CatholicJules.net

The Word of God is alive and active but most of all life giving. The Will of our Heavenly Father is given through His Word and it is always done, whether or not our human minds can comprehend how, when and why? We are nourished and strengthened by His Word made flesh, our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Through Him we build the kingdom of God.

In Holy Communion when we unite ourselves body, mind, heart and spirit with the Lord our God, we unite ourselves to His Holy Will. Let us then be ever mindful and prudent in our words and deeds, for we are called to reflect the likeness and image of our loving Father who art in Heaven.

We cannot say we are one with Him in any sense if there is unforguveness in our hearts. Many do not see the sinful nature of unforgiveness! For it is a human act of will Not to forgive. For our Lord Jesus Christ forgave us from the cross in which He hung for and by our sins. Will He not give us the grace to forgive those who hurt us badly when we turn to Him? For in forgiveness, therein lies the mercy and love of God. Amen

First reading

Isaiah 55:10-11 †
The word that goes out from my mouth does not return to me empty

Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’

Gospel

Matthew 6:7-15
How to pray

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

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

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

We all want to be treated fairly. Many who are quite vocal will cry out for justice when they their rights have been trampled upon. Many will pursue the matter many years if required until justice is served. But who cries out for the poor? The physically challenged? The outcasts, the young children, the old and the sick? The baby child of God about to be aborted? How many will put their lips and heart into action to stand up for these?

It is only through the love of Christ Jesus our Lord, that our eyes and heart will be opened to recognise our sisters and brothers. Fellow children of God our Father. And when we decide to follow Jesus fully as we are called to, we will begin the journey of uniting our sufferings to His on the cross. While not everyone will be called to do so, we are prepared nonetheless to lay down our life for the least of our brethren. This is a grace bestowed upon us by God our Father. For we know with conviction that we will all be reunited in Heaven. Amen

First reading

Leviticus 19:1-2,11-18 †
Only pass judgement on your neighbour according to justice

The Lord spoke to Moses. He said: ‘Speak to the whole community of the sons of Israel and say to them:
‘“Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.
‘“You must not steal nor deal deceitfully or fraudulently with your neighbour. You must not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God. I am the Lord. You must not exploit or rob your neighbour. You must not keep back the labourer’s wage until next morning. You must not curse the dumb, nor put an obstacle in the blind man’s way, but you must fear your God. I am the Lord.
‘“You must not be guilty of unjust verdicts. You must neither be partial to the little man nor overawed by the great; you must pass judgement on your neighbour according to justice. You must not slander your own people, and you must not jeopardise your neighbour’s life. I am the Lord. You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.”’

Gospel

Matthew 25:31-46
I was naked and you clothed me; sick, and you visited me

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.
‘Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” And the King will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.”
‘Next he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.” Then it will be their turn to ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?” Then he will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”
‘And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.’

The Lord our God Wills that we shall all be saved to live eternally in His love. And He is inviting us today to follow Him. We need to respond to His call.

Jesus offers us to make straight our crooked paths. To heal and restore us to our state at our baptism. To guide us towards Holiness. To give us life giving living water to drink. Most of all He offers life to the full in Him. By leaving everything behind to follow Him, we begin our journey towards the heavenly banquet prepared for us. Where we will dine with Him and He with us. Amen

First reading

Isaiah 58:9-14
You will be like a spring whose waters never run dry

The Lord says this:

If you do away with the yoke,
the clenched fist, the wicked word, if you give your bread to the hungry, and relief to the oppressed, your light will rise in the darkness,
and your shadows become like noon.
The Lord will always guide you, giving you relief in desert places.

He will give strength to your bones and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters never run dry.

You will rebuild the ancient ruins, build up on the old foundations.
You will be called ‘Breach-mender’, ‘Restorer of ruined houses.’

If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, and doing business on the holy day, if you call the Sabbath ‘Delightful’, and the day sacred to the Lord ‘Honourable’, if you honour it by abstaining from travel,
from doing business and from gossip, then shall you find your happiness in the Lord
and I will lead you triumphant over the heights of the land.
I will feed you on the heritage of Jacob your father.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Gospel

Luke 5:27-32
Jesus comes not to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance

Jesus noticed a tax collector, Levi by name, sitting by the customs house, and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And leaving everything he got up and followed him.
In his honour Levi held a great reception in his house, and with them at table was a large gathering of tax collectors and others. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples and said, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus said to them in reply, ‘It is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.’

One of the main problems in marriages between a man and woman is when the couple see themselves as individuals coming together to live as one. Things go very wrong when their individualism takes dominance. How can they claim to be One when they lead completely separate lives? Not so says the Lord our God, in my eyes you are ONE Body not made of two. With this keen insight of our Lord, can you go on leading separate lives? Are you faithful to your own One Body? Are you leading one another to heaven?

The Lord our God who is ever faithful desires the same spousal relationship with all of us. That is why the language of His love for us is that of a bride and groom. Jesus is our groom and we His one Holy Church made up of sinners, striving for Holiness are is His bride. And so He tenderly loves us with an everlasting love. We become One Body In Him through Holy Communion.

So then are we faithful to our friends? Leading one another to Holiness after Christ? Do we SEE our sisters and brothers as One Body In Christ. If so are we praying together? Are we praying for one another? Are we laying our lives down for them when it is required?

Lord Jesus my only desire is to be faithfully One with You, as I am One with Your Holy Church in You, my family. Amen

First reading

Ecclesiasticus 6:5-17 †
A faithful friend is a sure shelter

A kindly turn of speech multiplies a man’s friends, and a courteous way of speaking invites many a friendly reply.
Let your acquaintances be many, but your advisers one in a thousand.
If you want to make a friend, take him on trial, and be in no hurry to trust him;
for one kind of friend is only so when it suits him but will not stand by you in your day of trouble.
Another kind of friend will fall out with you and to your dismay make the quarrel public, and a third kind of friend will share your table, but not stand by you in your day of trouble: when you are doing well he will be your second self, ordering your servants about; but if ever you are brought low he will turn against you and will hide himself from you.
Keep well clear of your enemies, and be wary of your friends.
A faithful friend is a sure shelter, whoever finds one has found a rare treasure.
A faithful friend is something beyond price, there is no measuring his worth.
A faithful friend is the elixir of life, and those who fear the Lord will find one.
Whoever fears the Lord makes true friends, for as a man is, so is his friend.

Gospel

Mark 10:1-12
What God has united, man must not divide

Jesus came to the district of Judaea and the far side of the Jordan. And again crowds gathered round him, and again he taught them, as his custom was. Some Pharisees approached him and asked, ‘Is it against the law for a man to divorce his wife?’ They were testing him. He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ ‘Moses allowed us’ they said ‘to draw up a writ of dismissal and so to divorce.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘It was because you were so unteachable that he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. This is why a man must leave father and mother, and the two become one body. They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’ Back in the house the disciples questioned him again about this, and he said to them, ‘The man who divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another she is guilty of adultery too.’

You are not going to live forever in this world and you do not know if tomorrow will come for you. And No this is not a doomsday message but a simple fact. What are you doing today so that you might have hope of eternal life with the Lord your God?

For the world will always distract you and lead you into thinking you have lots of time to change and be changed. So many having gone for a retreat, pilgrimage, prayer meeting, healing service; had encountered our Lord Jesus but have now abandoned Him for the busyness of their lives. Others concentrate on building up their material wealth for themselves yet in the guise of doing so for their families. What good is that if you are absent from your family? From the Lord your God? If you do not turn back to the Lord now and be reconciled, sin will build upon sin and at the end of your time you’ll be lost for all eternity.

Too many still do not realise how great a sin it is to neglect the Lord our God. For a relationship with Him is most important for our own well being, not His. He simply loves us and wants us to live our lives to the fullest in His love.

Lord Jesus let me be your salt and light in the world, to share Your love with all. Amen

First reading

Ecclesiasticus 5:1-10 †
Do not delay your return to the Lord

Do not give your heart to your money, or say, ‘With this I am self-sufficient.’
Do not be led by your appetites and energy to follow the passions of your heart.
And do not say, ‘Who has authority over me?’ for the Lord will certainly be avenged on you.
Do not say, ‘I sinned, and what happened to me?’ for the Lord’s forbearance is long.
Do not be so sure of forgiveness that you add sin to sin.
And do not say, ‘His compassion is great, he will forgive me my many sins’;
for with him are both mercy and wrath, and his rage bears heavy on sinners.
Do not delay your return to the Lord, do not put it off day after day;
for suddenly the Lord’s wrath will blaze out, and at the time of vengeance you will be utterly destroyed.
Do not set your heart on ill-gotten gains, they will be of no use to you on the day of disaster.

Gospel

Mark 9:41-50
If your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.
‘But anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck. And if your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that cannot be put out. And if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where their worm does not die nor their fire go out. For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is a good thing, but if salt has become insipid, how can you season it again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.’

Do you come before Jesus when you cannot see the light? When all hope is lost? When you feel helpless? When the well being of family, a member is at stake? Or do you fall into despair and become despondent? Lean not on your wisdom but the wisdom of the Lord Your God which had been poured out into the world from the very beginning.

