1st Reading: 1 Thes 5:1–6, 9–11 You do not need anyone to write to you about the delay and the appointed time for these events. You know that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When people feel secure and at peace, the disaster will suddenly come upon them as the birth pangs of a woman in labor, and they will not escape. But you, beloved, are not in darkness; so that day will not surprise you like a thief. All of you are citizens of the light and the day; we do not belong to night and darkness. Let us not, therefore, sleep as others do, but remain alert and sober.
tuesday
September
01
22nd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2
Ps 27:1, 4, 13–14 I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Gospel: Lk 4:31–37 Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and began teaching the people at the Sabbath meetings. They were astonished at the way he taught them, for his word was spoken with authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by an evil spirit who shouted in a loud voice, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I recognize you: you are the Holy One of God.” Then Jesus said to him sharply, “Be silent and leave this man!” The evil spirit then threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him harm. Amazement seized all these people and they said to one another, “What does this mean? He commands the evil spirits with authority and power. He orders, and you see how they come out!” And news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding area.
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hrist has promised that He will continue to stand with us, until the worshippers of evil in this world are brought to acknowledge him as the Son of God. Christ has absolutely given us the legal right to use His name. He has given us authority to face the devil in the power of His name. We can go forth using that power of attorney—using His name. The devil has to recognize us when we use the power of Christ. We know that every time Christ met the devil he defeated him, because of the power and the authority that He had. Christ has given us authority through the power of His name. He has not left us alone. There is a difference between power and authority. There is power in the name of Christ and we have authority to use that power, to use that name. It’s not the power of man. It’s not the power of a church, but the power of Christ’s name that brings healing today. So again, we have not the power to heal, but we have the authority to use His name. A desert is no desert, if we are there with Christ!
02 September wednesday
22nd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2
Ps 52:10, 11 I trust in the mercy of God for ever.
1st Reading: Col 1:1–8 Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God and Timothy our brother, to the saints in Colossae, our faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Receive grace and peace from God our Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord. Thanks be to God, the Father of Christ Jesus, our Lord! We constantly pray for you, for we have known of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints. Indeed you await in hope the inheritance reserved for you in heaven, of which you have heard through the word of truth. This Gospel, already present among you, is bearing fruit and growing through-out the world, as it did among you from the day you accepted it and understood the gift of God in all its truth. He who taught you, Epaphras, our dear companion in the service of Christ, faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, has reminded me of the love you have for me in the spirit. Because of this, from the day we received news of you, we have not ceased praying to God for you, that you may attain the full knowledge of his will through all the gifts of wisdom and spiritual understanding. Gospel: Lk 4:38–44 Leaving the synagogue, Jesus went to the house of Simon. His mother-in-law was suffering from high fever and they asked him to do something for her. Bending over her, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and waited on them. At sunset, people suffering from many kinds of sickness were brought to Jesus. Laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Demons were driven out, howling as they departed from their victims, “You are the Son of God!” He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, for they knew he was the Messiah. Jesus left at daybreak and looked for a solitary place. People went out in search of him and, finding him, they tried to dissuade him from leaving. But he said, “I have to go to other towns to announce the good news of the kingdom of God. That is what I was sent to do.” So Jesus continued to preach in the synagogues of the Jewish country.
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hat we believe matters. What we believe determines how we behave. Just look at the current events now transpiring in our nation and around the world. The message of the book of Colossians centers on having a right view of Christ and on how to live the Christian life. To know Christ is to experience the powerful and radical life-changing grace of Almighty God. As Christians, our challenge is to know Christ more. We can never know enough about Christ. We need to focus on him. We need to study about him. We need to grow in our knowledge of him and in our experience of him. Christianity is about life transformation. This is what happens when we come to Christ. We receive faith. We are saved by faith and we live by faith. The truth of the gospel transforms our attitudes. When we receive the truth of the gospel we now can stand by faith. Obedience and faith go together. We must not only believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, we must also commit our lives to live for him, in the light of what he did for us.
1st Reading: Col 1:9–14* Because of this, from the day we received news of you, we have not ceased praying to God for you, that you may attain the full knowledge of his will through all the gifts of wisdom and spiritual understanding. May your lifestyle be worthy of the Lord and completely pleasing to him. May you bear fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God. … Constantly give thanks to the Father who has empowered us to receive our share in the inheritance of the saints in his kingdom of light. He rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. In him we are redeemed and forgiven.
thursday
September
03
22nd Week in Ordinary Time Gregory the Great Psalter: Week 2
Ps 98:2–3ab, 3cd–4, 5–6 The Lord has made known his salvation.
Gospel: Lk 5:1–11* … He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to pull out a little from the shore. There he sat and continued to teach the crowd. When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon replied, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I will lower the nets.” This they did and caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. They signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats almost to the point of sinking. Upon seeing this, Simon Peter fell at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and his companions were amazed at the catch they had made and so were Simon’s partners, James and John, Zebedee’s sons. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. You will catch people from now on.” So they brought their boats to land and followed him, leaving everything.
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e not only stand by faith, we also now walk in love. We are to live a life characterized by love. Love is vital for every true believer. Loving one another is evidence of a right relationship with God. Jesus told us that people would know that we are his disciples by how we love one another. Following God and walking in love are synonymous. You can’t have one without the other. The truth of the gospel transforms our attitudes and our actions. It’s easy to love the lovable. But it takes God’s power to love the unlovable. God has given us the power to love, even those who are difficult to love. Our love ought to be great, because it’s powered by God. The grace of God in our hearts is the power of God; and there is glory in this power. The special use of this strength is for times when we are suffering. We ought to deem it special to be invited to live with Christ, knowing that all our trials will soon end and that our faith, having emerged from great tribulation, will be all the stronger and love-filled.
04 September friday
22nd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2
Ps 100:1b–2, 3, 4, 5 Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
1st Reading: Col 1:15–20 He is the image of the unseen God, and for all creation he is the firstborn, for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible: thrones, rulers, authorities, powers… All was made through him and for him. He is before all and all things hold together in him. And he is the head of the body, that is the Church, for he is the first, the first raised from the dead that he may be the first in everything, for God was pleased to let fullness dwell in him. Through him God willed to reconcile all things to himself, and through him, through his blood shed on the cross, God establishes peace, on earth as in heaven. Gospel: Lk 5:33–39 The scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus, “The disciples of John fast often and say long prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why is it that your disciples eat and drink?” Then Jesus said to them, “You can’t make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them. But later the bridegroom will be taken from them and they will fast in those days.” Jesus also told them this parable, “No one tears a piece from a new coat to put it on an old one; otherwise the new will be torn and the piece taken from the new will not match the old. No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed as well. But new wine must be put into fresh skins. Yet no one who has tasted old wine is eager to get new wine, but says: The old is good.”
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ow we can rest in hope. We stand in faith, walk in love, and rest in hope. We know that this life is not all there is, that one day we will experience eternal life in all its fullness. This is the hope of every Christian. The philosophy of our world is instant gratification. Buy now, pay later. We are not conditioned to hope for anything. And we certainly don’t want to wait for anything. But our hope of Heaven enables us to endure anything, because we know that nothing will be able to keep us from our inheritance. Hope makes us willing to endure, even sacrifice for future glory. Hope allows us to rest in God’s promises. We don’t focus enough on hope. We don’t focus enough on heaven. It gives us the perspective to live in the here and now. It enables us to recognize what is really important and eternal and what is temporary and fleeting. Christ changes us so that we become world changers ourselves. We become representatives of the power of God to transform a human life, representatives of our faith in Christ, our love for one another, and our hope in God’s eternal life!
