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What can we offer to the Lord our God, our creator and provider of all that we have? What prayer of Thanksgiving and praise can we utter that will please Him?

The answer lies in the way we honour, love and worship the Lord our God. The deep personal relationship we have with Him that shows by the words on our lips and work of our hands. We give Him our all without reservation. Our time is devoted to building His Kingdom.

So let us continue to live in the joy of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Serving Him and our brethren with our all in all. So that one day soon, we will stand united with the choir of angels singing His glory before His throne. Amen

First reading
Apocalypse 14:1-5

In my vision I, John, saw Mount Zion, and standing on it a Lamb who had with him a hundred and forty-four thousand people, all with his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. I heard a sound coming out of the sky like the sound of the ocean or the roar of thunder; it seemed to be the sound of harpists playing their harps. There in front of the throne they were singing a new hymn in the presence of the four animals and the elders, a hymn that could only be learnt by the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the world; they follow the Lamb wherever he goes; they have been redeemed from amongst men to be the first-fruits for God and for the Lamb. They never allowed a lie to pass their lips and no fault can be found in them.

Gospel
Luke 21:1-4

As Jesus looked up, he saw rich people putting their offerings into the treasury; then he happened to notice a poverty-stricken widow putting in two small coins, and he said, ‘I tell you truly, this poor widow has put in more than any of them; for these have all contributed money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in all she had to live on.’

​Don’t let anything or anyone come between you and your relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. For He is the source of all life. Without Him we are all but dead corpses.

Through Him we have the promise of eternal life fulfilled by His Resurrection from the dead. This truth is revealed to all whose hearts have welcomed the living God into their lives. For they live in the joy of the Resurrection. For they know that their death is just a passage into new life with Christ.

Sing praises to the living God, glory alleluia. Amen

First reading
Apocalypse 11:4-12

I, John, heard a voice saying: ‘These, my two witnesses, are the two olive trees and the two lamps that stand before the Lord of the world. Fire can come from their mouths and consume their enemies if anyone tries to harm them; and if anybody does try to harm them he will certainly be killed in this way. They are able to lock up the sky so that it does not rain as long as they are prophesying; they are able to turn water into blood and strike the whole world with any plague as often as they like. When they have completed their witnessing, the beast that comes out of the Abyss is going to make war on them and overcome them and kill them. Their corpses will lie in the main street of the Great City known by the symbolic names Sodom and Egypt, in which their Lord was crucified. Men out of every people, race, language and nation will stare at their corpses, for three-and-a-half days, not letting them be buried, and the people of the world will be glad about it and celebrate the event by giving presents to each other, because these two prophets have been a plague to the people of the world.’

After the three-and-a-half days, God breathed life into them and they stood up, and everybody who saw it happen was terrified; then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, ‘Come up here’, and while their enemies were watching, they went up to heaven in a cloud.

Gospel
Luke 20:27-40

Some Sadducees – those who say that there is no resurrection – approached him and they put this question to him, ‘Master, we have it from Moses in writing, that if a man’s married brother dies childless, the man must marry the widow to raise up children for his brother. Well then, there were seven brothers. The first, having married a wife, died childless. The second and then the third married the widow. And the same with all seven, they died leaving no children. Finally the woman herself died Now, at the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife since she had been married to all seven?’
Jesus replied, ‘The children of this world take wives and husbands, but those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world and in the resurrection from the dead do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels, and being children of the resurrection they are sons of God. And Moses himself implies that the dead rise again, in the passage about the bush where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all men are in fact alive.’
Some scribes then spoke up. ‘Well put, Master’ they said – because they would not dare to ask him any more questions.

Oh the precious Word of God! Must we not chew and ponder over the living Word given freely to us? Shall we not allow the lingering sweetness to enter into our very being?

We are then prepared to proclaim the bitter and sour truth to those who reject the Word made flesh. Who barter their bodies and minds in the world stealing and conniving. To urge them perhaps to repent and receive the mercy of the Lord our God.

Let us never forget how precious it is to receive the living Word of God every Eucharistic Celebration. Through Him, with Him and in Him. Now and forever. Amen

First reading
Apocalypse 10:8-11

I, John, heard the voice I had heard from heaven speaking to me again. ‘Go,’ it said ‘and take that open scroll out of the hand of the angel standing on sea and land.’ I went to the angel and asked him to give me the small scroll, and he said, ‘Take it and eat it; it will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.’ So I took it out of the angel’s hand, and swallowed it; it was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, ‘You are to prophesy again, this time about many different nations and countries and languages and emperors.’

Gospel
Luke 19:45-48

Jesus went into the Temple and began driving out those who were selling. ‘According to scripture,’ he said ‘my house will be a house of prayer. But you have turned it into a robbers’ den.’
He taught in the Temple every day. The chief priests and the scribes, with the support of the leading citizens, tried to do away with him, but they did not see how they could carry this out because the people as a whole hung on his words.

As we prepare ourselves for the Solemnity of Christ the King this Sunday. So too does the readings herald the way, the truth and the life, our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

Jesus had unlocked the glorious mystery of God our Father’s plan for our salvation to be found in His living Word. For through His life, death and resurrection had purchased for us the rewards of eternal life.

