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We the faithful shall all see the glory of God at our passing from this earth.

For now while we toil, let us give glory to God by our lives. In word and in deed. We will perform equally, our civic duties and spirit led duties diligently. For all that we do, we want to give glory to our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

For in His great love and mercy, He has prepared rooms for us to remain in paradise with Him. Now and forever. Amen

First reading

Ezekiel 1:2-5,24-28
Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of the Lord

On the fifth of the month – it was the fifth year of exile for King Jehoiachin – the word of the Lord was addressed to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldaeans, on the bank of the river Chebar.
There the hand of the Lord came on me. I looked; a stormy wind blew from the north, a great cloud with light around it, a fire from which flashes of lightning darted, and in the centre a sheen like bronze at the heart of the fire. In the centre I saw what seemed four animals. I heard the noise of their wings as they moved; it sounded like rushing water, like the voice of Shaddai, a noise like a storm, like the noise of a camp; when they halted, they folded their wings, and there was a noise.
Above the vault over their heads was something that looked like a sapphire; it was shaped like a throne and high up on this throne was a being that looked like a man. I saw him shine like bronze, and close to and all around him from what seemed his loins upwards was what looked like fire; and from what seemed his loins downwards I saw what looked like fire, and a light all round like a bow in the clouds on rainy days; that is how the surrounding light appeared. It was something that looked like the glory of the Lord. I looked, and prostrated myself.

Gospel

Matthew 17:22-27
‘They will put the Son of Man to death’

One day when they were together in Galilee, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men; they will put him to death, and on the third day he will be raised to life again.’ And a great sadness came over them.
When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel came to Peter and said, ‘Does your master not pay the half-shekel?’ ‘Oh yes’ he replied, and went into the house. But before he could speak, Jesus said, ‘Simon, what is your opinion? From whom do the kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from foreigners?’ And when he replied, ‘From foreigners’, Jesus said, ‘Well then, the sons are exempt. However, so as not to offend these people, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that bites, open its mouth and there you will find a shekel; take it and give it to them for me and for you.’

Praying, fasting and almsgiving are the three pillars of our faith. These lead us into a deeper relationship with the Lord our God. We become effective instruments of His grace only when our hearts are sanctified. When we know that we are mere servants of His grace and it is through His great love and mercy that enables us to touch others according to His will.

Yes indeed if one had faith the size of a mustard seed that is to say, one who sees oneself as little in the eyes of God, who is humble, pure of heart, a servant of the Lord and to their brethren. Great things will be accomplished through such faith in Jesus name, for the Lord dwells in hearts such as these.

Lord Jesus grant me such faith as to humbly serve as an instrument of Your grace. Amen

First reading

Habakkuk 1:12-2:4
If the vision comes slowly, wait: it will come without fail

Are not you, from ancient times the Lord,. my God, my Holy One, who never dies? O Lord, you have made this people an instrument of justice,
set it firm as a rock in order to punish.

Your eyes are too pure to rest on wickedness, you cannot look on at tyranny. Why do you look on while men are treacherous, and stay silent while the evil man swallows a better man than he?

You treat mankind like fishes in the sea,like creeping, masterless things.

A people, these, who catch all on their hook,who draw them with their net,in their dragnet gather them,and so, triumphantly, rejoice.

At this, they offer a sacrifice to their net,
and burn incense to their dragnet,for providing them with luxury and lavish food.

Are they then to empty their net unceasingly,
slaughtering nations without pity?

I will stand on my watchtower,and take up my post on my battlements,
watching to see what he will say to me, what answer he will make to my complaints.

Then the Lord answered and said, ‘Write the vision down, inscribe it on tablets to be easily read,since this vision is for its own time only:
eager for its own fulfilment, it does not deceive;if it comes slowly, wait,for come it will, without fail.

‘See how he flags, he whose soul is not at rights,but the upright man will live by his faithfulness.’

Gospel

Matthew 17:14-20
If your faith were the size of a mustard seed, the mountain would move

A man came up to Jesus and went down on his knees before him. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘take pity on my son: he is a lunatic and in a wretched state; he is always falling into the fire or into the water. I took him to your disciples and they were unable to cure him.’ ‘Faithless and perverse generation!’ Jesus said in reply ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.’ And when Jesus rebuked it the devil came out of the boy who was cured from that moment.
Then the disciples came privately to Jesus. ‘Why were we unable to cast it out?’ they asked. He answered, ‘Because you have little faith. I tell you solemnly, if your faith were the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it would move; nothing would be impossible for you.’

How do you receive the abundant graces the Lord our God wants to pour out on you when both your hands are full? Full of your material gain, pride, recognition, title of honour, fear of losing and more. Unless you empty your hands to receive Him, your heart is empty.

When we die in the Lord, that is to offer up our life in loving sacrifice, we rise again in Him! More fully alive then we have ever been. So that even when we give till it hurts, we can do so joyfully. Knowing full well our reward is not of this world.

Lord Jesus let me be Your servant through and through in Your truth. Amen

First reading

2 Corinthians 9:6-10
God loves a cheerful giver

Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver. And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works. As scripture says: He was free in almsgiving, and gave to the poor: his good deeds will never be forgotten.
The one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide you with all the seed you want and make the harvest of your good deeds a larger one.

Gospel

John 12:24-26
If a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it yields a rich harvest

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘I tell you, most solemnly,
unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies,
it remains only a single grain;
but if it dies,
it yields a rich harvest.
Anyone who loves his life loses it;
anyone who hates his life in this world
will keep it for the eternal life.
If a man serves me, he must follow me,
wherever I am, my servant will be there too.
If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.’

Yes indeed we know right from wrong for we are all children of God our Father,created in His image and likeness. His law is written in our hearts. In His great love for us He also gave us free will; so that we can choose either to love and honour Him by our lives or not.

Then again in great abounding love for us, Jesus established His church. So that we have access to the sacraments to remain fully in union with Him;most importantly of all He is present to us. We are one body in Him.

Thereafter each and every Eucharistic Celebration we go out to share the good news of our Risen Lord even amidst trials and challenges. For we know He the Lord is with us always. Amen

First reading

Jeremiah 31:31-34
I will write my Law in their hearts

See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel (and the House of Judah), but not a covenant like the one I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant of mine, so I had to show them who was master. It is the Lord who speaks. No, this is the covenant I will make with the House of Israel when those days arrive – it is the Lord who speaks. Deep within them I will plant my Law, writing it on their hearts. Then I will be their God and they shall be my people. There will be no further need for neighbour to try to teach neighbour, or brother to say to brother, ‘Learn to know the Lord!’ No, they will all know me, the least no less than the greatest – it is the Lord who speaks – since I will forgive their iniquity and never call their sin to mind.

