September 30th, 2018

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
137

FIRST READING
NM 11:25-29

The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.

Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,
were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.
They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent;
yet the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
"Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp,"
Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses’aide, said,
"Moses, my lord, stop them."
But Moses answered him,
"Are you jealous for my sake?
Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!
Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"

PSALM
PS 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14

Response: The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.

The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.

Though your servant is careful of them,
very diligent in keeping them,
Yet who can detect failings?
Cleanse me from my unknown faults!

From wanton sin especially, restrain your servant;
let it not rule over me.
Then shall I be blameless and innocent
of serious sin.

SECOND READING
JAS 5:1-6

Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.

GOSPEL
MK 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

At that time, John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"

Daily Reflection

30th September 2018

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The first reading, gives us an insight into personal intolerance arising from jealousy: two of the elders, even though they did not assemble in the Tent with the others, were still given the power of prophesy. God recognised them as his own and endowed them accordingly. This made Joshua jealous and he appealed to Moses to restrain them.

The Gospel story almost mirrors this first reading. The disciples see one, who is not one of them, cast out demons in Jesus’ name. Jesus’ response – like that of Moses – holds a message for us all: we must practice tolerance and acceptance, recognising the hand of God at work.

Jesus further instructs his followers on the responsibilities of discipleship. Discipleship comes with the responsibility of right witness and just as a doctor might surgically remove a limb or some part of the body in order to preserve the life of the whole body, so also we must be ready to weed out anything that causes us or others to sin and which leads to spiritual death.

September 29th, 2018

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels

LECTIONARY
647

FIRST READING
DN 7:9-10, 13-14

As I watched:

Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was bright as snow,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
His throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.

The court was convened, and the books were opened.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw

One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.

PSALM
PS 138:1-2AB, 2CDE-3, 4-5

Response: In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.

Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.

All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
when they hear the words of your mouth;
And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD:
“Great is the glory of the LORD.”

GOSPEL
JN 1:47-51

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Daily Reflection

29th September 2018

Archangels – Gabriel, Michael and Raphael

Each of us has God-experiences, though not all are aware of these! It is believed that these divine encounters are through God’s mediators... his angels.

The word angel ends with “el”, which is the term used for God, implying that angels live in (or) come from God; the prefix to ‘el’ in the angel’s name defines the attribute of God communicated through the particular angel.

Michael, the archangel, is considered to be the leader of all the Archangels and is believed to bring God’s protection, courage, strength, truth and integrity.

Raphael, the archangel, brings God’s healing in physical, mental and emotional illnesses as well as the healing of past wounds. Biblically, Raphael’s presence is evident in the stories of Abraham, Tobias, the stirring of the waters of the healing pool.

Gabriel, the archangel, brings God’s message, inspiration and guidance. Examples of God’s appearances through Gabriel are found in the Bible in narratives about Daniel, Elizabeth and Mary.

May the feast of the archangels help us become more aware of our many divine encounters.

September 28th, 2018

Friday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
453

FIRST READING
ECCL 3:1-11

There is an appointed time for everything,
and a time for every thing under the heavens.
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to tear down, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them;
a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.

What advantage has the worker from his toil?
I have considered the task that God has appointed
for the sons of men to be busied about.
He has made everything appropriate to its time,
and has put the timeless into their hearts,
without man’s ever discovering,
from beginning to end, the work which God has done.

PSALM
PS 144:1B AND 2ABC, 3-4

Response: Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
my mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust.

LORD, what is man, that you notice him;
the son of man, that you take thought of him?
Man is like a breath;
his days, like a passing shadow.

GOSPEL
LK 9:18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Daily Reflection

28th September 2018

‘Who do you say I am?’ Jesus asks a question that perplexes his disciples. They follow him because of what they hear and see, because they feel the magnetism of his call, because there is something about him which they can’t quite put their finger on. So, when faced with having to provide a definite answer, they resort to what others say: Elijah, John the Baptist, one of the Prophets risen from the dead. It is only Peter who declares, ‘You are the Messiah of God’ - an insight and knowledge that comes from God alone.

Jesus goes on to tell the disciples to keep this knowledge to themselves; he prepares them for his passion and resurrection which is to follow. The Messiah is not a triumphant Messiah but one who will suffer and embrace that suffering for our salvation.

As professed followers of Jesus, we need to answer his question for ourselves: ‘Who do I say Jesus is?’ When we acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God, we also acknowledge that we are prepared to witness even in the shadow of the cross.

September 27th, 2018

Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest

LECTIONARY
452

FIRST READING
ECCL 1:2-11

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
What profit has man from all the labor
which he toils at under the sun?
One generation passes and another comes,
but the world forever stays.
The sun rises and the sun goes down;
then it presses on to the place where it rises.
Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north,
the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds.
All rivers go to the sea,
yet never does the sea become full.
To the place where they go,
the rivers keep on going.
All speech is labored;
there is nothing one can say.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing
nor is the ear satisfied with hearing.

What has been, that will be;
what has been done, that will be done.
Nothing is new under the sun.
Even the thing of which we say, “See, this is new!”
has already existed in the ages that preceded us.
There is no remembrance of the men of old;
nor of those to come will there be any remembrance
among those who come after them.

PSALM
PS 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 AND 17BC

Response: In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.

You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.

Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!

Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!

GOSPEL
LK 9:7-9

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.