1st Reading: Col 1:21–23 You yourselves were once estranged and opposed to God because of your evil deeds, but now God has reconciled you in the human body of his Son through his death, so that you may be without fault, holy and blameless before him. Only stand firm, upon the foundation of your faith, and be steadfast in hope. Keep in mind the Gospel you have heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
saturday
September
05
22nd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2
Ps 54:3–4, 6 and 8 God himself is my help
Gospel: Lk 6:1–5 One Sabbath, Jesus was going through the corn fields and his disciples began to pick heads of grain crushing them in their hands for food. Some of the Pharisees asked them, “Why do you do what is forbidden on the sabbath?” Then Jesus spoke, “Have you never read what David did when he and his men were hungry? He entered the house of God, took and ate the bread of the offering and even gave some to his men, though only priests are allowed to eat that bread.” And Jesus added, “The Son of Man is Lord and rules over the sabbath.”
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rreconcilable differences: this is a phrase we’ve all heard. It is generally used in our society as a ground for divorce. Irreconcilable differences are a huge problem in our world today. We live in a world in which people feel alienated. Of course, there are many reasons for this alienation. We are all familiar with the common ones—race, education, money, status, and religion. Our world has a sad history of one group looking down upon another group because of issues like these. There are those who may feel justified in their hostility toward others because of some wrong suffered. They may feel justified in hostile attitudes and hostile actions because they have been done wrong. As a result, we see an increasing hostility in our world. Our holiness is the purpose of reconciliation. God wants to present us to Himself as holy people. We are to be holy in his sight. This speaks of the purpose of God in reconciliation. As a part of this process, God is changing us from the inside out. Not only did Christ’s death reconcile us to God, it also works in us to change us into beautiful people in love with God!
1st Reading: Is 35:4–7a Say to those who are afraid: “Have courage, do not fear. See, your God comes, demanding justice. He is the God who rewards, the God who comes to save you.” Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unsealed. Then will the lame leap as a hart and the tongue of the dumb sing and shout. For water will break out in the wilderness and streams gush forth from the desert. The thirsty ground will become a pool, the arid land springs of water. In the haunts where once reptiles lay, grass will grow with reeds and rushes. 2nd Reading: Jas 2:1–5 My brothers and sisters, if you truly believe in our glorified Lord, Jesus Christ, you will not discriminate between persons. Suppose a person enters the synagogue where you are assembled, dressed magnificently and wearing a gold ring; at the same time, a poor person enters dressed in rags. If you focus your attention on the welldressed and say, “Come and sit in the best seat,” while to the poor one you say, “Stay standing or else sit down at my feet,” have you not, in fact, made a distinction between the two? Have you not judged, using a double standard? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters, did God not choose the poor of this world to receive the riches of faith and to inherit the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him?
Ps 146:7, 8–9, 9–10 Praise the Lord, my soul! Gospel: Mk 7:31–37 Again Jesus set out; from the country of Tyre he passed through Sidon and skirting the sea of Galilee he came to the territory of Decapolis. There a deaf man who also had difficulty in speaking was brought to him. They asked Jesus to lay his hand upon him. Jesus took him apart from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then, looking up to heaven, he groaned and said to him, “Ephphetha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly. Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone, but the more he insisted on this, the more they proclaimed it. The people were completely astonished and said, “He has done all things well; he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.”
sunday
September
06
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3
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uring the Rite of Baptism the priest or deacon may whisper into the ear of the newly baptized the word “Ephphetha.” This ri tual element holds a prayer that the one who has been baptized will always be open to the life-giving Word of God, the Word that offers direction, meaning and purpose for those who listen to it and put it into practice. The prayer that Jesus uttered over the deaf man in the Gospel is His ardent desire for all of us: that by being open to His Word we might be liberated from our sins and walk in the freedom of the sons and daughters of God. We echo this prayer when we make the sign of the cross over our forehead, lips and heart as the Gospel is proclaimed, praying that God’s powerful Word might always be in our minds and on our lips and in our hearts. Please God, may it be so!
07 September monday
23rd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3
Ps 62:6–7, 9 In God is my safety and my glory.
1st Reading: Col 1:24—2:3* At present I rejoice when I suffer for you; I complete in my own flesh what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of his body, which is the Church. For I am serving the Church since God entrusted to me the ministry to make the word of God fully known. … God willed to make known to them the riches and even the Glory that his mysterious plan reserved for the pagan nations: Christ is in you and you may hope God’s Glory. This Christ we preach. We warn and teach everyone true wisdom, aiming to make everyone perfect in Christ. For this cause I labor and struggle with the energy of Christ working powerfully in me. I want you to know how I strive for you, for those of Laodicea and for so many who have not met me personally. I pray that all may be encouraged. May you be established in love, that you may obtain all the riches of a full understanding and know the mystery of God, Christ himself. For in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Gospel: Lk 6:6–11 On another Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and began teaching. There was a man with a paralyzed right hand and the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees watched him: Would Jesus heal the man on the Sabbath? If he did, they could accuse him. But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to the man, “Get up and stand in the middle.” Then he spoke to them, “I want to ask you: what is allowed by the Law on the Sabbath, to do good or to do harm, to save life or destroy it?” And Jesus looked around at them all. Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored, becoming as whole as the other. But they were furious and began to discuss with one another how they could deal with Jesus.
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e know that Jesus lived without sin under the old covenant requirements, while the old covenant was still in force. He observed old covenant customs such as participating in the sacrifice of Passover lambs and telling people, whom he cleansed, to make offerings as prescribed by Moses. Although we are told that he healed people on the Sabbath, we are never told that he rested. While everything he did and taught on the Sabbath was consistently liberal, he did not break the Sabbath; and he didn’t permit his disciples to break it, either. He healed the poor man, even though he knew the Pharisees would take advantage of him for it. Instead of worrying about a little activity on a holy day, they should have accepted, without question, whatever he did and followed his example. Christ is neither ashamed nor afraid to own His powers of healing. The Sabbath is holy, only because God has designated it so. Christ, however, is more important than the temple and its sacrifices. The logical conclusion is that He is also more important than the Sabbath. And our being true to Christ on a daily basis is definitely more important than any Sabbath observances.
1st Reading: Mic 5:1–4* (or Rom 8:28–30) But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, so small that you are hardly named among the clans of Judah, from you shall I raise the one who is to rule over Israel. For he comes forth from of old, from the ancient times. Yahweh, therefore, will abandon Israel until such time as she who is to give birth has given birth. Then the rest of his deported brothers will return to the people of Israel. He will stand and shepherd his flock with the strength of Yahweh, in the glorious Name of Yahweh, his God. They will live safely while he wins renown to the ends of the earth. He shall be peace. …
tuesday
September
08
Birth of Mary Psalter: Proper
Ps 13:6ab, 6c With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Gospel: Mt 1:1–16, 18–23* This is the account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar), Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron of Aram. Aram was the father of Aminadab, Aminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz. His mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed. His mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David, the king. David was the father of Solomon. His mother had been Uriah’s wife. Solomon was the Father of Rehoboam. … After the deportation to Babylon Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel and Salathiel of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud, Abiud of Eliakim, and Eliakim of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, and Akim the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar of Matthan, and Matthan of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus who is called the Christ—the Messiah. All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel which means: God-with-us.
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et us honor Mary, especially by imitation of those virtues of hers, which are to us an open book of instruction; let us have recourse to her, who, according to the name ‘Star of the Sea’ with which the Church salutes her, shines for all who sail upon the dangerous sea of the world. For this reason, Saint Bernard calls out to each one of us: “Do not take your eyes from the light of this star, if you would not be overwhelmed by the waves; if the storms of temptation arise, if you are thrown upon the rocks of affliction, look to the star, invoke Mary! In dangers, in distress, in doubt, call on Mary. She will not be far from your mouth, or your heart; and, so that you may obtain her intercession, do not forget to imitate her conduct. When you follow her, you do not go astray; when you invoke her, you are no longer in doubt; when she supports you, you do not fall; when she leads you, you surely come to eternal life and you find, by your own experience, that she is justly called Maria, which means ‘Star of the Sea’.”
