Tuesday, October 7 2014; Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

Lectionary: 462

Reading 1
gal 1:13-24

Brothers and sisters:
You heard of my former way of life in Judaism,
how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure
and tried to destroy it, 
and progressed in Judaism
beyond many of my contemporaries among my race,
since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions.
But when he, who from my mother’s womb had set me apart
and called me through his grace,
was pleased to reveal his Son to me,
so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles,
I did not immediately consult flesh and blood,
nor did I go up to Jerusalem
to those who were Apostles before me;
rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas
and remained with him for fifteen days.
But I did not see any other of the Apostles,
only James the brother of the Lord.
(As to what I am writing to you, behold,
before God, I am not lying.)
Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
And I was unknown personally to the churches of Judea
that are in Christ;
they only kept hearing that “the one who once was persecuting us
is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
So they glorified God because of me.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15

R. (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Gospel
lk 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village 
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. 
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? 
Tell her to help me.” 
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. 
There is need of only one thing. 
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: PRAYER: THE FIRST, NOT THE LAST, RESORT

"Mary has chosen the good portion, and she shall not be deprived of it." –Luke 10:42, our transl.

Every Martha needs to have been and continue to be a Mary. We need to work for the Lord with all our heart, but we need to pray first. Before we work, doesn't it make sense to listen to the One Whose love motivates us to work? (see Lk 10:39; 2 Cor 5:14) Before we do something, shouldn't we get instructions from the Lord Who tells us what to do? It's true that we shouldn't just sit there; rather, we should be doing something. However, we shouldn't just aimlessly do something, but rather first sit there in prayer.

Before Jesus began His public ministry, He fasted and prayed for forty days (Mt 4:2). Before Jesus started His day's work, He first prayed (Mk 1:35). Before Jesus died on the cross for our salvation, He prayed an hour in the garden of Gethsemani (Mt 26:36ff). Before the early Church began to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth, she prayed for nine days in the upper room (Acts 1:14). Before Paul began working harder than all the other apostles (1 Cor 15:10), he spent three years in Arabia and Damascus, most likely seeking God's direction in prayer (Gal 1:17-18). Work hard, but pray first, pray on, and pray always (Lk 18:1).

PRAYER: Jesus, teach me to pray first and always (Lk 11:1).

PROMISE: "He who was formerly persecuting us is now preaching the faith he tried to destroy." –Gal 1:23

PRAISE: Michelle attended church purely out of obligation. A priest gave her a rosary. While watching TV, she decided to pray it. Jesus touched her heart. She now attends Mass frequently and prays the rosary daily. Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.

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Monday, October 6 2014; Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 461

Reading 1
gal 1:6-12

Brothers and sisters:
I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking
the one who called you by the grace of Christ
for a different gospel (not that there is another).
But there are some who are disturbing you
and wish to pervert the Gospel of Christ.
But even if we or an angel from heaven
should preach to you a gospel 
other than the one that we preached to you,
let that one be accursed!
As we have said before, and now I say again,
if anyone preaches to you a gospel
other than the one that you received,
let that one be accursed!

Am I now currying favor with human beings or God?
Or am I seeking to please people?
If I were still trying to please people,
I would not be a slave of Christ.

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters,
that the Gospel preached by me is not of human origin.
For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it,
but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 111:1b-2, 7-8, 9 and 10c

R. (5) The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or: 
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or: 
R. Alleluia.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or: 
R. Alleluia.
He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
His praise endures forever.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or: 
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
lk 10:25-37

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law?
How do you read it?”
He said in reply,
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself.”
He replied to him, “You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live.”

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, 
“And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied, 
“A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
‘Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.’
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”
He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: GOOD NEIGHBORS ARE MERCIFUL

" 'Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the man who fell in with the robbers?' The answer came, 'The one who treated him with mercy.' " –Luke 10:36-37, our transl.

A lawyer of the Mosaic law questioned Jesus: "Teacher, what must I do to inherit everlasting life?" (Lk 10:25) Jesus referred the lawyer to the law (Lk 10:26). Then the lawyer asked Jesus for an interpretation of the law concerning the meaning of the word "neighbor" (Lk 10:29).