September 26th, 2018

Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
451

FIRST READING
PRV 30:5-9

Every word of God is tested;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Add nothing to his words,
lest he reprove you, and you will be exposed as a deceiver.

Two things I ask of you,
deny them not to me before I die:
Put falsehood and lying far from me,
give me neither poverty nor riches;
provide me only with the food I need;
Lest, being full, I deny you,
saying, "Who is the LORD?"
Or, being in want, I steal,
and profane the name of my God.

PSALM
PS 119:29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163

Response: Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.

Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.

The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Your word, O LORD, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens.

From every evil way I withhold my feet,
that I may keep your words.

Through your precepts I gain discernment;
therefore I hate every false way.

Falsehood I hate and abhor;
your law I love.

GOSPEL
LK 9:1-6

Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them."
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the Good News and curing diseases everywhere.

Daily Reflection

26th September 2018

Take nothing for the journey...

The authority Luke speaks of is the authority of relationship. Jesus gave his apostles the authority, to “cure diseases… proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” He sent them off with “...nothing for the journey.” Jesus says nothing about expectations or results. In fact, he says, “...as for those who don’t welcome you, shake the dust from your feet.” He does not say to stick around, or be persistent. He says to keep going, to keep moving, and stay faithful to the mission. Stay faithful to Him, to what we have together.

Jesus’ ‘commission’ is not about success or failure. It is about relationship and the journey itself. It is about living the relationship with Jesus. It is about seizing the freedom to ‘go’ despite uncertainties. It is about freedom from success or failure, people, places, and fear.

September 25th, 2018

Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
450

FIRST READING
PRV 21:1-6, 10-13

Like a stream is the king’s heart in the hand of the LORD;
wherever it pleases him, he directs it.

All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes,
but it is the LORD who proves hearts.

To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Haughty eyes and a proud heart–
the tillage of the wicked is sin.

The plans of the diligent are sure of profit,
but all rash haste leads certainly to poverty.

Whoever makes a fortune by a lying tongue
is chasing a bubble over deadly snares.

The soul of the wicked man desires evil;
his neighbor finds no pity in his eyes.

When the arrogant man is punished, the simple are the wiser;
when the wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.

The just man appraises the house of the wicked:
there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin.

He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself also call and not be heard.

PSALM
PS 119:1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44

Response: Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.

Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.

The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.

Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.

Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.

And I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever.

GOSPEL
LK 8:19-21

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you.”
He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

Daily Reflection

25th September 2018

The Gospel text of today seems at variance with the gentle, loving image of Jesus that we have come to expect. Instead of going out to welcome his kinsfolk, he uses the occasion to define those who are really ‘related’ to him. He does not disown his Mother and other relatives; on the contrary, he reinforces that relationship is not by blood alone! We are all called to kinship with Christ through Baptism. We are all children of one Father. We acknowledge and profess this kinship when we are true to the Gospel message, becoming living examples of God’s love.

The first reading from Proverbs endorses this, providing a road map by indicating what pleases Yahweh: to do what is upright, to be hard-working, to be compassionate, to avoid deceit in all that we do, to listen to the cry of the poor and answer.

Jesus calls us to hear the word of God and put it into practice in the situations which we meet daily.

Do we heed this call? Can we count ourselves among Jesus’ kinsfolk?

September 24th, 2018

Monday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
449

FIRST READING
PRV 3:27-34

Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim
when it is in your power to do it for him.
Say not to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
tomorrow I will give,” when you can give at once.

Plot no evil against your neighbor,
against one who lives at peace with you.
Quarrel not with a man without cause,
with one who has done you no harm.

Envy not the lawless man
and choose none of his ways:
To the LORD the perverse one is an abomination,
but with the upright is his friendship.

The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,
but the dwelling of the just he blesses;
When dealing with the arrogant, he is stern,
but to the humble he shows kindness.

PSALM
PS 15:2-3A, 3BC-4AB, 5

Response: The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.

He who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.

Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
By whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.

Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
shall never be disturbed.

GOSPEL
LK 8:16-18

Jesus said to the crowd:
“No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel
or sets it under a bed;
rather, he places it on a lampstand
so that those who enter may see the light.
For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible,
and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.
Take care, then, how you hear.
To anyone who has, more will be given,
and from the one who has not,
even what he seems to have will be taken away.”

Daily Reflection

24th September 2018

We live in a time when it seems popular to be considered secular but, while it is important to respect all religious faiths and traditions, this must not come at the cost of diluting our own faith. We should not be apologetic or shy of expressing our implicit belief in Jesus.

The Gospel today invites us to take bold action. Jesus tells the crowd “No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel basket or under a bed...” Having been blessed with the Good News, we are expected to share the joy of Christ’s love, and lead lives of authentic faith, no matter where we are. We are also required to be totally transparent in all that we do, for ‘there is nothing hidden that will not become visible and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light’. We are now accustomed to every aspect of life laid bare on the Internet, so we can well understand what the Gospel tells us from over 2000 years ago!

We are ever eager to establish our presence in both the real and virtual worlds. Do our words, actions and posts speak the truth and tell the world that we are ‘Catholic and alive’?

September 23rd, 2018

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
134

FIRST READING
WIS 2:12, 17-2

The wicked say:
Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.

PSALM
PS 54:3-4, 5, 6 AND 8

Response: The Lord upholds my life.

O God, by your name save me,
and by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
hearken to the words of my mouth.