09 September wednesday
23rd Week in Ordinary Time Peter Claver Psalter: Week 3
Ps 145:2–3, 10–11, 12–13ab The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
1st Reading: Col 3:1–11* So then, if you are risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on earthly things. For you have died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, reveals himself, you also will be revealed with him in Glory. Therefore, put to death what is earthly in your life, that is immorality, impurity, inordinate passions, wicked desires and greed which is a way of worshiping idols. These are the things that arouse the wrath of God. … Do not lie to one another. You have been stripped of the old self and its way of thinking to put on the new, which is being renewed and is to reach perfect knowledge and the likeness of its creator. There is no room for distinction between Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, foreigner, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all. Gospel: Lk 6:20–26* Lifting up his eyes to his disciples, Jesus said, “Fortunate are you who are poor, the kingdom of God is yours. Fortunate are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Fortunate are you who weep now, for you will laugh. “Fortunate are you when people hate you, when they reject you and insult you and number you among criminals, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. … “But alas for you who have wealth, for you have been comforted now. “Alas for you who are full, for you will go hungry. “Alas for you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. “Alas for you when people speak well of you, for that is how the ancestors of these people treated the false prophets.”
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f you woke up this morning with more health than sickness, you are more blessed than the millions, who won’t survive the week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of twenty million people around the world. If you attend a church, without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world. If you have sufficient food, clothes and a roof over your head, you are richer than three-quarters of the world’s population. If your parents are married and still alive, you are very rare among the children of today’s world. If you can hold your head up with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed, because many can, but most do not. If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God’s healing touch. If you can read this reflective offering, then you are more blessed than over two billion people, who cannot read anything at all. You are, indeed, blessed in ways you may never ever know!
1st Reading: Col 3:12–17* Clothe yourselves, then, as is fitting for God’s chosen people, holy and beloved of him. Put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience to bear with one another and forgive whenever there is any occasion to do so. As the Lord has forgiven you, forgive one another. Above all, clothe yourselves with love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. May the peace of Christ overflow in your hearts; for this end you were called to be one body. And be thankful. … And whatever you do or say, do it in the Name of Jesus, the Lord, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
thursday
September
10
23rd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3
Ps 150:1b–2, 3–4, 5–6 Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Gospel: Lk 6:27–38* Jesus said to his disciples, “But I say to you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you and pray for those who treat you badly. … “Do to others as you would have others do to you. If you love only those who love you, what kind of graciousness is yours? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do favors to those who are good to you, what kind of graciousness is yours? Even sinners do the same. … “But love your enemies and do good to them, and lend when there is nothing to expect in return. Then will your reward be great and you will be sons and daughters of the Most High. For he is kind towards the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Don’t be a judge of others and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you, and you will receive in your sack good measure, pressed down, full and running over. For the measure you give will be the measure you receive back.”
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esus’ ethic to bear insults without complaint and to turn the other cheek is related to his ethic that we love our enemies. Here, the emphasis is as much on our internal attitude, as it is upon the other’s welfare. If we respond to evil in anger or self-defense, we run the risk of becoming attached to that evil and letting it dominate us. The anger and hatred of our attacker becomes our own anger and resentment, at being a victim. But, by bearing and accepting insults and abuse, without losing our own goodwill, we can stay above the hatred and preserve a foundation of spiritual independence and self-possession. Only by preserving our spiritual subjectivity in the midst of insults, do we build the strength to love our enemies and win them over…to be victorious without disparaging our abusers. Today, we also deal with the justice of turning the other cheek. This assumes the inexorable principle of God’s justice, which sets things right and even vindicates our passivity. Eventually, misfortune comes to evildoers, especially when we accept their insults without responding to them. On the other hand, we grow in God’s grace by enduring persecution, through the virtue of patience.
11 September friday
23rd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3
Ps 16:1b–2a and 5, 7–8, 11 You are my inheritance, O Lord.
1st Reading: 1 Tim 1:1–2, 12–14 From Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus by a command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, my true son in the faith. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy and peace. I give thanks to Christ Jesus, our Lord, who is my strength, who has considered me trust-worthy and appointed me to his service, although I had been a blasphemer, a persecutor and a rabid enemy. However he took mercy on me because I did not know what I was doing when I opposed the faith; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, together with faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Gospel: Lk 6:39–42 And Jesus offered this example, “Can a blind person lead another blind person? Surely both will fall into a ditch. A disciple is not above the master; but when fully trained, he will be like the master. So why do you pay attention to the speck in your brother’s eye while you have a log in your eye and are not conscious of it? How can you say to your neighbor: ‘Friend, let me take this speck out of your eye,’ when you can’t remove the log in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the log from your own eye and when you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your neighbor’s eye.
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he parable about removing the log from our own eye before the speck in our neighbor’s speaks to us about tackling the tough questions in interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims. There are many good examples from Christian history of our faith behaving with great violence in seeking to spread the word. Colonial Christianity is a centuries’ long example of this. The best way for us Christians to help Muslims address their more violent and extreme elements is to address ourselves to the violent and extreme elements within Christianity. If Christians wish to be helpful to Muslims, who are working for greater peace and justice, they can do no better than to take on the bigots of the world, who promote a distorted and hateful, Christian attitude toward Islam. We should see Christian diatribes against Islam as fodder for reactionary elements within both religions. Those, who wish for war and not peace among religions, are mirrors of each other, actually helping each other bring about what they each claim to fear…a state of permanent war. The good news is that progressive elements in Islam and Christianity are also helping each other, by making bridges to understanding, long-term peace and stability.
1st Reading: 1 Tim 1:15–17 This saying is true and worthy of belief: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. Because of that I was forgiven; Christ Jesus wanted to display his utmost patience so that I might be an example for all who are to believe and obtain eternal life. To the King of ages, the only God who lives beyond every perishable and visible creation—to him be honor and glory forever. Amen! Gospel: Lk 6:43–49 Jesus said to the crowd, “No healthy tree bears bad fruit, no poor tree bears good fruit. And each tree is known by the fruit it bears: you don’t gather figs from thorns, or grapes from brambles. Similarly the good person draws good things from the good stored in the heart, and an evil person draws evil things from the evil stored in the heart. For the mouth speaks from the fullness of the heart. “Why do you call me: ‘Lord! Lord!’ and not do what I say? I will show you what the one who comes to me and listens to my words and acts accordingly, is like. That one is like the builder who dug deep and laid the foundations of his house on rock. The river overflowed and the stream dashed against the house, but could not carry it off because the house had been well built. “But the one who listens and does not act, is like a man who built his house on the ground without a foundation. The flood burst against it, and the house fell at once: and what a terrible disaster that was!”
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saturday
September
12
23rd Week in Ordinary Time Holy Name of Mary Psalter: Week 3
Ps 113:1b–2, 3–4, 5a and 6–7 Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.
ach tree is known by the fruit it bears; and we are known by the words we speak! Today is a day of graceful thinking and graceful words, words of love and words of patience. We are urged always to speak with love, simply because God is love. He doesn’t want us to endure a crop of bad, angry seeds in our heart or the hearts of others. It is easier to speak lovingly, than to spend precious time weeding out anger from the garden of our lives. All the words we speak, even if they bring to light issues of our heart, create a form of life within those who hear us. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. When we adjust the attitude of our heart, our words change. Not only do angry words plant a destructive crop of fear, they cause us to open doors to doubt and unbelief. As ever, God gives us power to overcome any such tendencies, from the smallest to the largest, and to fulfill the highest commandment next to loving God: loving our neighbor as ourselves. When we are loving in what we say, we create life, create hope!