Turn to Jesus in faith, even with what little faith you may have left and claim His promise that everything is possible for those who has faith. For nothing is impossible for God. He will provide a breakthrough. For the Son of God the most high has come to deliver the world from all evil and sin. He brings with Him liberation, peace and joy.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and forever. Amen

First reading

Ecclesiasticus 1:1-10 †
Before all other things, wisdom was created

All wisdom is from the Lord,
and it is his own for ever.
The sand of the sea and the raindrops,and the days of eternity, who can assess them?
The height of the sky and the breadth of the earth,and the depth of the abyss, who can probe them?
Before all other things wisdom was created,shrewd understanding is everlasting.
For whom has the root of wisdom ever been uncovered?
Her resourceful ways, who knows them?
One only is wise, terrible indeed,seated on his throne, the Lord.
He himself has created her, looked on her and assessed her,and poured her out on all his works to be with all mankind as his gift,and he conveyed her to those who love him.

Gospel

Mark 9:14-29
Help the little faith I have!

When Jesus, with Peter, James and John came down from the mountain and rejoined the disciples, they saw a large crowd round them and some scribes arguing with them. The moment they saw him the whole crowd were struck with amazement and ran to greet him. ‘What are you arguing about with them?’ he asked. A man answered him from the crowd, ‘Master, I have brought my son to you; there is a spirit of dumbness in him, and when it takes hold of him it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and goes rigid. And I asked your disciples to cast it out and they were unable to.’ ‘You faithless generation’ he said to them in reply. ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.’ They brought the boy to him, and as soon as the spirit saw Jesus it threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell to the ground and lay writhing there, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ ‘From childhood,’ he replied ‘and it has often thrown him into the fire and into the water, in order to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.’ ‘If you can?’ retorted Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for anyone who has faith.’ Immediately the father of the boy cried out, ‘I do have faith. Help the little faith I have!’ And when Jesus saw how many people were pressing round him, he rebuked the unclean spirit. ‘Deaf and dumb spirit,’ he said ‘I command you: come out of him and never enter him again.’ Then throwing the boy into violent convulsions it came out shouting, and the boy lay there so like a corpse that most of them said, ‘He is dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him up, and he was able to stand. When he had gone indoors his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why were we unable to cast it out?’ ‘This is the kind’ he answered ‘that can only be driven out by prayer.’

Over the years in our lifetime, we have been abundantly blessed by different Popes with varied gifts and talents yet single minded in leading and guarding the flock of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. They have been anointed and charged with caring and feeding His sheep, His lambs. Through them we see the face of Jesus in all they say and do. Hence we should always heed the word of God which says, “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.” Ps 105:15

Our Holy Father Pope Francis and all the popes before him carry a very heavy burden which is made light only through the grace of Jesus Christ. Therefore we should always or at least try as often as we can to lift our prayers for him. He is the vicar of Christ and it is our duty to love and support him. Just as Aaron and Hur lifted up the arms of Moses in the battle against the forces that seek to overcome us.

Lord Jesus we thank You for our one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. We thank You for the gift of the successor of St Peter, our Holy Father Pope Francis. We pray You continue to guard and guide Him. Amen

We offer one Father, Hail Mary and glory be for our Holy Father Pope Francis’s intentions…..

First reading

1 Peter 5:1-4 †
Watch over the flock, not simply as a duty but gladly

Now I have something to tell you elders: I am an elder myself, and a witness to the sufferings of Christ, and with you I have a share in the glory that is to be revealed. Be the shepherds of the flock of God that is entrusted to you: watch over it, not simply as a duty but gladly, because God wants it; not for sordid money, but because you are eager to do it. Never be a dictator over any group that is put in your charge, but be an example that the whole flock can follow. When the chief shepherd appears, you will be given the crown of unfading glory.

Gospel

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

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

The promise of new life is given to all who wait patiently on the Lord. The great and powerful sign of His love and new life can been seen as we gaze upon the wood of the cross in which our Lord Jesus Christ hung for us. He became for us the tree of life. The sign of our hope and redemption. When we see this through the eyes of faith, we can begin to live fully in rightful praise and worship of the Lord our God.

The Lord is touching you today, open your eyes, what do you see? Do you not see Him carrying the cross to calvary for you? He is touching you again, what do you see? Do you not see the glory of the Risen Lord present before you telling you not to return to your old ways, sin no more and share His love with all?

In my darkness you came O Lord and Your redeeming light shone upon me! I see you Lord, I see You. What joy it is to live in Your love. Amen

First reading

Genesis 8:6-13,20-22 †
The dove returns

At the end of forty days Noah opened the porthole he had made in the ark and he sent out the raven. This went off, and flew back and forth until the waters dried up from the earth. Then he sent out the dove, to see whether the waters were receding from the surface of the earth. The dove, finding nowhere to perch, returned to him in the ark, for there was water over the whole surface of the earth; putting out his hand he took hold of it and brought it back into the ark with him. After waiting seven more days, again he sent out the dove from the ark. In the evening, the dove came back to him and there it was with a new olive-branch in its beak. So Noah realised that the waters were receding from the earth. After waiting seven more days he sent out the dove, and now it returned to him no more.
It was in the six hundred and first year of Noah’s life, in the first month and on the first of the month, that the water dried up from the earth. Noah lifted back the hatch of the ark and looked out. The surface of the ground was dry!
Noah built an altar for the Lord, and choosing from all the clean animals and all the clean birds he offered burnt offerings on the altar. The Lord smelt the appeasing fragrance and said to himself, ‘Never again will I curse the earth because of man, because his heart contrives evil from his infancy. Never again will I strike down every living thing as I have done.

‘As long as earth lasts,
sowing and reaping,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
shall cease no more.’

Gospel

Mark 8:22-26
The blind man was cured and could see everything distinctly

Jesus and his disciples came to Bethsaida, and some people brought to him a blind man whom they begged him to touch. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Then putting spittle on his eyes and laying his hands on him, he asked, ‘Can you see anything?’ The man, who was beginning to see, replied, ‘I can see people; they look like trees to me, but they are walking about.’ Then he laid his hands on the man’s eyes again and he saw clearly; he was cured, and he could see everything plainly and distinctly. And Jesus sent him home, saying, ‘Do not even go into the village.’

Do not allow sin to fester nor allow it to remain in your heart. Or you will be swept away and drowned. Rather step unto the Ark and the covenantal love of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord will embrace you. He will save you from the destructive torrents of sin.

There are many who carry sin with them, their hearts are far from God. Yet they justify themselves and their actions through eloquent words. They seek your support and buy-in to their ‘world’ cloaked in darkness. Some are charming about their ways and highly infectious. Be on guard! As Christ warned against the yeast of these ‘Pharisees’.

Always remember the love of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom our church is built upon. The Bread of Life who gives abundantly of Himself. Filled with His grace let us embark on our voyage to eternity with Him. Amen

First reading

Genesis 6:5-8,7:1-5,10
Noah’s Ark

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that the thoughts in his heart fashioned nothing but wickedness all day long. The Lord regretted having made man on the earth, and his heart grieved. ‘I will rid the earth’s face of man, my own creation,’ the Lord said ‘and of animals also, reptiles too, and the birds of heaven; for I regret having made them.’ But Noah had found favour with the Lord.
The Lord said to Noah, ‘Go aboard the ark, you and all your household, for you alone among this generation do I see as a good man in my judgement. Of all the clean animals you must take seven of each kind, both male and female; of the unclean animals you must take two, a male and its female (and of the birds of heaven also, seven of each kind, both male and female), to propagate their kind over the whole earth. For in seven days’ time I mean to make it rain on the earth for forty days and nights, and I will rid the earth of every living thing that I made.’ Noah did all that the Lord ordered.
Seven days later the waters of the flood appeared on the earth.

Gospel

Mark 8:14-21
Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod

The disciples had forgotten to take any food and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then he gave them this warning, ‘Keep your eyes open; be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’ And they said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ And Jesus knew it, and he said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you not yet understand? Have you no perception? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear? Or do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ They answered, ‘Twelve.’ ‘And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?’ And they answered, ‘Seven.’ Then he said to them, ‘Are you still without perception?’

Without proper disposition, reverence and right worship of the Lord our God, then what we offer Him is superficial, out of duty then of love. Hence begs the question on what is our relationship with Him? If we truly love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind and soul then would we not offer Him the best we have?

The Pharisees were given many signs pointing to the Messiah who would come to save them. And when He came to live among them they could not see Him for who He was. Their hearts, minds and souls were not ready to receive Him. They were full of themselves and thought they could earn their way to heaven by observances! Hence they looked but did not see!

