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The Sacrament of reconciliation is a divine gift of love from God our Father through His beloved Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ conferred upon His Holy Church. The guilt and stain of sin is removed completely. His divine grace heals the contrite heart from within. And Holiness is once again restored. We walk once again in the light of Christ abs and are beacons of His mercy and love. Glory and Praise be to God!

No more procrastination, no more excuses. If you live and believe in our Lord Jesus Christ then you must belong to a community, one that is centred on Him. For a Catholic living in communion with Jesus, there is no such thing as a private faith where you can utter words such as, “It is between me and God alone. 

Belonging to community in Jesus is to help one another grow in faith and holiness. Everyone has their part to play as all have been given different gifts, talents and strengths. No contribution is too small or for that matter big. All that is done for one another is for the glory of the Lord our God. We provide for one another the necessary ingredients and nourishment to be fruitful. And together we build up His Kingdom. 

Thank You Jesus for our Church. For the communities of which we being. May we continue to grow as One in full communion with You. Now and forever. Amen 

First reading
Ephesians 4:7-16

Each one of us has been given his own share of grace, given as Christ allotted it. It was said that he would:

When he ascended to the height, he captured prisoners,
he gave gifts to men.

When it says, ‘he ascended’, what can it mean if not that he descended right down to the lower regions of the earth? The one who rose higher than all the heavens to fill all things is none other than the one who descended. And to some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. In this way we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself.
Then we shall not be children any longer, or tossed one way and another and carried along by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play and their cleverness in practising deceit. If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to its function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love.

Gospel
Luke 13:1-9

Some people arrived and told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. At this he said to them, ‘Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam fell and killed them? Do you suppose that they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.’
He told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but found none. He said to the man who looked after the vineyard, “Look here, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?” “Sir,” the man replied “leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.”’

The landscape of the world is ever changing and not always for the better. More and more are being influenced to think that abortion, same sex marriages are ok. Even killing is a necessary evil for the greater good. Where is our voice in all of these? Is offering our prayers enough?

No! The voice of Jesus must be heard around the World, and He must be able to speak through us. We must stand united as one body in Christ. And when we speak up for the truth we must do so with charity and gentleness. But stand firm and bold in proclaiming the word of God so that all might be filled with the light of Christ. Amen

Let us sing this hymn together…

They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love
***********************

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love Yeah they’ll know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side. We will work with each other, we will work side by side.And we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

First reading
Ephesians 4:1-6

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

Gospel
Luke 12:54-59

Jesus said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud looming up in the west you say at once that rain is coming, and so it does. And when the wind is from the south you say it will be hot, and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the face of the earth and the sky. How is it you do not know how to interpret these times?
‘Why not judge for yourselves what is right? For example: when you go to court with your opponent, try to settle with him on the way, or he may drag you before the judge and the judge hand you over to the bailiff and the bailiff have you thrown into prison. I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the very last penny.’

To grow in Holiness and allow the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself in us is to be docile to His promptings. Soon enough you will experience many wonderful changes in your thought, word and deed.  

The uninitiated will experience a growing distaste for anything vile and vulgar. There will a moving away, a natural separation from things or persons that will lead us to sin. A growing love for the word of our Lord will lead us to a far deeper and meaningful relationship with the Lord our God. 

Persevere in prayer, receive the Sacraments often and you will find your hearts inflamed with the love of Christ Jesus. Through your love for Him put into action by the service of others, the fire of His passion and love is passed on. 

Lord Jesus, my heart belongs to you. Amen 

First reading
Ephesians 3:14-21

This is what I pray, kneeling before the Father, from whom every family, whether spiritual or natural, takes its name:
Out of his infinite glory, may he give you the power through his Spirit for your hidden self to grow strong, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, you will with all the saints have strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; until, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge, you are filled with the utter fullness of God.
Glory be to him whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine; glory be to him from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.

Gospel
Luke 12:49-53

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already! There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress till it is over!
‘Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three; the father divided against the son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’

Who can see and understand the wisdom of God if He had not first revealed it to us? Opened our hearts, minds and eyes to witness His glory and infinite wisdom. The history of our salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ on the surface may look rather simple, but in reality we may never fully arrive at the depths in which it lies. Herein too is the depths of God our Father’s love for us.

To live in the embrace of His love for us. We must strive for Holiness all the time. Not just when it suits us or when we have the time. Our call and duty is to love our brethren as Jesus first loved us. We must be willing to lay down our lives for our friends. Some of which may not even know Christ yet.

Lord forgive me for my many shortcomings, grant me your grace to persevere in humble servitude. So that I may always give you Glory in everything I do. Amen 

First reading
Ephesians 3:2-12

You have probably heard how I have been entrusted by God with the grace he meant for you, and that it was by a revelation that I was given the knowledge of the mystery, as I have just described it very shortly. If you read my word you will have some idea of the depths that I see in the mystery of Christ. This that has now been revealed through the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in past generations; it means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them, in Jesus Christ, through the gospel. I have been made the servant of that gospel by a gift of grace from God who gave it to me by his own power. I, who am less than the least of all the saints have been entrusted with this special grace, not only of proclaiming to the pagans the infinite treasure of Christ but also of explaining how the mystery is to be dispensed. Through all the ages, this has been kept hidden in God, the creator of everything. Why? So that the Sovereignties and Powers should learn only now, through the Church, how comprehensive God’s wisdom really is, exactly according to the plan which he had had from all eternity in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is why we are bold enough to approach God in complete confidence, through our faith in him.

Gospel
Luke 12:39-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’
Peter said, ‘Lord, do you mean this parable for us, or for everyone?’ The Lord replied, ‘What sort of steward, then, is faithful and wise enough for the master to place him over his household to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment. I tell you truly, he will place him over everything he owns. But as for the servant who says to himself, “My master is taking his time coming,” and sets about beating the menservants and the maids, and eating and drinking and getting drunk, his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful.
The servant who knows what his master wants, but has not even started to carry out those wishes, will receive very many strokes of the lash. The one who did not know, but deserves to be beaten for what he has done, will receive fewer strokes. When a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him.’

To proclaim the message, good news, the joy of the Gospel is everyone’s mission and responsibility. Not a select few held in high esteem, not just bishops, priests, clergy or religious. All of us that means you and me. 

Many say they do not know how to begin or what to say, even how to say it. Ask yourselves, who is Jesus to you? Who is He in your life? How deep is your relationship with Him?  If He is the centre of your life and of which has been transformed by Him. To one filled with His joy and with His peace. How easy then it is to speak of that, to speak about the wonders of Him in your life. The way you would share about the stories of a dear and loved one who brings joy to your heart. 

Going forth to share the Lord with others will not always be easy. There will be some challenges, sacrifices to be made. Patience, fortitude to go the distance and at times we will have to face rejection. Yet the Holy Spirit will be with us every step of the way. The fruit of our labour will be to witness the glory of the Lord our God working in the lives of those we minister to. Truly it is something to marvel and behold! And together we all experience the abounding love of Christ which embraces and unites us.  

Let us put our love for Jesus into action. Amen 

St Luke pray for us…. 

First reading
2 Timothy 4:10-17

Demas has deserted me for love of this life and gone to Thessalonika, Crescens has gone to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia; only Luke is with me. Get Mark to come and bring him with you; I find him a useful helper in my work. I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas, and the scrolls, especially the parchment ones. Alexander the coppersmith has done me a lot of harm; the Lord will repay him for what he has done. Be on your guard against him yourself, because he has been bitterly contesting everything that we say.
The first time I had to present my defence, there was not a single witness to support me. Every one of them deserted me – may they not be held accountable for it. But 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.

Gospel
Luke 10:1-9

The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road. Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house. Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.”’

There is nothing wrong in having financial security and putting aside some savings for leaner times. But when is it enough? Even when we have more than enough, do we still want more for ourselves? 

Do we care? And put our care into action by helping the needy and the poor? Or do we entertain self righteous thoughts like, ‘they brought it upon themselves’, ‘they are responsible for themselves, ‘they are someone else’s responsibility.’ 

