Tuesday, September 30 2014; Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Lectionary: 456

Reading 1
jb 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23

Job opened his mouth and cursed his day.
Job spoke out and said:

Perish the day on which I was born,
the night when they said, “The child is a boy!”

Why did I not perish at birth,
come forth from the womb and expire?
Or why was I not buried away like an untimely birth,
like babes that have never seen the light?
Wherefore did the knees receive me?
or why did I suck at the breasts?

For then I should have lain down and been tranquil;
had I slept, I should then have been at rest
With kings and counselors of the earth
who built where now there are ruins
Or with princes who had gold
and filled their houses with silver.

There the wicked cease from troubling,
there the weary are at rest.

Why is light given to the toilers,
and life to the bitter in spirit?
They wait for death and it comes not;
they search for it rather than for hidden treasures,
Rejoice in it exultingly,
and are glad when they reach the grave:
Those whose path is hidden from them,
and whom God has hemmed in!

Responsorial Psalm
ps 88:2-3, 4-5, 6, 7-8

R. (3) Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
O LORD, my God, by day I cry out;
at night I clamor in your presence.
Let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my call for help.
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
For my soul is surfeited with troubles
and my life draws near to the nether world.
I am numbered with those who go down into the pit;
I am a man without strength.
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
My couch is among the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom you remember no longer
and who are cut off from your care.
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
You have plunged me into the bottom of the pit,
into the dark abyss.
Upon me your wrath lies heavy,
and with all your billows you overwhelm me.
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

Gospel
lk 9:51-56

When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: THE "SLEEP BOOK"

"For then I should have lain down and been tranquil; had I slept, I should then have been at rest." –Job 3:13

Jesus wants to be Lord of our sleep. He plans to use our sleep both to advance His kingdom and to bless us with sufficient rest. Satan also has plans for our sleep, since it occupies nearly one-third of our lives. In addition to the sleep we lose through the activity of children or neighbors, Satan attempts to rob us of more sleep by tempting us to worry (see Eccl 5:11), fear (Sir 40:5-7), or anger (Eph 4:26ff). When we need to fall asleep, we instead lay awake and fret. This gives the devil a chance to operate on us (see Eph 4:26-27) and further his sabotage of God's kingdom.

We really need discernment in the area of sleep. At times we are called to do without some sleep. The writer of 2 Maccabees spent many "sleepless nights" writing the Word of God (2 Mc 2:26). Like Jesus, we can be called to intercede and pray long into the night (Mt 14:23, 25). At other times, we sleep when we should be attentive to the Lord (see Mt 26:40ff; Prv 6:9ff; 1 Sm 3:1ff). Conversely, we often are called to sleep, but we won't. We stay up late entertaining ourselves or working for perishable food (Jn 6:27) when God our Father wants to provide it for us. "It is vain for you to rise early, or put off your rest, you that eat hard-earned bread, for He gives to His beloved in sleep" (Ps 127:2).

If we give our lives to the Lord and live by His teaching, He will tell us: "When you lie down, you need not be afraid, when you rest, your sleep will be sweet" (Prv 3:24; see also Prv 19:23; 1 Sm 2:8). In His peace, we gratefully respond: "As soon as I lie down, I fall peacefully asleep, for You alone, O Lord, bring security to my dwelling" (Ps 4:9). "Sleep in heavenly peace."

PRAYER: Jesus, may I sleep soundly in life's storms (Mt 8:24-25).

PROMISE: Jesus "firmly resolved to proceed toward Jerusalem." –Lk 9:51

PRAISE: St. Jerome spent four years in the desert, learning God's Word in solitude and prayer.

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Monday, September 29 2014; Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels Lectionary: 647

Reading 1
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.

or rv 12:7-12ab

War broke out in heaven;
Michael and his angels battled against the dragon.
The dragon and its angels fought back,
but they did not prevail
and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
The huge dragon, the ancient serpent,
who is called the Devil and Satan,
who deceived the whole world,
was thrown down to earth,
and its angels were thrown down with it.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who accuses them before our God day and night.
They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
Therefore, rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them.”

Responsorial Psalm
ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5

R. (1) 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.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
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.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
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
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, 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.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: GOD'S SWAT TEAM

"Although the dragon and his angels fought back, they were overpowered and lost their place in heaven." –Revelation 12:7-8

Angels, being invisible, are hard for us to understand. Yet angels do take on bodies. This at least gives us a clue regarding the mentality of the angels. Angels usually appear in the Bible either as the average man (Heb 13:2) or as gigantic creatures (Rv 19:17). As far as I know, they never appear as fat little babies with wings. This common picture of angels tells us more about our confused state of mind than about angels.

Angels are formidable creatures who will attack demons. They do not just float around on clouds and occasionally resist Satan. Aggressively they take the offensive against Satan, who desperately tries to defend himself (Rv 12:7).

Therefore, spiritual warfare is nothing for us to hang our heads about but to rejoice in. Satan is the one who should be discouraged about spiritual warfare. He's the loser. We, along with the angels, are "more than conquerors" in Jesus (Rm 8:37).