By our baptism we are inserted into the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have an indelible mark conferred upon us as we enter into a covenantal relationship with the Lord our God. We are His children. Jesus who was, who is and who is to come will lead us to everlasting life with Him. Let us then be ourselves signs of His love today and every day. Amen

First reading

Genesis 4:1-15,25
The mark of Cain

The man had intercourse with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. ‘I have acquired a man with the help of the Lord’ she said. She gave birth to a second child, Abel, the brother of Cain. Now Abel became a shepherd and kept flocks, while Cain tilled the soil. Time passed and Cain brought some of the produce of the soil as an offering for the Lord, while Abel for his part brought the first-born of his flock and some of their fat as well. The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering. But he did not look with favour on Cain and his offering, and Cain was very angry and downcast. The Lord asked Cain, ‘Why are you angry and downcast? If you are well disposed, ought you not to lift up your head? But if you are ill disposed, is not sin at the door like a crouching beast hungering for you, which you must master?’ Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out’; and while they were in the open country, Cain set on his brother Abel and killed him.
The Lord asked Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I do not know’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s guardian?’ ‘What have you done?’ the Lord asked. ‘Listen to the sound of your brother’s blood, crying out to me from the ground. Now be accursed and driven from the ground that has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood at your hands. When you till the ground it shall no longer yield you any of its produce. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer over the earth.’ Then Cain said to the Lord, ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear. See! Today you drive me from this ground. I must hide from you, and be a fugitive and a wanderer over the earth. Why, whoever comes across me will kill me!’ ‘Very well, then,’ the Lord replied ‘if anyone kills Cain, sevenfold vengeance shall be taken for him.’ So the Lord put a mark on Cain, to prevent whoever might come across him from striking him down.
Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she named Seth, ‘because God has granted me other offspring’ she said ‘in place of Abel, since Cain has killed him.’

Gospel

Mark 8:11-13
No sign shall be given to this generation

The Pharisees came up and started a discussion with Jesus; they demanded of him a sign from heaven, to test him. And with a sigh that came straight from the heart he said, ‘Why does this generation demand a sign? I tell you solemnly, no sign shall be given to this generation.’ And leaving them again and re-embarking, he went away to the opposite shore.

Our loving God will never abandon you because of His great love for you. So while there are consequences for your sins and penance to be done it is only so that you can grow in love, faith and Holiness. We must therefore own up to our sins and turn to Jesus with contrite hearts and He will free us from our sins to live in His love. He will embrace us and clothe us with ‘skins’, His grace so that we can live in the warmth of His love. He restores for us the way to eternal life with Him.

Our loving Lord and saviour Jesus Christ knew that on our pilgrim journey back that we run on empty. So again in His great love for us He nourished us of Himself, in the Holy Eucharist. Filling us with His grace and love. We partake of the bread of life, so that we can move onward to share in His love now and forever. Amen

First reading

Genesis 3:9-24 †
The expulsion from the Garden of Eden

The Lord God called to the man. ‘Where are you?’ he asked.
‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’
‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’
The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’
Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’
The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’
Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this,

‘Be accursed beyond all cattle,
all wild beasts.
You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust
every day of your life.
I will make you enemies of each other:
you and the woman,
your offspring and her offspring.
It will crush your head
and you will strike its heel.’

To the woman he said:

‘I will multiply your pains in childbearing,
you shall give birth to your children in pain.
Your yearning shall be for your husband,
yet he will lord it over you.’

To the man he said, ‘Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,

‘Accursed be the soil because of you.
With suffering shall you get your food from it
every day of your life.
It shall yield you brambles and thistles,
and you shall eat wild plants.
With sweat on your brow
shall you eat your bread,
until you return to the soil,
as you were taken from it.
For dust you are
and to dust you shall return.’

The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live. The Lord God made clothes out of skins for the man and his wife, and they put them on. Then the Lord God said, ‘See, the man has become like one of us, with his knowledge of good and evil. He must not be allowed to stretch his hand out next and pick from the tree of life also, and eat some and live for ever.’ So the Lord God expelled him from the garden of Eden, to till the soil from which he had been taken. He banished the man, and in front of the garden of Eden he posted the cherubs, and the flame of a flashing sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Gospel

Mark 8:1-10
The feeding of the four thousand

A great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat. So Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat. If I send them off home hungry they will collapse on the way; some have come a great distance.’ His disciples replied, ‘Where could anyone get bread to feed these people in a deserted place like this?’ He asked them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ ‘Seven’ they said. Then he instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them among the crowd. They had a few small fish as well, and over these he said a blessing and ordered them to be distributed also. They ate as much as they wanted, and they collected seven basketfuls of the scraps left over. Now there had been about four thousand people. He sent them away and immediately, getting into the boat with his disciples, went to the region of Dalmanutha.

Evil lurks and seeks to trap those on the journey towards Holiness. Planting seeds of doubt, wanton suggestions, playing on our unfettered desires. Many desire power but not the responsibility to wield it with loving care. Yes the Lord our God desires that we be like Him but how can we be like Him, apart from Him? Those who live in sin cannot hear Him nor can they open their lips to praise His Holy name. Those who have fallen and returned to Him can attest that being apart from the Lord our God is more painful than anything!

Still our loving Saviour comes to us when we call out to Him with contrite hearts. “Be opened!” He commands… Be free from your sins, be opened to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit, to receive my precious body and blood. Then go glorify the Lord your God by your lives!

Thank You Abba Father, Thank You Jesus, Thank You Holy Spirit. Glory and Praise to You now and forever. Amen

First reading

Genesis 3:1-8 †
The fall of man

The serpent was the most subtle of all the wild beasts that the Lord God had made. It asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?’ The woman answered the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, “You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death.”’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die! God knows in fact that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.’ The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves loin-cloths.
The man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Gospel

Mark 7:31-37
‘He makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak’

Returning from the district of Tyre, Jesus went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, right through the Decapolis region. And they brought him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they asked him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then looking up to heaven he sighed; and he said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, and the ligament of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly. And Jesus ordered them to tell no one about it, but the more he insisted, the more widely they published it. Their admiration was unbounded. ‘He has done all things well,’ they said ‘he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.’

We were fashioned different and yet are of the same flesh. Created in the image and likeness of God. To complement, enhance, accompany one another on our pilgrim journey to heaven. And we have been given the most precious gift of our Lord Jesus Christ. So that we can unite ourselves with Him, the Word made flesh. One Body, One Spirit, One Universal Church!

Do we instead look at our differences? Allowing it to divide and to scatter us. To find the tiniest fault, crack causing it to expand and shatter? Nay! sisters and brothers let us always turn to Christ our Lord who gathers us together. Who wills that we be one with and in Him. Let us build upon our gifts and collective strengths, allowing Him to perfect our many weaknesses. As we have prayed for Him to look not upon our sins but on the faith of our Church. And it is by this faith we have in Him that we are saved.

Lord Jesus Christ, You are the light of all nations. Let Your light shine through Your faithful. Now and forever. Amen

A reading from

the Book of Genesis 2:18-25

The Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helpmate.” So from the soil the Lord God fashioned all the wild beasts and all the birds of heaven. These he brought to the man to see what he would call them; each one was to bear the name the man would give it. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of heaven and all the wild beasts. But no helpmate suitable for man was found for him. So the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep. And while he slept, he took one of his ribs and enclosed it in flesh. The Lord God built the rib he had taken from the man into a woman, and brought her to the man. The man exclaimed: “This at last is bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh! This is to be called woman, for this was taken from man.” This is why a man leaves his father and mother and joins himself to his wife, and they become one body.
Now both of them were naked, the man and his wife, but they felt no shame in front of each other.

A reading from

the holy Gospel according to Mark7:24-30

Jesus left Gennesaret and set out for the territory of Tyre. There he went into a house and did not want anyone to know he was there, but he could not pass unrecognised. A woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him straightaway and came and fell at his feet. Now the woman was a pagan, by birth a Syrophoenician, and she begged him to cast the devil out of her daughter. And he said to her, “The children should be fed first, because it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.” But she spoke up: “Ah yes, sir,” she replied, “but the house-dogs under the table can eat the children’s scraps.” And he said to her, “For saying this, you may go home happy: the devil has gone out of your daughter.” So she went off to her home and found the child lying on the bed and the devil gone.

How Blessed are we to have the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. When indeed our good shepherd reigns. Where the Lord our God dwells, so His flock gathers to honour, love and worship Him.

You have Blessed Your people Lord with a Shepherd after your own heart. Whose guidance and vision to build a vibrant, evangelistic and missionary Church has set the churches of Singapore on fire for love of You.

Bless and anoint Your Church Lord so that together we will lead one another into greater holiness and into our heavenly inheritance. Amen

First reading

1 Kings 8:22-23,27-30 †
‘Listen to the prayer your servant makes in this place’

In the presence of the whole assembly of Israel, Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord and, stretching out his hands towards heaven, said, ‘O Lord, God of Israel, not in heaven above nor on earth beneath is there such a God as you, true to your covenant and your kindness towards your servants when they walk wholeheartedly in your way. Yet will God really live with men on the earth? Why, the heavens and their own heavens cannot contain you. How much less this house that I have built! Listen to the prayer and entreaty of your servant, O Lord my God; listen to the cry and to the prayer your servant makes to you today. Day and night let your eyes watch over this house, over this place of which you have said, “My name shall be there.” Listen to the prayer that your servant will offer in this place.
‘Hear the entreaty of your servant and of Israel your people as they pray in this place. From heaven where your dwelling is, hear; and, as you hear, forgive.’

Gospel

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

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

The Lord our God did not just Will us into being, He lovingly fashioned us. And knowing we will bring harm upon ourselves for lack of complete knowledge and wisdom, He willed that we rely on Him till perhaps we were ready. How much have changed from the very beginning? Aren’t we still disobedient? Impatient? Stubborn? Wilful?

Are our hearts and minds connected to the Lord our God? Do we constantly seek His wisdom, knowledge and guidance? For if we are not connected to the source of life then we are likely to go awry and lost to the darkness. For indeed all that is good comes from within us when our hearts are connected to all that is good, the Lord our God. It is when we are disconnected that evil lurks to pounce!

