Monday, September 19 2016 Monday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

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, 3bc-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.

Alleluia Mt 5:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let your light shine before others, 
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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 

PRIVILEGED POSITION

"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

Jesus commanded us to put His light on the lampstand and proclaim the gospel to the whole world (Lk 8:16). He also said His Word would get out to people even if we failed to proclaim it. "There is nothing hidden that will not be exposed, nothing concealed that will not be known and brought to light" (Lk 8:17).

Jesus can do the job without us. He calls us not so much because He needs us but because we need Him. Evangelization is more than our obligation; it's our privilege. What greater honor is there than to serve God Himself! With the psalmist, we should pray: "I had rather one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked" (Ps 84:11).

When we serve and pray, work and suffer for the Lord, we have done Him no favor. He has favored us by letting us be part of His kingdom. "When you have done all you have been commanded to do, say, 'We are useless servants. We have done no more than our duty' " (Lk 17:10). Thank the Lord for the privilege of living and dying for Him.

PRAYER:	Jesus, why did You die for me? Am I really worth that much to You? I love You.
PROMISE:	"When He is dealing with the arrogant, He is stern, but to the humble He shows kindness." –Prv 3:34
PRAISE:	St. Januarius was martyred about 305 A.D. The blood that he shed for the love of Jesus is still a sign of God's great power.

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Sunday, September 18 2016 Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Am 8:4-7

Hear this, you who trample upon the needy
and destroy the poor of the land!
“When will the new moon be over,” you ask,
“that we may sell our grain,
and the sabbath, that we may display the wheat?
We will diminish the ephah,
add to the shekel,
and fix our scales for cheating!
We will buy the lowly for silver,
and the poor for a pair of sandals;
even the refuse of the wheat we will sell!”
The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
Never will I forget a thing they have done!

Responsorial Psalm Ps 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8

R. (cf. 1a, 7b) Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor
to seat them with princes,
with the princes of his own people.
R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 1 Tm 2:1-8

Beloved:
First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers,
petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone,
for kings and for all in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life
in all devotion and dignity. 
This is good and pleasing to God our savior,
who wills everyone to be saved
and to come to knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God.
There is also one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus,
who gave himself as ransom for all.
This was the testimony at the proper time. 
For this I was appointed preacher and apostle
— I am speaking the truth, I am not lying —,
teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray,
lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.

Alleluia Cf. 2 Cor 8:9

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Though our Lord Jesus Christ was rich, he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 16:1-13

Jesus said to his disciples,
“A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him for squandering his property. 
He summoned him and said,
‘What is this I hear about you? 
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.’
The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do,
now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? 
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. 
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.’
He called in his master’s debtors one by one. 
To the first he said,
‘How much do you owe my master?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. 
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’
Then to another the steward said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’
He replied, ‘One hundred kors of wheat.’
The steward said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.’
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
“For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than are the children of light. 
I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,
so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters
is also trustworthy in great ones;
and the person who is dishonest in very small matters
is also dishonest in great ones. 
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,
who will trust you with true wealth? 
If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is yours? 
No servant can serve two masters. 
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other. 
You cannot serve both God and mammon.”

Or Lk 16:10-13

Jesus said to his disciples:
“The person who is trustworthy in very small matters
is also trustworthy in great ones;
and the person who is dishonest in very small matters
is also dishonest in great ones. 
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,
who will trust you with true wealth? 
If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is yours? 
No servant can serve two masters. 
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other. 
You cannot serve both God and mammon.”

REFLECTION 

ARE YOU SAVED?

"Prayer of this kind is good, and God our Savior is pleased with it, for He wants all men to be saved." –1 Timothy 2:3-4

The Lord wants us to pray that the world be governed so as to promote the best conditions for accepting His salvation. He wants all to be saved. He even became a human being and died on the cross so that all could be saved. "The grace of God has appeared, offering salvation to all" (Ti 2:11).

What must we do to be saved fromsin, Satan, hell, slavery, self-hatred, and darkness? What must we do to be saved for love, evangelization, peace, Christian community, freedom, victory, and everlasting life? We must believe in the Lord Jesus (Acts 16:31). Then we and all our households will be saved (Acts 16:31). We are saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8). The Lord "saved us; not because of any righteous deeds we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the baptism of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit He lavished on us through Jesus Christ our Savior" (Ti 3:5-6).