And so do not allow the message of this good news fall on deaf ears. For the Lord our God is offering us a life of peace and joy to be found only in His mercy and love. We forfeit this if we continue to live according to our own will alone. Amen

First reading
Apocalypse 5:1-10

I, John, saw that in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne there was a scroll that had writing on back and front and was sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a powerful angel who called with a loud voice, ‘Is there anyone worthy to open the scroll and break the seals of it?’ But there was no one, in heaven or on the earth or under the earth, who was able to open the scroll and read it. I wept bitterly because there was nobody fit to open the scroll and read it, but one of the elders said to me, ‘There is no need to cry: the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed, and he will open the scroll and the seven seals of it.’
Then I saw, standing between the throne with its four animals and the circle of the elders, a Lamb that seemed to have been sacrificed; it had seven horns, and it had seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits God has sent out all over the world. The Lamb came forward to take the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting on the throne, and when he took it, the four animals prostrated themselves before him and with them the twenty-four elders; each one of them was holding a harp and had a golden bowl full of incense made of the prayers of the saints. They sang a new hymn:

‘You are worthy to take the scroll and break the seals of it,
because you were sacrificed, and with your blood you bought men for God of every race, language, people and nation and made them a line of kings and priests, to serve our God and to rule the world.’

Gospel
Luke 19:41-44

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem and came in sight of the city he shed tears over it and said, ‘If you in your turn had only understood on this day the message of peace! But, alas, it is hidden from your eyes! Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all round you, when they will encircle you and hem you in on every side; they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you– and all because you did not recognise your opportunity when God offered it!’

Too many make the mistake of thinking they know who the Lord our God is and all about. In their shallow minds they make Him out to be someone or something He is not.

It is only in humility of heart and mind can we behold in awe the tiniest bit of what He our Lord has revealed to us. That He truly is the Lord of Lords and King of kings. And unless He rules in our hearts, we have no life. Worship and love Him as you should and you shall life to the full.

Jesus has told us how, that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. And that we should love one another as He loved us. Using our talents, gifts and Graces He pours out upon us, we build His Kingdom by the fruits of our labour of love. Leading all our Heavenly Father’s children home to Him.

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

First reading

Apocalypse 4:1-11

In my vision, I, John, saw a door open in heaven and heard the same voice speaking to me, the voice like a trumpet, saying, ‘Come up here: I will show you what is to come in the future.’ With that, the Spirit possessed me and I saw a throne standing in heaven, and the One who was sitting on the throne, and the Person sitting there looked like a diamond and a ruby. There was a rainbow encircling the throne, and this looked like an emerald. Round the throne in a circle were twenty-four thrones, and on them I saw twenty-four elders sitting, dressed in white robes with golden crowns on their heads. Flashes of lightning were coming from the throne, and the sound of peals of thunder, and in front of the throne there were seven flaming lamps burning, the seven Spirits of God. Between the throne and myself was a sea that seemed to be made of glass, like crystal. In the centre, grouped round the throne itself, were four animals with many eyes, in front and behind. The first animal was like a lion, the second like a bull, the third animal had a human face, and the fourth animal was like a flying eagle. Each of the four animals had six wings and had eyes all the way round as well as inside; and day and night they never stopped singing:

‘Holy, Holy, Holy
is the Lord God, the Almighty;
he was, he is and he is to come.’

Every time the animals glorified and honoured and gave thanks to the One sitting on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders prostrated themselves before him to worship the One who lives for ever and ever, and threw down their crowns in front of the throne, saying, ‘You are our Lord and our God, you are worthy of glory and honour and power, because you made all the universe and it was only by your will that everything was made and exists.’

Gospel
Luke 19:11-28

While the people were listening, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they imagined that the kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there. Accordingly he said, ‘A man of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed king and afterwards return. He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds. “Do business with these” he told them “until I get back.” But his compatriots detested him and sent a delegation to follow him with this message, “We do not want this man to be our king.”
‘Now on his return, having received his appointment as king, he sent for those servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made. The first came in and said, “Sir, your one pound has brought in ten.” “Well done, my good servant!” he replied “Since you have proved yourself faithful in a very small thing, you shall have the government of ten cities.” Then came the second and said, “Sir, your one pound has made five.” To this one also he said, “And you shall be in charge of five cities.” Next came the other and said, “Sir, here is your pound. I put it away safely in a piece of linen because I was afraid of you; for you are an exacting man: you pick up what you have not put down and reap what you have not sown.” “You wicked servant!” he said “Out of your own mouth I condemn you. So you knew I was an exacting man, picking up what I have not put down and reaping what I have not sown? Then why did you not put my money in the bank? On my return I could have drawn it out with interest.” And he said to those standing by, “Take the pound from him and give it to the man who has ten pounds.” And they said to him, “But, sir, he has ten pounds . . .” “I tell you, to everyone who has will be given more; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
‘“But as for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence.”’
When he had said this he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

Do not let the call for repentance fall on deaf ears. For it is the Lord who calls Himself and wants to give you life. Not sought in vain throughout the world, but one to be found in Him alone.

Do not say I will learn and grow in my faith when I’m good and ready, when I turn 40,50 or 60. When my children are grown up, when my father or mother who is a non beliver closes their eyes first, when I have more time, when I have earned enough. The time is now! No more excuses, no more procrastination. Either you love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength or you don’t. Just as all of us are called to make a decision, so will the Lord make His.