PRAYER: Father, may I get to know the three archangels personally and talk to them daily.

PROMISE: "I solemnly assure you, you shall see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." –Jn 1:51

PRAISE: St. Michael thrusts into hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Praise You, Lord, for providing such mighty helpers!

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Sunday, September 28 2014; Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 136

Reading 1
ez 18:25-28

Thus says the LORD:
You say, "The LORD's way is not fair!"
Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,
it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.
But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed,
he does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

R/ (6a) Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R/ Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not;
in your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R/ Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
R/ Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Reading 2
phil 2:1-11

Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also for those of others.

Have in you the same attitude
that is also in Christ Jesus,
Who, 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 the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which 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.

or phil 2:1-5

Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also for those of others.

Have in you the same attitude
that is also in Christ Jesus.

Gospel
mt 21:28-32

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:
"What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
He said in reply, 'I will not, '
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, ‘but did not go.
Which of the two did his father's will?"
They answered, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him."

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME:CHANGING TO BE UNCHANGING

"Afterward he regretted it and went." —Matthew 21:30

Virtuous people should never change "from virtue to commit iniquity," or they will die (Ez 18:26). After we tell our heavenly Father that we will work in His vineyard (see Mt 21:28ff), we should never change our minds. Jesus said: "Whoever puts his hand to the plow but keeps looking back is unfit for the reign of God" (Lk 9:62). After we tell the Lord, our spouses, our children, our families, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and even our enemies that we love them, we should never change.

To never change our faith and love, we must make some other changes. If we don't change and repent of sins, these sins will change us for the worse. If we don't change and be reconciled with those that we haven't forgiven, then the poison of unforgiveness will change, warp, and destroy our love for God, our spouses, our families, etc. If we don't let God change some habits in our lives, we will become enslaved and forced to change what should never be changed.

Our faith and love in Christ will never change, if only we let God make some major changes in our lives. Change to become unchanging.

Prayer: Father, by Your grace I will change whatever would lead me to stop loving You.

Promise: "At Jesus' name every knee must bend in the heavens, on the earth, and under the earth, and every tongue proclaim to the glory of God the Father: JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!" —Phil 2:10-11

Praise: Praise Jesus, unchangeable (see Mal 3:6) and risen Rock of my salvation!

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Saturday, September 27 2014; Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest

Lectionary: 454

Reading 1
eccl 11:9-12:8

Rejoice, O young man, while you are young 
and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart,
the vision of your eyes;
Yet understand that as regards all this
God will bring you to judgment.
Ward off grief from your heart
and put away trouble from your presence,
though the dawn of youth is fleeting.

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the evil days come
And the years approach of which you will say,
I have no pleasure in them;
Before the sun is darkened,
and the light, and the moon, and the stars,
while the clouds return after the rain;
When the guardians of the house tremble,
and the strong men are bent,
And the grinders are idle because they are few,
and they who look through the windows grow blind;
When the doors to the street are shut,
and the sound of the mill is low;
When one waits for the chirp of a bird,
but all the daughters of song are suppressed;
And one fears heights,
and perils in the street;
When the almond tree blooms,
and the locust grows sluggish
and the caper berry is without effect,
Because man goes to his lasting home,
and mourners go about the streets;
Before the silver cord is snapped
and the golden bowl is broken,
And the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the broken pulley falls into the well,
And the dust returns to the earth as it once was,
and the life breath returns to God who gave it.

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
all things are vanity!

Responsorial Psalm
ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17

R. (1) 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.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
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.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Gospel
lk 9:43b-45

While they were all amazed at his every deed,
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” 
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
so that they should not understand it,
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: GROWING NEW IN JESUS

"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth." –Ecclesiastes 12:1

In front of me at Mass this morning is Sister Ann. She remembered her Creator in her youth (Eccl 12:1), giving her entire life to God in her religious vocation. For fifty years she taught young women in Catholic high schools and led them to know, love, and serve God. Now retired, Sister wears a hearing aid. For her, "the sound of the mill is low" (Eccl 12:4). Beginning this spring, Sister can no longer stand up and kneel down with the congregation during Mass; she has to remain seated, for her "strong men (legs) are bent" (Eccl 12:3). Yet she never complains about her situation, and daily radiates the joy of the Lord to all she meets at Mass.

When we live the lifestyle of a disciple of Christ, we constantly work at dying to ourselves in Jesus (Lk 9:23), day by day, year by year. It becomes second nature to joyfully offer our body, life, soul, heart, mind, health, and our all to Jesus in every situation of life. "Continually we carry about in our bodies the dying of Jesus, so that in our bodies the life of Jesus may also be revealed. While we live we are constantly being delivered to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh" (2 Cor 4:10-11). Thus, when our bodily abilities decline in old age, we adjust to it readily, even with joy and gratitude, for it is second nature to abandon everything to Jesus. We rejoice to have even more to offer Him.

