Jesus is the Word of God made flesh, when He spoke, He did so with the authority over Heaven and earth. His powerful Word redeemed, healed, cast our demons, forgave, empowered and loved into existence.

If we follow after our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ then at all times, are our words for Him or against Him? Are our spoken words, life giving or life taking? Does our words spoken in His name heal, give hope, restore, empower or do they tear down, maim, hurt and so on?

Your word Lord is a lamp unto my feet and I will follow closely after You, to lead all who would follow into Your Kingdom. Amen

Saint Andrew pray for us…

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First reading

Romans 10:9-18 ·

Faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ

If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. When scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

    But they will not ask his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they have heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as scripture says: The footsteps of those who bring good news are a welcome sound. Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ. Let me put the question: is it possible that they did not hear? Indeed they did; in the words of the psalm, their voice has gone out through all the earth, and their message to the ends of the world.

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Gospel

Matthew 4:18-22

‘I will make you fishers of men’

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they left their nets at once and followed him. Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. At once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.

How wonderful and peaceful is the vision of the new Eden, where even the animals are at peace with one another.  Are we ready then for the paradise that awaits us?

Do we share in the intimate relationship Jesus has with God our Heavenly Father such that His peace and love already reigns in our hearts? Are we living a life in the Spirit where we know with His knowledge, wisdom and insight? We go about each day with the counsel and power of the Holy Spirit exercising each gift we have received, for the building up of His Church and His Kingdom.

If we are then the kingdom of God is upon us, through Jesus Christ our Lord and saviour; We are already living as God our Father’s children. We are children of light. Amen

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First reading

Isaiah 11:1-10 ·

A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse

A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse,

a scion thrusts from his roots:

on him the spirit of the Lord rests,

a spirit of wisdom and insight,

a spirit of counsel and power,

a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

(The fear of the Lord is his breath.)

He does not judge by appearances,

he gives no verdict on hearsay,

but judges the wretched with integrity,

and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land.

His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless,

his sentences bring death to the wicked.

Integrity is the loincloth round his waist,

faithfulness the belt about his hips.

The wolf lives with the lamb,

the panther lies down with the kid,

calf and lion feed together,

with a little boy to lead them.

The cow and the bear make friends,

their young lie down together.

The lion eats straw like the ox.

The infant plays over the cobra’s hole;

into the viper’s lair

the young child puts his hand.

They do no hurt, no harm,

on all my holy mountain,

for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters swell the sea.

That day, the root of Jesse

shall stand as a signal to the peoples.

It will be sought out by the nations

and its home will be glorious.

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Gospel

Luke 10:21-24

No-one knows who the Son is except the Father

Filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, Jesus said:

    ‘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 who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’

    Then turning to his disciples he spoke to them in private, ‘Happy the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’

Jesus Christ is the Lord Supreme and when we submit ourselves to come under His Authorithy then we rise beyond our human dignity. His grace is upon us to perform greater works than He, we can heal, cast our demons, prophesy and open the gates of Heaven that all may see His glory. We are His kingdom builders!

His truth prevails in us as we speak against the evil that says we are not holy, worthy, strong, good enough! We declare and live out our identity as children of God so loved by Him.  And all, believer and unbeliever alike will see His glory through us.

Let us journey this Advent with the light of Christ already shining brightly in us. Amen

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First reading

Isaiah 4:2-6 ·

The fruit of the earth shall be the pride and adornment of Israel’s survivors

That day, the branch of the Lord

shall be beauty and glory,

and the fruit of the earth

shall be the pride and adornment

of Israel’s survivors.

Those who are left of Zion

and remain of Jerusalem

shall be called holy

and those left in Jerusalem, noted down for survival.

When the Lord has washed away

the filth of the daughter of Zion

and cleansed Jerusalem of the blood shed in her

with the blast of judgement and the blast of destruction,

the Lord will come and rest

on the whole stretch of Mount Zion

and on those who are gathered there,

a cloud by day, and smoke,

and by night the brightness of a flaring fire.

For, over all, the glory of the Lord

will be a canopy and a tent

to give shade by day from the heat,

refuge and shelter from the storm and the rain.

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Gospel

Matthew 8:5-11

‘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.’

The final day of the liturgical year has come as we enter into a new year through Advent.  Is it simply for us that another year has gone and now it is time again to enter into a somewhat penitential mode in preparing our hearts for the coming of our Lord?

Or do we take this opportunity to reflect on how we have been living out our faith in our lives and are already ready, to greet Him when He comes. Desiring earnestly to grow day by day in our relationship with Him. Hungry and thirsty for His greater presence in our lives!

Lord Jesus if I must then let me be intoxicated only by Your love and presence in my life. Let me not care or worry for the ways of the world, but care only for Your flock whom You send my way. You are my rock, my stronghold my salvation! Let this Advent draw me ever closer to You. Amen

Blessed Virgin Mary pray for us…

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First reading

Apocalypse 22:1-7 ·

The Lord God will shine on them; it will never be night again

The angel showed me, John, the river of life, rising from the throne of God and of the Lamb and flowing crystal-clear down the middle of the city street. On either side of the river were the trees of life, which bear twelve crops of fruit in a year, one in each month, and the leaves of which are the cure for the pagans.

    The ban will be lifted. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in its place in the city; his servants will worship him, they will see him face to face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. It will never be night again and they will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will be shining on them. They will reign for ever and ever.

    The angel said to me, ‘All that you have written is sure and will come true: the Lord God who gives the spirit to the prophets has sent his angel to reveal to his servants what is soon to take place. Very soon now, I shall be with you again.’ Happy are those who treasure the prophetic message of this book.

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Gospel

Luke 21:34-36

That day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap

Jesus said to his disciples:

    ‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’

We children of light who live out lives in the power of the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; have hope because the Word of God is everlasting. We hold fast to that hope because come what may we will rise with Him who has conquered death.

Question for us really is are we truly living as children of light? How many have we brought into the light by our love put into action? Are we fully awake and alive in our faith that we stand ready to receive our Lord when He comes again?

Lord Jesus find us all dressed like a bride waiting for You. Amen

Saint Catherine of Alexandria pray for us..

