hearts in case they should believe and be saved. Those on the rock are people who, when they first hear it, welcome the word with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of trial they give up. As for the part that fell into thorns, this is people who have heard, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life and do not reach maturity. As for the part in the rich soil, this is people with a noble and generous heart who have heard the word and take it to themselves and yield a harvest through their perseverance.’

When we preach or share Christ with others it is the joy of the Resurrected Lord working in our very own lives! His light should shine bright within us into the world. And by our love put into action for Him and our brethren we are declaring that we have new life to the full in Him. Death where is your sting?!

Our previous lives in darkness is no more for Jesus came while we were still sinners and set us free by His life, death and resurrection! For had we remained where we were, we would still be searching for love in all the wrong places, searching for fleeting peace of mind, gaining short lived happiness through worldly possessions and desires. Slowly but surely withering away like flowers without hope.

Praise the Lord for His great mercy and love, now grace filled we are sent into the world to share His mercy and love with one and all! We are men and women after the heart of God, important members of our Lord’s Apostolate. We are beacons of our resurrected Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Alleluia!

APOSTOLATE

The work of an apostle, not only of the first followers of Christ but of all the faithful who carry on the original mission entrusted by the Savior to the twelve to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). The apostolate belongs essentially to the order of grace. Its purpose is not temporal welfare, however noble, but to bring people to the knowledge and love of Christ and, through obedience to his teaching, help them attain life everlasting.

First reading

1 Corinthians 15:12-20 ·

If Christ has not been raised, your belief is useless

Now if Christ raised from the dead is what has been preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ himself cannot have been raised, and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is useless and your believing it is useless; indeed, we are shown up as witnesses who have committed perjury before God, because we swore in evidence before God that he had raised Christ to life. For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins. And what is more serious, all who have died in Christ have perished. If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people.

    But Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep.

Gospel

Luke 8:1-3

The women who accompanied Jesus

Jesus made his way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. With him went the Twelve, as well as certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and ailments: Mary surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and several others who provided for them out of their own resources.

At the cross her station keeping,

Stood the mournful Mother weeping,

Close to Jesus to the last.

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,

All His bitter anguish bearing,

Now at length the sword had passed.

Oh, how sad and sore distressed

Was that Mother highly blest,

Of the sole begotten One!

Christ above in torment hangs.

She beneath beholds the pangs

Of her dying glorious Son.

Is there one who would not weep,

Whelmed in miseries so deep,

Christ’s dear Mother to behold?

Can the human heart refrain

From partaking in her pain,

In that Mother’s pain untold?

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,

She beheld her tender Child,

All with bloody scourges rent.

For the sins of His own nation,

Saw Him hang in desolation

Till His spirit forth He sent.

O thou Mother: fount of love!

Touch my spirit from above,

Make my heart with thine accord.

Make me feel as thou hast felt;

Make my soul to glow and melt

With the love of Christ my Lord.

Holy Mother, pierce me through;

In my heart each wound renew

Of my Savior crucified.

Let me share with thee His pain,

Who for all my sins was slain,

Who for me in torment died.

Let me mingle tears with thee,

Mourning Him who mourned for me,

All the days that I may live.

By the Cross with thee to stay;

There with thee to weep and pray,

Is all I ask of thee to give.

Virgin of all virgins best,

Listen to my fond request:

Let me share thy grief divine.

Let me to my latest breath,

In my body bear the death

Of that dying Son of thine.

Wounded with His every wound,

Steep my soul till it hath swooned

In His very blood away.

Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,

Lest in flames I burn and die,

In His awful Judgment day.

Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,

Be Thy Mother my defense,

Be Thy Cross my victory.

While my body here decays,

May my soul Thy goodness praise,

Safe in Paradise with Thee. Amen.

(STABAT MATER)

Our Lady of Sorrows pray of us…

First reading

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 ·

I preached what the others preach, and you all believed

Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything.

    Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared first to Cephas and secondly to the Twelve. Next he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all he appeared to me too; it was as though I was born when no one expected it.

    I am the least of the apostles; in fact, since I persecuted the Church of God, I hardly deserve the name apostle; but by God’s grace that is what I am, and the grace that he gave me has not been fruitless. On the contrary, I, or rather the grace of God that is with me, have worked harder than any of the others; but what matters is that I preach what they preach, and this is what you all believed.