We did nothing on our own to merit being saved from the clutches of death. It is by the mercy, grace and love of God our Father that sent Jesus His Son to save us. It is by this precious gift alone that we have hope of eternal life with Him. 

Though His abounding love for us, our Heavenly Father has blessed us and showered us with many gifts. Not to hoard them for ourselves but to share and give away. Even the most precious gift of His Son Jesus is to be shared with others, especially with those who do not yet know Him. This is what it means to live in the light of Christ, to be a light for others. Amen 

First reading
Ephesians 2:1-10

You were dead through the crimes and the sins in which you used to live when you were following the way of this world, obeying the ruler who governs the air, the spirit who is at work in the rebellious. We all were among them too in the past, living sensual lives, ruled entirely by our own physical desires and our own ideas; so that by nature we were as much under God’s anger as the rest of the world. But God loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy: when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life with Christ – it is through grace that you have been saved – and raised us up with him and gave us a place with him in heaven, in Christ Jesus.
This was to show for all ages to come, through his goodness towards us in Christ Jesus, how infinitely rich he is in grace. Because it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit. We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning he had meant us to live it.

Gospel
Luke 12:13-21

A man in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.’ ‘My friend,’ he replied, ‘who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.’
Then he told them a parable: ‘There was once a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his land, thought to himself, “What am I to do? I have not enough room to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” But God said to him, “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?.” So it is when a man stores up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.’

If I am Holy, I am Holy for You and for my brethren.

If I am worthy, it is because You have made me so.

If I am strong, it is Your strength I draw from.

If I am capable, it is You who have gifted me.

If I am eloquent, it is your words that I speak.

If I am truthful, it is Your truth alone that I utter.

If I am a beacon, it is Your light that I shine.

If I am prayerful, it is to be in communion with you.

If I am joyful, it is because I live the joy of the Risen Lord.

If I am loving, it is because You loved me first.

I am who I am because of You, my Lord and my God. Amen

Do we affirm one another especially members of our faith community who have grown in faith and love? Do we recognize and give glory to the Lord our God for His hand who touched the lives of His people? Do we say to them, I see Jesus in you? Or to another, I thank the Lord for you, you have been a great blessing in our lives? 

Or do we only know how to criticize? Tear one another down? See only the failures, faults and shortcomings? Where is our humility, mercy, compassion and love? 

Let us be great witnesses to the love and mercy of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ in our lives. Let us testify to the workings of the Holy Spirit by our Words, our deeds, our love put into action for our Lord and His flock. 

Praise and glory be to the Holy Trinity. Now and forever. Amen 

First reading
Ephesians 1:15-23

I, having once heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus, and the love that you show towards all the saints, have never failed to remember you in my prayers and to thank God for you. May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers. This you can tell from the strength of his power at work in Christ, when he used it to raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right hand, in heaven, far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power, or Domination, or any other name that can be named not only in this age but also in the age to come. He has put all things under his feet and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church; which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation.
Gospel
Luke 12:8-12

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of the angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels.
‘Everyone who says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
‘When they take you before synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say, because when the time comes, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.’

The three times I’ve encountered the most powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit would be during my own Life in the Spirit Seminar adventure, the Four Steps Retreat and the Holy Spirit Retreat. I have heard and know it to be true from people’s testimonies, that the Conversion Experience Retreat is yet another one.

All of them will lead the you into a deeper and closer relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord. And all you have to do is.

* Come into the presence of Jesus as they are.

* Be open of heart and mind

* Be committed no matter what happens

* Surrender everything to the Lord with open hands

* Go for the Sacrament of reconciliation because you know the Lord loves you and you do want to love Him with all your heart.

* Make time for the reading and reflection of the Word of God daily.

* Pray daily and as many times in a day as possible.

This is a promise; you Will encounter the Lord Jesus in a unique and special way. Your hearts will be set ablaze by the Holy Spirit.

And even after all the sessions, you continue to do all that is listed above together with two added steps, you will find that the fire will never die. It will only burn hotter and brighter. The two added steps are:

* Be docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit

* Put love into action

The Paraclete will dwell in you as you will dwell in Him always.

Glory and Praise to the Holy Trinity! Amen

💖💖💖

Many are starved for attention.

 Some looking to be regarded in high esteem, others to be known as powerful, some craving love and attention even from spiritual leaders. And so these go about way with words and deeds contrary and in the guise of doing the will of the Lord our God.  These are the ones that bring about and spread disillusionment, disenchantment even loss of faith. 

The constant emptiness and void that they seek to fill cannot be found in things or persons of the world. Even those in the world but not of the world can only lead us to the One who is above all and is all. The source of life itself, our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. He alone can make us whole and in Him we shall not want. 

Thank You Heavenly Father for the gift of Your Jesus our Lord. Through Him we know we are precious in Your eyes and your love for us abounds. 

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be world without end.  Amen

First reading
Ephesians 1:11-14

It is in Christ that we were claimed as God’s own,
chosen from the beginning,
under the predetermined plan of the one who guides all things as he decides by his own will; chosen to be, for his greater glory, the people who would put their hopes in Christ before he came. Now you too, in him, have heard the message of the truth and the good news of your salvation,
and have believed it; and you too have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit of the Promise, the pledge of our inheritance which brings freedom for those whom God has taken for his own, to make his glory praised.

Gospel
Luke 12:1-7

The people had gathered in their thousands so that they were treading on one another. And Jesus began to speak, first of all to his disciples. ‘Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees – that is, their hypocrisy. Everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. For this reason, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in hidden places will be proclaimed on the housetops.

    ‘To you my friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Can you not buy five sparrows for two pennies? And yet not one is forgotten in God’s sight. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. There is no need to be afraid: you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.’

There will always be those who will reject the truth. And persecute us for holding on to the truth of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. But the truth is as perennial as the grass, and yet far more. For the blood of Christ and His Martyrs has paved the way for us to eternal life with Him. They have shared the truth of God’s love and salvation with us, His children.

And now we must do likewise, for through His blood outpoured for us we have been set free from our many sins to love and serve one another in His precious name. To gather the children of God our Heavenly Father into His Kingdom; where through the mercy and love of our Lord Jesus Christ we will all have eternal life.

To live in the Spirit is to announce the joy of the Gospel lived in our own lives. Praise God’s Holy name forever. Amen

First reading
Ephesians 1:1-10

From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, to the saints who are faithful to Christ Jesus. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ.
Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ,
to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence,determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ
for his own kind purposes,
to make us praise the glory of his grace, his free gift to us in the Beloved, in whom, through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins.

Such is the richness of the grace which he has showered on us in all wisdom and insight. He has let us know the mystery of his purpose,
the hidden plan he so kindly made in Christ from the beginning to act upon when the times had run their course to the end: that he would bring everything together under Christ, as head, everything in the heavens and everything on earth.

Gospel
Luke 11:47-54

Jesus said:
‘Alas for you who build the tombs of the prophets, the men your ancestors killed! In this way you both witness what your ancestors did and approve it; they did the killing, you do the building.
‘And that is why the Wisdom of God said, “I will send them prophets and apostles; some they will slaughter and persecute, so that this generation will have to answer for every prophet’s blood that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the sanctuary.” Yes, I tell you, this generation will have to answer for it all.
‘Alas for you lawyers who have taken away the key of knowledge! You have not gone in yourselves, and have prevented others going in who wanted to.’
When he left the house, the scribes and the Pharisees began a furious attack on him and tried to force answers from him on innumerable questions, setting traps to catch him out in something he might say.

What are we doing for the poor, the less fortunate in society? What have we done for the lonely, the poor of spirit? In other words what corporal acts of mercy have we performed? What spiritual acts of mercy are we doing, have we reached out to those in need?

If not can we lay claim that we are led by the Holy Spirit? Or that the Lord dwell within us? For while we are freely given the gifts of the Holy Spirit it is not for us to keep for ourselves. We must give it to all in need. No one can call himself Christian unless he serves the Lord by serving others in thought, word and deed.