Gospel

Matthew 16:13-23
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.’ Then he gave the disciples strict orders not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
From that time Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. ‘Heaven preserve you, Lord;’ he said ‘this must not happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.’

Who but the Lord our God alone can declare I love you with an everlasting love and truly mean it. Such is His love that even those who have little or no knowledge of Him, when they turn to Him for help in faith;He answers their prayers. This is our God! All merciful and loving, how then should we revere Him? If not by obedience, faithfulness and love.

How then can we place conditions on our brethren before loving them as we should? For the Lord our God Himself loved us first even though we were sinners. By His grace alone we are saved.

Lord Jesus grant me perseverance of faith in loving and serving You; and my brethren. Amen

First reading

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

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

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

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

Gospel

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

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

When we choose to sin, we cast ourselves out into the wilderness which leads to pain, anguish and desolation. Our only hope is to respond to the Lord our God’s call to repentance. He will heal and restore us. Our faith in Him will save us.

The greatest thing is to put all our faith and trust in Jesus Christ our Lord. To His loving gaze upon us as we look upon Him in Adoration. He is our God and we are His people. In that perfect Union miracles can happen through Him who wills it so. However if we allow the cares of the world to overwhelm us, to be swept away by anxiety then we will surely sink into despair. Do not abandon hope but call out to Jesus who saves, for He is always ready to pick us up and carry us if need be. He never abandons His flock.

Lord Jesus I fix my gaze upon You this day and always. Amen

First reading

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

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

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

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

Gospel

Matthew 14:22-36
Jesus walks on the water

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head-wind. In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake, and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. ‘It is a ghost’ they said, and cried out in fear. But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ It was Peter who answered. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.’ ‘Come’ said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. ‘Lord! Save me!’ he cried. Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. ‘Man of little faith,’ he said ‘why did you doubt?’ And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God.’
Having made the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. When the local people recognised him they spread the news through the whole neighbourhood and took all that were sick to him, begging him just to let them touch the fringe of his cloak. And all those who touched it were completely cured.

The transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ is a mystery indeed. Why reveal His glory to just a few chosen disciples when He hid it so well, then warn them to tell no one till after His Resurrection of which they had no clue on what this could mean.

Let’s look at this through the lens of His love. And see ourselves as His chosen few. We would be distraught to learn of our Lord and master’s death. Where is the hope in an uncertain future? What will happen to us and our families? Then we see the Lord our God’s plan of our salvation unfold as we see that through His Resurrection we too have hope to rise with Him in His glory. His glory foretold, His glory revealed in part at the transfiguration and His glory revealed in full at His Resurrection. All sorrow and emptiness is turned to joy. Glory and Praise be to our Risen Lord in whom we have life. Amen

First reading

Daniel 7:9-10,13-14
His robe was white as snow

As I watched:

Thrones were set in place
and one of great age took his seat. His robe was white as snow, the hair of his head as pure as wool.
His throne was a blaze of flames, its wheels were a burning fire.
A stream of fire poured out, issuing from his presence.
A thousand thousand waited on him, ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
A court was held and the books were opened.

And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man. He came to the one of great age and was led into his presence.
On him was conferred sovereignty, glory and kingship, and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.
His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty
which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed.

Gospel

Mark 9:2-10
This is my Son, the Beloved

Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter spoke to Jesus: ‘Rabbi,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say; they were so frightened. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and there came a voice from the cloud, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’ Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.
As they came down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what ‘rising from the dead’ could mean.

Speaking up for the truth is never easy. Yet it could make the difference of soul saved or lost. And there is nothing more precious then the saving of souls. We know this to be true because our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ spoke the truth always, urging us to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand then sacrificed His life for us so that we might have hope of eternal life with Him.

Not all of us will be called to give up our lives for speaking the truth or for pointing the way to our Lord Jesus Christ. But even if we were to lay down our lives for His namesake, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain! For the world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. Amen

First reading

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

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

Gospel

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

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

Is it not better to share the word of the Lord with people you know? Others say it is better to share with strangers who do not know you or where you are from. Most will say it is better to be silent then to face the prospect of rejection, ridicule or putting yourself in harm’s way. Why bother at all? Just pray and be faithful in your own.

For one the Lord our God commanded us all, to go make disciples of all nations. Baptising and teaching them His ways. And even if only one soul listens and its saved, there will be much rejoicing in heaven. Because someone cared and loved perhaps that is why your very own heart was changed?

In essence we are not called to be liked or loved, we are called instead to love everyone with the love of God;to share His word and truth with them.

Lord, let Your word be a lamp unto my feet. Amen

First reading

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

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

Gospel

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

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

There is no doubt there one day soon our time on earth will come to an end. The reality is that while we hope that all of us will be in heaven with God our Father, those who choose to do evil and separate themselves from the Lord their God will be cast out by their choices.

Before the clay is set allow the Lord your God to mould you into who you are meant to be and more! Accept trials and challenges that come your way for they can purify and strengthen you. Soon you will find that you’ve become a powerful instrument of His grace. Your obedience and faithfulness will lead you and those who follow, into the heavenly Kingdom. Praise be to God! Amen

First reading

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

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

Gospel

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

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

Living out our Christian faith is far from easy. You might say it is the most challenging thing to do in anyone’s life. Add the multiplier if you’re Catholic. For then even your fellow Christians who do not yet understand, look upon you with suspicion even disdain. Why then even bother? How do we not complain or rebel?

Simply because we have found the treasure of the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ our Lord and His Church of which He founded upon His rock. By living in His truth we live in the comfort of knowing He is with us always come what may. And so even amidst trials and sufferings we have peace, love and joy in our hearts.

Lord Jesus, let me be a beacon for Your Kingdom. Amen

First reading

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

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

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

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

Gospel

Matthew 13:44-46
He sells everything he owns and buys the field

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.
‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.’

We may at one point of our life perhaps for lack of better judgement fallen into sin. And sowed as darnel by the evil one to provoke others into sin. It does not mean our fate of impending death is cast in stone. For so long as we breathe we have hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, for new life in Him.