Gospel

John 19:25-27

‘Woman, this is your son’

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.

Why do we Exalt the Holy Cross? When Christ died once for us and had already redeemed the world? For by His resurrection are we not already free to live in His light?

Because we remember that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. (RM 5:8)For God our Father showed His great love for us by sending His only begotten Son for this very reason.

1 Chronicles 16:15 – He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations.

Luke 1:54-55 – “He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

Isaiah 65:16-17 – “Because he who is blessed in the earth Will be blessed by the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth Will swear by the God of truth;

Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My sight! “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.

Isaiah 65:16-17 – “Because he who is blessed in the earth Will be blessed by the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth Will swear by the God of truth;

Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My sight! “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.

Luke 22:17-20  -And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.

We Adore You, O Christ, and We Praise You. Because by Your Holy Cross, You Have Redeemed the World. Amen

First reading

Numbers 21:4-9 ·

If anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked up at the bronze serpent and lived

On the way through the wilderness the people lost patience. They spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is neither bread nor water here; we are sick of this unsatisfying food.’

    At this God sent fiery serpents among the people; their bite brought death to many in Israel. The people came and said to Moses, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede for us with the Lord to save us from these serpents.’ Moses interceded for the people, and the Lord answered him, ‘Make a fiery serpent and put it on a standard. If anyone is bitten and looks at it, he shall live.’ So Moses fashioned a bronze serpent which he put on a standard, and if anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked at the bronze serpent and lived.

Gospel

John 3:13-17

God sent his Son so that through him the world might be saved

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

‘No one has gone up to heaven

except the one who came down from heaven,

the Son of Man who is in heaven;

and the Son of Man must be lifted up

as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,

so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost

but may have eternal life.

For God sent his Son into the world

not to condemn the world,

but so that through him the world might be saved.’

Song of the Cross

Jesus truly saves and gives life! In today’s Gospel we see just how compassionate and loving our Lord is that He would breathe life back into a young man so that he could care for his aged mother who would have been left alone in the world unlikely to survive in those days. So, in essence two lives were saved not one!

Are we likewise as compassionate and loving as we are called to be after our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Do we exercise the gifts of the Holy Spirit to build up God’s Kingdom and to serve our brethren? St Paul in today’s first reading is not saying that we are limited in our gifts given to us individually! For those of us living in the life in the Spirit know well that the deeper our relationship with the Lord our God; the more gifts we will have to minister to our brethren for the building up of His Kingdom. Amen

Saint John Chrysostom pray of us…

First reading

1 Corinthians 12:12-14,27-31 ·

You together are Christ’s body: each of you a different part

Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink.

    Nor is the body to be identified with any one of its many parts. Now you together are Christ’s body; but each of you is a different part of it. In the Church, God has given the first place to apostles, the second to prophets, the third to teachers; after them, miracles, and after them the gift of healing; helpers, good leaders, those with many languages. Are all of them apostles, or all of them prophets, or all of them teachers? Do they all have the gift of miracles, or all have the gift of healing? Do all speak strange languages, and all interpret them? Be ambitious for the higher gifts.

Gospel

Luke 7:11-17

The only son of his mother, and she a widow

Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. When he was near the gate of the town it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry’ he said. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up.’ And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe and praised God saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people.’ And this opinion of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside.

Too often we forget that our homes are an extension of the Eucharistic Celebration held on Sunday. That is when we sit down for a meal as family we should do so as if it was the Lord’s supper that we have gathered for. We pray as one before and after the meal and during the meal we talk about our day in and with the Lord our God. This should be the same likewise in our community meetings.

Yet how is it that in retreats, festivities or gatherings folks rush for their food at buffet lines? Not minding young children, the elderly and such! Even at sit down dinners some are rushing to eat and run! More important things to do? People to be with? What can be more important than being together and having a meal in the presence of our Lord?

For we the faithful know that there is power in the Word amongst us. How wonderful it is when we brought to the realisation that when we are gathered as One to have a meal, pray and worship; His mercy and grace abounds. Healing in all its forms takes place and we are filled with His peace and love.