Lord Jesus Christ You are the vine and we are the branches. Let us never be apart from You. Amen

First reading

Genesis 2:4-9,15-17 †
The Lord God fashioned man out of dust

At the time when the Lord God made earth and heaven there was as yet no wild bush on the earth nor had any wild plant yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth, nor was there any man to till the soil. However, a flood was rising from the earth and watering all the surface of the soil. The Lord God fashioned man of dust from the soil. Then he breathed into his nostrils a breath of life, and thus man became a living being.
The Lord God planted a garden in Eden which is in the east, and there he put the man he had fashioned. The Lord God caused to spring up from the soil every kind of tree, enticing to look at and good to eat, with the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden. The Lord God took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden to cultivate and take care of it. Then the Lord God gave the man this admonition, ‘You may eat indeed of all the trees in the garden. Nevertheless of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you are not to eat, for on the day you eat of it you shall most surely die.’

Gospel

Mark 7:14-23
It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean

Jesus called the people to him and said, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.’
When he had gone back into the house, away from the crowd, his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, ‘Do you not understand either? Can you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot make him unclean, because it does not go into his heart but through his stomach and passes out into the sewer?’ (Thus he pronounced all foods clean.) And he went on, ‘It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.’

Often we overlook the fact that as leaders of our church communities are bound to look after the souls of our members. To nurture their growth towards Holiness and to lead them into a deeper relationship with Christ Jesus our Lord. We can only do so if we are ourselves are leading a grace filled sacramental life. Going often for the Sacrament of reconciliation and Holy Eucharist. Spending time with our Lord in prayer and Adoration. Through the Holy spirit we will be guided on how best to lead our flock.

Who better to lead us then our faithful and loving shepherd our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Through His example and by His Word we become better shepherds to lead His flock.

Lord Jesus Bless, anoint and guide your Shepherds so that we may serve You and Your flock faithfully. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 13:15-17,20-21 †
May God turn us all into whatever is acceptable to himself through Jesus Christ

Through Christ, let us offer God an unending sacrifice of praise, a verbal sacrifice that is offered every time we acknowledge his name. Keep doing good works and sharing your resources, for these are sacrifices that please God.
Obey your leaders and do as they tell you, because they must give an account of the way they look after your souls; make this a joy for them to do, and not a grief – you yourselves would be the losers. I pray that the God of peace, who brought our Lord Jesus back from the dead to become the great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood that sealed an eternal covenant, may make you ready to do his will in any kind of good action; and turn us all into whatever is acceptable to himself through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen.

Gospel

Mark 6:30-34
They were like sheep without a shepherd

The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.

The light of the world had come to illumine our hearts and mind. To free us from all darkness of the soul. Are we then living in His light? Are we then being His light for others?

While we bring our candles the symbol of the light of Christ our Saviour to be Blessed today, do we come before Him with hearts ready to be consecrated to Him? To be beacons of His love, peace and joy.

O Holy Spirit Lord, we present ourselves to the Lord our God. Bless and anoint us that we might shine forth with the light of Christ on our face and in our hearts. To love and to serve. Amen

First reading

Malachi 3:1-4 †
The Lord you are seeking will suddenly enter his Temple

The Lord God says this: Look, I am going to send my messenger to prepare a way before me. And the Lord you are seeking will suddenly enter his Temple; and the angel of the covenant whom you are longing for, yes, he is coming, says the Lord of Hosts. Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fullers’ alkali. He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and then they will make the offering to the Lord as it should be made. The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will then be welcomed by the Lord as in former days, as in the years of old.

Gospel

Luke 2:22-40
My eyes have seen your salvation

When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, – observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord. Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:

‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel.’

As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’
There was a prophetess also, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.
When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.

Make no mistake the door to salvation was opened for all of God’s children. Through the blood of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ we have been redeemed. We have been reconciled and have the hope of full union with Him. We are one with Him, one BODY in Christ.

Really? Why then are we not living as one body? Where is the sense of belonging to a community? The ownership and stewardship of the community I belong to? That the fraternal love and growth of our community depends on me being present in mind, body and spirit. That I may only be one, but I am the one that makes up the two or three gathered in His name; by His promise He is present to us. Do I know my brothers and sisters in Christ by name? Do I know their family? Can we truly say we are one then?

Holy trinity one God, inspire and grant us the grace to live as one united in Your love. Let us be one as You are one, so that Oneness may shine as a great light for the world to see. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 10:19-25 †
Let us keep firm in the hope we profess

Through the blood of Jesus we have the right to enter the sanctuary, by a new way which he has opened for us, a living opening through the curtain, that is to say, his body. And we have the supreme high priest over all the house of God. So as we go in, let us be sincere in heart and filled with faith, our minds sprinkled and free from any trace of bad conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us keep firm in the hope we profess, because the one who made the promise is faithful. Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works. Do not stay away from the meetings of the community, as some do, but encourage each other to go; the more so as you see the Day drawing near.

Gospel

Mark 4:21-25
The seed is sprouting and growing as he sleeps

Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Would you bring in a lamp to put it under a tub or under the bed? Surely you will put it on the lamp-stand? For there is nothing hidden but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.’
He also said to them, ‘Take notice of what you are hearing. The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given – and more besides; for the man who has will be given more; from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.’

Yes we are called to be bold proclaimers of our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ who saves. But in order to be such bold proclaimers we must first live our faith. To be nourished by His Word, sound teaching and receive His graces through a sacramental life. Most importantly we need to affirm one another, to encourage one another to grow in Holiness, love and mercy.

Kingdom builders that we are should take care to stay focused on doing the will of God our Father. Let us not be distracted by the ways and wiles of the world. But be docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. So as to exercise the power given to us with great love, self control, and we will bring glory to God by our service to Him and our brethren.

Saints Timothy and Titus pray for us…. Amen

First reading

2 Timothy 1:1-8 †
Fan into a flame the gift God gave you

From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus in his design to promise life in Christ Jesus; to Timothy, dear child of mine, wishing you grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord.
Night and day I thank God, keeping my conscience clear and remembering my duty to him as my ancestors did, and always I remember you in my prayers; I remember your tears and long to see you again to complete my happiness. Then I am reminded of the sincere faith which you have; it came first to live in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I have no doubt that it is the same faith in you as well.
That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord, or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but with me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy.

Gospel

Mark 3:20-21
Jesus’ relatives were convinced he was out of his mind

Jesus went home, and once more such a crowd collected that they could not even have a meal. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind.

Have you had a conversion of heart? Have you experienced the love of God in His presence? Have you submitted your notion of knowing all there is to know, lofty ideas of self righteousness? Of being a dove instead of a tiger in your dealings with others? Of being able to offer love above all else? If not then what are you waiting for? A bright light? A voice?

The light of the world beckons you to Him. Come to Him with contrite hearts and be changed. Come let us be the light for others through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who poured out His precious blood for us so that we might live! Let us use the many gifts we have been given to gather His flock together. To be the best we ought to be according to His will. Amen

St Paul the Apostle pray for us…

First reading

Acts 22:3-16 †
‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

Paul said to the people, ‘I am a Jew and was born at Tarsus in Cilicia. I was brought up here in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was taught the exact observance of the Law of our ancestors. In fact, I was as full of duty towards God as you are today. I even persecuted this Way to the death, and sent women as well as men to prison in chains as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify, since they even sent me with letters to their brothers in Damascus. When I set off it was with the intention of bringing prisoners back from there to Jerusalem for punishment.
‘I was on that journey and nearly at Damascus when about midday a bright light from heaven suddenly shone round me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” I answered: Who are you, Lord? and he said to me, “I am Jesus the Nazarene, and you are persecuting me.” The people with me saw the light but did not hear his voice as he spoke to me. I said: What am I to do, Lord? The Lord answered, “Stand up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told what you have been appointed to do.” The light had been so dazzling that I was blind and my companions had to take me by the hand; and so I came to Damascus.
‘Someone called Ananias, a devout follower of the Law and highly thought of by all the Jews living there, came to see me; he stood beside me and said, “Brother Saul, receive your sight.” Instantly my sight came back and I was able to see him. Then he said, “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Just One and hear his own voice speaking, because you are to be his witness before all mankind, testifying to what you have seen and heard. And now why delay? It is time you were baptised and had your sins washed away while invoking his name.”’

Gospel

Mark 16:15-18
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News

Jesus showed himself to the Eleven and said to them:
‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’

Are you a saint?

Any answer other than yes is wrong! Even if you said a saint in the making. For by virtue of our baptism we are saints. The problem with most of us is that, we neither see the saint that we are or ought to be nor the saint in others. Yes it is a given that we are not perfect even far from it! But it is our earnest endeavour to grow in Holiness, to be perfected by the One who alone is perfect that we are His saints; we are God our Father’s children.

If we know that God our Father is faithful and has kept His promise by sending His Son our Lord Jesus Christ to save us then why are we not living in that promise fulfilled! Why are we not joyfully sharing the wonder of Him to everyone? Why are we not loving first and foremost rather than to concern ourselves with putting up walls or obstacles to love? How can we not love the sister and brother God our Father created in His image?