So turn to Him always! Listen to Jesus calling out to you, come to Him with contrite hearts and He will purify and sanctify you. For He alone can turn all curses into blessings. And we will take our places with the virtuous glorifying the Lord our God now and forever. Amen

First reading

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

The Lord said to me:

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

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

Gospel

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

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

How much have you grown in your relationship with the Lord our God? Are you living a spirit filled life ever growing in His love? Striving to be faithful and growing in holiness. Does your family and friends see the wonderful changes in you? Are you part of a community growing and journeying together on the living word of God? Welcoming and reaching out to those in need?

Then for you the kingdom of God is close at hand. Amen

First reading

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

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

Gospel

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

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

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

We cannot lead lives of duplicity! Holy, good and proper when we are on church grounds. Then a free for all on the outside. Where is our integrity? Honour? Most of all love?

Yet the Lord is ever patient and merciful. He waits for us to come to Him with proper contrite hearts. And He will sanctify us. And so at every Eucharistic Celebration then must be a communion of hearts, for having received His body, we before one in Him and with one another. We are sent at the end to bear witness to Him by sharing His love with all we meet, through all that we say and do in His name.

The time for conversion is now… Amen

First reading

Jeremiah 7:1-11
Reform your behaviour and I will stay here with you, says the Lord

The word that was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘Go and stand at the gate of the Temple of the Lord and there proclaim this message. Say, “Listen to the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who come in by athese gates to worship the Lord. The Lord Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this: Amend your behaviour and your actions and I will stay with you here in this place. Put no trust in delusive words like these: This is the sanctuary of the Lord, the sanctuary of the Lord, the sanctuary of the Lord! But if you do amend your behaviour and your actions, if you treat each other fairly, if you do not exploit the stranger, the orphan and the widow (if you do not shed innocent blood in this place), and if you do not follow alien gods, to your own ruin, then here in this place I will stay with you, in the land that long ago I gave to your fathers for ever. Yet here you are, trusting in delusive words, to no purpose! Steal, would you, murder, commit adultery, perjure yourselves, burn incense to Baal, follow alien gods that you do not know? – and then come presenting yourselves in this Temple that bears my name, saying: Now we are safe – safe to go on committing all these abominations! Do you take this Temple that bears my name for a robbers’ den? I, at any rate, am not blind – it is the Lord who speaks.”’

Gospel

Matthew 13:24-30
Let them both grow till the harvest

Jesus put another parable before the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel appeared as well. The owner’s servants went to him and said, “Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?” “Some enemy has done this” he answered. And the servants said, “Do you want us to go and weed it out?” But he said, “No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn.”’

What state are we in when receiving the living word of the Lord our God? Has the stubbornness of our heart filled with pride and sin closed our ears? Or have we allowed the worries and cares of the world to overcome all our senses?

Pray that we are grace filled, faithful and upon listening to His Word plant it deep within and without. By planting we, understand, live, share and teach the Word. This is how we internalise His precious Word and is thereby planted in rich soil which bear fruit.

Oh the Word of my Lord, deep within my being. Oh the Word of my Lord, You have filled my mind. Amen

First reading

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

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

Gospel

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

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

How do expect to hear the loving word of God spoken to you if you refuse to be obedient and faithful to Him? When you allow your sinful ways and inclinations to shut your ears to His call for repentance. When your heart, mind and soul is closed to the living water outpoured for you so that you might have life to the full?

Indeed those who strive for Holiness can hear Him clearly and they rejoice for His peace and joy reign in their hearts. Do not be discouraged for those reading this message there is still time. To turn your hearts back to Him. Come to Jesus and He will heal you. He will open your ears, mind and hearts. And your lips will once again be opened to praise and glorify Him. Then you can and will be blessing to all those around you. Amen

First reading

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

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

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

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

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

Gospel

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

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

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

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

`I serve the Lord my God.’ Really do you? When you are not concerned with the well being of your fellow men? Especially the widow, the hungry, poor and sick? When you care little about your community, by not showing up for the sharing of the word, prayer meetings or not contributing in the general meeting. By not welcoming the parishioners but meeting them with a sense of irritability or resentment or would rather engage in your own personal conversations. When you seek the approval, recognition and praise of others, your peers, the priests instead of the Lord Your God. Whom do you actually serve if not Yourself?

For our Lord Jesus Christ clearly showed us the way to serve the Lord our God and to do His will. And that is to love one another as He loved us. By laying down our life for another though not all are called to endure a physical death. For just as He came to serve and not be served so by His example we too shall serve. With love and joy in our hearts no matter what may come our way. For He our Lord is with us every step of the way.

St James the Apostle pray for us. Amen

First reading

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

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

Gospel

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

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

I know no other merciful and loving God. One who truly loves and cares for His people. One who hopes and prays for their conversion, their turning away from sin to return to Him. So that they might have life to the full and eternally with Him. A loving Father that sent His son to bridge the great divide, so that we can become sons and daughters;brothers and sisters to one another.

All that He asks of us is to do His Will. His will that only brings forth life, love, peace and joy. Amen

First reading

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

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

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

Gospel

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

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

Are you waiting for the Lord’s second coming before you start believing? Before you get your life ordered towards Him? In the meantime going for mass, if you go at all, out of obligation in case it might be true that the Lord is God. How is your heart changed?

He is already here and has in a sense never left. The faithful can feel His presence. When they gather in His name. They see Him at every Eucharistic Celebration and while in Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. And with every encounter they strive to grow in love and holiness. To act justly, walk humbly and love their neighbour tenderly.

Jesus my Lord, help me to love others as You do. Amen

First reading

Micah 6:1-4,6-8
The Lord asks only this: to act justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly

Listen to what the Lord is saying:

Stand up and let the case begin in the hearing of the mountains and let the hills hear what you say.
Listen, you mountains, to the Lord’s accusation, give ear, you foundations of the earth,for the Lord is accusing his people, pleading against Israel:
My people, what have I done to you,how have I been a burden to you? Answer me.
I brought you out of the land of Egypt,I rescued you from the house of slavery;I sent Moses to lead you,with Aaron and Miriam.

– ‘With what gift shall I come into the Lord’s presence and bow down before God on high?
Shall I come with holocausts, with calves one year old?
Will he be pleased with rams by the thousand,with libations of oil in torrents?
Must I give my first-born for what I have done wrong,the fruit of my body for my own sin?’

– What is good has been explained to you, man;this is what the Lord asks of you:only this, to act justly, to love tenderly
and to walk humbly with your God.

