O Lord my God, I welcome You with a hospitable heart modelled after St. Martha. Come dwell in the temple of my soul! I truly renounce all my sinful ways and if there be any sinfulness left in me, I bid You to come purify and make me whole.

You truly are the Resurrection and the life! For You through You alone I have been set free to live life to the full. I have peace and love and joy in my heart. You are Christ, the Son of God sent; so that I may have life eternal with God my Heavenly Father.

If I should die then let me die in service of You and of brethren, for I my hope and faith is in You; and You will raise me on the last day. Amen Alleluia!

Saint Martha pray for us….

First reading

Jeremiah 26:1-9 ·

Jeremiah preaches in the Temple of the Lord and is threatened with death

At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘The Lord says this: Stand in the court of the Temple of the Lord. To all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the Temple of the Lord you must speak all the words I have commanded you to tell them; do not omit one syllable. Perhaps they will listen and each turn from his evil way: if so, I shall relent and not bring the disaster on them which I intended for their misdeeds. Say to them, “The Lord says this: If you will not listen to me by following my Law which I put before you, by paying attention to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send so persistently to you, without your ever listening to them, I will treat this Temple as I treated Shiloh, and make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.”’

    The priests and prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah say these words in the Temple of the Lord. When Jeremiah had finished saying everything that the Lord had ordered him to say to all the people, the priests and prophets seized hold of him and said, ‘You shall die! Why have you made this prophecy in the name of the Lord, “This Temple will be like Shiloh, and this city will be desolate, and uninhabited”?’ And the people were all crowding round Jeremiah in the Temple of the Lord.

Gospel

John 11:19-27

I am the resurrection and the life

Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ ‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said:

‘I am the resurrection and the life.

If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,

and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this?’

‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.’

It is important to recollect where we have been in the past and how we are now journeying ever deeper in our relationship with our the Lord our God as we forwards towards our Heavenly abode. Recollection is an opportunity to dwell on the goodness of God our loving Father in every aspect of our lives. This awareness should propel us into deeper praise and worship of our Potter, our creator, our Father!

Let us harden not our hearts as we repent of our many sins, while we are still malleable and docile to His soft promptings. Let the grace and mercy of our Lord and Jesus Christ be upon us all as we go forth as true beacons of His light. Amen

First reading

Jeremiah 18:1-6

When the clay goes wrong, the potter starts afresh

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

Gospel

Matthew 13:47-53

The fishermen collect the good fish and throw away those that are no use

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the just to throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

    ‘Have you understood all this?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old.’

Do not lose hope or be discouraged for the Lord our God is always with us. When you have discovered the greatest treasure of encountering our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and are moved to start a deep personal relationship, then know that the Spirit of God is dwelling within you.

Things which may have been a norm in your life will become distasteful. Excessive partying, drinking, smoking, pornography, vulgarities, sexual banters and innuendos and much, much more! You may feel ostracized by family and friends as you grow in holiness. Again do not lose hope or be discouraged for the Lord who is with you will lead you to like minded Christians on the same journey as you are. Being part of a community in Christ is what leads all of us to greater Communion with and in Him. Giving up your previous lifestyle for the Lord brings you into a more fulfilling one filled with His joy and peace. Will there still be trials and challenges? Yes of course, but we will face them unafraid for they will not overcome us; because the Lord is with us. Amen

First reading

Jeremiah 15:10,16-21 ·

They will not overcome you, because I am with you

‘Woe is me, my mother, for you have borne me

to be a man of strife and of dissension for all the land.

I neither lend nor borrow,

yet all of them curse me.

‘When your words came, I devoured them:

your word was my delight

and the joy of my heart;

for I was called by your name,

Lord, God of Hosts.

I never took pleasure in sitting in scoffers’ company;

with your hand on me I held myself aloof,

since you had filled me with indignation.

Why is my suffering continual,

my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?

Do you mean to be for me a deceptive stream

with inconstant waters?’

To which the Lord replied,

‘If you come back,

I will take you back into my service;

and if you utter noble, not despicable, thoughts,

you shall be as my own mouth.

They will come back to you,

but you must not go back to them.

I will make you

a bronze wall fortified against this people.

They will fight against you

but they will not overcome you,

because I am with you

to save you and to deliver you

– it is the Lord who speaks.

I mean to deliver you from the hands of the wicked

and redeem you from the clutches of the violent.’

Gospel

Matthew 13:44-46

He sells everything he owns and buys the field

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.

    ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.’

Indeed Lord You are our hope!

I have not forgotten the vision You gave me when I was on retreat. In that vision I was joyfully running swiftly alongside You through a wheat field. Then we stopped and You turned to ask me if I saw the darnel in the field. I answered that I did not know how to tell one from the other, as I have never even seen wheat up close before. Your reply was neither did You see the darnel in the field!

You O Lord are all loving and merciful. While we still have time Lord, forgive us our many sins. Remove all that is not of You Lord, wash us clean and renew our hearts. So that we may go forth to glorify You by all that we say and do. Amen

Saint Joachim and Saint Anne Pray for us…

First reading

Jeremiah 14:17-22

We confess our wickedness; you, God, are our hope

The Lord said to me:

Say this word to the people:

‘Tears flood my eyes

night and day, unceasingly,

since a crushing blow falls on the daughter of my people,

a most grievous injury.

If I go into the countryside,

there lie men killed by the sword;

if I go into the city,

I see people sick with hunger;

even prophets and priests

plough the land: they are at their wit’s end.’

‘Have you rejected Judah altogether?

Does your very soul revolt at Zion?

Why have you struck us down without hope of cure?

We were hoping for peace – no good came of it!

For the moment of cure – nothing but terror!

Lord, we do confess our wickedness

and our fathers’ guilt:

we have indeed sinned against you.

For your name’s sake do not reject us,

do not dishonour the throne of your glory.

Remember us; do not break your covenant with us.

Can any of the pagan Nothings make it rain?

Can the heavens produce showers?

No, it is you, Lord.

O our God, you are our hope,

since it is you who do all this.’

Gospel

Matthew 13:36-43

As the darnel is gathered up and burnt, so it will be at the end of time

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

We see and want the glory of being with and serving alongside Jesus but often deny the price we need to pay for that Glory! For Christ Himself came to be serve and not to be served and paid the highest price; of suffering and dying on the Cross so that we may live free from sin. He who is God showed us by example through His humanity how it is we must serve, when He got down to wash the feet of His disciples. If the Lord of lords, King of kings can do this who are we? Are we greater than He who laid down His life for us?

In order for us to grow in Spiritual maturity we need to receive the baptism of fire which only comes from putting true love into action in the service of the Lord our God and of our brethren.

Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done. For Yours is the honour and glory forever. Amen

Saint James Pray for us…

First reading

2 Corinthians 4:7-15 ·

Such an overwhelming power comes from God and not from us

We are only the earthenware jars that hold this treasure, to make it clear that such an overwhelming power comes from God and not from us. We are in difficulties on all sides, but never cornered; we see no answer to our problems, but never despair; we have been persecuted, but never deserted; knocked down, but never killed; always, wherever we may be, we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus, too, may always be seen in our body. Indeed, while we are still alive, we are consigned to our death every day, for the sake of Jesus, so that in our mortal flesh the life of Jesus, too, may be openly shown. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

    But as we have the same spirit of faith that is mentioned in scripture – I believed, and therefore I spoke – we too believe and therefore we too speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus to life will raise us with Jesus in our turn, and put us by his side and you with us. You see, all this is for your benefit, so that the more grace is multiplied among people, the more thanksgiving there will be, to the glory of God.

Gospel

Matthew 20:20-28

‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’

The mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons to make a request of him, and bowed low; and he said to her, ‘What is it you want?’ She said to him, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You do not know what you are asking’ Jesus answered. ‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ ‘Very well,’ he said ‘you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.’

    When the other ten heard this they were indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

Why do onlookers see us as a ritualistic, religious folk and seem to avoid us at all cost? If you were on the outside looking in what would you see?

Would you see a welcoming place with doors wide open and people eager to greet and welcome you? Are parishioners happily engaged in conversations outside of Mass, or when they send their kids for Catechism? Do friends gather in their homes to praise, worship, testify and share the Gospel with one another or at the very least do they do this by zoom? Are those serving the Church alive with joy in their hearts and bearing fruit for the Lord? Are they eager to attend meetings where the Lord is alive in their hearts and present? Are they excited about planning and executing events through the guidance of the Holy Spirit to bring everyone closer to the Lord our God? Are many flocking to the Church to be healed and set free from sin through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?

If not then is the Lord truly with us? We may not be as bad as those mentioned in today’s first reading but are we any better? Yes we are all sinners but how many of us are striving to be saints as we are called to be?

In Your mercy Lord let change begin with me. Fill me with Your grace and Holy Spirit and let me glorify You by my life. Amen

First reading

Jeremiah 7:1-11 ·

Reform your behaviour and I will stay here with you, says the Lord

The word that was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord:

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

Gospel

Matthew 13:24-30

Let them both grow till the harvest

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

Are we disciples truly in love with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as St Mary Magdalen was? If so then…

Are we the first in the presence of our Lord in any meeting, scheduled or unscheduled? Do we seek Him out eagerly with all our heart, yearning to be of service to Him and our brethren? Do we weep and are repentant of our sins which lead us away from Him? Are we attentive to His every word and Will for us? Do we obediently and with unwavering faith, carry out His commands to share the good news with our brethren and to love them as He loves us?

I sought You Jesus whom my heart loves. And I found You whom my heart loves! Amen

Saint Mary Magdalen Pray for us…

First reading

Song of Songs 3:1-4 ·

I found him whom my heart loves

The bride says this:

On my bed, at night, I sought him

whom my heart loves.

I sought but did not find him.

So I will rise and go through the City;

in the streets and in the squares

I will seek him whom my heart loves.

I sought but did not find him.

The watchmen came upon me

on their rounds in the City:

‘Have you seen him whom my heart loves?’

Scarcely had I passed them

when I found him whom my heart loves.