Let us continue to strive for Holiness and use the abundant blessings we receive to be blessings for everyone we meet. God love you my fellow Saint. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 6:10-20 †
In this hope we have an anchor for our soul

God would not be so unjust as to forget all you have done, the love that you have for his name or the services you have done, and are still doing, for the saints. Our one desire is that every one of you should go on showing the same earnestness to the end, to the perfect fulfilment of our hopes, never growing careless, but imitating those who have the faith and the perseverance to inherit the promises.
When God made the promise to Abraham, he swore by his own self, since it was impossible for him to swear by anyone greater: I will shower blessings on you and give you many descendants. Because of that, Abraham persevered and saw the promise fulfilled. Men, of course, swear an oath by something greater than themselves, and between men, confirmation by an oath puts an end to all dispute. In the same way, when God wanted to make the heirs to the promise thoroughly realise that his purpose was unalterable, he conveyed this by an oath; so that there would be two unalterable things in which it was impossible for God to be lying, and so that we, now we have found safety, should have a strong encouragement to take a firm grip on the hope that is held out to us. Here we have an anchor for our soul, as sure as it is firm, and reaching right through beyond the veil where Jesus has entered before us and on our behalf, to become a high priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever.

Gospel

Mark 2:23-28
The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath

One sabbath day, Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples began to pick ears of corn as they went along. And the Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing something on the sabbath day that is forbidden?’ And he replied, ‘Did you never read what David did in his time of need when he and his followers were hungry – how he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the loaves of offering which only the priests are allowed to eat, and how he also gave some to the men with him?’
And he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; the Son of Man is master even of the sabbath.’

For those of us not ordained as priests who are not consecrated, what then is our priestly function as laity through our baptism?

Is it not to offer prayers for those in need, those who cannot offer prayers for themselves? Even to fast at times, offer sacrifices of time, money and works of mercy? To aid in reconciling sinners with the Lord our God? To show the correct pathway to Him? Yes sisters and brothers in Christ, we have lots to do. And we are able to do them through the graces and strength we receive from our our Lord Jesus Christ.

Indeed we cannot do as we are called to do if we continue to hold on to our old sinful ways. Those who have been redeemed by Christ must live lives anew in Him. Put on His mantle to love and serve always. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 5:1-10 †
Although he was Son, he learned to obey through suffering

Every high priest has been taken out of mankind and is appointed to act for men in their relations with God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins; and so he can sympathise with those who are ignorant or uncertain because he too lives in the limitations of weakness. That is why he has to make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. No one takes this honour on himself, but each one is called by God, as Aaron was. Nor did Christ give himself the glory of becoming high priest, but he had it from the one who said to him: You are my son, today I have become your father, and in another text: You are a priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever. During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard. Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation and was acclaimed by God with the title of high priest of the order of Melchizedek.

Gospel

Mark 2:18-22
‘Why do your disciples not fast?’

One day when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Why is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of fasting while the bridegroom is still with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they could not think of fasting. But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then, on that day, they will fast. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak; if he does, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. And nobody puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins too. No! New wine, fresh skins!’

Follow me. An invitation from the Lord our God. He who knows all there is to know about us is asking us to grow in our relationship with Him. To grow in Holiness. To be and live in His presence. As lights for others who are still in the dark.

Do we remain where we are? Comfortable with our mediocre lives? Afraid to come out of our comfort zones. Or do we trust in our faithful and loving God, our Lord Jesus Christ who came to save us.

Make no mistake, our Lord does not accept sinners for who they are. Rather He sees the good and childlike qualities in all of us. He sees the potential that we ought to be living out. He loved us enough to die for us, so that we can be set free to live in His love.

Come now, let us not tarry any longer. Let us make haste to follow Him. Now and forever. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 4:12-16
Let us be confident in approaching the throne of grace

The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit, or joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing can hide from him; everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves.
Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.

Gospel

Mark 2:13-17

Jesus went out to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
When Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

Apart from me, you can do nothing says our Lord. Our Lord did not mean we are useless or anything remotely close to it. We are God our Father’s children have a special dignity in that regard. However because there is sin in the world we must remain close to Him who hides us in the shadow of His wings. Our veins are not blocked neither our hearts coarsend, and the love of God continues to flow through us. Therefore we should remain tapped into Jesus our Lord who is the vine and we are the branches. For then we are truly fruitful.

The surest way to do this was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Through the Holy Eucharist! We have both the life giving Word and the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ Himself given freely and with great love. In the our Father we pray, give us our daily bread, how is it then we do not go to receive Him daily in answer to our prayer?

Let not the leprosy of sin ever remain in our bodies! Jesus our Lord wants to heal us and is waiting to embrace us with all our faults. Let us turn to Him with contrite hearts and be healed. Then we rejoice as we lead fruitful lives in His love. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 3:7-14 †
Keep encouraging one another

The Holy Spirit says: If only you would listen to him today; do not harden your hearts, as happened in the Rebellion, on the Day of Temptation in the wilderness, when your ancestors challenged me and tested me, though they had seen what I could do for forty years. That was why I was angry with that generation and said: How unreliable these people who refuse to grasp my ways! And so, in anger, I swore that not one would reach the place of rest I had for them. Take care, brothers, that there is not in any one of your community a wicked mind, so unbelieving as to turn away from the living God. Every day, as long as this ‘today’ lasts, keep encouraging one another so that none of you is hardened by the lure of sin, because we shall remain co-heirs with Christ only if we keep a grasp on our first confidence right to the end.

Gospel

Mark 1:40-45
The leprosy left the man at once, and he was cured

A leper came to Jesus and pleaded on his knees: ‘If you want to’ he said ‘you can cure me.’ Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. ‘Of course I want to!’ he said. ‘Be cured!’ And the leprosy left him at once and he was cured. Jesus immediately sent him away and sternly ordered him, ‘Mind you say nothing to anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest, and make the offering for your healing prescribed by Moses as evidence of your recovery.’ The man went away, but then started talking about it freely and telling the story everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer go openly into any town, but had to stay outside in places where nobody lived. Even so, people from all around would come to him.

There are areas in our life which are still unruly not quite under our control. For we have chosen not to exercise restraint, self control. In other words we have not submitted fully to the authority of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

His Will for us is to turn away from all sin and to live fully in His love. To lead one another into greater Holiness. And through the authority given to Him by God our Father, He commanded us to go make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey all He commanded. How do we so if we are not obedient ourselves? Not disciplined! It is time to recollect, pray, be reconciled, to submit to the love and mercy of Jesus our Lord. So that we can be instruments of His grace and lead others to live fully in His love.

Here I am Lord, I come to Your Will. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 2:5-12 †
The one who sanctifies and the ones who are sanctified are of the same stock

God did not appoint angels to be rulers of the world to come, and that world is what we are talking about. Somewhere there is a passage that shows us this. It runs: What is man that you should spare a thought for him, the son of man that you should care for him? For a short while you made him lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and splendour. You have put him in command of everything. Well then, if he has put him in command of everything, he has left nothing which is not under his command. At present, it is true, we are not able to see that everything has been put under his command, but we do see in Jesus one who was for a short while made lower than the angels and is now crowned with glory and splendour because he submitted to death; by God’s grace he had to experience death for all mankind.
As it was his purpose to bring a great many of his sons into glory, it was appropriate that God, for whom everything exists and through whom everything exists, should make perfect, through suffering, the leader who would take them to their salvation. For the one who sanctifies, and the ones who are sanctified, are of the same stock; that is why he openly calls them brothers in the text: I shall announce your name to my brothers, praise you in full assembly.

Gospel

Mark 1:21-28
Unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority

Jesus and his disciples went as far as Capernaum, and as soon as the sabbath came he went to the synagogue and began to teach. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.
In their synagogue just then there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit and it shouted, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry went out of him. The people were so astonished that they started asking each other what it all meant. ‘Here is a teaching that is new’ they said ‘and with authority behind it: he gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him.’ And his reputation rapidly spread everywhere, through all the surrounding Galilean countryside.

O Jesus Son of the living God, God of Heaven and of earth. Have mercy on my many shortcomings. I have heard Your call to follow You and have responded by leaving my sinful past behind and followed.

But along the way I have fallen and continue to fall from time to time. Each time it causes my heart to be broken and I long to be reconciled with You. Yet each and every time my head hangs low before You, You bid me not to wallow in my sin and to arise in Your love. May I never take Your great love for me for granted. For indeed You do not look upon our sins but the faith of Your Church.

Lord we strive to do better, and be better each and everyday. To be more outward looking as to touch the souls who are lost and in distress. Sanctify us Lord that we may grow in Holiness according to Your will. Amen

First reading

Hebrews 1:1-6 †
God has spoken to us through his Son

At various times in the past and in various different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son, the Son that he has appointed to inherit everything and through whom he made everything there is. He is the radiant light of God’s glory and the perfect copy of his nature, sustaining the universe by his powerful command; and now that he has destroyed the defilement of sin, he has gone to take his place in heaven at the right hand of divine Majesty. So he is now as far above the angels as the title which he has inherited is higher than their own name.
God has never said to any angel: You are my Son, today I have become your father; or: I will be a father to him and he a son to me. Again, when he brings the First-Born into the world, he says: Let all the angels of God worship him.

Gospel

Mark 1:14-20
I will make you into fishers of men

After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come’ he said ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.’
As he was walking along by the Sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men.’ And at once they left their nets and followed him.
Going on a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending their nets. He called them at once and, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the men he employed, they went after him.