For the haughty men have risen up against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they set not God before their eyes.

Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord sustains my life.
Freely will I offer you sacrifice;
I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness.

SECOND READING
JAS 3:16—4:3

Beloved:
Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.

Where do the wars
and where do the conflicts among you come from?
Is it not from your passions
that make war within your members?
You covet but do not possess.
You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;
you fight and wage war.
You do not possess because you do not ask.
You ask but do not receive,
because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

GOSPEL
MK 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way?”
But they remained silent.
They had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”

Daily Reflection

23rd September 2018

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our human nature has the ability to both revere and protect innocence as well as to exploit and destroy it, based on our own longings and disappointments which arise, perhaps, through jealousy and ambition.

Today’s readings point to the destruction which can arise when innocence is perceived as a threat and an opposition to our preferred way of life.

In the Gospel, Jesus reminds his disciples about his impending torture, death and resurrection but they still lack comprehension and are more concerned about establishing their own hierarchy of importance. They are backward about admitting this, but Jesus leaves them in no doubt: “whoever is last shall be first; whoever is first shall be last.” And he uses a little child to demonstrate that whoever respects innocence respects Christ and, therefore, also respects the Father.

For us the message goes deeper when we learn that ‘innocence’ takes root from the Latin phrase ‘non nocere’, which in turn implies ‘do no harm’!

September 22nd, 2018

Saturday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
448

FIRST READING
1 COR 15:35-37, 42-49

Brothers and sisters:
Someone may say, “How are the dead raised?
With what kind of body will they come back?”

You fool!
What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies.
And what you sow is not the body that is to be
but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind.

So also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible.
It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious.
It is sown weak; it is raised powerful.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one.

So, too, it is written,
“The first man, Adam, became a living being,”
the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
But the spiritual was not first;
rather the natural and then the spiritual.
The first man was from the earth, earthly;
the second man, from heaven.
As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly,
and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly.
Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one,
we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.

PSALM
PS 56:10C-12, 13-14

Response: I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.

Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?

I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

GOSPEL
LK 8:4-15

When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another
journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable.
“A sower went out to sow his seed.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled,
and the birds of the sky ate it up.
Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew,
it withered for lack of moisture.
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew,
it produced fruit a hundredfold.”
After saying this, he called out,
“Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

Then his disciples asked him
what the meaning of this parable might be.
He answered,
“Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God
has been granted to you;
but to the rest, they are made known through parables
so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.

“This is the meaning of the parable.
The seed is the word of God.
Those on the path are the ones who have heard,
but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts
that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear,
receive the word with joy, but they have no root;
they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation.
As for the seed that fell among thorns,
they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along,
they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life,
and they fail to produce mature fruit.
But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word,
embrace it with a generous and good heart,
and bear fruit through perseverance.”

Daily Reflection

22nd September 2018

How does the resurrection happen? What is the nature and shape of the risen body? It was these questions raised by some skeptical Corinthians that Paul addresses in today’s first reading. He explains metaphorically: that the seed is not a miniature of the future plant, yet contains it; it is only when the seed lets itself die, till nothing of its old form remains, that it can emerge in its new form and nature. Likewise, the risen body emerges from the old corruptible form into a new form and nature that is imperishable and eternal!

While Paul sought to convince skeptics of the Good News, Jesus in today’s Gospel, also using the example of a seed, explains why some people are unable to accept the Good News. Even if they hear God’s Word, their prejudices, pride and many distractions and priorities prevent God’s Word from taking root, maturing and bearing fruit in their lives.

God is continually speaking to us in new and creative ways. What is He saying to me today?

September 21st, 2018

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist

LECTIONARY
643

FIRST READING
EPH 4:1-7, 11-13

Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace:
one Body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.

But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the Body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

PSALM
PS 19:2-3, 4-5

Response: Their message goes out through all the earth.

The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.

Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.

GOSPEL
MT 9:9-13

As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Daily Reflection

21st September 2018

St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

The Gospel introduces the very writer of that Gospel, St. Mathew, whose feast we celebrate today.

Mathew was a tax collector - a much despised profession at the time of Jesus. Tax collectors were reviled because, though Jews, they collaborated with the occupying Roman Government, and were thus considered as traitors. Besides, they were known to overcharge and take their cut from the taxes.

So, when Jesus calls Mathew and then dines with him and his friends who were also ‘many tax collectors and sinners’, it offended the self-righteous Pharisees. This, then, becomes the occasion for Jesus to define his mission. He portrays himself as a physician come to care for the sick, “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” This is a fitting reminder to all of us to stop being judgmental of the world and people around us, and to focus on how we can be better witnesses of Christ love.

September 20th, 2018

Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest, and Paul Chong Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs

LECTIONARY
446

FIRST READING
1 COR 15:1-11

I am reminding you, brothers and sisters,
of the Gospel I preached to you,
which you indeed received and in which you also stand.
Through it you are also being saved,
if you hold fast to the word I preached to you,
unless you believed in vain.
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he was buried;
that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once,
most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
After that he appeared to James,
then to all the Apostles.
Last of all, as to one born abnormally,
he appeared to me.
For I am the least of the Apostles,
not fit to be called an Apostle,
because I persecuted the Church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and his grace to me has not been ineffective.
Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them;
not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me.
Therefore, whether it be I or they,
so we preach and so you believed.