Jesus did not interpret the law by citing other laws, as would have been customary. Rather, He interpreted the law by telling a parable. The priest and the Levite in the parable were faced with an interpretation of the law. The law stated that no priest "shall make himself unclean for any dead person among his people" (Lv 21:1). This would probably also apply to the Levites because they served in the Temple. Since the person attacked by robbers in the parable was "half-dead" (Lk 10:30), may have looked dead, or may have been close to death, the priest and the Levite had to decide if the law of having mercy on the afflicted (see Lv 19:16) took precedence over the law of ritual cleanness. They decided that ritual cleanness took precedence. Jesus said they were wrong. As much as God desires sacrifice and the ritual cleanness that must accompany sacrifice, He desires mercy even more (Mt 12:7) – mercy for all people. This means everyone is our neighbor.

We deal with the same issue today as we struggle to put mercy ahead of judgment (Jas 2:13), especially concerning capital punishment and war. If we don't have mercy toward everyone, even enemies such as the Samaritans, then is everyone our neighbor? "Blessed are the merciful" (Mt 5:7, our transl.).

PRAYER: Father, may I make no exceptions to the commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mt 22:39).

PROMISE: "If I were trying to win man's approval, I would surely not be serving Christ!" –Gal 1:10

PRAISE: Mike has fasted weekly for years to end abortion.

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Sunday, October 5 2014; Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 139

Reading 1
is 5:1-7

Let me now sing of my friend,
my friend's song concerning his vineyard.
My friend had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside;
he spaded it, cleared it of stones,
and planted the choicest vines;
within it he built a watchtower,
and hewed out a wine press.
Then he looked for the crop of grapes,
but what it yielded was wild grapes.

Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard:
What more was there to do for my vineyard
that I had not done?
Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes,
did it bring forth wild grapes?
Now, I will let you know
what I mean to do with my vineyard:
take away its hedge, give it to grazing,
break through its wall, let it be trampled!
Yes, I will make it a ruin:
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
but overgrown with thorns and briers;
I will command the clouds
not to send rain upon it.
The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah are his cherished plant;
he looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed!
for justice, but hark, the outcry!

Responsorial Psalm
ps 80:9, 12, 13-14, 15-16, 19-20

R/ (Is 5:7a) The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
A vine from Egypt you transplanted;
you drove away the nations and planted it.
It put forth its foliage to the Sea,
its shoots as far as the River.
R/ The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Why have you broken down its walls,
so that every passer-by plucks its fruit,
The boar from the forest lays it waste,
and the beasts of the field feed upon it?
R/ The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R/ The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
O LORD, God of hosts, restore us;
if your face shine upon us, then we shall be saved.
R/ The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

Reading 2
phil 4:6-9

Brothers and sisters:
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you.

Gospel
mt 21:33-43

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
"Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. 
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. 
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned. 
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way. 
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking,
'They will respect my son.'
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him,
"He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times." 
Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit."

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: GRAPES OF WRATH?

"We will no more withdraw from You; give us new life." –Psalm 80:19

The owner of the vineyard gave the tenant farmers several opportunities to give him his share of the grapes (Mt 21:34ff). Likewise, the Lord has given us several opportunities to die to ourselves and bear fruit for Him (see Jn 12:24).

The owner of the vineyard eventually had to punish the tenant farmers. Because they did not give him the fruit of his vineyard, he gave them the fruit of their rebellion, that is, the wages of sin which is death (Rm 6:23). Likewise, the Lord will let us punish, destroy, and damn ourselves if we refuse to repent of our sins.

The owner of the vineyard sent his son to the tenant farmers. This was their last chance. Likewise, God the Father, the Vinegrower, sent us His Son, the Vine (Jn 15:1, 5). Jesus promised that those who live in Him and He in them will produce fruit abundantly (Jn 15:5). Otherwise, they will be "thrown in the fire and burnt" (Jn 15:6).

Repent! Believe in Jesus! Bear fruit for Him or die the second death (see Rv 2:11).

PRAYER: "Once again, O Lord of hosts, look down from heaven, and see; take care of this vine, and protect what Your right hand has planted" (Ps 80:15-16).

