Walk In the Spirit September 2016

WALK IN THE SPIRIT September 2016 Volume 09 Issue 15

"The Lord is with you. Be awake"

ISSN 1391-5967

Publication: Fr. Siri Oscar Abayaratne Kithu Dana Pubuduwa

SHARING ON PRAYER September 2016

I become an instrument for the healing and transformation of what is happening around me, by my participation in the paradoxical mystery of the Cross, i.e. to stand between the contradictions of my life, sinful and grace-filled life. In Jesus I find reconciliation of the opposites. Its more correct to say that its in Jesus, crucified, hanging on the cross that I shall be made use of to serve the Abba’s purposes. Jesus did it. He invites me to the “great parade”.

Fr. Siri Oscar Abayaratne

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Thursday 1st September 2016 1 Corinthians:3/18-23 Psalm:24/1-6 Luke:5/1-11 St. Giles It is not certain whether he was a native of Southern France or came therefrom Greece. He was a holy recluse in a dense forest near Nimes and is said to have been a cripple. He was discovered by the King of the Franks when he was on a huntng expedition. A monastery was built for him and some disciples, whom he accepted lived with him. On this site grew the city of Giles. During the middle ages his cult as the chief patron of the poor, the crippled, the sterile, the epileptics, foresters and blacksmiths became very poplar. Numerous healings and miracles came to be reported at his grave at the abbey.

The Gospel Proclamation Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; ...

He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. ....

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. .... But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" ... Then Jesus said to Simon, Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Feast of St.Giles, Abbot, Confessor Prayerful Awareness What a turn of events we have here!

Jesus was in the synagogue when He preached last. Here it is at the lakeside.

Isn't it a turning point in His career? He knew the synagogue will be shut both to Him and His Church. So He took to the open road. He was ready to be where the masses would listen to Him - here it is the boat. The way Peter responded to Jesus' call is interesting. Having worked all night he was dead tired. The result was disheartening but at Jesus' word he worked again. The result was a marvellous one and equally marvellous was Peter's response. Peter was in a hopeless situation. The time appropriate for fishing was over. At Jesus' word Peter obeyed Him without questioning and he attempted the impossible. How often do we wait for the most opportune time, keep procrastinating and never begin at all? "Faced with God's fascinating and mysterious presence, man discovers his own insignificance. Before the burning bush, Moses takes off his sandals and veils his face in the presence of God's holiness. Before the glory of the thrice-holy God, Isaiah cries out "Woe is me! I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips" Before the divine signs wrought

by Jesus, Peter exclaimed "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." But because God is holy, He can forgive the man who realizes that he is a sinner before Him: "I will not execute my fierce anger .... for I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst."

The apostle John says likewise: "We shall ... reassure our hearts before Him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything." (C.C.C. 208).

Prayer Starter Help us to say 'yes' to Your call without reserve. Amen.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Friday 2nd September 2016 1 Corinthians:4/1-5 Psalm: 37/3-6,27-28, 39-40 Luke:5/33-39 The First Proclamation People should think of us as Christ's servants, stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God. In such a matter, what is expected of stewards is that each one should be found trustworthy. It is of no importance to me how you or any other human court may judge me: I will not even be the judge of my own self. It is true that my conscience does not reproach me, but that is not enough to justify me: it is the Lord who is my judge. For that reason, do not judge anything before the due time, until the Lord comes; he will bring to light everything that is hidden in darkness and reveal the designs of all hearts. Then everyone will receive from God the appropriate commendation.

Fix your gaze on Jesus

bring men's secret sins into open day, and discover the secrets of their hearts.

Then every slandered believer will be justified, and every faithful servant approved and rewarded. The Word of God is the best rule by which to judge as to men, and there-again, it is the heart-the inner motives-the inner workings which will be judged; not the outer manifestation thereof which could be interpreted as you please! Just review a regular every-day event in our lives, and compare notes with another; you will come to understand this fallacy we inherit ..

Pride commonly is at the bottom of quarrels, the ego - our false self manifesting. Self-conceit contributes to produce undue esteem of our teachers, as well as of ourselves. We shall not be puffed up for one against another, if we remember that all are instruments, employed by God, and endowed by Him with various talents, for His purposes discoverable by diligent searching and listening.

The other day, I was having a difficult time relating to my younger son who continued to misbehave and neglect his growing up work, choosing instead to stay with a diffused attention, more focused on passing frivolities. Just observing the harm he was doing to himself was eating away at my inside; I was slowly loosing my cool. The Holy Spirit awakened me as to what was really happening; I was in a judgment modeprojecting my fears in to an anticipation of what could be! Once I came to my senses, and realized that a spirit of fear was controlling me, founded on my lack of trust in the workings of the Almighty who uses even our sin to turn everything for our good, the pressure I experienced simply disappeared. Calmly, I helped the child to turn to higher ways..

Prayer Starter

Jesus Lord, find in me the hidden roots of sin that prevent me from experiencing the nearness of Your presence; and disperse it with the power of Your grace and mercy....

The Apostles are but servants of Christ, yet are not to be undervalued.

They have a great trust, and an honourable office. Paul had a just concern for his own reputation, but knew that he who chiefly aimed to please men, would not prove himself a faithful servant of Christ.

It is a comfort that men are not to be our final judges, and it is not judging well of ourselves, or justifying ourselves, that will prove us safe and happy. We really do not know ourselves all that well!

Our own judgment is not to be depended upon as to our faithfulness, any more Search me O Lord, find in me the than our own works for our justification. errors that create the chasm between us, There is a day coming, that will and awaken me thereof....

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Saturday 3rd September 2016

St. Gregory the Great

1 Corinthians:4/9-15 Psalm:145/17-21 Luke: 6/1-5 The First Proclamation For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, as though sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to mortals. We are fools for the sake of Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless and we grow weary from the work of our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure, when slandered, we speak kindly. We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day......

The Gospel Proclamation One sabbath while Jesus was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands and ate them. But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath." Jesus answered, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?" Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath."

Gaze at Jesus

forbidden. Jesus' answer to the criticism of scribes and Pharisees clearly bring out that human need took precedence over any ritual custom. In other words love was greater than law. "I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice." (Hosea 6:6) God desires kindness more than ritual sacrifice, the spirit which knows no law other than that the human needs must be answered. We have abundant evidence that Jesus fed the hungry, cared for the sick and comforted the sad irrespective of the day, hour or law. Christian service is mainly the service of human need. It also has a major part to play in all the tragedies and problems and demands of the human situation. "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath." (Mark 2:27).

Gaze at my sonship Outward sacrifice to be genuine must be the expression of spiritual sacrifice. "The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit." (Ps. 51:17) The prophets of the Old Covenant often denounced sacrifices that were not from the heart or not coupled with love of neighbour. Jesus recalls the words of the prophet Hosea, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice". The only perfect sacrifice is the one that Christ offered on the Cross as a total offering to the Father's love and for our salvation. By uniting ourselves with His sacrifice we can make our lives a sacrifice to God." (C.C.C. 2100) Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and scribes for enslaving themselves and their compatriots with a host of tyrannical regulations. How well did He bring out his heart about the neighbour in "The parable of the good Samaritan" (Luke 10:25-27) Prayer Starter

According to scribes and Pharisees, It is by our actions O Lord that we plucking and eating grains of corn on the Sabbath was a violation of the Sab- are put right with You. Help us to be bath law. This law in turn was broken doers of Your word - doing everything down into 39 basic actions which were with love. Amen.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Sunday 4th September 2016 Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Wisdom: 9/13-18 Psalm: 90/3-6,12-14, 17 Philemon:1/9-10,12-17 Luke:14/25-33

things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out?

Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high?

Introduction And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.

I understand justice as a process of Prayerful Awareness weighing the evidence for and against an accused and giving a judgement My thoughts go to the very first accordingly. If some facts are pre- few words of the Apostles’ Creed. sented for consideration and while “We believe in God the Father alothers are hidden deliberately or in- mightyKcreator of heaven and earth advertently, the judgement cannot be ……” The God we believe in is our considered fair. In such circumstances Father as revealed to us by Jesus Christ a guilty party may be acquitted and an our Lord. Therefore He loves us and innocent party may be condemned. always wants the best for us. God is Merciful love on the other hand will, also almighty, able to do what He wills while considering the evidence avail- for us. God as the Creator of heaven able, act taking into consideration the and earth is its Master, controls its very greater good of all concerned. We are existence. We, on the other hand are all guilty before God our Father. When limited mortals with a finite existence each of us faces God’s judgement let and limited awareness. us have faith in His merciful love.