The opposite of old is not young, but new. As each year passes, instead of growing old in the Lord, grow new in Him (2 Pt 3:18).

PRAYER: Father, "teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart" (Ps 90:12). I give my entire life to You.

PROMISE: "God will bring you to judgment." –Eccl 11:9

PRAISE: St. Vincent ministered to the poor by forming organizations of charity, constant communication and appeals to those in power, and the humble, loving spirit of a pastor of souls.

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Friday, September 26 2014; Friday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 453

Reading 1
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.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 144:1b and 2abc, 3-4

R. (1) 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.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
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.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

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.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: TICK-TOCK

"He has made everything appropriate to its time, and has put the timeless into their hearts." –Ecclesiastes 3:11

Did you ever want to stop the clock, turn the hands back, or move them forward? When you're way late, what if you could get two hours back or at least stop the clock for a while! You're losing by two touchdowns with one minute left in the fourth quarter. What if you could change the clock to one minute left in the third quarter! Then you'd have a chance. Your kids are sixteen and fourteen. They're rebellious and distant from you. You wish you would have spent much more time with them over the years, but you can't turn back the clock. You have six stressful years to work before you can retire. What if you could move up the clock! However, time is relentless and merciless. We can't stop it, slow it, or accelerate it. When it is time, certain things will happen, but not until then, and we can't do a thing about it.

However, Jesus is Lord of time. He rolls back the clock so we can receive the saving grace of His death and resurrection. The time of Jesus' final coming and the end of time can be "hastened" by our lives of holiness (see 2 Pt 3:12). Then the clock will stop forever. Time will pass away. Those who have not accepted Jesus as Lord of their time and lives "will go off to eternal punishment and the just to eternal life" (Mt 25:46; see also Rm 2:6-8; 2 Thes 1:9). Thus, eternity (i.e., no time) will free those in Jesus from the tyranny of time and impose an even worse tyranny of doom on those who have not given themselves to Christ. It's time to come to Jesus.

PRAYER: Father, may I use this present time to prepare for the timelessness of eternity.

PROMISE: " 'Who do you say that I am?' He asked them. Peter said in reply, 'The Messiah of God.' " –Lk 9:20

PRAISE: Sts. Cosmas and Damian, brothers and physicians, imitated Jesus, the Divine Physician (Lk 4:23), by travelling throughout the land, healing people free of charge, and converting them to belief in the Lord.

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Thursday, September 25 2014; Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 452

Reading 1
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.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17bc

R. (1) 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.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
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.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
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!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

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.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: POST-BAPTISMAL DEPRESSION?

"The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor is the ear filled with hearing." –Ecclesiastes 1:8

Few people would dispute the fact that the book of Ecclesiastes is the most depressing book of the Bible. It begins: "Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!" (Eccl 1:2) It ends: "Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, all things are vanity!" (Eccl 12:8) Ecclesiastes depicts the utter emptiness and hopelessness of life without Christ. However, we who are baptized into Christ have been "delivered from the futile way of life" (1 Pt 1:18) to live the truly new (see 2 Cor 5:17) and absolutely abundant life (Jn 10:10).

If this is true, why are we Christians sometimes as discouraged as anyone else? There are several explanations for post-Christ, post-baptismal depression. Nevertheless, no matter what the circumstances, to change from vanity to fullness we must renew our Baptisms and "stir into flame the gift of God" (2 Tm 1:6).

Right now, renew your baptismal promises by rejecting Satan, all his works, and all his empty promises. Express your total faith in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Bless yourself with the holy water which reminds us of our Baptism. Baptized into Jesus, our lives are not vain; rather, they are lives of "justice, peace, and the joy that is given by the Holy Spirit" (Rm 14:17).

PRAYER: Father, may I renew my Baptism daily, especially on the anniversary of my Baptism. When I get tired for You, may I never get tired of You.

PROMISE: "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart." –Ps 90:12

PRAISE: Instead of borrowing to start his business, Jack gave his small savings away to the missions.

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Wednesday, September 24 2014; Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 451

Reading 1
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.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 119:29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163

R. (105) Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
Your word, O LORD, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
From every evil way I withhold my feet,
that I may keep your words.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
Through your precepts I gain discernment;
therefore I hate every false way.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
Falsehood I hate and abhor;
your law I love.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.

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.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: NO ADDITIVES

"Add nothing to His words, lest He reprove you, and you be exposed as a deceiver." –Proverbs 30:6

When the Bible uses the phrase, "God's words," it does not refer only to the Bible. The Bible refers to itself as "the Scriptures," that is, the written Word of God. "God's words" include the Scriptures, and also the authoritative teaching of the Church which preceded and is the basis of the Scriptures. So in Proverbs 30:6, the Lord commands us to add nothing to the teachings of the Church, including both its teaching through the Bible and its oral, authoritative teachings throughout the centuries.