PSALM
PS 118:1B-2, 16AB-17, 28

Response: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
"His mercy endures forever."

"The right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the LORD has struck with power."
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.

You are my God, and I give thanks to you;
O my God, I extol you.

GOSPEL
LK 7:36-50

A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him,
and he entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at table.
Now there was a sinful woman in the city
who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.
Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping
and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
"If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner."
Jesus said to him in reply,
"Simon, I have something to say to you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.
"Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days' wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?"
Simon said in reply,
"The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven."
He said to him, "You have judged rightly."
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
"Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven;
hence, she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little."
He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
The others at table said to themselves,
"Who is this who even forgives sins?"
But he said to the woman,
"Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Daily Reflection

20th September 2018

Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest, and Paul Chong Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs

Jesus and some of His disciples come to a village as itinerant teachers, telling those able to listen about God’s kingdom and the importance of changing their priorities. Jesus would have reassured them that God’s forgiveness was offered and was theirs to accept.

Bowing to the demands of traditional hospitality, a Pharisee asks Jesus to share a meal. It is clear that he does so begrudgingly; he fails in his duty to wash the ‘traveler’s’ feet, greet and anoint him. He also challenges Jesus’ status by criticizing his lack of discernment of character, because a woman – a known sinner – washes and anoints his feet.

Jesus uses the occasion to show us our lack of appreciation of the forgiveness we continuously receive from God. The woman did not wash Jesus’ feet to gain forgiveness; she washed His feet out of love and gratitude for the forgiveness already obtained. Loving service flowed from what she received.

If we truly realise how much we have been forgiven, would we let anything stand in the way of our own gratitude – gratitude that shows itself as loving service?

September 19th 2018

Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
445

FIRST READING
1 COR 12:31-13:13

Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.

But I shall show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast
but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, love is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

PSALM
PS 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 AND 22

Response: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.

For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.

Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.

GOSPEL
verses

Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?
What are they like?
They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,

‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’

For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,
and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

Daily Reflection

19th September 2018

“Love never fails.” Paul is adamant about this. Love is the lodestar of his message to the Corinthians – and to us – till the end of time and beyond.

Look at what Paul says - not just the part about being patient and kind, but the whole approach to Love. It is what gives meaning to prophecy and to works of charity and self-sacrifice. Our faith may be enough to move mountains but, without Love, it is nothing. When everything else ceases, love will still endure.

Jesus gives us a simple definition of Love: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Love is the surrender of all we hold dear and all we have, the surrender of our very selves. Today’s Gospel has Jesus telling us about the contrariness of the people and their inability to recognise the presence of goodness and of God when they see it and experience it!! The children of Wisdom always recognise her work, and when we see with the eyes of love, we are wise.

Will you accept the invitation to live and be guided by Love?

September 18th 2018

Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
444

FIRST READING
1 COR 12:12-14, 27-31A

Brothers and sisters:
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Now the body is not a single part, but many.

Now you are Christ's Body, and individually parts of it.
Some people God has designated in the Church
to be, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers;
then, mighty deeds;
then gifts of healing, assistance, administration,
and varieties of tongues.
Are all Apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?
Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.

PSALM
PS 100:1B-2, 3, 4, 5

Response: We are his people: the sheep of his flock

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.

Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.

For he is good, the LORD,
whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.

GOSPEL
LK 7:11-17

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,
and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
As he drew near to the gate of the city,
a man who had died was being carried out,
the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her,
he was moved with pity for her and said to her,
"Do not weep."
He stepped forward and touched the coffin;
at this the bearers halted,
and he said, "Young man, I tell you, arise!"
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming,
"A great prophet has arisen in our midst,"
and "God has visited his people."
This report about him spread through the whole of Judea
and in all the surrounding region.

Daily Reflection

18th September 2018

It’s quite probable that Paul’s imagery, comparing the parts of the human body to Christ’s body – the Church – is influenced by his Damascus encounter. In a blinding light, Paul heard Christ say “…why do you persecute me?” It was clear that Christ was identifying Himself with the Church of believers being victimized. This is why Paul reminds the Corinthians that each of them is a member of Christ’s body, blessed with diverse gifts that complement each other. Hence, each would necessarily need to use their gift for the service of the community. This interdependency naturally facilitates bonding and unity of the body of believers.

The Church is called to follow Christ’s example. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus used the wisdom and power He drew from the Father in the service of the community. He taught with authority, loved selflessly, healed and restored dignity to the weak and marginalized, and raised the dead to life. So much so, that people were moved to comment, ‘God has visited His people’!

Do I use the gifts I have been blessed with, in the service of the community? Do I radiate the presence of God?

September 17th, 2018

Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
443

FIRST READING
1 COR 11:17-26, 33

Brothers and sisters:
In giving this instruction, I do not praise the fact
that your meetings are doing more harm than good.
First of all, I hear that when you meet as a Church
there are divisions among you,
and to a degree I believe it;
there have to be factions among you
in order that also those who are approved among you
may become known.
When you meet in one place, then,
it is not to eat the Lord's supper,
for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper,
and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.
Do you not have houses in which you can eat and drink?
Or do you show contempt for the Church of God
and make those who have nothing feel ashamed?
What can I say to you? Shall I praise you?
In this matter I do not praise you.

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, "This is my Body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
"This cup is the new covenant in my Blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

PSALM
PS 40:7-8A, 8B-9, 10, 17

Response: Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."