Gospel

Matthew 12:38-42
There is something greater than Solomon here

Some of the scribes and Pharisees spoke up. ‘Master,’ they said ‘we should like to see a sign from you.’ He replied, ‘It is an evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a sign! The only sign it will be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the sea-monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.’

Be holy as you are called to be. Not some of the time but all the time. Do not allow for vengeful thoughts that lead to the planning and execution of evil. For the Lord our God knows all that goes on in minds and hearts. Turn to Him instead with your troubles and He will grant you His peace.

Jesus has not come to crush sinners, but to embrace and offer them life. A life of peace and joy with love in their hearts. So let always turn to Him with repentant hearts, so that through His mercy and love we will be set free to live fully in His love. Amen

First reading

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

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

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

Gospel

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

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

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

Indeed we have a compassionate and merciful God who listens and answers the prayers of His faithful. Who gave us laws and commandments in love. So that we might be lead faithful lives ordered towards right worship of Him who provides all that we need in His love.

No law is above love! Hence in leading others closer towards the Lord our God, our stewardship must be rooted in His love and mercy. While there are times for hard work so too there must be times of rest, prayer and being in Lord’s presence. For He is the Lord of the sabbath, the bread of life! Through Him and Him alone we will have eternal life. Amen

First reading

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

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

Gospel

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

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

Have we not carried the burden of our sins enough? Are we not tired of the guilt? Or having failed to examine our conscience have fallen into greater sin? Have we also carried the burden of supporting our family alone or had other more ‘important’ focuses that resulted in neglect of prayer and worship of Him who created us in His image?

Come dear sisters and brothers, come to Jesus who loves you and is waiting for you to come to Him. He is standing with open arms to embrace you. To free you of the burden of sin, to set you free to love and be loved. To live more fully in His love.

Jesus it is in You alone that we have peace and joy. May Your Peace and love reign in our hearts, mind and soul always. Amen

First reading

Isaiah 26:7-9,12,16-19
‘Awake and exult, all you who lie in the dust’

The path of the upright man is straight, you smooth the way of the upright. Following the path of your judgements, we hoped in you, O Lord, your name, your memory are all my soul desires.

At night my soul longs for you and my spirit in me seeks for you; when your judgements appear on earth the inhabitants of the world learn the meaning of integrity.

O Lord, you are giving us peace, since you treat us
as our deeds deserve.

Distressed, we search for you, O Lord; the misery of oppression was your punishment for us.
As a woman with child near her time writhes and cries out in her pangs, so are we, O Lord, in your presence: we have conceived, we writhe as if we were giving birth; we have not given the spirit of salvation to the earth, no more inhabitants of the world are born.

Your dead will come to life, their corpses will rise; awake, exult, all you who lie in the dust,
for your dew is a radiant dew and the land of ghosts will give birth.

Gospel

Matthew 11:28-30
My yoke is easy and my burden light

Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

Instead of complaining for what we lack or being driven solely for the purpose of gaining wealth, are we grateful to the Lord our God for all that we have? Have we praised Him and offered thanksgiving? Have we ordered our lives to proper worship of Him so as to properly love our families and neighbour?

We go on thinking we have accomplished all that we have on our own. By our own strengths and wisdom. Hence even those who are illustrious in their studies of God end up knowing more about Him but not knowing Him personally in a relationship for they do not live their faith of any.

Today and everyday, let us invite Jesus personally into our lives. In everything we say and do, let the praise of God be on our lips. And in gratitude offer thanksgiving by living our lives according to His will for us. Amen

First reading

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

The Lord of hosts says this:

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

For he has said:

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

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

Gospel

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

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

It is only when someone cares enough that they will tell, even nag at you to change your ways for the better. Otherwise most will just give up and stop caring whether you lived or died. The love of our Lord Jesus Christ is such that He never stops loving and caring for you. Urging you to repent of your sins and come to Him. For He does not want you die in your sins.

There is no greater love for us then that of our loving Father in heaven. Let us choose then to be faithful and strive each day for greater holiness. With the grace He outpours on us each each day and our ardent desire to live in His love, we will surely be holy as He our heavenly Father is Holy. Amen

First reading

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

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

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

Gospel

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

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

We cannot buy our way of the evil committed against our sisters and brothers. And no amount of donations can make up for the proper worship of the Lord our God either. It is only through a sincere contrite heart seeking to love and be loved that we are redeemed.

In order to truly love our family and our brethren the way they ought to be loved, we must put the Lord our God first before all else. Only then can we love as He loves. With a love that is willing to be laid down for another.

Sweet heart of Jesus, let mine be moulded after Yours. Amen

First reading

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

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

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

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

Gospel

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

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

We should never feel inadequate or unworthy of speaking to others of God’s immense love for us and for others. Who better to touch the heart of a sinner then one who had sinned greatly in the past and was made whole again by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. For it through Jesus that our sin is purged and it is He alone then sanctifies us so that we can live In his love and be powerful instruments of His grace. All we need is to be obedient to His call.

Indeed when we acknowledge that He is the Lord of Lords, King of kings in our lives, He dwells in us. What then have we to fear? Or have need for? For He is with us in all situations at all times. So let us strive to be faithful as He the Lord our God is faithful and stand ready always to be sent as He wills. Amen

Glory and Praise to You O Lord Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen

First reading

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:

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

I answered, ‘Here I am, send me.’

Gospel

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

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

Have you ever wondered why the Lord is so patient in calling us over and over again to repentance? Apart from His genuine love for us, He knows we are a stubborn, headstrong lot. Some need more time and coaxing to realise just how empty their lives are without Him. Others are so entrenched in their sinful lives they rather bring others down with them for company then listen. Yet a few will eventually have a change of heart through the grace of the Lord our God.

We who strive for faithfulness and turn often to our beloved Lord and saviour Jesus Christ for the necessary graces to do so, are called to love. Love put into action through loving and humble servitude of brethren. To share the Gospel message of God’s love to all who will listen even those who refuse. Yes no doubt we will have many challenges, obstacles and much resistance but the Holy Spirit will be with us all the way. We will be guided on what to say and when. And we will often be astounded on greater reflection of how the word of God flowed through our lips to touch someone all because we were faithful.

Strengthen our faith and guard us against evil Lord, as we go forth to share Your Word according to Your will. Amen

First reading

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

The Lord says this:

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

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

Gospel

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

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

God our loving Father never abandons His children. Even though He is gentle and patient with us, we should never take Him for granted. For left to our own devices we are doomed. And He will leave us alone if we so choose.