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First reading

Apocalypse 20:1-4,11-21:2

The book of life was opened, and the dead were judged

I, John, saw an angel come down from heaven with the key of the Abyss in his hand and an enormous chain. He overpowered the dragon, that primeval serpent which is the devil and Satan, and chained him up for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and shut the entrance and sealed it over him, to make sure he would not deceive the nations again until the thousand years had passed. At the end of that time he must be released, but only for a short while.

    Then I saw some thrones, and I saw those who are given the power to be judges take their seats on them. I saw the souls of all who had been beheaded for having witnessed for Jesus and for having preached God’s word, and those who refused to worship the beast or his statue and would not have the brand-mark on their foreheads or hands; they came to life, and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Then I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. In his presence, earth and sky vanished, leaving no trace. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of his throne, while the book of life was opened, and other books opened which were the record of what they had done in their lives, by which the dead were judged.

    The sea gave up all the dead who were in it; Death and Hades were emptied of the dead that were in them; and every one was judged according to the way in which he had lived. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the burning lake. This burning lake is the second death; and anybody whose name could not be found written in the book of life was thrown into the burning lake.

    Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband.

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Gospel

Luke 21:29-33

My words will never pass away

Jesus told his disciples a parable: ‘Think of the fig tree and indeed every tree. As soon as you see them bud, you know that summer is now near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that the kingdom of God is near. I tell you solemnly, before this generation has passed away all will have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’

Where many of us live, we live safe and sound. And so it may be quite hard for us to imagine the dark days of debauchery, oppression, slavery and idolatry found in today’s readings. Still this rings true today in some nations where Christians are still very much persecuted.

The Lord our God is ever faithful and so we must remain faithful where we are at and at anytime of the day. For the victory has already been won for us by Christ our King who reigns the universe! But He must reign first in our hearts and minds; only then will we be able to stand ready when He comes again.

Happy are those who are invited to the wedding-feast of the Lamb. Amen

Saints Andrew Dũng-Lạc and his Companions pray for us…

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First reading

Apocalypse 18:1-2,21-23,19:1-3,9

Babylon the Great has fallen

I, John, saw an angel come down from heaven, with great authority given to him; the earth was lit up with his glory. At the top of his voice he shouted, ‘Babylon has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen, and has become the haunt of devils and a lodging for every foul spirit and dirty, loathsome bird.’ Then a powerful angel picked up a boulder like a great millstone, and as he hurled it into the sea, he said, ‘That is how the great city of Babylon is going to be hurled down, never to be seen again.

Never again in you, Babylon,

will be heard the song of harpists and minstrels,

the music of flute and trumpet;

never again will craftsmen of every skill be found

or the sound of the mill be heard;

never again will shine the light of the lamp,

never again will be heard

the voices of bridegroom and bride.

Your traders were the princes of the earth,

all the nations were under your spell.

After this I seemed to hear the great sound of a huge crowd in heaven, singing, ‘Alleluia! Victory and glory and power to our God! He judges fairly, he punishes justly, and he has condemned the famous prostitute who corrupted the earth with her fornication; he has avenged his servants that she killed.’ They sang again, ‘Alleluia! The smoke of her will go up for ever and ever.’ The angel said, ‘Write this: Happy are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb’, and he added, ‘All the things you have written are true messages from God.’

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Gospel

Luke 21:20-28

There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you must realise that she will soon be laid desolate. Then those in Judaea must escape to the mountains, those inside the city must leave it, and those in country districts must not take refuge in it. For this is the time of vengeance when all that scripture says must be fulfilled. Alas for those with child, or with babies at the breast, when those days come!

    ‘For great misery will descend on the land and wrath on this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive to every pagan country; and Jerusalem will be trampled down by the pagans until the age of the pagans is completely over.

    ‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.’

Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, says the Lord. Mt 28: 20

It is with this promise and hope that we carry in our hearts that we face unafraid the challenges of today and tomorrow! We have all fallen short at one time or another but let always turn to our Lord who is our strength and our rock. It is through Him alone that we are perfected. And so sisters and brothers, let us go forth this day with perseverance and endure all that comes our way. Let us be patient, merciful and kind and strive to show only the face of our Lord whom we carry with us.

Lord Jesus help us become worthy of your love, grant us unfailing obedience to your commands. Amen

Saint Clement I & Saint Columbanus pray for us…

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First reading

Apocalypse 15:1-4 ·

The victors sang the hymn of Moses and of the Lamb

What I, John, saw in heaven was a great and wonderful sign: seven angels were bringing the seven plagues that are the last of all, because they exhaust the anger of God. I seemed to see a glass lake suffused with fire, and standing by the lake of glass, those who had fought against the beast and won, and against his statue and the number which is his name. They all had harps from God, and they were singing the hymn of Moses, the servant of God, and of the Lamb:

‘How great and wonderful are all your works,

Lord God Almighty;

just and true are all your ways,

King of nations.

Who would not revere and praise your name, O Lord?

You alone are holy,

and all the pagans will come and adore you

for the many acts of justice you have shown.’

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Gospel

Luke 21:12-19

Your endurance will win you your lives

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors because of my name – and that will be your opportunity to bear witness. Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.’

As we approach Advent the readings point us once again to the end times, it is stark reminder also of our human frailty. The fact is that we will all have to die, question is whether we will rise again with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who conquered death for us. Have we been fruitful? Have we turned away from sin and are faithful to the Gospel as we were marked at the beginning of Lent?

Or we still drawn to the beauty of this passing world with all our desires, passion and indulgences! Thinking tomorrow will always come for us. We all need to awake from our slumber if we haven’t already and live as children of light here and now.

Come Holy Spirit take reign of my life and lead me. Amen

Saint Cecilia Pray for us… 

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First reading

Apocalypse 14:14-19 ·

The harvest and the vintage of the earth are ripe

In my vision I, John, saw a white cloud and, sitting on it, one like a son of man with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. Then another angel came out of the sanctuary, and shouted aloud to the one sitting on the cloud, ‘Put your sickle in and reap: harvest time has come and the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ Then the one sitting on the cloud set his sickle to work on the earth, and the earth’s harvest was reaped.