However, many people nullify God's Word in favor of merely human traditions (Mk 7:13). For example, they take pop-psychology and the propaganda of secular humanist institutions as the gospel truth, while denying the truth of the Gospel. We nullify God's Word by adding to it in giving unquestioned authority to those ideas which the media chooses to present as infallible.

At the same time, we are arrogant and confused enough to subtract from God's Word. We are tempted to take less and less of it authoritatively, as we ignore the Church and water down the Bible. In the last few verses of the Bible, the Lord warns us: "If anyone adds to these words, God will visit him with all the plagues described herein! If anyone takes from the words of this prophetic book, God will take away his share in the tree of life and the holy city described here!" (Rv 22:18-19)

PRAYER: Father, Your words are spirit and life (Jn 6:63). May I know and live them. May I submit to them as they are taught by the Church.

PROMISE: "So they set out and went from village to village, spreading the good news everywhere and curing diseases." –Lk 9:6

PRAISE: William could not understand the Scriptures. Then he was baptized in the Holy Spirit at a Life in the Spirit Seminar. Now he is teaching the Bible to others.

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Tuesday, September 23 2014; Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest

Lectionary: 450

Reading 1
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.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 119:1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44

R. (35) Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
And I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

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.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: GOD'S KIN

"My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and act upon it." –Luke 8:21

Luke 8:21 is one of the most amazing promises ever made. We can actually become mothers, brothers, and sisters of Jesus, that is, of God, by hearing God's Word and acting on it (see Mt 12:50). However, few people, even Christians, receive this promise.

How many people physically hear the Word of God more than once a week? Of those who do, how many welcome God's Word into their hearts? (see Jas 1:21) How many hearers of God's Word are also doers of His Word? (Jas 1:22) Although anyone can at any time be a mother, brother, and sister to Jesus, few are willing to meet the conditions necessary to be in Jesus' immediate family. Don't we think Jesus' promise is true? For centuries, Christians who have taken Jesus up on His promise have not been disappointed, but have known a special kinship with Him. Don't we want to be close to Jesus? Aren't we in love with Him? Don't we believe He literally died for us in love?

Every day, first thing in the morning, read, hear, pray, and do God's Word. You will experience kinship and intimacy with Jesus as He promised.

PRAYER: Jesus, may my relationship with You be closer than any other relationship in my life.

PROMISE: "To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." –Prv 21:3

PRAISE: God gave St. Pio the gift of reading hearts, particularly when hearing Confessions.

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Monday, September 22 2014; Monday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 449

Reading 1
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.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 15:2-3a, 3-bc-4ab, 5

R. (1) 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.
R. The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.
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.
R. The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.

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.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: A LAMP TO THEIR FEET

"No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel basket or under a bed; he puts it on a lampstand so that whoever comes in can see it." –Luke 8:16

I'm sitting before the Blessed Sacrament reposed in the tabernacle. This church is not my parish. I didn't know where the tabernacle was located. So I looked for the burning light inside the sanctuary lamp. Once my eyes located the lamp, I knew where Jesus was. We are called to be like sanctuary lamps. When people see us, they can find Jesus. Like St. John the Baptizer, we can be "the lamp, set aflame and burning bright" (Jn 5:35).

The sanctuary light in this church is not bright at all. It's a rather dim light, in fact. However, the church sanctuary is in semi-darkness, and the light, though dim, is easily spotted by someone looking for it. Therefore, we must not be discouraged if we feel we are not exactly shining stars compared to other believers. Some Christians shine more brightly than others (see 1 Cor 15:41). "What of it? All that matters is that" our shining lives reflect the glory of God as best as possible (Phil 1:18).

People line a street or driveway with candle luminaries to point the way to a party. We must do the same for Jesus. We, His followers, "possess the light of life" (Jn 8:12). Nations can find the Lord by the light of Jesus shining through us (Is 60:1). "Awake, O sleeper, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light" (Eph 5:14). Then let your light shine publicly for the glory of God.

PRAYER: Father, may Your light shine in me to the world so that people may see goodness in my acts and praise You (Mt 5:16).

PROMISE: "To the Lord the perverse man is an abomination, but with the upright is His friendship." –Prv 3:32

PRAISE: When the snowstorm hit, Carol was a witness to all who saw her walking to Church as usual, despite inclement weather.

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Sunday, September 21 2014; Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 133

Reading 1
is 55:6-9

Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18

R/ (18a) The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R/ The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R/ The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R/ The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

Reading 2
phil 1:20c-24, 27a

Brothers and sisters:
Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 
For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. 
If I go on living in the flesh,
that means fruitful labor for me. 
And I do not know which I shall choose. 
I am caught between the two. 
I long to depart this life and be with Christ,
for that is far better. 
Yet that I remain in the flesh
is more necessary for your benefit.

Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Gospel
mt 20:1-16a

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. 
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard. 
Going out about nine o’clock,
the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
So they went off. 
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o’clock, and did likewise. 
Going out about five o’clock,
the landowner found others standing around, and said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
When those who had started about five o’clock came,
each received the usual daily wage. 
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage. 
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
‘These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply,
‘My friend, I am not cheating you. 
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 
Take what is yours and go. 
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? 
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? 
Are you envious because I am generous?’
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: SLAVE LABOR

"The reign of God is like the case of the owner of an estate who went out at dawn to hire workmen for his vineyard." –Matthew 20:1

The Lord said: "The harvest is good but laborers are scarce" (Mt 9:37). This is an unusual statement because in our times hundreds of people apply for one job. Moreover, the harvest is the best time to work. Harvesting is more appealing then plowing, planting, fertilizing, or weeding. Finally, you would think that everybody would want to work for the Lord because He pays you a fair wage and sometimes even gives a full day's pay for only a few hours or minutes of work (see Mt 20:9). So, if working for the Lord is a good job with good pay, why are the workers few?

If we work for the Lord, we usually start off just doing a few odd jobs for Him. Then He asks us to work full-time. Next, He wants us to be always "on call." Finally, the Lord asks us to freely decide to be His slaves. This means that we no longer have our own lives (Gal 2:20) or do our own will (see Mt 26:39). As slaves of Christ (see Col 3:24), we get no pay and no time off. Many people only want a part-time job for the Lord. They wish He didn't ask them to be His slaves.

However, to be Jesus' slave is a privilege, the greatest thing a human being can be or do. To be Jesus' slave is the way to express our total love for Him. Furthermore, it is the only way to prevent ourselves from being forced into degrading, dehumanizing slavery to the world (see Rm 6:16). Nevertheless, many people don't understand or believe this, so there are few workers in God's harvest. However, we can walk and work by faith (see 2 Cor 5:7), go all the way with Jesus, and become His slaves. Do it.

PRAYER: Jesus, thank You for becoming a Slave for love of me (Phil 2:7). May I respond accordingly.

PROMISE: "To me, 'life' means Christ; hence dying is so much gain." –Phil 1:21

PRAISE: Praise to You, Lord Jesus risen from the dead! Alleluia!

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Saturday, September 20 2014; Memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs

Lectionary: 448

Reading 1
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.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 56:10c-12, 13-14

R. (14) 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?

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

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.

R. I will walk in the presence of 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.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: THE MIRACLE OF A HUNDREDFOLD

"But some fell on good soil, grew up, and yielded grain a hundredfold." –Luke 8:8

The Lord promises we can receive His Word to bear fruit a hundredfold. This is like saying a thousand dollars will turn into one hundred thousand dollars, which is an astronomical increase. Most Christians believe God's Word will help, bless, teach, and even heal them, but few expect the hundredfold harvest.

If we took seriously the Lord's promise of a hundredfold, we would:

tremble in prayer as we open the Bible,kiss the Bible before opening it,pay double our Bible preachers and teachers (1 Tm 5:17),insist our pastors preach much longer,never miss our daily Bible reading,go to church more often than Sunday,daily read the Bible with our children and spouse, andencourage our children to seriously consider a life-time ministry of preaching or teaching God's Word.

When we expect the hundredfold harvest of the Word, our entire lives are transformed. We receive the Word not as the word of man but of God (1 Thes 2:13), "humbly welcome" it (Jas 1:21), and "act on this word" (Jas 1:22).

PRAYER: Lord, may Your Word burn in my heart (Lk 24:32).

PROMISE: "Just as we resemble the man from earth, so shall we bear the likeness of the Man from heaven." –1 Cor 15:49

PRAISE: The Korean Martyrs, some merely catechumens, give witness throughout the ages to the "immeasurable scope of [God's] power in us who believe" (Eph 1:19).

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Friday, September 19 2014; Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 447

Reading 1
1 cor 15:12-20

Brothers and sisters:
If Christ is preached as raised from the dead,
how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?
If there is no resurrection of the dead,
then neither has Christ been raised.
And if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching;
empty, too, your faith.
Then we are also false witnesses to God,
because we testified against God that he raised Christ,
whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised.
For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised,
and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain;
you are still in your sins.
Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If for this life only we have hoped in Christ,
we are the most pitiable people of all.

But now Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 17:1bcd, 6-7, 8b and 15

R. (15b) Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

Hear, O LORD, a just suit;
attend to my outcry;
hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit. 

R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; 
incline your ear to me; hear my word.
Show your wondrous mercies,
O savior of those who flee 
from their foes to refuge at your right hand.

R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

Hide me in the shadow of your wings,
But I in justice shall behold your face;
on waking, I shall be content in your presence.

R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

Gospel
lk 8:1-3

Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others
who provided for them out of their resources.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: RISEN LIFE NOW AND FOREVER

"Christ is now raised from the dead." –1 Corinthians 15:20

We are witnesses for Jesus risen (1 Cor 15:15; Acts 2:32; 3:15; 4:2). The resurrection of Jesus is the heart of the gospel (2 Tm 2:8). "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is void of content and your faith is empty too" (1 Cor 15:14). "If Christ was not raised, your faith is worthless. You are still in your sins, and those who have fallen asleep in Christ are the deadest of the dead. If our hopes in Christ are limited to this life only, we are the most pitiable of men" (1 Cor 15:17-19).