1st Reading: Is 50:5–9a The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear. I have not rebelled, nor have I withdrawn. I offered my back to those who strike me, my cheeks to those who pulled my beard; neither did I shield my face from blows, spittle and disgrace. I have not despaired, for the Lord Yahweh comes to my help. So, like a flint I set my face, knowing that I will not be disgraced. He who avenges me is near. Who then will accuse me? Let us confront each other. Who is now my accuser? Let him approach. If the Lord Yahweh is my help. who will condemn me? All of them will wear out like cloth; the moth will devour them. 2nd Reading: Jas 2:14–18 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, to profess faith without showing works? Such faith has no power to save you. If a brother or sister is in need of clothes or food and one of you says, “May things go well for you; be warm and satisfied,” without attending to their material needs, what good is that? So it is for faith without deeds: it is totally dead. Say to whoever challenges you, “You have Ps 116:1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 8–9 faith and I have good deeds; show me your faith I will walk before the Lord, apart from actions and I, for my part, will show in the land of the living. you my faith in the way I act.”
Gospel: Mk 8:27–35 Jesus set out with his disciples for the villages around Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” And they told him, “Some say you are John the Baptist; others say you are Elijah or one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asked them, “But you, who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” And he ordered them not to tell anyone about him. Jesus then began to teach them that the Son of Man had to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He would be killed and after three days rise again. Jesus said all this quite openly, so that Peter took him aside and began to protest strongly. But Jesus turning around, and looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter saying, “Get behind me Satan! You are thinking not as God does, but as people do.” Then Jesus called the people and his disciples and said, “If you want to follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. For if you choose to save your life, you will lose it; and if you lose your life for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel, you will save it.
sunday
September
13
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4
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he revelation of Jesus’ identity as the Christ, the Messiah, is intricately connected with His impending suffering and death. Indeed, Jesus’ mission as the Messiah can only be accom plished by His taking the weight of our sins upon His shoulders and carrying them to Calvary. Through His holy cross He redeems the world. Jesus extends to us the invitation to parti cipate in His mission by taking up our cross and following in His footsteps. Indeed, only by imitating the Lord in His generous self-giving do we find the joy and peace that this world cannot bring. Through self-denial we find our true selves, for generosity brings out the best in us. Aligning our priorities so that we will consciously participate in the life of Jesus is not necessarily the easiest thing to do, but it always brings us closer to our faith’s goal, our salvation.
14 September monday
Triumph of the Cross Psalter: Proper
Ps 78:1bc–2, 34–35, 36–37, 38 Do not forget the works of the Lord!
1st Reading: Num 21:4b–9 From Mount Hor they set out by the Red Sea road to go around the land of Edom. The people were discouraged by the journey and began to complain against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is neither bread nor water here and we are disgusted with this tasteless manna.” Yahweh then sent fiery serpents against them. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died. Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, speaking against Yahweh and against you. Plead with Yahweh to take the serpents away.” Moses pleaded for the people and Yahweh said to him, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; whoever has been bitten and then looks at it shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a standard. Whenever a man was bitten, he looked towards the bronze serpent and he lived. 2nd Reading: Phil 2:6–11 Gospel: Jn 3:13–17 Jesus said to Nicodemus, “No one has ever gone up to heaven except the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world; instead, through him the world is to be saved.”
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he original name of this feast was the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, by which name it is still known in the Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. Since 1970, it has been called the Triumph of the Cross. The feast commemorates the finding of the True Cross in 325 by St. Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, during a pilgrimage she made to Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was then built and dedicated at the site of the discovery, by order of Helena and Constantine, with a portion of the cross placed inside it. In 614, that portion of the cross was carried away from the church by the Persians, and remained missing until it was recaptured by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius in 628. The cross was returned to the church the following year, after initially having been taken to Constantinople by Heraclius. The date used for the feast marks the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in 335. In this festival, the cross itself was brought outside the church, so that the clergy and faithful could pray before the True Cross, and all could come forward to venerate it.
1st Reading: 1 Tim 3:1–13 If someone aspires to the over-seer’s ministry, he is without a doubt looking for a noble task. It is necessary that the overseer (or bishop) be beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, responsible, judicious, of good manners, hospitable and skillful in teaching. He must not be addicted to wine or quarrelsome, but gentle and peaceful, and not a lover of money, but a man whose household is well-managed, with obedient and well-mannered children. If he cannot govern his own house, how can he lead the assembly of God? He must not be a recent convert, lest he become conceited and fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must enjoy a good reputation among the outsiders, lest people speak evil about him and he fall into the snare of the devil. Deacons, likewise, must be serious and sincere and moderate in drinking wine, not greedy for money, they must keep the mystery of faith with a clear conscience. Let them be first tried and, if found blameless, be accepted as deacons. In the same way the women must be conscientious, not given to gossip, but reserved and trustworthy. A deacon must be husband of one wife, and must know how to guide his children and manage his household. Those who serve well as deacons will win honorable rank, with authority to speak of Christian faith.
tuesday
September
15
Our Lady of Sorrows Psalter: Week 4
Ps 101:1b–2ab, 2cd–3ab, 5, 6 I will walk with blameless heart.
Gospel: Lk 2:33–35 (or Jn 19:25–27) His father and mother wondered at what was said about the child. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “See him; he will be for the rise or fall of the multitudes of Israel. He shall stand as a sign of contradiction, while a sword will pierce your own soul. Then the secret thoughts of many may be brought to light.”
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e can trace devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows back to apostolic times. St. John the Evangelist, whom we can consider as one of the first devotees of the Mother of Sorrows, witnessed firsthand that Mary stood by the cross of her son. On Calvary she suffered, overwhelmed with grief at seeing her son die an agonizing death by crucifixion. At the presentation of the Infant Jesus at the Temple, Simeon prophesied that Mary’s soul would be pierced by a sword, so that the thoughts of many hearts would be revealed. Mary, as the first and greatest disciple of her Son, participated in a most deep and profound way in the redemptive work of Christ. By commemorating Our Lady of Sorrows, we call to mind the sufferings that Mary endured as part of her vocation as the mother of Christ. No one has participated more intimately in the redemptive suffering of Christ than Mary. She suffered because of her intimate union with Christ, on account of our sins and on behalf of her spiritual children. Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows inflames our desire to do penance and make reparation, so as to console the hearts of Jesus and Mary.
16 September wednesday
24th Week in Ordinary Time Cornelius and Cyprian Psalter: Week 4
Ps 111:1–2, 3–4, 5–6 How great are the works of the Lord!
1st Reading: 1 Tim 3:14–16 I give you these instructions, although I hope I will see you soon. If I delay, you will know how you ought to conduct yourself in the household of God, that is, the Church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth. How great indeed is the mystery of divine blessing! He was shown in the flesh and sanctified by the Spirit; presented to the angels and proclaimed to all nations. The world believed in him: He was taken up in glory! Gospel: Lk 7:31–35 Jesus said, “What comparison can I use for this people? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace, about whom their companions complain: ‘We piped you a tune and you wouldn’t dance; we sang funeral songs and you wouldn’t cry.’ “Remember John: he didn’t eat bread or drink wine, and you said: ‘He has an evil spirit.’ Next came the Son of Man, eating and drinking, and you say: ‘Look, a glutton for food and wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But the children of Wisdom always recognize her work.”