Lord Jesus, grant me the courage, strength and wisdom to best serve the least of my brethren. Amen

First reading
Galatians 5:18-25

If you are led by the Spirit, no law can touch you. When self-indulgence is at work the results are obvious: fornication, gross indecency and sexual irresponsibility; idolatry and sorcery; feuds and wrangling, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels; disagreements, factions, envy; drunkenness, orgies and similar things. I warn you now, as I warned you before: those who behave like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. What the Spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control. There can be no law against things like that, of course. You cannot belong to Christ Jesus unless you crucify all self-indulgent passions and desires.

Since the Spirit is our life, let us be directed by the Spirit.
Gospel
Luke 11:42-46

The Lord said to the Pharisees:
‘Alas for you Pharisees! You who pay your tithe of mint and rue and all sorts of garden herbs and overlook justice and the love of God! These you should have practised, without leaving the others undone. Alas for you Pharisees who like taking the seats of honour in the synagogues and being greeted obsequiously in the market squares! Alas for you, because you are like the unmarked tombs that men walk on without knowing it!
A lawyer then spoke up. ‘Master,’ he said ‘when you speak like this you insult us too.’
‘Alas for you lawyers also,’ he replied ‘because you load on men burdens that are unendurable, burdens that you yourselves do not move a finger to lift.’

Why put your faith in religious disciplines but not your faith in Christ Jesus into action?

Many attend retreat after retreat, workshop after workshop, formation talk after formation talk, even daily Eucharist. How has it changed you to become a better disciple? How have you put into action what you have learnt? Because no one who has had their hearts and mind engaged can ever say that Jesus had not touched or transformed them. If they continue to say they are not ready or not able then they are not worthy of the gifts that Christ Jesus has bestowed upon them. For it is He who makes us ready and able! All we must do is say Yes Lord, let it be according to Your Will.

Lord Jesus cleanse me from within, fill me with Your grace. That I may serve You and my brethren faithfully always. Amen

First reading
Galatians 5:1-6

When Christ freed us, he meant us to remain free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. It is I, Paul, who tell you this: if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all. With all solemnity I repeat my warning: Everyone who accepts circumcision is obliged to keep the whole Law. But if you do look to the Law to make you justified, then you have separated yourselves from Christ, and have fallen from grace. Christians are told by the Spirit to look to faith for those rewards that righteousness hopes for, since in Christ Jesus whether you are circumcised or not makes no difference– what matters is faith that makes its power felt through love.

Gospel
Luke 11:37-41

Jesus had just finished speaking when a Pharisee invited him to dine at his house. He went in and sat down at the table. The Pharisee saw this and was surprised that he had not first washed before the meal. But the Lord said to him, ‘Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness. Fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside too? Instead, give alms from what you have and then indeed everything will be clean for you.’

The inclination to fall into sin especially repeated ones is very real and may seem inviting. Don’t! Don’t let the devil entrap you.

Live instead in the presence, love and power of our resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. He conquered death so that we may be free and have new life in Him.

Let us strive for holiness in our daily lives. And let us ask ourselves each time we are faced with the prospect of falling into sin. Are our sins worth the price of our souls? Amen

First reading
Galatians 4:22-24,26-27,31-5:1

The Law says, if you remember, that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave-girl, and one by his free-born wife. The child of the slave-girl was born in the ordinary way; the child of the free woman was born as the result of a promise. This can be regarded as an allegory: the women stand for the two covenants. The first who comes from Mount Sinai, and whose children are slaves, is Hagar– The Jerusalem above, however, is free and is our mother, since scripture says: Shout for joy, you barren women who bore no children! Break into shouts of joy and gladness, you who were never in labour. For there are more sons of the forsaken one than sons of the wedded wife. So, my brothers, we are the children, not of the slave-girl, but of the free-born wife.
When Christ freed us, he meant us to remain free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

Gospel
Luke 11:29-32

The crowds got even bigger and Jesus addressed them, ‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. 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.’

Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is what unites us all. And it is through this faith that our capacity to love increases exponentially. It will not matter what language we speak, what race we belong to, our financial background, size, shape, disabilities or even idiosyncrasies we have. For we are all one in Christ Jesus. 

Sin and evil on the other hand seeks to divide and scatter. And so to remain steadfast in our faith and love for our Lord and God we need to nourish ourselves daily with the living Word of God. Ponder over and reflect on His love and will for us. Keeping His Word close to our hearts always. 

Lord Jesus I rejoice in hearing Your Word! Now and forever. Amen 

First reading
Galatians 3:22-29

Scripture makes no exceptions when it says that sin is master everywhere. In this way the promise can only be given through faith in Jesus Christ and can only be given to those who have this faith.
Before faith came, we were allowed no freedom by the Law; we were being looked after till faith was revealed. The Law was to be our guardian until the Christ came and we could be justified by faith. Now that that time has come we are no longer under that guardian, and you are, all of you, sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. All baptised in Christ, you have all clothed yourselves in Christ, and there are no more distinctions between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female, but all of you are one in Christ Jesus. Merely by belonging to Christ you are the posterity of Abraham, the heirs he was promised.

Gospel
Luke 11:27-28

As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’

It was God our Father’s  love for us, that He did not want to see us destroyed by our own hands due to greed, self centred news,  lust, want of power and our wicked, evil ways. Hence He gave us many laws to abide by. 

But that was not His plan from the very beginning. He wanted us to live freely in His love with His laws written in our hearts. And we shall abide by them through our love and deep relationship with Him. Jesus Christ our Lord was sent to fulfill this plan for us. And so through Him we have hope of eternal life with Him. 

The power of evil and darkness has no hold over us. Unless we willingly choose to go back to our old ways of life and thought;only then are we truly doomed.  For through Jesus Christ our Lord and saviour,  we have become children of the light. We have the hand of God our Father upon us, protecting us from all evil. The Holy Spirit is with us to guide us into the way of truth. Now and forever. Amen 

First reading
Galatians 3:7-14

Don’t you see that it is those who rely on faith who are the sons of Abraham? Scripture foresaw that God was going to use faith to justify the pagans, and proclaimed the Good News long ago when Abraham was told: In you all the pagans will be blessed. Those therefore who rely on faith receive the same blessing as Abraham, the man of faith. On the other hand, those who rely on the keeping of the Law are under a curse, since scripture says: Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in observing everything prescribed in the book of the Law. The Law will not justify anyone in the sight of God, because we are told: the righteous man finds life through faith. The Law is not even based on faith, since we are told: The man who practises these precepts finds life through practising them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by being cursed for our sake, since scripture says: Cursed be everyone who is hanged on a tree. This was done so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might include the pagans, and so that through faith we might receive the promised Spirit.

Our Lady of the Rosary pray for us…. 
Gospel
Luke 11:15-26

When Jesus had cast out a devil, some of the people said, ‘It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he casts out devils.’ Others asked him, as a test, for a sign from heaven; but, knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin, and a household divided against itself collapses. So too with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? – Since you assert that it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils. Now if it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils, through whom do your own experts cast them out? Let them be your judges then. But if it is through the finger of God that I cast out devils, then know that the kingdom of God has overtaken you. So long as a strong man fully armed guards his own palace, his goods are undisturbed; but when someone stronger than he is attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away all the weapons he relied on and shares out his spoil.
‘He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.
‘When an unclean spirit goes out of a man it wanders through waterless country looking for a place to rest, and not finding one it says, “I will go back to the home I came from.” But on arrival, finding it swept and tidied, it then goes off and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and set up house there, so that the man ends up by being worse than he was before.’

Many of us are stubborn for the wrong reasons. Why not instead be stubborn about the truth of our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ? And be humbled by the fact that the Holy Spirit has and is still working wonders in our lives and in the lives of those we love. We are merely servants called to witness to the power and glory of God our Father.