Gospel

John 20:1-2,11-18

‘Mary, go and find the brothers and tell them’

It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’

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

We can experience Heaven here on earth because of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit we are able to see, touch, feel the presence of the Lord our God; even listen to His voice as we live out our daily lives.

Why then are so many still oblivious to this fact? Why do their faith come and go like leaky cisterns? Why then are many are serving dutifully in Church to fulfil an obscure sense of duty to the Lord our God; rather than doing so with hope of glorifying him by their joyful service of Him and brethren? Why are so many still not in community to praise, honour, worship and listen attentively to Him through His Word building His Kingdom together?

Let us ask ourselves how have we grown in faith, love and our relationship with Jesus and one another? Are we living a life in the Spirit?

Jesus our loving Lord, source of all life; You offer us the wellspring of living water and so we cry out to You as the woman at the well did. “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” Jn 4:15

Amen

First reading

Jeremiah 2:1-3,7-8,12-13 ·

I brought you to a fertile country and you defiled it

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

‘“The Lord says this:

I remember the affection of your youth,

the love of your bridal days:

you followed me through the wilderness,

through a land unsown.

Israel was sacred to the Lord,

the first-fruits of his harvest;

anyone who ate of this had to pay for it,

misfortune came to them –

it is the Lord who speaks.”

‘I brought you to a fertile country

to enjoy its produce and good things;

but no sooner had you entered than you defiled my land,

and made my heritage detestable.

The priests have never asked, “Where is the Lord?”

Those who administer the Law have no knowledge of me.

The shepherds have rebelled against me;

the prophets have prophesied in the name of Baal,

following things with no power in them.

‘You heavens, stand aghast at this,

stand stupefied, stand utterly appalled

– it is the Lord who speaks.

Since my people have committed a double crime:

they have abandoned me,

the fountain of living water,

only to dig cisterns for themselves,

leaky cisterns

that hold no water.’

Gospel

Matthew 13:10-17

Prophets and holy men longed to hear what you hear

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

You will listen and listen again, but not understand,

see and see again, but not perceive.

For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,

their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,

for fear they should see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their heart,

and be converted

and be healed by me.

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

“I am not worthy to hold Jesus in my hands!” My reply to the Parish Priest who told me I should join the Eucharistic Ministers of Holy Communion. Then the Lord spoke to me through him, “The fact that you know you are not worthy, makes you worthy.”  Now as I look back at this beginning 12 years ago and what I have managed to accomplish over the years for Him I am in awe. Who knew that this rugged introvert would be able to share the word of God and bring others closer to the Lord? That he would be able start three different communities in the Lord and off shoots which started their very own. What are some lessons learnt?

• The Lord our God does not call us to be successful, only obedient to His call for us.
• He qualifies us for any and all tasks according to His Will.
• He already made us worthy through His life, death and resurrection.
• The Holy Spirit is the light switch which dispels all darkness in an instant, pray and listen to Him always.
• The Word of God is power, strength and life! Embrace the joy of the Gospel every day.

Jesus let my love for You bear fruit now and always. Amen

First reading

Jeremiah 1:1,4-10 ·

Go and say whatever I command you and do not fear

The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of a priestly family living at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.

    The word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying,

‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;

before you came to birth I consecrated you;

I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.’

I said, ‘Ah, Lord; look, I do not know how to speak: I am a child!’

But the Lord replied,

‘Do not say, “I am a child.”

Go now to those to whom I send you

and, say whatever I command you.

Do not be afraid of them,

for I am with you to protect you –

it is the Lord who speaks!’

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me:

‘There! I am putting my words into your mouth.

Look, today I am setting you

over nations and over kingdoms,

to tear up and to knock down,

to destroy and to overthrow,

to build and to plant.’

Gospel

Matthew 13:1-9

A sower went out to sow

Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.

    He said, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

The message in today’s Gospel is clear we who are baptized as children of God our Heavenly must do His Will. Only then do we have an true familial relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and with one another. Can we ever say that we do not know His will for us? At the very least, He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly[a] with your God. Micah 6:8

Let us take some time to reflect on who is our brother, sister and mother? Are they only in our immediate family? Our church? Ministry and community? Do we recognize as such the cashier at the grocery mart? The waiter and waitresses at the diners? The old lady or old man selling tissues at the train station? The disabled struggling to get in and out of the taxis? Are our eyes opened to see the fellow child of God in them? Baptized or Not!?

Our Good all merciful and loving Shepherd; Our Lord Jesus Christ has led us, His flock to pasture. Led us then with His mercy and grace Shepherd all our sisters, brothers, mothers and fathers into His Kingdom by our love. Amen

First reading

Micah 7:14-15,18-20 ·

Have pity on us one more time

With shepherd’s crook, O Lord, lead your people to pasture,

the flock that is your heritage,

living confined in a forest

with meadow land all around.

Let them pasture in Bashan and Gilead

as in the days of old.

As in the days when you came out of Egypt

grant us to see wonders.

What god can compare with you: taking fault away,

pardoning crime,

not cherishing anger for ever

but delighting in showing mercy?

Once more have pity on us,

tread down our faults,

to the bottom of the sea

throw all our sins.

Grant Jacob your faithfulness,

and Abraham your mercy,

as you swore to our fathers

from the days of long ago.

Gospel

Matthew 12:46-50

My mother and my brothers are anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven

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

If we continue to live our lives according to our own wills and not unite our wills with that of the Lord our God ‘s then how can we hope to see His signs and wonders? The signs and wonders of His love which He wants to manifest in both our lives and that of our brothers and sisters.

We cannot say we love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, strength and soul when we do not have time to hear His word and dwell in His presence. If we do not praise and worship Him each and every day with all our heart. When we do not strive for Holiness, purity of heart and mind over sin and temptation. We convince ourselves that just by looking is not sinning instead of turning our eyes away. And that it is okay for us to lash out aggressively with hurtful even vulgar words when we are rightfully angry.  How then are we acting justly, loving tenderly and walking humbly with the Lord our God? How then can we hope to see His signs and wonders?

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me a sinner. Heavenly Father, Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen

First reading

Micah 6:1-4,6-8 ·

The Lord asks only this: to act justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly

Listen to what the Lord is saying:

Stand up and let the case begin in the hearing of the mountains

    and let the hills hear what you say.

Listen, you mountains, to the Lord’s accusation,

    give ear, you foundations of the earth,

for the Lord is accusing his people,

    pleading against Israel:

My people, what have I done to you,

    how have I been a burden to you? Answer me.

I brought you out of the land of Egypt,

    I rescued you from the house of slavery;

I sent Moses to lead you,

    with Aaron and Miriam.

– ‘With what gift shall I come into the Lord’s presence

    and bow down before God on high?

Shall I come with holocausts,

    with calves one year old?

Will he be pleased with rams by the thousand,

    with libations of oil in torrents?

Must I give my first-born for what I have done wrong,

    the fruit of my body for my own sin?’

– What is good has been explained to you, man;

    this is what the Lord asks of you:

only this, to act justly,

    to love tenderly

    and to walk humbly with your God.

Gospel

Matthew 12:38-42

There is something greater than Solomon here

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

Such is the love and mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that He will not break the crushed reed, nor put out the smouldering wick! All of us who are crushed by our very own iniquities and sin. Let us therefore repent and turn our hearts back to Him while we still can.

For many even ‘Christians’ fall into sin and plot evil and injustices on those they have the power to do so. Forcing staff to leave so they can bring in people close and dear to them, under the guise of office transformation or new direction. Scheming and bickering over inheritance issues. Paying workers below the minimum wage. Injustices against the poor and uneducated. There are indeed too many misdeeds against our neighbours to list and yet the heaven cries out on their behalf!

Change must start with you and me. Let us call upon the mercy of Lord and allow the blazing fire of His love to transform us. So that we may become powerful beacons of His love and mercy for others. Amen

First reading

Micah 2:1-5 ·

The plotters of evil will not escape

Woe to those who plot evil,

who lie in bed planning mischief!

No sooner is it dawn than they do it

– their hands have the strength for it.

Seizing the fields that they covet,

they take over houses as well,

owner and house they confiscate together,

taking both man and inheritance.

So the Lord says this:

Now it is I who plot

such mischief against this breed

as your necks will not escape;

nor will you be able to walk proudly,

so evil will the time be.

On that day they will make a satire on you,

sing a dirge and say,

‘We are stripped of everything;

my people’s portion is measured out and shared,

no one will give it back to them,

our fields are awarded to our despoiler.’

Therefore you will have no one

to measure out a share

in the community of the Lord.

Gospel

Matthew 12:14-21

He cured them all but warned them not to make him known

The Pharisees went out and began to plot against Jesus, discussing how to destroy him.

    Jesus knew this and withdrew from the district. Many followed him and he cured them all, but warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah:

Here is my servant whom I have chosen,

my beloved, the favourite of my soul.

I will endow him with my spirit,

and he will proclaim the true faith to the nations.

He will not brawl or shout,

nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.

He will not break the crushed reed,

nor put out the smouldering wick

till he has led the truth to victory:

in his name the nations will put their hope.

All Scripture points us to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Even before He came down from Heaven and was incarnate, the Lord our God sent instruments of His healing grace when God our Father’s children cried out to Him; and they were restored. Now that Jesus has ascended into Heaven whom shall He send when His flock cry out to Him? If not you and me then who?

Are we living in the Spirit under the Authority of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Because if we truly are living as we are called to then as our Lord said, “

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” Jn14:12 For all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Jesus Matt 28:18

And so the question for us today is are we living as true disciples of Jesus? If not then how can we obey His command to go make disciples of all nations when we are not living the life of a disciple ourselves. When we doubt that we can heal and restore in His name?

Jesus I cry out to You, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Amen

Mark 9:24

Saint Bonaventure Pray for us….

First reading

Isaiah 38:1-6,21-22,7-8

The Lord hears Hezekiah’s prayer and heals him

Hezekiah fell ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, ‘The Lord says this, “Put your affairs in order, for you are going to die, you will not live.”’ Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and addressed this prayer to the Lord, ‘Ah, Lord, remember, I beg you, how I have behaved faithfully and with sincerity of heart in your presence and done what is right in your eyes.’ And Hezekiah shed many tears.

    Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, ‘Go and say to Hezekiah, “The Lord, the God of David your ancestor, says this: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will cure you: in three days’ time you shall go up to the Temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. I will save you from the hands of the king of Assyria, I will protect this city.”’

    ‘Bring a fig poultice,’ Isaiah said, ‘apply it to the ulcer and he will recover.’ Hezekiah said, ‘What is the sign to tell me that I shall be going up to the Temple of the Lord?’ ‘Here’ Isaiah replied ‘is the sign from the Lord that he will do what he has said. Look, I shall make the shadow cast by the declining sun go back ten steps on the steps of Ahaz.’ And the sun went back the ten steps by which it had declined.

Gospel

Matthew 12:1-8

The Son of Man is master of the sabbath

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

With a humble contrite spirit let us approach our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. For we know we cannot do it all alone, we need His grace, mercy and peace. Our battle with the forces of darkness and evil is a tedious one but we know will overcome them all through the power and light of Jesus our resurrected Lord!

His soft gentle voice calls out to us today, “Come to me and I will give you rest”

Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (Rm 8:35 ) Let us therefore stand convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rm 8:38-39)

In thee my soul finds rest O Lord. Amen

First reading

Isaiah 26:7-9,12,16-19 ·

‘Awake and exult, all you who lie in the dust’

The path of the upright man is straight,

you smooth the way of the upright.

Following the path of your judgements,

we hoped in you, O Lord,

your name, your memory are all my soul desires.

At night my soul longs for you

and my spirit in me seeks for you;

when your judgements appear on earth

the inhabitants of the world learn the meaning of integrity.

O Lord, you are giving us peace,

since you treat us

as our deeds deserve.

Distressed, we search for you, O Lord;

the misery of oppression was your punishment for us.

As a woman with child near her time

writhes and cries out in her pangs,

so are we, O Lord, in your presence:

we have conceived, we writhe

as if we were giving birth;

we have not given the spirit of salvation to the earth,

no more inhabitants of the world are born.

Your dead will come to life,

their corpses will rise;

awake, exult,

all you who lie in the dust,

for your dew is a radiant dew

and the land of ghosts will give birth.

Gospel

Matthew 11:28-30

My yoke is easy and my burden light

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

O God my Heavenly Father, I am indeed your child so loved by You. Thank You for blessing and watching over me. I am in awe of all that You have done in my life and have seen Your mighty yet merciful hand at work each and every day. Thank You most of all for the gift of Your Son my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who is the truth, the way and the life. For through and with Him I see You and are in full communion.

Bless and forgive me Abba for my many shortcomings, grant me the wisdom and knowledge to do Your Will alone always. Renew my drooping spirit and enkindle a new fire within me to glorify You all the days of my life. Amen Alleluia!

First reading

Isaiah 10:5-7,13-16 ·

Assyria’s arrogance and coming ruin

The Lord of hosts says this:

Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger,

the club brandished by me in my fury!

I sent him against a godless nation;

I gave him commission against a people that provokes me,

to pillage and to plunder freely

and to stamp down like the mud in the streets.

But he did not intend this,

his heart did not plan it so.

No, in his heart was to destroy,

to go on cutting nations to pieces without limit.

For he has said:

‘By the strength of my own arm I have done this

and by my own intelligence, for understanding is mine;

I have pushed back the frontiers of peoples

and plundered their treasures.

I have brought their inhabitants down to the dust.

As if they were a bird’s nest, my hand has seized

the riches of the peoples.

As people pick up deserted eggs

I have picked up the whole earth,

with not a wing fluttering,

not a beak opening, not a chirp.’

Does the axe claim more credit than the man who wields it,

or the saw more strength than the man who handles it?

It would be like the cudgel controlling the man who raises it,

or the club moving what is not made of wood!

And so the Lord of Hosts is going to send

a wasting sickness on his stout warriors;

beneath his plenty, a burning will burn

like a consuming fire.

Gospel

Matthew 11:25-27

You have hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children

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

Why live in darkness and sin and when we can live in the light of our Lord’s resurrection? We have been given free will to choose and if we so choose the former then we can be assured that it will only lead to our permanent destruction and death. Not that the Lord our God will this for us but rather our choice has consequences!

If we are tired of groping in the dark, searching for peace, love and happiness in all the wrong places. Then it is time to turn back to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ while we still can. We come before Him just as we are, and He will transform us by His mercy, grace and abundant love for us. We will be set free to live life to the full in Him.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.(PS 51:10) Amen

First reading

Isaiah 7:1-9 ·

Isaiah tells the king not to fear

In the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Razon the king of Aram went up against Jerusalem with Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, to lay siege to it; but he was unable to capture it.

    The news was brought to the House of David. ‘Aram’ they said ‘has reached Ephraim.’ Then the heart of the king and the hearts of the people shuddered as the trees of the forest shudder in front of the wind. The Lord said to Isaiah, ‘Go with your son Shear-jashub, and meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the Fuller’s Field road, and say to him:

‘“Pay attention, keep calm, have no fear,

do not let your heart sink

because of these two smouldering stumps of firebrands,

or because Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah

have plotted to ruin you, and have said:

Let us invade Judah and terrorise it

and seize it for ourselves,

and set up a king there,

the son of Tabeel.

The Lord says this:

It shall not come true; it shall not be.

The capital of Aram is Damascus,

the head of Damascus, Razon;

the capital of Ephraim, Samaria,

the head of Samaria, the son of Remaliah.

Six or five years more

and a shattered Ephraim shall no longer be a people.

But if you do not stand by me,

you will not stand at all.”’

Gospel

Matthew 11:20-24

It will not go as hard with Sodom on Judgement Day as with you

Jesus began to reproach the towns in which most of his miracles had been worked, because they refused to repent.

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

Why do we pray to God our Heavenly Father that His Kingdom come, His Will be done when we think or rather we insists we must be in control?

“My daughter is mine, I cannot and will not surrender her to the Will of God.” “I worked hard all my life to provide for my family, I have a car, a home, all that I can ask so why should I surrender it all to God?” “I serve in Church on Sundays and that is enough how can they expect me to attend prayer meetings, ministry meetings and so on, my domestic church comes first!”

Some may even declare “I have resisted all forms of sin and temptation.” But what about the sin of omission? For failing to do what the Lord wants us to do? Not so much what we have done, but what we have failed to do, especially for our brethren! The poor, the sick, the widow, the orphan, those suffering injustice and oppression.

What does it mean then to seek God’s Kingdom first? It is not simply to live in our King’s Domain? In His presence? Is He then truly first in our lives as we claim? Are we truly then worthy of Him? For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11 Why then are we afraid to surrender our all to Him?

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

First reading

Isaiah 1:10-17 ·

Take your wrongdoing out of my sight

Hear the word of the Lord,

you rulers of Sodom;

listen to the command of our God,

you people of Gomorrah.

‘What are your endless sacrifices to me?

says the Lord.

I am sick of holocausts of rams

and the fat of calves.

The blood of bulls and of goats revolts me.

When you come to present yourselves before me,

who asked you to trample over my courts?

Bring me your worthless offerings no more,

the smoke of them fills me with disgust.

New Moons, sabbaths, assemblies –

I cannot endure festival and solemnity.

Your New Moons and your pilgrimages

I hate with all my soul.

They lie heavy on me,

I am tired of bearing them.

When you stretch out your hands

I turn my eyes away.

You may multiply your prayers,

I shall not listen.

Your hands are covered with blood,

wash, make yourselves clean.

‘Take your wrong-doing out of my sight.

Cease to do evil.

Learn to do good,

search for justice,

help the oppressed,

be just to the orphan,

plead for the widow.’

Gospel

Matthew 10:34-11:1

It is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be those of his own household.

    ‘Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.

    ‘Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me.

    ‘Anyone who welcomes a prophet will have a prophet’s reward; and anyone who welcomes a holy man will have a holy man’s reward.

    ‘If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.’

    When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.

Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matt 6:33 Everything we need to survive but more importantly God our Father’s Kingdom on earth will be opened to us as well and we will indeed see sights and wonders! For what purpose to our end? To be sent into world and lead all those who will listen back to His loving embrace. His Kingdom come His will be done.

We must be of one mind just as we worship the One and Only triune God. One Body, One mind, One Spirit. And so each day we awake in prayer to hear His Word for us so that we might fortify ourselves against the wiles of the devil who seeks to scatter our minds and hearts! Yes even the mention of devil may irk us and cause us to shut our ears as many do not want to believe that he exists. Jesus Himself reminds us today, ‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell.’

But the thing is what is there for us to be afraid? For so long as our heart seeks the Lord our God, and desires to be with Him in His Kingdom; He is already with us. For our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ had already come to save us from all sin. And so if we fall and are truly repentant then when we turn to Him, He will restore and free us! He will give us the grace to resist sin and temptation so that we can go out into world and help our fellow sisters and brother back unto the righteous path.

Here I am Lord, send me. Amen

First reading

Isaiah 6:1-8 ·

Isaiah’s lips cleansed with a burning coal

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

    And they cried out to one another in this way,

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts.

His glory fills the whole earth.’

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

‘What a wretched state I am in! I am lost,

for I am a man of unclean lips

and I live among a people of unclean lips,

and my eyes have looked at the King, the Lord of Hosts.’

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

‘See now, this has touched your lips,

your sin is taken away,

your iniquity is purged.’

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:

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

I answered, ‘Here I am, send me.’

Gospel

Matthew 10:24-33

Everything now hidden will be made clear

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘The disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor the slave to his master. It is enough for the disciple that he should grow to be like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, what will they not say of his household?

    ‘Do not be afraid of them therefore. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.

    ‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.

    ‘So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.’

What struck me in today’s passages is that we always have a choice. Whether we want to remain stumbling sinners accepting that is just who we are; or we can choose to remember that we are children so loved  by God our Heavenly Father and walk upright and virtuously in His love. For He has given His Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to free us from all sin so that we can walk blameless in His sight.

When we do decide to walk the straight and narrow path. To listen and follow His Word and Will for us then we can be assured that when we speak, the Spirit of God our Father will speak in us.

Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, One God forever. Amen

First reading

Hosea 14:2-10

A call to conversion and promise of safety

The Lord says this:

Israel, come back to the Lord your God;

your iniquity was the cause of your downfall.

Provide yourself with words

and come back to the Lord.

Say to him, ‘Take all iniquity away

so that we may have happiness again

and offer you our words of praise.

Assyria cannot save us,

we will not ride horses any more,

or say, “Our God!” to what our own hands have made,

for you are the one in whom orphans find compassion.’

– I will heal their disloyalty,

I will love them with all my heart,

for my anger has turned from them.

I will fall like dew on Israel.

He shall bloom like the lily,

and thrust out roots like the poplar,

his shoots will spread far;

he will have the beauty of the olive

and the fragrance of Lebanon.

They will come back to live in my shade;

they will grow corn that flourishes,

they will cultivate vines

as renowned as the wine of Helbon.

What has Ephraim to do with idols any more

when it is I who hear his prayer and care for him?

I am like a cypress ever green,

all your fruitfulness comes from me.

Let the wise man understand these words.

Let the intelligent man grasp their meaning.

For the ways of the Lord are straight,

and virtuous men walk in them,

but sinners stumble.

Gospel

Matthew 10:16-23

The Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves.

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

In spite of our obstinacy, sinfulness and errant ways we are still very much loved by God our Heavenly Father. So loved are we, that He sent His only begotten Son to save us and draw us back unto Him.

Today Jesus sends us all out on mission. To win back hearts that have wandered far from Him. To bring His peace, love and joy back into their lives. To win back souls heading for destruction by their willful, sinful choices! Do we stand ready to go out in faith dependent only on the Holy Spirit? Are we ready to face rejection for love of Him? Are we ready to receive nothing in return, no recognition, fame or personal glory? Are we then ready to say to Jesus with all our hearts, “Here I am Lord send me!”

Here I am Lord, I come to do Your Will. Be with me now and forever. Amen

First reading

Hosea 11:1-4,8-9 ·

I am the Holy One in your midst and have no wish to destroy

Thus says the Lord:

When Israel was a child I loved him,

and I called my son out of Egypt.

But the more I called to them, the further they went from me;

they have offered sacrifice to the Baals

and set their offerings smoking before the idols.

I myself taught Ephraim to walk,

I took them in my arms;

yet they have not understood that I was the one looking after them.

I led them with reins of kindness,

with leading-strings of love.

I was like someone who lifts an infant close against his cheek;

stooping down to him I gave him his food.

Ephraim, how could I part with you?

Israel, how could I give you up?

How could I treat you like Admah,

or deal with you like Zeboiim?

My heart recoils from it,

my whole being trembles at the thought.

I will not give rein to my fierce anger,

I will not destroy Ephraim again,

for I am God, not man:

I am the Holy One in your midst

and have no wish to destroy.

Gospel

Matthew 10:7-15

You received without charge: give without charge

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘As you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge. Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with a few coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the workman deserves his keep.

    ‘Whatever town or village you go into, ask for someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave. As you enter his house, salute it, and if the house deserves it, let your peace descend upon it; if it does not, let your peace come back to you. And if anyone does not welcome you or listen to what you have to say, as you walk out of the house or town shake the dust from your feet. I tell you solemnly, on the day of Judgement it will not go as hard with the land of Sodom and Gomorrah as with that town.’

How can we be faithful if we live for ourselves? We may say we live for our families, in that we earn a living to provide for them but how and what are we providing for their spiritual life? For their growth in relationship and faith in the Lord our God? Do we belong to a community of praying disciples who encourages and affirms one another through prayer meetings, sharing of the Word and testimonies of living in the joy of the presence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?

How then can we hope to be faithful when there are so many distractions and temptations in the World. How can we believe that our children will not go astray if we ourselves are easily led astray?

Today’s Gospel is about the calling of the 12 Apostles, but it is also serves as a reminder that in 2022, He is still calling and sending you and me into homes of His lost sheep. All those who have lost their way, who have left the church for whatever reasons. To turn their hearts back to the Lord their God so that they may live free from sin in His love. Then together with them we can go on to make disciples of all nations. Amen

First reading

Hosea 10:1-3,7-8,12 ·

Seek integrity and reap a harvest of kindness

Israel was a luxuriant vine

yielding plenty of fruit.

The more his fruit increased,

the more altars he built;

the richer his land became,

the richer he made the sacred stones.

Their heart is a divided heart;

very well, they must pay for it:

the Lord is going to break their altars down

and destroy their sacred stones.

Then they will say,

‘We have no king

because we have not feared the Lord.’

But what can a king do for us?

Samaria has had her day.

Her king is like a straw drifting on the water.

The idolatrous high places shall be destroyed –

that sin of Israel;

thorn and thistle will grow on their altars.

Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’

and to the hills, ‘Fall on us!’

Sow integrity for yourselves,

reap a harvest of kindness,

break up your fallow ground:

it is time to go seeking the Lord

until he comes to rain salvation on you.

Gospel

Matthew 10:1-7

‘Go to the lost sheep of the House of Israel’

Jesus summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.

    These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows:

    ‘Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’

Whom shall the Lord send? If we remain self-centred, inward looking. If we care only for ourselves and our enjoyment. Will He send You and me to build His Kingdom? To save souls? Who then shall He send to lead us home to Him?

If we all decide that our children’s successes are in our hands and so we pave the way for them to only become lawyers, doctors, engineers or scientists then what about Priests and religious? “Well other parents can sacrifice their children if they want to!” Really? What happened to let’s give all glory and praise to our God? Let His Will be done? He is our Lord or lords, King of kings! The reality may actually be we are priests, prophets and kings for ourselves alone.

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our mind, so that we can see what hope his call holds for us. Amen

First reading

Hosea 8:4-7,11-13 ·

They have sown the wind; they will reap the whirlwind

Thus says the Lord:

They have set up kings, but not with my consent,

and appointed princes, but without my knowledge.

Out of their own silver and gold they have made idols,

which are doomed to destruction.

I spurn your calf, Samaria,

my anger blazes against it.

(How long will it be before they purge themselves of this,

the sons of Israel?)

A workman made the thing,

this cannot be God!

Yes, the calf of Samaria shall go up in flames.

They sow the wind, they will reap the whirlwind;

their wheat will yield no ear,

the ear will yield no flour,

or, if it does, foreigners will swallow it.

Ephraim has built altar after altar,

they have only served him as occasion for sin.

Were I to write out the thousand precepts of my Law for him,

they would be paid no more attention than those of a stranger.

They love sacrificing; right, let them sacrifice!

They love meat; right, let them eat it!

The Lord takes no pleasure in these.

He is now going to remember their iniquity

and punish their sins;

they will have to go back to Egypt.

Gospel

Matthew 9:32-37

The harvest is rich but the labourers are few

A man was brought to Jesus, a dumb demoniac. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke and the people were amazed. ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel’ they said. But the Pharisees said, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts out devils.’

    Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.

    And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’

Our loving Lord always calls us gently back to faithfulness. For He only desires what is best for us and that only happens when we enter into an intimate relationship with Him. We are able to live life to the full in Him.

However many a time due to our unfaithfulness we feel the life being drained out of us. We feel listless and spiritually dry and often peace of mind eludes. We need to examine our conscience and acknowledge that we have sinned; turn back swiftly to our Lord through penance and reconciliation otherwise we will surely head towards spiritual death. Prayerfully we have time to change our hearts before our ultimate end God willing.

Let us therefore, confidently turn to Jesus so that He can heal and restore us. So that we may once again become the saints we are called to be, Holy as our Heavenly Father is Holy. Amen

First reading

Hosea 2:16,17-18,21-22 ·

I will betroth you to myself and you will come to know the name of the Lord

It is the Lord who speaks:

I am going to lure her

and lead her out into the wilderness

and speak to her heart.

I am going to give her back her vineyards,

and make the Valley of Achor a gateway of hope.

There she will respond to me as she did when she was young,

as she did when she came out of the land of Egypt.

When that day comes – it is the Lord who speaks –

she will call me, ‘My husband’,

no longer will she call me, ‘My Baal.’

I will betroth you to myself for ever,

betroth you with integrity and justice,

with tenderness and love;

I will betroth you to myself with faithfulness,

and you will come to know the Lord.

Gospel

Matthew 9:18-26

‘Your faith has restored you to health’

While Jesus was speaking, up came one of the officials, who bowed low in front of him and said, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and her life will be saved.’ Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him. Then from behind him came a woman, who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years, and she touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I can only touch his cloak I shall be well again.’ Jesus turned round and saw her; and he said to her, ‘Courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health.’ And from that moment the woman was well again.

    When Jesus reached the official’s house and saw the flute-players, with the crowd making a commotion he said, ‘Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep.’ And they laughed at him. But when the people had been turned out he went inside and took the little girl by the hand; and she stood up. And the news spread all round the countryside.

When I had a profound encounter with the Lord through the Holy Spirit and had a new found desire to read His Word I turned to two seniors in the faith to guide me on where I should start. One was an elderly leader in the Charismatic movement who has passed on, and the other an established Catholic speaker invited to give us a talk in our Parish who has since left the Catholic Church to pursue his faith in some other Christian denomination. They both shared with conviction the exact same thing, “Don’t even bother with the Old Testament, just concentrate wholly on the New Testament which is more than enough!” Who was I to question these esteemed leaders of the faith? Still it unsettled me even then, for whether Old or New aren’t they both the inspired Word of God? Was I not meant to take their guidance literally? Was the guidance received taken out of context somehow?

Well as I grew deeper in love with Word of God, I find this statement holds true “The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed.” A variation would be the “New Testament is concealed in the Old, and the Old is revealed in the New” Both Old and New point us in the same direction and that is to the way, the truth and the life; Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who came to make all things new. To draw all of us unto Himself and to the heart of God our Heavenly Father.

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

Amos 9:11-15 ·

I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel

It is the Lord who speaks:

‘That day I will re-erect the tottering hut of David,

make good the gaps in it, restore its ruins

and rebuild it as it was in the days of old,

so that they can conquer the remnant of Edom

and all the nations that belonged to me.’