"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.

May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, "The LORD be glorified."

GOSPEL
LK 7:1-10

When Jesus had finished all his words to the people,
he entered Capernaum.
A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die,
and he was valuable to him.
When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,
asking him to come and save the life of his slave.
They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying,
"He deserves to have you do this for him,
for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us."
And Jesus went with them,
but when he was only a short distance from the house,
the centurion sent friends to tell him,
"Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
but say the word and let my servant be healed.
For I too am a person subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes;
and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes;
and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."
When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him
and, turning, said to the crowd following him,
"I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."
When the messengers returned to the house,
they found the slave in good health.

Daily Reflection

17th September 2018

The Corinthians celebrated the Eucharist with an ‘Agape’ meal which was meant to promote equality, brotherly love and sharing. However, the reality it produced was “Divisions”, which Paul confronts – the rich ate separately (a better meal) whereas the poor were left to consume their meagre meals. As an antidote to such clannish ways, Paul reminds them of the unifying presence of Christ in the Eucharist where “one loaf” is shared because the Christians are “One Body” of Christ.

The Gospel shows us how a Centurion – a pagan - contrasts the attitude of the Corinthians. He was generous in that he had contributed his personal wealth to the building of the synagogue. But he was also tender-hearted and concerned for he not only comes to ask Jesus to cure his servant, but is keenly aware that if Jesus –a Jew - came to his – a Gentile - house, Jesus would be regarded as “impure” according to the Jewish Law. He therefore requests Jesus to “say the word” and his servant “would be healed” .

Am I as concerned about the “other”?

September 16th, 2018

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
131

FIRST READING
IS 50:5-9A

The Lord GOD opens my ear that I may hear;
and I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
my face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.

The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let that man confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?

PSALM
PS 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

Response: I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.

I love the LORD because he has heard
my voice in supplication,
because he has inclined his ear to me
the day I called.

The cords of death encompassed me;
the snares of the netherworld seized upon me;
I fell into distress and sorrow,
and I called upon the name of the LORD,
"O LORD, save my life!"

Gracious is the LORD and just;
yes, our God is merciful.
The LORD keeps the little ones;
I was brought low, and he saved me.

For he has freed my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.

SECOND READING
JAS 2:14-18

What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
"Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, "
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.

Indeed someone might say,
"You have faith and I have works."
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.

GOSPEL
MK 8:27-35

Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that I am?"
They said in reply,
"John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets."
And he asked them,
"But who do you say that I am?"
Peter said to him in reply,
"You are the Christ."
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

He summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the gospel will save it."

Daily Reflection

16th September 2018

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Gospel portrays Peter (and the Christian community) as lacking in understanding about the concept of a dying Messiah. Jesus, therefore, says “get behind me Satan” for the way Peter (and Mark’s community) thinks “is not as God does but as humans do”. Everyone wanted to share the life that the Risen Jesus had achieved; the problem was achieving Jesus’ death, which opened the door to that life.

Isaiah and St. James clarify how this is possible. “Morning after morning,” says Isaiah, “Yahweh opens my ear.” We are expected to hit the ground listening, for God will surely fine-tune our hearing to what He expects of us.

James will add the second dimension: “Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you through my works.” Listening entails both hearing as well as action for “faith without works is dead”.

Clearly, Christ doesn’t expect us to reproduce his death but most certainly to die to all that is wrong in our lives.

Christ asks you the same question, “Who do you say I am?” Your answer will determine whether you are merely a “Fan” or a true “Follower” of Jesus.

September 15th, 2018

DAY

LECTIONARY
219

FIRST READING
1 COR 10:14-22

My beloved ones, avoid idolatry.
I am speaking as to sensible people;
judge for yourselves what I am saying.
The cup of blessing that we bless,
is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ?
The bread that we break,
is it not a participation in the Body of Christ?
Because the loaf of bread is one,
we, though many, are one Body,
for we all partake of the one loaf.

Look at Israel according to the flesh;
are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?
So what am I saying?
That meat sacrificed to idols is anything?
Or that an idol is anything?
No, I mean that what they sacrifice,
they sacrifice to demons, not to God,
and I do not want you to become participants with demons.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons.
You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons.
Or are we provoking the Lord to jealous anger?
Are we stronger than him?

PSALM
verses

Response: To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.

GOSPEL
JN 19:25-27

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son."
Then he said to the disciple,
"Behold, your mother."
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Daily Reflection

15th September 2018

Our Lady of Sorrows

The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows follows the feast of the Triumph of the Cross to highlight Mary’s role as the perfect disciple, completely in union with her Son’s suffering.

Like Jesus, Mary too was steadfast and obedient to God. Her initial “Yes” to God resounded throughout her life. The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows serves to underline these moments, where though Mary possibly found herself confounded, she took a leap of faith, pondering things in her heart and giving of herself to God.

Her ‘test of faith’ began with the flight into Egypt and was followed by the loss of Jesus in the Temple at age 12, prefiguring the still to come anguish of seeing her Son endure His Passion, being crucified, the taking down of the body and its final burial... events that will make any mother wince in pain. In all these events, Simeon’s prophecy rings true, “A sword will pierce your heart”. Despite her pain, Mary remains faithful to her “Yes” to God, thus becoming a model for all those who seek to follow her son.

