Truly if we are children of God our Heavenly Father, then just as Jesus did what He saw His Father doing (JN5:19) then we too must likewise do what our Heavenly does or what His Son our Lord Jesus Christ does! And since share a Heavenly inheritance can we say we do not know what they do?

If we live out Spiritual lives as we are called to do, then surely we will bear witness to the truth that we are children of God our Heavenly Father. Nothing will hold us back from ministering to others in need of healing and deliverance. We will deliver everyone held in bondage so that the glory of God can be made manifest in them, and they too shall be set free to live life to the full in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus I willing share in Your sufferings so that I might share Your glory for love of You. Amen

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First reading

Romans 8:12-17 ·

The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God

My brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives. If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live.

    Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.

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Gospel

Luke 13:10-17

Was it not right to untie this woman’s bonds on the sabbath day?

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.

People from everywhere came to Jesus, to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. People tormented by unclean spirits were also cured, and everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all. Many of the saints who had gone before us had done likewise and more! People came to hear about Jesus, and they were cured of their diseases, many were delivered from evil and unclean spirits, likewise many came to touch them and were cured for the power of Jesus flowed through them.

Are we not the anointed ones empowered through our baptism to do greater things than He our Lord did? Yes indeed we are! We are sent into the world to proclaim the reign of God. We give glory to the risen Christ among us. Though our eyes have not seen his face we believe and we spread the story of our faith through healing, deliverance and ministering His peace, love and joy.

I am Your house Lord, come dwell in me. Amen

Saints Simon and Jude pray for us…

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First reading

Ephesians 2:19-22 ·

In Christ you are no longer aliens, but citizens like us

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

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Gospel

Luke 6:12-19

Jesus chooses his twelve apostles

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

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

Every day we battle sin and temptations, this is part and parcel of being human. This however is not an excuse to give in to sin or a reason to rationalize doing evil. For we were made for more! Therefore, we never have to battle alone! For the Lord our God through His incarnation became one of us, He suffered, died and rose again so that we can be One with Him, Body, Mind and Spirit. For His grace is built upon our nature. In His great love for us He gives us His body, soul and divinity through Holy Eucharist!

So yes, indeed united fully with Him our conscience is led by the Holy Spirit, and so we know definitely what is good and holy and what is not! We strive for peace, love, justice, and are merciful because He is merciful.

Lord Jesus I am Yours as You are mine. Come dwell in heart today and forevermore. Amen

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First reading

Romans 7:18-25 ·

Every time I want to do good it is something evil that comes to hand

I know of nothing good living in me – living, that is, in my unspiritual self – for though the will to do what is good is in me, the performance is not, with the result that instead of doing the good things I want to do, I carry out the sinful things I do not want. When I act against my will, then, it is not my true self doing it, but sin which lives in me.

    In fact, this seems to be the rule, that every single time I want to do good it is something evil that comes to hand. In my inmost self I dearly love God’s Law, but I can see that my body follows a different law that battles against the law which my reason dictates. This is what makes me a prisoner of that law of sin which lives inside my body.

    What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body doomed to death?

    Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

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Gospel

Luke 12:54-59

Do you not know how to interpret these times?

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.’

By our baptism we have been given the privilege, the honour of becoming sons and daughters of God our Heavenly Father. We have been inserted into the life, death and Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Through Him we have been set free from sin, free from the clutches of eternal death.

We have hope of eternal life with our Lord, we must therefore fight hard against sin and temptation! For the evil one, seeks to rob us of our Heavenly inheritance. Yet we do not have to fear or let our hearts be troubled, for our Lord has not left us orphans. We have the Holy Spirit to help us every step of the way.

Let us stay focused on our mission to minister to our brethren and lead everyone home to Him. Amen


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First reading
Romans 6:12-18 ·

Make every part of your body a weapon fighting on the side of God

You must not let sin reign in your mortal bodies or command your obedience to bodily passions, you must not let any part of your body turn into an unholy weapon fighting on the side of sin; you should, instead, offer yourselves to God, and consider yourselves dead men brought back to life; you should make every part of your body into a weapon fighting on the side of God; and then sin will no longer dominate your life, since you are living by grace and not by law.
    Does the fact that we are living by grace and not by law mean that we are free to sin? Of course not. You know that if you agree to serve and obey a master you become his slaves. You cannot be slaves of sin that leads to death and at the same time slaves of obedience that leads to righteousness. You were once slaves of sin, but thank God you submitted without reservation to the creed you were taught. You may have been freed from the slavery of sin, but only to become ‘slaves’ of righteousness.

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Gospel
Luke 12:39-48

The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect

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.’

Faith is love put in action for the glory of God!

That is why few progress in their faith and remain stagnant in their relationship with the Lord. For they will not take risk for the Lord! To glorify Him by their love for others.

How many times have I heard someone say, “Let go and let God!” But never truly surrenders to the Lord, never really take risks for Him and is far from loving because the temptation to criticize and to see only the shortcomings of others is constantly on her lips. Or another who loves this line in the Gospel of today, “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.” But is himself reluctant to lead in prayers or to share on the Gospel readings.

If we truly hope and believe in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, then we too shall become Fathers and Mothers of many nations! For that is our calling to go make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and to teach them all that we have learnt from our Saviour.

Lord Jesus, I declare before all men and women that You are my Lord and my God. Amen

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First reading

Romans 4:13,16-18 ·

Abraham hoped and believed and became the father of many nations

The promise of inheriting the world was not made to Abraham and his descendants on account of any law but on account of the righteousness which consists in faith. That is why what fulfils the promise depends on faith, so that it may be a free gift and be available to all of Abraham’s descendants, not only those who belong to the Law but also those who belong to the faith of Abraham who is the father of all of us. As scripture says: I have made you the ancestor of many nations – Abraham is our father in the eyes of God, in whom he put his faith, and who brings the dead to life and calls into being what does not exist.

    Though it seemed Abraham’s hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly as he had been promised: Your descendants will be as many as the stars.

    Then he advances to another vital element of the promise in Genesis, though not in the incident from which he originally quoted, Genesis 15.6. The promise to Abraham comes three times in Genesis, and in 17.5 it is ‘for I make you father of a multitude of nations’. This enables Paul to go beyond the normally accepted understanding of the promise, which restricted its fulfilment to Jews alone. Paul understands as children of Abraham any who, like Abraham, put their trust in God. It is not the blood-line which constitutes children of Abraham, but faith in conformity with that of Abraham. He has yet to consider how this promise is to be fulfilled in Jesus.

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Gospel

Luke 12:8-12

If you declare yourselves for me, I will declare myself for you

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.’

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First reading

Romans 4:13,16-18 ·

Abraham hoped and believed and became the father of many nations

The promise of inheriting the world was not made to Abraham and his descendants on account of any law but on account of the righteousness which consists in faith. That is why what fulfils the promise depends on faith, so that it may be a free gift and be available to all of Abraham’s descendants, not only those who belong to the Law but also those who belong to the faith of Abraham who is the father of all of us. As scripture says: I have made you the ancestor of many nations – Abraham is our father in the eyes of God, in whom he put his faith, and who brings the dead to life and calls into being what does not exist.

    Though it seemed Abraham’s hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly as he had been promised: Your descendants will be as many as the stars.

    Then he advances to another vital element of the promise in Genesis, though not in the incident from which he originally quoted, Genesis 15.6. The promise to Abraham comes three times in Genesis, and in 17.5 it is ‘for I make you father of a multitude of nations’. This enables Paul to go beyond the normally accepted understanding of the promise, which restricted its fulfilment to Jews alone. Paul understands as children of Abraham any who, like Abraham, put their trust in God. It is not the blood-line which constitutes children of Abraham, but faith in conformity with that of Abraham. He has yet to consider how this promise is to be fulfilled in Jesus.

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Gospel

Luke 12:8-12

If you declare yourselves for me, I will declare myself for you

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.’

“I am a man of God, after His own heart!” “I am a woman of God after His own heart” While it is good if we can confidently make such prophetic statements and live out are calling, the truth is knowing that only the Lord our God see into our hearts and embrace us as children after His own heart! Likewise, our brethren are the ones who must see that we are indeed living as a man/woman of God after His own heart.

Let us therefore strive for Holiness, being spotless in the eyes of our Lord. And if there be anything wicked in us, let go before the Lord to cleanse us and free us from every sin!

Just recently a young lady came into my prayer room to be prayed over via zoom. She earnestly desired a breakthrough from what was troubling her. She sensed that there was some unforgiveness in her heart stemming from some childhood experiences. I invited the Lord into her memories and led her to lift her intentions directly to Jesus who came. Guiding her into prayers of forgiveness for three adult figures in her life and deliverance from any evil that lingered. By the end of the session she felt the joy of being liberated, set free and most of all the she experienced the tender love of Jesus for her and family. Praise the Lord!