Glory and praise be Yours O Lord our God. Amen

First reading

1 Corinthians 11:17-26,33 ·

If each one hurries to be first, it is not the Lord’s Supper you are eating

On the subject of instructions, I cannot say that you have done well in holding meetings that do you more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you all come together as a community, there are separate factions among you, and I half believe it – since there must no doubt be separate groups among you, to distinguish those who are to be trusted. The point is, when you hold these meetings, it is not the Lord’s Supper that you are eating, since when the time comes to eat, everyone is in such a hurry to start his own supper that one person goes hungry while another is getting drunk. Surely you have homes for eating and drinking in? Surely you have enough respect for the community of God not to make poor people embarrassed? What am I to say to you? Congratulate you? I cannot congratulate you on this.

    For this is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death. So to sum up, my dear brothers, when you meet for the Meal, wait for one another.

Gospel

Luke 7:1-10

Give the word, and my servant will be healed

When Jesus had come to the end of all he wanted the people to hear, he went into Capernaum. A centurion there had a servant, a favourite of his, who was sick and near death. Having heard about Jesus he sent some Jewish elders to him to ask him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus they pleaded earnestly with him. ‘He deserves this of you’ they said ‘because he is friendly towards our people; in fact, he is the one who built the synagogue.’ So Jesus went with them, and was not very far from the house when the centurion sent word to him by some friends: ‘Sir,’ he said ‘do not put yourself to trouble; because I am not worthy to have you under my roof; and for this same reason I did not presume to come to you myself; but give the word and let my servant 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 these words he was astonished at him and, turning round, said to the crowd following him, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found faith like this.’ And when the messengers got back to the house they found the servant in perfect health.

We cannot constantly give in to the temptations and distractions that take us away from Jesus then pray and hope that we are forgiven. Neither can we continue to live individual lives and lifestyles away from community thinking we can remain steadfast on our own!

For it was through Christ Jesus our Lord who bore the sins of the world so that we can live free as One Body in Him. Holy Eucharist is not a one Sunday event of thanksgiving but a means for us to enter into the divine life of our Saviour. Having received His Body, Blood, soul and divinity we unite ourselves fully with Him and One another in the Holy embrace of Communion!

How then can we allow us to fall so easily to ‘idolatry’?! That which takes us away from the union we share in the One true and living God?

I pray to You O Lord for I love You Lord my strength. For You are my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Amen (Ps. 18:1-2)

First reading

1 Corinthians 10:14-22 ·

We are a single body because we all share the one bread

My dear brothers, you must keep clear of idolatry. I say to you as sensible people: judge for yourselves what I am saying. The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf. Look at the other Israel, the race, where those who eat the sacrifices are in communion with the altar.

    Does this mean that the food sacrificed to idols has a real value, or that the idol itself is real? Not at all. It simply means that the sacrifices that they offer they sacrifice to demons who are not God. I have no desire to see you in communion with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot take your share at the table of the Lord and at the table of demons. Do we want to make the Lord angry; are we stronger than he is?

Gospel

Luke 6:43-49

Whoever hears me builds his house on a rock

Jesus said to his disciples:

    ‘There is no sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. For every tree can be told by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns, nor gather grapes from brambles. A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness. For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.

    ‘Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord” and not do what I say?

    ‘Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and acts on them – I will show you what he is like. He is like the man who when he built his house dug, and dug deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man who built his house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!’

Do we see clearly the glory of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Do we hear clearly His word and Will for us? Do we feel His presence with us from the early morn to the dead of night? If our answer is Yes!

Then surely we see Him in our brethren of whom we love and serve. Especially in those who are difficult to love, who probably have not experienced His love and mercy yet. We will not see the faults in them or others but rather we will strive to examine our very own consciences daily as we seek to be perfected by Jesus who alone is perfect!

We will affirm the good works of one another and are edified by the successes of our brethren who glorify the Lord our God by their lives. We never tire or give up hope in our endeavours to share the Good News, for even in our shortcomings and seeming ‘failures’ it is Christ our Lord who waters and grows the seed we sow for Him. We are always lifted and strengthened through His grace and love for us.

Lord Jesus Bless us and keep us in Your loving care as we live our lives for the sake of the Gospel, Your everlasting Word. Amen

First reading

1 Corinthians 9:16-19,22-27

We go into strict training, like fighters at the games

I do not boast of preaching the gospel, since it is a duty which has been laid on me; I should be punished if I did not preach it! If I had chosen this work myself, I might have been paid for it, but as I have not, it is a responsibility which has been put into my hands. Do you know what my reward is? It is this: in my preaching, to be able to offer the Good News free, and not insist on the rights which the gospel gives me.