What is wiser? Planning our lives Entrance Antiphon according to the finite knowledge we You are just, O Lord, and your possess or saying ‘Amen’ to the plan judgment is right; Treat your servant that God our Father has for us? in accord with your merciful love.

In today's Gospel Jesus throws out a challenge to those who were thinking First Proclamation to be His followers …….

Who can know God’s counsel, Gospel Proclamation or who can conceive what the Lord intends?

For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans.

For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns.

And scarce do we guess the

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?

Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’

Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”

Gaze at Jesus Jesus came preaching that the kingdom of God has come. In the Kingdom of God, it is the God Who is Love who reigns. Those who enter His Kingdom belong to Him willingly.

In other words the cost of discipleship is renunciation of all that we call our own, including our closest relationships and rest in the love of God our Father. Jesus as true Man models this journey of renunciation for His would be disciples when He stepped out of His home in Nazareth, leaving His mother and the comforts therein. God His Abba is the only providence He relies on for all His needs.

The Lord Jesus not only experiences the merciful love of God His Abba but also makes those who follow Him experience the same. Jesus fed the hungry, befriended the outcasts and marginalized, healed the sick and

thus demonstrated the merciful love of God. Second Proclamation I, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus, urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,whose father I have become in my imprisonment; I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I should have liked to retain him for myself, so that he might serve me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the gospel, but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary. Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord.

So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.

Our sonship Paul appeals to Philemon whom he had won for Jesus Christ to share the love of God he experiences with his former slave Onesimus and accept him as a brother. Those of us who have not experienced “slave culture” will not understand the difficulty that Philemon would have faced to comply with Paul’s appeal. It was a test of the measure of God’s merciful love experienced by Philemon.

Prayer Starter Open my heart O Lord to Your merciful love flowing to me through the people and events that You make me encounter.

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Monday 5th September 2016 1 Corinthians:5/1-8 Psalm: 5/4-6, 12 Luke: 6/6-11 The First Proclamation It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, ... for a man is living with his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Should you not rather have mourned, so that he who has done this would have been removed from among you?

For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present I have already pronounced judgement in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man who has done such a thing. ..... ..... Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new hatch, as you really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

The Gospel Proclamation On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. Even though he knew what they were thinking he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come and stand here." He got up and stood there.

Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath to save life or to destroy it?

After looking around at all of them, he said to him, "Stretch out your hand."

He did so, and his hand was restored.

But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Prayerful Awareness Each Saturday, the Sabbath, the Jewish men would gather to listen to a rabbi teach from the scriptures. Because there was no permanent rabbi or teacher, it was customary for the synagogue leader to ask visiting teachers to speak. This is why Jesus often spoke in the synagogues in the towns He VISITED. Recently Jesus had moved from Nazareth to Capernaum, a thriving town with GREAT WEALTH. as well as GREAT SIN. As it was the headquarters for many Roman troops. PAGAN influence from all over the Roman empire were pervasive. This was an IDEAL place for Jesus to CHALLENGE both Jews and non-Jews with the GOSPEL of God's Kingdom.

According to the tradition of the religious leaders, NO HEALING could be done on the Sabbath. Healing they argued, was PRACTICING MEDICINE, and a person could not practice his or her profession on the Sabbath. It was MORE IMPORTANT for the religious leaders to PROTECT their laws than to FREE a person from painful suffering.

Jesus' enemies were furious, NOT ONLY had HE read their MINDS, He also flouted THEIR laws and exposed the hatred in their hearts. It is ironic that it was their HATRED combined with ZEAL for the law, that drove them to PLOT MURDER - an act that was clearly AGAINST the LAW. Jesus shows us clearly that we should not allow dogma to BLIND us to HUMAN NEED. Jesus had showed that the Pharisees were more LOYAL to their religious system than to GOD. Prayer Starter O Lord, teach us to see people as YOU do, being worthy of YOUR Love and needing Your care. May Your great love and mercy, find in our hearts, a vessel that can be displayed to put another's needs ahead of our own.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Tuesday 6th September 2016 1 Corinthians:6/1-11 Psalm: 149/1-6, 9 Luke:6/12-19 Gospel Proclamation Now it happened in those days that he went onto the mountain to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them 'apostles': Simon whom he called Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor.....

Fix Your Gaze on Jesus Let us enter into contemplative prayer on today’s Proclamations and fix our gaze on our Lord Jesus Christ who is our best example of always being connected to Abba Father to know His Will and to carry it out to the letter! And He tells us to do likewise and follow Him! Jesus spent the whole night in prayer to discern Abba Father’s Will how to plan and execute His ministry on earth. By then He had a large number of followers/ disciples, and the Holy Spirit guided Him to select twelve out of the disciples to have a closer relationship with Him, to be groomed for leadership position/s in the body of followers, His Church, representing the twelve tribes that made up Israel, the generations of the twelve sons of Jacob (who was renamed Israel). In selecting them, He does not hesitate to select even Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray Him, because that was also necessary for Abba Father’s plan to unfold in His life for the salvation of mankind, for which purpose He, the Word, the second

person in the Holy Trinity, became flesh in order to lay down His life in sacrifice for the sin of the whole of humanity!

What Love, what a let-go experience, for us to follow! Amen! Alleluia!

Our Sonship In the First Proclamation Saint Paul admonishes those within the body of Christ (the Church) who have disputes amongst them not to resort to seek justice from Courts of the world like everybody else, but instead to seek help from the elders of the Church to resolve such disputes in a just and amicable manner.

Saint Paul goes on to say that it would be better to suffer injustice or be defrauded rather than act in a worldly manner.

In Luke 6:35/36 Jesus says: “love your enemies and do good to them, and lend without any hope of return.

You will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High, for He himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate.”

In fact I would urge you to read the rest of Luke Chapter 6 (verse 20 onwards) to discern His Will for us His children.

Prayer Starter (Psalm (149/1-6,9) Alleluia! Sing a new song to Yahweh: his praise in the assembly of the faithful!

Israel shall rejoice in its Maker, the children of Zion delight in their king; they shall dance in praise of his name, play to him on tambourines and harp!

For Yahweh loves his people, he will crown the humble with salvation.

The faithful exult in glory, shout for joy as they worship him, praising God to the heights with their voices, a twoedged sword in their hands, to execute on them the judgement passed -- to the honour of all his faithful.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Wednesday 7th September 2016 1 Corinthians:7/25-31 Psalm: 45/10-11,13-16 Luke: 6/20-26 Gospel Proclamation And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil for the sake of the Son of man.“Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. “But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. “Woe to you who are well fed now, for you shall be hungry.

Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.

Prayerful Awareness Lord Jesus Christ gave the above instructions for Christians, True followers to note as we are expected to carry our cross and follow Him (St. Mathew 16: 24 ), not to leave the cross and do everything as carnal men enjoying all the riches of the world satisfying all the desires of the body or flesh. Then we cannot call ourselves followers of Christ. But Lord Jesus said that our cross is not heavy (St. Mathew 11:30).

He is there to help us, as Lord said I will be there with you till the end of life (St. Mathew 28:20). In order to live a life pleasing to Lord, we must have total dependence on Lord. We must become

True followers of Christ, and not of money, wealth, fame, power nor authority as all these drive us to commit sin, to be selfish, to hoard these more and more with a thirst to have more as no amount of these can satisfy our lives. Then we become slaves to these and treat them like gods and tend to do any sin, even murder in order to protect them.

Also do not depend too much on men, as some men may try to use others to achieve their own motives and make the others slaves. We are called to follow Jesus Christ and receive Freedom (St. John 8:31- 32), to enjoy real Freedom of Peace (Peace of mind and heart and soul) and Happiness, Love and Kindness and experience the presence of Lord as our Teacher, as our Guide, as our Helper, as our Leader. Then Lord will provide all what we need, whatever we ask in the name of Lord Jesus Christ (St. John 14: 13 - 14). On the other hand we are called to live a new life, living on the present times, living for the moment, like the life of our Holy Mother. She did everything that has to be done according to the teachings of the Law, but totally depended on God and obeyed God’s Word to go, when she was asked to go. She looked up to God for Help and Guidance and depended on God for what she could not understand, as she knew that God was in control, and everything should happen according to the Will of God. Prayer Starter Holy Mother, pray for us sinners as we are weak. Intercede for us in the presence of Lord Jesus Christ to save our souls. For Lord Jesus to take control of our lives through the Holy Spirit who dwell within us, to Teach us, Guide us and unite our souls with God Almighty the Ever Loving Father in heaven, Amen.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Thursday 8th September 2016

Micah:5.1-5 OR Romans:8/28-30 Psalm: 3/5-6 Mathew:1/1-16,18-23 OR 1/18-23 Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary The day of a saint's death - yes, the Church regards it a 'birthday'. For it was on this day that the elect ended his/her life on earth to be born anew to the real life in heaven. However there is an exception made by the Church. It celebrates the natural birth of three persons, viz. Jesus, Mary and John the Baptist. "Having being destined to become the mother of the Eternal Word, this child was enriched with so great a grace that even at the moment of her Immaculate Conception, she exceeded all the saints and angels in sanctity, for she was given a higher order of grace, which corresponded to her dignity of Mother of God.". Mary the new Eve is the Mother of the Church as well as all of us.