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he Church is the pillar of truth! Humankind’s ingenuity cannot account for this. The Church has remained one, holy, catholic and apostolic, not through man’s effort, but because God preserves the Church. Just as God guided the Israelites on their escape from Egypt by giving them a pillar of fire to light their way across the dark wilderness, today, He guides us by giving us the Church. In this age of countless competing religions, one voice rises above the din: the Church, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Christ assured the apostles and their successors, the popes and the bishops, of His everlasting support. If we want to observe all that Christ commanded, we must follow Him through the Church. This is our great challenge…and our great privilege. One of the most important activities for us in the Church is prayer. Without it there can be no true spiritual life. Through personal prayer and the communal prayer of the Church…especially in the Mass…we worship and praise God, we express sorrow for our sins, and we intercede on behalf of others. Through prayer, we grow in our relationship with Christ and with members of God’s family. Let us pray!
1st Reading: 1 Tim 4:12–16 Let no one reproach you on account of your youth. Be a model to the believers in the way you speak and act, in your love, your faith and purity of life. Devote yourself to reading, preaching and teaching, until I come. Do not neglect the spiritual gift conferred on you with prophetic words when the elders laid their hands upon you. Think about it and practice it so that your progress may be seen by all. Take heed of yourself and attend to your teaching. Be steadfast in doing this and you will save both yourself and your hearers.
thursday
September
17
24th Week in Ordinary Time Robert Bellarmine Psalter: Week 4
Ps 111:7–8, 9, 10 How great are the works of the Lord!
Gospel: Lk 7:36–50* Jesus went to the Pharisee’s home and as usual reclined on the sofa to eat. And it happened that a woman of this town, known as a sinner, heard that he was in the Pharisee’s house. She brought a precious jar of perfume and stood behind him at his feet, weeping. She wet his feet with tears, she dried them with her hair and kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them. … Then Jesus spoke to the Pharisee and said, “Simon, I have something to ask you.” He answered, “Speak, master.” And Jesus said, “Two people were in debt to the same creditor. One owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other fifty. As they were unable to pay him back, he graciously canceled the debts of both. Now, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, who was forgiven more.” And Jesus said, “You are right. Do you see this woman? You gave me no water for my feet when I entered your house, but she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You didn’t welcome me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since she came in. You provided no oil for my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. This is why, I tell you, her sins, her many sins, are forgiven, because of her great love. But the one who is forgiven little, has little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
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oday’s gospel develops the analogy between sin and illness. It opens with the longing of the woman for forgiveness of her sins, and how this is exactly the situation of the penitent sinner, who is sick from sin. The very physical attributes, which had been used to charm the woman’s clients, are the instruments of her salvation. Her humanity is transformed through the correct use of her body, which becomes the sacrifice of a contrite heart, with the tears flowing in place of blood, and the mortified flesh and skin represented by her hair. She washes his feet, the symbol of his incarnation. Christ’s dual nature is mirrored by his receiving both physical and spiritual offerings: the table of food from the Pharisee and the table of penitence from the woman. The healing He gives is of the whole person. The woman’s initiative makes possible the act of forgiveness: through washing she is washed, and in washing something pure she is purified. Christ, in his mercy and wisdom, offers healing to those, who seek Him. He always replies to our faith in Him, whether we be sick or sinner!
18 September friday
24th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4
Ps 49:6–7, 8–10, 17–18, 19–20 Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
1st Reading: 1 Tim 6:2c–12 Those whose masters are Christians should not show less respect under the pretext that they are members of the church. On the contrary, they must give a better service since they are doing good works on behalf of believers and dear friends. Teach and stress these things. Whoever teaches in some other way, not following the sound teaching of our Lord Christ Jesus and true religious instruction, is conceited and understands nothing. This one is crazy about controversies and discussions that result in envy, insults, blows and constant arguments between people of depraved minds and far from the truth. For them, religion is merely for financial gain. In reality, religion is a treasure if we are content with what we have. We brought nothing into the world and we will leave it with nothing. Let us then be content with having food and clothing. Those who strive to be rich fall into temptations and traps. A lot of foolish and harmful ambitions plunge them into ruin and destruction. Indeed, the love of money is the root of every evil. Because of this greed, some have wandered away from the faith, bringing on themselves afflictions of every kind. But you, man of God, shun all this. Strive to be holy and godly. Live in faith and love, with endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith and win everlasting life to which you were called when you made the good profession of faith in the presence of so many witnesses. Gospel: Lk 8:1–3 Jesus walked through towns and countryside, preaching and giving the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve followed him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary called Magdalene, who had been freed of seven demons; Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Suzanna and others who provided for them out of their own funds.
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oday, we practice letting go of all those values that we have surrendered to the world. We leave the world free of its purposes and its dreams. We hold it purposeless within our minds, and loosen it from all we wish it were. We lift the chains, which bar the door to our freedom from the world. The world we see has nothing that we need; nothing that we can use in any way, nor anything at all that serves to give us joy. Believing this thought, we are saved from years of misery, from countless disappointments, and from hopes that turn to bitter ashes of despair. We all must accept this thought as true, if we would leave this world behind and soar beyond its petty scope and little ways. Each thing we value here is but a chain that binds us to the world; and it will serve no other end but to bind us in its thrall. We only ever make sense of this world, when we become prepared to pass it by, without delaying to perceive hope, where there is none. Let us be deceived no more: the world we see has nothing that we need!
1st Reading: 1 Tim 6:13–16 Now, in the presence of God who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus who gave the good testimony before Pontius Pilate, I command you to keep the commandment. Keep yourself pure and blameless until the glorious coming of Christ Jesus, our Lord, which God will bring about at the proper time, he, the magnificent sovereign, King of kings and Lord of lords. To him, alone immortal, who lives in unapproachable light and whom no one has ever seen or can see, to him be honor and power for ever and ever. Amen!
saturday
September
19
24th Week in Ordinary Time Januarius Psalter: Week 4
Ps 100:1b–2, 3, 4, 5 Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
Gospel: Lk 8:4–15* As a great crowd gathered and people came to him from every town, Jesus began teaching them through stories, or parables, “The sower went out to sow the seed. And as he sowed, some of the grain fell along the way, was trodden on and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and no sooner had it come up than it withered, because it had no water. Some fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with the seed and choked it. But some fell on good soil and grew, producing fruit—a hundred times as much.” And Jesus cried out, “Listen then, if you have ears to hear!” The disciples asked him, “What does this story mean?” … Now, this is the point of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the wayside are people who hear it, but immediately the devil comes and takes the word from their minds, for he doesn’t want them to believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are people who receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe for a while and give way in time of trial. Among the thorns are people who hear the word but as they go their way, are choked by worries, riches, and the pleasures of life; they bring no fruit to maturity. The good soil, instead, are people who receive the word and keep it in a gentle and generous mind, and persevering patiently, they bear fruit.
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n order that we be found pure and blameless in God’s sight, let us pause and be still a little while, and see how far we can rise above the world, when we release our mind from its chains. It will be grateful to be free a while. With its wings free, it will fly in sureness and joy to join its holy purpose. Let it rest in God, there to be restored to sanity, to freedom, and to love. Let us give our minds ten minutes rest, each and every day. And when our eyes are opened afterwards, we won’t value anything we see as much as when we looked at it before. Our whole perspective on the world shifts, just a little, every time we let our mind escape its chains. We belong where our mind goes to rest, when we release it from the world. Let nothing which relates to our body delay our progress to salvation, nor permit temptation to hold us back from believing that the world has nothing to hold us back. Nothing here is worth one instant of delay or pain; one moment of uncertainty or doubt.