By and through our efforts to witness to His love, we are indeed given all that we need. All our prayers are answered all the time. Though we have to accept that some of the time, the answer is no. For He knows what is best for us and in His time. Every now and then we are called to persist and preserve in prayer. And in due time, we will witness again to the wisdom and splendent glory of God’s hand in the lives of His children.

O Heavenly Father thy will be done in our lives. Amen

First reading
Galatians 3:1-5

Are you people in Galatia mad? Has someone put a spell on you, in spite of the plain explanation you have had of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ? Let me ask you one question: was it because you practised the Law that you received the Spirit, or because you believed what was preached to you? Are you foolish enough to end in outward observances what you began in the Spirit? Have all the favours you received been wasted? And if this were so, they would most certainly have been wasted. Does God give you the Spirit so freely and work miracles among you because you practise Law, or because you believed what was preached to you?

Gospel
Luke 11:5-13

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say, “My friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine on his travels has just arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him”; and the man answers from inside the house, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give it you.” I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants.
‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’

By now you must have heard either through, scripture, preaching or teaching of the Church the importance of belonging to a community. Not just any community but a praying one centred on Christ Jesus our Lord.

While the Holy Spirit is definitely with us to teach and guide us to the truth, there are times however that due to our flawed human nature we either do not hear Him or think we do but do things which is contrary to His Will. Hence it is important to belong to a loving community living in Christ so that fraternal correction is possible. An elder from within the community may give spiritual direction or refer us to a priest when necessary. Belonging to a such a wonderful community gives a deeper sense of accountability not just to God alone but to one another. And when we come together and pray as one, we proclaim our unity with the Holy Trinity.

Lord bless our community and all communities centred on You. Help us to remain steadfast in prayer in Your love and mercy. Amen

Our Father…..

First reading
Galatians 2:1-2,7-14

It was not till fourteen years had passed that I went up to Jerusalem again. I went with Barnabas and took Titus with me. I went there as the result of a revelation, and privately I laid before the leading men the Good News as I proclaim it among the pagans; I did so for fear the course I was adopting or had already adopted would not be allowed. On the contrary, they recognised that I had been commissioned to preach the Good News to the uncircumcised just as Peter had been commissioned to preach it to the circumcised. The same person whose action had made Peter the apostle of the circumcised had given me a similar mission to the pagans. So, James, Cephas and John, these leaders, these pillars, shook hands with Barnabas and me as a sign of partnership: we were to go to the pagans and they to the circumcised. The only thing they insisted on was that we should remember to help the poor, as indeed I was anxious to do.
When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, since he was manifestly in the wrong. His custom had been to eat with the pagans, but after certain friends of James arrived he stopped doing this and kept away from them altogether for fear of the group that insisted on circumcision. The other Jews joined him in this pretence, and even Barnabas felt himself obliged to copy their behaviour.
When I saw they were not respecting the true meaning of the Good News, I said to Cephas in front of everyone, ‘In spite of being a Jew, you live like the pagans and not like the Jews, so you have no right to make the pagans copy Jewish ways.’

Gospel
Luke 11:1-4

Once Jesus was in a certain place praying, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘Say this when you pray:

“Father, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come;
give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us. And do not put us to the test.”’

Indeed few are needed….

A quiet surrender to the love of the Lord our God.

Prayer.

Fasting.

Desire and Will to serve through the carrying of our cross for and in Him.

Indeed only one….

To be one in Communion with the Lord our God.

Lord Jesus I want to sit at your feet daily to listen to You and Your will for me. Grant that I may never forget Your love for me. Amen

St Francis pray for us….

First reading
Galatians 1:13-24

You must have heard of my career as a practising Jew, how merciless I was in persecuting the Church of God, how much damage I did to it, how I stood out among other Jews of my generation, and how enthusiastic I was for the traditions of my ancestors.

Then God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the pagans. I did not stop to discuss this with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were already apostles before me, but I went off to Arabia at once and later went straight back from there to Damascus. Even when after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days, I did not see any of the other apostles; I only saw James, the brother of the Lord, and I swear before God that what I have just written is the literal truth. After that I went to Syria and Cilicia, and was still not known by sight to the churches of Christ in Judaea, who had heard nothing except that their one-time persecutor was now preaching the faith he had previously tried to destroy; and they gave glory to God for me.

Gospel
Luke 10:38-42

Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’

Truly today many Christians are confused as they want to grow deeper in their faith. It was not so for the first 1500 years or so where we were all united through one baptism, one faith, one holy communion. The prayer of Jesus, the Church and the sacraments He established to keep us united in Him were ignored. Man decided that the mysteries of God our Father revealed through Jesus His Son could easily be simplified and explained and everything else does not matter.

However the crux of the matter lies at the heart of the commandments. You must love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself. That is to accept in humility His great love and Will for us. Including the Church established through Christ His Son who promised that the gates of hell will not overcome it. And to this very day keeps the remembrance of the new and everlasting covenant made for us, as integral to the daily life of the Church.

Only then can we truly love our neighbour as we are called to do, with the very same love for which Christ our Lord laid down for us. Amen

First reading
Galatians 1:6-12

I am astonished at the promptness with which you have turned away from the one who called you and have decided to follow a different version of the Good News. Not that there can be more than one Good News; it is merely that some troublemakers among you want to change the Good News of Christ; and let me warn you that if anyone preaches a version of the Good News different from the one we have already preached to you, whether it be ourselves or an angel from heaven, he is to be condemned. I am only repeating what we told you before: if anyone preaches a version of the Good News different from the one you have already heard, he is to be condemned. So now whom am I trying to please– man, or God? Would you say it is men’s approval I am looking for? If I still wanted that, I should not be what I am– a servant of Christ.

The fact is, brothers, and I want you to realise this, the Good News I preached is not a human message that I was given by men, it is something I learnt only through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Gospel
Luke 10:25-37

There was a lawyer who, to disconcert Jesus, stood up and said to him, ‘Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? What do you read there?’ He replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.’ ‘You have answered right,’ said Jesus ‘do this and life is yours.’

But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead. Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said “and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have.” Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’ ‘The one who took pity on him’ he replied. Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’

The Lord our God abhors the proud hearted. The conceited who think themselves wiser than the their creator. Who believe that their positions in life were gained solely by their own hard work. And their time is best spent preserving that legacy. When will they ever learn?

There is nothing greater in life than being a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ. To experience the depths of His wisdom and love. To be a powerful witness to His great mercy and love for His flock. To heal and bring His peace to those most in need. To build His Kingdom as one in Him, the Holy Trinity.

Lord Jesus let me see everything through Your eyes. Amen

First reading
Job 42:1-3,5-6,12-17

This was the answer Job gave to the Lord:

I know that you are all-powerful: what you conceive, you can perform. I am the man who obscured your designs
with my empty-headed words.
I have been holding forth on matters I cannot understand,
on marvels beyond me and my knowledge.

I knew you then only by hearsay; but now, having seen you with my own eyes, I retract all I have said, and in dust and ashes I repent.

The Lord blessed Job’s new fortune even more than his first one. He came to own fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand she-donkeys. He had seven sons and three daughters; his first daughter he called ‘Turtledove’, the second ‘Cassia’ and the third ‘Mascara.’ Throughout the land there were no women as beautiful as the daughters of Job. And their father gave them inheritance rights like their brothers. After his trials, Job lived on until he was a hundred and forty years old, and saw his children and his children’s children up to the fourth generation. Then Job died, an old man and full of days.

Gospel
Luke 10:17-24

The seventy-two came back rejoicing. ‘Lord,’ they said ‘even the devils submit to us when we use your name.’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.’
It was then that, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, he said, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’
Then turning to his disciples he spoke to them in private, ‘Happy the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’

Do not remain stubborn any longer. Do not allow your pride or your finite wisdom to blind you to the glory of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. For the almighty and ever living God wants to give you life to the full!

Be humble, repent and accept the grace of Jesus who will breathe new life into you. Do not live in the shadows any longer, come into the light through the Sacrament of reconciliation. Be nourished by the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist. Be one with Him as we are united as one through Him.