The Gospel Proclamation

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel." which means "God is with us."

Prayerful Awareness The focal point of God's salvific plan of humans was a woman. That collaborator and associate was none other than Mary, the Blessed Mother whose nativity we celebrate today. The Old Testament prophecy of the coming of the Messiah is fulfilled in her. She was destined to be the mother of the Saviour. The salvific plan is culminated in her and how thankful should we be to her for her intimate role of salvation - all on our behalf. Joseph is described as a just man, a righteous man.

So he was not willing to expose Mary to public disgrace. He is often called the 'legal' father, 'foster' father 'adoptive' father etc. How true was he to his wife Mary and to Jesus? As the head of the Holy Family, he did his utmost to be true to his vocation - which was unique.

He obeyed God's call unconditionally when an angel, in a dream, told him of the Incarnation - when he was told by an angel to migrate to Egypt and later to return to the land of Israel. He fulfilled the role of a father. He prepared Jesus for adult life. Naturally he taught Him his own trade.

In the reading from St. Paul we read that in everything God works for the good of those who love Him. The freedom He has given us - yes, He respects the same, He never meddles with it. "I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into his house and eat with him and he will eat with me." (Revelation 3:20) He lets all things happen but is behind the screen ready with His outstretched helping hand.

Prayer Starter

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what Give us eyes to see everything poshad been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:"Look, the virgin shall itively. Amen.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Friday 9th September 2016 1 Corinthans:9/16-19, 22-27 Psalm: 84/2-5, 7-11 Luke: 6/39-42 The First Proclamation In fact, preaching the gospel gives me nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion and I should be in trouble if I failed to do it. If I did it on my own initiative I would deserve a reward; but if I do it under compulsion I am simply accepting a task entrusted to me. What reward do I have, then?

That in my preaching I offer the gospel free of charge to avoid using the rights which the gospel allows me. So though I was not a slave to any human being, I put myself in slavery to all people, to win as many as I could....To the weak, I made myself weak, to win the weak. I accommodated myself to people in all kinds of different situations, so that by all possible means I might bring some to salvation. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, that I may share its benefits with others. Do you not realise that, though all the runners in the stadium take part in the race, only one of them gets the prize?

Run like that -- to win. Every athlete concentrates completely on training, and this is to win a wreath that will wither, whereas ours will never wither.

So that is how I run, not without a clear goal; and how I box, not wasting blows on air. I punish my body and bring it under control, to avoid any risk that, having acted as herald for others, I myself may be disqualified.

Fix your gaze on Jesus Thank you Lord for your Words which does wonders to clarify our thinking... and for using St. Paul to deliver Your redeeming Power to us who were estranged....

St. Peter Claver Jesus told us a parable, 'Can one blind person guide another? Surely both will fall into a pit? Disciple is not superior to teacher; but fully trained disciple will be like teacher. Why do you observe the splinter in your brother's eye and never notice the great log in your own?...' What we should understand from this is that, we become comfortable with our own situation and thought patterns, oblivious to how bad it is in the eyes of the Lord!

And yet, other forces impel us to point out the changes our brother need to make. When Jesus says, 'Hypocrite! Take the log out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter in your brother's eyes', this is a call to become aware! We have to go the journey of discovering who we really are! To stop identifying ourselves with the thoughts, concepts, beliefs, feelings, dreams and hopes we habitually associate with in our inner world. True enough these (forces) guide us in our moment to moment life; but they should be viewed as distinct and separate from our own identify! We choose!

Regardless of whether the choices made are rational, logical, emotional, habitual or instinctual, we choose the forces that propel us onwards. And the Call is to become aware of whether our choices are in accord with the Living Word! We are to choose Jesus- the Living Word, as the force to carry us forward. St. Paul seem to have realised this distinction. He holds himself as separate from 'The Good News'-the Gospel, even when aware that he is the channel through whom the Word Issues Forth. He holds himself fully open and accessible for God's use.

We too are so called. Shall we respond?

Prayer Starter Lord, my liberator, help me journey towards my true identity in You...make me aware...!

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Saturday 10th September 2016 1 Corinthians:10/14-22 Psalm: 116/12-13,17-18 Luke:6/43-49 The First Proclamation Therefore, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?

Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. ....

Prayerful Awareness This passage reminds of the Holy Communion which all of us partake at the sacrifice of the holy Mass. Its a common participation that takes place at a common table called the Altar. It is Christ's Body that is distributed with no discrimination. This Holy Communion acts as a common food to fill the hearts of all those who kneel down at the altar.

Quite contrary to the bread of Life that Jesus offers, which is His very Body and Blood, Jesus takes some bread and says, "this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

Hence this practice has descended from Jesus' time onwards to this day and it will last until the end of the world. This is the greatest event that the Church celebrates where Christ is alive in person in his body and Blood as true God and true Man, but hidden in the Sacred Host.

Ths is the mystery of the Holy Mass and the central theme of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Gospel Proclamation No good tree bears bad fruit nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. .... ... I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house who dug deeply

and laid the foundation on rock, when a flood arose the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not act ... and great was the ruin of that house."

Gaze on Jesus In the Gospel Proclamatioan we see very clearly that all things take place according to the Will and Plan of God. Jesus corroborates this fact by taking things from nature - A bad tree does not bear good fruit, neither a good tree bears bad fruit. He who accepts the word of God and lives up to it shall never fail but shall prosper in life because he does the Will of God and comes within His plan.

Prayerful Awareness Nature speaks to us of God's plan and Will. It is to corroborate this fact that Jesus takes things from nature and speaks to us. Let us be open to the word of God. In the first proclamation, St. Paul writing to the Corinthians states thus: "I do not want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of the demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of the demons"... This is why the Lord says: "Why do you call me Lord, Lord and not do what I tell you." St. Paul through his letter to the Corinthians calls us to shun idols and participate in the Blood of Christ, the cup of blessing and in the bread, the Body of Christ. "No one can serve two masters, either he will hate one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." (Mathew 6/24), Let us listen to the word of God, be alert to the Holy Spirit dwelling in us and strive to do God's Will and Plan.

Prayer Starter Let us give glory to God on High. The Lord is mindful of us. He blesses us. Let us trust in Him for He is our only hope and He is our shield. Amen.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Sunday 11th September 2016 Exodus:32/7-11,13-14 Psalm: 51/1-2,10-11, 15, 17 1 Timothy:1/12-17 Luke:15/1-32 OR 15/1-10 Introduction The Lord acts in His own time for the benefit of the people whom He loves. If there is one characteristic that is wanting in us as God’s people, it is PATIENCE. We just cannot “WAIT”.

We get restless and experience inner turmoil when we are faced with a crisis in which there is not much we can do to get out of it. The Entrance Antiphon is a plea to the Lord God to hear the prayer of those who wait for Him. Entrance Antiphon Give peace, O Lord, to those who wait for you, that your prophets be found true. Hear the prayers of your servant,and of your people Israel.

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

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand?

Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying,‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.’” So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.

Prayerful Awareness The people rescued by the power of Yahweh from the clutches of the tyrannical Pharaoh fail in two ways: on the one hand, they forget what Yahweh the unseen God did on their behalf, and on the other hand they are unable to believe that Yahweh although unseen is still with them and on their side.

Therefore they are not ready to WAIT till Yahweh acts and make themselves a “god” whom they can see – the molten calf. But there is still Moses the faithful servant of Yahweh, who intercedes on behalf of the people.

He succeeds in ‘convincing’ the Lord to relent from inflicting punishment on the people. Moses proves that it is worth ‘WAITING’ for the Lord to act on behalf of His people.

Gospel Proclamation Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them he addressed this parable. “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.

“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it?

And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Gaze at Jesus The Lord through two parables teaches us about the perseverance of God to find and welcome back one repentant sinner. God is willing to wait until we repent and return to Him. Jesus tells us of the Joy experienced by God at our return. Jesus compares it to the joy of a shepherd who finds one out of hundred sheep who was lost and the joy of a poor woman who finds one out of ten coins which was lost. When one of the sheep is lost the shepherd is more or less preoccupied with the one lost; it is the same with the poor woman although she has nine more coins her mind gives more worth to the lost coin. The Lost one gets a special place in the heart of the owner.