    Another angel, who also carried a sharp sickle, came out of the temple in heaven, and the angel in charge of the fire left the altar and shouted aloud to the one with the sharp sickle, ‘Put your sickle in and cut all the bunches off the vine of the earth; all its grapes are ripe.’ So the angel set his sickle to work on the earth and harvested the whole vintage of the earth and put it into a huge winepress, the winepress of God’s anger.

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Gospel

Luke 21:5-11

The destruction of the Temple foretold

When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, Jesus said, ‘All these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.’ And they put to him this question: ‘Master,’ they said ‘when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that this is about to take place?’

    ‘Take care not to be deceived,’ he said ‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not so soon.’ Then he said to them, ‘Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines here and there; there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.’

Are we living as the chosen ones of God our Heavenly Father, so loved by Him that He sanctified us by the blood of His only begotten Son. Always speaking the truth and giving our all for His namesake.

Just as Mary our Blessed mother did by offering her whole life up to God our Heavenly Father and how the widow in today’s Gospel did by not withholding even her livelihood and offering it up! For they knew in their hearts that He will provide for all they will ever need.

Let us therefore live out our identity as sons and daughters of God our Heavenly Father who have been redeemed to live life to the full by His Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. So that all may see we have Christ and His Father’s name written on foreheads, and that we carry His peace, love, mercy and joy with us. Giving our all for His glory. Amen

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First reading

Apocalypse 14:1-5 ·

The redeemed have Christ and his Father’s name written on their foreheads

In my vision I, John, saw Mount Zion, and standing on it a Lamb who had with him a hundred and forty-four thousand people, all with his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. I heard a sound coming out of the sky like the sound of the ocean or the roar of thunder; it seemed to be the sound of harpists playing their harps. There in front of the throne they were singing a new hymn in the presence of the four animals and the elders, a hymn that could only be learnt by the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the world; they follow the Lamb wherever he goes; they have been redeemed from amongst men to be the first-fruits for God and for the Lamb. They never allowed a lie to pass their lips and no fault can be found in them.

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Gospel

Luke 21:1-4

The widow’s mite

As Jesus looked up, he saw rich people putting their offerings into the treasury; then he happened to notice a poverty-stricken widow putting in two small coins, and he said, ‘I tell you truly, this poor widow has put in more than any of them; for these have all contributed money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in all she had to live on.’

Our transfiguration begins within us when we put our faith into action, for abundance of grace is poured forth into our being; more and more, as we give it away! The more we put love into action, pray for others, testify to the Lord, the stronger and bolder we become for Him. We will open the gates of Heaven for others to see His glory.

Otherwise talk after talk, formation, after formation, retreat after retreat, we will make no headway in our faith; Unless we step out of our comfort zone to love and serve. To form others as we have been formed by Him who so loves us.

What is it that we are afraid of that we do not prophesy? Do not love? Do not share the joy of the Gospel? Are we afraid of losing our lives? Our Lord has spoken to our hearts, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Matt 16:25 or again in Mark 8:35 “For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” So we can assured that if must lay down our lives for Him, we will be raised up by Him, resurrected to live in His glory. Amen

Mary Blessed Mother pray for us….

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First reading

Apocalypse 11:4-12 ·

The prophets will die who have been a plague to the world

I, John, heard a voice saying: ‘These, my two witnesses, are the two olive trees and the two lamps that stand before the Lord of the world. Fire can come from their mouths and consume their enemies if anyone tries to harm them; and if anybody does try to harm them he will certainly be killed in this way. They are able to lock up the sky so that it does not rain as long as they are prophesying; they are able to turn water into blood and strike the whole world with any plague as often as they like. When they have completed their witnessing, the beast that comes out of the Abyss is going to make war on them and overcome them and kill them. Their corpses will lie in the main street of the Great City known by the symbolic names Sodom and Egypt, in which their Lord was crucified. Men out of every people, race, language and nation will stare at their corpses, for three-and-a-half days, not letting them be buried, and the people of the world will be glad about it and celebrate the event by giving presents to each other, because these two prophets have been a plague to the people of the world.’

    After the three-and-a-half days, God breathed life into them and they stood up, and everybody who saw it happen was terrified; then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, ‘Come up here’, and while their enemies were watching, they went up to heaven in a cloud.

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Gospel

Luke 20:27-40

In God all men are alive

Some Sadducees – those who say that there is no resurrection – approached Jesus and they put this question to him, ‘Master, we have it from Moses in writing, that if a man’s married brother dies childless, the man must marry the widow to raise up children for his brother. Well then, there were seven brothers. The first, having married a wife, died childless. The second and then the third married the widow. And the same with all seven, they died leaving no children. Finally the woman herself died. Now, at the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife since she had been married to all seven?’

    Jesus replied, ‘The children of this world take wives and husbands, but those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world and in the resurrection from the dead do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels, and being children of the resurrection they are sons of God. And Moses himself implies that the dead rise again, in the passage about the bush where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all men are in fact alive.’

    Some scribes then spoke up. ‘Well put, Master’ they said – because they would not dare to ask him any more questions.

The Word of God is sweet to taste but the message sometimes is meant for correction, to right a wrong. In today’s Gospel we see Jesus driving out those who were selling, for it was a house of prayer and was turned into a robbers’ den. We can easily think that it does not apply to us in this day and age, for we do not ever sell anything in our Church.

So then is it ok to talk and laugh in the church hall, when folks are praying and preparing themselves for mass? Is it okay to look to play games on our mobiles or check our social media messages during the service? Are our minds and hearts far from listening attentively to the word of God in the liturgy? Do we allow our children to talk and play during mass? Do we walk out immediately after receiving communion? Have we ourselves not turned our church into a robbers’ den then? When we do as we please, stealing our brethren’s peace and quiet time with the Lord our God.