1st Reading: Wis 2:12, 17–20 The godless say to themselves, “Let us set a trap for the righteous, for he annoys us and opposes our way of life; he reproaches us for our breaches of the Law and accuses us of being false to our upbringing. Let us see the truth of what he says and find out what his end will be. If the righteous is a son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from his adversaries. Let us humble and torture him to prove his self-control and test his patience. When we have condemned him to a shameful death, we may test his words.” 2nd Reading: Jas 3:16—4:3 Wherever there is jealousy and ambition, you will also find discord and all that is evil. Instead, the wisdom that comes from above is pure and peace-loving. Persons with this wisdom show understanding and listen to advice; they are full of compassion and good works; they are impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow peace reap a harvest of justice. What causes these fights and quarrels among you? Is it not your inner longings that make war within your own selves? When you long for something you cannot have, you kill for it and when you do not get what you desire, you squabble and fight. The fact is, you do not have what you want because you do not pray for it. You pray for something and you do not get it Ps 54:3–4, 5, 6b–8 because you pray with the wrong motive of The Lord upholds my life. indulging your pleasures.
Gospel: Mk 9:30–37 Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; but Jesus did not want people to know where he was because he was teaching his disciples. And he told them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him, but three days after he has been killed, he will rise.” The disciples, however, did not understand these words and they were afraid to ask him what he meant. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they did not answer because they had been arguing about who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve and said to them, “If someone wants to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child, placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, “Whoever welcomes a child such as this in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not me but the One who sent me.”
sunday
September
20
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1
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eadership is not to be equated with control or domination of others. Rather, leadership is selfless service for the sake of others. A good leader is always a responsible steward of the opportunity that he or she has to make a lasting contribution toward the common good. Jesus’ closest followers seemed to think that their privileged places at the side of the Master would translate into positions of prestige and importance once Jesus established an earthly kingdom. Jesus knows their hearts and wastes no time in setting them straight. Jesus teaches that greatness lies not in receiving a position of authority and honor, but in serving other people. Jesus would teach this through His words and through His actions, especially in humbling Himself to suffer a horrible death, all at the service of our salvation. May we not only be thankful for the Lord accepting the role of suffering servant, but may we imitate His selfgiving through lives of faithful stewardship.
21 September monday
Matthew, apostle and evangelist Psalter: Proper
Ps 19:2–3, 4–5 Their message goes out through all the earth.
1st Reading: Eph 4:1–7, 11–13 Therefore I, the prisoner of Christ, invite you to live the vocation you have received. Be humble, kind, patient, and bear with one another in love. Make every effort to keep among you the unity of Spirit through bonds of peace. Let there be one body and one spirit, for God, in calling you, gave the same Spirit to all. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God, the Father of all, who is above all and works through all and is in all. But to each of us divine grace is given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. As for his gifts, to some he gave to be apostles, to others prophets, or even evangelists, or pastors and teachers. So he prepared those who belong to him for the ministry, in order to build up the Body of Christ, until we are all united in the same faith and knowledge of the Son of God. Thus we shall become the perfect Man, upon reaching maturity and sharing the fullness of Christ. Gospel: Mt 9:9–13 As Jesus moved on, he saw a man named Matthew at his seat in the custom-house, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And Matthew got up and followed him. Now it happened, while Jesus was at table in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and other sinners joined Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, “Why is it that your master eats with those sinners and tax collectors?” When Jesus heard this he said, “Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do. Go and find out what this means: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
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oday, Jesus reminds us that we should need to be merciful towards those, who do not share our religious devotion or the intricacies of our faith. We don’t reflect God’s wishes when we demand that others give up things that we think are incompatible with Christianity, like their own particular form of sexuality. Why should we demand celibacy of others, just because they do not live up to our view of what is normal? Is it possible for anyone to deny their human nature? And is this a sacrifice demanded of them, when it is quite plain that God does not want sacrifices, but mercy? It is easy for us to implore God to be merciful to us, but not to be merciful towards others; or to neglect the fact that we are merciless towards others. Lack of mercy, dressed up in the guise of orthodoxy, is no less merciless. God desires us to be merciful, not orthodox. So today’s words remind us to be merciful towards those, who are, perhaps, unable to live up to our level of religious devotion and intricacies of our faith. God doesn’t ask us to sacrifice anything, except our lack of mercy towards others.
1st Reading: Ezra 6:7–8, 12b, 14–20* Let the governor of the Jews together with their leaders build the House of God on its former site. This is the command I give as to what you should do to help those Jewish leaders rebuild the House of God: pay the expenses in full and without delay, with the income from taxes of the province at the other side of the River which is allotted to the king. And may the God who makes his Name dwell there crush every rebel, king or people, who goes against this and tries to destroy the House of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, give this command. Let it be carried out at once.” And the leaders of the Jews continued to make progress in building, encouraged by what Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, had said; and they finished the work according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus and Darius. The House was finished on the third day of the month of Adar in the sixth year of the reign of Darius. The children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of those who had returned from exile celebrated the consecration of this House of God with rejoicing, offering on this solemnity one hundred young bulls. … Those who had returned from exile celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month,—for the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, and all of them were clean. So, they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all who had returned from exile, for their fellow-priests and for themselves.
tuesday
September
22
25th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1
Ps 122:1–2, 3–4ab, 4cd–5 Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Gospel: Lk 8:19–21 The mother and relatives of Jesus came to him, but they could not get to him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and wish to meet you.” Then Jesus answered, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
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n the time of Ezra, the temple was the symbol of God’s presence with his people. The temple was the place that told them the God of the universe had pitched his tent in the middle of them. The trouble was that, by the time the Israelites had returned from exile, the temple was in ruins. It had been trashed by the Babylonian invaders. And now the Israelites were starting again, rebuilding, stone by stone, trying to reconstruct the good old days. They lived in hope that, when they had rebuilt the temple, their glory days would return as well. In one way it was never a story about a building. It was more a story about the hearts of the people. The mark of God’s presence in the world isn’t a building of stone any more, but a building made of people…what we’ve come to call the Church. It might be easy to pour scorn on the Church. It might be easy to laugh at what God is building; it might even be tempting to get in the way of it. But, ultimately, God wins; ultimately, it’s God’s project. And He’ll keep on building it. Forever and ever, amen!
23 September wednesday
25th Week in Ordinary Time Pio of Pietrelcina Psalter: Week 1
Tb 13:2, 3–4a, 4befghn, 7-8 Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
1st Reading: Ezra 9:5–9 I remained seated and dismayed until the evening sacrifice; and then, at the time for the evening offering, I rose from my fasting, and with my clothes and mantle torn, I knelt down, spreading out my hands to Yahweh, my God. I said, “My God! I am ashamed and confused, my God, I do not dare raise my eyes to you for our sins have increased over our heads and our crimes reach up to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors to this day, our guilt has been great. We, our kings and priests have been given into the hands of foreign kings because of our crimes; we have been delivered to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and put to shame as on this day. However, for a brief moment, the mercy of Yahweh, our God, has been shown to us. He made a remnant of our people survive, and allowed the survivor to settle once again in his Holy Place; he has given us joy and life, though we are in bondage. We are no more than slaves, but in the midst of our slavery, God has not abandoned us, he has extended a merciful hand over us to support us before the kings of Persia. He has revived our life, enabled us to rebuild the House of our God, and to have walls in Jerusalem and in the other cities of Judah. Gospel: Lk 9:1–6 Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to drive out all evil spirits and to heal diseases. And he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He instructed them, “Don’t take anything for the journey, neither walking stick, nor bag, nor bread, nor silver coins; and don’t even take a spare tunic. Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place. And wherever they don’t welcome you, leave the town and shake the dust from your feet: it will be as a testimony against them.” So they set out and went through the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
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zra makes a penitent confession of sin, the sin of his people. Speaking of sin, he speaks as one much ashamed. Holy shame is as necessary in true repentance as holy sorrow. Ezra speaks as one much amazed. The discoveries of guilt cause amazement; the more we think of sin, the worse it looks. Ezra speaks as one much afraid. There is not a surer or sadder presage of ruin, than turning to sin, after great judgments and great deliverances. Everyone of us must wonder that we have not worn out God’s patience and brought destruction upon ourselves. What then must be the case of those, who are ungodly? Although as true penitents, we can do nothing to plead on their behalf, Christ, the heavenly advocate, pleads most powerfully for them. The sacrifice, especially the evening sacrifice, was a type of the blessed Lamb of God, who, in the evening of the world, was to take away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. So, this is a comfort to us, true penitents, that although our sins might reach to the heavens, God’s mercy is there, in those heavens. All we need pray is: God be merciful to me, a sinner!