Renew your Baptism. Repent and go to Confession. Live by faith. Be saved. Love the Savior and live for Jesus, Whose name means "Yahweh saves."

PRAYER:	Father, thank You for Your saving grace and for the Savior, Jesus. I adore You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
PROMISE:	"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other or be attentive to the one and despise the other. You cannot give yourself to God and money." –Lk 16:13
PRAISE:	Praise Jesus, our Redeemer Who lives! Praise Jesus, our Savior, Lord, and God Almighty. Alleluia!

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Saturday, September 17 2016 Saturday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

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.

Alleluia See Lk 8:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart 
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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 

WORD WORK

"This is the meaning of the parable...hear the word in a spirit of openness, retain it, and bear fruit through perseverance." –Luke 8:11, 15

Ground is valued by its fertility, that is, how productive and fruitful it is. Jesus tells us exactly how to bear fruit: 

1. "Hear the word in a spirit of openness" (Lk 8:15). To hear the Word of God, we must eliminate any background noise. We must cultivate a spirit of openness. Just like a farmer turns over the ground by plowing it, so we turn our lives upside down – make any changes necessary – so the seed of God's Word can sink deep into our hearts. 
2. "Retain it" (Lk 8:15). A gardener retains the seed in the soil by burying the seed with a covering of dirt. In this way, the wind can't blow it away and birds can't eat it. Likewise, we hide the Word in our hearts (Ps 119:11, KJV), treasuring it and refusing to let it go. We meditate on it always (Ps 1:2) and make it part of our very being. 
3. "Bear fruit through perseverance" (Lk 8:15). We do not bear the fruit; God's Word does that. However, we must persevere in cooperating with the Holy Spirit in dispensing His Word (Mt 24:45), teaching it, and overcoming our tendencies to slack off from sharing His Word. 

Let's work hard to be rich ground for Jesus. "If we do not relax our efforts, in due time we shall reap our harvest" (Gal 6:9).

PRAYER:	Father, may I act in a manner appropriate for one who has heard the Word of Almighty God today.
PROMISE:	"To you the mysteries of the reign of God have been confided." –Lk 8:10
PRAISE:	Finding opposition on all sides, St. Robert worked tirelessly to spread truth. His prayerfulness, humility, and charity marked him as a saint.

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Friday, September 16 2016 Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

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.

Alleluia See Mt 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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 

LIVING THE CHANGE

"We should then be exposed as false witnesses of God." –1 Corinthians 15:15

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the central event in our faith. Our response to Jesus' Resurrection makes a total difference in the world around us. If we do not live as a risen people, living a risen life to the full (Jn 10:10), whose entire existence is transformed, then we look no different from those in the world.

Satan couldn't stop Jesus from rising from the dead. So now Satan and his demons are reduced to trying to stop people from living the risen life in Christ. If he can get them to stop living "the radical newness of [their] Christian life that comes from Baptism" (Lay Members of Christ's Faithful People, 10, Pope St. John Paul II), Satan has accomplished much of his objective. When Christians live a listless, faithless life, the world sees that resurrection makes no practical difference and decides that this life is all there is.

However, when we Christians allow the Resurrection of Jesus to pierce our hearts, encounter the risen Jesus, receive the Holy Spirit, and change our lifestyles to be risen, the change cannot be hidden. The world may not believe, but they will not be able to miss the joy and the changes. In Jesus, we renounce extra-marital sex, greed for money, and sinful pleasures. We radiate joy, love, peace, and courage. The world will come to believe if we live like we believe in Jesus risen.

PRAYER:	Father, may I "rate all as loss in the light of the surpassing knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ" (Phil 3:8).
PROMISE:	"As it is, Christ is now raised from the dead." –1 Cor 15:20
PRAISE:	Once opposed for his teaching, St. Cornelius preached that repentant sinners should be re-instated in the Sacraments.

Thursday, September 15 2016 Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

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.

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.

Wounded with his every wound,
Steep my soul till it has swooned
In his very Blood away.

Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die,
In his awful judgment day.

Christ, when you shall call me hence,
Be your Mother my defense,
Be your cross my victory.

While my body here decays,
May my soul your goodness praise,
Safe in heaven eternally.
Amen. (Alleluia)

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary; 
without dying you won the martyr’s crown 
beneath the Cross of the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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.