Lord Jesus grant me the strength and grace to always speak and live Your truth. To prophesy boldly as I am called to by You. Amen

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First reading

Apocalypse 10:8-11 ·

I was told to swallow the scroll, and to prophesy

I, John, heard the voice I had heard from heaven speaking to me again. ‘Go,’ it said ‘and take that open scroll out of the hand of the angel standing on sea and land.’ I went to the angel and asked him to give me the small scroll, and he said, ‘Take it and eat it; it will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.’ So I took it out of the angel’s hand, and swallowed it; it was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, ‘You are to prophesy again, this time about many different nations and countries and languages and emperors.’

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Gospel

Luke 19:45-48

You have turned God’s house into a robbers’ den

Jesus went into the Temple and began driving out those who were selling. ‘According to scripture,’ he said ‘my house will be a house of prayer. But you have turned it into a robbers’ den.’

    He taught in the Temple every day. The chief priests and the scribes, with the support of the leading citizens, tried to do away with him, but they did not see how they could carry this out because the people as a whole hung on his words.

Worthy of all praise and Glory is the loving lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world so that we may live free in His love. All powerful and wise is the Lord our God, He is our strength our rock! By His precious Blood poured out for us, we are baptised to new life in Him, to be His priests, prophets and kings for the world.

Do we still not recognise and seize this opportunity offered by the Lord our God? To be His light bearers! To bring His peace, love, mercy and comfort to the poor, widow, orphan, prisoner and to all nations!

Lord Jesus send me! Amen

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary pray for us…

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First reading

Apocalypse 5:1-10 ·

The blood of the Lamb bought men for God

I, John, saw that in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne there was a scroll that had writing on back and front and was sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a powerful angel who called with a loud voice, ‘Is there anyone worthy to open the scroll and break the seals of it?’ But there was no one, in heaven or on the earth or under the earth, who was able to open the scroll and read it. I wept bitterly because there was nobody fit to open the scroll and read it, but one of the elders said to me, ‘There is no need to cry: the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed, and he will open the scroll and the seven seals of it.’

    Then I saw, standing between the throne with its four animals and the circle of the elders, a Lamb that seemed to have been sacrificed; it had seven horns, and it had seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits God has sent out all over the world. The Lamb came forward to take the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting on the throne, and when he took it, the four animals prostrated themselves before him and with them the twenty-four elders; each one of them was holding a harp and had a golden bowl full of incense made of the prayers of the saints. They sang a new hymn:

‘You are worthy to take the scroll

and break the seals of it,

because you were sacrificed, and with your blood

you bought men for God

of every race, language, people and nation

and made them a line of kings and priests,

to serve our God and to rule the world.’

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Gospel

Luke 19:41-44

Jesus sheds tears over the coming fate of Jerusalem

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem and came in sight of the city he shed tears over it and said, ‘If you in your turn had only understood on this day the message of peace! But, alas, it is hidden from your eyes! Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will encircle you and hem you in on every side; they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you – and all because you did not recognise your opportunity when God offered it!’

We have one God creator of Heaven and earth and we, are His children through baptism having been inserted into the life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  And so, we worship and praise Him for He is worthy of all praise. He is our Lord of lords, King of kings!

If we accept Him as our King, then it is only just that we offer Him our all! For He has endowed and empowered us to go out to build up His Kingdom. We have all that we need! Where is our zeal? Have we united our wills with the Lord our God? Are we living in the Spirit as we should to go out and make disciples of all nations.

For if we are then we can be assured that we will all be reunited in Heaven singing His praises as One Body in Him. Amen Alleluia

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First reading

Apocalypse 4:1-11

He was, he is, and he is to come

In my vision, I, John, saw a door open in heaven and heard the same voice speaking to me, the voice like a trumpet, saying, ‘Come up here: I will show you what is to come in the future.’ With that, the Spirit possessed me and I saw a throne standing in heaven, and the One who was sitting on the throne, and the Person sitting there looked like a diamond and a ruby. There was a rainbow encircling the throne, and this looked like an emerald. Round the throne in a circle were twenty-four thrones, and on them I saw twenty-four elders sitting, dressed in white robes with golden crowns on their heads. Flashes of lightning were coming from the throne, and the sound of peals of thunder, and in front of the throne there were seven flaming lamps burning, the seven Spirits of God. Between the throne and myself was a sea that seemed to be made of glass, like crystal. In the centre, grouped round the throne itself, were four animals with many eyes, in front and behind. The first animal was like a lion, the second like a bull, the third animal had a human face, and the fourth animal was like a flying eagle. Each of the four animals had six wings and had eyes all the way round as well as inside; and day and night they never stopped singing:

‘Holy, Holy, Holy

is the Lord God, the Almighty;

he was, he is and he is to come.’

Every time the animals glorified and honoured and gave thanks to the One sitting on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders prostrated themselves before him to worship the One who lives for ever and ever, and threw down their crowns in front of the throne, saying, ‘You are our Lord and our God, you are worthy of glory and honour and power, because you made all the universe and it was only by your will that everything was made and exists.’

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Gospel

Luke 19:11-28

The parable of the talents

While the people were listening, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they imagined that the kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there. Accordingly he said, ‘A man of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed king and afterwards return. He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds. “Do business with these” he told them “until I get back.” But his compatriots detested him and sent a delegation to follow him with this message, “We do not want this man to be our king.”

    ‘Now on his return, having received his appointment as king, he sent for those servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made. The first came in and said, “Sir, your one pound has brought in ten.” “Well done, my good servant!” he replied “Since you have proved yourself faithful in a very small thing, you shall have the government of ten cities.” Then came the second and said, “Sir, your one pound has made five.” To this one also he said, “And you shall be in charge of five cities.” Next came the other and said, “Sir, here is your pound. I put it away safely in a piece of linen because I was afraid of you; for you are an exacting man: you pick up what you have not put down and reap what you have not sown.” “You wicked servant!” he said “Out of your own mouth I condemn you. So you knew I was an exacting man, picking up what I have not put down and reaping what I have not sown? Then why did you not put my money in the bank? On my return I could have drawn it out with interest.” And he said to those standing by, “Take the pound from him and give it to the man who has ten pounds.” And they said to him, “But, sir, he has ten pounds…”. “I tell you, to everyone who has will be given more; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

    ‘“But as for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence.”’