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

First reading
Job 38:1,12-21,40:3-5

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

Have you ever in your life given orders to the morning or sent the dawn to its post, telling it to grasp the earth by its and shake the wicked out of it,when it changes the earth to sealing and dyes it as a man dyes clothes stealing the light from wicked men and breaking the arm raised to strike?

Have you journeyed all the way to the sources of the sea,
or walked where the Abyss is deepest?Have you been shown the gates of or met the janitors of Shadowland? Have you an inkling of the extent of the earth?

Tell me all about it if you have!
Which is the way to the home of the light, and where does darkness live? You could then show them the way to their proper places, ;or put them on the path to where they live!

If you know all this, you must have been born with them,
you must be very old by now!

Job replied to the Lord:

My words have been frivolous: what can I reply? I had better lay my finger on my lips.I have spoken once… I will not speak again; more than once… I will add nothing.

Gospel 
Luke 10:13-16

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. And still, it will not go as hard with Tyre and Sidon at the Judgement as with you. And as for you, Capernaum, did you want to be exalted high as heaven? You shall be thrown down to hell.‘Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me, and those who reject me reject the one who sent me.’

Today as we celebrate the feast day of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael who are mentioned in scripture by name; we also call to mind our own guardian Angels. Whose primary job is to guard and guide us. Who is like God? The power of God and our God who heals are manifested in the Archangels names and deeds. And they draw us closer into a deeper understanding of God our Father’s love for us. Likewise our powerful allies, our guardian angels will help us every step of the way.

Let us remember that by our baptism into our Lord Jesus Christ, we are all called to be Holy as our Heavenly Father is Holy. And so together with the Angels and the Saints we shall sing God’s praises and glory. Let us pray that one day soon we will all be reunited in Heaven. Amen

First reading
Daniel 7:9-10,13-14

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
John 1:47-51

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

Indeed the Lord our God is merciful, loving and kind. There is no doubt about it. However no one should ever take His benevolence for granted. We must know our rightful place and be reverent at all times before Him.

It is our hearts He wants to transform for it is there He seeks to dwell. Wanting to follow Him in words is lip-service unless we put our hands and feet into action.

Leave the spiritually dead behind and move on quickly to save as many souls as we can in the limited time we have. Let us build His kingdom with our hearts, minds and with great joy.

We who have made up our minds to follow Jesus, must move forwards in His peace and the Holy Spirit will guide us every step of the way. Never should we look back always keeping our eyes focused on Him; as He leads us closer each day into His Kingdom. Amen

First reading
Job 9:1-13,14-16

Job spoke to his friends:

Indeed, I know it is as you say:
how can man be in the right against God? If any were so rash as to challenge him for reasons, one in a thousand would be more than they could answer.

His heart is wise, and his strength is great: who then can successfully defy him? He moves the mountains, though they do not know it; he throws them down when he is angry.

He shakes the earth, and moves it from its place, making all its pillars tremble. The sun, at his command, forbears to rise, and on the stars he sets a seal. He and no other stretched out the skies, and trampled the Sea’s tall waves.The Bear, Orion too, are of his making, the Pleiades and the Mansions of the South.

His works are great, beyond all reckoning, his marvels, past all counting. Were he to pass me, I should not see him, nor detect his stealthy movement. Were he to snatch a prize, who could prevent him, or dare to say, ‘What are you doing?’ God never goes back on his anger, Rahab’s minions still lie at his feet.

How dare I plead my cause, then, or choose arguments against him? Suppose I am in the right, what use is my defence? For he whom I must sue is judge as well. If he deigned to answer my citation, could I be sure that he would listen to my voice?

Gospel
Luke 9:57-62

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

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

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

Who among us does not feel the pain of rejection? Very few can stoically bear injustices, mistreatments or being humiliated. It is right and good to cry out to the Lord in such trying times. To lament over all that pains us. And He our merciful Lord and God will surely hear us.

Do not give in to the temptation of pride or allow yourself to be filled with indignation. Continue instead to remain steadfast in prayer, be healed through the sacraments and receive the graces to persevere and be filled with His peace and joy.

For the Lord our God has a plan for us. And it is good. Amen

First reading
Job 3:1-3,11-17,20-23

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

May the day perish when I was born, and the night that told of a boy conceived.Why did I not die new-born, not perish as I left the womb?

Why were there two knees to receive me,two breasts for me to suck? Had there not been, I should now be lying in peace, wrapped in a restful slumber, with the kings and high viziers of earth who build themselves vast vaults, or with princes who have gold and to spare
and houses crammed with silver.

Or put away like a still-born child that never came to be, like unborn babes that never see the light. Down there, bad men bustle no more, there the weary rest.

Why give light to a man of grief? Why give life to those bitter of heart, who long for a death that never comes, and hunt for it more than for a buried treasure? They would be glad to see the grave mound and shout with joy if they reached the tomb.

Why make this gift of light to a man who does not see his way,
whom God baulks on every side?

Gospel
Luke 9:51-56

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

Stripped of worldly attachments including want of honour, power and wealth; the faithful will see and hear God.
And we the children of God our Father will be cared for. Our only concern then will be to glorify Him by serving and caring for one another.

Let us Christians unite, stand hand in hand in prayer and in the fortitude of our faith in Christ Jesus as we battle against the evil in the world. Amen

First reading
Job 1:6-22

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

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

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

‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked I shall return. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken back. Blessed be the name of the Lord!’

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

Gospel
Luke 9:46-50

An argument started between the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Jesus knew what thoughts were going through their minds, and he took a little child and set him by his side and then said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For the least among you all, that is the one who is great.’
John spoke up. ‘Master,’ he said ‘we saw a man casting out devils in your name, and because he is not with us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘You must not stop him: anyone who is not against you is for you.’

We have been all given a youthful and vibrant spirit even though for some of us it may be trapped in an old person’s body. So that we might all give glory and praise to God our Father by the way we live out our lives. And we must choose if we want to serve the Lord and our brethren with zeal and love or to give in to our passions and live for ourselves.

There is no resurrection without the cross, and so we must bear our crosses as we journey onward. So that we too can rise with Him, our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. That is how we live our new life in Him day to day; till we are a. reunited in Heaven. Amen

First reading
Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8

Rejoice in your youth, you who are young; let your heart give you joy in your young days. Follow the promptings of your heart and the desires of your eyes.

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

Cast worry from your heart,
shield your flesh from pain.

Yet youth, the age of dark hair, is vanity. And remember your creator in the days of your youth, before evil days come and the years approach when you say, ‘These give me no pleasure’, before sun and light and moon and stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; the day when those who keep the house tremble and strong men are bowed; when the women grind no longer at the mill, because day is darkening at the windows and the street doors are shut; when the sound of the mill is faint, when the voice of the bird is silenced, and song notes are stilled, when to go uphill is an ordeal and a walk is something to dread.

Yet the almond tree is in flower, the grasshopper is heavy with food and the caper bush bears its fruit, while man goes to his everlasting home. And the mourners are already walking to and fro in the street before the silver cord has snapped, or the golden lamp been broken, or the pitcher shattered at the spring, or the pulley cracked at the well, or before the dust returns to the earth as it once came from it, and the breath to God who gave it.

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

Gospel
Luke 9:43-45

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

Many of us can take comfort in today’s readings. For amidst all our anxieties and insecurities facing the future, God our Father has a plan for us. Not to do us harm but to prosper us.

And so as we toil each day to provide food for ourselves and our families, let us remember that we are also working towards building up His Kingdom. Let us remain steadfast and focused on our Lord Jesus Christ who is the same living Lord and God yesterday, today and for all eternity.

Jesus we praise You and we love You. Now and forever. Amen

First reading
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

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

A time for giving birth,
a time for dying;
a time for planting,
a time for uprooting what has been planted.

A time for killing,
a time for healing;
a time for knocking down,
a time for building.

A time for tears,
a time for laughter;
a time for mourning,
a time for dancing.

A time for throwing stones away, a time for gathering them up; a time for embracing, a time to refrain from embracing.

