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

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

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

Amen.

Saint Mary Magdalen – pray for us…


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

The bride says this:

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


________

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

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

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

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

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


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


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

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


________

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

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

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

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

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

________

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


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

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



________

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

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

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

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

We have the bread of life, Jesus in the Eucharist who sustains us, body, mind, spirit and divinity. He gives of Himself to us so that we may Him and brethren our living sacrifice for His glory. Amen
________

First reading
Isaiah 38:1-6,21-22,7-8
The Lord hears Hezekiah’s prayer and heals him

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

________

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

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

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

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

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

Saint Bonaventure, Bishop, Doctor pray for us…


________

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

The Lord of hosts says this:

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

For he has said:

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

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


________

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saint Camillus of Lellis, Priest pray for us…


________

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

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

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


________

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saint Henry pray for us…


________

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


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

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

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


________

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

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

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

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

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

Saint Benedict, Abbot pray for us…

________

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:

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

I answered, ‘Here I am, send me.’



________

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

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

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

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

________

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

The Lord says this:

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

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

________

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

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

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

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

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

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


________

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

Thus says the Lord:

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

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



________

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

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

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

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

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

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

________

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

Thus says the Lord:

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

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



________

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

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

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

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

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

Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin, Martyr pray for us…


________

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

It is the Lord who speaks:

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

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


________

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

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

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

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

Saint Elizabeth of Portugal pray for us…

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

It is the Lord who speaks:

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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


Saint Thomas, Apostle – pray for us…


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

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



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

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

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

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

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

Glory to You O Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.


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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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



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Gospel
Matthew 8:28-34
The Gadarene swine

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