    When he had said this he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

Let us stand firm in our faith of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Let turn our backs to sin and repent for all what we have done and what we have failed to do! Let us apologize with heartfelt sorry for the times we have wronged and hurt others. Ask their forgiveness and pray for our Lord’s peace, mercy and love to cover us all.

His healing grace will be upon us and He will set our hearts on fire for love of Him and neighbour.

In humility let us climb the ‘sycamore’ tree to reach high heaven, for then we shall hear our Lord’s call to say, He will dine with us as we with Him. Amen

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First reading

Apocalypse 3:1-6,14-22 ·

If one of you hears me calling, I will come in to share his meal

I, John, heard the Lord saying to me: ‘Write to the angel of the church in Sardis and say, “Here is the message of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know all about you: how you are reputed to be alive and yet are dead. Wake up; revive what little you have left: it is dying fast. So far I have failed to notice anything in the way you live that my God could possibly call perfect, and yet do you remember how eager you were when you first heard the message? Hold on to that. Repent. If you do not wake up, I shall come to you like a thief, without telling you at what hour to expect me. There are a few in Sardis, it is true, who have kept their robes from being dirtied, and they are fit to come with me, dressed in white. Those who prove victorious will be dressed, like these, in white robes; I shall not blot their names out of the book of life, but acknowledge their names in the presence of my Father and his angels. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

    ‘Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea and say, “Here is the message of the Amen, the faithful, the true witness, the ultimate source of God’s creation: I know all about you: how you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were one or the other, but since you are neither, but only lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth. You say to yourself, ‘I am rich, I have made a fortune, and have everything I want’, never realising that you are wretchedly and pitiably poor, and blind and naked too. I warn you, buy from me the gold that has been tested in the fire to make you really rich, and white robes to clothe you and cover your shameful nakedness, and eye ointment to put on your eyes so that you are able to see. I am the one who reproves and disciplines all those he loves: so repent in real earnest. Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in to share his meal, side by side with him. Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne, just as I was victorious myself and took my place with my Father on his throne. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”’

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Gospel

Luke 19:1-10

Salvation comes to the house of Zacchaeus

Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance: he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’ And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully. They all complained when they saw what was happening. ‘He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house’ they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, ‘Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.’

Just two more weeks to Advent and so the question for us to dwell on this very day is are we still living in darkness? Are our minds still clouded with the ways of the world? Or are we living in the light of our resurrected Lord who has opened our blind eyes to see His glory!

Are we then praising the Lord with all our hearts, minds, strength and soul? Such that our praises draws others to hear our testimony. Then they too after hearing the joy of the Gospel in our lives, joins us in our praise and worship of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! For they too have encountered Him through us.

Lord Jesus sweetheart of ours, we pray that as we lead our sisters and brothers to You; open their eyes to see and know You. Amen

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First reading

Apocalypse 1:1-4,2:1-5

Think what you were before you fell, and repent

This is the revelation given by God to Jesus Christ so that he could tell his servants about the things which are now to take place very soon; he sent his angel to make it known to his servant John, and John has written down everything he saw and swears it is the word of God guaranteed by Jesus Christ. Happy the man who reads this prophecy, and happy those who listen to him, if they treasure all that it says, because the Time is close.

    From John, to the seven churches of Asia: grace and peace to you from him who is, who was, and who is to come, from the seven spirits in his presence before his throne.

    I heard the Lord saying to me: ‘Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus and say, “Here is the message of the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who lives surrounded by the seven golden lamp-stands: I know all about you: how hard you work and how much you put up with. I know you cannot stand wicked men, and how you tested the impostors who called themselves apostles and proved they were liars. Know, too, that you have patience, and have suffered for my name without growing tired. Nevertheless, I have this complaint to make; you have less love now than you used to. Think where you were before you fell; repent, and do as you used to at first.”’

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Gospel

Luke 18:35-43

‘Son of David, have pity on me’

As Jesus drew near to Jericho there was a blind man sitting at the side of the road begging. When he heard the crowd going past he asked what it was all about, and they told him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by. So he called out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.’ The people in front scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he shouted all the louder, ‘Son of David, have pity on me.’ Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him, and when he came up, asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Sir,’ he replied ‘let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.’ And instantly his sight returned and he followed him praising God, and all the people who saw it gave praise to God for what had happened.

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matt 25:40

We are all missionaries by our call to follow Christ, and so how we would like to be received should be the way we receive our fellow sisters and brothers in Christ on their journey share the joy of the Gospel by their lives.

And our prayers to God our Heavenly Father for ourselves and others should reflect our deep loving relationship with Him. We pray we all our might, persistent and unfailing because we know He will answer. For He is loving, merciful, loving and righteous!

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast

    and have no compassion on the child she has borne?

Though she may forget,

    I will not forget you! Isa 49:15

Thank You Papa for loving us the way that You do. Amen

Saint Josaphat…pray for us…

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First reading

3 John 5-8 ·

It is our duty to welcome missionaries and contribute our share to their work

My friend, you have done faithful work in looking after these brothers, even though they were complete strangers to you. They are a proof to the whole Church of your charity and it would be a very good thing if you could help them on their journey in a way that God would approve. It was entirely for the sake of the name that they set out, without depending on the pagans for anything; it is our duty to welcome men of this sort and contribute our share to their work for the truth.

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Gospel

Luke 18:1-8

The parable of the unjust judge

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. ‘There was a judge in a certain town’ he said ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, “I want justice from you against my enemy!” For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, “Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.”’

    And the Lord said ‘You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’

We never really embrace the fact that our days are numbered. We always think that tomorrow will come for us and so we very often put off what we must do today and that is to love!

Never mind that we have started losing our hair, our hair line recedes, body sags, wrinkles appear, and muscle tone is diminishing, do we really want to go on living empty lives without Christ?

If we have stayed awake as we are called to do, then we have absolutely nothing to fear! For we will already been living fully in our Lord’s love. Loving our neighbour as ourselves and living the beatitudes. No longer slaves to fear, for we live as children of God so loved by Him.