Therefore He sends His faithful children out into the world, that by the power and grace of His son our Lord Jesus Christ; all His lost and downtrodden children may be gathered unto Him. For it is His will that all His children be saved. To share eternal life with Him.

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

First reading

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

Thus says the Lord:

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

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

Gospel

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

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

The kingdom of God is indeed at hand. Do you not think so? Some say there is still time, we are still young we will repent later. Fools! Do you know that today may be your last! Even so how have you lived your life? Do you have peace and joy in your heart? Do you have love in your heart for others and are loved by others? Or are you still searching for love? If so then you have not truly lived. For a child of God lives life to the full in His love.

You and I have been called by name, to seek our Lord’s lost sheep. And to lead them home to Him.
By proclaiming His love for them and His desire to raise them to new life in Him. This is our call, this is our mission. Amen

First reading

Hosea 10:1-3,7-8,12
Seek integrity and reap a harvest of kindness

Israel was a luxuriant vine yielding plenty of fruit. The more his fruit increased,the more altars he built;the richer his land became, the richer he made the sacred stones.
Their heart is a divided heart;very well, they must pay for it:the Lord is going to break their altars down and destroy their sacred stones. Then they will say,‘We have no king because we have not feared the Lord.’

But what can a king do for us? Samaria has had her day. Her king is like a straw drifting on the water. The idolatrous high places shall be destroyed –that sin of Israel;thorn and thistle will grow on their altars.Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’
and to the hills, ‘Fall on us!’

Sow integrity for yourselves,reap a harvest of kindness,break up your fallow ground: it is time to go seeking the Lord until he comes to rain salvation on you.

Gospel

Matthew 10:1-7
‘Go to the lost sheep of the House of Israel’

Jesus summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows:
‘Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’

Many are so caught up with the ways of the world that they are blinded. They do not see the toll it is taking on them and the lives of their families. Anxiety and depression are the norm. Some will eventually cry out,”Where is God?”

Yes indeed there are many searching for the Lord our God and yet few are responding to the call to lead them to Him. We all need to be obedient and respond in love to our calling. For He will pour out on us the graces we need to carry out our mission of love.

Here I am Lord, a labourer of Your love. Use me according to Your will. Amen

First reading

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

Thus says the Lord:

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

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

Gospel

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

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

No one can love us more than the Lord our God. For even when we led adulterous lives of sin and turned to idols for comfort; He called out to us through His prophets. To turn back to Him so as to save us from our own destruction.

Great is His love for us that just by turning to Him in faith He restores us completely. He takes away our guilt and shame. He breathes life into our once dead bodies. And beckons us to rise with Him into new life. This is our God! The one true and living God will love us to the end. Apart from Him there is no life, for He is the source of all life.

Thank You Jesus, praise You Jesus. You are the way, the truth and the life. Amen

First reading

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

It is the Lord who speaks:

I am going to lure her
and lead her out into the wilderness and speak to her heart.
I am going to give her back her vineyards, and make the Valley of Achor a gateway of hope.
There she will respond to me as she did when she was young, as she did when she came out of the land of Egypt.

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

Gospel

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

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

Homes without love are empty shells for dwelling. Dryness and thirst, unfulfilled needs. Disunity in the family. All these are the consequences of disobedience to the Lord our God. When sin is allowed to rule our hearts and mind everything we built is soon destroyed.

Only through Jesus can everything be restored. Can there be peace, love and joy. Let all hearts then be turned to Him. So that by dying to our sins, we can be transformed into new Wine. So that the life giving blood of Jesus can course through our veins.
His living word a lamp unto our feet.

Lord Jesus have mercy on me a sinner, break all the bonds of sin in me. That I may life a new life in You. Amen

O Blessed Mother intecede for us. Amen

First reading

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

It is the Lord who speaks:

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

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

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

Gospel

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

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

Those who oppress or cheat others through their greed and selfishness can never hear the life giving word of God. For they distant themselves from the love of the Lord their God through their sin and despicable acts.

Still God our Father sees hope in His creation and sent His son our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ to turn the hearts of sinners back to Him. This act of love and mercy is given through no merit of our own but by the divine love of God our Father who wills that all may be saved.

So then sisters and brothers in Christ, let us pray for one another especially for the conversion of all sinners. And do all we can to lead all lost souls back to Jesus. Amen

First reading

Amos 8:4-6,9-12
A famine not of bread, but of hearing the word of the Lord

Listen to this, you who trample on the needy and try to suppress the poor people of the country, you who say, ‘When will New Moon be over so that we can sell our corn, and sabbath, so that we can market our wheat?
Then by lowering the bushel, raising the shekel, by swindling and tampering with the scales, we can buy up the poor for money, and the needy for a pair of sandals, and get a price even for the sweepings of the wheat.’
That day – it is the Lord who speaks – I will make the sun go down at noon,
and darken the earth in broad daylight.
I am going to turn your feasts into funerals,
all your singing into lamentation; I will have your loins all in sackcloth, your heads all shaved.
I will make it a mourning like the mourning for an only son, as long as it lasts it will be like a day of bitterness.
See what days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – days when I will bring famine on the country, a famine not of bread, a drought not of water, but of hearing the word of the Lord.
They will stagger from sea to sea, wander from north to east, seeking the word of the Lord and failing to find it.

Gospel

Matthew 9:9-13
It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick

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

Always turn back to the Lord. Try hard as you may and yet you fall again into sin, do not be disheartened. For Jesus our Lord seeks to heal and restore you. Many have been sent to call you back to the Lord our God who loves you.

We must continue to fervently pray for one another. The world is teeming with distractions and temptations which seek to lead us away from God our Father. By our faith and prayers we will overcome them, for through our faith we are granted His graces. Go therefore to the Sacrament of reconciliation frequently, encouraging one another to do likewise. For Jesus Christ our Lord is waiting to embrace us. Amen

First reading

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

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

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

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

Gospel

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

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

By our baptism we are all called to Holiness. Let us not give up our birthright to eternal life for sin.

For if we choose to wallow in the filth of sin then we become more and more entrenched. Why remain trapped in the clutches of impending permanent death?

Choose to come before the Son of God, our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ with a contrite heart. He will liberate us from the filthy bonds of sin and cast out the evil into the abyss.