PROMISE: "Finally, my brothers, your thoughts should be wholly directed to all that is true, all that deserves respect, all that is honest, pure, admirable, decent, virtuous, or worthy of praise." –Phil 4:8

PRAISE: Praise You, Jesus, King of kings! You have won the victory over sin and death, and You sit at the right hand of the Father (Rv 3:21). We sing Your praises forever!

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Saturday, October 4 2014; Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lectionary: 460

Reading 1
jb 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17

Job answered the LORD and said:

I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.
I have dealt with great things that I do not understand;
things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.
I had heard of you by word of mouth,
but now my eye has seen you.
Therefore I disown what I have said,
and repent in dust and ashes.

Thus the LORD blessed the latter days of Job
more than his earlier ones.
For he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels,
a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.
And he had seven sons and three daughters,
of whom he called the first Jemimah,
the second Keziah, and the third Kerenhappuch.
In all the land no other women were as beautiful
as the daughters of Job;
and their father gave them an inheritance
along with their brothers.
After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years;
and he saw his children, his grandchildren,
and even his great-grandchildren.
Then Job died, old and full of years.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130

R. (135) Lord, let your face shine on me.
Teach me wisdom and knowledge,
for in your commands I trust.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
I know, O LORD, that your ordinances are just,
and in your faithfulness you have afflicted me.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
I am your servant; give me discernment
that I may know your decrees.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.

Gospel
lk 10:17-24

The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus,
“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”
Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
Behold, I have given you the power
‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy
and nothing will harm you.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Turning to the disciples in private he said,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: MY WORD!

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes." –Psalm 119:71

Psalm 119 expresses the normal, though not typical, attitude of a Christian toward the Word of God. This attitude is so zealous (Ps 119:139) that it takes 176 verses to extol every aspect of God's Word. How does a Christian come to love God's Word this deeply, according to the Psalm 119 standard?

Many with this zealous devotion to the Scriptures did not start this way. We can testify: "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I hold to Your promise" (Ps 119:67). God has brought us low to make us open to His Word. Although we are "very much afflicted" (Ps 119:107), unjustly oppressed (Ps 119:78), and in "distress and anguish" (Ps 119:143), these sufferings pale in comparison to the delight we now take in God's Word (Ps 119:35). In fact, despite our present sufferings, what really bothers us is that others disdain God's Word. We lament: "My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law has not been kept" (Ps 119:136).

Psalm 119 was written at a time when the Scriptures did not include the New Testament and before several of the Old Testament books had been compiled. Even without knowing the joy and consolation that Jesus gives, would this half-Bible be enough to fill your heart with exuberant praises? Would God's Word itself be your delight? If not, humble yourself before the Lord. God declares: "This is the one whom I approve: the lowly and afflicted man who trembles at My word" (Is 66:2). How much more should our hearts burn within us today as we read God's Word in its full New Testament, gospel splendor! (Lk 24:32)

PRAYER: Father, "in Your statutes I will delight; I will not forget Your words" (Ps 119:16).

PROMISE: "Your names are inscribed in heaven." –Lk 10:20

PRAISE: St. Francis voluntarily accepted gospel poverty, doing penance for those unable or unwilling to repent.

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Friday, October 3 2014; Friday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 459

Reading 1
jb 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5

The LORD addressed Job out of the storm and said:

Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning
and shown the dawn its place
For taking hold of the ends of the earth,
till the wicked are shaken from its surface?
The earth is changed as is clay by the seal,
and dyed as though it were a garment;
But from the wicked the light is withheld,
and the arm of pride is shattered.

Have you entered into the sources of the sea,
or walked about in the depths of the abyss?
Have the gates of death been shown to you,
or have you seen the gates of darkness?
Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all:
Which is the way to the dwelling place of light,
and where is the abode of darkness,
That you may take them to their boundaries
and set them on their homeward paths?
You know, because you were born before them,
and the number of your years is great!