If however, you have not yet made the decision to follow Jesus, then I urge you to do so as Advent is drawing near. Take this opportunity to be wowed by Him! To be transfigured so as to lead new lives in Him and to live in His light. Amen

Saint Martin of Tours pray for us…

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First reading

2 John 4-9 ·

The commandment which you have heard since the beginning is to live a life of love

It has given me great joy to find that your children have been living the life of truth as we were commanded by the Father. I am writing now, dear lady, not to give you any new commandment, but the one which we were given at the beginning, and to plead: let us love one another.

    To love is to live according to his commandments: this is the commandment which you have heard since the beginning, to live a life of love.

    There are many deceivers about in the world, refusing to admit that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. They are the Deceiver; they are the Antichrist. Watch yourselves, or all our work will be lost and not get the reward it deserves. If anybody does not keep within the teaching of Christ but goes beyond it, he cannot have God with him: only those who keep to what he taught can have the Father and the Son with them.

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Gospel

Luke 17:26-37

When the day comes for the Son of Man to be revealed

Jesus said to the disciples:

    ‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating and drinking, marrying wives and husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. It will be the same as it was in Lot’s day: people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but the day Lot left Sodom, God rained fire and brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all. It will be the same when the day comes for the Son of Man to be revealed.

    ‘When that day comes, anyone on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must not come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back either. Remember Lot’s wife. Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it; and anyone who loses it will keep it safe. I tell you, on that night two will be in one bed: one will be taken, the other left; two women will be grinding corn together: one will be taken, the other left.’ The disciples interrupted. ‘Where, Lord?’ they asked. He said, ‘Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.’

If we already knew that God our Father’s Kingdom is at hand, will we still act as we do? Or fail to do what we are called to? See the reality is that as children of God our Father we are already living in His domain. (King’s domain aka Kingdom) Can we then pray ‘Your Kingdom come; Your Will be done’ without conviction?

The victory over sin and death has already been won for us by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, He who is King over Heaven and earth has given us freedom to live fully in His love. How then are we exercising this freedom? Do we deprive others of this very freedom won for them by our incessant need for control? ‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’ And ‘lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil’ Amen

Saint Leo the Great…pray for us…

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First reading

Philemon 7-20 ·

He is a slave no longer, but a dear brother in the Lord

I am so delighted, and comforted, to know of your love; they tell me, brother, how you have put new heart into the saints.

    Now, although in Christ I can have no diffidence about telling you to do whatever is your duty, I am appealing to your love instead, reminding you that this is Paul writing, an old man now and, what is more, still a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for a child of mine, whose father I became while wearing these chains: I mean Onesimus. He was of no use to you before, but he will be useful to you now, as he has been to me. I am sending him back to you, and with him – I could say – a part of my own self. I should have liked to keep him with me; he could have been a substitute for you, to help me while I am in the chains that the Good News has brought me. However, I did not want to do anything without your consent; it would have been forcing your act of kindness, which should be spontaneous. I know you have been deprived of Onesimus for a time, but it was only so that you could have him back for ever, not as a slave any more, but something much better than a slave, a dear brother; especially dear to me, but how much more to you, as a blood-brother as well as a brother in the Lord. So if all that we have in common means anything to you, welcome him as you would me; but if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, then let me pay for it. I am writing this in my own handwriting: I, Paul, shall pay it back – I will not add any mention of your own debt to me, which is yourself. Well then, brother, I am counting on you, in the Lord; put new heart into me, in Christ.

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Gospel

Luke 17:20-25

The kingdom of God is among you

Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was to come, Jesus gave them this answer, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit of observation and there will be no one to say, “Look here! Look there!” For, you must know, the kingdom of God is among you.’

    He said to the disciples, ‘A time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man and will not see it. They will say to you, “Look there!” or, “Look here!” Make no move; do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightning flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of Man when his day comes. But first he must suffer grievously and be rejected by this generation.’

We are the living stones, the foundation of which living waters flows. Life teems and grows exponentially as healing grace is poured out. The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. For we are Church!

So then sisters and brothers let us dwell on what you and I are doing individually and collectively to build up and strengthen our Church, thereby building the Lord’s Kingdom. How are we giving witness before the world, to witness mother church’s holiness, her loving care, warmth, discipline and fidelity to her wedded spouse Christ Jesus our Lord! How are we sharing the joy of the Gospel in love, through love and by our love? How are we leading the world on the path of salvation?

Jesus my Lord, my God, You are our sanctuary, our salvation. May all come to know that You are their sanctuary their salvation through us Your Church. Amen

First reading

Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12 ·

Wherever the water flows, it will bring life and health

The angel brought me to the entrance of the Temple, where a stream came out from under the Temple threshold and flowed eastwards, since the Temple faced east. The water flowed from under the right side of the Temple, south of the altar. He took me out by the north gate and led me right round outside as far as the outer east gate where the water flowed out on the right-hand side. He said, ‘This water flows east down to the Arabah and to the sea; and flowing into the sea it makes its waters wholesome. Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows. Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.’

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Gospel

John 2:13-22

Destroy this sanctuary and in three days I will raise it up

Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.

It is our duty as servants of the Lord to be His light in the world. And we can only do so by our lived example as His disciples. That is to reflect the ‘Light of The Nations’ (Lumen Gentium) Christ Jesus our Lord in all that we say, do, behave and love!

Yes, St Paul starts with the older men and women as living as examples for the younger ones to follow that is to give up everything that does not lead to God, all worldly ambitions; that we must all be self-restrained living good religious lives in the world.

While we all wear different hats and different times of the day, we must always wear the crown of Christ upon on our heads. For we were redeemed, sanctified and made Holy to be His priest, prophet and King in the world. So that we will lead one another into His Kingdom.