Have faith and trust in the Lord for He will surely set us free when we call out to Him! Amen

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First reading

Romans 4:1-8 ·

Abraham was justified not by his actions but by faith

What shall we say about Abraham, the ancestor from whom we are all descended? If Abraham was justified as a reward for doing something, he would really have had something to boast about, though not in God’s sight because scripture says: Abraham put his faith in God, and this faith was considered as justifying him. If a man has work to show, his wages are not considered as a favour but as his due; but when a man has nothing to show except faith in the one who justifies sinners, then his faith is considered as justifying him. And David says the same: a man is happy if God considers him righteous, irrespective of good deeds:

Happy those whose crimes are forgiven,

whose sins are blotted out;

happy the man whom the Lord considers sinless.

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Gospel

Luke 12:1-7

Not one sparrow is forgotten in God’s sight

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.’

Today’s message is not only comforting but empowering! For as disciples of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we already know we will face hardship, rejection and some perhaps even great trials. However we also know that the Lord Himself will stand by us, give us power, so that through us the whole message of the Good News might be proclaimed.

Wherever we sent, let our first words be, “Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you” Having been empowered by Him, let us
cure those who are sick, and say to them, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.”’ Amen

Saint Luke pray for us…



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First reading
2 Timothy 4:10-17 ·

Only Luke is with me

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.




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Gospel
Luke 10:1-9

Your peace will rest on that man

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.”’

The greatest sign of God our Father’s love is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! For through His birth, death and resurrection we have been set free from all sin and have hope for eternal life with Him.

This hope that every Christian has, is evident in the peace, love and joy they carry with them in their hearts, on their faces and their dealings with everyone.

So, sisters and brothers, when people look upon you and me, do they see the face of Christ? Are they eager to hear about the joy of the Gospel through us?

Saint Hedwig, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque pray for us… 

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First reading

Romans 1:1-7 ·

Our apostolic mission is to preach the obedience of faith to all pagan nations

From Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus who has been called to be an apostle, and specially chosen to preach the Good News that God promised long ago through his prophets in the scriptures.

    This news is about the Son of God who, according to the human nature he took was a descendant of David: it is about Jesus Christ our Lord who, in the order of the spirit, the spirit of holiness that was in him, was proclaimed Son of God in all his power through his resurrection from the dead. Through him we received grace and our apostolic mission to preach the obedience of faith to all pagan nations in honour of his name. You are one of these nations, and by his call belong to Jesus Christ. To you all, then, who are God’s beloved in Rome, called to be saints, may God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send grace and peace.

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Gospel

Luke 11:29-32

As Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be a sign

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.’

When was the last time you went for the sacrament of reconciliation? If your immediate response is simply to say that it is a private affair between yourself and God then indeed you are far off from following after Your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Yes indeed a Christian is accountable to the Lord our God, but if you are a true believer and have grown in your faith then you know that we are all accountable for and to our brethren as well. For through Jesus our Lord we are all One Body in Him.

Therefore sin is never a private affair, it affects the whole Body! So let us all repent of our sins, renounce the works of the enemies and if we have not been regular in receiving the sacramental grace of absolution through reconciliation then we should go this very weekend! Receiving absolution is NOT enough we must fill any and all void places in our body, mind and spirit with all that is Holy unto God. The Word of  God, constant prayer, regular reception of Holy Eucharist, and living a life in the Holy Spirit. All these will ensure that there is no room for any evil to return, and so we remain steadfast, holy as our Heavenly Father is Holy.

Lord I am with and for You now and forever. Amen

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First reading

Joel 1:13-15,2:1-2 ·

Let all tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming

Priests, put on sackcloth and lament.

Ministers of the altar, wail.

Come, pass the night in sackcloth,

you ministers of my God.

For the house of our God has been deprived

of oblation and libation.

Order a fast,

proclaim a solemn assembly;

elders, call together

all the inhabitants of the country

to the house of the Lord your God.

Cry out to the Lord,

‘Oh, what a day!

For the day of the Lord is near,

it comes as a devastation from Shaddai.’

Sound the trumpet in Zion,

give the alarm on my holy mountain!

Let all the inhabitants of the country tremble,

for the day of the Lord is coming,

yes, it is near.

Day of darkness and gloom,

day of cloud and blackness.

Like the dawn there spreads across the mountains

a vast and mighty host,

such as has never been before,

such as will never be again

to the remotest ages.

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Gospel

Luke 11:15-26

The finger of God has overtaken you

When Jesus had cast out a devil, some of the people said, ‘It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he casts out devils.’ Others asked him, as a test, for a sign from heaven; but, knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin, and a household divided against itself collapses. So too with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? – since you assert that it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils. Now if it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils, through whom do your own experts cast them out? Let them be your judges then. But if it is through the finger of God that I cast out devils, then know that the kingdom of God has overtaken you. So long as a strong man fully armed guards his own palace, his goods are undisturbed; but when someone stronger than he is attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away all the weapons he relied on and shares out his spoil.

    ‘He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.

    ‘When an unclean spirit goes out of a man it wanders through waterless country looking for a place to rest, and not finding one it says, “I will go back to the home I came from.” But on arrival, finding it swept and tidied, it then goes off and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and set up house there, so that the man ends up by being worse than he was before.’

We have such a perfect Father in Heaven, Holy, merciful, compassionate and kind. 

There is nothing we can hide from Him and He knows all our sins. Yet He patiently waits for us to turn back to Him. And when we do decide to do so, we are restored, made whole through the blood of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Who died once for all time, so that we might have hope of eternal life.

Let us never take this grace for granted and repent while we still can. Today!

Let us also be persistent and faithful in our prayers. For we have been given the Holy Spirit, the greatest we can receive to guide and help us all the days of our life.

Come Holy Spirit, dwell in my heart. Amen


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First reading
Malachi 3:13-20 ·

The day that is coming will burn up the wicked

You say harsh things about me, says the Lord. You ask, ‘What have we said against you?’ You say, ‘It is useless to serve God; what is the good of keeping his commands or of walking mournfully before the Lord of Hosts? Now we have reached the point when we call the arrogant blessed; yes, they prosper, these evil-doers; they try God’s patience and yet go free.’ This is what those who fear the Lord used to say to one another. But the Lord took note and heard them: a book of remembrance was written in his presence recording those who fear him and take refuge in his name. On the day which I am preparing, says the Lord of Hosts, they are going to be my own special possession. I will make allowances for them as a man makes allowances for the son who obeys him. Then once again you will see the difference between an upright man and a wicked one, between the one who serves God and the one who does not serve him. For the day is coming now, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and the evil-doers will be like stubble. The day that is coming is going to burn them up, says the Lord of Hosts, leaving them neither root nor stalk. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays.





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Gospel
Luke 11:5-13

Ask, and it will be given to you

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

There are only three reasons as far as I can see for someone to behave as Jonah does in today’s first reading. One is a spirit of entitlement, the believe that only a privilege few deserve the mercy and love of the Lord our God. Two, unforgiveness of heart. Three, no authentic love of God, for if we truly love the Lord our God then we must love our brethren, fellow children of God our Heavenly Father. Even those of a different flock. Jn 10:16

Jesus teaches us in today’s Gospel that for us to completely hold our Heavenly Father’s name Holy, we ourselves must forgive each one who is in debt to us. Just as He who is all merciful and compassionate has forgiven us our sins. Amen

Saint John XXIII, Pope pray for us…


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First reading
Jonah 4:1-11 ·

Jonah is angry at God’s mercy

Jonah was very indignant; he fell into a rage. He prayed to the Lord and said, ‘Ah, Lord, is not this just as I said would happen when I was still at home? That was why I went and fled to Tarshish: I knew that you were a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness, relenting from evil. So now, Lord, please take away my life, for I might as well be dead as go on living.’ The Lord replied, ‘Are you right to be angry?’
    Jonah then went out of the city and sat down to the east of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, to see what would happen to the city. Then the Lord God arranged that a castor-oil plant should grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head and soothe his ill-humour; Jonah was delighted with the castor-oil plant. But at dawn the next day, God arranged that a worm should attack the castor-oil plant – and it withered.
    Next, when the sun rose, God arranged that there should be a scorching east wind; the sun beat down so hard on Jonah’s head that he was overcome and begged for death, saying, ‘I might as well be dead as go on living.’ God said to Jonah, ‘Are you right to be angry about the castor-oil plant?’ He replied, ‘I have every right to be angry, to the point of death.’ The Lord replied, ‘You are only upset about a castor-oil plant which cost you no labour, which you did not make grow, which sprouted in a night and has perished in a night. And am I not to feel sorry for Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, to say nothing of all the animals?’