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

‘The days are coming now – it is the Lord who speaks –

when harvest will follow directly after ploughing,

the treading of grapes soon after sowing,

when the mountains will run with new wine

and the hills all flow with it.

I mean to restore the fortunes of my people Israel;

they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them,

plant vineyards and drink their wine,

dig gardens and eat their produce.

I will plant them in their own country,

never to be rooted up again

out of the land I have given them,

says the Lord, your God.’

Gospel

Matthew 9:14-17

When the bridegroom is taken from them, then they will fast

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

We all know what happens when we do not hear the Lord our God speaking to us through His Word. For we have all experienced it at what point or another in our lives! When we chose our ways and our will over His and the choices we made caused our lives to spin out of control. Self indulgent lifestyles, doing as we please not caring about others or the results of our actions. There were other times when all seem quiet in our lives but there was no peace or love in our hearts!

Today as we have embraced the endemic phase many have decided to throw caution in the air to do as they please. Party, Party, Party! And so everyone will have to face the consequences. Where is the mercy within us for others?

Have we lost sight of Christ Jesus our Saviour? Is He still very much present in our lives? He had come for us sinners, to free us from the bondages of sin. So that we can live our lives to the full in His peace and love. Let us turn our hearts back to Him, so that we can hear His word and will for us once again. Let us pray the first few lines of Psalm 119 together….

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,

    who walk according to the law of the Lord.

2 Blessed are those who keep his statutes

    and seek him with all their heart—

3 they do no wrong

    but follow his ways.

4 You have laid down precepts

    that are to be fully obeyed.

5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast

    in obeying your decrees!

6 Then I would not be put to shame

    when I consider all your commands.

7 I will praise you with an upright heart

    as I learn your righteous laws.

8 I will obey your decrees;

    do not utterly forsake me.

Amen

First reading

Amos 8:4-6,9-12 ·

A famine not of bread, but of hearing the word of the Lord

Listen to this, you who trample on the needy

and try to suppress the poor people of the country,

you who say, ‘When will New Moon be over

so that we can sell our corn,

and sabbath, so that we can market our wheat?

Then by lowering the bushel, raising the shekel,

by swindling and tampering with the scales,

we can buy up the poor for money,

and the needy for a pair of sandals,

and get a price even for the sweepings of the wheat.’

That day – it is the Lord who speaks –

I will make the sun go down at noon,

and darken the earth in broad daylight.

I am going to turn your feasts into funerals,

all your singing into lamentation;

I will have your loins all in sackcloth,

your heads all shaved.

I will make it a mourning like the mourning for an only son,

as long as it lasts it will be like a day of bitterness.

See what days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –

days when I will bring famine on the country,

a famine not of bread, a drought not of water,

but of hearing the word of the Lord.

They will stagger from sea to sea,

wander from north to east,

seeking the word of the Lord

and failing to find it.

Gospel

Matthew 9:9-13

It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick

As Jesus was walking on, he saw a man named Matthew sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

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

Have you gone for the sacrament of reconciliation? You should go for the Lord wants to take away your sins and set you free to live fully in His love. This is what we should be saying to our spouses, our children, family even close friends. And we should never reply to one another, “Mind your own business” or “It is between me and God, I will go when I am ready!” You see it is fundamental duty as Christians so safeguard and safe souls. We are called to be priest, prophets and kings for one another so as to lead everyone into the Kingdom of God our Heavenly Father.

Jesus You came to heal, forgive and set us free. Restore me Lord, that I may give You all the glory, in everything I say and do this and every day. Amen

First reading

Amos 7:10-17 ·

The Lord took me from herding the flock and sent me to prophesy

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

‘You say:

‘“Do not prophesy against Israel,

utter no oracles against the House of Isaac.”

‘Very well, this is what the Lord says,

‘“Your wife will be forced to go on the streets,

your sons and daughters will fall by the sword,

your land be parcelled out by measuring line,

and you yourself die on unclean soil

and Israel will go into exile far distant from its own land.”’

Gospel

Matthew 9:1-8

‘Your sins are forgiven; get up and walk’

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

On this Solemnity of St Peter and Paul, I call to mind how these two great and wonderful Saints had lived and died in the hope of rising with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. They gave their all for our Lord and by their faithfulness, obedience and love; He was ever present to the very end of their lives on earth and to the beginning of their new life in and with Him.

And as I recollect and dwell on how I have lived, I am ashamed! I have not been as faithful as I should be. I have given in to temptation and sin on countless occasions. I have not given my all to the Lord my God. Still I know my Lord Jesus loves me and so I will not take His love for me for granted. I will endeavour as both these great Saints have done, to fight the good fight to the end; and to run the race to the finish. Amen

Saints Peter and Paul pray for us… 

First reading

Acts 12:1-11 ·

‘Now I know the Lord really did save me from Herod’

King Herod started persecuting certain members of the Church. He beheaded James the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he decided to arrest Peter as well. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread, and he put Peter in prison, assigning four squads of four soldiers each to guard him in turns. Herod meant to try Peter in public after the end of Passover week. All the time Peter was under guard the Church prayed to God for him unremittingly.

    On the night before Herod was to try him, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with double chains, while guards kept watch at the main entrance to the prison. Then suddenly the angel of the Lord stood there, and the cell was filled with light. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him. ‘Get up!’ he said ‘Hurry!’ – and the chains fell from his hands. The angel then said, ‘Put on your belt and sandals.’ After he had done this, the angel next said, ‘Wrap your cloak round you and follow me.’ Peter followed him, but had no idea that what the angel did was all happening in reality; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed through two guard posts one after the other, and reached the iron gate leading to the city. This opened of its own accord; they went through it and had walked the whole length of one street when suddenly the angel left him. It was only then that Peter came to himself. ‘Now I know it is all true’ he said. ‘The Lord really did send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happen to me.’

Second reading

2 Timothy 4:6-8,17-18 ·

All there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me

My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.

    The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Gospel

Matthew 16:13-19

You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church

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

Jesus is the Lord of sea and sky what have we to fear? If we do fear perhaps the Lord seems to absent in our lives? Is He then fast asleep in our lives?

For in our own busyness we have chosen not to awake Him through prayer. We have refused to enter into His presence through His Word. We have made no time for the Lord our God. Have we then decided that we can resist all temptation and sin on our own and so have no need for the sacraments? With the easing of restrictions have we rushed to gather as One to pray and to share the joy of the Gospel? Or have we rushed for our own entertainment and enjoyment?

If we have been faithfully living in our Lord’s presence then we will never have to wait for a catastrophe to strike before we call on Him; for we know He is already with us. That He will surely save us and even if we die, we will rise in Him.

Lead me, O Lord, in your justice. Amen

Saint Irenaeus pray for us…

First reading

Amos 3:1-8,4:11-12

It is for all your sins that I mean to punish you

Listen, sons of Israel, to this oracle the Lord speaks against you, against the whole family I brought out of the land of Egypt:

You alone, of all the families of earth, have I acknowledged,

therefore it is for all your sins that I mean to punish you.

Do two men take the road together

if they have not planned to do so?

Does the lion roar in the jungle

if no prey has been found?

Does the young lion growl in his lair

if he has captured nothing?

Does the bird fall to the ground

if no trap has been set?

Does the snare spring up from the ground

if nothing has been caught?

Does the trumpet sound in the city

without the populace becoming alarmed?

Does misfortune come to a city

if the Lord has not sent it?

No more does the Lord do anything

without revealing his plans to his servants the prophets.

The lion roars: who can help feeling afraid?

The Lord speaks: who can refuse to prophesy?

I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,

and you were like a brand snatched from the blaze;

and yet you never came back to me.

It is the Lord who speaks.

This therefore, Israel, is what I plan to do to you,

and because I am going to do this to you,

Israel, prepare to meet your God!

Gospel

Matthew 8:23-27

Jesus rebuked the winds and the seas, and all was calm

Jesus got into the boat followed by his disciples. Without warning a storm broke over the lake, so violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat. But he was asleep. So they went to him and woke him saying, ‘Save us, Lord, we are going down!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?’ And with that he stood up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and all was calm again. The men were astounded and said, ‘Whatever kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.’

On this Blessed day in which we call to remembrance the Birthday of St John the Baptist; we too recall our very own baptism in which we were set apart to be Holy as our Heavenly Father is Holy. We are likewise called to mission to prepare the way of the Lord into the hearts of those who do not yet know Him. For He is the truth, the way and the life!

While the readings of the call, birth and life of St John the Baptist is certainly inspiring it should inspire us too to live as he did. With integrity, courage and conviction! And so this prayer extracted from the Benedictus is a call for you and me…

As for you, little child, you shall be called a prophet of God, the Most High.

You shall go ahead of the Lord to prepare his ways before him. Amen

First reading

Isaiah 49:1-6 ·

I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth

Islands, listen to me,

pay attention, remotest peoples.

The Lord called me before I was born,

from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.

He made my mouth a sharp sword,

and hid me in the shadow of his hand.

He made me into a sharpened arrow,

and concealed me in his quiver.

He said to me, ‘You are my servant (Israel)

in whom I shall be glorified’;

while I was thinking, ‘I have toiled in vain,

I have exhausted myself for nothing’;

and all the while my cause was with the Lord,

my reward with my God.

I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord,

my God was my strength.

And now the Lord has spoken,

he who formed me in the womb to be his servant,

to bring Jacob back to him,

to gather Israel to him:

‘It is not enough for you to be my servant,

to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel;

I will make you the light of the nations

so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’

Second reading

Acts 13:22-26 ·

Jesus, whose coming was heralded by John

Paul said: ‘God deposed Saul and made David their king, of whom he approved in these words, “I have selected David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will carry out my whole purpose.” To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. Before John ended his career he said, “I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal.”

    ‘My brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and all you who fear God, this message of salvation is meant for you.’

Gospel

Luke 1:57-66,80

‘His name is John’

The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy.

    Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. ‘No,’ she said ‘he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘But no one in your family has that name’, and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God. All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. ‘What will this child turn out to be?’ they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.

    Meanwhile the child grew up and his spirit matured. And he lived out in the wilderness until the day he appeared openly to Israel.