For we were made to love and be loved. To live life in the fullness of His grace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and forever. Amen

First reading

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

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

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

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

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

Gospel

Matthew 8:28-34
The Gadarene swine

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

In order to grow in love and faith as one community in Christ Jesus our Lord. We must first acknowledge that we are all individually special and so loved by God our Father that He sent His only begotten Son to redeem us for Himself. Then that each and everyone of us are truly sisters and brothers in Jesus, one as God our Father’s children.

Unless we put our knowledge of this into action it will not bear fruit, at home, church, work or anywhere for that matter. The great love we receive from the Lord our God must be put into action in our love for one another. Otherwise we will choose self before others, we will choose not to attend community prayer meetings, choose not to hear testimonies of our Lord by others, choose not to show up for church service, choose not to pray as family if to pray at all, choose to work long hours for money and where is God in all of these choices?

Jesus my Lord, St Thomas so yearned to see You for himself and You granted His prayer. Be with me always my Lord, my God. Amen

St Thomas pray for us.

First reading

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

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

Gospel

John 20:24-29
‘My Lord and my God!’

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

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

It is time to follow Jesus now. Because if you are waiting for the right time, there isn’t. By the time you think you may be ready then it may already be too late. For death calls on us at anytime. Come to Him in the present as you are. With all your sins, worries and anxieties and He will set you free.

Discipleship begins now! Too many have given excuses of no time, too far, too troublesome, no aptitude, too tired, something more urgent to attend to and so on. Really? What are you doing when you choose not to serve? Does it not come down to a lack of love and commitment? To will the good in another by our love. How many have to go on hungry and thirsty by our inaction to love?

Jesus my Lord, following You is not easy but I know it leads to eternal life with You. Be with me always. Amen

First Reading

Amos 2:6-10,13-16
Because of your crimes I will crush you into the ground

The Lord says this:

For the three crimes, the four crimes, of Israel
I have made my decree and will not relent:
because they have sold the virtuous man for silver
and the poor man for a pair of sandals, because they trample on the heads of ordinary people and push the poor out of their path, because father and son have both resorted to the same girl, profaning my holy name, because they stretch themselves out by the side of every altar
on clothes acquired as pledges, and drink the wine of the people they have fined in the house of their god…
Yet it was I who overthrew the Amorites when they attacked, men tall as cedars and strong as oaks,
I who destroyed them,
both fruit above ground
and root below.
It was I who brought you out of the land of Egypt
and for forty years led you through the wilderness to take possession of the Amorite’s country.
See then how I am going to crush you into the ground
as the threshing-sledge crushes when clogged by straw; flight will not save even the swift, the strong man will find his strength useless, the mighty man will be powerless to save himself.
The bowman will not stand his ground, the fast runner will not escape,
the horseman will not save himself, the bravest warriors will run away naked that day.
It is the Lord who speaks.

Gospel

Matthew 8:18-22
The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head

When Jesus saw the great crowds all about him he gave orders to leave for the other side. One of the scribes then came up and said to him, ‘Master, I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’
Another man, one of his disciples, said to him, ‘Sir, let me go and bury my father first.’ But Jesus replied, ‘Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their dead.’

We profess our faith once more at every at every Eucharistic Celebration, together with the centurion, “Lord I am not worthy that You should come under my roof, but only say the word and I shall be healed.” Do we however do so with humility and contrite spirits? Do we cry out to Him for mercy for our heinous sins against Him and one another? And so can we hearJesus our Lord’s response to us?

“I will come myself to cure you.” In His great mercy and love for us He will heal and restore us. He will set us free from our bondages of sin. So that we can live fully in Him.

Let us then sisters and brothers claim this promise of our Lord Jesus Christ. By turning our backs to sin and temptations. Let us be obedient to His word and will for us. So as to live in His Peace, love and joy. Now and forever. Amen

First reading

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gospel

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

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

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

Today as we call to mind, two heroic Martyrs of our faith;Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, we want to remember them for the lives they led. The many sacrifices they made for their fellowmen for the sake of the Gospel. They inspired and led many not only into a deep relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ but into discipleship.

Their obedience to the Lord and steadfast faith are exemplary. Because of this our Lord Jesus Christ was close to them, always at their side. No matter what came their way, they knew with unflinching faith that their master would say to them,”Today you will be with me in paradise.”

Dear Jesus my Lord, I am with many shortcomings. Help me overcome them as I strive to be your disciple, in mind, word, body and spirit. Amen

St Peter and St Paul pray for us. Amen

First reading

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

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

Second reading

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

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

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.’

Do not live a pretentious ‘Holy’ life. Duplicity will only bring you grief. Be genuine and loving in all things little or big for the Lord sees all. Many who serve or work in the church may think they have earned their salvation though this is far from the truth. We are called to Holiness, by His Word and in our deeds. How loving and forgiving we have been to our brethren especially in times trials and tribulations.

Let us be earnest and strive each day to deeper our relationship with the Lord our God. Be obedient unto Him, listen to His word as we faithfully carry our cross to follow our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus my Lord, You search me and You know me. Let me be found living in Your love always. Guide me all the days of my life. Amen

First reading

2 Kings 24:8-17
The first deportation into captivity in Babylon

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan, from Jerusalem. He did what is displeasing to the Lord, just as his father had done.
At that time the troops of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched on Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon himself came to attack the city while his troops were besieging it. Then Jehoiachin king of Judah surrendered to the king of Babylon, he, his mother, his officers, his nobles and his eunuchs, and the king of Babylon took them prisoner. This was in the eighth year of King Nebuchadnezzar.
The latter carried off all the treasures of the Temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace, and broke up all the golden furnishings that Solomon king of Israel had made for the sanctuary of the Lord, as the Lord had foretold. He carried off all Jerusalem into exile, all the nobles and all the notables, ten thousand of these were exiled, with all the blacksmiths and metalworkers; only the poorest people in the country were left behind. He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon, as also the king’s mother, his eunuchs and the nobility of the country; he made them all leave Jerusalem for exile in Babylon. All the men of distinction, seven thousand of them, the blacksmiths and metalworkers, one thousand of them, all of them men capable of bearing arms, were led into exile in Babylon by the king of Babylon.
The king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in succession to him, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

Gospel

Matthew 7:21-29
The wise man built his house on a rock

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?” Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!
‘Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’
Jesus had now finished what he wanted to say, and his teaching made a deep impression on the people because he taught them with authority, and not like their own scribes.

Do not be disheartened that you have sinned against the Lord our God. It is in our active search for Him that we find Him and through His goodness we become aware of our sins against Him and our brethren. He is ready to forgive and embrace us when we turn back to Him.