Indeed when we gradually empty ourselves of our empty pride, self righteousness, lust, greed and seek the Lord’s graces by surrendering our all to Him in contrite humility. He will come to dwell in our hearts.

No longer will we be concerned about others knowing our achievements or seeking their approval or affirmation;all we want is to glorify God by our obedience to His will for us. And He will grant us all that we need. Our joy is complete in Him!

Lord Jesus increase in me now and always. Amen

First reading

1 John 5:14-21 †
If we ask for anything, he will hear us

We are quite confident that if we ask the Son of God for anything, and it is in accordance with his will, he will hear us; and, knowing that whatever we may ask, he hears us, we know that we have already been granted what we asked of him.
If anybody sees his brother commit a sin that is not a deadly sin, he has only to pray, and God will give life to the sinner – not those who commit a deadly sin; for there is a sin that is death,
and I will not say that you must pray about that.
Every kind of wrong-doing is sin, but not all sin is deadly.

We know that anyone who has been begotten by God does not sin, because the begotten Son of God protects him, and the Evil One does not touch him.
We know that we belong to God, but the whole world lies in the power of the Evil One.
We know, too, that the Son of God has come, and has given us the power to know the true God.
We are in the true God,
as we are in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God,
this is eternal life.
Children, be on your guard against false gods.

Gospel

John 3:22-30
‘He must grow greater and I must grow smaller: my joy is complete’

Jesus went with his disciples into the Judaean countryside and stayed with them there and baptised. At the same time John was baptising at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water, and people were going there to be baptised. This was before John had been put in prison.
Now some of John’s disciples had opened a discussion with a Jew about purification, so they went to John and said, ‘Rabbi, the man who was with you on the far side of the Jordan, the man to whom you bore witness, is baptising now; and everyone is going to him.’
John replied:

‘A man can lay claim
only to what is given him from heaven.

‘You yourselves can bear me out: I said: I myself am not the Christ; I am the one who has been sent in front of him.

‘The bride is only for the bridegroom; and yet the bridegroom’s friend, who stands there and listens,
is glad when he hears the bridegroom’s voice.
This same joy I feel, and now it is complete. He must grow greater, I must grow smaller.’

Loving the Lord our God is never a private affair, neither is our faith in Him. For the only true measure of our love is how we love His children, our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and His other sheep not of our fold. For His will is that we love one another as He first loved us. So that we might live fully in His love.

At every proclamation of the Gospel at every Holy Eucharist, Jesus tells us just how much He loves us. Today He reminds us that He had come to set us free from the bondages of sin. To heal and restore us. We can live in peace and joy in the loving embrace of God our Father.

We are no longer slaves to fear, for we live as children so loved by our one triune God. Amen

Gospel

Luke 4:14-22
‘This text is being fulfilled today, even as you listen’

Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout the countryside. He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised him.
He came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,
for he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives
and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.

He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips.

Gospel

Luke 4:14-22
‘This text is being fulfilled today, even as you listen’

Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout the countryside. He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised him.
He came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,
for he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives
and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.

He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips.

We all go through many fears in our lives. Fear for the well being of our families, fear of losing our jobs, fear of the unknown, fear of evil that lurks, fear of illness and diseases, fear of old age, fear of war, fear of not knowing if we will live to see another day, the list is endless.

Could it be that all this is a result of our imperfect love? For if we truly believe that God is love as He is indeed,and it is by His love we are perfected;then what have we to fear? For does He not dwell in our hearts? How can He not? When we seek Him in His Word daily, we receive Jesus Himself in Holy Eucharist. He makes Himself present to us, are we then present to Him? Do we live in His presence according to His Will?

Lord Jesus I know You are here with me and I am no longer fearful. For by Your love I have been set free to live and love in Your presence. Amen

First reading

1 John 4:11-18
As long as we love one another God’s love will be complete in us

My dear people,
since God has loved us so much, we too should love one another.
No one has ever seen God;
but as long as we love one another God will live in us
and his love will be complete in us.
We can know that we are living in him and he is living in us because he lets us share his Spirit.
We ourselves saw and we testify that the Father sent his Son as saviour of the world.
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God lives in him, and he in God.
We ourselves have known and put our faith in God’s love towards ourselves.
God is love and anyone who lives in love lives in God,
and God lives in him.
Love will come to its perfection in us when we can face the day of Judgement without fear; because even in this world we have become as he is.
In love there can be no fear,
but fear is driven out by perfect love: because to fear is to expect punishment, and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love.

Gospel

Mark 6:45-52
His disciples saw him walking on the lake

After the five thousand had eaten and were filled, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the crowd away. After saying goodbye to them he went off into the hills to pray. When evening came, the boat was far out on the lake, and he was alone on the land. He could see they were worn out with rowing, for the wind was against them; and about the fourth watch of the night he came towards them, walking on the lake. He was going to pass them by, but when they saw him walking on the lake they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they had all seen him and were terrified. But he at once spoke to them, and said, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind dropped. They were utterly and completely dumbfounded, because they had not seen what the miracle of the loaves meant; their minds were closed.

The only way to bring others to the knowledge of our Lord and God is by our love. Our love put into the service of others. When they see that we have offered up our time as God’s time. When they see in our faces the joy of having the love of God in our hearts. When they witness in us, our faithfulness in times of trials and challenges. Just as our Shepherd our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ never abandons us. They therefore see Christ in us.

Yes sisters and brothers in Christ, all the above is possible and much more through the grace of God. For the abundant love of God our Father was outpoured through the blood of His only Begotten Son who died to take away our sins and rose so that we might have new life in Him. Jesus gives us the supreme gift of Himself in the Holy Eucharist to become partakers of His divine grace. We are nourished as we are sent to be beacons of His light. To gather all unto Himself.

Thank You Lord for Your great unending love for us. Amen

First reading

1 John 4:7-10
Let us love one another, since love comes from God

My dear people, let us love one another since love comes from God and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Anyone who fails to love can never have known God,
because God is love.
God’s love for us was revealed when God sent into the world his only Son
so that we could have life through him;this is the love I mean: not our love for God,
but God’s love for us when he sent his Son to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.

Gospel

Mark 6:34-44
The feeding of the five thousand

As Jesus stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length. By now it was getting very late, and his disciples came up to him and said, ‘This is a lonely place and it is getting very late. So send them away, and they can go to the farms and villages round about, to buy themselves something to eat.’ He replied, ‘Give them something to eat yourselves.’ They answered, ‘Are we to go and spend two hundred denarii on bread for them to eat?’ ‘How many loaves have you?’ he asked. ‘Go and see.’ And when they had found out they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’ Then he ordered them to get all the people together in groups on the green grass, and they sat down on the ground in squares of hundreds and fifties. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing; then he broke the loaves and handed them to his disciples to distribute among the people. He also shared out the two fish among them all. They all ate as much as they wanted. They collected twelve basketfuls of scraps of bread and pieces of fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

Never should we ever take our baptism into Christ for granted. For by our one Baptism we belong to God our ever loving Father. We are inserted into life with Christ Jesus our Lord and saviour. His laws are written in our hearts and we are able to follow His commandments. We have the Holy Spirit to guide and unite us all.

Do you then want to give up your heavenly inheritance? By following the children of the world? To follow the voice even if it is your very own which causes disunity? To live in sin and debauchery. To allow your pride to prevent you from glorifying the Lord your God as you should? To allow lust and greed to take away love, honour and respect?

The kingdom of God is indeed at hand. Come to our Lord Jesus Christ who will heal and restore you. Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. Amen

First reading

1 John 3:22-4:6
The Son of God has come and given us the power to know the true God

Whatever we ask God,
we shall receive,
because we keep his commandments
and live the kind of life that he wants.
His commandments are these: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ
and that we love one another
as he told us to.
Whoever keeps his commandments lives in God and God lives in him.
We know that he lives in us
by the Spirit that he has given us.

It is not every spirit, my dear people, that you can trust;
test them, to see if they come from God, there are many false prophets, now, in the world.
You can tell the spirits that come from God by this:
every spirit which acknowledges that Jesus the Christ has come in the flesh
is from God; but any spirit which will not say this of Jesus is not from God, but is the spirit of Antichrist, whose coming you were warned about.
Well, now he is here, in the world. Children you have already overcome these false prophets, because you are from God and you have in you one who is greater than anyone in this world; as for them, they are of the world,
and so they speak the language of the world
and the world listens to them.
But we are children of God,
and those who know God listen to us;those who are not of God refuse to listen to us.
This is how we can tell
the spirit of truth from the spirit of falsehood.

Gospel

Matthew 4:12-17,23-25
The people that lived in darkness have seen a great light

Hearing that John had been arrested, Jesus went back to Galilee, and leaving Nazareth he went and settled in Capernaum, a lakeside town on the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali. In this way the prophecy of Isaiah was to be fulfilled:

‘Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali!
Way of the sea on the far side of Jordan, Galilee of the nations!
The people that lived in darkness has seen a great light; on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death
a light has dawned.’

From that moment Jesus began his preaching with the message, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’
He went round the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness among the people. His fame spread throughout Syria, and those who were suffering from diseases and painful complaints of one kind or another, the possessed, epileptics, the paralysed, were all brought to him, and he cured them. Large crowds followed him, coming from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judaea and Transjordania.