A time for searching,
a time for losing;
a time for keeping,
a time for throwing away.

A time for tearing,
a time for sewing;
a time for keeping silent,
a time for speaking.

A time for loving,
a time for hating;
a time for war,
a time for peace.

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

Gospel
Luke 9:18-22

One day when Jesus was praying alone in the presence of his disciples he put this question to them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’ And they answered, ‘John the Baptist; others Elijah; and others say one of the ancient prophets come back to life.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ It was Peter who spoke up. ‘The Christ of God’ he said. But he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone anything about this.
‘The Son of Man’ he said ‘is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.’

If Jesus is in the centre of our lives all else is of no consequence.

Turn back to God our Father. Take responsibility for your words and actions. Be contrite, do not allow your sins, misdeeds against another, come back and haunt you. Seek reconciliation in humility and love and you will be forgiven just as you forgive.

Life comes to a fleeting end for those who live apart from Jesus Christ our Lord and saviour. For He alone is the light, the truth and the way to eternal life. Amen

First reading
Ecclesiastes 1:2-11

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

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

Gospel
Luke 9:7-9

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

Jesus invites us sinners to follow Him. What is this invitation about and what does it entail? Well first we need to exercise our free will and respond to Jesus in action. With that His peace is upon us and His redemptive grace liberates us from our bonds. We have entered into the most wonderful relationship with our Lord and God. No other relationships will ever come close.

And since every one of us is a unique child of God our Father. We have each been given a mix of many gifts and talents according to His Will for us. So that we can reach out to our sisters and brothers in the world inviting to come, share in the graces we have received through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

St Matthew pray for us.

First reading
Ephesians 4:1-7,11-13

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

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

Gospel
Matthew 9:9-13

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.’

It is not what we think of ourselves that matters. It is what God our Father thinks and sees through our actions. 

How then does He look upon us? How have we progressed? What must we do? Well the Lord our God speaks to us all the time. He moulds us through the many He sends, the good, the very good and even the bad. For there are times when need it to grow ever closer to Him. We  who hears His Word through prayer, scripture and a listening ear in His presence know what we must do. 

O Lord, my master grant that I may always have a heart and mind opened to Your Word and Will for me. So that I will draw closer to You each passing day by my actions of love for the least of my brethren. Amen 

First Reading
Proverbs 21:1-6,10-13

Like flowing water is the heart of the king in the hand of the Lord,who turns it where he pleases.

A man’s conduct may strike him as upright, the Lord, however, weighs the heart.

To act virtuously and with justice is more pleasing to the Lord than sacrifice.

Haughty eye, proud heart, lamp of the wicked, nothing but sin.

The hardworking man is thoughtful, and all is gain;too much haste, and all that comes of it is want.

To make a fortune with the help of a lying tongue, such the idle fantasy of those who look for death.

The wicked man’s soul is intent on evil, he looks on his neighbour with dislike.

When a mocker is punished, the ignorant man grows wiser,when a wise man is instructed he acquires more knowledge.

The Just One watches the house of the wicked: he hurls the wicked to destruction.

He who shuts his ear to the poor man’s cry shall himself plead and not be heard.

Gospel
Luke 8:19-21

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

Many think that to live humbly in service of the Lord is to live inconspicuously as possible. While it may be true for the few whose hearts thrive to be in the limelight; it is not so for all. We must never hide or live in the shadows.

As children of God our Father, we are children of the light. And so must live in the light. Bringing the light of Jesus Christ our Lord to all whom we meet. It is the in the light of our actions that we bring Glory to God our Heavenly Father.

Lord Jesus give me the courage, wisdom and strength to boldly proclaim Your love for all in word and deed. Amen

First reading
Proverbs 3:27-34

My son, do not refuse a kindness to anyone who begs it, if it is in your power to perform it. Do not say to your neighbour, ‘Go away! Come another time! I will give it you tomorrow’, if you can do it now.

Do not plot harm against your neighbour as he lives unsuspecting next door.

Do not pick a groundless quarrel with a man who has done you no harm. Do not emulate the man of violence, never model your conduct on his; for the wilful wrong-doer is abhorrent to the Lord, who confides only in honest men. The Lord’s curse lies on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the virtuous.

He mocks those who mock, but accords his favour to the humble.

Gospel
Luke 8:16-18

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

I concluded my sharing at the New Wine Conference 2016 with this… 

#jesus4everyone

We like the seeds must die before new life can spring up. But the dying to oneself must be accompanied by action which will lead to growth. Hence we must first begin by clearing the ground of any obstacles to growth. We do this by removing the rocks of sin through the Sacrament of reconciliation. We let the graces of God flow into our hearts like soil which is prepared. Then we toil and plant the seeds which will sprout virtues. We continue to nurture it with the Word of God and the frequent reception of Holy Eucharist. Soon we will bear fruit pleasing to God our Father.

Let us strive each day to live and love in the joy of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

First reading
1 Corinthians 15:35-37,42-49

Someone may ask, ‘How are dead people raised, and what sort of body do they have when they come back?’ They are stupid questions. Whatever you sow in the ground has to die before it is given new life and the thing that you sow is not what is going to come; you sow a bare grain, say of wheat or something like that, It is the same with the resurrection of the dead: the thing that is sown is perishable but what is raised is imperishable; the thing that is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious; the thing that is sown is weak but what is raised is powerful; when it is sown it embodies the soul, when it is raised it embodies the spirit.
If the soul has its own embodiment, so does the spirit have its own embodiment. The first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; but the last Adam has become a life-giving spirit. That is, first the one with the soul, not the spirit, and after that, the one with the spirit. The first man, being from the earth, is earthly by nature; the second man is from heaven. As this earthly man was, so are we on earth; and as the heavenly man is, so are we in heaven. And we, who have been modelled on the earthly man, will be modelled on the heavenly man.

Gospel
Luke 8:4-15

With a large crowd gathering and people from every town finding their way to him, Jesus used this parable:
‘A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell on the edge of the path and was trampled on; and the birds of the air ate it up. Some seed fell on rock, and when it came up it withered away, having no moisture. Some seed fell amongst thorns and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell into rich soil and grew and produced its crop a hundredfold.’ Saying this he cried, ‘Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!’
His disciples asked him what this parable might mean, and he said, ‘The mysteries of the kingdom of God are revealed to you; for the rest there are only parables, so that they may see but not perceive,
listen but not understand.

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

Quite a few are already counting down the days to Christmas. (never mind Advent) Not everyone remembers Christmas in awe that God came to save His people. Instead for them it’s a magical season for singing carols, giving, receiving gifts and Santa.

An early Church Father once said that Christmas is celebrated only in preparation for Easter. If our Lord had not Risen from the dead as He said He would then Christianity would not exist. But because He did the story of our salvation had been fulfilled. We have been saved from our sins and have new life in Him.

And so let us to out to share in the good news, being hospitable to all with the love of Jesus Christ. Amen

First reading
1 Corinthians 15:12-20

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

Gospel
Luke 8:1-3

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

Doubt no more! Start believing and living the new life in Jesus Christ for which you have been given. The precious living Word of God has been entrusted to us to share in the joy of the Gospel. And all who hold it dear to their hearts in prayer, reflection and contemplation will proudly and joyfully proclaim it to others. For Christ is alive in them and they are living testimonies of the living God among us.

Dearest mother of Christ Jesus and mother of us all. O dearest Blessed Mother you wept for your innocent Son who was tortured and died on the Cross for our sins. Even in unimaginable agony of heart you bravely stood with Him to the very end. Stand now with us and intercede for our souls that we may always remain pure and pleasing to God our Father. Through Your loving Son our Lord Jesus Christ may we all be reunited in Heaven. Amen

First reading
1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you– believing anything else will not lead to anything. Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared first to Cephas and secondly to the Twelve. Next he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all he appeared to me too; it was as though I was born when no one expected it.