1st Reading: Hg 1:1–8 In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, a word of Yahweh was directed to the prophet Haggai for the benefit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. “So says Yahweh of hosts: This people claim that the time to rebuild the House of Yahweh has not yet come. Well now, hear what I have to say through the prophet Haggai: Is this the time for you to live in your well-built houses while this House is a heap of ruins? Think about your ways: you have sown much but harvested little, you eat and drink but are not satisfied, you clothe yourselves but still feel cold, and the laborer puts the money he earned in a tattered purse. Now think about what you must do: go to the mountain and look for wood to rebuild the House. This will make me happy and I will feel deeply honored, says Yahweh.
thursday
September
24
25th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1
Ps 149:1b–2, 3–4, 5–6a and 9b The Lord takes delight in his people.
Gospel: Lk 9:7–9 King Herod heard of all that Jesus was doing and did not know what to think, for people said, “This is John, raised from the dead.” Others believed that Elijah or one of the ancient prophets had come back to life. As for Herod, he said, “I had John beheaded; who is this man about whom I hear such wonders?” And he was anxious to see him.
T
he theme of the prophecy of Haggai was: If God commands it, just do it! Get busy and rebuild my house! That was God’s cry in the Old Testament period and it is His continuing cry today. The physical temple was the shadow of the house of God, which is every believer. Collectively, all believers are the house of God, in which He dwells. He has always built up His people. When we are working for God, we may be driven from our work by a storm, but we must go back to it. The Israelites neglected the building of God’s house, so that they might have more time and money for worldly affairs. They didn’t say that they would not build the temple. Just not yet! Likewise, we don’t say we will never repent, reform and be faithful. Just not yet! And so it is that the great business we were sent into the world to do, doesn’t get done. We are prone to think wrongly of discouragements, as if they were meant to discharge us from our duty, when they are only meant to try our courage and faith. So, whatever God commands, we should just do it!
25 September friday
25th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1
Ps 43:1, 2, 3, 4 Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.
1st Reading: Hg 2:1–9 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month of the second year of the reign of Darius, this word of Yahweh was sent through the prophet Haggai, “Give this message to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the high priest, and to all the people: Is there left among you one of those who saw this house long ago in the time of its glory? What do they think of what they see now? Is it not a very little thing? But I say to you, Zerubbabel, Joshua and my people: do not be discouraged. Begin to work, for I am with you, says Yahweh. Do not be afraid, for my spirit is in your midst. Thus says Yahweh of hosts, within a short while I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the continents. Then I will shake all the nations and bring in the treasures of the whole world. I will fill this House with glory, says Yahweh. I will have as much silver and gold as I wish. The renown of this Temple will be greater than before, and in this place I will give peace,” says Yahweh of hosts. Gospel: Lk 9:18–22 One day when Jesus was praying alone, not far from his disciples, he asked them, “What do people say about me?” And they answered, “Some say that you are John the Baptist; others say that you are Elijah, and still others that you are one of the former prophets risen from the dead.” Again Jesus asked them, “Who then do you say I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.” Then Jesus spoke to them, giving them strict orders not to tell this to anyone. And he added, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the Law, and put to death. Then after three days he will be raised to life.”
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ertainly, there were some old men in Haggai’s time, who had seen Solomon’s temple in its splendor. These kind of comparisons between the good old days and the present day…or between the work of God in various places and times…are rarely beneficial. It didn’t do the people of Haggai’s day any good to think about how magnificent Solomon’s temple had been, when they compared it with their own rebuilding work. God gave the people of Israel three clear commands: be strong, get working and do not fear! Each of these three is essential to getting the work of God done. Nothing will ever be accomplished without strength, hard work and courageous hope. Under the old covenant, God was among the people. Under the new covenant, God is in us, His people. Our spiritual house shall be filled with glory of another nature. If we have silver and gold, we must honor God with it, for it really is His. If we don’t have silver and gold, we must honor Him with whatever we have, and He will accept us as we are. We are to look for no other but Christ. If God is with us, peace is with us!
1st Reading: Zec 2:5–9, 14–15a Raising my eyes again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked, “Where are you going?” He answered, “I’m going to measure Jerusalem, to find its width and its length.” As the angel who spoke to me came forward, another angel met him and said, “Run and tell this to that young man: ‘Jerusalem will remain unwalled because of its multitude of people and live-stock.’ For this is the word of Yahweh: I myself will be around her like a wall of fire, and also within her in Glory.” Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for I am about to come, I shall dwell among you,” says Yahweh. On that day, many nations will join Yahweh and be my people, but my dwelling is among you.”
saturday
September
26
25th Week in Ordinary Time Cosmas and Damian Psalter: Week 1
Jer 31:10, 11–12ab, 13 The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
Gospel: Lk 9:43b–45 While all were amazed at everything Jesus did, he said to his disciples, “Listen and remember what I tell you now: The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands.” But the disciples didn’t understand this saying; something prevented them from grasping what he meant, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
Z
echariah is the longest and most obscure of the twelve minor prophets. It is the most messianic, the most apocalyptic and the most difficult of any of the Old Testament books to interpret. Zechariah predicted more about the messiah than any other prophet, except Isaiah. Here, today, we have a prediction of the coming of Christ in human nature. Many nations, on that day, will renounce atheism and idolatry; God will own those people, who decide to join Him with clear purpose of heart. And today’s prophecy is quite remarkable; God is about to do something unexpected and very surprising: He is about to plead His people’s cause, which has long seemed neglected. Silently submitting to His holy will and patiently awaiting the event, we can be assured that God will complete all His work. Before long, He will come among us, to complete the salvation of His people and to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their sins. Christ has proclaimed that salvation concerns everyone, all of us who resolve that sin shall not have dominion over us. Those of us, who would be God’s children, must save ourselves from this world. With Christ, we can achieve anything!
1st Reading: Num 11:25–29 Yahweh came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit that was upon him and put it on the seventy elders. Now when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But this they did not do again. Two men had remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad, the name of the other Medad. However, the spirit came on them for they were among those who were registered though they had not gone out to the Tent. As they prophesied inside the camp, a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” Joshua, the son of Nun, who ministered to Moses from his youth said, “My lord Moses, stop them!” But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous on my behalf? Would that all Yahweh’s people were prophets and that Yahweh would send his spirit upon them!” 2nd Reading: Jas 5:1–6 So, now for what concerns the rich! Cry and weep for the misfortunes that are coming upon you. Your riches are rotting and your clothes eaten up by the moths. Your silver and gold have rusted and their rust grows into a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire, for having piled up riches in these the last days. You deceived the workers who harvested your fields but now their wages cry out to the heavens. The reapers’ complaints have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You lived in luxury and pleasure in this world and felt happy while others were murdered. You have easily Ps 19:8, 10, 12–13, 14 condemned and killed the innocent since they The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart. offered no resistance.