On this Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, you can hear Him calling through the readings, “Come back to me with all your heart.”

Yes come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden; and I will give you rest. Do not let fear keep us apart, come to me as you are and I will wash you clean, I make you white as snow. I will restore you to who you are, a child of God our Father so loved by Him, created in His likeness and image. Come receive the graces I want to give you through the Holy Sacraments I have entrusted to Holy Mother Church. Come and be united as One in me through Holy Communion.

O most Holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you, and with lively sorrow for my sins I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, Good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Amen.

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First reading

Ezekiel 34:11-16 ·

I will look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view

The Lord God says this: I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view. As a shepherd keeps all his flock in view when he stands up in the middle of his scattered sheep, so shall I keep my sheep in view. I shall rescue them from wherever they have been scattered during the mist and darkness. I shall bring them out of the countries where they are; I shall gather them together from foreign countries and bring them back to their own land. I shall pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in every inhabited place in the land. I shall feed them in good pasturage; the high mountains of Israel will be their grazing ground. There they will rest in good grazing ground; they will browse in rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. I myself will pasture my sheep, I myself will show them where to rest – it is the Lord who speaks. I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and make the weak strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a true shepherd to them.

Second reading

Romans 5:5-11 ·

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

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

Gospel

Luke 15:3-7

There will be rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner

Jesus spoke this parable to the scribes and Pharisees:

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

No one is exempt from challenges, trials, even some form of suffering so long as we are alive. For this is part and parcel of our human condition. But how we weather them when they do arrive is what sets us apart. Is the Lord our God ever present with us or do we live in exile from Him by our disobedience and unfaithfulness! Is it our will be done or God our Father’s will?

Some who are very active in Church either serving in ministry or even working there may think the Lord is with them, for how can He not be since it is His dwelling place? Well they may wish to rethink their position! For the Lords says this to all of us ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.

For what are the fruits of our labour? Have we grown in love for our neighbour? Have we grown in our faith? How have we helped others grow in love and faith? How many souls have we saved for Him? Have we grown in our relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ such that we know that building our house on rock does not simply mean building our own personal prayer life, devotions and knowledge of scripture; but building our Lord’s Kingdom through corporal and spiritual acts of mercy!

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

    And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

    and to walk humbly[a] with your God.(Micah 6:8) Amen

First reading

2 Kings 24:8-17

The first deportation into captivity in Babylon

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan, from Jerusalem. He did what is displeasing to the Lord, just as his father had done.

    At that time the troops of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched on Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon himself came to attack the city while his troops were besieging it. Then Jehoiachin king of Judah surrendered to the king of Babylon, he, his mother, his officers, his nobles and his eunuchs, and the king of Babylon took them prisoner. This was in the eighth year of King Nebuchadnezzar.

    The latter carried off all the treasures of the Temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace, and broke up all the golden furnishings that Solomon king of Israel had made for the sanctuary of the Lord, as the Lord had foretold. He carried off all Jerusalem into exile, all the nobles and all the notables, ten thousand of these were exiled, with all the blacksmiths and metalworkers; only the poorest people in the country were left behind. He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon, as also the king’s mother, his eunuchs and the nobility of the country; he made them all leave Jerusalem for exile in Babylon. All the men of distinction, seven thousand of them, the blacksmiths and metalworkers, one thousand of them, all of them men capable of bearing arms, were led into exile in Babylon by the king of Babylon.

    The king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in succession to him, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

Gospel

Matthew 7:21-29

The wise man built his house on a rock

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?” Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!

    ‘Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’

    Jesus had now finished what he wanted to say, and his teaching made a deep impression on the people because he taught them with authority, and not like their own scribes.

We all know that the Lord our God is always watching us even though we might often think to ourselves ‘out of sight, out of mind’. But He alone is not the one watching, whether we are at home, work, school or even Church someone is always watching. How we speak, how we act and how we behave. Will they witness duplicity in our lives? Crudeness and vulgarity? Are we always critical of others? Judging and complaining? Or will they see in us disciples of the Lord faithful and obedient unto Him? Will they see Christ Jesus our Lord in us?

What are the fruits that we bear for Him? How many are happy to see and speak to us? How many are filled joy and His peace because we bring Him with us into their presence? In other words how many have encountered Jesus through us being instruments of His grace? How many lives have been touched by Jesus through our hands, feet, mouths in loving servitude? Of the poor, the old, the sick and the downtrodden and all in need.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed You that You should go and bear fruit” ( John 15:16) Yes Lord I hear and heed Your call, be with me in my every endeavour to glorify and bear fruit for Your glory. Amen

First reading

2 Kings 22:8-13,23:1-3

The Book of the Law is found in the Temple of the Lord

The high priest Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the Book of the Law in the Temple of the Lord.’’’ And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it. Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him as follows, ‘Your servants’ he said ‘have melted down the silver which was in the Temple and have handed it over to the masters of works attached to the Temple of the Lord.’ Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, ‘Hilkiah the priest has given me a book’; and Shaphan read it aloud in the king’s presence.

    On hearing the contents of the Book of the Law, the king tore his garments, and gave the following order to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s minister: ‘Go and consult the Lord, on behalf of me and the people, about the contents of this book that has been found. Great indeed must be the anger of the Lord blazing out against us because our ancestors did not obey what this book says by practising everything written in it.’

    The king then had all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem summoned to him, and the king went up to the Temple of the Lord with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, priests, prophets and all the people, of high or low degree. In their hearing he read out everything that was said in the book of the covenant found in the Temple of the Lord. The king stood beside the pillar, and in the presence of the Lord he made a covenant to follow the Lord and keep his commandments and decrees and laws with all his heart and soul, in order to enforce the terms of the covenant as written in that book. All the people gave their allegiance to the covenant.

Gospel

Matthew 7:15-20

You will be able to tell them by their fruits

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

“Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls in front of pigs, or they may trample them and then turn on you and tear you to pieces.”

I had always found this passage harsh and thought to myself just pass it over and hold onto the rest of the passage which I can grasp better and apply. However over the years I see the truth and wisdom in it, having to deal with very stubborn people who refuse to listen to the call to holiness and to change so as to lead others. Refusing to be led or to lead; and simply refusing to ‘Come and See’ They prefer to gossip and rip others to pieces and are content to live as they are. And majority of them are from within the Church. Afterall hostile reactions if any, from outside is more or less expected. Yet many have heard with open hearts and received His loving embrace.

Then another truth I see in this passage is what about me? Am I striving for holiness? Such that I can receive fully that which is Holy? Do I fight to avoid all temptations so as not to be soiled? Do I seek the sacrament of reconciliation as often as needed to be fully reconciled with the Lord my God? Am I humble to hear His words and will for me through those He had sent to admonish me?

The battle is often within ourselves not with others outside. And even if it were with others from outside; If God is for us, many in the world will be against us. We know we are to expect the same sufferings that Christ endured on earth (1 Peter 4:12-19).  “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) Amen

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga pray for us….

First reading

2 Kings 19:9-11,14-21,31-36

The Lord protects Jerusalem from Sennacherib and the Assyrians

Sennacherib, King of the Assyrians, sent messengers to Hezekiah saying, ‘Tell this to Hezekiah king of Judah, “Do not let your God on whom you are relying deceive you, when he says: Jerusalem shall not fall into the power of the king of Assyria. You have learnt by now what the kings of Assyria have done to every country, putting them all under the ban. Are you likely to be spared?”’

    Hezekiah took the letter from the hands of the messenger and read it; he then went up to the Temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. Hezekiah said this prayer in the presence of the Lord, ‘O Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, enthroned on the cherubs, you alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth, you have made heaven and earth.

‘Give ear, Lord, and listen.

Open your eyes, Lord, and see.

Hear the words of Sennacherib

who has sent to insult the living God.

‘It is true, O Lord, that the kings of Assyria have exterminated all the nations, they have thrown their gods on the fire, for these were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, and hence they have destroyed them. But now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, I pray you, and let all the kingdoms of the earth know that you alone are God, Lord.’

    Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah. ‘The Lord, the God of Israel,’ he said, ‘says this, “I have heard the prayer you have addressed to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria.” Here is the oracle that the Lord has pronounced against him:

‘“She despises you, she scorns you,

the virgin, daughter of Zion;

she tosses her head behind you,

the daughter of Jerusalem.

A remnant shall go out from Jerusalem,

and survivors from Mount Zion.

The jealous love of the Lord of Hosts shall accomplish this.”

‘This, then, is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:

‘“He will not enter this city,

he will let fly no arrow against it,

confront it with no shield,

throw up no earthwork against it.

By the road that he came on he will return;

he shall not enter this city. It is the Lord who speaks.

I will protect this city and save it

for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”’

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

Gospel

Matthew 7:6,12-14

Treat others as you would like them to treat you

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls in front of pigs, or they may trample them and then turn on you and tear you to pieces.

    ‘So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.

    ‘Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to perdition is wide and spacious, and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.’

Let God be the judge alone! Yes it is frustrating when you set high standards for yourself and everyone else, but it seems everyone is falling short. Giving excuses after excuses, taking short cut after shortcut! And putting the blame on others instead of owning it and finding solutions to bring Him Glory and praise. Whom is it again that we serve? Is what we offer our very best for the Lord our God? Are we fully committed to walking in His presence always?

We are called to faithfulness and obedience not to be successful. For whether we are fruitful or successful or not is decided by the Lord our God by His standards. We on our part must always love mercy first and walk humbly with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us therefore not remain in dismay or regret, but seek new frontiers to walk in the light of His resurrection. To go where we are needed to bring Glory to our Lord. Amen

First reading

2 Kings 17:5-8,13-15,18 ·

There was none left, but the tribe of Judah only

The king of Assyria invaded the whole country and, coming to Samaria, laid siege to it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah on the Habor, a river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

    This happened because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshipped other gods, they followed the practices of the nations that the Lord had dispossessed for them.