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Gospel
Luke 11:1-4

How to pray

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

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

Only forty days… Do we know if we have even forty days left to repent before we meet our maker or our end?

There are two takeaways from the first reading. First it does not matter if the folks we are called to reach out to listen to the Word and Will of the Lord our God. We need only be obedient to God’s Will for us. He will open their minds and touch their hearts if they are open to receiving His Word. Second is that folks outside our faith can be more receptive in receiving our Lord’s saving Grace, why then are we so worried about reaching out to them?

Today’s Gospel reminds us to always choose the better part. That is to be still in the presence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. So that we can receive the graces necessary to minister and to serve others as we are called to. In other words we can be more effective ‘Marthas’ if we can sit like ‘Marys’ in His presence.

Lord I surrender my heart, body and mind to Your Will for me. Bless my hands and feet to carry out Your Will accordingly. Amen


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First reading
Jonah 3:1-10 ·

The Ninevites repent, and God spares them

The word of the Lord was addressed to Jonah: ‘Up!’ he said ‘Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to them as I told you to.’ Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was a city great beyond compare: it took three days to cross it. Jonah went on into the city, making a day’s journey. He preached in these words, ‘Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.’ And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. The news reached the king of Nineveh, who rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes. A proclamation was then promulgated throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his ministers, as follows: ‘Men and beasts, herds and flocks, are to taste nothing; they must not eat, they must not drink water. All are to put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might; and let everyone renounce his evil behaviour and the wicked things he has done. Who knows if God will not change his mind and relent, if he will not renounce his burning wrath, so that we do not perish?’ God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.


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Gospel
Luke 10:38-42

Martha works; Mary listens

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

In today’s first reading we see that while Jonah runs away from the Lord as he refuses to carry out the Lord’s Will for him, he inadvertently converts those with him on the boat. His first converts! How did it happen? Well, he professes to them that he worships the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land. The very sea that was going to overwhelm them was made by the Lord his God! He then offers himself as a sacrifice that is to be thrown overboard so that they might be saved. And at the very end the sailors offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. 

So, while we may think we are not up to the Lord’s task, or may feel that we are lacking or afraid, we need only remain faithful and declare Him the Lord of Heaven and of earth, He will fill the hearts of those around us with His saving Grace.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, neither the one who takes pity on the man who fell to the hands of brigands nor the victim himself is named. He is simply a Samaritan traveller who stopped when no one else did. He binds the wounds, anoints him with oil and pours wine; in essence breathes life back into him.

Therefore, anyone who claims to be a follower of Christ must be like that Samaritan traveller, who reflects Christ Himself who bandages our wounds, heals and anoints us and is life giving. It does not matter the race, language, sex or religion of the one who is in need. We must act through the love of Christ we carry in our hearts. Amen

Saints Denis and Saint John Leonardi pray for us…

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First reading

Jonah 1:1-2:1,11

Jonah flees from his call

The word of the Lord was addressed to Jonah son of Amittai:

    ‘Up!’ he said ‘Go to Nineveh, the great city, and inform them that their wickedness has become known to me.’ Jonah decided to run away from the Lord, and to go to Tarshish. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish; he paid his fare and went aboard, to go with them to Tarshish, to get away from the Lord. But the Lord unleashed a violent wind on the sea, and there was such a great storm at sea that the ship threatened to break up. The sailors took fright, and each of them called on his own god, and to lighten the ship they threw the cargo overboard. Jonah, however, had gone below and lain down in the hold and fallen fast asleep. The boatswain came upon him and said, ‘What do you mean by sleeping? Get up! Call on your god! Perhaps he will spare us a thought, and not leave us to die.’ Then they said to each other, ‘Come on, let us draw lots to find out who is responsible for bringing this evil on us.’ So they cast lots, and the lot fell to Jonah. Then they said to him, ‘Tell us, what is your business? Where do you come from? What is your country? What is your nationality?’ He replied, ‘I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.’ The sailors were seized with terror at this and said, ‘What have you done?’ They knew that he was trying to escape from the Lord, because he had told them so. They then said, ‘What are we to do with you, to make the sea grow calm for us?’ For the sea was growing rougher and rougher. He replied, ‘Take me and throw me into the sea, and then it will grow calm for you. For I can see it is my fault this violent storm has happened to you.’ The sailors rowed hard in an effort to reach the shore, but in vain, since the sea grew still rougher for them. They then called on the Lord and said, ‘O Lord, do not let us perish for taking this man’s life; do not hold us guilty of innocent blood; for you, the Lord, have acted as you have thought right.’ And taking hold of Jonah they threw him into the sea; and the sea grew calm again. At this the men were seized with dread of the Lord; they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

    The Lord had arranged that a great fish should be there to swallow Jonah; and Jonah remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. The Lord spoke to the fish, which then vomited Jonah on to the shore.

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Gospel

Luke 10:25-37

The good Samaritan

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

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

By our baptism we had become children of God our Heavenly through Jesus His Son and the Holy Spirit. We were renewed, made pure, spotless as all our sins were washed away! We became saints, Holy unto our Papa! Praise His Holy name!

Yet it was only the beginning, for we have many battles ahead. We have to stay alert and be of sober mind. Our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Pet 5:8 And so we constantly renew ourselves through the Sacraments our Lord established, through His Word, as we pray daily in His presence.

Let us not remain idle, for we have been empowered by our Lord Jesus Christ and the whole strength of the enemy shall never hurt us.  The power and strength we have been given is for the good of His children, our fellow sisters and brothers! So let us deliver them from any and every evil; heal and bind their wounds. So that through renewed bodies, minds and spirits together we shall praise and glorify the Lord our God as One body in Him.

We Bless You Father, Lord of heaven and earth. For you revealed Yourself to us through Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We are happy to see what we see, hear what You will us to hear. For it is our desire to glorify You by our lives. Amen

Our Lady of the Rosary pray for us…

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First reading

Baruch 4:5-12,27-29 ·

Take courage, my children, call on God

Take courage, my people,

constant reminder of Israel.

You were sold to the nations,

but not for extermination.

You provoked God;

and so were delivered to your enemies,

since you had angered your creator

by offering sacrifices to demons, not to God.

You had forgotten the eternal God who reared you.

You had also grieved Jerusalem who nursed you,

for when she saw the anger fall on you

from God, she said:

Listen, you neighbours of Zion:

God has sent me great sorrow.

I have seen my sons and daughters taken into captivity,

to which they have been sentenced by the Eternal.

I had reared them joyfully;

in tears, in sorrow, I watched them go away.

Do not, any of you, exult over me,

a widow, deserted by so many;

I suffer loneliness because of the sins of my own children,

who turned away from the Law of God.

Take courage, my children, call on God:

he who brought disaster on you will remember you.

As by your will you first strayed away from God,

so now turn back and search for him ten times as hard;

for as he brought down those disasters on you,

so will he rescue you and give you eternal joy.

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Gospel

Luke 10:17-24

Rejoice that your names are written in heaven

The seventy-two came back rejoicing. ‘Lord,’ they said ‘even the devils submit to us when we use your name.’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.’

    It was then that, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, he said:

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

    Then turning to his disciples he spoke to them in private, ‘Happy the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’

I absolutely love this from the first reading! ”  ‘In those days, ten men of nations of every language will take a Jew by the sleeve and say, “We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you.”

Are we then making the same impact on the lives of those who do not yet know our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Are the saying this of us, “Surely God is with them, for they are loving and joyful. ”” They do not judge us and are welcoming. “”We want what they have!”

O Emmanuel, dwell in the hearts of Your faithful forever. Amen

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First reading
Zechariah 8:20-23 ·

Many peoples and great nations will come to seek the Lord of Hosts

The Lord of Hosts says this:
    ‘There will be other peoples yet, and citizens of great cities. And the inhabitants of one city will go to the next and say, “Come, let us go and entreat the favour of the Lord, and seek the Lord of Hosts; I am going myself.” And many peoples and great nations will come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favour of the Lord.’
    The Lord of Hosts says this:
    ‘In those days, ten men of nations of every language will take a Jew by the sleeve and say, “We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you.”’


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Gospel
Luke 9:51-56

Jesus sets out for Jerusalem

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

How are we living identity as children of God our Heavenly Father so loved by Him? Are we obedient unto Him and do we dwell on His Word and Will for us?

Have we grown in our relationship Him such that our greatest desire each day is to linger in His presence. To speak to our daddy, our abba, our papa! Whom blessings we long for.