Second Proclamation

ministry. I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief.

Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life. To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God, honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Our sonship Jesus the Son of God our good shepherd comes in search of the lost sheep of His Father’s flock. We are lost because of our self-seeking behavior.

We think that we can work out our own fulfillment. On our way to accomplish this goal we sinfully use things and people to their detriment. The damage we cause traps us in a situation of helplessness. We cannot extricate ourselves from this trap by ourselves.

We need help. We need a savior. The Good News is that Jesus Christ has come and saved us by paying the price of our salvation through the shedding of His precious blood on the cross.

Paul experiences this salvation and offers it to anyone who would wish to have it. Jesus waits in patience, waiting for the day when all of us sinners will accept the salvation He has won for us.

Prayer Starter

Beloved: What a friend we have in Jesus; I am grateful to him who has All our sins and grief to bear. What a strengthened me, Christ Jesus our privilege to carry everything to God Lord, because he considered me in prayer. trustworthy in appointing me to the

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Monday 12th September 2016 The Most Holy Name of Mary 1 Corinthians:11/17-26, 33 Psalm: 40/6-9, 16 Luke: 7/1-10 OR Galatians:4/4-7 OR Ephesians:1/3-6,11-12 Psalm: Luke:1/46-55 Luke:1/39-47 The First Proclamation Now in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, to begin with, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and to some extent I believe it. Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine. When you come together, it is not realy to eat the Lord's supper. For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk. ....

The Gospel Proclamation After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly saying, "He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us". And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof;

therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me and I say to one, 'Go', and he goes, and to another, 'Come.' and he comes and to my slave, 'Do this,' and the slave does it". When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Gaze at Jesus Our Lord Jesus is the Word of God. The words that come from Him have the living power. This is proved in today's Gospel. The person that emerges from today's Gospel is an outstanding person.

Having heard of Jesus and the power of His Word he had a great faith in Jesus.

Hence he appealed to Jesus to cure his servant who was seriously ill. This faith in the Centurion and his ability to accept his unworthiness amazed Jesus. The servant is healed then and there. The Catholic Church has also adopted the Centurion's request in her Eucharistic Liturgy.

Truly the Centurion's words are a great challenge to us. His faith, the experience he had in Jesus challenge our life of faith. When we receive the Holy Eucharist we say this prayer fervently expressing our unworthiness before Jesus.

Prayer Starter Lord Jesus, we praise and thank You lovingly for establishing the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Through this Sacrament we are fortunate to touch Your Holy Body and praise You again and again.

We are sorry for not being awake to this great truth and not receiving with a thankful heart so as to build a life-long relationship. Lord like the faith of the Centurion, make us humble and increase our faith day by day.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Tuesday 13th September 2016 1 Corinthians:12/12-14, 27-31 Psalm: 100/1-5 Luke: 7/11-17 Gospel Proclamation It happened that soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, .... Now when he was near the gate of the town there was a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. .... When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her and said to her, 'Don't cry.' Then he went up and touched the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, 'Young man, I tell you: get up.' And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. ......

Fix Your Gaze on Jesus Let us enter into contemplative prayer on today’s Proclamations and fix our gaze on our Lord Jesus Christ who is our best example of always being connected to Abba Father to know His Will and to carry it out to the letter! And He tells us to do likewise and follow Him! Let us reflect how we are to know the Father’s Will, nay, the Will of the Holy Trinity, for they always act in one accord, based on Love. Gazing at Jesus in human form, we know that He was well versed in the scriptures to know the Father’s Will. We also know that He was always attuned to the Holy Spirit of God in personal/silent meditative prayer, and through constant awareness to the Holy Spirit in everything that He thought, said, and did! Through the scriptures Jesus was aware that His Abba Father was always very much partial to widows and orphans.

And He also knew that everything happens for a purpose, and that it was not a coincidence that He happened to witness this funeral procession of a son of a widow who was distraught by the

St. John Chrysostom death of her only son who would have been her only means of sustenance. She would likely have been wailing putting her thoughts to words, and the fact that there was a large sorrowful gathering was proof that here was a good woman and son who had been very helpful to those in the neighbourhood. And the Lord was moved with compassion, and sensing His Father’s Will in this situation through the guidance of His Holy Spirit, went up to the woman to console her, and went up to the bier to raise the dead man to life! He did it not for His own glory, but because He was moved with compassion, and to glorify His Abba because He sensed it was His Father’s Will to give the son back to his poor mother, and the news of this great miracle spread throughout the country!

Our Sonship Those who are led by God’s Holy Spirit become children of the Most High Almighty God (Romans 8:14), and thereby become adopted brothers/ sisters of the only begotten Son of God, members of the Family/Kingdom of God! In today’s First Proclamation Saint Paul says believers form the Body of Christ (Church) bound to each other by the Holy Spirit, who is within, and around us, and our guide, sharing gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit to help us emulate our Lord Jesus Christ! Let us reflect, repent our shortcomings, and pledge anew to follow in His footsteps!

Prayer Starter (Psalm 100/1-5) Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth, serve Yahweh with gladness, come into his presence with songs of joy! Be assured that Yahweh is God, he made us, we belong to him, his people, the flock of his sheepfold. Come within his gates giving thanks, to his courts singing praise, give thanks to him and bless his name! For Yahweh is good, his faithful love is everlasting, his constancy from age to age.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Wednesday 14h September 2016 Numbers:21/4-9 Psalm:78/1-2,34-38 Philippians:2/6-11 John:3/13-17 Gospel Proclamation And no one has ever gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from Heaven. As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert, in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to be the judge, but to be its savior.

Gaze at Jesus’ Sonship As we meditate on the divine mystery of the cross as a feast, it is important for us to understand what God is trying to reveal to us through the cross and the magnitude of His love to humanity expressed through Jesus.

Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel, “God loved the world so much that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.” Thus, by Jesus’ submission to such a cruel death He bore the penalty that would have been our destiny: to die in a condemned state as sinners.

God’s plan for man was eternal life with Him. Although the serpent tested our trust against God’s word, the Good News is that God has not withdrawn this beautiful aspect of His plan from the creation. As a means of restoration, God wants us to trust His word completely through Jesus.

Our Sonship Do we desire life in eternity with

Exaltation of the Holy Cross Him? If so, are we willing to prioritize our relationship with Him over any other?

In the first proclamation, we read the account of Moses in the desert with the Israelites. We see how Moses continually submitted to God’s word.

However, when the Israelites did not have immediate freedom, they rebelled, mistrusting God’s gestures of love to them. God also permits them to face His wrath towards them by afflicting them with a disease. In that situation again, Moses goes back to God and prays on their behalf. There, God gives a choice to the people. If they want healing in order to continue their journey to the Promised Land, they had to look up to the bronze snake that was raised up.

In the same way, those who believe in Jesus completely will “not die but have eternal life”.

We accept the cross in exaltation of the salvation Jesus has gained for us. It also symbolizes my willingness to place all my faith in a beautiful relationship that God is seeking with me above all the other relationships that the world offers.

Prayer Starter Listen my people, to my teaching, and pay attention to what I say.

I am going to use wise sayings and explain mysteries from the past, things we have heard and known, things that our ancestors told us.

Whenever he killed some of them, the rest would turn to him. They remembered that God was their protector that the almighty came to their aid. But their words were all lies. Nothing they said was sincere.

They were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to their covenant with him.

But God was merciful to His people.

He forgave their sin and did not destroy them. ....

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Thursday 15th September 2016 Hebrews: 5/7-9 Psalm: 31/1-5,14-15, 19 John: 19/25-27 OR Luke:2/33-35 The First Proclamation Please read Hebrews 5/7-9 prayerfully.

Prayerful Awareness

Our Lady of Sorrows 'Hour" set by His Father. To Jerusalem belonged the monopoly of killing the prophets. In that city would His cross be erected. As for the menace of His life, Our Lord despised it. It was in the Holy City under Pontius Pilate He would be killed and not in the provinces under Herod.

The "Today, tomorrow and the third day" was the exact period of time Our Saviour needed to travel from Peraea, where He was, to Jerusalem. Nor did He say that He would "die" but rather that He would "reach His consummation." Once on the cross in Jerusalem He would say, "It is achieved", thus linking up the Divine mission from the Father with His own Will to preach, cast out devils, and then offer Himself as a propitiation for the sins of man. The same expression Our Lord used about consummating His life is repeated twice in the Epistle to the Hebrews, once as having His sufferings crowned by bringing men to salvation, and once: perfected, became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him. (Hebrews 5:9) (Archbishop F.J.Sheen) In the Gospel Proclamation taken from Luke we have prophet Simeon's prediction about Jesus. "The Babe would disclose the true inner disposition of men.