Then Job answered the LORD and said:

Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you?
I put my hand over my mouth.
Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again;
though twice, I will do so no more.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 139:1-3, 7-8, 9-10, 13-14ab

R. (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made; 
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Gospel
lk 10:13-16

Jesus said to them,
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.’
Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me. 
And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread, One Body - Reflection for October 3, 2014
THEME: SEE-SICK

"My journeys and my rest You scrutinize, with all my ways You are familiar." –Psalm 139:3

Job had a rough journey, being tossed about emotionally and spiritually, because he couldn't "see" God's love and provision in the midst of his trials (see Eph 4:14). When his "Captain" called "Attention!" (see Jb 38:16ff), Job realized the awesome power of God (Jb 40:4) and his own rank of low standing (see Prv 1:7). Once Job saw the Lord (Jb 42:5), his healing and restoration followed shortly thereafter (Jb 42:7ff).

The townsfolk of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum were privileged to witness the love of God made manifest in the miracles of Christ. However, they were blind to God's love for the poor and the weak and unable to "see" their own need to repent (Lk 10:13ff). They are warned by Jesus that their behavior merits a more severe judgment and that their "see-sickness" may even be terminal (Lk 10:15).

It's been said, "The eye is the window to the soul" (see Mt 6:22-23). Do you guard your eyes from evil? (see Is 33:15) Or is your life full of "enticements for the eye"? (1 Jn 2:16)

Do you see what I see?

PRAYER: "Probe me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; see if my way is crooked, and lead me in the way of old" (Ps 139:23-24).

PROMISE: "He who hears you, hears Me. He who rejects you, rejects Me. And he who rejects Me, rejects Him Who sent Me." –Lk 10:16

PRAISE: Steven, at first, was unable to share his faith with strangers, but found he was able to do all things with God (see Mt 19:26).

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Thursday, October 2 2014; Memorial of the Guardian Angels

Lectionary: 458/650

Reading 1
jb 19:21-27

Job said:

Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
for the hand of God has struck me!
Why do you hound me as though you were divine,
and insatiably prey upon me?

Oh, would that my words were written down!
Would that they were inscribed in a record:
That with an iron chisel and with lead
they were cut in the rock forever!
But as for me, I know that my Vindicator lives,
and that he will at last stand forth upon the dust;
Whom I myself shall see:
my own eyes, not another’s, shall behold him,
And from my flesh I shall see God;
my inmost being is consumed with longing.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 27:7-8a, 8b-9abc, 13-14

R. (13) I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

Gospel
mt 18:1-5, 10

The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.
And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: MY GUARDIAN DEAR

"For to His angels He has given command about you, that they guard you in all your ways." –Psalm 91:11

Angels are powerful creatures. On resurrection morning, a solitary angel overwhelmed the Roman guards placed around the tomb of Jesus (Mt 28:2). Twelve legions of angels would have utterly overpowered the Roman soldiers sent to arrest Jesus (Mt 26:53); even one angel was easily able to escort Peter past four squads of Roman guards to escape from his prison cell (Acts 12:6ff).

Guardian Angels are sent by God to guard your person. "Upon their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone" (Ps 91:12). "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them" (Ps 34:8); thus our guardian angel resembles God's encircling wall of protective fire (Zec 2:9).

Our guardian angel not only protects our physical body, but also our spiritual life, since our angel is the custodian of our soul (Bar 6:6). The context of this verse is that God has sent this angel to guard us from falling into sin and idolatry, from succumbing to the fear of man and giving in to the secular culture (Bar 6:2-5).

Because God commanded the angels to guard us (Ps 91:11) and because the angels obey God perfectly, our guardian angels won't quit on us. How sad that our angels have had to witness our sins, omissions, failings, apathy, etc. Surely the angels would prefer to guard us as we advance in our calling to build the kingdom of God, rather than strike up a defensive position against Satan as we avoid living out our calling from God. Let's bring joy to our guardian angels by living a life of obedient faith (Rm 1:5).

PRAYER: "Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love entrusts me here, ever this day be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule, to guide. Amen."

PROMISE: "See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared." –Ex 23:20

PRAISE: Praise You, Father, for sending us angels ever ready to guard us from evil and guide us to You.