    So though I am not a slave of any man I have made myself the slave of everyone so as to win as many as I could. I made myself all things to all men in order to save some at any cost; and I still do this, for the sake of the gospel, to have a share in its blessings.

    All the runners at the stadium are trying to win, but only one of them gets the prize. You must run in the same way, meaning to win. All the fighters at the games go into strict training; they do this just to win a wreath that will wither away, but we do it for a wreath that will never wither. That is how I run, intent on winning; that is how I fight, not beating the air. I treat my body hard and make it obey me, for, having been an announcer myself, I should not want to be disqualified.

Gospel

Luke 6:39-42

Can the blind lead the blind?

Jesus told a parable to the disciples: ‘Can one blind man guide another? Surely both will fall into a pit? The disciple is not superior to his teacher; the fully trained disciple will always be like his teacher. Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye,” when you cannot see the plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter that is in your brother’s eye.’

On this day O beautiful Mother, on this day we celebrate your birth. For it was God our Heavenly Father from the very beginning that chose you to bring to birth, His One and only begotten Son. Your whole life was in loving relationship with Abba Father. And you magnified Him by your life. Truly a lowly handmaid yet Blessed amongst all women!

In the Gospel we also hear of St Joseph your most chaste spouse. A humble man whose love and obedience to God our Heavenly Father was an ideal loving foster father and husband. What joy he must have had to have Jesus as his son!

It gives me great hope that I may be a nobody in this vast and big world, but I am a child of God so loved by Him and by my obedience and love, I too can magnify His Glory to all. So that everyone will feel and know the presence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. God is truly with us! Amen Alleluia

First reading

Micah 5:1-4 ·

He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord

The Lord says this:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

the least of the clans of Judah,

out of you will be born for me

the one who is to rule over Israel;

his origin goes back to the distant past,

to the days of old.

The Lord is therefore going to abandon them

till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.

Then the remnant of his brothers will come back

to the sons of Israel.

He will stand and feed his flock

with the power of the Lord,

with the majesty of the name of his God.

They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power

to the ends of the land.

He himself will be peace.

Gospel

Matthew 1:1-16,18-23

The ancestry and conception of Jesus Christ

A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:

Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother,

Perez was the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram was the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother,

Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother,

Obed was the father of Jesse;

and Jesse was the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

Solomon was the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,

Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,

Joram the father of Azariah,

Azariah was the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah;

and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.

Then the deportation to Babylon took place.

After the deportation to Babylon:

Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud,

Abiud the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

Azor was the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Achim,

Achim the father of Eliud,

Eliud was the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob;

and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary;

of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.

This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son

and they will call him Emmanuel,

a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’

What is your vocation in life? Whether we are single or married, rich or poor we are all called to holiness and to the building up of God our Father’s Kingdom. And that should be our primary focus, to glorify the Lord our God by our lives. For our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ set us free to live fully in His love, mercy and peace. He has given us everything!

How then can we withhold anything for ourselves? Can we who have more than enough withhold food and drink from our hungry, thirsty brethren who have none? Can we leave those who are mourning, depressed or struggling without comfort while we rejoice on our own?

We should never be content with what we own or what material wealth we have. For we have been raised with Christ, and must set our hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Let us set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. Amen (Col 3:1-2)

First reading

1 CORINTHIANS 7:25-31 ·

The world as we know it is passing away

About remaining celibate, I have no directions from the Lord but give my own opinion as one who, by the Lord’s mercy, has stayed faithful. Well then, I believe that in these present times of stress this is right: that it is good for a man to stay as he is. If you are tied to a wife, do not look for freedom; if you are free of a wife, then do not look for one. But if you marry, it is no sin, and it is not a sin for a young girl to get married. They will have their troubles, though, in their married life, and I should like to spare you that.

Brothers, this is what I mean: our time is growing short. Those who have wives should live as though they had none, and those who mourn should live as though they had nothing to mourn for; those who are enjoying life should live as though there were nothing to laugh about; those whose life is buying things should live as though they had nothing of their own; and those who have to deal with the world should not become engrossed in it. I say this because the world as we know it is passing away.

