November 18th, 2018

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
158

FIRST READING
DN 12:1-3

In those days, I Daniel,
heard this word of the Lord:
"At that time there shall arise
Michael, the great prince,
guardian of your people;
it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress
since nations began until that time.
At that time your people shall escape,
everyone who is found written in the book.

"Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake;
some shall live forever,
others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.

"But the wise shall shine brightly
like the splendor of the firmament,
and those who lead the many to justice
shall be like the stars forever."

PSALM
PS 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11

Response: You are my inheritance, O Lord!

O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.

You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.

SECOND READING
HEB 10:11-14, 18

Brothers and sisters:
Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering
he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.

Where there is forgiveness of these,
there is no longer offering for sin.

GOSPEL
MK 13:24-32

Jesus said to his disciples:
"In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

"And then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds'
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

"Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to you,
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.

"But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

Daily Reflection

18th November 2018

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Jews believed that when the Messiah came he would usher in the kingdom of God at Passover time.

But Jesus uses the parable of the budding fig tree to teach an important lesson. The fig tree was a common and important source of food for the Jews. It bore fruit twice a year, in the autumn and in the early spring. This parable foretells the joy of God's kingdom - the joy of new life and the promise of a new age of peace and blessing. The "budding" of God's kingdom begins first in the hearts of those who are receptive to God's word and they will bear the fruits of his kingdom i.e. righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).

We do not know the day or hour when the Lord will return again in glory. But now in this present age we can experience the first-fruits of the kingdom of God - the abundant new life in the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, and the fruit of the Spirit - love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

November 17th, 2018

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious

LECTIONARY
496

FIRST READING
3 JN 5-8

Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers and sisters,
especially for strangers;
they have testified to your love before the Church.
Please help them in a way worthy of God to continue their journey.
For they have set out for the sake of the Name
and are accepting nothing from the pagans.
Therefore, we ought to support such persons,
so that we may be co-workers in the truth.

PSALM
PS 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

Response: Blessed the man who fears the Lord.

Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.

Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.

Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.

GOSPEL
LK 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable
about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
He said, “There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,
‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’
For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,
‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,
because this widow keeps bothering me
I shall deliver a just decision for her
lest she finally come and strike me.’”
The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?
Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Daily Reflection

17th November 2018

Jesus tells us two things about the unjust judge: “he neither feared God nor regarded man.” In other words, these two marks of the judge are obstacles to his helping the widow. First, he has no fear of God and is, therefore, prone not to help her. This means that the fear of God would prompt a judge to help a needy widow. And if the fear of God would prompt a judge to help a needy widow, then God is not like the unjust judge but is the kind of God whose heart inclines to help those who cry to him.

The second mark of the judge was that he had “no regard for man.” The widow was unknown to him, and he had no interest in her. The assumption is that if he cared about this widow, if she were his mother, he would help her. Jesus argues, if an unjust judge can be moved by persistent petitions to help a stranger for whom he has no regard, how much more "will God help his own chosen ones who cry to him day and night!"

November 16th, 2018

Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
495

FIRST READING
2 JN 4-9

I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth
just as we were commanded by the Father.
But now, Lady, I ask you,
not as though I were writing a new commandment
but the one we have had from the beginning:
let us love one another.
For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments;
this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning,
in which you should walk.

Many deceivers have gone out into the world,
those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh;
such is the deceitful one and the antichrist.
Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for
but may receive a full recompense.
Anyone who is so “progressive”
as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God;
whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son.

PSALM
PS 119:1, 2, 10, 11, 17, 18

Response:

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

Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.

With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.

Within my heart I treasure your promise,
that I may not sin against you.

Be good to your servant, that I may live
and keep your words.

Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.

GOSPEL
LK 17:26-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage up to the day
that Noah entered the ark,
and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot:
they were eating, drinking, buying,
selling, planting, building;
on the day when Lot left Sodom,
fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.
So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
On that day, someone who is on the housetop
and whose belongings are in the house
must not go down to get them,
and likewise one in the field
must not return to what was left behind.
Remember the wife of Lot.
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;
one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together;
one will be taken, the other left.”
They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?”
He said to them, “Where the body is,
there also the vultures will gather.”