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

Gospel
John 19:25-27

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

No one can ever say that God does not love him or her. No one can ever say He does not know or understand our pain and suffering. For the greatest sign of His love for us is our Lord Jesus Christ hung on the cross for us. Once used an emblem of suffering and shame has become us for us a sign of redemption; victory over death and sin. Through Him and Him alone we are saved.

And so sisters and brothers wear your crucifixes proudly! For today as we exalt the Holy Cross. We proclaim to the world that Jesus Christ is Lord! And God our Father’s plan for salvation of us is completed in Him. Through the saving power of our Lord Jesus Christ we are raised to new life in Him. Amen

https://youtu.be/jwVdWjbnSFQ

First reading
Numbers 21:4-9

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

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

Second reading
Philippians 2:6-11

His state was divine,
yet Christ Jesus did not cling
to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave and became as men are; and being as all men are,
he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross.

But God raised him high and gave him the name which is above all other names so that all beings
in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every tongue should acclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel
John 3:13-17

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

‘No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven; and the Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life.

For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.’

Truly we know how blessed we are when we recognise the gifts and talents of all around us. How each and everyone is unique in their own way and yet are gathered together to give Him glory by our service. And each of us are not limited by the gifts we have, for we who have much are given yet more. So Yes be ambitious for the higher gifts so that you may be used to gather more and give Him greater Glory!

Like Christ who had great compassion for the hopeless, the lonely and the poor. Let us too breathe new life of Christ our Saviour unto their hearts. Bringing His grace and healing by journeying with them. So that everyone of us can declare with one voice, God has visited His people. Amen

First reading
1 Corinthians 12:12-14,27-31

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

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

Gospel
Luke 7:11-17

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

In our busyness have we forgotten the reason for our gathering as a community? Of what it means to be in communion with Jesus and our sisters and brothers? Are we quick to jump straight into a meeting to address and solve issues instead of beginning with prayer and adoration of our Lord of whom we are gathered.

In the Eucharistic Celebration are we late to come in and the first to leave before the celebrant. What does it say about our love and reverence for God? What does it say about our love if any for our community of sisters and brothers in Christ whom we are in Holy ‘communion’ with? Is it OK to talk in the church hall just before, during and immediately after the Eucharist Celebration? Are we not on sacred ground? Should we not be praying instead? Whom have we put our faith in? Where is the faith we proudly recite in the Creed?

We have been given the most precious gift of our Lord Jesus Christ in Holy Eucharist. The source and summit of our faith. And while we are truly not worthy to receive Him, it is He alone who makes us worthy. Let us honour and cherish our Lord Jesus by always remembering that it is He who unites us all. Through Him we are one and we must stand together as one in all we say and do. Amen

First reading
1 Corinthians 11:17-26,33

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

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

Gospel
Luke 7:1-10

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

Today as we reflect on the first reading and the Gospel, let us deeply reflect on what it means to in Communion with the Holy Trinity. How we are then in communion with one another through our Lord Jesus Christ. How deeply we should love and cherish the most precious gift of the Holy Eucharist. Attend daily if possible the Eucharist Celebration so as to receive and be received by Jesus Christ our Lord. So that we might go forth and be fruitful.

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

First reading
1 Corinthians 10:14-22

My dear brothers, you must keep clear of idolatry. I say to you as sensible people: judge for yourselves what I am saying. The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf. Look at the other Israel, the race, where those who eat the sacrifices are in communion with the altar. Does this mean that the food sacrificed to idols has a real value, or that the idol itself is real? Not at all. It simply means that the sacrifices that they offer they sacrifice to demons who are not God. I have no desire to see you in communion with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot take your share at the table of the Lord and at the table of demons. Do we want to make the Lord angry; are we stronger than he is?

Gospel
Luke 6:43-49

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘There is no sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. For every tree can be told by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns, nor gather grapes from brambles. A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness. For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.
‘Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord” and not do what I say?
‘Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and acts on them– I will show you what he is like. He is like the man who when he built his house dug, and dug deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man who built his house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!’

We know this to be true that it is, it far easier to see the faults in others and with greater clarity. Our very own are few, obscure or at least we like to think so. Our ‘mission’ as we see it, is to correct the faults of all so that they might have a chance for a better life and afterlife. How far from the truth it is for us who are blind!

To see clearly our true mission, we need to be a people whose hearts are pining to do the will of God our Father of Whom we love dearly.

Day after day, night after night we spend time in prayer, deeply reflecting on His Word. Pondering over our daily words to others, our labour, our actions and inactions. Asking for Mercy when we have sinned against the One we love and praying for the grace to do better.

It is in this loving humility of wanting to serve our Lord Jesus Christ, that we not only know it but live out our mission. To bring the joy of the Gospel to everyone. That the light of Christ may shine upon them as it shines on and through us. Welcoming home our sisters and brothers. Amen

First reading
1 Corinthians 9:16-19,22-27

I do not boast of preaching the gospel, since it is a duty which has been laid on me; I should be punished if I did not preach it! If I had chosen this work myself, I might have been paid for it, but as I have not, it is a responsibility which has been put into my hands. Do you know what my reward is? It is this in my preaching, to be able to offer the Good News free, and not insist on the rights which the gospel gives me.
So though I am not a slave of any man I have made myself the slave of everyone so as to win as many as I could. For the weak I made myself weak. I made myself all things to all men in order to save some at any cost; and I still do this, for the sake of the gospel, to have a share in its blessings.
All the runners at the stadium are trying to win, but only one of them gets the prize. You must run in the same way, meaning to win. All the fighters at the games go into strict training; they do this just to win a wreath that will wither away, but we do it for a wreath that will never wither. That is how I run, intent on winning; that is how I fight, not beating the air. I treat my body hard and make it obey me, for, having been an announcer myself, I should not want to be disqualified.

Gospel
Luke 6:39-42

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

We are all God our Father’s holy people, His children. Born into the world to be a blessing for one and all. We are all unique and have been given great gifts and talents for our specific roles. And we know and live them out by being in communion with the Holy Trinity.

Our perfect role model has and always will be our blessed Mother Mary. She was born into a modest and humble home and lived out her life in love, service and obedience of God our Heavenly Father. Though we hear little of her, yet each and every time that we do; she magnifies the Lord our God with every little word and deed. She brought forth the salvation of the world wholeheartedly through the Holy Spirit by her will in communion with God our Father. Truly blessed are we that the woman blessed among women would be become the mother of us all.

O dearest Blessed Mother, we wish you a happy birthday. Thank you for your love and constant intercession. And for always leading us to your Son, our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

The Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary -Feast

First reading
Micah 5:1-4

The Lord says this:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
the least of the clans of Judah,
out of you will be born for me the one who is to rule over Israel; his origin goes back to the distant past, to the days of old. The Lord is therefore going to abandon them till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.

Then the remnant of his brothers will come back to the sons of Israel. He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord, with the majesty of the name of his God.

They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power to the ends of the land. He himself will be peace.

Gospel
Matthew 1:1-16,18-23

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

Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother, Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram was the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother, Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother, Obed was the father of Jesse; and Jesse was the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,
Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Azariah, Azariah was the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah; and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.
Then the deportation to Babylon took place.

After the deportation to Babylon:
Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor was the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob; and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.

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

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’

In the beautitudes given by our dearest Lord, we can hear both the underlying and overlying call of the novum mandatum; the new commandment, to love one another as He loves us. But always first to love our God, our heavenly Father with all our heart, all our mind, all our strength and with all our soul.

We must ensure that we should never love our family, friends or anything in this world in such a way they become idols for us. This will separate us from the deep experience of remaining in God’s love. This will prevent us from serving the least of our brethren as we are all called to do. We should hate and prevent it from ever happening.