September 14th, 2018

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

LECTIONARY
638

FIRST READING
NM 21:4B-9

With their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
"Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!"

In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
"We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us."
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
"Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live."
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

PSALM
PS 78:1BC-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38

Response: Do not forget the works of the Lord!

Hearken, my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable,
I will utter mysteries from of old.

While he slew them they sought him
and inquired after God again,
Remembering that God was their rock
and the Most High God, their redeemer.

But they flattered him with their mouths
and lied to him with their tongues,
Though their hearts were not steadfast toward him,
nor were they faithful to his covenant.

But he, being merciful, forgave their sin
and destroyed them not;
Often he turned back his anger
and let none of his wrath be roused.

READING 2
PHIL 2:6-11

Brothers and sisters:
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

GOSPEL
JN 3:13-17

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.

Daily Reflection

14th September 2018

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Long before Jesus came to be born, God already gave us a glimpse of this salvific mystery. The first reading portrays the grumbling Israelites – symbolising sinful humanity- being struck by fiery serpents in the desert. The remedy given by God to Moses is to fashion a bronze serpent on a crossbar. Any Israelite stung by a fiery serpent would be healed if they looked at it.

Jesus unveils God’s plan of salvation to Nicodemus using this same event of Moses’ time. “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

The Passion and Death of Jesus on the Cross, and His Resurrection from the Tomb, are what we celebrate in today’s feast. Through His cross, Jesus triumphs over sin and death. It is this event that Paul reflects upon, saying, “God greatly exalted Him, giving Him the name above every other name.”

As we celebrate this feast, the Psalmist invites us to ponder upon the significance of the Christ-event on our lives, “Never forget the deeds of the Lord”.

September 13th, 2018

Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
440

FIRST READING
1 COR 8:1B-7, 11-13

Brothers and sisters:
Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.
If anyone supposes he knows something,
he does not yet know as he ought to know.
But if one loves God, one is known by him.

So about the eating of meat sacrificed to idols:
we know that there is no idol in the world,
and that there is no God but one.
Indeed, even though there are so-called gods in heaven and on earth
(there are, to be sure, many "gods" and many "lords"),
yet for us there is

one God, the Father,
from whom all things are and for whom we exist,
and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things are and through whom we exist.

But not all have this knowledge.
There are some who have been so used to idolatry up until now
that, when they eat meat sacrificed to idols,
their conscience, which is weak, is defiled.

Thus, through your knowledge, the weak person is brought to destruction,
the brother for whom Christ died.
When you sin in this way against your brothers
and wound their consciences, weak as they are,
you are sinning against Christ.
Therefore, if food causes my brother to sin,
I will never eat meat again,
so that I may not cause my brother to sin.

PSALM
PS 139:1B-3, 13-14AB, 23-24

Response: Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.

Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother's womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.

Probe me, O God, and know my heart;
try me, and know my thoughts;
See if my way is crooked,
and lead me in the way of old.

GOSPEL
LK 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples:
"To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.

"Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you."

Daily Reflection

13th September 2018

St. John Chrysostom

Corinth was a place where practically all the meat, sold for consumption, had first been offered to idols. For Paul, since there was only one God, the Father, the idols did not really ‘exist’. Hence there was no problem in eating meat offered to the ‘so-called’ idols. However, Paul is quick to point out the rule of love which demands concern for our brethren whose “faith is weak”; our consumption of such meat may scandalise their faith. And so, for their sake, he recommends that the Christian must abstain from eating such meat.

Jesus reiterates the message – “Love your enemies”, “Do good to those who persecute you”... In other words, the Christian, in imitating Christ, is called to go out of his way in love for humanity. This is really the litmus test of Christianity – our capacity to love.

We celebrate today the feast of St. John Chrysostom – a title that means “Golden-mouthed” for his words of preaching and teaching were precisely that – golden! Numbered among the most prolific writers and preachers, his life also bore witness to the message that he preached.

September 12, 2018

Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
439

FIRST READING
1 COR 7:25-31

Brothers and sisters:
In regard to virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord,
but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.
So this is what I think best because of the present distress:
that it is a good thing for a person to remain as he is.
Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a separation.
Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife.
If you marry, however, you do not sin,
nor does an unmarried woman sin if she marries;
but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life,
and I would like to spare you that.

I tell you, brothers, the time is running out.
From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
those weeping as not weeping,
those rejoicing as not rejoicing,
those buying as not owning,
those using the world as not using it fully.
For the world in its present form is passing away.

PSALM
PS 45:11-12, 14-15, 16-17

Response: Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,
forget your people and your father's house.
So shall the king desire your beauty;
for he is your lord, and you must worship him.

All glorious is the king's daughter as she enters;
her raiment is threaded with spun gold.
In embroidered apparel she is borne in to the king;
behind her the virgins of her train are brought to you.

They are borne in with gladness and joy;
they enter the palace of the king.
The place of your fathers your sons shall have;
you shall make them princes through all the land.

GOSPEL
LK 6:20-26

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:
"Blessed are you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.

Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets
in the same way.

But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false
prophets in this way."

Daily Reflection

12th September 2018

Most Holy Name of the BVM

St Paul changes his tone from speaking God’s message to giving his personal opinion on the subject of celibacy and marriage. The early Christians expected that Jesus’ Second Coming was imminent and hence Paul asks the Corinthians to focus on the task of spreading the Gospel and living out the Christian calling for “this world is passing away”.