He loves us so much He gave us His only begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and through Him we are empowered to bring His love into the world. The power to deliver from evil and healing are just some of the ways we have been entrusted to minister to His flock, our fellow sisters and brothers. And all of us have guardian angels who are interceding for us and helping us on our mission of love.

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day (or night) be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen

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First reading

Zechariah 8:1-8 ·

The Lord will return to Zion

The word of the Lord of Hosts was addressed to me as follows:

‘The Lord of Hosts says this.

I am burning with jealousy for Zion,

with great anger for her sake.

‘The Lord of Hosts says this.

I am coming back to Zion

and shall dwell in the middle of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem will be called Faithful City

and the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, the Holy Mountain.

‘The Lord of Hosts says this.

Old men and old women will again sit down

in the squares of Jerusalem;

every one of them staff in hand

because of their great age.

And the squares of the city will be full

of boys and girls

playing in the squares.

‘The Lord of Hosts says this.

If this seems a miracle

to the remnant of this people (in those days),

will it seem one to me?

It is the Lord of Hosts who speaks.

‘The Lord of Hosts says this.

Now I am going to save my people

from the countries of the East

and from the countries of the West.

I will bring them back

to live inside Jerusalem.

They shall be my people

and I will be their God

in faithfulness and integrity.’

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Gospel

Matthew 18:1-5,10

Anyone who welcomes a little child in my name welcomes me

The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

    ‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.’

Today’s readings are intriguing yet comforting, because the message is clear. We need only trust in the Lord our God and He will hide us in the shadow of His wings. More often than not, we do not what the future holds for us. We can become anxious or sometimes even depressed simply because we do stay in His presence or remain steadfast holding on to His Word and Will for us.

Let us hold on to His promise for us…

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11

Lord Jesus I place all my trust in You. Amen

Saint Jerome pray for us…

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First reading

Zechariah 2:5-9,14-15 ·

‘I will be the glory of Jerusalem’

Raising my eyes, I saw a vision. It was this: there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked him, ‘Where are you going?’ He said, ‘To measure Jerusalem, to find out her breadth and her length.’ And then, while the angel who was talking to me stood still, another angel came forward to meet him. He said to him, ‘Run, and tell that young man this, “Jerusalem is to remain unwalled, because of the great number of men and cattle there will be in her. But I – it is the Lord who speaks – I will be a wall of fire for her all round her, and I will be her glory in the midst of her.”’

Sing, rejoice,

daughter of Zion;

for I am coming

to dwell in the middle of you

– it is the Lord who speaks.

Many nations will join the Lord,

on that day;

they will become his people.

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Gospel

Luke 9:43-45

They were afraid to ask him what he meant

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

On this feast day of the Holy Angels of God, St Michael, St Gabriel and St Raphael we remember fondly their names after the heart of the Lord our God. Michael (‘Who is like God?’), Raphael (‘the healing of God’), Gabriel (‘God is my champion’) and Uriel (‘God is my light’). These His Angels may therefore be conceived as the powers of God, attendant upon God and communicating the divine will to humanity.

Let us emulate their Holiness, and exercise the gifts we have been bestowed to minister to all God our Father’s children. Let us therefore be found without deceit, full of integrity!

Then one day reunited with the saints in Heaven, In the presence of the angels we will bless our Lord. We shall offer thanksgiving and sing of the Lord’s ways: ‘How great is the glory of the Lord!’ Amen Alleluia!

Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels pray for us…

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First reading
Daniel 7:9-10,13-14 ·

As I watched:

Thrones were set in place
and one of great age took his seat.
His robe was white as snow,
the hair of his head as pure as wool.

His throne was a blaze of flames,
its wheels were a burning fire.
A stream of fire poured out,
issuing from his presence.
A thousand thousand waited on him, ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.

A court was held and the books were opened.

I gazed into the visions of the night.

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

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Gospel
John 1:47-51

You will see heaven laid open, and the Son of Man

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

Seldom reflected upon or talked about, today we should ask ourselves how are as prophets for the Lord our God? How have we been His voice for His people? How well have we communicated God’s love for them?

But not all of us are called to be prophets! Really? Were we not baptised and have become Holy unto God our Father? As His children so loved by Him? Are we not a royal priesthood? Do we not share in the triple mission of Christ, priest, prophet and king? The baptized serve as priests through their sacrificial efforts to bring people to God. They serve as prophets through their witness to the truth in word and deed. And they serve as kings in their efforts to lead others—again through word and deed—to use their talents to advance the Kingdom of God (see CCC 1241)

Lord Jesus let me be a reflection of You. When they see me, they see You, when they hear me, they hear Your voice, let me bring Your presence into the world. Amen

 Saint Wenceslaus, Saints Laurence Ruiz and his Companions pray for us…

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First reading

Haggai 1:1-8 ·

‘Rebuild the House’

In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord was addressed through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, high commissioner of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, as follows, ‘The Lord of Hosts says this, “This people says: The time has not yet come to rebuild the Temple of the Lord. (And the word of the Lord was addressed through the prophet Haggai, as follows:) Is this a time for you to live in your panelled houses, when this House lies in ruins? So now, the Lord of Hosts says this: Reflect carefully how things have gone for you. You have sown much and harvested little; you eat but never have enough, drink but never have your fill, put on clothes but do not feel warm. The wage earner gets his wages only to put them in a purse riddled with holes. So go to the hill country, fetch wood, and rebuild the House: I shall then take pleasure in it, and be glorified there, says the Lord.”’

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Gospel

Luke 9:7-9

‘John? I beheaded him; so who is this?’

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

All of us have sinned one way or another but let us not dwell on the guilt and our sins but turn swiftly back to the Lord our God by repenting for them. Seeking swiftly to be reconciled with Him. For the enemy seeks to keep us bound by our guilt, and to lead us to greater sins!

With renewed minds in Christ, let us remain focused on Him and His will for us. To  go out into the world as we are called to do; to bring His healing grace, deliverance from evil and to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God. He will provide for all that we will ever need.

Here I am Lord send me. Amen

Saint Vincent de Paul pray for us…

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First reading

Ezra 9:5-9 ·

‘God has not forgotten us in our slavery’

At the evening sacrifice I, Ezra, came out of my stupor and falling on my knees, with my garment and cloak torn, I stretched out my hands to the Lord my God, and said:

    ‘My God, I am ashamed, I blush to lift my face to you, my God. For our crimes have increased, until they are higher than our heads, and our sin has piled up to heaven. From the days of our ancestors until now our guilt has been great; on account of our crimes we, our kings and our priests, were given into the power of the kings of other countries, given to the sword, to captivity, to pillage and to shame, as is the case today. But now, suddenly, the Lord our God by his favour has left us a remnant and granted us a refuge in his holy place; this is how our God has cheered our eyes and given us a little respite in our slavery. For we are slaves; but God has not forgotten us in our slavery; he has shown us kindness in the eyes of the kings of Persia, obtaining permission for us to rebuild the Temple of our God and restore its ruins, and he has found us safety and shelter in Judah and in Jerusalem.’

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Gospel

Luke 9:1-6

‘Take nothing for the journey’

Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, ‘Take nothing for the journey: neither staff, nor haversack, nor bread, nor money; and let none of you take a spare tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there; and when you leave, let it be from there. As for those who do not welcome you, when you leave their town shake the dust from your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the Good News and healing everywhere.

Once again, a reminder for us to live out our identity as children of God so loved by our Heavenly Father; that He gave us His only begotten Son. Through Him we have been set free to live as light in the world. And we must shine brightly for Him! So as to glorify Him by our lives.

We must turn away from all sin and daily renounce the works of our enemies! We shall not fall into darkness so long as we strive to live in the light of our Lord’s resurrection. With renewed minds let us live in our empowerment and minister to all our Lord sends our way.

Grant me all that I need Lord to carry out Your Will for me. Amen

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FIRST READING

EZRA 1:1-6 ·

Cyrus king of Persia frees the Jews to return to Jerusalem

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfil the word of the Lord that was spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord roused the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to issue a proclamation and to have it publicly displayed throughout his kingdom: ‘Thus speaks Cyrus king of Persia, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; he has ordered me to build him a Temple in Jerusalem, in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah to build the Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel – he is the God who is in Jerusalem. And let each survivor, wherever he lives, be helped by the people of that place with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, as well as voluntary offerings for the Temple of God which is in Jerusalem.”’

Then the heads of families of Judah and of Benjamin, the priests and the Levites, in fact all whose spirit had been roused by God, prepared to go and rebuild the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem; and all their neighbours gave them every assistance with silver, gold, goods, cattle, quantities of costly gifts and with voluntary offerings of every kind.

