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’?