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Wednesday, October 1 2014; Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

Lectionary: 457

Reading 1
jb 9:1-12, 14-16

Job answered his friends and said:

I know well that it is so;
but how can a man be justified before God?
Should one wish to contend with him,
he could not answer him once in a thousand times.
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
who has withstood him and remained unscathed?

He removes the mountains before they know it;
he overturns them in his anger.
He shakes the earth out of its place,
and the pillars beneath it tremble.
He commands the sun, and it rises not;
he seals up the stars.

He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads upon the crests of the sea.
He made the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south;
He does great things past finding out,
marvelous things beyond reckoning.

Should he come near me, I see him not;
should he pass by, I am not aware of him;
Should he seize me forcibly, who can say him nay?
Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

How much less shall I give him any answer,
or choose out arguments against him!
Even though I were right, I could not answer him,
but should rather beg for what was due me.
If I appealed to him and he answered my call,
I could not believe that he would hearken to my words.

Responsorial Psalm
ps 88:10bc-11, 12-13, 14-15

R. (3) Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Daily I call upon you, O LORD;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work wonders for the dead?
Will the shades arise to give you thanks?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Do they declare your mercy in the grave,
your faithfulness among those who have perished?
Are your wonders made known in the darkness,
or your justice in the land of oblivion?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
But I, O LORD, cry out to you;
with my morning prayer I wait upon you.
Why, O LORD, do you reject me;
why hide from me your face?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

Gospel
lk 9:57-62

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding
on their journey, someone said to him,
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: Passionist

Today is the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux, ranked with St. Francis of Assisi as the most popular saint in history.   Therese led a quiet, cloistered life in the Carmel monastery of Lisieux, having entered the convent at the age of 15.  She was bright but never went to a university.  She barely traveled from her home, except for a brief pilgrimage to Rome where she boldly asked Pope Leo XIII permission to enter the Carmelites at such a young age (he told her to obey her superiors!).  Yet Therese has been declared the patron of missions and was named as a "Doctor of the Church" by Pope John Paul II! 

Although her life was lived in a small circle, Therese's spirit enveloped the world.  She had a profound sense of God's love for her and was filled with the awe of God's majesty that embraced the universe. She desired with all her heart to be a missionary of God's love to the world through her life of prayer and dedication.  Although surrounded by the sentimental piety of late 19^th century France, Therese was eminently practical and genuine.  Her famous "little way" emphasized that even the humble and ordinary tasks of life, done out of love, can be pleasing to God, a spirituality rooted in the gospel and the best of Catholic tradition.

The readings today were not selected specifically for the feast of St. Therese but their themes harmonize well with her spirituality.  The first reading is from one of the soliloquies of Job.  His friend Bildad has urged Job to ask God's forgiveness since the calamities he is enduring must be a result of some evil done by Job.  The entire message of the book of Job is a rejection of this kind of theology.  Job knows that even the innocent suffer, a challenging mystery for faith.  In this passage from chapter 9, Job affirms his great respect for God's majesty and power-the one who can "remove the mountains before they know it" and who "stretches out the heavens and treads upon the crests of the sea".  Yet this transcendent and all-powerful God is the very one that St. Therese knew also as a God of tender mercy and infinite love.

The reading from the Gospel of Luke underscores another dimension of Therese's sanctity.  As Jesus and his disciples were on their journey to Jerusalem, several would-be disciples come forward.  One seems unaware that because of his mission the itinerant Jesus "has nowhere to rest his head."  Jesus summons another man to "follow me" but this would-be disciple wants first to bury his father-certainly a solemn obligation in Judaism but Jesus makes the point that no priority can come before the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.  Yet another candidate for discipleship declares he will follow Jesus but must first say farewell to his family.  Jesus again places commitment to the gospel above every other commitment, no matter how compelling.  "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God."

St. Therese embodied the profound commitment to following Jesus revealed in today's Gospel.  The beauty of her life and teaching is that she showed how fidelity in everyday things done out of love can lead us to the Kingdom of God.  St. Therese, Little Flower, pray for us.

The Reflection was written by Fr. Donald Senior, C.P., President Emeritus and Professor of New Testament at Catholic Theological Union.  He lives at the Passionist residence in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago.

Happy 54th Independence Anniversary to Nigeria and Nigerians.

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