He would test the thoughts of all who were to encounter Him. Judas would lean to a kind of greedy social security; Nicodemus would sneak in darkness to find the Light; tax collectors would become honest; prostitutes, pure; rich young men would reject His poverty; prodigals will return home; Peter would repent; an Apostle would hang himself.

From that day to this, He continues to be a sign to be contradicted. It was fitting therefore, that He should die on a piece of wood - the vertical bar of God's Will negated by the horizontal bar of the contradicting human will." (F.J.Sheen) Prayer Starter

The appointment of a priest is from God and they do not appoint themselves to the priesthood. Here we have the writer of the Hebrews showing us how Jesus Christ fulfills the conditions of the priesthood. Jesus understands what it is to be human with all its weaknesses and strength as He Himself has gone through them all and has first hand experience.

"You are my own dear Son. I am pleased with You." (Luke 3:22). He was true to this condition and He fulfilled all conditions of the priesthood. The task set before Him was chosen for Him by the Father. He saw clearly the goals set for Him and there was no turning back - from the plan or the Will of the Father. The way He faced human experiences gave glory to the Father. He fully understood human weakness and strength. "By embracing in His human heart the Father's love for men, Jesus "loved them to the end", for "greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

In suffering and death, His humanity became the free and perfect instrument of His divine love which desires the salvation of man. Indeed, out of love for the Father and for men, whom the Father wants to save, Jesus freely accepted His Passion and Death: "No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. Hence the sovereign freedom of God's Son as He went out to His death."

(C.C.C.609) Guide us to learn in suffering what "No matter how much Herod would we teach in song. Amen. try to kill Him He would not alter the

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Friday 16th September 2016 Sts. Cornelius,Pope & Cyprian, Bishop 1 Corinthians:15/12-20 Psalm:17/1,6-8,15 Luke:8/1-3 The First Proclamation Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ cannot have been raised either, and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is without substance, and so is your faith. What is more, we have proved to be false witnesses to God, for testifying against God that he raised Christ to life when he did not raise him -- if it is true that the dead are not raised. For, if the dead are not raised, neither is Christ; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is pointless and you have not, after all, been released from your sins. In addition, those who have fallen asleep in Christ are utterly lost.

If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are of all people the most pitiable. In fact, however, Christ has been raised from the dead, as the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep.

Fix your gaze on Jesus When you walked the earth in your so human body then, you brought so much relief and 'Back to Grace Bliss' to those who encountered you Lord Jesus! It was for that experience that the Twelve followed you leaving their 'Father' and their 'Home'. It inspired Mary Magdalene who was freed from demonic possession. It motivated the many others including Joanna and Susanna, who even provided for your mission from their own means. A simple fore-taste of God's plan as to 'What Was

To Come'! That was then! The question for now is different.

God the Father has raised you up from the dead since, and what does it mean for us to encounter you now?

Of course, the historical fact of your being raised up, of being present in the midst of your followers for some time, of the many deeds and miracles you manifested; these we accept today in faith. This is similar to us accepting that Sri Lanka was invaded by various European nationalities many times in the recent past. The more significant question is, what does it mean for us to encounter you now? This is what St. Paul writes to the community at Corinth about. Our redemption from the 'Fallen' state, the sinful condition we all experience, of the pain, the rejections, the alienation, the lack of harmony, the self-sabotage we indulge in, the guilt we are ridden with, in essence all the ills of our present condition is to be healed by the admittance of the Risen Christ in to our lives. The Risen Christ is the fountain-head of our hope; the link-pin on which everything pivots; the foundation on which all rest. The Living Word is the Way, the Truth and Life for all Intelligence....humanity being the apex thereof. God's solution to bring awareness/intelligence back to S/His Creation is to Give of S/Himself- the Living Word, again and again to the created! Shall we welcome He Who Is To Awaken Us? Prayer Starter We are astounded at your Intelligence O Lord! Your creation is fallen asleep; is not aware of Your Eternal Presence, woven right in to our being!

Jesus, the incarnate was the first to awaken fully in being raised up; and now the Son is coming again and again, to awaken us! Alleluia...!!!

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Saturday 17th September 2016 St.Robert Bellarmine,Bishop &Doctor 1 Corinthians:15/35-37, 42-49 Psalm: 56/9-13 Luke: 8/4-15 Gospel Proclamation He said in a parable. A sower went out to sow his seeds; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundred fold. As he said this, he called out"let anyone with ears to hear listen."

Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. … Now the parable is this. The seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life and their fruit does not mature. But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

Gaze at Jesus Jesus incarnate was present at the beginning of creation and then taking

a human form, He died on the cross to be resurrected. Today He is present in the creation as Risen Christ. Therefore, we are continually encouraged to gaze at the Word as a source of life.

Our sonship My friend, a Hindu and her husband, a Buddhist, met Christ after they migrated to Canada. Few years back on holiday in Sri Lanka she said “My prayer is for my two sons and their wives to come to Christ”. She is currently in Sri Lanka and says, “I cried out in prayer standing on the Word of God (not only spiritually but at times physically) claiming His promises that my children will be Christians”. She says, one of her sons now attend Sunday services with his wife.

A predominant quality about her now is during our meetings, she is actively looking for ways to share a word from the scripture with other friends. In Pubuduwa we would describe her as a woman with her seventh eye (eye of faith) opened to multiply the numbers who believe in Jesus.

Prayerful awareness through the opening prayer during liturgy today celebrating the feast of St Robert Bellarmine God our Father, You gave St Robert Bellarmine wisdom and goodness to defend the faith of Your church. By his prayers may we always rejoice in the profession of our faith (Saints of the Roman Calendar by Enzo Lodi) We also gaze at the promises You give us through the word that confirms the divine provision to bring us to everlasting life through the cross of Jesus. Although we may perish physically at death, You have destined for us the “image of the man of heaven” (1 Cor. 15:49) to transform us into Your divine sonship in eternity. Amen!

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Sunday 18th September 2016 Twenty fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Amos: 8/4-7 Psalm: 113/1-2, 4-8 1 Timothy: 2/1-8 Luke:16/1-13 or 10-13 Introduction In a capitalistic society such as ours, competitiveness is the name of the game. The general feeling is that we must somehow be ahead of the others if we are to survive. This state of affairs generates ‘some’ winners and ‘many’ losers. Can we accept this as normal? Many of us who call ourselves Christians do so, but can we accept the following situations to be as normal for people? To live in inadequate housing, to be without employment despite qualifications and willingness; to have to work in intolerable conditions; to have to work twelve or more hours a day seven days a week just to make ends meet; to have to endure hunger, malnutrition over long periods; not to have medical care at an affordable price; be unable to afford legal representation in a court of law; to have to sell their bodies in prostitution or near slavery …. Whatever our response to such appalling conditions the Lord our God gives the following assurance in the Entrance antiphon for today ….. “I am the savior of all people, says the Lord.

Whatever their troubles, I will answer their cry and I will always be their Lord.

The First Proclamation Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land! When will the new moon be over”, you ask, “that we may sell our grain, and the Sabbath, that we may display the wheat? We will diminish the ephah, add to the shekel, and fix our scales for cheating! We will buy the lowly man for silver, and the poor man for a pair of sandals; even the refuse of the wheat we will sell!”

The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob; Never will I forget a thing they have done!

Prayerful Awareness First of all this proclamation is directed at those of us who are caught up in the capitalistic frame of mind always fixed on profit at any cost. The Lord says in no uncertain terms that He is on the side of the oppressed, the loser, the victim ….. Secondly, let us gaze at the Lord God Who has not diverted His caring eyes from His suffering people.

They are the ones who depend on His providence. As the Psalmist says: “But the Lord’s eyes are upon those who fear him.” “Upon those who trust in his loving kindness.” “To deliver them from death.” “And preserve them from famine.” (Psalm 32:18-19) The Lord Jesus as true man believed that God cared for His people and during His ministry made God’s loving care come alive. He moved not with the affluent but with the poor and victimized. This clearly shows that God, in whom we believe in and worship, is One who is concerned with people who are the victims of sinful ideological structures.

The Economic and social dimensions of our lives are very much the concern of our God. It is included in the vision of the reign of God proclaimed by Jesus Christ. Let us read the Gospel proclamation to learn how Jesus deals with this theme …..

The Gospel Proclamation Please read the whole passage of Luke 16:1-13. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth?

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Gaze at Jesus The Lord Jesus is relating a story of a person who is quite adept at survival.

The steward in question was clever enough to think of a way of looking after his future even if he loses his present job.