Gospel 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 

OUR LADY OF FORGIVENESS

"Near the cross of Jesus there stood His mother." –John 19:25

Because Mary is honored as our Lady of Sorrows, she is our Lady of Forgiveness. She forgave the innkeeper who refused to give her a room in which to have her Baby and forced her to give birth in a stable (Lk 2:7).

Our Lady of Sorrows forgave Herod for attempting to kill her Baby and forcing her and her family to flee to Egypt in the middle of the night (Mt 2:13-14).

Mary forgave Joseph for his sins. Everyone in the Holy Family was sinless except for Joseph. Mary, like many wives, might have felt that the family problems were always Joseph's fault. In her case, she would have been right.

Our Lady of Sorrows forgave her relatives for rejecting Jesus and saying He was out of His mind (Mk 3:21).

Mary forgave Jesus' apostles for abandoning Him, Peter for denying Him three times, and Judas for selling and betraying Jesus. Mary forgave Pontius Pilate and the religious leaders who hated Jesus and had Him crucified.

As she stood at the foot of the cross, Our Lady of Sorrows forgave the bad thief and those who mocked Jesus as He hung in agony. Our Lady of Sorrows has forgiven us for being accomplices to Jesus' death through our sins.

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.

PRAYER:	Lord Jesus, mercy!
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:	"At the cross her station keeping. Stood the mournful Mother weeping. Close to Jesus to the last."

Wednesday, September 14 2016 Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

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.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,
because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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 

"NEAR THE CROSS, NEAR THE CROSS"

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

"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." This traditional hymn simply says that when we look at the cross, we can change dramatically.

"They shall look on Him Whom they have pierced" (Jn 19:37). "The centurion who stood guard over Him, on seeing the manner of His death, declared, 'Clearly this Man was the Son of God!' " (Mk 15:39) When we see Jesus lifted up on the cross, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, we are drawn to believe and "have eternal life in Him" (Jn 3:14-15; 12:32). Paul transformed the most hardened hearts by speaking "of nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Cor 2:2). He proclaimed the gospel by displaying before the eyes of all Jesus Christ upon the cross (Gal 3:1).

Would you prayerfully consider looking for ten seconds daily at a representation of Jesus on the cross? This prayer in action will be the occasion for Jesus transforming you into a new person. You will proclaim with Paul: "May I never boast of anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through it, the world has been crucified to me and I to the world" (Gal 6:14).

PRAYER:	Jesus, may I always consciously live in the shadow of Your cross.
PROMISE:	"It was thus that He humbled Himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross! Because of this, God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name above every other name." –Phil 2:8-9
PRAISE:	"We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You, because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world."

Tuesday, September 13 2016 Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

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 100:1b-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.

Alleluia Lk 7:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst 
and God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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 

SEEK THE GIFTS

"God has set up in the Church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracle workers, healers, assistants, administrators, and those who speak in tongues." –1 Corinthians 12:28

Jesus "ascended high above the heavens, that He might fill all men with His gifts" (Eph 4:10). He commands us to set our hearts on spiritual gifts (1 Cor 14:1), especially on the greater gifts (1 Cor 12:31), "those that build up the Church" (1 Cor 14:12). The Lord does not want us to be ignorant of spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:1). Consequently, the Father and the Son have sent the Holy Spirit not only to give us gifts, but also to help "us to recognize the gifts He has given us" (1 Cor 2:12).

In summary, 

1. each Christian has several gifts of the Spirit, 
2. we must recognize, use, and develop these gifts, 
3. we need the benefits of all the gifts of the Spirit, and 
4. therefore, we must seek out and be open to the ministry of other Christians as they use their spiritual gifts. 

This is what it means to set our hearts on spiritual gifts. We should pray that we will recognize and use all our spiritual gifts. That even one spiritual gift in one Christian be undeveloped is a significant loss for the Church and the world. Furthermore, we should pray that the Lord open our eyes to see those around us gifted by the Spirit. Many of these Christians are not strongly developed in the use of their spiritual gifts, but they have such a treasure within them (see 2 Cor 4:7), if we can only appreciate it. Seek the gifts in yourself and in the Church.

PRAYER:	Holy Spirit, may I not waste in any way the gifts You gave me in Baptism and Confirmation.
PROMISE:	Jesus "said, 'Young man, I bid you get up.' The dead man sat up and began to speak." –Lk 7:14-15
PRAISE:	St. John Chrysostom used his gift of oration to build up the Church.

Monday, September 12 2016 Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

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.