Yes in a sense holiness is far more difficult to strive for. To many it is far easier to go with the flow. To conform to the ways of the world so as not to stand out for the ‘wrong’ reasons. To be called stiff necked or old fashioned. Small or venial sins are okay, God will understand we are only human.

Really? Why would the Lord your God want less for you? Why would He want to allow you to fall into a greater pit? Your ways are not God ways, your thoughts are not His thoughts.

Those who strive for Holiness are those who recognise just how truly loved they are by God our Father. They seek out the Lamb of God, their Lord and saviour Jesus Christ to be His presence. To grow in their faith, knowledge and most of all their relationship with Him. Through Him love is revealed, love is fulfilled. His grace is sufficient for those who walk on the path to greater holiness.

Lord Jesus I want to always be in Your presence. Transform me Lord, grant me what I need to do Your will. And to lead others to the knowledge of You. Amen

First reading

1 John 3:7-10
No-one sins who has been begotten by God

My children, do not let anyone lead you astray:
to live a holy life is to be holy just as he is holy;
to lead a sinful life is to belong to the devil, since the devil was a sinner from the beginning.
It was to undo all that the devil has done that the Son of God appeared.
No one who has been begotten by God sins;because God’s seed remains inside him,
he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God.

In this way we distinguish the children of God
from the children of the devil: anybody not living a holy life and not loving his brother is no child of God’s.

Gospel

John 1:35-42
‘We have found the Messiah’

As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God.’ Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’ They answered, ‘Rabbi,’ – which means Teacher – ‘where do you live?’ ‘Come and see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour.
One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ – which means the Christ – and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ – meaning Rock.

Only those who strive for Holiness and walk in the light of Christ, can point out the way to Him. And declare that Jesus is truly the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

For their very own lives have been transfigured by Him. People see the change from perhaps wretchedness into holiness. They witness the joy and peace in the hearts of these souls touched by the Holy name of Jesus. The only name that can save.

So dear sisters and brothers in Christ, we who are indeed God’s children have a duty to respond to the call to Holiness. So that we can become powerful beacons of His love, leading His flock safely back to Him. Amen

First reading

1 John 2:29-3:6
Everyone must try to be as pure as Christ

You know that God is righteous – then you must recognise that everyone whose life is righteous
has been begotten by him.

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.
Anyone who sins at all breaks the law, because to sin is to break the law.
Now you know that he appeared in order to abolish sin, and that in him there is no sin;
anyone who lives in God does not sin, and anyone who sins
has never seen him or known him.

Gospel

John 1:29-34
‘Look: there is the Lamb of God’

Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.” Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’

To believe and live in Christ Jesus is a great gift from our ever living lord and God. It is not always a bed of roses as there will be moments of great trials. Yet He our Lord will be at our side through it all, we have nothing to fear. We live fully in His peace and joy.

We too are called to encourage our brethren to turn away from sin and be reconciled with the Lord our God. To prepare the way for our Lord so as to receive Him fully into their hearts. For life in Christ is life to the full! And together we will stand ready to greet Him when He comes again.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and forever. Amen

Saints Basil the Great
and Gregory Nazianzen pray for us….

First reading

1 John 2:22-28
The anointing he gave you teaches you everything

The man who denies that Jesus is the Christ – he is the liar, he is Antichrist; and he is denying the Father as well as the Son, because no one who has the Father can deny the Son, and to acknowledge the Son is to have the Father as well.
Keep alive in yourselves what you were taught in the beginning: as long as what you were taught in the beginning is alive in you,
you will live in the Son
and in the Father; and what is promised to you by his own promise is eternal life.
This is all that I am writing to you about the people who are trying to lead you astray.
But you have not lost the anointing that he gave you,
and you do not need anyone to teach you; the anointing he gave teaches you everything;
you are anointed with truth, not with a lie, and as it has taught you, so you must stay in him.
Live in Christ, then, my children, so that if he appears, we may have full confidence, and not turn from him in shame at his coming.

Gospel

John 1:19-28
‘One is coming after me who existed before me’

This is how John appeared as a witness. When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ he not only declared, but he declared quite openly, ‘I am not the Christ.’ ‘Well then,’ they asked ‘are you Elijah?’ ‘I am not’ he said. ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ So they said to him, ‘Who are you? We must take back an answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?’ So John said, ‘I am, as Isaiah prophesied:

a voice that cries in the wilderness: Make a straight way for the Lord.’

Now these men had been sent by the Pharisees, and they put this further question to him, ‘Why are you baptising if you are not the Christ, and not Elijah, and not the prophet?’ John replied, ‘I baptise with water; but there stands among you – unknown to you – the one who is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo his sandal-strap.’ This happened at Bethany, on the far side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.

How wonderfully and completely loved we are to have Mary, mother of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ as our mother.

For through her, the face of our Lord’s shine most profoundly on us. Through her immaculate heart she guides us to the way of perfection in Him. Through her intercession our hearts, minds and actions are purified and made pleasing to our Lord. She is our mother, do we honour her as we should? Nothing pleases our Blessed Mother more than that we listen to her son’s will for us. And so she is always by our side to help us along the right path.

O Blessed Mother pray for us your children who love you dearly. Amen

First reading

Numbers 6:22-27
They are to call down my name on the sons of Israel, and I will bless them

The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Say this to Aaron and his sons: “This is how you are to bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.”

This is how they are to call down my name on the sons of Israel, and I will bless them.’

Second reading

Galatians 4:4-7
God sent his Son, born of a woman

When the appointed time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law and to enable us to be adopted as sons. The proof that you are sons is that God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts: the Spirit that cries, ‘Abba, Father’, and it is this that makes you a son, you are not a slave any more; and if God has made you son, then he has made you heir.

Gospel

Luke 2:16-21
The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger

The shepherds hurried away to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told.
When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.

The almighty and ever living Word of God was born to us in a lowly manger. He became for us the bread of life, the wine of our salvation! So that His life flows through us, nourishes and brings to birth new life in Him.

It is His Word alone that unites everyone to the truth
Those who would have His word distorted seek only to cause divisiin. They are not of the light as we children of God our Father are of the light. For we the children of God carry the light within us to manifest His glory, through Christ our Lord.

May the grace and love of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, reign in our hearts now and forever. Amen

First reading

1 John 2:18-21
You have been anointed by the Holy One

Children, these are the last days;
you were told that an Antichrist must come,
and now several antichrists have already appeared; we know from this that these are the last days.
Those rivals of Christ came out of our own number, but they had never really belonged; if they had belonged, they would have stayed with us; but they left us, to prove that not one of them ever belonged to us.
But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and have all received the knowledge.
It is not because you do not know the truth that I am writing to you
but rather because you know it already
and know that no lie can come from the truth.

Gospel

John 1:1-18
The Word was made flesh, and lived among us

In the beginning was the Word: and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things came to be, not one thing had its being but through him.
All that came to be had life in him and that life was the light of men, a light that shines in the dark, a light that darkness could not overpower.

A man came, sent by God.
His name was John. He came as a witness, as a witness to speak for the light, so that everyone might believe through him. He was not the light, only a witness to speak for the light.

The Word was the true light
that enlightens all men; and he was coming into the world.
He was in the world that had its being through him, and the world did not know him.
He came to his own domain
and his own people did not accept him.
But to all who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God, to all who believe in the name of him
who was born not out of human stock or urge of the flesh
or will of man but of God himself.

The Word was made flesh,
he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John appears as his witness. He proclaims: ‘This is the one of whom I said: He who comes after me ranks before me because he existed before me.’

Indeed, from his fullness we have, all of us, received –
yes, grace in return for grace, since, though the Law was given through Moses,
grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God;
it is the only Son, who is nearest to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

We children of God our Heavenly Father are called to love and to be witnesses of His great love for us, the sign of our redemption; our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

God Himself came down to the pits of our earthly existence to elevate us to divine life with Him. The Holy Innocents bear witness to this love for they adore Him together with the Saints in Heaven. The light of the world shone on their innocent faces. And they have become beacons by their death for Him.

Let us likewise become beacons of His light and love by turning to Him for the grace to overcome all sin and to live more fully in His love. To proclaim our liberation from sin through our Lord Jesus Christ and to share the joy of His Word that gives us Life. Amen

First reading

1 John 1:5-2:2
The blood of Jesus Christ purifies us all from sin

This is what we have heard from Jesus Christ,
and the message that we are announcing to you: God is light; there is no darkness in him at all.
If we say that we are in union with God while we are living in darkness, we are lying because we are not living the truth.
But if we live our lives in the light, as he is in the light, we are in union with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

If we say we have no sin in us, we are deceiving ourselves and refusing to admit the truth; but if we acknowledge our sins,
then God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and purify us from everything that is wrong.
To say that we have never sinned is to call God a liar
and to show that his word is not in us.

I am writing this, my children, to stop you sinning; but if anyone should sin, we have our advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ, who is just;
he is the sacrifice that takes our sins away, and not only ours, but the whole world’s.

Gospel

Matthew 2:13-18
The massacre of the innocents

After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:

I called my son out of Egypt.