Having your wits about you as a person very much in the world may help in the short term but God works not only in the short term but on the long term as well. God’s plan at a particular moment in time may seem detrimental to the immediate happiness and success in a person’s life. So Jesus clearly states His own outlook on life, which is God at the beginning, in the middle and forever. In today’s Gospel proclamation He puts it in the following words: “You cannot serve God and mammon” Mammon is about individualism, looking after one’s self, winning at any cost; amassing a private fortune. God and his reign is about the common good, obeying the golden rule – do unto others what you would like to be done unto you. God’s reign is about self-sacrifice for the benefit of the ones you love. So the question of a successful life is not “How much did you make?” but “How did you use what you had to creative purposes for the general welfare of all?” That is the way to make the friends Jesus talks about in the Gospel. What is our role as sons and daughters of God? Let us read the second proclamation.

The Second Proclamation First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life

in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our Savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God. There is also our mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all. This was the testimony at the proper time. For this I was appointed preacher and apostle (I am speaking the truth, I am not lying), teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.

Our sonship The highlighted verses of the second proclamation form the basis of our sonship. Paul stresses the importance of intercessory prayer for those in leadership and authority. There are enough people taking upon themselves to criticize those in authority and leadership. But there are very few who take the initiative of offering prayers of supplication, prayers, petitions, and thanksgiving to God on behalf of them.

Those in authority do need our prayers that the power entrusted to them is used for the wellbeing of every person in the community. But let us not be blind to the injustice perpetrated on those who are poor, oppressed and marginalized. We are also called as sons and daughters of God to be in solidarity with them too.

Not as “social activists” but because it is in them that we are called to see Jesus Christ, abandoned.

Prayer Starter “Lord Holy Spirit grant us the wisdom to realize that we are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are prophets of a future not our own.”

(Adapted from a prayer of Archbishop Oscar Romero)

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Monday 19th September 2016 Proverbs:3/27-34 Psalm: 15/1-5 Luke:8/16-18

Gospel Proclamation “Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lamp stand, so that those who come in may see the light. “For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light. So take care how you listen; for whoever has to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”

Prayerful Awareness

Today very many false statements with no Truth or proof beyond doubt, are spread by certain unscrupulous persons against some well known people trying to tarnish or damage their image, but time proves and uncover the real Truth about such statements. Truth cannot be hidden for ever, and Truth will some day come to light. But the damage done by some statements spread are irreparable.

It is a grave sin to spread false statements damaging a person’s character without knowing the real Truth. In our society the fastest way to spread a story is by word of mouth, spreading it using some supporters who would carry the false statement as Truth. It is a powerful weapon to attack persons disliked, or persons who do not fall in line. The most alarming fact is that some of our so called intelligent people, and also some spiritually inclined people also participate in spreading some of these false statements due to their ignorance without trying to find out the real Truth.

Any person who is really connected with Lord Jesus Christ, knows the value of the Treasure they have by way of Love

St. Januarius, Bishop & Martyr and Peace and they will always try to share this treasure with others as Lord requests us to do. The more we share this Love and Peace with others the more we will be Raised in God’s Love and Peace. Such persons will use their actions and words only to raise others and will never use them to attack or hurt others. Lord Jesus Christ is the best example we have. He was the Most Humble person who lived on earth, who Loved every one and who used His every Word to Raise others and not to destroy. Talents granted are to be used to Raise others and not to keep them hidden. If not used, such talents will not do any good, and will die with us when we have to go one day. But, God grants His Grace to all who use their talents for others' benefit to Raise them. The more such talents are used to Raise others the more will be granted by God to build His Kingdom. We should have the thirst to use our talents for everyone’s benefit and not try to hide these Gifts. Selfish persons will only think of how they will use their talents for themselves without any benefit to others or not use them at all as others also may benefit, and their talents will be a waste. Lord Jesus is the Light to the entire world, who worked and spent His entire life to Teach, Help and Raise others and ultimately gave His life to save everyone (St. John 3: 19-21).

Prayer Starter Lord Jesus Christ, Help me to think like You and be very humble like You, so that I will be able to love others the same way You Love me, and be a True Light to elevate others, to You, to know You and Your Love, to know our Creator Almighty God, His Great Love and Mercy to offer Salvation everyone. To know Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Love that God the Father and the Son grant us, Who is with us all the time to Help us and Guide us. Thank You Lord, Amen.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Tuesday 20th September 2016 Proverbs:21/1-6,10-13 Psalm: 119/1,27,30, 34-35, 44 Luke: 8/19-21 The First Proclamation The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. All deeds are right in the sight of the doer, but the Lord weighs the heart. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Haughty eyes and a proud heart - the lamp of the wicked - are sin.

The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to want. The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.

The souls of the wicked desire evil; their neighbors find no mercy in their eyes. When a scoffer is punished, the simple become wiser; when the wise are instructed, they increase in knowledge. The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked; he casts the wicked down to ruin. If you close your ear to the cry of the poor, you will cry out and not be heard.

The Gospel Proclamation

Sts.Andrew Kim Taegon,St.Paul Chong Hasang & Companions

days). Jesus' family did not yet fully understand His ministry. They were slow to understand who He was and what He had come to do.

Jesus' true family are those who HEAR and OBEY His words. Hearing without obeying is not enough. As Jesus loved His mother, so He loves us.

Christ offers us an intimate FAMILY RELATIONSHIP with Him. Jesus' FAMILY is accepting and does not exclude anyone. Although Jesus loved and cared for His mother and brothers He also cared for ALL who LOVED HIM. Jesus did not show partiality, He allowed the priviledge of becoming part of His family.

In our increasing computerized impersonal world, warm relationships among members of GOD's family take on major importance. The Church can give the loving PERSONALISD CARE that many people find nowhere else.

Jesus was pointing out that SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIPS are as BINDING as Physical ones and He was paving the way for a NEW COMMUNITY of BELIEVERS (The Universal Church). Our SPIRITUAL FAMILY. Applying God's WORD helps us GROW. This is a principle of growth in physical, mental and spiritual life. For example, a muscle when exercised will grow stronger, but an unused muscle will grow WEAK and FLABBY. If we are not growing stronger, we are growing weaker. It is impossible for us to stand still. How are we using what God has taught us? (The Word).

Prayer Starter

Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd.

And he was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." But he said to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it."

Lord, we thank You for the example Prayerful Awareness of courage, and obedience in YOUR Jesus' mother was Mary and His WORD. May Your Word help us to brothers were possibly His cousins build up ourselves and others in Your (cousins were called brothers in those glorious and mighty Name.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Wednesday 21st September 2016

St. Mathew, Apostle

collectors and sinners?" But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means. 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not The First Proclamation the righteous but sinners."

I, therefore, the prisoner in the Prayerful Awareness Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have Pope Francis has declared a Jubilee been called, with all humility and Year of Mercy beginning from 8th of gentleness, with patience, bearing December 2015 to 20th of November with one another in love, making 2016. The motto for the Jubilee is every effort to maintain the unity of “Merciful like the Father”. The logo the Spirit in the bond of peace. There (symbol) for the Jubilee is Jesus carryis one body and one Spirit, just as ing a man on His back, like the way a you were called to the one hope of shepherd would carry a sheep. The most your calling, one Lord, one faith, striking thing about this symbol is the one baptism, one God and Father of eye of the man and the eye of the Lord all, who is above all and through all are combined to form a single eye. This and in all. symbolises that if one is to be “Merciful But each of us was given grace like the Father”, then we need to see like according to the measure of Christ's the Father sees. gift.

Gaze at Jesus The gifts he gave were that some When Jesus saw Mathew, and their would be apostles, some prophets, eyes locked in a gaze, His heart of some evangelists, some pastors and mercy would have burned with love. teachers, to equip the saints for the Jesus could overlook Mathew’s overt work of ministry, for building up sin and touch Him inwardly with love the body of Christ, until all of us and mercy. Not only that, Jesus saw a come to the unity of the faith and of purpose for Mathew, which was interthe knowledge of the Son of God, to twined with the Father’s purpose of maturity, to the measure of the full proclaiming the gospel. In Ephesians today, we read, “So Christ himself gave stature of Christ. the apostles, the prophets, the evangeThe Gospel Proclamation lists, the pastors and teachers, to equip As Jesus was walking along, he his people for works of service, so that saw a man called Matthew sitting the body of Christ may be built up”. To at the tax booth; and he said to him, Jesus, Mathew the sinner and the tax "Follow me." And he got up and collector, also had the potential to be an apostle. Through the eyes of the Father, followed him.

Jesus could see “the Father of all, who And as he sat at dinner in the is over all and through all and in all”. house, many tax collectors and sinPrayer Starter ners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees Abba Father, if You were to withhold saw this, they said to his disciples, Your mercy from me, where would I be?