Do not let the mercy, grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ pass you by. He knocks at the door of each and everyone of our hearts. Whether our faith is little, whether we are small in stature amongst Holy men and women, whether we have sinned greatly or not. Quieten our minds and hearts so that we can listen to Him calling out to us. For only then can we open our doors to invite Him in, our Lord and saviour Jesus into our very lives and hearts. Where He chooses to dine and dwell, now and forever. Amen

First reading
Apocalypse 3:1-6,14-22

I, John, heard the Lord saying to me: ‘Write to the angel of the church in Sardis and say, “Here is the message of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know all about you: how you are reputed to be alive and yet are dead. Wake up; revive what little you have left: it is dying fast. So far I have failed to notice anything in the way you live that my God could possibly call perfect, and yet do you remember how eager you were when you first heard the message? Hold on to that. Repent. If you do not wake up, I shall come to you like a thief, without telling you at what hour to expect me. There are a few in Sardis, it is true, who have kept their robes from being dirtied, and they are fit to come with me, dressed in white. Those who prove victorious will be dressed, like these, in white robes; I shall not blot their names out of the book of life, but acknowledge their names in the presence of my Father and his angels. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”
‘Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea and say, “Here is the message of the Amen, the faithful, the true witness, the ultimate source of God’s creation: I know all about you: how you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were one or the other, but since you are neither, but only lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth. You say to yourself, ‘I am rich, I have made a fortune, and have everything I want’, never realising that you are wretchedly and pitiably poor, and blind and naked too. I warn you, buy from me the gold that has been tested in the fire to make you really rich, and white robes to clothe you and cover your shameful nakedness, and eye ointment to put on your eyes so that you are able to see. I am the one who reproves and disciplines all those he loves: so repent in real earnest. Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in to share his meal, side by side with him. Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne, just as I was victorious myself and took my place with my Father on his throne. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”’

Gospel
Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance: he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’ And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully. They all complained when they saw what was happening. ‘He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house’ they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, ‘Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.’

Jesus Christ is Lord! He has Risen from the dead to free us from the bonds of death and He will come again. This is the truth we hold dear to our hearts.

So never let doubts or fear consume us. Instead cry with conviction amidst the crowds that seek to drown out our voice that Jesus is the king of Kings, the Lord of Lords, His mercy and love is upon all who cry out to Him in faith.

Our hearts are set aglow and our minds illumined. For we have seen the glory of the Lord our God. Amen

First reading
Apocalypse 1:1-4,2:1-5

This is the revelation given by God to Jesus Christ so that he could tell his servants about the things which are now to take place very soon; he sent his angel to make it known to his servant John, and John has written down everything he saw and swears it is the word of God guaranteed by Jesus Christ. Happy the man who reads this prophecy, and happy those who listen to him, if they treasure all that it says, because the Time is close.
From John, to the seven churches of Asia: grace and peace to you from him who is, who was, and who is to come, from the seven spirits in his presence before his throne.
I heard the Lord saying to me: ‘Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus and say, “Here is the message of the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who lives surrounded by the seven golden lamp-stands: I know all about you: how hard you work and how much you put up with. I know you cannot stand wicked men, and how you tested the impostors who called themselves apostles and proved they were liars. Know, too, that you have patience, and have suffered for my name without growing tired. Nevertheless, I have this complaint to make; you have less love now than you used to. Think where you were before you fell; repent, and do as you used to at first.”’

Gospel
Luke 18:35-43

As Jesus drew near to Jericho there was a blind man sitting at the side of the road begging. When he heard the crowd going past he asked what it was all about, and they told him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by. So he called out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.’ The people in front scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he shouted all the louder, ‘Son of David, have pity on me.’ Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him, and when he came up, asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Sir,’ he replied ‘let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.’ And instantly his sight returned and he followed him praising God, and all the people who saw it gave praise to God for what had happened.

Once again we are reminded of the importance of belonging to a community. Where we can pray and encourage one another to grow deeper in our faith, in our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Where we welcome the stranger amidst us of whom becomes our sister or brother in Christ.

Let us always be fervent in our prayers, for we know the Lord God will answer each and every one of them. Even at times when the answer is different from our expectation. For He loves us deeply and only wants the best for us. Glory to our Lord. Amen

First reading
3 John 1:5-8

My friend, you have done faithful work in looking after these brothers, even though they were complete strangers to you. They are a proof to the whole Church of your charity and it would be a very good thing if you could help them on their journey in a way that God would approve. It was entirely for the sake of the name that they set out, without depending on the pagans for anything; it is our duty to welcome men of this sort and contribute our share to their work for the truth.

Gospel
Luke 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. ‘There was a judge in a certain town’ he said ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, “I want justice from you against my enemy!” For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, “Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.”’
And the Lord said ‘You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’

Many seek satisfaction and pleasure in the here and now. In their impatience they often choose to rationalize their positions and justify their actions which are contrary to the will of God our Father.

We must strive each day to remain steadfast and in union with our Lord Jesus Christ. And we can do so because we have been given powerful gifts to help us. The gift of the Holy Spirit and the Sacraments. For no one who puts his hand on the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.

Praise God that we are His chosen, anointed and sealed. Amen

First reading
2 John 1:4-9

It has given me great joy to find that your children have been living the life of truth as we were commanded by the Father. I am writing now, dear lady, not to give you any new commandment, but the one which we were given at the beginning, and to plead: let us love one another.
To love is to live according to his commandments: this is the commandment which you have heard since the beginning, to live a life of love.
There are many deceivers about in the world, refusing to admit that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. They are the Deceiver; they are the Antichrist. Watch yourselves, or all our work will be lost and not get the reward it deserves. If anybody does not keep within the teaching of Christ but goes beyond it, he cannot have God with him: only those who keep to what he taught can have the Father and the Son with them.

Gospel
Luke 17:26-37

Jesus said to the disciples:
‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating and drinking, marrying wives and husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. It will be the same as it was in Lot’s day: people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but the day Lot left Sodom, God rained fire and brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all. It will be the same when the day comes for the Son of Man to be revealed.
‘When that day comes, anyone on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must not come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back either. Remember Lot’s wife. Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it; and anyone who loses it will keep it safe. I tell you, on that night two will be in one bed: one will be taken, the other left; two women will be grinding corn together: one will be taken, the other left.’ The disciples interrupted. ‘Where, Lord?’ they asked. He said, ‘Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.’