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GOSPEL

LUKE 8:16-18

Anyone who has will be given more

Jesus said to the crowds:

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

The steps to yielding a harvest is simple enough, we need to have a noble and generous heart. A heart always eager to listen to the Word of our Lord, discipline and most of all perseverance to walk each day in the light of Christ Jesus our King of kings and the Lord of lords!

The secret to perseverance is this! That we must lean in, each day in the power of the Holy Spirit! For only through the person of the Holy Spirit shall we overcome the lure of sin in the world. Through the Holy Spirit the Word takes root in our lives and yields a tenfold harvest!

Come Holy Spirit come! Come lead me this and everyday. Amen

Saint Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) pray for us….

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First reading

1 Timothy 6:13-16 ·

I put to you the duty of doing all that you have been told

Before God the source of all life and before Christ, who spoke up as a witness for the truth in front of Pontius Pilate, I put to you the duty of doing all that you have been told, with no faults or failures, until the Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who at the due time will be revealed

by God, the blessed and only Ruler of all,

the King of kings and the Lord of lords,

who alone is immortal,

whose home is in inaccessible light,

whom no man has seen and no man is able to see:

to him be honour and everlasting power. Amen.

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Gospel

Luke 8:4-15

The parable of the sower

With a large crowd gathering and people from every town finding their way to him, Jesus used this parable:

    ‘A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell on the edge of the path and was trampled on; and the birds of the air ate it up. Some seed fell on rock, and when it came up it withered away, having no moisture. Some seed fell amongst thorns and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell into rich soil and grew and produced its crop a hundredfold.’ Saying this he cried, ‘Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!’

    His disciples asked him what this parable might mean, and he said, ‘The mysteries of the kingdom of God are revealed to you; for the rest there are only parables, so that

they may see but not perceive,

listen but not understand.

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

Everyday we face a battle against the wiles of evil, temptations, of being corrupted by the ways of the world! We must cut away the tentacles of greed, lust, pride, envy, rage, want of honour, recognition, all these that constantly seeks to entrap us.

All of us disciples, men and women alike face the same battles against sin and so it is important that we belong to a faith community. Where we can grow, encourage, nurture, affirm even admonish as necessary. We are accountable for and to one another in Christ Jesus our Lord. For where two or three are gathered in His name, He is present in our midst. Christ for and with us who can rise against us. Amen

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First reading
1 Timothy 6:2-12

We brought nothing into the world and can take nothing out of it

This is what you are to teach the brothers to believe and persuade them to do. Anyone who teaches anything different, and does not keep to the sound teaching which is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, the doctrine which is in accordance with true religion, is simply ignorant and must be full of self-conceit – with a craze for questioning everything and arguing about words. All that can come of this is jealousy, contention, abuse and wicked mistrust of one another; and unending disputes by people who are neither rational nor informed and imagine that religion is a way of making a profit. Religion, of course, does bring large profits, but only to those who are content with what they have. We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it; but as long as we have food and clothing, let us be content with that. People who long to be rich are a prey to temptation; they get trapped into all sorts of foolish and dangerous ambitions which eventually plunge them into ruin and destruction. ‘The love of money is the root of all evils’ and there are some who, pursuing it, have wandered away from the faith, and so given their souls any number of fatal wounds.
    But, as a man dedicated to God, you must avoid all that. You must aim to be saintly and religious, filled with faith and love, patient and gentle. Fight the good fight of the faith and win for yourself the eternal life to which you were called when you made your profession and spoke up for the truth in front of many witnesses.


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Gospel
Luke 8:1-3

The women who accompanied Jesus

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

Have we learned the meaning of the words I want mercy not sacrifice? How merciful are we really?

Do we look upon visitors or newcomers with suspicion? Will we welcome ex-convicts with open arms into our homes? How often have we visited our aged parents? How regularly do we tend to and pray for those persons living on the margins of society? Those in inhumane life conditions? We cry out to the Lord our God for mercy on us, yet how merciful are we to others?

St Paul reminds us in today’s first reading that as Christians we are to bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. To preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds us together. We must therefore love one another as we love ourselves, more than that; as how Jesus loves us. Let us live as One body in Christ Jesus our Lord, beloved children of God our Heavenly Father. Let us me merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful, loving as He is loving and perfect as He is perfect. Amen

Saint Matthew pray for us…

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First reading

Ephesians 4:1-7,11-13 ·

We are all to come to unity, fully mature in the knowledge of the Son of God

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

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

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Gospel

Matthew 9:9-13

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

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

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

In today’s readings, we are invited to dwell deeper into our faith. To grow stronger in our relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

The little poem beckons our hearts and minds, to embrace more profoundly the mystery of the incarnation. Emmanuel will lead us to His glory.

No more excuses, no more bickering amongst ourselves. If we call ourselves Christians and are carrying our cross to follow after Him. Then how can we not be united as one? For if we truly belong to Him then we are One with and in Him. We are One Body in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen

Saints Andrew Kim Taegon and Paul Chong Hasang pray for us… 

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First reading

1 Timothy 3:14-16 ·

The mystery of our religion is very deep

At the moment of writing to you, I am hoping that I may be with you soon; but in case I should be delayed, I wanted you to know how people ought to behave in God’s family – that is, in the Church of the living God, which upholds the truth and keeps it safe. Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is very deep indeed:

He was made visible in the flesh,
attested by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed to the pagans,
believed in by the world,
taken up in glory.

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Gospel
Luke 7:31-35

‘We played the pipes, and you wouldn’t dance’

Jesus said to the people:
    ‘What description can I find for the men of this generation? What are they like? They are like children shouting to one another while they sit in the market-place:

‘“We played the pipes for you,
and you wouldn’t dance;
we sang dirges,
and you wouldn’t cry.”

‘For John the Baptist comes, not eating bread, not drinking wine, and you say, “He is possessed.” The Son of Man comes, eating and drinking, and you say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet Wisdom has been proved right by all her children.’

In today’s first reading, St Paul gives us a detailed account for how leaders in the Church must be. We may not all be called to become Bishops or Apostles but nonetheless, if we identify ourselves as Christians then we too are sent! We too are saints by our Baptism!

Thus we cannot be living lives of duality. We must be blameless of heart! For we follow after our Master who was born without sin, yet took on the sins of the world so that we might be free to live fully in His love. This is how we give life to others, by our willingness to lay down our lives if necessary in service of them.

Even if we will never experience raising the dead through the power of Christ Jesus our Lord in our lifetime, we can always bring new life to those who are spiritually dead, by our love for them through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We bring into their lives His peace, love and joy through His word; leading them into His very presence. Amen

Saint Januarius pray for us…

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First reading

1 Timothy 3:1-13 ·

The president must be of impeccable character

Here is a saying that you can rely on: To want to be a presiding elder is to want to do a noble work. That is why the president must have an impeccable character. He must not have been married more than once, and he must be temperate, discreet and courteous, hospitable and a good teacher; not a heavy drinker, nor hot-tempered, but kind and peaceable. He must not be a lover of money. He must be a man who manages his own family well and brings his children up to obey him and be well-behaved: how can any man who does not understand how to manage his own family have responsibility for the church of God? He should not be a new convert, in case pride might turn his head and then he might be condemned as the devil was condemned. It is also necessary that people outside the Church should speak well of him, so that he never gets a bad reputation and falls into the devil’s trap.

    In the same way, deacons must be respectable men whose word can be trusted, moderate in the amount of wine they drink and with no squalid greed for money. They must be conscientious believers in the mystery of the faith. They are to be examined first, and only admitted to serve as deacons if there is nothing against them. In the same way, the women must be respectable, not gossips but sober and quite reliable. Deacons must not have been married more than once, and must be men who manage their children and families well. Those of them who carry out their duties well as deacons will earn a high standing for themselves and be rewarded with great assurance in their work for the faith in Christ Jesus.

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Gospel

Luke 7:11-17

The only son of his mother, and she a widow

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.

Yes, indeed we must pray for our leaders, whether in government, our leaders in the office, church ministries and all those in authority one way or another. For St Paul reminds us that the reason is so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. Let us go even further to pray for the peace of Christ to descend on everyone for He, the Prince of Peace alone can give peace that no one else can!

Likewise, if we ourselves are in positions of authority then we should lead after the heart of Christ Jesus our Lord. For we want to lift our hands up reverently in prayer with no anger or argument. To lead everyone Christian or non-Christian alike to the knowledge, peace and love of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Most importantly, all authority have been given to us to go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to obey everything our Lord has commanded us. For He is with us to the very end of age. Amen

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First reading

1 Timothy 2:1-8 ·

Pray for everyone to God, who wants everyone to be saved

My advice is that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. To do this is right, and will please God our saviour: he wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth. For there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus, who sacrificed himself as a ransom for them all. He is the evidence of this, sent at the appointed time, and I have been named a herald and apostle of it and – I am telling the truth and no lie – a teacher of the faith and the truth to the pagans.