"Why does your teacher eat with tax Help me to be merciful like You. Amen.

Ephesians:4/1-7, 11-13 Psalm: 19/1-3 Mathew: 9/9-13

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Thursday 22nd September 2016 Feast of St. Thomas of Villanova,

Bishop, Confessor Ecclesiastes:1/2-11 Jesus and when he got the opportunity Psalm:90/3-6,12-14, 17 to see Him during His passion he only mocked Him, treated Him with Luke: 9/7-9 St. Thomas of Villanova He was born at Fuentellana in Castille, Spain. He was raised in the virtue of practical charity by his father, a miller who gave away in alms, all he earned, to the poor and the needy. At 16, he joined the hermits of St. Augustine at Salamanca. After his ordination he rapidly gained fame as a learned lecturer of Theology and a preacher. He became the Provincial of his congregation and later the Bishop of Valencia. He laboured at reforming the morale of both clergy and laity. He was a real friend of the poor and downtrodden and the donations he received were solely used for their upkeep. He set an example for others by himself living in utter simplicity and poverty. He had the gift of miracles whereby he healed the sick and converted hardened sinners. Died in 1555. Beatified in 1618.Canonized by Pope Alexander VII on 1st November 1658.

Gospel Proclamation Now Herod the ruler heard about all that had taken place, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen.

Herod said, "John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?" And he tried to see him.

Prayerful Awareness The rumour among the people that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead perplexed Herod's conscience.

Of course Herod was harbouring a guilty conscience and on his part did nothing to correct it. His conscience became hardened. Herod wanted to kill

contempt. "Religion is not to be given to everyone, but only to those who are "of the truth". Though Herod was glad to see Our Lord, his gladness did not arise from noble motives of repentance.

Hence, the Christ, who spoke to a penitant thief and to Magdalen and Judas,would not speak to the Galilean king, for Herod's conscience was dead.

He was too familiar with religion.

He wanted miracles, not as motives of crediblity, but as delights to his curiosity. His soul was so blinded by appeals, including even the Baptist's, that one more appeal would have only deepened his guilt. It was not his soul for salvation that Herod offered the Lord but only his nerves for titilation. So the Lord of the world spoke not a word to the worldling." (Archbishop F.J.Seen).

In the first reading from the book of Ecclesiastes we have "Vanity of vanities! all is vanity.": It speaks of the futile, worthless, empty, meaninglessness of temporal things. Satisfaction cannot be gained from them. The nature of the things of this world - they dazzle us with the brilliance. Behind their attraction there is the tendency to enslave us and surely take us away from the kingdom of heaven. The nature of the things of this world is transitory and never permanent. Weariness is the result or the fruit of the things of this world.

When we open our eyes to the mysteries of God there is joy and happiness that words cannot describe. In Him there is always newness. The process of making the faithful new is ongoing, a new song is put on our lips. "The Lord says, "I am making a new earth and new heaven.

The events of the past will be completely forgotten. Be glad and rejoice forever in what I create." (Is. 65:17-18) Prayer Starter Help us not to hinder Your work of renewing us. Amen.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Friday 23rd September 2016

Ecclesiastes:3/1-11 Psalm: 144/1-4 Luke: 9/18-22 The First Proclamation Children, listen to me for I am your father: do what I tell you, and so be safe; for the Lord honours the father above his children and upholds the rights of a mother over her sons.

Whoever respects a father expiates sins, whoever honours a mother is like someone amassing a fortune....Long life comes to anyone who honours a father, whoever obeys the Lord makes a mother happy.

Such a one serves parents as well as the Lord. Respect your father in deed as well as word, so that blessing may come on you from him; since a father's blessing makes his children's house firm, while a mother's curse tears up its foundations....

Fix your gaze on Jesus Thank you O Lord for taking us on a journey of discovery; namely, the discovery of Your creation in all its splendour, of discovering our own selves including our inner nature, and of coming to know You, the Creator beloved!

Look at where Humanity presently is; despite all of it's foibles and eccentricities, none would argue that as a species we have evolved and grown. Our capability for effecting our environment is so much greater than it would have been say, a mere century ago. Our reach and command over that of 'What Is', is of a higher degree. Our life conditions have improved markedly.

Despite alienating ourselves from God's creation and our own brethren in so many ways, in other ways we of course have come closer there-to!

A foundational aspect of this creation is that everything is in constant

St. Pius of Pietrelcina flux; all is changing, from one form to another, both in the material and energy planes; energy is bound (as in sunlight transformed in to food), energy is released (as in being metabolised), and energy changes form (as in from light to heat). This constant we have - we call it 'Change', or 'Evolution', we are slowly getting to know and understand. Oh, so much of it we still grasp but poorly, but we are surely making progress! Let me say that this evolution is driven by an intelligence beyond our present understanding!

How does all this relate to today's scripture, you'd ask? Good question!

God points us towards understanding and aligning with the on-going creative process, in today's scripture. Let's explain this. Humanity builds it's understanding and strength foundered on that of the previous generation.

Scientists call it, moving from hypothesis to hypothesis. In lay terms, we move from one faulty premise to another. How can moving from one lie to another be good, you'd ask. It is good simply because, from one iteration to the next, we are coming closer to the truth!

To be blunt, none know the Truth. The Spirit of God is journeying (evolving) us towards the Truth. Each generation needs to use the previous generation as its springboard; this is how empires are built, and this is how our understanding progresses! Thus, the need to honour and respect the previous generation, seeing in it the 'Search for God's hand in all this'. Honour thy Father and Thy Mother...!

Prayer Starter Gracious Lord, You are so beyond us! Will there ever be an end to our coming to know You? Paradoxically, You are right here with me too...and all Your splendour becomes accessible right now-here too...Oh my soul, now you become aware...!

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Saturday 24th September 2016 Ecclesiastes: 11/9-12/8 Psalm: 90/3-6,12-14,17 Luke: 9/43-45 The First Proclamation Rejoice young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the inclination of your heart and the desire of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. ......Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come, and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no pleasure in them"; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return with the rain; in the day when the guards of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent and the women who grind cease working because they are few, and those who look through the windows see dimly when the doors on the street are shut, and the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low; when one is afraid of heights, and terrors are in the road; ..... because all must go to their eternal home, and the mourners will go about the streets, before the silver cord is snapped, and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the breath returns to God who gave it. ...

The Gospel Proclamation

And all were astounded at the greatness of of God. While everyone was amazed at all that he was doing, he said to his

disciples, "Let these words sink into your ear: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands. But they did not understand this saying: its meaning was concealed from them, so that they could not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Prayerful Awareness The disciples did not understand Jesus' words about His death. They still thought of Jesus as only an EARTHLY KING. This is the SECOND time Jesus predicted His death. This marks a turning point, it signaled Jesus' announcement of the KINGDOM of HEAVEN. Why were the disciples AFRAID to ask HIM about His prediction of His DEATH? Perhaps it was because the last time they reacted to Jesus' sobering words they were scolded (Mark 8:3233). In their minds, Jesus seemed morbidly preoccupied with death.

ACTUALLY it was the DISCIPLES who were WRONGLY preoccupied constantly thinking about the Kingdom they hoped Jesus would bring and their position in it. If Jesus died, the Kingdom, as they imagined it could NOT COME Consequently they preferred NOT TO ASK Him about His predictions.

The disciples did not FULLY comprehend the purpose of Jesus' death.

We should not get upset at ourselves for being SLOW to understand everything about Jesus. After all, the disciples were WITH HIM, SAW HIS MIRACLES, HEARD HIS WORDS and still had difficulty in understanding. Despite their questions and doubts, however, they BELIEVED. We should do NO LESS. Prayer Starter It is because of You, Jesus, that we have hope and are sure of a FOREVER LIFE. We are grateful and thankful.

Because of Jesus we can live forever.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Sunday 25th September 2016 Amos: 6/1, 4-7 Psalm: 146/5-10 1 Timothy: 6/11-16 Luke:16/19-31 Introduction Is there anyone who does not want to become materially rich? Everyone wants to be rich and prosperous. When the New Year comes around don’t we wish each other a prosperous New Year? Just look at the numbers buying lottery tickets every week! Don’t we say to ourselves that we could do so much for the poor if we were rich? On the other hand if you and I were rich would we not say “The rich are people too; they have souls.” “I thought God loves everyone without exception.”

Does one hear cries of “Unfair!”?

‘What’s wrong with being rich?” But the fact remains that we hear the Lord condemning the rich. Why? But before we begin to criticize the stand that the Lord takes on the rich let us profess our faith in God’s goodness and wisdom as expressed in the Entrance Antiphon.