Jesus is with us right here, right now. No waiting to die before we experience Him. His peace and love is upon us . This is the difference between those who are living the faith and those who are not. We already know and are living in the joy of His Resurrection in His Kingdom.

Just as He has received us sinners that we were, granted us mercy through charity and His great love for us. So must we welcome in our midst the sinner transformed by His love into joint service for His glory. For our mission is to share in the love we have received through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us embrace the cross and carry it forward proudly. Amen

First reading
Philemon 1:7-20

I am so delighted, and comforted, to know of your love; they tell me, brother, how you have put new heart into the saints.
Now, although in Christ I can have no diffidence about telling you to do whatever is your duty, I am appealing to your love instead, reminding you that this is Paul writing, an old man now and, what is more, still a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for a child of mine, whose father I became while wearing these chains: I mean Onesimus. He was of no use to you before, but he will be useful to you now, as he has been to me. I am sending him back to you, and with him – I could say – a part of my own self. I should have liked to keep him with me; he could have been a substitute for you, to help me while I am in the chains that the Good News has brought me. However, I did not want to do anything without your consent; it would have been forcing your act of kindness, which should be spontaneous. I know you have been deprived of Onesimus for a time, but it was only so that you could have him back for ever, not as a slave any more, but something much better than a slave, a dear brother; especially dear to me, but how much more to you, as a blood-brother as well as a brother in the Lord. So if all that we have in common means anything to you, welcome him as you would me; but if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, then let me pay for it. I am writing this in my own handwriting: I, Paul, shall pay it back – I will not add any mention of your own debt to me, which is yourself. Well then, brother, I am counting on you, in the Lord; put new heart into me, in Christ.

Gospel
Luke 17:20-25

Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was to come, Jesus gave them this answer, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit of observation and there will be no one to say, “Look here! Look there!” For, you must know, the kingdom of God is among you.’
He said to the disciples, ‘A time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man and will not see it. They will say to you, “Look there!” or, “Look here!” Make no move; do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightning flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of Man when his day comes. But first he must suffer grievously and be rejected by this generation.’

The Church in which we worship the Lord our God is sacred ground. We should never tolerate or be silent about irreverence when in the presence of His altar and tabernacle. Talking or playing with mobile phones, gossiping in the church hall, immodest dressing, snapping photos without exceptional permission, chewing gum just to name a few. Where is the zeal for our Lord’s house if we choose to remain silent?

We drink from the living water and so we must be transformed and life giving ourselves. For we make up and are the Church. Hence we must be Holy not just outwardly but inwardly, drive out all that is unholy so that the Christ may dwell within us. So that in union with Him, we will bring the joy, the healing, mercy and love of our resurrected Lord Jesus to all. Amen

First reading
Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12

The angel brought me to the entrance of the Temple, where a stream came out from under the Temple threshold and flowed eastwards, since the Temple faced east. The water flowed from under the right side of the Temple, south of the altar. He took me out by the north gate and led me right round outside as far as the outer east gate where the water flowed out on the right-hand side. He said, ‘This water flows east down to the Arabah and to the sea; and flowing into the sea it makes its waters wholesome. Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows. Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.’

Second reading
1 Corinthians 3:9-11,16-17

You are God’s building. By the grace God gave me, I succeeded as an architect and laid the foundations, on which someone else is doing the building. Everyone doing the building must work carefully. For the foundation, nobody can lay any other than the one which has already been laid, that is Jesus Christ.
Didn’t you realise that you were God’s temple and that the Spirit of God was living among you? If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy him, because the temple of God is sacred; and you are that temple.

Gospel
John 2:13-22

Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.

What has my demeanor got to do with anyone else? Everything! It speaks to your person and speaks volumes of whom You serve. And it is not something we put on or wear, but is natural from the indwelling of Jesus Christ our Lord in us.

Through Him,with Him and in Him. We are disciplined, dignified, moderate and humble. His Word is food for our souls and we seek only to do His Will.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.

First reading
Titus 2:1-8,11-14

It is for you to preach the behaviour which goes with healthy doctrine. The older men should be reserved, dignified, moderate, sound in faith and love and constancy. Similarly, the older women should behave as though they were religious, with no scandal-mongering and no habitual wine-drinking– they are to be the teachers of the right behaviour and show the younger women how they should love their husbands and love their children, how they are to be sensible and chaste, and how to work in their homes, and be gentle, and do as their husbands tell them, so that the message of God is never disgraced. In the same way, you have got to persuade the younger men to be moderate and in everything you do make yourself an example to them of working for good: when you are teaching, be an example to them in your sincerity and earnestness and in keeping all that you say so wholesome that nobody can make objections to it; and then any opponent will be at a loss, with no accusation to make against us. You see, God’s grace has been revealed, and it has made salvation possible for the whole human race and taught us that what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God, and all our worldly ambitions; we must be self-restrained and live good and religious lives here in this present world, while we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the Appearing of the glory of our great God and saviour Christ Jesus. He sacrificed himself for us in order to set us free from all wickedness and to purify a people so that it could be his very own and would have no ambition except to do good.

Gospel
Luke 17:7-10

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’

We are all called to lead others into the knowledge and faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. To the knowledge of the mercy and great love of our Heavenly Father. So that all His children will have hope in everlasting life with Him.

In order to lead, we must first follow, we must be a follower of Christ. Who told us plainly that to follow Him, we need to carry our cross. In order to understand what and how to follow Him more closely we need to know Him and that can only take place when we pray,study,ponder and chew over His Word in scripture. Only then will we grow deeper in our relationship with the Lord our God.