Alleluia Jn 3:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 7:1-10

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

REFLECTION 

PAINFUL UNITY

"There may even have to be factions among you for the tried and true to stand out clearly." –1 Corinthians 11:19

Jesus prays at this moment that we may be one as He and the Father are One (Jn 17:21). However, this unity must come about through conversion and not by compromising basic truths. Jesus is not praying for the lowest-common-denominator unity of a watered-down gospel. Rather, He prays for a Trinitarian unity which comes from deep repentance and radical transformation.

To help us grow into this kind of unity, Jesus often brings division (Lk 12:51). Most of the time this cannot be avoided. For example, if a pastor seriously wants to renew his parish, he usually must resign himself to parishioners leaving, greater division in the parish, and persecution. If parents want to see their children united under Jesus' lordship, they will probably experience greater conflict and alienation from some of their children for a time. The way to unity in church, marriage, family, etc., is the way of the cross – painful division and persecution endured through unconditional love. On Calvary, Jesus paid the price for unity; now He prays for us to make our contribution. Will you pay the painful price?

PRAYER:	Father, may I want unity more than I want my own way and my personal comfort.
PROMISE:	"Just give the order and my servant will be cured." –Lk 7:7
PRAISE:	"The Almighty has done great things for me and holy is His Name!" (see Lk 1:49)

Sunday, September 11 2016 Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Ex 32:7-11, 13-14

The LORD said to Moses,
“Go down at once to your people,
whom you brought out of the land of Egypt,
for they have become depraved. 
They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them,
making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it,
sacrificing to it and crying out,
‘This is your God, O Israel,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’
“I see how stiff-necked this people is, ” continued the LORD to Moses.
Let me alone, then,
that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them. 
Then I will make of you a great nation.”

But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying,
“Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people,
whom you brought out of the land of Egypt
with such great power and with so strong a hand? 
Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
and how you swore to them by your own self, saying,
‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky;
and all this land that I promised,
I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.’” 
So the LORD relented in the punishment
he had threatened to inflict on his people.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19

R. (Lk 15:18) I will rise and go to my father.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. I will rise and go to my father.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. I will rise and go to my father.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. I will rise and go to my father.

Reading 2 1 Tm 1:12-17

Beloved:
I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord,
because he considered me trustworthy
in appointing me to the ministry. 
I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant,
but I have been mercifully treated
because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief. 
Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant,
along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 
This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 
Of these I am the foremost. 
But for that reason I was mercifully treated,
so that in me, as the foremost,
Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example
for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life. 
To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia 2 Cor 5:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 15:1-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 
So to them he addressed this parable.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.

“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors
and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”

Then he said, 
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them. 
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. 
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need. 
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. 
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger. 
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father. 
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him,
and was filled with compassion. 
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. 
His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. 
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began. 
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing. 
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. 
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him. 
He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns,
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours. 
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.’”

Or Lk 15:1-10

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 
So to them he addressed this parable.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.

“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors
and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”

REFLECTION

LONGING TO BELONG

"Why, O Lord, should Your wrath blaze up against Your own people?" –Exodus 32:11

After the Israelites sinned by adoring the golden calf, the Lord gave Moses the impression that the people belonged to Moses, not Him (Ex 32:7). Moses implored the Lord and referred to the people as belonging to the Lord (Ex 32:11).

The prodigal son felt that he no longer belonged in his father's family after what he had done (Lk 15:18, 21). His older brother agreed with him (see Lk 15:30). However, the prodigal son's father would hear none of this. He spoke of the prodigal son as "this son of mine" (Lk 15:24).

"Once you were no people, but now you are God's people" (1 Pt 2:10). We belong to God (Rm 14:8). We are a people peculiarly His own (Dt 26:18). He created and redeemed us. "You are not your own. You have been purchased, and at a price" (1 Cor 6:19-20). We are doubly owned by God.

Acknowledge that you belong to God. Rejoice to be owned by the all-powerful Creator and the all-loving Redeemer. Every day, pray and say with Paul: "I have been crucified with Christ, and the life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me" (Gal 2:19-20). You belong to Him alone.

PRAYER:	Father, may I know to Whom I belong and therefore where I belong.
PROMISE:	"But we had to celebrate and rejoice! This brother of yours was dead, and has come back to life. He was lost, and is found." –Lk 15:32
PRAISE:	Praise Jesus, Who died so that we may live. Glory, honor, and might be to our God forever!

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