    And yet through all the prophets and all the seers, the Lord had given Israel and Judah this warning, ‘Turn from your wicked ways and keep my commandments and my laws in accordance with the entire Law I laid down for your fathers and delivered to them through my servants the prophets.’ But they would not listen, they were more stubborn than their ancestors had been who had no faith in the Lord their God. They despised his laws and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and the warnings he had given them. They pursued emptiness, and themselves became empty through copying the nations round them although the Lord had ordered them not to act as they did. For this, the Lord was enraged with Israel and thrust them away from him. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

Gospel

Matthew 7:1-5

Do not judge, and you will not be judged

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

I strongly believe that most of us do not take the time to dwell and bask in God our Father’s great and enduring love for us. That is why we are often distracted by the lures and ways of the world. Seeking for love, affirmation and to satisfy our insatiable desires in the wrong places! We refuse to listen and obey His commandments given to us to provide order and life to the fullest in Him. We turn to the wisdom of the world and quote “wise” sayings of men and women when we have the divine Word of God within reach to ponder over and share!

If only we knew how much the Lord our God loves us we will not waste any time worrying, about how we are to live in this world. For we know His Kingdom come, His Will be done. Let us set our hearts on His Kingdom first, and on His righteousness, and all other things will be given us as well.

God our Father reminds us in today’s responsorial psalm taken from Psalm 89:33

‘But I will never take back my love, my truth will never fail.’

Let our resounding response be, “I will keep my love for Him always.” Amen

First reading

2 Chronicles 24:17-25

‘You have deserted the Lord: now he deserts you’

After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came to pay court to the king, and the king now turned to them for advice. The Judaeans abandoned the Temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, for the worship of sacred poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem. He sent them prophets to bring them back to the Lord, but when these gave their message, they would not listen. The spirit of God took possession of Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said, ‘God says this, “Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord to no good purpose? You have deserted the Lord, now he deserts you.”’ They then plotted against him and by order of the king stoned him in the court of the Temple of the Lord. King Joash, forgetful of the kindness that Jehoiada, the father of Zechariah, had shown him, killed Jehoiada’s son who cried out as he died, ‘The Lord sees and he will avenge!’

    When a year had gone by, the Aramaean army made war on Joash. They reached Judah and Jerusalem, and executed all the officials among the people, sending back to the king at Damascus all that they had plundered from them. Though the Aramaean army had by no means come in force, the Lord delivered into its power an army of great size for having deserted him, the God of their ancestors.

    The Aramaeans treated Joash as he had deserved, and when they retired they left him a very sick man; and his officers, plotting against him to avenge the death of the son of Jehoiada the priest, murdered him in his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the Citadel of David, though not in the tombs of the kings.

Gospel

Matthew 6:24-34

Do not worry about tomorrow: your holy Father knows your needs

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.

    ‘That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and how you are to clothe it. Surely life means more than food, and the body more than clothing! Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? Can any of you, for all his worrying, add one single cubit to his span of life? And why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin; yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his regalia was robed like one of these. Now if that is how God clothes the grass in the field which is there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you men of little faith? So do not worry; do not say, “What are we to eat? What are we to drink? How are we to be clothed?” It is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt 6:21

It is not wrong in having moments of leisure and fun. In fact it is encouraged! Neither is it wrong to work hard to secure a somewhat comfortable future. But what happens when we spend hours after hours going after it? Working 24×7 with no time for family, self, let alone the Lord our God? What about computer or mobile games? Endless streaming of movies and television series? Watching the sports channel following all the games? Internet Shopping? Are these our treasures or our addictions?

Can we say that we set an equal if not more time to dwell on the Lord’s Word or prayer? To build fraternal bonds with our sisters and brothers in Christ through community prayers and gatherings? To perform Corporal and Spiritual acts of mercy? To share the joy of the Gospel? If not then who’s Kingdom are we building? Who is it that we serve?

Jesus You are my treasure, You love me without measure. Lead the way Lord as I take up my Cross to follow You. Amen

First reading

2 Kings 11:1-4,9-18,20 ·

Saved from the massacre, the true king is anointed by the high priest

When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah learned that her son was dead, she promptly did away with all those of royal stock. But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, secretly took away Jehoash, her brother’s son, from among the sons of the king who were being murdered, and put him with his nurse in the sleeping quarters; in this way she hid him from Athaliah, and he was not put to death. He stayed with her for six years, hidden in the Temple of the Lord, while Athaliah governed the country.

    In the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds of the Carians and of the guards, and had them brought to him in the Temple of the Lord. He made a pact with them and, putting them under oath, showed them the king’s son.

    The commanders of hundreds did everything as Jehoiada the priest had ordered. They brought their men, those coming off duty on the sabbath together with those mounting guard on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. The priest equipped the commanders of hundreds with King David’s spears and shields which were in the Temple of the Lord. The guards formed up, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the south corner to the north corner of the Temple, surrounding the altar and the Temple. Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown and armlets on him, and he anointed him king. They clapped their hands and shouted, ‘Long live the king!’

    Athaliah, on hearing the shouts of the people made for the Temple of the Lord where the people were. When she saw the king standing there beside the pillar, as the custom was, with the captains and trumpeters at the king’s side, and all the country people rejoicing and sounding trumpets, Athaliah tore her garments and shouted, ‘Treason, treason!’ Then Jehoiada the priest gave the order to the army officers: ‘Take her outside the precincts and put to death anyone who follows her.’ ‘For,’ the priest had reasoned, ‘she must not be put to death in the Temple of the Lord.’ They seized her, and when she had reached the palace through the Entry of the Horses, she was put to death there.

    Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and king and people, by which the latter undertook to be the people of the Lord; and also between king and people. All the country people then went to the temple of Baal and demolished it; they smashed his altars and his images and killed Mattan, priest of Baal, in front of the altars.

    The priest posted sentries to guard the Temple of the Lord. All the country people were delighted, and the city made no move. And they put Athaliah to death in the royal palace.

Gospel

Matthew 6:19-23

Store up treasure for yourselves in heaven

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

    ‘The lamp of the body is the eye. It follows that if your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light. But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be all darkness. If then, the light inside you is darkness, what darkness that will be!’

How do you know if the Lord our God is with you and in the lives who serve alongside you if you refuse to place Him first above all in everything you do? If you refuse to set aside time to dwell and share how Jesus has touched you or hear how the rest of your community are walking in His presence? If you place the importance of meetings above Him, whom are you serving? Whose Kingdom do you build? Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labour in vain. Unless the LORD guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. Ps 127:1

The Lord our God was above and beyond everything in the lives of Elijah and Elisha and they lived according to His Will for them. God our Father’s name was held Holy, His Kingdom come, His Will be done! By their commitment and zeal they reconciled many unto the Lord their God, turning the hearts of fathers towards their children! They won over lives heading towards death and destruction by sin and unrepentance.  Their deeds for the Lord our God were indeed great and marvellous but they were simply foreshadows of God’s only begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who would come to reconcile the world unto Himself. In His ultimate sacrifice for us, we have hope of eternal life with Him, His mercy, love and peace is upon us. How then can He not be placed above all in everything we say and do?

Lord Jesus You are the Lord of Lords, King of kings. Reign now in my heart forevermore. Amen

First reading

Ecclesiasticus 48:1-15

The spirit of Elijah fills Elisha

The prophet Elijah arose like a fire,

    his word flaring like a torch.

It was he who brought famine on the people,

    and who decimated them in his zeal.

By the word of the Lord, he shut up the heavens,

    he also, three times, brought down fire.

How glorious you were in your miracles, Elijah!

    Has anyone reason to boast as you have? –

rousing a corpse from death,

    from Sheol by the word of the Most High;

dragging kings down to destruction,

    and high dignitaries from their beds;

hearing reproof on Sinai,

    and decrees of punishment on Horeb;

anointing kings as avengers,

    and prophets to succeed you;

taken up in the whirlwind of fire,

    in a chariot with fiery horses;

designated in the prophecies of doom

    to allay God’s wrath before the fury breaks,

to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children,

    and to restore the tribes of Jacob,

Happy shall they be who see you,

    and those who have fallen asleep in love;

for we too will have life.

Elijah was shrouded in the whirlwind,

    and Elisha was filled with his spirit;

throughout his life no ruler could shake him,

    and no one could subdue him.

No task was too hard for him,

    and even in death his body prophesied.

In his lifetime he performed wonders,

    and in death his works were marvellous.

Gospel

Matthew 6:7-15

How to pray

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

‘Our Father in heaven,

may your name be held holy,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.

And do not put us to the test,

but save us from the evil one.

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

We see Elisha in this first reading and we think to ourselves yeah no we are no Elisha let alone Elijah! These were set apart by the Lord our God.

How is it that we have forgotten that by our baptism and confirmation we too are set apart, made Holy unto to the Lord our God! Did we also forget Jesus’s own words to us when He said “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12

So then all the formation we have received over the years in our Parish or elsewhere  how have we put it to use? All the graces upon graces received at retreats and even at Holy Eucharist what have we done with them? How many disciples have we made being disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ? How many who did not know Him now do, through our love, words and actions? Have we done anything for our Lord?

Or have you done something and paraded what you have done before your brethren to attract their notice? Perhaps going around through the pews to be seen, and greeting those you are familiar with while they are praying preparing for Holy Eucharist? Or are you ever eager to declare “I did this, I did that!” qualifying them by saying all for the Lord! Pray then that you do not lose your reward in Heaven.

Thank You Jesus for drawing me ever closer to Your bosom over the years and the many blessings and graces You have showered upon me. Help me to remain Your humble servant, a powerful instrument of Your grace for others. Amen

First reading

2 Kings 2:1,6-14 ·

Elijah is taken up to heaven

This is what happened when the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in the whirlwind: Elijah and Elisha set out from Gilgal, Elijah said, ‘Elisha, please stay here, the Lord is only sending me to the Jordan.’ But he replied, ‘As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you!’ And they went on together.

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

    He took the cloak of Elijah and struck the water. ‘Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ he cried. He struck the water, and it divided to right and left, and Elisha crossed over.

Gospel

Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

Your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

    ‘And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

    ‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’

“Treat me well and good and I will treat you very well and good, treat me poorly and I will treat you tenfold poorly!” This was my adage and perhaps many share the same or at the very least a similar one. But can a Christian hold to this? NO! we cannot for we ours is higher calling, to love beyond our limits. To love one another with a divine love that can only come through our faith, love and ever growing relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. For how then can we love our enemies if not through His, peace, mercy and love!