Only then can we and must lead our family and all His children into His Kingdom by our faith, word and actions that are guided by the Holy Spirit of whom we are docile to. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and forever, Amen

First reading
Titus 1:1-9

From Paul, servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ to bring those whom God has chosen to faith and to the knowledge of the truth that leads to true religion; and to give them the hope of the eternal life that was promised so long ago by God. He does not lie and so, at the appointed time, he revealed his decision, and, by the command of God our saviour, I have been commissioned to proclaim it. To Titus, true child of mine in the faith that we share, wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our saviour.
The reason I left you behind in Crete was for you to get everything organised there and appoint elders in every town, in the way that I told you: that is, each of them must be a man of irreproachable character; he must not have been married more than once, and his children must be believers and not uncontrollable or liable to be charged with disorderly conduct. Since, as president, he will be God’s representative, he must be irreproachable: never an arrogant or hot-tempered man, nor a heavy drinker or violent, nor out to make money; but a man who is hospitable and a friend of all that is good; sensible, moral, devout and self-controlled; and he must have a firm grasp of the unchanging message of the tradition, so that he can be counted on for both expounding the sound doctrine and refuting those who argue against it.

Gospel
Luke 17:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Obstacles are sure to come, but alas for the one who provides them! It would be better for him to be thrown into the Sea with a millstone put round his neck than that he should lead astray a single one of these little ones. Watch yourselves!
If your brother does something wrong, reprove him and, if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, “I am sorry,” you must forgive him.’
The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’

A generous heart and a cheerful giver is pleasing to the Lord our God . For who can be more generous but He? Still He pours out abundantly on all His faithful. Not for themselves alone but for the good of all.

Unless we know and are living this out in our lives we cannot claim to be His disciples. For just as we give for the love of God to those who need it to survive or to perpetuate His Glory among men. So too shall we receive in our hour of need.

Let us turn our hearts and minds away from the riches of the world and set them on the riches of Heaven. Simply to the Will of our Heavenly Father. Amen

First reading
Philippians 4:10-19

It is a great joy to me, in the Lord, that at last you have shown some concern for me again; though of course you were concerned before, and only lacked an opportunity. I am not talking about shortage of money: I have learnt to manage on whatever I have, I know how to be poor and I know how to be rich too. I have been through my initiation and now I am ready for anything anywhere: full stomach or empty stomach, poverty or plenty. There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength. All the same, it was good of you to share with me in my hardships. In the early days of the Good News, as you people of Philippi well know, when I left Macedonia, no other church helped me with gifts of money. You were the only ones; and twice since my stay in Thessalonika you have sent me what I needed. It is not your gift that I value; what is valuable to me is the interest that is mounting up in your account. Now for the time being I have everything that I need and more: I am fully provided now that I have received from Epaphroditus the offering that you sent, a sweet fragrance– the sacrifice that God accepts and finds pleasing. In return my God will fulfil all your needs, in Christ Jesus, as lavishly as only God can.

Gospel
Luke 16:9-15

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?
‘No servant 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.’
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’

Those who pride themselves as owners of much and possess great  are sorely mistaken. For everything we have or own comes from God our Father. And we have, has been entrusted to us to manage for the good of all. So let us cast away then from our souls the pride of power, and put on the humility and modesty of a steward.

For as the Lord says,”What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”

Let us live as children of the light and be an example for one another. To support, love and encourage one another to remain faithful as we await the return of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

First reading
Philippians 3:17-4:1

My brothers, be united in following my rule of life. Take as your models everybody who is already doing this and study them as you used to study us. I have told you often, and I repeat it today with tears, there are many who are behaving as the enemies of the cross of Christ. They are destined to be lost. They make foods into their god and they are proudest of something they ought to think shameful; the things they think important are earthly things. For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe.
So then, my brothers and dear friends, do not give way but remain faithful in the Lord. I miss you very much, dear friends; you are my joy and my crown.

Gospel
Luke 16:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘There was a rich man and he had a steward denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.” Then the steward said to himself, “Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.”
Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” “One hundred measures of oil” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down straight away and write fifty.” To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?” “One hundred measures of wheat” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty.”
‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.’

Does your qualifications determine the person that you are? Does your rank or title? Has all your activities in church brought you closer to God and especially to His flock?

All is zero if you do not have a deep and personal relationship with Jesus. If you do not share the knowledge of Him, His great love and mercy with others.

For everyone brought to His feet desiring to know Him, will be healed, will be set free. He loves the sinner and actively seeks us out who are lost and rejoices us upon finding us. For the Lord desires that we all, be with Him in paradise. Amen

First reading
Philippians 3:3-8

We are the real people of the circumcision, we who worship in accordance with the Spirit of God; we have our own glory from Christ Jesus without having to rely on a physical operation. If it came to relying on physical evidence, I should be fully qualified myself. Take any man who thinks he can rely on what is physical: I am even better qualified. I was born of the race of Israel and of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrew parents, and I was circumcised when I was eight days old. As for the Law, I was a Pharisee; as for working for religion, I was a persecutor of the Church; as far as the Law can make you perfect, I was faultless. But because of Christ, I have come to consider all these advantages that I had as disadvantages. Not only that, but I believe nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Gospel
Luke 15:1-10

The tax collectors and the sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what he had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained. ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So he spoke this parable to them:
‘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.
‘Or again, what woman with ten drachmas would not, if she lost one, light a lamp and sweep out the house and search thoroughly till she found it? And then, when she had found it, call together her friends and neighbours? “Rejoice with me,” she would say “I have found the drachma I lost.” In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.’