Therefore, we celebrate the risen Christ daily at Mass, by witnessing for Him, and by living radically courageous lives (see 1 Cor 15:30-31). We celebrate Jesus' resurrection weekly by focusing our whole lives on Sunday, the Resurrection Day. We celebrate the risen Christ annually in the fifty days of the Easter season – the fifty-day Sunday, the celebration of celebrations.

Through Baptism, we have been raised in company with Christ (Col 3:1; Eph 2:6). We are the resurrection-people. Rise and shine!

PRAYER: Father, may I think of Jesus' resurrection and mine several times a day. May this fill me with hope (1 Pt 1:3).

PROMISE: Jesus "journeyed through towns and villages preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve accompanied Him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and maladies." –Lk 8:1-2

PRAISE: When St. Januarius and his two companions were thrown into the arena to be devoured by wild beasts, the animals wouldn't touch them, as the Lord protected them.

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Thursday, September 18 2014; Thursday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 446

Reading 1
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.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 118:1b-2, 16ab-17, 28

R. (1) 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.”

R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

“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.

R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

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

R. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

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.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: I "YAM" OR I AM?

"By God's favor I am what I am." –1 Corinthians 15:10

The old cartoon character, Popeye, used to flex his muscles, eat spinach, and say: "I yam what I yam. I'm Popeye, the sailor man." Popeye was quoting the Bible in the first part of this statement. Paul also said: "I am what I am" (1 Cor 15:10), but he didn't add: "I'm Paul, the sailor man." His addition was: "By God's favor I am what I am."

Christians base their identity on God's grace. Our relationship with Jesus, not our job, is the essence of a Christian's identity. Our self-image is not primarily based on our looks or our muscles, as was Popeye's. As followers of Christ, we see our bodies as temples of the Spirit (1 Cor 6:19), not as expressions of our ego, pride, and vanity. Christians base their identity on eating Jesus' flesh and drinking His blood, on receiving Him in Holy Communion (Jn 6:55). Christians are in Christ. We say: "I am what I am" because Jesus is the great I AM (see Jn 8:58).

PRAYER: Father, give me the mind of Christ, not my own mind or the mind of the world (1 Cor 2:16).

PROMISE: "I tell you, that is why her many sins are forgiven – because of her great love. Little is forgiven the one whose love is small." –Lk 7:47

PRAISE: Joan gave her eating habits to the Lord and was filled spiritually.

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Wednesday, September 17 2014; Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 445

Reading 1
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.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22

R. (12) 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.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

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.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

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.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Gospel
lk 7:31-35

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.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: DO YOU LOVE?

"If I give everything I have to feed the poor and hand over my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." –1 Corinthians 13:3

Without love, even the best things in your life mean nothing. Therefore, the most important questions in the world are: Do you love the Lord with all your heart and soul? (Lk 10:27) Do you love your neighbor as yourself? (Lk 10:27) Do you love your brothers and sisters in Christ? (1 Jn 4:7) Do you love your enemies? (Lk 6:27, 35) Are you growing in love?

To answer these questions, we must know the meaning of love. "The way we came to understand love was that [Jesus] laid down His life for us; we too must lay down our lives for our brothers" and sisters (1 Jn 3:16). Love is not a feeling or an experience; rather, it is a commitment to be faithful to others even if we must die for them. Love is long-suffering and bearing others' burdens (see 1 Cor 13:4). It is not jealous, proud, and selfish; it is forgiving (see 1 Cor 13:5). The perfect picture of love is Jesus hanging on the cross. "There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life" (Jn 15:13). "It is precisely in this that God proves His love for us" (Rm 5:8).

To love authentically, more deeply, and even completely (see 1 Jn 4:12, 17, 18), we must become purified. We are purified by obedience, especially by obeying the Lord in being faithful and true to the people He puts in our lives (1 Pt 1:22).

"God is Love" (1 Jn 4:8, 16). Live in love (Jn 15:9-10).

PRAYER: Father, may love displace fear in my life (1 Jn 4:18).

PROMISE: "Love never fails." –1 Cor 13:8

PRAISE: St. Robert was the great nephew of Pope Marcellus II and spiritual father of St. Aloysius Gonzaga. Brilliant in Church teaching, Robert found his faith in the person of Jesus Christ.

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Tuesday, September 16 2014; Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

Lectionary: 444

Reading 1
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.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 10:1b-2, 3, 4, 5

R. (3) 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.

R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

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

R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

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

R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

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

R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

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.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

Jesus "stepped forward and touched the litter." –Luke 7:14

According to the law of Moses, Jesus became unclean by touching the dead man (Nm 19:11). Jesus, the Life (Jn 11:25; 14:6), gave to the young man new and abundant life (Jn 10:10). In so doing, Jesus took upon Himself the uncleanness of death (Mt 8:17). However, death has no power over Jesus (Rm 6:9).