The Beatitudes in Luke’s version of the Gospel differ from Matthew’s. Luke’s version also includes corresponding woes due to his typical focus on equality. He highlights that the way we use our present situation will result in us inheriting the kingdom of God or denying ourselves access to it. While the rich have an opportunity to share their “consolation” with the poor; the poor can share their blessings with the rich. Likewise also with those who weep, the hungry and those who are denounced – each presents an opportunity to share our abundance with the other.

It isn’t the lack of food but the greed of humans that is responsible for hunger in the world. You have the capacity to change that!

September 11, 2018

Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
438

FIRST READING
1 COR 6:1-11

Brothers and sisters:
How can any one of you with a case against another
dare to bring it to the unjust for judgment
instead of to the holy ones?
Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world?
If the world is to be judged by you,
are you unqualified for the lowest law courts?
Do you not know that we will judge angels?
Then why not everyday matters?
If, therefore, you have courts for everyday matters,
do you seat as judges people of no standing in the Church?
I say this to shame you.
Can it be that there is not one among you wise enough
to be able to settle a case between brothers?
But rather brother goes to court against brother,
and that before unbelievers?

Now indeed then it is, in any case,
a failure on your part that you have lawsuits against one another.
Why not rather put up with injustice?
Why not rather let yourselves be cheated?
Instead, you inflict injustice and cheat, and this to brothers.
Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the Kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived;
neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers
nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves
nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers
will inherit the Kingdom of God.
That is what some of you used to be;
but now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified,
you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
and in the Spirit of our God.

PSALM
PS 149:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6A AND 9B

Response: The Lord takes delight in his people.

Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.

Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.

Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
LK 6:12-19

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.
A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him
because power came forth from him and healed them all.

Daily Reflection

11th September 2018

Paul advises the Corinthians to settle disputes among themselves - by choosing wise persons to sit in judgement - rather than take the matters to the civil authorities. The reason for this recommendation was that the pagan courts made people swear oaths using idolatrous formulae, which the Christian was forbidden to use.

The Psalm tells us why Paul insists on this strict discipline – The Lord takes delight in his people. The Lord is genuinely concerned about us, and this comes across in the Gospel. Jesus, in his concern for people decides to choose 12 men as ‘Apostles’ to carry out his mission further. But his concern is also for the kind of people he chooses and so is seen spending a whole night in prayer. Even Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray Jesus, never escaped Jesus’ tender concern.

How concerned am I about my fellow beings?

September 10th, 2018

Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
437

FIRST READING
1 COR 5:1-8

Brothers and sisters:
It is widely reported that there is immorality among you,
and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans–
a man living with his father’s wife.
And you are inflated with pride.
Should you not rather have been sorrowful?
The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.
I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit,
have already, as if present,
pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed,
in the name of our Lord Jesus:
when you have gathered together and I am with you in spirit
with the power of the Lord Jesus,
you are to deliver this man to Satan
for the destruction of his flesh,
so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.

Your boasting is not appropriate.
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough,
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast,
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

PSALM
PS 5:5-6, 7, 12

Response: Lead me in your justice, Lord.

For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
You hate all evildoers.

You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.

But let all who take refuge in you
be glad and exult forever.
Protect them, that you may be the joy
of those who love your name.

GOSPEL
LK 6:6-11

On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
"Come up and stand before us."
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
"I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?"
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
"Stretch out your hand."
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

Daily Reflection

10th September 2018

Paul addresses the Corinthians about a certain case of concubinage – a man living with his father’s second wife. The Corinthians prided themselves as a model and mission-oriented community. Paul confronts them on this scandal and recommends that this person be delivered “to Satan” i.e. excommunicated, so that he is able to repent and undergo purification before he is allowed to the Eucharistic sacrifice. But he also asks the community to mourn for the person and pray for his conversion.

The Gospel lives out what the Psalm proclaims “Lead me in your justice Lord”. Jesus confronts the Pharisees about whether it is lawful to do good or evil on the Sabbath by placing before them a man with a withered hand. A withered hand rendered a man incapable of manual work and hence was considered a curse. In choosing to cure him rather than follow the letter of the Sabbath law, Jesus chooses the supreme good.

Perfect love casts out all fear (1Jn 4:18)... How true!

September 9th 2018

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
128

FIRST READING
IS 35:4-7A

Thus says the LORD:
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water.

PSALM
PS 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10

Response: Praise the Lord, my soul!

The God of Jacob keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.

The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.

The fatherless and the widow the LORD sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations.
Alleluia.

SECOND READING
JAS 2:1-5

My brothers and sisters, show no partiality
as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
For if a man with gold rings and fine clothes
comes into your assembly,
and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in,
and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes
and say, “Sit here, please, ”
while you say to the poor one, “Stand there, ” or “Sit at my feet, ”
have you not made distinctions among yourselves
and become judges with evil designs?

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.
Did not God choose those who are poor in the world
to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom
that he promised to those who love him?

GOSPEL
MK 7:31-37

Again Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!”— that is, “Be opened!” —
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Daily Reflection

9th September 2018

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The word ‘God’ means different things to different people. That Jesus is God was a foregone conclusion of the Early Christians; the evangelists merely try to show us what kind of God Jesus is!