While we cannot fully comprehend the mystery of passing from death into new life till one day soon we are personally reunited with the saints who had passed before us. We can say with great confidence, “Death where is your sting?”

For by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, He had revealed the truth of our salvation. He conquered death for us, so that we might live with Him eternally. This is the hope we share! This is our faith!

So let us go forth with the great compassion, mercy and love of our Lord Jesus Christ through whom the joy of living with and in Him is renewed;wipe away the tears of all who mourn through the hope and promise we have in the Risen Lord our God. Amen

First reading
Wisdom 3:1-9

The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God, no torment shall ever touch them.
In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die, their going looked like a disaster, their leaving us, like annihilation;
but they are in peace.
If they experienced punishment as men see it,
their hope was rich with immortality; slight was their affliction, great will their blessings be.
God has put them to the test
and proved them worthy to be with him; he has tested them like gold in a furnace, and accepted them as a holocaust.
When the time comes for his visitation they will shine out;
as sparks run through the stubble, so will they.
They shall judge nations, rule over peoples, and the Lord will be their king for ever.
They who trust in him will understand the truth, those who are faithful will live with him in love; for grace and mercy await those he has chosen.

Second reading
Romans 5:5-11

Hope is not deceptive, because 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 7:11-17

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

A tiny reflection..

I had an opportunity to attend the lunch time Eucharistic Celebration and to sing gleefully with my fellow choir members. It was a wonderful celebration, with a beautiful homily. But something was sadly missing….. Incense! Unfortunately because it was celebrated in an exhibition hall, incense and candles are not allowed. Only electric or battery operated candles are permitted.

The whole atmosphere is very different when there are candles and incense. I am indeed joyful that I opted to attend the celebration again this evening. To experience the love of Christ permeated through the perfumed air. To see our prayers rise to Heaven and uniting with that of the Saints in Heaven. Glory and Praise be to God! Amen

How wonderful it is to remember all the Saints who have gone before us. Who lived the beatitudes in their lives and who are now interceding for us and cheering us on to do likewise . So that one day soon we might stand together with them hand in hand praising and glorifying the Lord our God.

What are the beatitudes? But a guided way to live out the two divine commandments for us . That we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength. And to love one another as He loved us. We are able to do so because by our baptism we have been anointed and sealed. And by uniting our will win His, the Holy Spirit will lead us every step of the way. This is what it means to be a child of God. . .

We are saints on our pilgrim journey to becoming one with the Saints in Heaven. Amen

All you Saints and Angels pray for us . . . .

First reading
Apocalypse 7:2-4,9-14

I, John, saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.
After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’
One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord.’ Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.’

Second reading
1 John 3:1-3

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are. Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is, that when it is revealed we shall be like him
because we shall see him as he really is. Surely everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.

Gospel
Matthew 5:1-12

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle:
they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers:
they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’

I am no better than anyone else, I am just as good. My joy, my reward comes from serving our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is an attitude we should adopt and live,in servitude of our Lord and our brethren. For only then can we call ourselves disciples. Only then can love as we should and put that love into action.

Jesus paid a debt He did not owe. For us who could not repay. So that liberated from the bonds of death through sin, we might live life to the full in Him.

Let us emulate His love for us in servitude of the least of our brethren. Amen

First reading
Philippians 2:1-4

If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy. There must be no competition among you, no conceit; but everybody is to be self-effacing. Always consider the other person to be better than yourself, So that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead.

Gospel
Luke 14:12-14

Jesus said to his host, one of the leading Pharisees, ‘When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends, brothers, relations or rich neighbours, for fear they repay your courtesy by inviting you in return. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.’

Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ!

There can be no further growth in our faith or love for Jesus if we do not see others as equal or better than ourselves. If we are not humble in our learning and practice of our faith found in Him.

If He is truly our master then we must be His humble slaves. Seeking only to love and serve Him. And nothing would please Him more than that we love and serve the least of our brethren and to do the will of our Heavenly Father. For this while we call ourselves slaves, He calls us friends. There is no greater joy than to have Jesus as a friend.

Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ. Now and forever. Amen

First reading
Philippians 1:18-26

Christ is proclaimed; and that makes me happy; and I shall continue being happy, because I know this will help to save me, thanks to your prayers and to the help which will be given to me by the Spirit of Jesus. My one hope and trust is that I shall never have to admit defeat, but that now as always I shall have the courage for Christ to be glorified in my body, whether by my life or by my death. Life to me, of course, is Christ, but then death would bring me something more; but then again, if living in this body means doing work which is having good results – I do not know what I should choose. I am caught in this dilemma: I want to be gone and be with Christ, which would be very much the better, but for me to stay alive in this body is a more urgent need for your sake. This weighs with me so much that I feel sure I shall survive and stay with you all, and help you to progress in the faith and even increase your joy in it; and so you will have another reason to give praise to Christ Jesus on my account when I am with you again.

Gospel
Luke 14:1,7-11

On a sabbath day Jesus had gone for a meal to the house of one of the leading Pharisees; and they watched him closely. He then told the guests a parable, because he had noticed how they picked the places of honour. He said this, ‘When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. A more distinguished person than you may have been invited, and the person who invited you both may come and say, “Give up your place to this man.” And then, to your embarrassment, you would have to go and take the lowest place. No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that, when your host comes, he may say, “My friend, move up higher.” In that way, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

You and I are saints. 

For by virtue of our baptism, we were born into new life of Holiness in Christ Jesus our Lord. Even our bodies become Holy temples for the Lord God to dwell. What delight and joy it is for such truth to be revealed to us sons and daughters of God our heavenly Father . 