    In every place, then, I want the men to lift their hands up reverently in prayer, with no anger or argument.

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Gospel

Luke 7:1-10

Give the word, and my servant will be healed

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

It is good every now and then to dwell on how we were saved from the clutches of sin. We recall how while we were still sinners, our merciful, loving Lord Jesus Christ came to deliver us and give us new life in Him. He did so when our hearts cried out to Him. By choosing to listen to Him and doing His will is how we will continue to walk in His light and love. How we will remain free from sin, to live fully in His love.

Make no mistake there is no such thing as once saved always saved! For just like the man in today’s parable who built his house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!

Lord here I am, I come to do Your will. Amen

Saints Cornelius and Cyprian pray for us…

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First reading

1 Timothy 1:15-17 ·

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners

Here is a saying that you can rely on and nobody should doubt: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I myself am the greatest of them; and if mercy has been shown to me, it is because Jesus Christ meant to make me the greatest evidence of his inexhaustible patience for all the other people who would later have to trust in him to come to eternal life. To the eternal King, the undying, invisible and only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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Gospel

Luke 6:43-49

Whoever hears me builds his house on a rock

Jesus said to his disciples:

    ‘There is no sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. For every tree can be told by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns, nor gather grapes from brambles. A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart; a bad man draws what is bad from the store of badness. For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.

    ‘Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord” and not do what I say?

    ‘Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and acts on them – I will show you what he is like. He is like the man who when he built his house dug, and dug deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man who built his house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!’

We all at one point or another in our lives we were all blasphemers! We did not hold dear to us all that is sacred, even our relationships with one another. All this changed when we first came into the knowledge of our loving God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Entering into that wonderful relationship with Him the scales from our eyes fell as Jesus revealed to us God our Heavenly Father whose abounding love for us brought us to Him. So that we can live free from sin in His love for all eternity.

Still more than we deserve, in His wisdom and great love for us, Jesus the Son of God our Heavenly Father; gave us Mary His mother to be our very own mother. And for all time she lovingly intercedes for us. She stands with us in our hour of need, to comfort and strengthen us. And when we stray, she points us back to the way, the truth and the life, Jesus our Lord. Amen

Our Lady of Sorrows pray for us…

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First reading

1 Timothy 1:1-2,12-14 ·

I used to be a blasphemer, but the mercy of God was shown me

From Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus appointed by the command of God our saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, true child of mine in the faith; wishing you grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord.

    I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, and who judged me faithful enough to call me into his service even though I used to be a blasphemer and did all I could to injure and discredit the faith. Mercy, however, was shown me, because until I became a believer I had been acting in ignorance; and the grace of our Lord filled me with faith and with the love that is in Christ Jesus.

Gospel

John 19:25-27

‘Woman, this is your son’

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

What is the exaltation of the Holy Cross about? You can google it and find the historical background for this feast. But the real question we should be asking is what does it mean for you and me? That is, if it means anything at all to us Christians?

Do I look upon a cross and remember that Christ Jesus my Lord and God, allowed Himself to be tortured, crucified and later died for my sins. He was lifted high and hung on the cross to draw everyone to Himself; so that we have hope to rise to new life in Him. Just as He rose from the dead in glory and is seated at the right hand of God our Heavenly Father.

Do I look upon the cross of my Lord and see His great love for me, do I reciprocate that love given freely, by walking in His ways? Do I love my brethren, my neighbour just as my Lord loves me?

Do I embrace that cross and look upon it as more than just an outward sign of an inward grace? For His abounding grace flows through me as I live in His everlasting presence!

We Adore You, O Christ, and We Bless You, Because by Your Cross You Have Redeemed the World. Amen

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First reading

Numbers 21:4-9 ·

If anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked up at the bronze serpent and lived

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

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

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Gospel

John 3:13-17

God sent his Son so that through him the world might be saved

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

‘No one has gone up to heaven

except the one who came down from heaven,

the Son of Man who is in heaven;

and the Son of Man must be lifted up

as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,

so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost

but may have eternal life.

For God sent his Son into the world

not to condemn the world,

but so that through him the world might be saved.’

You and I have been chosen! For by our baptism, we have been raised to new life in Christ Jesus and He has commanded us to share that the Kingdom of God is at hand. But we often overlook what comes next or rather think that we are able to for we are not holy enough, pure or good enough!

We must remember that likewise what comes next is a command and not a suggestion, that we are to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely we have received; freely give. Matt 10:8 The more we carry out what we have already been given, or rather empowered to do then we will surely grow in confidence in ministering to all according to Jesus our Lord! Two we can start with straightaway, is healing the sick and delivering those sent our way from the bondages of evil. For when we embrace that we are mere instruments of His grace then surely His grace abounds in us.

Lord I am not worthy, yet You have made me worthy. Amen

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First reading

Colossians 2:6-15 ·

The Lord has brought you to life with him

You must live your whole life according to the Christ you have received – Jesus the Lord; you must be rooted in him and built on him and held firm by the faith you have been taught, and full of thanksgiving.

    Make sure that no one traps you and deprives you of your freedom by some second-hand, empty, rational philosophy based on the principles of this world instead of on Christ.

    In his body lives the fullness of divinity, and in him you too find your own fulfilment, in the one who is the head of every Sovereignty and Power.

    In him you have been circumcised, with a circumcision not performed by human hand, but by the complete stripping of your body of flesh. This is circumcision according to Christ. You have been buried with him, when you were baptised; and by baptism, too, you have been raised up with him through your belief in the power of God who raised him from the dead. You were dead, because you were sinners and had not been circumcised: he has brought you to life with him, he has forgiven us all our sins.

    He has overridden the Law, and cancelled every record of the debt that we had to pay; he has done away with it by nailing it to the cross; and so he got rid of the Sovereignties and the Powers, and paraded them in public, behind him in his triumphal procession.

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Gospel

Luke 6:12-19

Jesus chooses his twelve apostles

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

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

Can we remember what our lives were like before entered into this wonderful relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord?

How difficult it was to find peace of mind? How we could hardly control our wanton desires or resist temptations. How we were trapped in guilt, melancholy even sorrow. How our soul longed to be free, free too from the drudgery of our lives!

Then how it all changed when we decided to come before Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. We came as we were, in our sinfulness, surrendering our lives to our Lord of lords, King of kings. Placing ourselves in His mercy and love, renouncing ourselves and committing to follow after Him by carrying our cross. We were set free! We entered into His life, death and resurrection by our baptism and rose to new life in Him!

Now as His disciples in communion with Him, we go out into the world setting others free; by facilitating encounters with Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Saint Peter Claver pray for us…

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First reading

Colossians 1:21-23 ·

God has reconciled you by Christ’s death in his mortal body

Not long ago, you were foreigners and enemies, in the way that you used to think and the evil things that you did; but now he has reconciled you, by his death and in that mortal body. Now you are able to appear before him holy, pure and blameless – as long as you persevere and stand firm on the solid base of the faith, never letting yourselves drift away from the hope promised by the Good News, which you have heard, which has been preached to the whole human race, and of which I, Paul, have become the servant.

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Gospel

Luke 6:1-5

The Son of Man is master of the sabbath

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

On this Blessed day in which Holy mother Church celebrates the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the first reading actually speaks to how the Lord our God Himself will come down from Heaven for the salvation of the world! Emmanuel the Word made flesh through the power of the Holy will be born as man in the humblest form of a babe and into the least of the clans of Judah. No one would have guessed that ‘She who is to give birth gives birth’ would be the Virgin Mary who like her Son Jesus our Lord was meek and humble of heart.

Through her loving obedience and fiat she became the Mother of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. She a fellow child of God so loved by our Heavenly Father was obedient unto Him and was graced to be Blessed amongst all women. She lived with joy in her heart, for she lived according to His Will for her.  Knowing and trusting that He would be present to and with her in all the trails and adversity she would have to endure till the very end. And even then she knew by the promises, that the end would only mean a new beginning to life eternal with the Lord our God.

Thank you, dear mother for always showing us the way to a deeper more profound relationship with your Som our Lord Jesus Christ. And for always interceding on our behalf. Your children wish you a Happy Blessed Birthday! 

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First reading

Micah 5:1-4 ·

He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord

The Lord says this:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

the least of the clans of Judah,

out of you will be born for me

the one who is to rule over Israel;

his origin goes back to the distant past,

to the days of old.

The Lord is therefore going to abandon them

till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.