Daily Reflection

16th November 2018

God’s Day of Judgment is a cause for great joy and reward for those who have waited with patient hope and longing for Jesus to return again in glory and power. Though the ancient world and the cities of the plain were awfully wicked, it is not their wickedness, but their worldliness, their unbelief and indifference to the future, their unpreparedness that is here spoken as a warning. Those unprepared will argue that the sun rose yesterday and on many yesterdays; of course it will rise tomorrow. Perfect security will have taken possession of the whole race, just as, in the days of Noah and of Lot, when the floods came and the fire, and destroyed everything; because their hearts were hardened and they were rebellious towards God. When the great flood swept over the earth, they missed the boat, literally!

Whose boat or safety net are you staking your life on - the world’s life-raft to short-lived success and happiness or to the indestructible Ark of God, whose foundation is Jesus Christ and his victorious cross? Is your hope firmly placed in the Lord Jesus and his return in glory?

November 15th, 2018

Thursday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
494

FIRST READING
PHLM 7-20

Beloved:
I have experienced much joy and encouragement from your love,
because the hearts of the holy ones
have been refreshed by you, brother.
Therefore, although I have the full right in Christ
to order you to do what is proper,
I rather urge you out of love,
being as I am, Paul, an old man,
and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus.
I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,
whose father I have become in my imprisonment,
who was once useless to you but is now useful to both you and me.
I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.
I should have liked to retain him for myself,
so that he might serve me on your behalf
in my imprisonment for the Gospel,
but I did not want to do anything without your consent,
so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.
Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,
that you might have him back forever,
no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother,
beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,
as a man and in the Lord.
So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.
And if he has done you any injustice
or owes you anything, charge it to me.
I, Paul, write this in my own hand: I will pay.
May I not tell you that you owe me your very self.
Yes, brother, may I profit from you in the Lord.
Refresh my heart in Christ.

PSALM
Ps 146:7, 8-9a, 9bc-10

Response:

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

GOSPEL
LK 17:20-25

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,
Jesus said in reply,
“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

Then he said to his disciples,
“The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”

Daily Reflection

The Pharisees ask Jesus "when the kingdom of God is to come". Jesus answers that the kingdom of God is already present, and then speaks of the definitive establishment of the kingdom. This would be the day of the Lord, a time of judgment and reward. The knowledge of the time of the day of the Lord is not important. We must not waste our time in looking for signs. What is crucial is to recognize the presence of God’s reign already in our midst. We have to give His present reign our full attention now. We have to be ready and prepared, because no one knows the time of His coming. He will come like a thief in the night, when we least expect Him. There won’t be time to get ready. We have to be ready.

GIVE HIM YOUR FULL ATTENTION, NOW

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail – Benjamin Franklin.

November 14th, 2018

Wednesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
493

FIRST READING
TI 3:1-7

Beloved:
Remind them to be under the control of magistrates and authorities,
to be obedient, to be open to every good enterprise.
They are to slander no one, to be peaceable, considerate,
exercising all graciousness toward everyone.
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded,
slaves to various desires and pleasures,
living in malice and envy,
hateful ourselves and hating one another.

But when the kindness and generous love
of God our savior appeared,
not because of any righteous deeds we had done
but because of his mercy,
he saved us through the bath of rebirth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us
through Jesus Christ our savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace
and become heirs in hope of eternal life.

PSALM
PS 23:1B-3A, 3BC-4, 5, 6

Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.

He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.

GOSPEL
LK 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,
"Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"
And when he saw them, he said,
"Go show yourselves to the priests."
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
"Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?"
Then he said to him, "Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you."