In deep prayer and in communion with our Lord it is our duty to ponder deeply and reflect on the glorious mysteries He has revealed so that we may live our lives more fully according to His Will . 

One day soon we will all be reunited with the Holy Saints in Heaven And so just like the Saints before us, we will strive each day to do His will for us with a sense of inquiry and passion. Amen 

St Simon and St Jude pray for us. 

First reading
Ephesians 2:19-22

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

Gospel
Luke 6:12-16

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

It is true that having a conversion of heart and by the powerful grace of Jesus through the Sacrament of reconciliation; evil and sin are cast out from us . We are set free to live our lives to the full through, with and in Him.

We must then strive for Holiness, remaining steadfast in faith through prayer, listening to His Word for us through scripture, frequent reception of His graces through the sacraments of reconciliation and Holy Eucharist; and perform good works in His name.

Be aware that evil lurks to rob us of our relationship with the Lord our God. But fear not, the abominations can do nothing when we are fortified by the blood of Jesus. The heavy price paid for our redemption.

Let us as one body in Christ, love, care for and walk together hand in hand on our pilgrim journey back home to our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

First reading
Ephesians 6:10-20

Grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of his power. Put God’s armour on so as to be able to resist the devil’s tactics. For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the Sovereignties and the Powers who originate the darkness in this world, the spiritual army of evil in the heavens. That is why you must rely on God’s armour, or you will not be able to put up any resistance when the worst happens, or have enough resources to hold your ground.
So stand your ground, with truth buckled round your waist, and integrity for a breastplate, wearing for shoes on your feet the eagerness to spread the gospel of peace and always carrying the shield of faith so that you can use it to put out the burning arrows of the evil one. And then you must accept salvation from God to be your helmet and receive the word of God from the Spirit to use as a sword.
Pray all the time, asking for what you need, praying in the Spirit on every possible occasion. Never get tired of staying awake to pray for all the saints; and pray for me to be given an opportunity to open my mouth and speak without fear and give out the mystery of the gospel of which I am an ambassador in chains; pray that in proclaiming it I may speak as boldly as I ought to.

Gospel
Luke 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came up. ‘Go away’ they said. ‘Leave this place, because Herod means to kill you.’ He replied, ‘You may go and give that fox this message: Learn that today and tomorrow I cast out devils and on the third day attain my end. But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem. ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! So be it! Your house will be left to you. Yes, I promise you, you shall not see me till the time comes when you say:

‘Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!’

What we often see with our eyes are strangers in the world. And so we go about our business in that very manner. Recognizing only those whom we know intimately and acknowledging them as friend or family. But what if we looked at everyone through the eyes of Christ? What will we see? Would it not be that everyone belonged to God our Heavenly Father, and we are His children?

We are hence called to love and treat one another as a beloved child of God. And we can only do so with the love of Jesus Christ our Lord which flows through us. For He dwells in us who live according to His Word, who seek first the Kingdom of the Lord our God.

I honour You O Heavenly Father by honouring my parents. I honour You O Heavenly Father as I love and bring my children up according to Your Will. I honour You O Heavenly by loving, caring for my sisters and brothers in Christ; especially for the least of my brethren. I honour You O Heavenly as I honour and obey the Holy Spirit sent to lead and guide me. I honour You O Heavenly as I honour Your Son my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ whom I love deeply. Now and forever. Amen

What we often see with our eyes are strangers in the world. And so we go about our business in that very manner. Recognizing only those whom we know intimately and acknowledging them as friend or family. But what if we looked at everyone through the eyes of Christ? What will we see? Would it not be that everyone belonged to God our Heavenly Father, and we are His children?
We are hence called to love and treat one another as a beloved child of God. And we can only do so with the love of Jesus Christ our Lord which flows through us. For He dwells in us who live according to His Word, who seek first the Kingdom of the Lord our God.
I honour You O Heavenly Father by honouring my parents. I honour You O Heavenly Father as I love and bring my children up according to Your Will. I honour You O Heavenly by loving, caring for my sisters and brothers in Christ; especially for the least of my brethren.  I honour You O Heavenly as I honour and obey the Holy Spirit sent to lead and guide me. I honour You O Heavenly as I honour Your Son my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ whom I love deeply. Now and forever. Amen
First reading

Ephesians 6:1-9
Children, be obedient to your parents in the Lord – that is your duty. The commandment that has a promise attached to it is: Honour your father and mother, and the promise is: and you will prosper and have a long life in the land. And parents, never drive your children to resentment but in bringing them up correct them and guide them as the Lord does.

Slaves, be obedient to the men who are called your masters in this world, with deep respect and sincere loyalty, as you are obedient to Christ: not only when you are under their eye, as if you had only to please men, but because you are slaves of Christ and wholeheartedly do the will of God. Work hard and willingly, but do it for the sake of the Lord and not for the sake of men. You can be sure that everyone, whether a slave or a free man, will be properly rewarded by the Lord for whatever work he has done well. And those of you who are employers, treat your slaves in the same spirit; do without threats, remembering that they and you have the same Master in heaven and he is not impressed by one person more than by another.
Gospel

Luke 13:22-30
Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.

‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will find yourself saying, “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets” but he will reply, “I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!”

‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.

‘Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.’

First reading
Ephesians 6:1-9

Children, be obedient to your parents in the Lord – that is your duty. The commandment that has a promise attached to it is: Honour your father and mother, and the promise is: and you will prosper and have a long life in the land. And parents, never drive your children to resentment but in bringing them up correct them and guide them as the Lord does.
Slaves, be obedient to the men who are called your masters in this world, with deep respect and sincere loyalty, as you are obedient to Christ: not only when you are under their eye, as if you had only to please men, but because you are slaves of Christ and wholeheartedly do the will of God. Work hard and willingly, but do it for the sake of the Lord and not for the sake of men. You can be sure that everyone, whether a slave or a free man, will be properly rewarded by the Lord for whatever work he has done well. And those of you who are employers, treat your slaves in the same spirit; do without threats, remembering that they and you have the same Master in heaven and he is not impressed by one person more than by another.