There are many still living very shallow lives. They want others to think they are holy and living honest lives. Yet there is no peace within them or their families. Others choose parts of their faith they hold to be true and reject the others either on their own or by the influence of others. Then there are those in authority, by their hurtful words and actions drive others away perhaps unaware. What is to be said about those who spread propaganda or fake news about faith. Simply where are the fruits of all these people? Are they leading anyone closer to our Lord Jesus Christ? Are they loving and merciful? Do they bring joy and hope?

Lord Jesus let me always follow Your way and Your truth. For You are the life I seek. Amen

First reading

2 Kings 22:8-13,23:1-3
The Book of the Law is found in the Temple of the Lord

The high priest Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the Book of the Law in the Temple of the Lord.’’’ And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it. Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him as follows, ‘Your servants’ he said ‘have melted down the silver which was in the Temple and have handed it over to the masters of works attached to the Temple of the Lord.’ Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, ‘Hilkiah the priest has given me a book’; and Shaphan read it aloud in the king’s presence.
On hearing the contents of the Book of the Law, the king tore his garments, and gave the following order to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s minister: ‘Go and consult the Lord, on behalf of me and the people, about the contents of this book that has been found. Great indeed must be the anger of the Lord blazing out against us because our ancestors did not obey what this book says by practising everything written in it.’
The king then had all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem summoned to him, and the king went up to the Temple of the Lord with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, priests, prophets and all the people, of high or low degree. In their hearing he read out everything that was said in the book of the covenant found in the Temple of the Lord. The king stood beside the pillar, and in the presence of the Lord he made a covenant to follow the Lord and keep his commandments and decrees and laws with all his heart and soul, in order to enforce the terms of the covenant as written in that book. All the people gave their allegiance to the covenant.

Gospel

Matthew 7:15-20
You will be able to tell them by their fruits

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves. You will be able to tell them by their fruits. Can people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, a sound tree produces good fruit but a rotten tree bad fruit. A sound tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a rotten tree bear good fruit. Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire. I repeat, you will be able to tell them by their fruits.’

The Lord our God is faithful to those who are faithful and obedient unto Him. He is our hope against all odds! He will never abandon us.

So then we must always choose the narrow path which leads to Him. Even when the world beckons for us to join them on the wider road. The easier one where we live it up and let live. Thinking that our future is bright even though it is only an Illusion. For life away from the Lord our God is shortlived.

So we must choose our battles with weapons of faith. Leave evil men and women alone to their own device. Lest they open their hearts to hear His word. Christ Jesus our Lord sees and knows all, He only wants what is best for us. And He has sent His holy spirit to guide us. Let us be docile to His promptings. Amen

First reading

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

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

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

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

‘“She despises you, she scorns you, the virgin, daughter of Zion;
she tosses her head behind you,the daughter of Jerusalem.”
‘This, then, is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:
‘“He will not enter this city, he will let fly no arrow against it, confront it with no shield, throw up no earthwork against it.
By the road that he came on he will return; he shall not enter this city. It is the Lord who speaks.
I will protect this city and save it for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”’

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

Gospel

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

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

We are all sinners in need for love and mercy. And so we should not try to see perfection in others for we will be surely be disappointed. We all have shortcomings one way or another. If we continue to only find and look into the faults in one another we will become bitter and soon find ourselves isolated.

Turn to the Lord our God who alone is perfect. With contrite hearts let Him take away our sins and purify us. Through Him we will look upon one another with eyes of love and mercy. We will be able to see the good in all that we meet. Together with all our imperfections we will work to build His Kingdom. Christ will make straight our crooked lines. Amen

First reading

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

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

Gospel

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

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

Do not be mistaken, we are not called to live carefree lives depending wholly on God our Father’s providence. If we love the Lord our God then we need to be obedient unto Him. Listen to His will for each and everyone of us.

When we work, we work for His glory, in fact in all that we do, we should do it well, so as to glorify Him. And indeed all we will ever need to build His Kingdom will be provided for. For our relationship with our Lord is one of great love and friendship. Just as Jesus laid down His life for us. So too do we become more willing to lay down our life for Him and for one anothre.

O Lord my God I have set my heart on Your Kingdom. Let all be done according to Your will. Amen

First reading

2 Chronicles 24:17-25
‘You have deserted the Lord: now he deserts you’

After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came to pay court to the king, and the king now turned to them for advice. The Judaeans abandoned the Temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, for the worship of sacred poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem. He sent them prophets to bring them back to the Lord, but when these gave their message, they would not listen. The spirit of God took possession of Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said, ‘God says this, “Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord to no good purpose? You have deserted the Lord, now he deserts you.”’ They then plotted against him and by order of the king stoned him in the court of the Temple of the Lord. King Joash, forgetful of the kindness that Jehoiada, the father of Zechariah, had shown him, killed Jehoiada’s son who cried out as he died, ‘The Lord sees and he will avenge!’
When a year had gone by, the Aramaean army made war on Joash. They reached Judah and Jerusalem, and executed all the officials among the people, sending back to the king at Damascus all that they had plundered from them. Though the Aramaean army had by no means come in force, the Lord delivered into its power an army of great size for having deserted him, the God of their ancestors.
The Aramaeans treated Joash as he had deserved, and when they retired they left him a very sick man; and his officers, plotting against him to avenge the death of the son of Jehoiada the priest, murdered him in his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the Citadel of David, though not in the tombs of the kings.

Gospel

Matthew 6:24-34
Do not worry about tomorrow: your holy Father knows your needs

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.
‘That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and how you are to clothe it. Surely life means more than food, and the body more than clothing! Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? Can any of you, for all his worrying, add one single cubit to his span of life? And why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin; yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his regalia was robed like one of these. Now if that is how God clothes the grass in the field which is there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you men of little faith? So do not worry; do not say, “What are we to eat? What are we to drink? How are we to be clothed?” It is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’

We spend our whole lives wanting to be in control of everything and everyone although we may never declare this to be true. We then hold on tightly to all we have while wanting more all the time. If we continue this chosen path we will find ourselves empty and alone. Death for us is a certainty.