The Gospel doesn’t just tell us that Jesus is good but shows in what his goodness consists. The healing of a deaf-mute is reminiscent of what we hear in the first reading, “Here is your God!... then the ears of the deaf will be opened ...the tongue of the mute will sing”.

But the Early Church wasn’t just content at knowing who Jesus was; it was imperative that they become Christ-like. Becoming like Jesus meant that we become aware and sensitive to people and situations around us. Thus, James will insist, “Show no partiality” and remind the Christians to “adhere to the faith in our Lord Jesus”. Jesus sees neither the “rich clothes” nor the “shabby dress”. He sees only the person whom “God has chosen to be rich in faith and an heir to the kingdom”.

What about us? Perhaps we need to pray that Jesus removes our blindness, enabling us to see as He does!

September 8th 2018

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

LECTIONARY
636

FIRST READING
MI 5:1-4A

The LORD says:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
From you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
Whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
And the rest of his brethren shall return
to the children of Israel.)
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
And they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.

PSALM
PS 13:6AB, 6C

Response: With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Though I trusted in your mercy,
let my heart rejoice in your salvation.

Let me sing of the LORD, "He has been good to me."

GOSPEL
MT 1:18-23

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means “God is with us.”

Daily Reflection

8th September 2018

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

It seems odd that as we celebrate the birth of our Blessed Mother, the Church gives us readings that speak about the birth of Jesus. But a closer look reveals why. The Gospel gives us the genealogy of Jesus and points to Mary as an integral part of God’s plan of salvation. The genealogy pans out in 3 sections from Abraham to David, David to the Exile and from the return of the Exiles to the birth of Jesus, showing us that God’s plan has meticulously unfolded to culminate in Jesus... and Mary has an important part to play for she is found with child through the Holy Spirit.

St. Paul explains this mysterious plan in a very simple statement, “All things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” And that is precisely why in celebrating Mary, we recall Jesus – Jesus was that purpose for which Mary was called.

As we celebrate her birthday today, perhaps the best gift we can give her is to “Magnify the Lord” as she did.

September 7th, 2018

Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
435

FIRST READING
1 COR 4:1-5

Brothers and sisters:
Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ
and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Now it is of course required of stewards
that they be found trustworthy.
It does not concern me in the least
that I be judged by you or any human tribunal;
I do not even pass judgment on myself;
I am not conscious of anything against me,
but I do not thereby stand acquitted;
the one who judges me is the Lord.
Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time,
until the Lord comes,
for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness
and will manifest the motives of our hearts,
and then everyone will receive praise from God.

PSALM
PS 37:3-4, 5-6, 27-28, 39-40

Response: The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Trust in the LORD and do good,
that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will grant you your heart's requests.

Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.

Turn from evil and do good,
that you may abide forever;
For the LORD loves what is right,
and forsakes not his faithful ones.
Criminals are destroyed
and the posterity of the wicked is cut off.

The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

GOSPEL
LK 5:33-39

The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
"The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers,
and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same;
but yours eat and drink."
Jesus answered them, "Can you make the wedding guests fast
while the bridegroom is with them?
But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
then they will fast in those days."
And he also told them a parable.
"No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one.
Otherwise, he will tear the new
and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins,
and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.
Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.
And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new,
for he says, 'The old is good.'"

Daily Reflection

7th September 2018

The Pharisees fasted as a sign that the present times were bad and that they hoped that God would usher in the Messianic time. Jesus uses three parables to answer the Pharisees’ question on fasting – mending a torn garment, wine and wineskins, and the old and new wine - highlighting that He is the Messiah and that their purpose of fasting is already being fulfilled.

The three parables appeal to everyday wisdom and invite the Pharisees to open their eyes to notice that, in Jesus, all the prophecies of the Messiah are coming true.

Paul, having just spoken of the folly of human wisdom, speaks now of the futility of judging by human standards. Instead, he insists on being stewards that are trustworthy and faithful. In doing so, he is urging the Corinthians to model themselves upon Jesus who came to serve and not to be served; who was faithful to his mission and showed himself to be trustworthy.

Our calling is to reflect Jesus... not create a new image of him!

Thursday, 6th September 2018

September 6th, 2018

Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
434

FIRST READING
1 COR 3:18-23

Brothers and sisters:
Let no one deceive himself.
If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age,
let him become a fool, so as to become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God,
for it is written:

God catches the wise in their own ruses,

and again:

The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you,
Paul or Apollos or Cephas,
or the world or life or death,
or the present or the future:
all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.

PSALM
PS 24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6

Response: To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.

The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.

Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.

He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.

GOSPEL
LK 5:1-11

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."
Simon said in reply,
"Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets."
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men."
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.

Daily Reflection

6th September 2018

Paul writes to the Corinthians who, though they have accepted Jesus, hang on stubbornly to their own schools of thought and obstinately refuse to open themselves to the Christian way of life. Paul points out that no matter how wise they believe themselves to be, they always fall short of God’s wisdom and therefore need to be open to what God has done in Christ. He sums up his argument in simple terms, telling them that they “belong to Christ and Christ to God.”

The Gospel shows us that Peter, though a professional fisherman, is willing to listen and act on Jesus’ word. Although Peter’s professional expertise has yielded nothing, in listening to Jesus he nets a superabundant catch. He and his companions realise that their professional ‘wisdom’ cannot match God, which leads them to “leave everything and follow him”.

And you... have you bothered to ask God for His opinion about your choices and decisions?