Gospel
Luke 13:22-30

Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.
‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will find yourself saying, “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets” but he will reply, “I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!”
‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
‘Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.’

Just as a man and a woman give themselves in Holy matrimony and in that loving union produce offspring. They thus become a family. So are all of us called to live out holy family values one in communion with Christ Jesus. We thus make up His one body, One family under God our Heavenly Father. 

Just as the primary responsibility of a married couple is to lead one another into greater Holiness through love, mercy  and sacrifice. So are we called to lead one another and into a deeper relationship with the Holy Trinity. We do so through Kingdom values taught, lived and guided by the Holy Spirit. And this we must readily share with all we meet so that they too can experience the joy of life in Jesus. This is what it means to be fruitful, this is what it means to be leaven for the kingdom of God. 

Thank You Jesus for the gift of family. Guide my thoughts, words and actions as I lead them closer to You. Amen 

First reading
Ephesians 5:21-33

Give way to one another in obedience to Christ. Wives should regard their husbands as they regard the Lord, since as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; and as the Church submits to Christ, so should wives to their husbands, in everything. Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her in water with a form of words, so that when he took her to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless. In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself. A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church, because it is his body – and we are its living parts. For this reason, a man must leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one body. This mystery has many implications; but I am saying it applies to Christ and the Church. To sum up; you too, each one of you, must love his wife as he loves himself; and let every wife respect her husband.

Gospel
Luke 13:18-21

Jesus said, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it with? It is like a mustard seed which a man took and threw into his garden: it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air sheltered in its branches.’
Another thing he said, ‘What shall I compare the kingdom of God with? It is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.’

If what we say and do reflects on whom we love and serve that is our Lord Jesus Christ, will we not be more disciplined? Will we not bridle our tongue?

No more shall we live in the past, where sin prevailed. No more sexual jokes, indecent wanton talks or chatter. No more shall we give in to being bent over and crippled by he who seeks our ruin.

For Jesus has healed us by His stripes and given us new life in Him through His Resurrection. Let us strive each day for Holiness. Let us encourage one another to remain steadfast. So that we who are children of the light can be beacons for the world. Amen

First reading
Ephesians 4:32-5:8

Be friends with one another, and kind, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ. Try, then, to imitate God as children of his that he loves and follow Christ loving as he loved you, giving himself up in our place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God. Among you there must be not even a mention of fornication or impurity in any of its forms, or promiscuity: this would hardly become the saints! There must be no coarseness, or salacious talk and jokes – all this is wrong for you; raise your voices in thanksgiving instead. For you can be quite certain that nobody who actually indulges in fornication or impurity or promiscuity – which is worshipping a false god – can inherit anything of the kingdom of God. Do not let anyone deceive you with empty arguments: it is for this loose living that God’s anger comes down on those who rebel against him. Make sure that you are not included with them. You were darkness once, but now you are light in the Lord; be like children of light.

Gospel
Luke 13:10-17

One sabbath day Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who for eighteen years had been possessed by a spirit that left her enfeebled; she was bent double and quite unable to stand upright. When Jesus saw her he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are rid of your infirmity’ and he laid his hands on her. And at once she straightened up, and she glorified God.
But the synagogue official was indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, and he addressed the people present. ‘There are six days’ he said ‘when work is to be done. Come and be healed on one of those days and not on the sabbath.’ But the Lord answered him. ‘Hypocrites!’ he said ‘Is there one of you who does not untie his ox or his donkey from the manger on the sabbath and take it out for watering? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has held bound these eighteen years – was it not right to untie her bonds on the sabbath day?’ When he said this, all his adversaries were covered with confusion, and all the people were overjoyed at all the wonders he worked.

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

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

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

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

First reading
Ephesians 4:7-16

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

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

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

Gospel
Luke 13:1-9

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

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

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

Let us sing this hymn together…

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

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

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

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

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

First reading
Ephesians 4:1-6

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

Gospel
Luke 12:54-59

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

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

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

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

Lord Jesus, my heart belongs to you. Amen 

First reading
Ephesians 3:14-21

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

Gospel
Luke 12:49-53

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

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

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

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

First reading
Ephesians 3:2-12

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

Gospel
Luke 12:39-48

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

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

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

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

Let us put our love for Jesus into action. Amen 

St Luke pray for us…. 

First reading
2 Timothy 4:10-17

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

Gospel
Luke 10:1-9

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

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

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

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

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

First reading
Ephesians 2:1-10

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

Gospel
Luke 12:13-21

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First reading
Ephesians 1:15-23

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

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

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

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

* Come into the presence of Jesus as they are.

* Be open of heart and mind

* Be committed no matter what happens

* Surrender everything to the Lord with open hands

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

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

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

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

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

* Be docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit

* Put love into action

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

Glory and Praise to the Holy Trinity! Amen

💖💖💖

Many are starved for attention.

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

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

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

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

First reading
Ephesians 1:11-14

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

Gospel
Luke 12:1-7

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

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

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

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

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

First reading
Ephesians 1:1-10

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

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

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

Gospel
Luke 11:47-54

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

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

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

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

First reading
Galatians 5:18-25

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

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

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

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

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

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

First reading
Galatians 5:1-6

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

Gospel
Luke 11:37-41

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gospel
Luke 11:29-32

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