Let us turn all our desires, passion instead to loving, serving the Lord our God and one another. For through Christ Jesus alone will we have peace, love, joy and above all eternal life with Him. Avert our eyes from sin and sinful temptations so that the light of Christ within us can burn ever so brightly for all the world to see. Now and forever. Amen

First reading

2 Kings 11:1-4,9-18,20
Saved from the massacre, the true king is anointed by the high priest

When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah learned that her son was dead, she promptly did away with all those of royal stock. But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, secretly took away Jehoash, her brother’s son, from among the sons of the king who were being murdered, and put him with his nurse in the sleeping quarters; in this way she hid him from Athaliah, and he was not put to death. He stayed with her for six years, hidden in the Temple of the Lord, while Athaliah governed the country.
In the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds of the Carians and of the guards, and had them brought to him in the Temple of the Lord. He made a pact with them and, putting them under oath, showed them the king’s son.
The commanders of hundreds did everything as Jehoiada the priest had ordered. They brought their men, those coming off duty on the sabbath together with those mounting guard on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. The priest equipped the commanders of hundreds with King David’s spears and shields which were in the Temple of the Lord. The guards formed up, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the south corner to the north corner of the Temple, surrounding the altar and the Temple.’ Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown and armlets on him, and he anointed him king. They clapped their hands and shouted, ‘Long live the king!’
Athaliah, on hearing the shouts of the people made for the Temple of the Lord where the people were. When she saw the king standing there beside the pillar, as the custom was, with the captains and trumpeters at the king’s side, and all the country people rejoicing and sounding trumpets, Athaliah tore her garments and shouted, ‘Treason, treason!’ Then Jehoiada the priest gave the order to the army officers: ‘Take her outside the precincts and put to death anyone who follows her.’ ‘For,’ the priest had reasoned, ‘she must not be put to death in the Temple of the Lord.’ They seized her, and when she had reached the palace through the Entry of the Horses, she was put to death there.
Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and king and people, by which the latter undertook to be the people of the Lord; and also between king and people. All the country people then went to the temple of Baal and demolished it; they smashed his altars and his images and killed Mattan, priest of Baal, in front of the altars.
The priest posted sentries to guard the Temple of the Lord. All the country people were delighted, and the city made no move. And they put Athaliah to death in the royal palace.

Gospel

Matthew 6:19-23
Store up treasure for yourselves in heaven

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
‘The lamp of the body is the eye. It follows that if your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light. But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be all darkness. If then, the light inside you is darkness, what darkness that will be!’

“Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus forgave us from the cross.

Yet how many people have we wronged? How many of those did we regret using profanities, harsh words and regretted our terrible actions? What if there were no forgiveness either from God, ourselves or others? Broken relationships remain broken unto death! Let us ask ourselves, is this the Lord’s way? Is this the kind of life we want for ourselves and for our children?

If not then through the mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ let us forgive everyone their sins against us. Family, friends, colleagues, strangers, priests, clergy and so on….For then we know that we too will be forgiven by our loving Father in Heaven.

Then we can strive for Holiness as we pray, listen to our Lord’s word and live according to His word and will for us.

Lord Jesus, I want to leave behind as I return to You; a legacy of bringing those who were lost back to You and to have led everyone into a deep personal relationship with You. Through You, with You and in You. Amen

First reading

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

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

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

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.’

Authentic discipleship of our Lord Jesus Christ comes from love of God and neighbour. Hence a disciple is obedient unto the Lord and strives to follow His will be it through spiritual guidance or direction.

To grow deeper in love and discipleship, there are three main spiritual exercises which are essential as they are vital for growth. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving. And Jesus speaks to us on how this is to be done in today’s Gospel.

In our desire to love and serve Him with all our heart, mind, strength and soul; we will be given the grace to do great things in His name for His kingdom. Amen

First reading

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

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

Gospel

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

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

Listen to the Lord’s call to repent of your sins. There is no sin too heinous that He will not forgive, if you humble yourself and turn to Him.

It is only through Him that we can love others the way we ought to. We will neither be petty nor vindictive. We will always be ready to forgive and remember that we have forgiven just as we remember that we ourselves were forgiven our sins by the Lord our God.

We do not seek perfection in others for we know that we ourselves are far from perfect. Yet together we will strive for perfection in Jesus our Lord, for through Him alone we have the grace for Holiness. Amen

First reading

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

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

Gospel

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

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

When things do not go according to what we want or planned do we then sulk and wallow into bitterness? Or allow wickedness to takeover by manipulation? We have excluded God in our lives by these thoughts and deeds.

The Lord invites us go deeper into our relationship with Him. By offering the wicked no resistance, that is not to further fall into the trap of fighting as to kill or be killed. Whether physically or spiritually. Instead live and fight with weapons of love if not today then another. For we are called to love and lead others to love of Him.

Jesus give me the courage and strength to overcome evil with love. Amen

First reading

1 Kings 21:1-16
Ahab covets Naboth’s vineyard and Jezebel has him killed

Naboth of Jezreel had a vineyard close by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria, and Ahab said to Naboth, ‘Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden, since it adjoins my house; I will give you a better vineyard for it or, if you prefer, I will give you its worth in money.’ But Naboth answered Ahab, ‘The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors!’
Ahab went home gloomy and out of temper at the words of Naboth of Jezreel, ‘I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.’ He lay down on his bed and turned his face away and refused to eat. His wife Jezebel came to him. ‘Why are you so dispirited’ she said ‘that you will not eat?’ He said, ‘I have been speaking to Naboth of Jezreel; I said: Give me your vineyard either for money or, if you prefer, for another vineyard in exchange. But he said, “I will not give you my vineyard.”’ Then his wife Jezebel said, ‘You make a fine king of Israel, and no mistake! Get up and eat; cheer up, and you will feel better; I will get you the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel myself.’
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, sending them to the elders and nobles who lived where Naboth lived. In the letters she wrote, ‘Proclaim a fast, and put Naboth in the forefront of the people. Confront him with a couple of scoundrels who will accuse him like this, “You have cursed God and the king.” Then take him outside and stone him to death.’
The men of Naboth’s town, the elders and nobles who lived in his town, did what Jezebel ordered, what was written in the letters she had sent them. They proclaimed a fast and put Naboth in the forefront of the people. Then the two scoundrels came and stood in front of him and made their accusation, ‘Naboth has cursed God and the king.’ They led him outside the town and stoned him to death. They then sent word to Jezebel, ‘Naboth has been stoned to death.’ When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, ‘Get up! Take possession of the vineyard which Naboth of Jezreel would not give you for money, for Naboth is no longer alive, he is dead.’ When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel and take possession of it.

Gospel

Matthew 5:38-42
Offer the wicked man no resistance

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well; if a man takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to anyone who asks, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away.’