Gospel

LUKE 6:20-26

Happy are you who are poor, who are hungry, who weep

Fixing his eyes on his disciples Jesus said:

‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.

Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.

Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.

Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.

‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.

Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry.

Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.

‘Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.’

We often gloss over today’s Gospel as simply Jesus choosing the twelve apostles. Special and anointed Men set apart to do God’s will. But really how special was each and every one of them? Most of us know that some of them were uneducated fishermen, we know of a tax collector, zealot and so on. It was Jesus who set them apart and anointed them. He changed them from within and they became more like Him. They surrendered everything took up their cross and followed Him.

Jesus is doing the very same thing today for you and me. He is setting us apart, He has anointed us through our baptism and confirmation, and we are sent into the world to be powerful instruments of His grace. How many of us are living out our call? Surrendering everything, taking up our cross and following after our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? How many lives have changed because we brought them closer to Jesus our Lord and our God?

Or are we still bickering with one another or who is right and who is wrong? Who has the Parish priest ear and who doesn’t? What other ugly sides are we showing to unbelievers instead of the face of Christ Jesus our Lord?

Both lungs of our Church in which the Holy Spirit breathes has the institutional dimension as well as the Charismatic dimension. Are we still focussed only on the institutional dimension? How alive in the Spirit is our Church? Our Ministries? Our Communities? Our Homes?

Come fill us with Your Presence Holy Spirit come dwell among us. Amen

First reading

1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Do not drag your brother to a pagan for judgement

How dare one of your members take up a complaint against another in the law courts of the unjust instead of before the saints? As you know, it is the saints who are to ‘judge the world’; and if the world is to be judged by you, how can you be unfit to judge trifling cases? Since we are also to judge angels, it follows that we can judge matters of everyday life; but when you have had cases of that kind, the people you appointed to try them were not even respected in the Church. You should be ashamed: is there really not one reliable man among you to settle differences between brothers and so one brother brings a court case against another in front of unbelievers? It is bad enough for you to have lawsuits at all against one another: oughtn’t you to let yourselves be wronged, and let yourselves be cheated? But you are doing the wronging and the cheating, and to your own brothers.

    You know perfectly well that people who do wrong will not inherit the kingdom of God: people of immoral lives, idolaters, adulterers, catamites, sodomites, thieves, usurers, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers will never inherit the kingdom of God. These are the sort of people some of you were once, but now you have been washed clean, and sanctified, and justified through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and through the Spirit of our God.

Gospel

Luke 6:12-19

Jesus chooses his twelve apostles

Jesus went out into the hills to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them ‘apostles’: Simon whom he called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor.

    He then came down with them and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon who had come to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. People tormented by unclean spirits were also cured, and everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all.

We cannot tolerate sin amongst us for it corrupts and if allowed to fester will eventually affect the whole community. Yes indeed we love the sinner, but he/she must be remorseful and seek to repent. There is no such thing as private sin, between the sinner and the Lord God Himself! Take for example a man in an adulterous relationship with another. Can He say it a private matter between Himself and God? Can we as community remain silent? See how his sin will affect and is already affecting his relationship with his spouse, his children, his community, his friends!

There is no such thing as a good time to love neighbour, brethren or family. We must love them in the present and do what we must now so that they can be healed, renewed and set free. For Jesus Himself shows us in today’s Gospel that love must come first above all else, law, due process and so on. He chose to heal the sufferers immediately out of love for him.

Saint Teresa of Kolkata Pray for us…

First reading

1 Corinthians 5:1-8 ·

Get rid of the old yeast of evil and wickedness

I have been told as an undoubted fact that one of you is living with his father’s wife. This is a case of sexual immorality among you that must be unparalleled even among pagans. How can you be so proud of yourselves? You should be in mourning. A man who does a thing like that ought to have been expelled from the community. Though I am far away in body, I am with you in spirit, and have already condemned the man who did this thing as if I were actually present. When you are assembled together in the name of the Lord Jesus, and I am spiritually present with you, then with the power of our Lord Jesus he is to be handed over to Satan so that his sensual body may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

    The pride that you take in yourselves is hardly to your credit. You must know how even a small amount of yeast is enough to leaven all the dough, so get rid of all the old yeast, and make yourselves into a completely new batch of bread, unleavened as you are meant to be. Christ, our passover, has been sacrificed; let us celebrate the feast, then, by getting rid of all the old yeast of evil and wickedness, having only the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Gospel

Luke 6:6-11

Is it against the law on the sabbath to save life?