Lord Jesus let me die in Your arms. So that I may rise to new life in You now and forever. Amen

First reading
1 Corinthians 7:25-31

About remaining celibate, I have no directions from the Lord but give my own opinion as one who, by the Lord’s mercy, has stayed faithful. Well then, I believe that in these present times of stress this is right: that it is good for a man to stay as he is. If you are tied to a wife, do not look for freedom; if you are free of a wife, then do not look for one. But if you marry, it is no sin, and it is not a sin for a young girl to get married. They will have their troubles, though, in their married life, and I should like to spare you that.
Brothers, this is what I mean: our time is growing short. Those who have wives should live as though they had none, and those who mourn should live as though they had nothing to mourn for; those who are enjoying life should live as though there were nothing to laugh about; those whose life is buying things should live as though they had nothing of their own; and those who have to deal with the world should not become engrossed in it. I say this because the world as we know it is passing away.

Gospel
Luke 6:20-26

Fixing his eyes on his disciples Jesus said:

‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God.
Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied.
Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh.

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

‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now.
Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry.
Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep.

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

Never forget the mercy and love the Lord Jesus had bestowed upon you. You who were groping in the darkness of sin. Starving for meaning to life? Thirsty for living water. 

You were restored and given new life in Him. Called to be saints, children of our Heavenly Father. And He called you by name to be part of that community of saints, so as to lead the way for all His children around the world. 

If you remember as you should, your own humble beginnings. Then you will not seek honour for yourself, power and glory. You will be available for your community and not a slave to routine. To be for them an instrument of God’s grace and healing touch.  And everything that you say and do will be to do God our Father’s will so as to glorify Him alone. 

Jesus my Lord, lead me your disciple always. Amen 

First reading
1 Corinthians 6:1-11

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

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

Gospel
Luke 6:12-19

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

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

Sexual immorality is on the rise because of easy access to pornography. And pornography causes the sickening of the mind and withering of the soul. What is abnormal and detestable seems normal since there are so many blackened souls engaged in it. No! Do not allow the poison to enter, do not allow access to it. For it takes only a little bit, a little while to take control. Remain focused on the love of Christ Jesus our Lord. Turn to Him all you who have fallen and He will restore you and make you whole again.

There is no reason to withhold mercy and care for another. There is no right time but the present! Let us carry our crosses joyfully as we minister to all in need. Amen

First reading
1 Corinthians 5:1-8

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

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

Gospel
Luke 6:6-11

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

What good is our righteousness? If we do not feed the hungry, tend to the sick or share our joy of the Risen Lord with those who are lonely or without hope. What good is our wealth if we hoard it for ourselves; only to find out that at the end by that selfish act we have bought for ourselves damnation? What good is our pride if it brings no glory to God our Father?

Let us instead be found in humble service of the Lord our God. To care for and lead the children of God our Father into His Heavenly Kingdom.

Jesus Christ my Lord and my God. Amen

First reading
1 Corinthians 4:6-15

Take Apollos and myself as an example and remember the maxim: ‘Keep to what is written.’ It is not for you, so full of your own importance, to go taking sides for one man against another. In any case, brother, has anybody given you some special right? What do you have that was not given to you? And if it was given, how can you boast as though it were not? Is it that you have everything you want– that you are rich already, in possession of your kingdom, with us left outside? Indeed I wish you were really kings, and we could be kings with you! But instead, it seems to me, God has put us apostles at the end of his parade, with the men sentenced to death; it is true– we have been put on show in front of the whole universe, angels as well as men. Here we are, fools for the sake of Christ, while you are the learned men in Christ; we have no power, but you are influential; you are celebrities, we are nobodies. To this day, we go without food and drink and clothes; we are beaten and have no homes; we work for our living with our own hands. When we are cursed, we answer with a blessing; when we are hounded, we put up with it; we are insulted and we answer politely. We are treated as the offal of the world, still to this day, the scum of the earth.

I am saying all this not just to make you ashamed but to bring you, as my dearest children, to your senses. You might have thousands of guardians in Christ, but not more than one father and it was I who begot you in Christ Jesus by preaching the Good News.

Gospel
Luke 6:1-5

One sabbath Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples were picking ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands and eating them. Some of the Pharisees said, ‘Why are you doing something that is forbidden on the sabbath day?’ Jesus answered them, ‘So you have not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry how he went into the house of God, took the loaves of offering and ate them and gave them to his followers, loaves which only the priests are allowed to eat?’ And he said to them, ‘The Son of Man is master of the sabbath.’

We must constantly be renewed in Christ Jesus our Lord. For it is through Him, the Word of God made flesh that we have new life! Our salvation history has been fulfilled in Him. And we must never forget the past that revealed the truth in the new. The same way Christmas is celebrated only in preparation for Easter. Yet both are the beginning, the end and new beginning of our salvation.

Let us celebrate with joy our new and renewed life in Jesus. And be led as to when it is time for us to fast and when it is time for us to rejoice and celebrate. Being sensitive and docile to the promptings of the Spirit that leads us. So that we may always give glory to God our Father in everything. Amen

First reading
1 Corinthians 4:1-5

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

Gospel
Luke 5:33-39

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

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

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

If only we sought the wisdom of God first in everything we say and do, oh how wonderful our speech and acts will surely be! But all too often we allow our egoes to soar presuming we know better. We also draw conclusions from our ‘vast’ past experiences. We do not allow for others to speak nor will we listen to their thoughts and insights. How then can we listen to the word of God? What if in His wisdom He chose the meek to speak to us?

They pressed around Jesus to listen to the Word of God and so must we do likewise. Put aside our wisdom and experience so that we can listen to Him say “Put out into deep….” Only then can we truly experience and be a witness to the miracle we are meant to be a part of.

We sisters and brothers are called to cast the all loving and embracing net of Christ so as to welcome God our Father’s children into the Family. Glory and Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

First reading
1 Corinthians 3:18-23

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

Gospel
Luke 5:1-11

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

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

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

How long must we be fed? How long will it take for us to be convinced of our faith in Jesus enough to get up and start building the Kingdom of God our Father?

Some are very concerned about who the celebrant is before attending the Eucharistic Celebration. Others who will be giving the homily? Who will be taking over as Parish priest? If there is a Parish event who is involved before I think of contributing or participating. Which group is leading the Life in the Spirit Seminar? Are we then ourselves a spiritual people? Whom do we serve? Whose Will do we honour and obey?

Does Simon’s mother-in-law not inspire us? That when the Lord removed what ailed her, she got up and served them without delay. Likewise having our many sins lifted from us, how can we not rise up to serve Him? To use all the gifts and talents we have in building His Kingdom. By leading and carrying if we have to; the crippled, the lame, blind, aged and every child of God to the gates of Heaven.

Our pilgrim journey home will be trying as it will be challenging. Let us never forget to go into the quiet, so that the Lord can give us rest and peace. For He listens to our prayers and answers them. Through His refreshing grace we rise to continue the journey back to Him. Amen

First reading
1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Brothers, I myself was unable to speak to you as people of the Spirit: I treated you as sensual men, still infants in Christ. What I fed you with was milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it; and indeed, you are still not ready for it since you are still unspiritual. Isn’t that obvious from all the jealousy and wrangling that there is among you, from the way that you go on behaving like ordinary people? What could be more unspiritual than your slogans, ‘I am for Paul’ and ‘I am for Apollos’?

After all, what is Apollos and what is Paul? They are servants who brought the faith to you. Even the different ways in which they brought it were assigned to them by the Lord. I did the planting, Apollos did the watering, but God made things grow. Neither the planter nor the waterer matters: only God, who makes things grow. It is all one who does the planting and who does the watering, and each will duly be paid according to his share in the work. We are fellow workers with God; you are God’s farm, God’s building.

Gospel
Luke 4:38-44

Leaving the synagogue Jesus went to Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever and they asked him to do something for her. Leaning over her he rebuked the fever and it left her. And she immediately got up and began to wait on them.

At sunset all those who had friends suffering from diseases of one kind or another brought them to him, and laying his hands on each he cured them. Devils too came out of many people, howling, ‘You are the Son of God.’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ.

When daylight came he left the house and made his way to a lonely place. The crowds went to look for him, and when they had caught up with him they wanted to prevent him leaving them, but he answered, ‘I must proclaim the Good News of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, because that is what I was sent to do.’ And he continued his preaching in the synagogues of Judaea.