Lord Jesus Bless me, for while I am only doing my duty as I am called to. You call me friend! So, I know what is in Your heart for me. Thank You Jesus! Amen

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First reading

Titus 2:1-8,11-14 ·

You must preach the behaviour which goes with healthy doctrine

It is for you to preach the behaviour which goes with healthy doctrine. The older men should be reserved, dignified, moderate, sound in faith and love and constancy. Similarly, the older women should behave as though they were religious, with no scandal-mongering and no habitual wine-drinking – they are to be the teachers of the right behaviour and show the younger women how they should love their husbands and love their children, how they are to be sensible and chaste, and how to work in their homes, and be gentle, and do as their husbands tell them, so that the message of God is never disgraced. In the same way, you have got to persuade the younger men to be moderate and in everything you do make yourself an example to them of working for good: when you are teaching, be an example to them in your sincerity and earnestness and in keeping all that you say so wholesome that nobody can make objections to it; and then any opponent will be at a loss, with no accusation to make against us. You see, God’s grace has been revealed, and it has made salvation possible for the whole human race and taught us that what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God, and all our worldly ambitions; we must be self-restrained and live good and religious lives here in this present world, while we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the Appearing of the glory of our great God and saviour Christ Jesus. He sacrificed himself for us in order to set us free from all wickedness and to purify a people so that it could be his very own and would have no ambition except to do good.

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Gospel

Luke 17:7-10

You are merely servants

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’

In today’s we find St Paul’s invaluable lesson on appointing leaders. But how many of our leaders in our Church today are irreproachable? Are they all clear of providing obstacles which lead for example the youth away from the church? Especially by their tyrannical temperament? How perhaps the way they poorly manage their office at work are brought into the church environment! How many bring their very own unforgiveness to the altar!

How many leaders are devout such that at every meeting the Lord is first in their hearts and in their minds? Worshipping, praising and sharing His word, joy and mercy with one another before any agenda is even discussed? Inviting always the Holy Spirit to lead the meeting instead of by their own strength and performance mentality?

We, disciples of the Lord are meant to move mountains by our faith! Instead of asking our Lord to increase it, we should be putting what little we have to action so as to build on it.

Come Holy Spirit, come and remain in me as I remain in You. Amen

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First reading

Titus 1:1-9 ·

Appoint elders of irreproachable character

From Paul, servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ to bring those whom God has chosen to faith and to the knowledge of the truth that leads to true religion; and to give them the hope of the eternal life that was promised so long ago by God. He does not lie and so, at the appointed time, he revealed his decision, and, by the command of God our saviour, I have been commissioned to proclaim it. To Titus, true child of mine in the faith that we share, wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our saviour.

    The reason I left you behind in Crete was for you to get everything organised there and appoint elders in every town, in the way that I told you: that is, each of them must be a man of irreproachable character; he must not have been married more than once, and his children must be believers and not uncontrollable or liable to be charged with disorderly conduct. Since, as president, he will be God’s representative, he must be irreproachable: never an arrogant or hot-tempered man, nor a heavy drinker or violent, nor out to make money; but a man who is hospitable and a friend of all that is good; sensible, moral, devout and self-controlled; and he must have a firm grasp of the unchanging message of the tradition, so that he can be counted on for both expounding the sound doctrine and refuting those who argue against it.

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Gospel

Luke 17:1-6

If your brother does wrong, reprove him

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Obstacles are sure to come, but alas for the one who provides them! It would be better for him to be thrown into the Sea with a millstone put round his neck than that he should lead astray a single one of these little ones. Watch yourselves!

    If your brother does something wrong, reprove him and, if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, “I am sorry,” you must forgive him.’

    The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’

We all need money to survive in this world and in itself money is neither good nor evil. It is how we attain it, how we use it and to our end that we may be judged.

A long time ago I made a decision that I would work hard to make a living to provide enough for my family. But will not chase after riches, fame or fortune! Not for lack of ambition but rather I desired to serve the Lord in whatever time I had to do so. He gave me many opportunites to bring His peace, love and joy into the homes and hearts of His flock over the years. Whether it was giving formation talks, home bound communion or home visit programs. I received freely from Him and so gave freely. The fraternal bonds that grew through ministering in His love are the most precious to me. I remember fondly on one occasion as I finished the last session of a Holy Communion program, the group gifted me with a messenger bag. They had noticed the one I had been carrying was a little worn out. I was deeply touched by their love and kindness. In another a family I was received as a son to a mother and a little later God-Father to her daughter. Many of us share a deep heartfelt appreciation of what it means to live as sisters and brothers, God our Father’s children through Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Truly it is Jesus our Lord who gathers us all and makes us One in Him!

As I look back to see the glory of God in my life, I move forward to glorify Him with renewed vigour for truly there is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength! Amen Alleluia!

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First reading

Philippians 4:10-19 ·

With the help of the One who gives me strength, there is nothing I cannot master

It is a great joy to me, in the Lord, that at last you have shown some concern for me again; though of course you were concerned before, and only lacked an opportunity. I am not talking about shortage of money: I have learnt to manage on whatever I have, I know how to be poor and I know how to be rich too. I have been through my initiation and now I am ready for anything anywhere: full stomach or empty stomach, poverty or plenty. There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength. All the same, it was good of you to share with me in my hardships. In the early days of the Good News, as you people of Philippi well know, when I left Macedonia, no other church helped me with gifts of money. You were the only ones; and twice since my stay in Thessalonika you have sent me what I needed. It is not your gift that I value; what is valuable to me is the interest that is mounting up in your account. Now for the time being I have everything that I need and more: I am fully provided now that I have received from Epaphroditus the offering that you sent, a sweet fragrance – the sacrifice that God accepts and finds pleasing. In return my God will fulfil all your needs, in Christ Jesus, as lavishly as only God can.

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Gospel

Luke 16:9-15

Use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?

    ‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’

    The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’

“They make foods into their god and they are proudest of something they ought to think shameful; the things they think important are earthly things.”

Stark warning from St Paul on how we can become enemies of the cross of Christ!

We need to account for how we are living each day in the light of the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And we must correct the errors of our ways, behaviours, speech and so on. That is why an examination of conscience each day is a must if we want to grow in faithfulness, holiness and to deepen our relationship with Jesus our Lord. For we know we can always turn to Him to transfigure us, so as to live more fully in His love.

Lord You are faithful. You will establish me and guard me against the evil one. Amen (2 Tess 3:3)

Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop pray for us…

First reading

Philippians 3:17-4:1 ·

Our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes Christ to transfigure us

My brothers, be united in following my rule of life. Take as your models everybody who is already doing this and study them as you used to study us. I have told you often, and I repeat it today with tears, there are many who are behaving as the enemies of the cross of Christ. They are destined to be lost. They make foods into their god and they are proudest of something they ought to think shameful; the things they think important are earthly things. For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe.