Gospel: Mk 9:38–43, 45, 47–48 John said to him, “Master, we saw someone who drove out demons by calling upon your name, and we tried to forbid him because he does not belong to our group.” Jesus answered, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in my name can soon after speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. If anyone gives you a drink of water because you belong to Christ and bear his name, truly, I say to you, he will not go without reward. If anyone should cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble and sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a great millstone around his neck. If your hand makes you fall into sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life without a hand than with two hands to go to hell, to the fire that never goes out. And if your eye makes you fall into sin, tear it out! It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than, keeping both eyes, to be thrown into hell where the worms that eat them never die, and the fire never goes out.
sunday
September
27
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2
J
esus makes it clear that we are either for Him or against Him. There can be no middle ground. Either the life, teaching, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus compel us to follow Him or they don’t. Discipleship is an option. Stewardship is not. We have a choice in the matter of whether to fo llow Jesus. But once we have made that decision we are committed to follow Him wholeheartedly. We are committed to living our lives as good and faithful stewards of the many gifts God has so generously lavished upon us, especially the great gift of our faith. We are committed to living upright and holy lives, learning every day to prefer nothing to the love of Jesus Christ. Our discipleship commits us to make radical decisions to live out our faith clearly and without ambiguity. One day we will be asked to render an account of our stewardship. We will be asked by the Lord, “What did you do with your life?” Please God may we be able to tell the Lord that we lived so as to love and serve Him with all of our heart, mind, strength and soul. Following Jesus is a full-time endeavor!
28 September monday
26th Week in Ordinary Time Lawrence Ruiz and Companions / Wenceslaus Psalter: Week 2
Ps 102:16–18, 19–21, 29 and 22–23 The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
1st Reading: Zec 8:1–8 The word of Yahweh, the God of hosts was directed to me in this way, “I am intensely jealous for Zion, stirred by a burning anger for her sake. Yahweh says: I will return to Zion and live in her midst. Jerusalem shall be called City of faithfulness and the Mountain of Yahweh of hosts, the Mountain of holiness.” Yahweh, God of hosts speaks, “Old men and women will again sit in the squares, each with a stick in hand on account of their great age. The squares of the city will be filled with girls and boys playing.” Yahweh, God of hosts declares, “If that seems impossible in the eyes of those who have returned from exile, will it be impossible for me as well?”—word of Yahweh. Yahweh, God of hosts says, “See, I am going to save my people, bringing them from the east and from the west and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be my people and I shall be their God in truth and in justice.” Gospel: Lk 9:46–50 One day the disciples were arguing about which of them was the most important. But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he took a little child and stood him by his side. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. And listen: the one who is found to be the least among you all, is the one who is the greatest.” Then John spoke up, “Master, we saw someone who drove out demons by calling upon your name, and we tried to forbid him because he doesn’t follow you with us.” But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him. He who is not against you is for you.”
T
hrough messages and visions God encouraged His people to repent of their evil, to be faithful and obey Him, because He had a restored, central future for Jerusalem among the nations, with Him dwelling there. He called the people in Jerusalem to repent, in order that they would not be judged as their ancestors were for disobeying His word. When it became a city of truth and a mountain of holiness, Jerusalem was peaceable and prosperous, enjoying a state of great outward calm, attended with plenty, temperance and contentment. The Israelites were brought together from all over the known world. God would never leave nor forsake them, since He had promised them never to do so. His promises were partly fulfilled in the Jewish people, between the captivity and the time of Christ’s coming. But now, the full weight of His promises applies to our future and the future of our Christian Church. For us alone, this is impossible; but with God all things are possible, just because God’s thoughts and ways are way above ours. May we labor in love and be strong. May we serve Christ, assured that, because of Him, our labor shall never be in vain.
1st Reading: Dn 7:9–10, 13–14 (or Rev 12:7–12a) I looked and saw the following: Some thrones were set in place and One of Great Age took his seat. His robe was white as snow, his hair white as washed wool. His throne was flames of fire with wheels of blazing fire. A river of fire sprang forth and flowed before him. Thousands upon thousands served him and a countless multitude stood before him. Those in the tribunal took their seats and opened the book. I continued watching the nocturnal vision: One like a son of man came on the clouds of heaven. He faced the One of Great Age and was brought into his presence. Dominion, honor and kingship were given him, and all the peoples and nations of every language served him. His dominion is eternal and shall never pass away; his kingdom will never be destroyed.
tuesday
September
29
Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, archangels Psalter: Proper
Ps 138:1–2ab, 2cde–3, 4–5 In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Gospel: Jn 1:47–51 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, he said of him, “Here comes an Israelite, a true one; there is nothing false in him.” Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” And Jesus said to him, “Before Philip called you, you were under the fig tree and I saw you.” Nathanael answered, “Master, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” But Jesus replied, “You believe because I said: ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ But you will see greater things than that. Truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
A
rchangels are superior or higher-ranking angels. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam. In Christianity, the only archangels ever clearly named are Michael (patron saint of law enforcement officers), Gabriel (patron saint of dispatchers and emergency communications staff), and Raphael. The New Testament rarely speaks of angels, referring only twice to Michael, when the voice of the archangel will be heard at the return of Christ. Contrary to popular belief, Gabriel is never called an archangel in the gospels. In church tradition, however, there are three archangels: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. It is easy for skeptical minds to see, in these angelic hosts, the mere play of Hebrew fancy and the rank growth of superstition. But records of angels in the Bible supply a most natural and harmonious progression. The angels appear in the course of the chosen people’s history as God’s messengers. All this loving ministry on the part of the angels is solely for the sake of the messiah, on whose face they desire to look. Hence, when the fullness of time arrives, it is the angels, who bring the glad message and sing: “Glory to God in the highest!”
30 September wednesday
26th Week in Ordinary Time Jerome Psalter: Week 2
Ps 137:1–2, 3, 4–5, 6 Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!
1st Reading: Ne 2:1–8* In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, I was doing my duty as cupbearer. I took up the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad before in the past. So, the king said to me, “Why do you look sad? You don’t look sick. Is there something that bothers you?” I became hesitant. And I said, “May the king live forever! How could I afford not to be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates are burned down?” The king said to me, “What do you want, then?” I asked help of God from heaven and said to the king, “If it seems good to the king and if he is pleased with my work, then may he send me to the land of Judah, to the city where my ancestors are buried, that I may rebuild it.” The queen was sitting beside the king, and the king asked me, “How long will you be gone? When will you be back?” I told him the date and he allowed me to leave. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, may you give me letters for the governors of the province at the other side of the River that I may travel to Judah. … The good hand of God was supporting me, so that the king gave me what I asked. Gospel: Lk 9:57–62 As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another Jesus said, “Follow me.” But he answered, “Let me go back now, for first I want to bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their dead; as for you, leave them and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said to him, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” And Jesus said to him, “Whoever has put his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.”
I
t is supposed to be good news, this thing called the gospel. But the gospel includes hard news, because that is what our gospel-reading contains today: some of what are often called the hard sayings of Jesus. They are called hard sayings, not so much because they are hard to understand, but because they are hard to hear. To the one who wished to say goodbye to his family before becoming a disciple, Jesus told him not even to think about it. It is often a good idea to state a point in the extreme, in order to get it across to an audience. Jesus was, among other things, a very good teacher by stating his point in such a way as to make us take notice. We cannot help being startled by his suggestion that we have to turn our back on our immediate family in order to join the Christian family. But, Christ does not call us so that we might forget family, friends and those closest to us. Attached to the hard saying is the promise that, by living fully as a follower of Christ, we may trust in His love for us and for our families.