Then the remnant of his brothers will come back

to the sons of Israel.

He will stand and feed his flock

with the power of the Lord,

with the majesty of the name of his God.

They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power

to the ends of the land.

He himself will be peace.

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Gospel

Matthew 1:1-16,18-23

The ancestry and conception of Jesus Christ

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

Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother,

Perez was the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram was the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother,

Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother,

Obed was the father of Jesse;

and Jesse was the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

Solomon was the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,

Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,

Joram the father of Azariah,

Azariah was the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah;

and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.

Then the deportation to Babylon took place.

After the deportation to Babylon:

Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud,

Abiud the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

Azor was the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Achim,

Achim the father of Eliud,

Eliud was the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob;

and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary;

of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.

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

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son

and they will call him Emmanuel,

a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’

Over the years I have been blessed to be a member of a few different communities. Two of which are Ecumenical which simply means a community comprising of Christians of different denominations. Both Ecumenical ones are exceptionally loving, welcoming and striving always as a community for Holiness. But one which truly stands out, though they are not in a sense true blue Ecumenical, still live their faith like the disciples of old, like those in today’s first reading which St Paul rejoices over. By their love they show towards all the saints, their faith in Christ spread like wildfire! The latter community I am speaking about of which I belonged to for a spell is from Bethel School of Faith. They readily exercise their faith by rebuking fevers, sickness and evil spirits. They pray for deliverance and the infilling of the Holy Spirit as they minister to all that come their way. All for love of bringing the Good news that Jesus truly is alive, as they build His Kingdom and all for His glory.

I pray that one day soon all of You reading this reflection will realise that You are the chosen ones! Yes, because you are a child of God so loved by Him, you too have been empowered. That is to live in that identity, ministering to all sent your way. Opening Heaven to them and uniting them fully with Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Amen

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First reading

Colossians 1:1-8 ·

The message of the truth has reached you and is spreading all over the world

From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy to the saints in Colossae, our faithful brothers in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

    We have never failed to remember you in our prayers and to give thanks for you to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ever since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you show towards all the saints because of the hope which is stored up for you in heaven. It is only recently that you heard of this, when it was announced in the message of the truth. The Good News which has reached you is spreading all over the world and producing the same results as it has among you ever since the day when you heard about God’s grace and understood what this really is. Epaphras, who taught you, is one of our closest fellow workers and a faithful deputy for us as Christ’s servant, and it was he who told us all about your love in the Spirit.

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Gospel

Luke 4:38-44

He would not allow them to speak because they knew he was the Christ

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

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

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

Are you living in the light of Christ? That is striving not to allow the darkness of the world to overcome you?

Resisting sexual temptation,  anger, swear words, unforgiveness, of being selfish and inward looking. It is far easier to overcome all these when we belong to a praying community all striving for holiness. We are accountable to one another. And just as we strengthen and encourage one another likewise we are strengthened and encouraged.

Then we shall go out and do as we are commanded to do. To heal, cast out demons and to bring the good news of the Gospel wherever we go.  For we have been sent to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that our Lord have commanded us. Amen

Saint Teresa of Kolkata pray for us…


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First reading
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6,9-11 ·

Keep strengthening one another

You will not be expecting us to write anything to you, brothers, about ‘times and seasons’, since you know very well that the Day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night. It is when people are saying, ‘How quiet and peaceful it is’ that the worst suddenly happens, as suddenly as labour pains come on a pregnant woman; and there will be no way for anybody to evade it.
    But it is not as if you live in the dark, my brothers, for that Day to overtake you like a thief. No, you are all sons of light and sons of the day: we do not belong to the night or to darkness, so we should not go on sleeping, as everyone else does, but stay wide awake and sober. God never meant us to experience the Retribution, but to win salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that, alive or dead, we should still live united to him. So give encouragement to each other, and keep strengthening one another, as you do already.

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Gospel
Luke 4:31-37

‘I know who you are: the Holy One of God’

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because he spoke with authority.
    In the synagogue there was a man who was possessed by the spirit of an unclean devil, and it shouted at the top of its voice, ‘Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the devil, throwing the man down in front of everyone, went out of him without hurting him at all. Astonishment seized them and they were all saying to one another, ‘What teaching! He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out.’ And reports of him went all through the surrounding countryside.

Growing up I am sure there were times you were frightened thinking about death. Even if not your own death then at least the death of your parents. And it must have filled you with dread and much sadness. Many still feel this way in their adulthood and so choose not to think about it at all, if it comes so be it!

But as Christians we do not fear death for we have the promise of new life in Christ. Yes we will certainly die but we have hope in rising to new life in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ when He conquered death through His Resurrection. That is why St Paul can boldly proclaim, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 1 Cor 15:55 Today’s first reading is yet another comforting assurance.

Jesus was sent to free us from slavery, bring the Good news to the poor, set the downtrodden free, proclaim the Lord’s year of favour. We are likewise anointed to do the same. For our Lord has told us that whoever believes in Him will do the works He had been doing and will do even greater things. Amen

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First reading

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ·

Do not grieve about those who have died in Jesus

We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other people who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with him. We can tell you this from the Lord’s own teaching, that any of us who are left alive until the Lord’s coming will not have any advantage over those who have died. At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then those of us who are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together with them; to meet the Lord in the air. So we shall stay with the Lord for ever. With such thoughts as these you should comfort one another.

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Gospel

Luke 4:16-30

‘This text is being fulfilled today, even as you listen’

Jesus came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,

for he has anointed me.

He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,

to proclaim liberty to captives

and to the blind new sight,

to set the downtrodden free,

to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.

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

    But he replied, ‘No doubt you will quote me the saying, “Physician, heal yourself” and tell me, “We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own countryside.”’

    And he went on, ‘I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.

    ‘There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah’s day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town. And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.’

    When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.

You cannot be called or rather identified as a Christian if you do not love your neighbour! And the Lord has taught us how we should love our neighbour just as He loved us, by laying His life down and dying on the cross for us. St Paul reminds us in today’s reading that we cannot remain in our comfort zones, we must go on making even greater progress. We must seek out and care for our fellow sisters and brothers, even those who belong to a different denomination. All while remaining faithful to our duties and humbly walking with Christ and our neighbour in doing so.

Yes indeed we have a higher calling! For it is from on high, therefore our Lord has told us taught us that to be a Christian we must renounce ourselves; take up our cross and follow after Him. We are all therefore called to mission,  yet we do not have to go at it alone, because we have fellow sisters and brothers in Christ. More than that we are grace filled and have been given varied gifts through the power of the Holy Spirit. So that together we work for His glory and the building up of His Kingdom.

So the one who receives all the mercy, love and grace and yet does not sow the seed of love to build upon what is given freely; is in essence a Christian who rejects his/her call. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Matt 22:37-39

Lord Jesus through Your loving grace, I endeavour to multiply what You have given me for Your greater glory. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done now and forever. Amen

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First reading

1 Thessalonians 4:9-11 ·

You have learnt from God how to love one another

As for loving our brothers, there is no need for anyone to write to you about that, since you have learnt from God yourselves to love one another, and in fact this is what you are doing with all the brothers throughout the whole of Macedonia. However, we do urge you, brothers, to go on making even greater progress and to make a point of living quietly, attending to your own business and earning your living, just as we told you to.

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Gospel

Matthew 25:14-30

You have been faithful in small things: come and join in your master’s happiness

Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of Heaven is like a man on his way abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out.

    ‘The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

    ‘Now a long time after, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made.”

    ‘His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”

    ‘Next the man with the two talents came forward. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”

    ‘Last came forward the man who had the one talent. “Sir,” said he “I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have recovered my capital with interest. So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the five talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”’

It’s like the Lord knows many of us would have hit the snooze button when the alarm to stay awake sounded, we simply went back to sleep or rather decided just a little later. Here is the alarm going off again in today’s Gospel reading, “So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.”

Are we prepared though? That is have we been staying alert and ready to spring into action? Have we brought reserves so that our light will shine brightly for Him as needed? The oil of our good works, the oil of receiving His Word for us daily, the oil of receiving the sacraments regularly, the oil of living sanctified lives of holiness through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning

Give me oil in my lamp, I pray

Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning

Keep me burning ’til the break of day

Sing hosanna, sing hosanna

Sing hosanna to the King of kings

Sing hosanna, sing hosanna

Sing hosanna, to the King

Amen

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First reading

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 ·

What God wants is for you all to be holy

Brothers, we urge you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus to make more and more progress in the kind of life that you are meant to live: the life that God wants, as you learnt from us, and as you are already living it. You have not forgotten the instructions we gave you on the authority of the Lord Jesus.