Jesus raised the young man by His spoken word. Once Jesus spoke the words, "Young man, I bid you get up," the "dead man sat up" (Lk 7:14, 15). His word is life (Jn 6:63). When Jesus speaks the word, healing and life ensue (Lk 7:7, 10, 14-15).

By sheer mercy, Jesus defeated a situation dominated by death. No one asked Him to intervene, and no faith seemed to be involved. Jesus is Mercy incarnate. Mercy is His very nature, and so Jesus had mercy on the bereaved mother and raised her son from death to life. This foreshadowed His saving death on the cross. No one asked God to send His Son to die for us, and no one even imagined such a thing. He simply looked upon us with mercy and brought life and light into our gloomy existence (Is 9:1).

Once we were dead because of our sins (Eph 2:1). However, "God is rich in mercy; because of His great love for us He brought us to life with Christ when we were dead in sin" (Eph 2:4-5). Alleluia!

PRAYER: Jesus, "You have the words of eternal life" (Jn 6:68). Touch this culture of death and make it stop (Lk 7:14). Speak Your words of life to us and usher in a new civilization of life.

PROMISE: "God has visited His people." –Lk 7:16

PRAISE: St. Cyprian was told in a vision that he would be beheaded in a year, so he listened to the Holy Spirit and wrote an exhortation to those who would be called to suffer martyrdom.

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Monday, September 15 2014; Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

Lectionary: 443/639

Reading 1
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.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17

R. (1 Cor 11:26b) 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.”

R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

“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!”

R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

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

R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

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

R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

Sequence (Optional) - Stabat Mater

At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.

Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,
All his bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had passed.

Oh, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole begotten One!

Christ above in torment hangs,
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying, glorious Son.

Is there one who would not weep,
‘Whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ’s dear Mother to behold?

Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that mother’s pain untold?

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender Child,
All with bloody scourges rent.

For the sins of his own nation
Saw him hang in desolation
Till his spirit forth he sent.

O sweet Mother! font of love,
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with yours accord.

Make me feel as you have felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.

Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.

Let me share with you his pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.

Let me mingle tears with you,
Mourning him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.

By the cross with you to stay,
There with you to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of you to give.

Virgin of all virgins blest!
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share your grief divine.

Let me to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of that dying Son of yours.

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.

or lk 2:33-35

Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
and you yourself a sword will pierce
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: BREAKING OPEN

"This Child is destined to be the Downfall and the Rise of many in Israel, a Sign that will be opposed – and you yourself shall be pierced with a sword." –Luke 2:34-35

When hurt, we naturally close ourselves off to the one who hurt us and even to other people as further protection. When Mary, Jesus' mother, was hurt, she did just the opposite, opening herself up to others even more (e.g. Acts 1:14). Therefore, we picture her with her immaculate heart exposed. In fact, when Mary's heart was pierced with the sword of sorrow, she not only opened her heart but the hearts of others also, so that "the thoughts of many hearts" were laid bare (Lk 2:35).

Mary could do this because she was immaculate, without sin. We also, by repenting of sin, can react to hurt with great openness rather than with the natural reactions of closing up due to unforgiveness, resentment, hatred, anger, manipulation, or fear. A broken heart plus a repentant heart equals an open heart. A broken heart plus a sinful heart equals a hardened, closed heart. A heart broken by hurts is not the end but the beginning of a process. Both the greatest and worst people in the world became what they are because of suffering broken hearts. Our repentance makes the difference between breaking open or closing up.

PRAYER: Father, thank You for what You can do with a broken heart.

PROMISE: "Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered; and when perfected, He became the Source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him." –Heb 5:8-9

PRAISE: Mary, Jesus' mother, was "filled with the Holy Spirit" and "began to express [herself] in foreign tongues" (Acts 1:14; 2:4).

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Sunday, September 14 2014; Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Lectionary: 638

Reading 1
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.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38

R. (see 7b) 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.

R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!

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.

R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!

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.

R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!

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.

R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!

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. 

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: "WHEN I BEHOLD THE WONDROUS CROSS..."

"He humbled Himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross!" –Philippians 2:8

We sing: "When I behold the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride." At the cross, our values change, and we get in touch with reality. At the cross, we humble ourselves. Through the cross, Jesus' name was exalted above every other name (Phil 2:9), and we who believe in the crucified and glorified Jesus share in His exaltation. Those who humble themselves at the cross will be exalted (Mt 23:12).

We sing: "At the cross, at the cross, there's a precious fountain." When we behold the wondrous cross, we receive the living waters of the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:1-2). We are bathed in healing (see Nm 21:9), faith, and eternal life (Jn 3:14-15).

We sing: "Lift high the cross! The love of Christ proclaim." We must know nothing and say nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor 2:2). We must boast of nothing but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through which we have been crucified to the world and the world to us (Gal 6:14).

Each day of the rest of your life, prayerfully look at an image of Jesus on the cross. Let the crucified Jesus speak to your heart. "Behold the wondrous cross."