Such grace is available to all who repents of their sins and turns to Him. It is never too late! For He had forgiven us from the Cross in which He hung and died for us. To free us from our sins and to give us hope of eternal life with Him. God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, and he has entrusted to us the news that all who believe and follow Jesus are reconciled. 2Co5:19

Today I am reminded Jesus, that You commanded us to love one another as You have loved us. Grant me the grace to do so in Your most precious name, as I endeavour to be perfect as my Heavenly Father is perfect. Amen

First reading

1 Kings 21:17-29

The punishment of Ahab and Jezebel foretold

After the death of Naboth, the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, ‘Up! Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, in Samaria. You will find him in Naboth’s vineyard; he has gone down to take possession of it. You are to say this to him, “The Lord says this: You have committed murder; now you usurp as well. For this – and the Lord says this – in the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick your blood too.”’

    Ahab said to Elijah, ‘So you have found me out, O my enemy!’ Elijah answered, ‘I have found you out. For your double dealing, and since you have done what is displeasing to the Lord, I will now bring disaster down on you; I will sweep away your descendants, and wipe out every male belonging to the family of Ahab, fettered or free in Israel. I will treat your House as I treated the House of Jeroboam son of Nebat and of Baasha son of Ahijah, for provoking my anger and leading Israel into sin. (Against Jezebel the Lord spoke these words: The dogs will eat Jezebel in the Field of Jezreel.) Those of Ahab’s family who die in the city, the dogs will eat; and those who die in the open country, the birds of the air will eat.’

    And indeed there never was anyone like Ahab for double dealing and for doing what is displeasing to the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the most abominable way, adhering to idols, just as the Amorites used to do whom the Lord had dispossessed for the sons of Israel.

    When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments and put sackcloth next his skin and fasted; he slept in the sackcloth; he walked with slow steps. Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, ‘Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; I will bring the disaster down on his House in the days of his son.’

Gospel

Matthew 5:43-48

Pray for those who persecute you

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

Today is the Feast day of Saint Anthony and over the years I have prayed for the intercession of this great Saint not so much for help in finding lost items but the grace to be eloquent in sharing the Gospel as he was. Here are a few of my reflections of this Saint…

• He truly loved Jesus with all his heart, mind, soul and strength.
• His eloquence came from this fact, for through his deep love for Him, He expressed it in his writings, his homilies and always when he simply spoke with those who would gather around him to hear him speak.
• He loved the poor with same love he had for Jesus and perhaps saw His Saviour in their eyes. He fed the poor with bread as well as the bread of life!
• He was never known to tire in sharing the joy of the Gospel even when he was ailing.

Today I chose the feria readings instead of the memorial to show the contrast of a life lived with and in God and one with God absent.

Ahab lived a godless life, he married a godless woman and they lived only for themselves. With Ahab’s insatiable greed an innocent man was murdered for his land and we will hear more of the evil wrongdoings later of Jezebel in the later chapters.

In today’s Gospel it is not about us being doormats to be trampled upon by others but the emphasis is of us being merciful and loving and going beyond what we can or would normally do. In other words we should love with a supernatural love which can only come from Christ Jesus our Lord whom we profess to love. In the Gospel of the memorial we are being sent as lambs among wolves. To proclaim that the Kingdom of God is near to all who will believe in Jesus; and that they will have eternal life through Him! Amen

Saint Antony of Padua Pray for us….. 

Readings for the Memorial – Isaiah 61:1-3, Gospel Luke 10:1-9

First reading

1 Kings 21:1-16 ·

Ahab covets Naboth’s vineyard and Jezebel has him killed

Naboth of Jezreel had a vineyard close by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria, and Ahab said to Naboth, ‘Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden, since it adjoins my house; I will give you a better vineyard for it or, if you prefer, I will give you its worth in money.’ But Naboth answered Ahab, ‘The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors!’

    Ahab went home gloomy and out of temper at the words of Naboth of Jezreel, ‘I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.’ He lay down on his bed and turned his face away and refused to eat. His wife Jezebel came to him. ‘Why are you so dispirited’ she said ‘that you will not eat?’ He said, ‘I have been speaking to Naboth of Jezreel; I said: “Give me your vineyard either for money or, if you prefer, for another vineyard in exchange.” But he said, “I will not give you my vineyard.”’ Then his wife Jezebel said, ‘You make a fine king of Israel, and no mistake! Get up and eat; cheer up, and you will feel better; I will get you the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel myself.’

    So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, sending them to the elders and nobles who lived where Naboth lived. In the letters she wrote, ‘Proclaim a fast, and put Naboth in the forefront of the people. Confront him with a couple of scoundrels who will accuse him like this, “You have cursed God and the king.” Then take him outside and stone him to death.’

    The men of Naboth’s town, the elders and nobles who lived in his town, did what Jezebel ordered, what was written in the letters she had sent them. They proclaimed a fast and put Naboth in the forefront of the people. Then the two scoundrels came and stood in front of him and made their accusation, ‘Naboth has cursed God and the king.’ They led him outside the town and stoned him to death. They then sent word to Jezebel, ‘Naboth has been stoned to death.’ When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, ‘Get up! Take possession of the vineyard which Naboth of Jezreel would not give you for money, for Naboth is no longer alive, he is dead.’ When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel and take possession of it.

Gospel

Matthew 5:38-42

Offer the wicked man no resistance

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

A good man filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith! Ah how I long to live as you lived St Barnabas. A man without deceit, a man of integrity who’s yes was yes and no was no. Who discipled others gently to have a heartfelt devotion and to remain faithful to the way, the truth and the life; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. You instructed the great St Paul and led him into the welcoming embrace of the Apostles. And together won a large number of people over to the Lord and discipled them.

Thank you Lord for the gift of St Barnabas to Holy Mother Church, by your grace may we be set us on fire with the flame of your love, by which Saint Barnabas

brought the light of the Gospel to the nations. Amen

Saint Barnabas Pray for us….

First reading

Acts 11:21-26,13:1-3

He was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith

A great number believed and were converted to the Lord.

    The church in Jerusalem heard about this and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. There he could see for himself that God had given grace, and this pleased him, and he urged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion; for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a large number of people were won over to the Lord.

    Barnabas then left for Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. As things turned out they were to live together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians.’

    In the church at Antioch the following were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. One day while they were offering worship to the Lord and keeping a fast, the Holy Spirit said, ‘I want Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work to which I have called them.’ So it was that after fasting and prayer they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Gospel

Matthew 5:33-37

Do not swear: say ‘Yes’ if you mean Yes, ‘No’ if you mean No

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not break your oath, but must fulfil your oaths to the Lord. But I say this to you: do not swear at all, either by heaven, since that is God’s throne; or by the earth, since that is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great king. Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or black. All you need say is “Yes” if you mean yes, “No” if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the evil one.’

The Lord our God is not to be found in the wind of our emotions, the ‘earthquake’ of our inner turmoil nor the fire of our desires! He dwells in our heart as we enter into His presence in silent prayer eager to hear His voice. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” JN 10:27

Fidelity of heart and mind in God is what allows us to hear Him clearly. Since it is our desire to have an intimate relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we must hard fight each day against sin and temptation. Be filled with His grace by entering into His presence through His Word and docile to His Will for us. Then we can truly declare, God is dwelling in our hearts; We are One in Him. Amen

First reading

1 Kings 19:9,11-16

The Lord was not in the wind, or the earthquake, or the fire

When Elijah reached Horeb, the mountain of God, he went into the cave and spent the night in it. Then he was told, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ Then the Lord himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice came to him, which said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He replied, ‘I am filled with jealous zeal for the Lord of Hosts, because the sons of Israel have deserted you, broken down your altars and put your prophets to the sword. I am the only one left and they want to kill me.’

    ‘Go,’ the Lord said, ‘go back by the same way to the wilderness of Damascus. You are to go and anoint Hazael as king of Aram. You are to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king of Israel, and to anoint Elisha son of Shaphat, of Abel Meholah, as prophet to succeed you.’

Gospel

Matthew 5:27-32

If your right eye should cause you to sin, tear it out

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must not commit adultery. But I say this to you: if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye should cause you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of you than to have your whole body thrown into hell. And if your right hand should cause you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of you than to have your whole body go to hell.

    ‘It has also been said: Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a writ of dismissal. But I say this to you: everyone who divorces his wife, except for the case of fornication, makes her an adulteress; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.’

When we surrender fully to the Lord our God trusting He has great plans for us, He will give us the graces we need to do His Will. We will witness His hand in all that we do. What we would normally do in a week, we can accomplish in a day through Him. We are renewed and invigorated! Strength and speed are ours to accomplish His call for us. We can forgive the gravest hurts caused by our brethren, for when we choose to remain steadfast in His love; He gives us His peace, love and joy to do so.

However if we choose unforgiveness, then we distant ourselves from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Woe to us indeed if we curse out brother or sister, for in doing so we are murderers of their spirit! Retaliation of any kind will not be tolerated for God is love and such actions are going against His love for us and for one another. Therefore we must always seek reconciliation, we must forgive as we are forgiven.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Amen

Saint Ephraem pray for us….

First reading

1 Kings 18:41-46

‘A cloud no bigger than a man’s hand’

Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go back, eat and drink; for I hear the sound of rain.’ While Ahab went back to eat and drink, Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel and bowed down to the earth, putting his face between his knees. ‘Now go up,’ he told his servant ‘and look out to the sea.’ He went up and looked. ‘There is nothing at all’ he said. ‘Go back seven times’ Elijah said. The seventh time, the servant said, ‘Now there is a cloud, small as a man’s hand, rising from the sea.’ Elijah said, ‘Go and say to Ahab, “Harness the chariot and go down before the rain stops you.”’ And with that the sky grew dark with cloud and storm, and rain fell in torrents. Ahab mounted his chariot and made for Jezreel. The hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and tucking up his cloak he ran in front of Ahab as far as the outskirts of Jezreel.

Gospel

Matthew 5:20-26

Anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

    ‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.’