Herod was furious when he realised that he had been outwitted by the wise men, and in Bethlehem and its surrounding district he had all the male children killed who were two years old or under, reckoning by the date he had been careful to ask the wise men. It was then that the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah were fulfilled:

A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loudly lamenting:
it was Rachel weeping for her children,
refusing to be comforted because they were no more.

Why do we proclaim with great fervour that Jesus Christ is Lord? Because He is the living God made flesh to save us, so that we have eternal life with Him.

This is a fact for all ages. Through and by His Resurrection witnessed by the Martyrs and the Saints we have life and to the full. This truth, our faith unites all Christians. With burning zeal and love for our Lord Jesus Christ, we share His love with all. To unite all God’s children so that stand one with and in Him. Now and forever. Amen

St John the Apostle pray for us….

First reading

1 John 1:1-4
The Word, who is life – this is our subject

Something which has existed since the beginning, that we have heard, and we have seen with our own eyes;
that we have watched and touched with our hands:
the Word, who is life –
this is our subject.
That life was made visible:
we saw it and we are giving our testimony, telling you of the eternal life which was with the Father and has been made visible to us.
What we have seen and heard we are telling you
so that you too may be in union with us, as we are in union with the Father
and with his Son Jesus Christ.
We are writing this to you to make our own joy complete.

Gospel

John 20:2-8
The other disciple saw, and he believed

On the first day of the week Mary of Magdala 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.’
So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in. Simon Peter who was following now came up, went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed.

You and I are called to bear witness to the truth, the light and the way. To be a light within the world so as to bring the joy of heaven to God’s children who have lost their way. To share in the salvation to be found in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many will refuse to listen and some of us might face danger and hardships in bearing the truth. We take comfort that we will never be alone through it all. For the Lord will be with us every step of the way. We are destined for eternal life with Him, so what have we to fear?

St Stephen Holy Martyr for Christ, pray for us. Amen

First reading

Acts 6:8-10,7:54-59
The martyrdom of Stephen

Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people. But then certain people came forward to debate with Stephen, some from Cyrene and Alexandria who were members of the synagogue called the Synagogue of Freedmen, and others from Cilicia and Asia. They found they could not get the better of him because of his wisdom, and because it was the Spirit that prompted what he said. They were infuriated when they heard this, and ground their teeth at him.
But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. ‘I can see heaven thrown open’ he said ‘and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they all rushed at him, sent him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’

Gospel

Matthew 10:17-22
The Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘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.’

Let us humble ourselves before the Lord our God always. And never assume or presume that all we say and do will be pleasing to Him. Instead let us be fervent in our prayers striving to discern always His will for us and being obedient in carrying out His will for us.

For we have a faithful God that has kept all His promises. In the canticle of Zechariah we hear of the faithfulness of the Lord our God which fills our hearts with hope and joy. It also encourages us to prepare the hearts of others so that they to too can receive our Lord Jesus Christ and be filled with the same love, hope, peace and joy we have received.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and forever. Amen

First reading

2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12,14,16
Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me

Once David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.’
But that very night the word of the Lord came to Nathan:
‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. And when your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. I will be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does evil, I will punish him with the rod such as men use, with strokes such as mankind gives. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’

Gospel

Luke 1:67-79
‘You, little child, shall be the prophet of the Most High’

John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:

‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel for he has visited his people, he has come to their rescue and he has raised up for us a power for salvation in the House of his servant David, even as he proclaimed,
by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times,
that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of all who hate us.
Thus he shows mercy to our ancestors, thus he remembers his holy covenant the oath he swore to our father Abraham
that he would grant us, free from fear, to be delivered from the hands of our enemies, to serve him in holiness and virtue in his presence, all our days. And you, little child, you shall be called Prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins;
this by the tender mercy of our God
who from on high will bring the rising Sun to visit us,
to give light to those who live
in darkness and the shadow of death
and to guide our feet
into the way of peace.”

For the greater glory of God! Ad maiorem Dei gloriam.

This is what we do when we are born again into loving service of God and neighbour through our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

Everything we say and do has only one purpose. Ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus. That in all things God may be glorified.

Let us then be sent to glorify the Lord our God by our lives. Amen

O Blessed Mother pray for us…

First reading

1 Samuel 1:24-28
This is the child I prayed for: he is made over to the Lord.

When Hannah had weaned the infant Samuel, she took him up with her together with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the temple of the Lord at Shiloh; and the child was with them. They slaughtered the bull and the child’s mother came to Eli. She said, ‘If you please, my lord. As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. This is the child I prayed for, and the Lord granted me what I asked him. Now I make him over to the Lord for the whole of his life. He is made over to the Lord.’
There she left him, for the Lord.

Gospel

Luke 1:46-56
The Almighty has done great things for me

Mary said:

‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm, he has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy – according to the promise he made to our ancestors – of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.

Oh what joy it is to bring Christ our Lord to others. And we do so when we share His Word and rejoice in His presence.

Oh what joy it is when our hearts are ready to receive Him! For our hearts leapt with joy at His presence. We sing His praise and share most profoundly in His love. We embrace and cherish the loving exchange of dwelling in His love.

O blessed Mother you brought joy into the world when you said yes to the will of God our Father. Pray for us, that we too may be docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit so as to bring the joy of Christ Jesus our Lord into the world. Amen.

First reading

Song of Songs 2:8-14
See how my Beloved comes, leaping on the mountains

I hear my Beloved.
See how he comes leaping on the mountains, bounding over the hills. My Beloved is like a gazelle, like a young stag.

See where he stands
behind our wall. He looks in at the window, he peers through the lattice.

My Beloved lifts up his voice,
he says to me, ‘Come then, my love, my lovely one, come. For see, winter is past,
the rains are over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth. The season of glad songs has come, the cooing of the turtledove is heard
in our land. The fig tree is forming its first figs and the blossoming vines give out their fragrance.
Come then, my love, my lovely one, come. My dove, hiding in the clefts of the rock, in the coverts of the cliff, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is beautiful.’

Gospel

Luke 1:39-45
Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?

Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’

If we say we love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our mind, our soul and strength then obedience to His will for us is key. It unlocks for us the graces we need and the courage to be His instruments of His great love for us.

Emmanuel indeed! In all things at all times!

O blessed Mother you inspire us be faithful and obedient unto the Lord our God. Continue to pray for us that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ your Son. Amen.

First reading

Isaiah 7:10-14
The maiden is with child

The Lord spoke to Ahaz and said, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.’ ‘No,’ Ahaz answered ‘I will not put the Lord to the test.’

Then Isaiah said:

‘Listen now, House of David:
are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men
without trying the patience of my God, too?
The Lord himself, therefore,
will give you a sign.
It is this: the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel, a name which means “God-is-with-us.”’

Gospel

Luke 1:26-38
‘I am the handmaid of the Lord’

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.

We are all precious children of God our Father. Each one of us are given unique gifts and talents. So that we may live life to the fullest through service of one another and for His greater glory.

It is through the grace of God alone that our barren lives are filled with His peace and joy. He graciously rewards His faithful who are obedient unto Him. And it is His will that we lead and bring back those who have lost their way back to Him. To unite His flock, so that we can become one with and in Him.

Lord let it be done according to Your will for me. Amen

First reading

Judges 13:2-7,24-25
‘You will conceive and bear a son’

There was a man of Zorah of the tribe of Dan, called Manoah. His wife was barren, she had borne no children. The angel of the Lord appeared to this woman and said to her, ‘You are barren and have had no child. But from now on take great care. Take no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For you will conceive and bear a son. No razor is to touch his head, for the boy shall be God’s nazirite from his mother’s womb. It is he who will begin to rescue Israel from the power of the Philistines.’ Then the woman went and told her husband, ‘A man of God has just come to me; his presence was like the presence of the angel of God, he was so majestic. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not reveal his name to me. But he said to me, “You will conceive and bear a son. From now on, take no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For the boy shall be God’s nazirite from his mother’s womb to his dying day.”’
The woman gave birth to a son and called him Samson. The child grew, and the Lord blessed him; and the spirit of the Lord began to move him.

Gospel

Luke 1:5-25
‘Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son’

In the days of King Herod of Judaea there lived a priest called Zechariah who belonged to the Abijah section of the priesthood, and he had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron. Both were worthy in the sight of God, and scrupulously observed all the commandments and observances of the Lord. But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both getting on in years.
Now it was the turn of Zechariah’s section to serve, and he was exercising his priestly office before God when it fell to him by lot, as the ritual custom was, to enter the Lord’s sanctuary and burn incense there. And at the hour of incense the whole congregation was outside, praying.
Then there appeared to him the angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense. The sight disturbed Zechariah and he was overcome with fear. But the angel said to him, ‘Zechariah, do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you must name him John. He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must drink no wine, no strong drink. Even from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he will bring back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before him to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the disobedient back to the wisdom that the virtuous have, preparing for the Lord a people fit for him.’
Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years.’ The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel who stand in God’s presence, and I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. Listen! Since you have not believed my words, which will come true at their appointed time, you will be silenced and have no power of speech until this has happened.’ Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were surprised that he stayed in the sanctuary so long. When he came out he could not speak to them, and they realised that he had received a vision in the sanctuary. But he could only make signs to them, and remained dumb.
When his time of service came to an end he returned home. Some time later his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept to herself. ‘The Lord has done this for me’ she said ‘now that it has pleased him to take away the humiliation I suffered among men.’