    What God wants is for you all to be holy. He wants you to keep away from fornication, and each one of you to know how to use the body that belongs to him in a way that is holy and honourable, not giving way to selfish lust like the pagans who do not know God. He wants nobody at all ever to sin by taking advantage of a brother in these matters; the Lord always punishes sins of that sort, as we told you before and assured you. We have been called by God to be holy, not to be immoral; in other words, anyone who objects is not objecting to a human authority, but to God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

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Gospel

Matthew 25:1-13

The wise and foolish virgins

Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’

Stay awake for you do not know when the Lord Your God is coming or when you will meet your creator for that matter. And the beauty of our faith is that we do not need to keep watch or awake alone. We belong to His Body; we are one Body in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Therefore time and again we have strived on the importance of being in a community! Especially a community of disciples who can depend on one another to share in the joys, sorrow, troubles and all challenges. As we breathe new life into one another through the power of the Holy Spirit which rests on God our Father’s children. We make up for the shortcomings in one another’s faith as we lead one another into a deeper relationship with Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let us therefore strive to glorify Him by our lives, always staying awake as His Watchmen. May our Lord confirm our hearts in holiness that we may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father. Amen

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First reading

1 Thessalonians 3:7-13 ·

Now we can breathe again, as you are still holding firm in the Lord

Brothers, your faith has been a great comfort to us in the middle of our own troubles and sorrows; now we can breathe again, as you are still holding firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you, for all the joy we feel before our God on your account? We are earnestly praying night and day to be able to see you face to face again and make up any shortcomings in your faith.

    May God our Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, make it easy for us to come to you. May the Lord be generous in increasing your love and make you love one another and the whole human race as much as we love you. And may he so confirm your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all his saints.

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Gospel

Matthew 24:42-51

He is coming at an hour you do not expect

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

    ‘What sort of servant, then, is faithful and wise enough for the master to place him over his household to give them their food at the proper time? Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment. I tell you solemnly, he will place him over everything he owns. But as for the dishonest servant who says to himself, “My master is taking his time,” and sets about beating his fellow servants and eating and drinking with drunkards, 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 hypocrites, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.’

The whole idea of being a Christian is a choice we all made, to follow after Christ Jesus our Lord. It is therefore a choice to be life giving! (not life draining or life taking as those mentioned in today’s Gospel) Even if it means we must renounce ourselves and stand ready to lay down our lives for Him and for one another. It all began when we surrendered ourselves to Jesus, to be transformed from within. Our lives changes when we died with Him and rose to new life in Him by our baptism. That is our victory over sin and temptation!

We have His Word to nurture us and we grow strong in stature, body, mind and Spirit. When we work, we give it our all for Him and for one another. Whether it is in the office, in church or at home. We lift one another’s burdens, never adding to it.   For our work as a Christian never ends, for we live and breathe as Children of God our Heavenly Father so loved by Him.

O God, who cause the minds of the faithful to unite in a single purpose,

grant your people to love what you command and to desire what you promise,

that, amid the uncertainties of this world, our hearts may be fixed on that place

where true gladness is found. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, (one) God, for ever and ever. Amen

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First reading

1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 ·

We slaved night and day so as not to be a burden on any one of you

Let me remind you, brothers, how hard we used to work, slaving night and day so as not to be a burden on any one of you while we were proclaiming God’s Good News to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, that our treatment of you, since you became believers, has been impeccably right and fair. You can remember how we treated every one of you as a father treats his children, teaching you what was right, encouraging you and appealing to you to live a life worthy of God, who is calling you to share the glory of his kingdom. Another reason why we constantly thank God for you is that as soon as you heard the message that we brought you as God’s message, you accepted it for what it really is, God’s message and not some human thinking; and it is still a living power among you who believe it.

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Gospel

Matthew 23:27-32

You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets

Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who are like whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of corruption. In the same way you appear to people from the outside like good honest men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

    ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who build the sepulchres of the prophets and decorate the tombs of holy men, saying, “We would never have joined in shedding the blood of the prophets, had we lived in our fathers’ day.” So! Your own evidence tells against you! You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets! Very well then, finish off the work that your fathers began.’

Do you realise that we hear this Gospel at least twice each year? Is it not cringeworthy each time we read what happens to St John the Baptist? That is having his head served on a platter! What then can we learn from this passage? What can we learn from the great St John the Baptist?

He never wavered from speaking the truth! He lived a life of integrity and fidelity to the Lord our God. He led many to the waters of repentance and was known for his goodness as well as a Holy man of God. He was a good leader who was devoted and protective for he had disciples who loved him. For they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb after his death.

Now see how the disciples lived their lives in the first reading? Can you see the similarities between them and St John the Baptist? They were men of God who were living to lay down their lives for the way, the truth and the life! They were Holy men of God who led others to the waters of baptism, to new life with their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! They were leaders after the heart of their Saviour, devoted and protective over all in their care. They proclaimed the Good News with great courage and many were saved!

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

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First reading

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 ·

We were eager to hand over to you not only the Good News but our whole lives

You know yourselves, my brothers, that our visit to you has not proved ineffectual.

    We had, as you know, been given rough treatment and been grossly insulted at Philippi, and it was our God who gave us the courage to proclaim his Good News to you in the face of great opposition. We have not taken to preaching because we are deluded, or immoral, or trying to deceive anyone; it was God who decided that we were fit to be entrusted with the Good News, and when we are speaking, we are not trying to please men but God, who can read our inmost thoughts. You know very well, and we can swear it before God, that never at any time have our speeches been simply flattery, or a cover for trying to get money; nor have we ever looked for any special honour from men, either from you or anybody else, when we could have imposed ourselves on you with full weight, as apostles of Christ.

    Instead, we were unassuming. Like a mother feeding and looking after her own children, we felt so devoted and protective towards you, and had come to love you so much, that we were eager to hand over to you not only the Good News but our whole lives as well.

Gospel

Mark 6:17-29

The beheading of John the Baptist

Herod sent to have John arrested, and had him chained up in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife whom he had married. For John had told Herod, ‘It is against the law for you to have your brother’s wife.’ As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him; but she was not able to, because Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.

    An opportunity came on Herod’s birthday when he gave a banquet for the nobles of his court, for his army officers and for the leading figures in Galilee. When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me anything you like and I will give it you.’ And he swore her an oath, ‘I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the Baptist.’ The girl hurried straight back to the king and made her request, ‘I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head, here and now, on a dish.’ The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her. So the king at once sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John’s head. The man went off and beheaded him in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

In today’s first reading we see a glimpse of what it means to live as true disciples of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Faith in action, worked for love and persevered through hope in Him! They lived with the Gospel in their hearts and in the power of the Holy Spirit; this was their testimony to Jesus. Thus, their numbers grew as the joy of the Gospel spread far and wide.

Today’s Gospel is the harsh reality of disciples who do not live their lives worthy of our Lord. These are clear warnings for those who do not live according to their call as Christians. Who instead of leading and shepherding others towards our Lord’s Kingdom, lead them astray!

Let Your word be a lamp for my feet, a light to my path. Amen

Saint Augustine pray for us…

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First reading

1 Thessalonians 1:1-5,8-10 ·

You broke with idolatry when you were converted to God

From Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the Church in Thessalonika which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

    We always mention you in our prayers and thank God for you all, and constantly remember before God our Father how you have shown your faith in action, worked for love and persevered through hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ.

    We know, brothers, that God loves you and that you have been chosen, because when we brought the Good News to you, it came to you not only as words, but as power and as the Holy Spirit and as utter conviction. And you observed the sort of life we lived when we were with you, which was for your instruction, since it was from you that the word of the Lord started to spread – and not only throughout Macedonia and Achaia, for the news of your faith in God has spread everywhere. We do not need to tell other people about it: other people tell us how we started the work among you, how you broke with idolatry when you were converted to God and became servants of the real, living God; and how you are now waiting for Jesus, his Son, whom he raised from the dead, to come from heaven to save us from the retribution which is coming.

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Gospel

Matthew 23:13-22

Alas for you, blind guides!

Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who shut up the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces, neither going in yourselves nor allowing others to go in who want to.

    ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when you have him you make him twice as fit for hell as you are.

    ‘Alas for you, blind guides! You who say, “If a man swears by the Temple, it has no force; but if a man swears by the gold of the Temple, he is bound.” Fools and blind! For which is of greater worth, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? Or else, “If a man swears by the altar it has no force; but if a man swears by the offering that is on the altar, he is bound.” You blind men! For which is of greater worth, the offering or the altar that makes the offering sacred? Therefore, when a man swears by the altar he is swearing by that and by everything on it. And when a man swears by the Temple he is swearing by that and by the One who dwells in it. And when a man swears by heaven he is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seated there.’