On the sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees were watching him to see if he would cure a man on the sabbath, hoping to find something to use against him. But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Stand up! Come out into the middle.’ And he came out and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I put it to you: is it against the law on the sabbath to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy it?’ Then he looked round at them all and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He did so, and his hand was better. But they were furious, and began to discuss the best way of dealing with Jesus.

By His life, death and resurrection, Jesus has made us new creations in Him by our baptism. Are we then living our new lives fully in His love? Are we living it with such peace and joy in our hearts that His radiance shines through our faces. And all those who look upon us, want what we have and that is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ walking with us.

This can only come about if we are truly living in the light of His resurrection. Not looking back to past lives and holding on to past sins! For He had freed us and restored us, so that we can live holy lives in His name. We can bear our crosses joyfully as we follow after Him. We live our lives with integrity and in service of Him and brethren, as St Paul says in today’s first reading; People must think of us as Christ’s servants, stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God.

Into Your hands I commit my spirit Lord, this and every day. Amen

First reading

1 Corinthians 4:1-5 ·

The Lord alone is our judge

People must think of us as Christ’s servants, stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God. What is expected of stewards is that each one should be found worthy of his trust. Not that it makes the slightest difference to me whether you, or indeed any human tribunal, find me worthy or not. I will not even pass judgement on myself. True, my conscience does not reproach me at all, but that does not prove that I am acquitted: the Lord alone is my judge. There must be no passing of premature judgement. Leave that until the Lord comes; he will light up all that is hidden in the dark and reveal the secret intentions of men’s hearts. Then will be the time for each one to have whatever praise he deserves, from God.

Gospel

Luke 5:33-39

When the bridegroom is taken from them, then they will fast

The Pharisees and the scribes said to Jesus, ‘John’s disciples are always fasting and saying prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees too, but yours go on eating and drinking.’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely you cannot make the bridegroom’s attendants fast while the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come, the time for the bridegroom to be taken away from them; that will be the time when they will fast.’

    He also told them this parable, ‘No one tears a piece from a new cloak to put it on an old cloak; if he does, not only will he have torn the new one, but the piece taken from the new will not match the old.

    ‘And nobody puts new wine into old skins; if he does, the new wine will burst the skins and then run out, and the skins will be lost. No; new wine must be put into fresh skins. And nobody who has been drinking old wine wants new. “The old is good” he says.’

Who seeks to divide the church and separate us from one another? Who stands to gain when we fight and bicker over who is right and who is wrong? The answer is clear if and when this happens, we have lost sight and focus on Jesus our Lord and Saviour who died to unite the world on to Himself.

We have chosen to rely on our own wisdom instead of turning to the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us. We have forgotten how as unworthy as we were, He came and called us to follow Him! Weighed down by our sins He lifted us up with His great mercy and love. “Do not be afraid” He reminds us as He will be with us, when we go out to gather others who do not yet know Him and bring them to Him. So that they too can be set free to live fully in His love.

Instead of saying to You Lord, leave me I am a sinful man. I pray Lord, be with me always! I want more and more of You each and every day. Come Lord Jesus Come. Amen

First reading

1 Corinthians 3:18-23 ·

The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God

Make no mistake about it: if any one of you thinks of himself as wise, in the ordinary sense of the word, then he must learn to be a fool before he really can be wise. Why? Because the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As scripture says: The Lord knows wise men’s thoughts: he knows how useless they are; or again: God is not convinced by the arguments of the wise. So there is nothing to boast about in anything human: Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life and death, the present and the future, are all your servants; but you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.

Gospel

Luke 5:1-11

They left everything and followed him

Jesus was standing one day by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the crowd pressing round him listening to the word of God, when he caught sight of two boats close to the bank. The fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats – it was Simon’s – and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

    When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and pay out your nets for a catch.’ ‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will pay out the nets.’ And when they had done this they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear, so they signalled to their companions in the other boat to come and help them; when these came, they filled the two boats to sinking point.

    When Simon Peter saw this he fell at the knees of Jesus saying, ‘Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.’ For he and all his companions were completely overcome by the catch they had made; so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s partners. But Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on it is men you will catch.’ Then, bringing their boats back to land, they left everything and followed him.