PRAYER: Father, let me "bear the brand marks of Jesus in my body" (Gal 6:17).

PROMISE: "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him may not die but may have eternal life." –Jn 3:16

PRAISE: "We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world."

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Saturday, September 13 2014; Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Lectionary: 442

Reading 1
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?

Responsorial Psalm
ps 116:12-13, 17-18

R. (17) 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.

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

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.

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

Gospel
lk 6:43-49

Jesus said to his disciples:
“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command?
I will show you what someone is like who comes to me,
listens to my words, and acts on them.
That one is like a man building a house,
who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock;
when the flood came, the river burst against that house
but could not shake it because it had been well built.
But the one who listens and does not act
is like a person who built a house on the ground
without a foundation.
When the river burst against it,
it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: "ONE BREAD, ONE BODY"

"Because the loaf of bread is one, we, many though we are, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf." –1 Corinthians 10:17

The title of these booklets is taken from the above Scripture. Because we share in the one bread of Holy Communion, we are one body. If we are one as Jesus and the Father are one, then the world will believe that the Father sent the Son (Jn 17:21), God's plan of salvation will be fulfilled, and God's kingdom will have come "on earth as it is in heaven."

Our unity is absolutely essential. Jesus came to break down the barriers and make the two into one (Eph 2:14). In one Spirit, all of us have been baptized into one body (1 Cor 12:13). It is not only "good" and "pleasant, where brethren dwell at one" (Ps 133:1), it's an absolute necessity. For example, it is not just "good" for your hands to be connected to the other parts of your body; it is a "must."

Because unity is a necessity, partaking of the one bread, that is, Communion, is a necessity. This booklet is written to motivate us to receive Holy Communion daily. If done in the right spirit, this is among the most important acts of faith we can make in the Christian life.

PRAYER: Jesus, at this moment, may hundreds decide to receive Holy Communion daily.

PROMISE: "Each man speaks from his heart's abundance. Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not put into practice what I teach you?" –Lk 6:45-46

PRAISE: St. John preached the Truth even to a heretic patriarch and empress. He was exiled twice for his public stand for holiness.

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Friday, September 12 2014; Friday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 441

Reading 1
1 cor 9:16-19, 22b-27

Brothers and sisters:
If I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,
for an obligation has been imposed on me,
and woe to me if I do not preach it!
If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,
but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
What then is my recompense?
That, when I preach, I offer the Gospel free of charge
so as not to make full use of my right in the Gospel.

Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the Gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.

Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race,
but only one wins the prize?
Run so as to win.
Every athlete exercises discipline in every way.
They do it to win a perishable crown,
but we an imperishable one.
Thus I do not run aimlessly;
I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing.
No, I drive my body and train it,
for fear that, after having preached to others,
I myself should be disqualified.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 84:3, 4, 5-6, 12

R. (2) How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

My soul yearns and pines 
for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young—
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my king and my God!

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage.

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

For a sun and a shield is the LORD God;
grace and glory he bestows;
The LORD withholds no good thing
from those who walk in sincerity. 

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Gospel
lk 6:39-42

Jesus told his disciples a parable:
“Can a blind person guide a blind person?
Will not both fall into a pit?
No disciple is superior to the teacher;
but when fully trained,
every disciple will be like his teacher.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?
How can you say to your brother,
‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’
when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?
You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: BLIND AS A BAT IN HELL

"Can a blind man act as guide to a blind man? Will they not both fall into a ditch?" –Luke 6:39

Because we all have inherited a nature fallen due to sin, we all have been or are partially blind spiritually. This applies to Christian leaders as well; therefore, the spiritually blind frequently lead the spiritually blind. Before our redemption by Christ, there was no other possibility. Before Christ, we were doomed to fall into the ditch of slavery, self-hatred, damnation, and hell. Before Christ, we were doomed to lead even the people we most love into the ditch of terrifying, everlasting self-destruction.

Jesus has saved us from spiritual blindness, from the ditch of hell, and from destroying forever even those we love. Because of what Jesus has done for us, we should:

thank Him always (1 Thes 5:18; Eph 5:20),accept His grace to overcome all temptations to sin and thereby never return to blindness,preach the gospel (1 Cor 9:16),make ourselves the slaves "of all so as to win over as many as possible" (1 Cor 9:19),do all that we "do for the sake of the gospel" (1 Cor 9:23), anddiscipline our bodies and master them so that we will persevere in the faith (1 Cor 9:27) and reach even the hardest hearts.

Jesus has saved us from a fate far worse than death. Thank You, Jesus!

PRAYER: Father, I will share my faith because people's everlasting life depends on it.

PROMISE: "Remove the plank from your own eye first; then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye." –Lk 6:42

PRAISE: Praise You, Holy Spirit, for overshadowing Mary, Your Spouse (Lk 1:35). "Nothing is impossible with" You (Lk 1:37).

Be an inspiration, kindly Share.