    So then, my brothers and dear friends, do not give way but remain faithful in the Lord. I miss you very much, dear friends; you are my joy and my crown.

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Gospel

Luke 16:1-8

The master praised the dishonest servant

Jesus said to his disciples:

    ‘There was a rich man and he had a steward denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.” Then the steward said to himself, “Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.”

    Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” “One hundred measures of oil” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down straight away and write fifty.” To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?” “One hundred measures of wheat” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty.”

    ‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.’

All our qualifications, status in life means nothing if we do not know Christ Jesus and are living a life in the Spirit! More so if we are not helping our fellow sisters and brothers on their journey back to God our Heavenly Father.

I used to think that I when I pass from this life into new life with my Lord, how nice it would be to be remembered by many, like one of the saints who devoted their life to Christ and how many they have touched. But now as I dwell more deeply, I would rather be remembered only by the many lost souls I have led back to Christ and how through their own encounter with Jesus have led others to the same. Then when it is time, we can all stand hand in hand singing the Lord our God’s praises in Heaven. Amen

Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice! Alleluia!

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First reading

Philippians 3:3-8 ·

I was faultless according to the Law; but without knowing Christ I was nothing

We are the real people of the circumcision, we who worship in accordance with the Spirit of God; we have our own glory from Christ Jesus without having to rely on a physical operation. If it came to relying on physical evidence, I should be fully qualified myself. Take any man who thinks he can rely on what is physical: I am even better qualified. I was born of the race of Israel and of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrew parents, and I was circumcised when I was eight days old. As for the Law, I was a Pharisee; as for working for religion, I was a persecutor of the Church; as far as the Law can make you perfect, I was faultless. But because of Christ, I have come to consider all these advantages that I had as disadvantages. Not only that, but I believe nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

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Gospel

Luke 15:1-10

There will be rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner

The tax collectors and the sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what he had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained. ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So he spoke this parable to them:

    ‘What man among you with a hundred sheep, losing one, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the missing one till he found it? And when he found it, would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders and then, when he got home, call together his friends and neighbours? “Rejoice with me,” he would say “I have found my sheep that was lost.” In the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine virtuous men who have no need of repentance.

    ‘Or again, what woman with ten drachmas would not, if she lost one, light a lamp and sweep out the house and search thoroughly till she found it? And then, when she had found it, call together her friends and neighbours? “Rejoice with me,” she would say “I have found the drachma I lost.” In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.’

While we hope and pray that our departed fellow sisters and brothers are already with Jesus in His Heavenly Kingdom; we also know that some might have need of purging, perhaps of unconfessed sins and impurities of soul.

That aside we remember them for the joys they brought in our lives, while no longer within reach for a warm hug we have confidence that they are in our Lord’s loving embrace. And so we set aside this day to pray for all our dearly departed, that through our merciful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are fully united with God our Heavenly Father forever.

Listen kindly to our prayers, O Lord, and, as our faith in your Son, raised from the dead, is deepened, so may our hope of resurrection for your departed servants

also find new strength. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, (one) God, for ever and ever. Amen

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First reading

Wisdom 3:1-9 ·

The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God

The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God,

no torment shall ever touch them.

In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die,

their going looked like a disaster,

their leaving us, like annihilation;

but they are in peace.

If they experienced punishment as men see it,

their hope was rich with immortality;

slight was their affliction, great will their blessings be.

God has put them to the test

and proved them worthy to be with him;

he has tested them like gold in a furnace,

and accepted them as a holocaust.

When the time comes for his visitation they will shine out;

as sparks run through the stubble, so will they.

They shall judge nations, rule over peoples,

and the Lord will be their king for ever.

They who trust in him will understand the truth,

those who are faithful will live with him in love;

for grace and mercy await those he has chosen.

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Second reading

Romans 5:5-11 ·

Now we have been reconciled by the death of his Son, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son

Hope is not deceptive, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us. We were still helpless when at his appointed moment Christ died for sinful men. It is not easy to die even for a good man – though of course for someone really worthy, a man might be prepared to die – but what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would now fail to save us from God’s anger? When we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son? Not merely because we have been reconciled but because we are filled with joyful trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.

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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.

Sexual immorality, materialism, consumerism these are just some of the more prevalent challenges we face to overcome in the world. Yet many do not even realise they have fallen prey to these, for their standards are that of the world!

Buy! Buy! Buy! Black day Sales! Exclusive limited time period sales! Or Limited TV series ‘See how she gives in to her darkest desires’ ‘He aims to please all women will he find love?’

Who shall then stand in His Holy place?

Men and Women with clean hands and pure heart, who desires not worthless things.

Today we celebrate our sisters and brothers in Christ who have chosen Jesus above all in their lives. They had all sacrificed for love of Him and of brethren; and were truly Blessed as they in turn shared their Blessings with others. They give us hope of how we too can live new lives with and in Him, our Resurrected Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Till we are reunited in Heaven, all you Saints pray for us…

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First reading

Apocalypse 7:2-4,9-14 ·

I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language

I, John, saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.

    After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’

    One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord.’ Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.’

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Second reading

1 John 3:1-3 ·

We shall be like God because we shall see him as he really is

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,

    by letting us be called God’s children;

    and that is what we are.

Because the world refused to acknowledge him,

    therefore it does not acknowledge us.

My dear people, we are already the children of God

    but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;

all we know is, that when it is revealed

    we shall be like him

    because we shall see him as he really is.

Surely everyone who entertains this hope

    must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.

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Gospel

Matthew 5:1-12a

How happy are the poor in spirit

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit;

    theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy the gentle:

    they shall have the earth for their heritage.

Happy those who mourn:

    they shall be comforted.

Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:

    they shall be satisfied.

Happy the merciful:

    they shall have mercy shown them.

Happy the pure in heart:

    they shall see God.

Happy the peacemakers:

    they shall be called sons of God.

Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:

    theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’