Daily Reflection
Jesus heals ten lepers, a group of Jews and Samaritans. They believe in Him because they have heard about His compassion and power to heal. But only one Samaritan comes back praising and thanking God. Our Lord delights in our praises. When we take everything we are given for granted, we are like the nine lepers who do not acknowledge the great things Jesus has done for them. We expect acknowledgement for what we do; why can’t we have the same attitude when it comes to God? We must remember to thank God in every situation. "To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything He has given us..." (Thomas Merton). As Christians we are also called to be obedient and open to every good enterprise; to avoid idleness and pursue an honest day’s work; to have a peaceful attitude, for it brings about peace within oneself and those around us.

BE OBEDIENT, BE GRATEFUL

If there was ever a secret for unleashing God’s powerful peace in a situation, it’s developing a heart of true thanksgiving – Lysa Terkeurst.

November 13th, 2018

Tuesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
492

FIRST READING
TI 2:1-8, 11-14

Beloved:
You must say what is consistent with sound doctrine,
namely, that older men should be temperate, dignified,
self-controlled, sound in faith, love, and endurance.
Similarly, older women should be reverent in their behavior,
not slanderers, not addicted to drink,
teaching what is good, so that they may train younger women
to love their husbands and children,
to be self-controlled, chaste, good homemakers,
under the control of their husbands,
so that the word of God may not be discredited.

Urge the younger men, similarly, to control themselves,
showing yourself as a model of good deeds in every respect,
with integrity in your teaching, dignity, and sound speech
that cannot be criticized,
so that the opponent will be put to shame
without anything bad to say about us.

For the grace of God has appeared, saving all
and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires
and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age,
as we await the blessed hope,
the appearance of the glory of the great God
and of our savior Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness
and to cleanse for himself a people as his own,
eager to do what is good.

PSALM
verses

Response: Alleluia, Alleluia

Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him.

GOSPEL
LK 17:7-10

Jesus said to the Apostles:
“Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?
Would he not rather say to him,
‘Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished’?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded, say,
‘We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.’”

Daily Reflection

Each one of us has a role to play with faithfulness and sincerity. Servants must attend to their master’s needs first and fulfil their duties expecting no reward, for they are only doing what they are supposed to do. In the same way, servants of the Lord should not expect a special reward for their service, but correct observance will deserve God’s reward. Servants of the Lord are also called to be good family examples and upright citizens. Faithful service is the basic requirement of following the Master. Immoral ways are a barrier to receiving God’s grace. We must seek our happiness in the Lord and He will give us our heart’s desires. Matthew 6:33 asks us to Strive first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.

SERVICE TO THE LORD IS OUR DUTY

Whatever you do, think not of yourself, but of God – St Vincent Ferrer.

November 12th, 2018

Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr

LECTIONARY
491

FIRST READING
TI 1:1-9

Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ
for the sake of the faith of God’s chosen ones
and the recognition of religious truth,
in the hope of eternal life
that God, who does not lie, promised before time began,
who indeed at the proper time revealed his word
in the proclamation with which I was entrusted
by the command of God our savior,
to Titus, my true child in our common faith:
grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.

For this reason I left you in Crete
so that you might set right what remains to be done
and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you,
on condition that a man be blameless,
married only once, with believing children
who are not accused of licentiousness or rebellious.
For a bishop as God’s steward must be blameless, not arrogant,
not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive,
not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness,
temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled,
holding fast to the true message as taught
so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine
and to refute opponents.

PSALM
verses

Response: Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

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 17:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples,
“Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’
you should forgive him.”

And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

Daily Reflection

Jesus says that, with Satan’s interference and misuse of human freedom, there will be stumbling blocks to faith and Christian discipleship. The image of the millstone means that it would be better to die than be the cause of another’s failure. The one who blocks another’s way has to be corrected as an act of love. Jesus encourages correction and forgiveness "seven times" which means every time. Servants of the Lord should be strict as well as gentle with the Word of God. They should be strong witnesses and love what is good. We are called to bring back those who have strayed, and to bring unity among the faithful. The good seen in us will convince those who stray to come back. This is what St Josaphat, a Polish archbishop and martyr whose body is still incorrupt, worked for: to bring straying Christians back to the Church.

MAY WE BRING BACK THOSE WHO STRAY

Let the Church always be a place of mercy and hope where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven – Pope Francis.