“O Lord, You had just cause to judge men as you did, because we sinned against you and disobeyed your will.

But now you show us our greatness of heart, and treat us with your unbounded kindness."

The First Proclamation Woe to the complacent in Zion, to the overconfident on the mount of Samaria, Leaders of a nation favored from the first, to whom the people of Israel have recourse!

Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches, they eat lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stal1, improvising to the music of the harp, like David, they devise their own accompaniment. They drink wine from bowls

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time National Catechetical Day and anoint themselves with the best oils; yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph! Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile, and their wanton revelry shall be done away with.

Prayerful Awareness We may ask the question why the rich, who have worked hard to gain their riches, are not entitled to comforts, food and entertainment of their choice.

The answer is in the verse :They drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the best oils; yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph!” The sin they commit is not in becoming rich but in their complacent unconcern for their compatriots who are suffering.

We seem to have become so obsessed with moral uprightness and personal holiness that we have completely lost sight of the social responsibility of fraternal concern for our brothers and sisters. Seldom do people confess the harm that their sins caused in others.

A good example is the behavior of the rich in the face of shortage of essential goods. We see them using their money power to buy more than they need of the essentials, depriving the poor man of even his immediate needs. Let us see what Jesus has to say regarding this in today’s Gospel.

The Gospel Proclamation “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.

The rich man also died and was

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me.

Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime, while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or form your side to ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’

But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.”

Gaze at Jesus The society we live in looks down on failure. On the one hand the poor are considered to be people who have failed. They have only themselves to blame. On the other and the rich are considered to be those who have worked for what they have and therefore deserve everything they have worked for and acquired. But Jesus in the parable sends the rich man to hell and takes the poor man to paradise.

What is the justice of that? When Jesus was asked by His disciples to teach them how to pray He introduced God as “Our” Father. God is the loving Father of all humankind. There is no

discrimination of any kind The gifts and talents that are given to each are to be used for the common good of all. When Jesus was tempted to turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger He refused but He fed five thousand.

Not only that, He gave His own Body as food and His Blood as drink.

The Second Proclamation But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge (you) before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession, to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see.

To him be honor and eternal power.

Amen.

Our sonship What is important as God’s children is that each cares deeply for the other.

The resources available are gifts received from God our Father to be shared according to the needs of each.

Let us keep the commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ which is to love one another as He loved us.

Prayer Starter Lord Holy Spirit! May we seek to be rich in righteousness, devotion faith, love, patience, and gentleness. And may we compete well with thirst for the gifts of faith in God whose justice is His love ….

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Monday 26th September 2016 Job:1/6-22 Psalm: 17/1-3, 6-7 Luke: 9/46-50 Gospel Proclamation An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them was the greatest. Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he took a child, stood him by his side, and said to them, whoever welcomes this child in my name, welcomes me, also welcomes the one who sent me. For the one who is least among you all is the greatest.

John spoke up, Master, we saw a man driving out demons in your name, and we told him to stop, because he doesn’t belong to our group. Do not try to stop him, Jesus said to him and to the other disciples, because whoever is not against you is for you.

Gaze at Jesus To get attention and love, a child would reach out to a parent spontaneously, devoid of any inhibitions of structure hierarchy etc. He will not rationalize about being great. Jesus demonstrates in action, be like a child so that God can reach out and touch us with His supernatural love.

To reach out to us, Jesus became the least among all men; He was born in a stable that was suitable for a calf. He was convicted with a death penalty that was of a criminal.

Through His life example, Jesus showed pride cannot be an attitude to reciprocate love, especially the kind of amazing love that God wants to reach us out with, which is humble, compassionate, reassuring and enlightening.

Gaze at our sonship

Sts. Cosmos & Damian, Martyrs is translated as “to become a learner or pupil”. Therefore, a disciple must experience love first hand to share with others.

Matthew 28: 19 Jesus instructs, “go make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”. Discipletherefore, is accountable in leading the community to an experience of the triune God not as a theological phenomenon, but as a living experience.

It is said in the Bible that after the Pentecost, the disciples preached the gospel and prepared the hearts of the people to receive the Holy Spirit. In early Christian churches,Baptism became an enlivening experience of Christ.

In the first reading, Job encounters God in his innermost being even after he lost all his wealth, family, other societal relationships and even good health.

Through all the trials, God allowed Job to be faithful and taught him that personal wellbeing comes through spiritual dependence with God and not through physical comforts.

Therefore, attitude towards leadership can make Christian communities dead, while its members lean more towards structural leadership,depriving them of the experience of Christ being alive.

Prayerful Awareness

The two saints whose martyrdom we celebrate today gave up societal acceptance as medical practitioners to reside in their home country Syria and traveled giving their skills to those in need. Through their action they brought many to faith. They were finally put to death with excruciating suffering. We pray for our own personal renewal.

Lord we sincerely confess our fears to lose the secure sources of our material The argument in the Gospel today wellbeing. Grow in us the courageous about being great occurs among the attitudes of a servant leader that society disciples. Jesus shows, discipleship is so thirsts today. not all about being great, as God is most supreme. In a web resource, discipleship

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Tuesday 27th September 2016 Job:3/1-3,11-17,20-23 Psalm: 88/1-7 Luke: 9/51-56 Gospel Proclamation When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem, and He sent messengers ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. But they did not receive Him because He was travelling towards Jerusalem. When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them ?” But He turned and Rebuked them and said “You do not know what kind of Spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” And they went on to another village.

Prayerful Awareness Jesus Christ came into this world for a particular purpose, and He knew that He could not go back to Father without fulfilling this purpose to set up the Kingdom of God on earth. This, the only way to bring Glory to God the Father, to satisfy Father’s Will to reconcile and reunite Human Beings with God and renew the relationship with Him. When the right time was getting near, Jesus Christ knew that He had to be in Jerusalem to participate in the Salvation Process. He knew all this as Holy Spirit was with Him all the time. “As written in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your Will, O God.” (Hebrew 10:7) We as Baptised followers of Jesus Christ, must think what is the purpose

St.Vincent de Paul of our lives on earth, or as to why we are here, or why we are brought in to this world . In Isaiah 43:7 , Lord says, Everyone who is named as mine, whom I created for my Glory, whom I formed and made. In Jeremiah 1: 5 Lord said to Jeremiah “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I dedicated you”. For Lord God, everyone is unique and important and God has created everyone to do some specific service, and God has a specific purpose for each one’s life. But, what is this purpose and how will we know.

Man is created to Praise, Reverence and Serve God our Lord, this means to serve His Soul. It is only by prayer, by test and by dependence on Lord the Holy Spirit that we will come to know the Will of God for our lives, and how we could bring Glory to God. St. Paul guides us in 1 Thessalonians 5 : 16 - 22 “ Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.

In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything, retain what is good. Refrain from, every kind of evil.” In Baptism, when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord, we received Holy Spirit as the Gift, to help us practice living as a child of God (Rom. 8 : 14 ) and to become a witness for God and His Great Love and bring Him Glory.

Prayer Starter Lord my God, Almighty Creator, I worship You, I adore You. I call out to You by day, and night in Your presence.

Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry! For my soul has had enough troubles, And my life has drawn near You O Lord, the God of my salvation. Thank You God our Loving Father for Your Great Love and Mercy for all of us, Amen

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Wednesday 28th September 2016 St.Wenceslaus & St.Lawrence Ruiz Job: 9/1-12, 14-16 Psalm: 88/9-14 Luke: 9/57-62

"Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those in my house."

The First Proclamation Jesus said to him, "No one who puts Then Job answered, "Indeed I a hand to the plow and looks back is know that this is so; but how can a fit for the kingdom of God." mortal be just before God? If one My sonship wished to contend with him, one could “No one who puts a hand to the plow not answer him once in a thousand.

He is wise in heart, and mighty in and looks back is fit for service in the strength - who has resisted him, kingdom of God.” This is a very chaland succeeded? - he who removes lenging statement for my sonship. What mountains, and they do not know does Jesus expect of me in regard to it; when he overturns them in his this statement? I have a spouse, a child, anger; who shakes the earth out of parents, in-laws, relations, friends, work its place, and its pillars tremble; colleagues etc. The first thing that comes who commands the sun, and it does in to my mind is that Jesus is asking not rise; who seals up the stars; me to put Him before everything else. I who alone stretched out the heavens can do this by continuously seeking His and trampled the waves of the Sea; Will, His presence and the values of His ... who does great things beyond Kingdom before everything else. But understanding, and marvelous things oh! How I fail so miserably sometimes. without number, Look he passes by Like Job, I say, “When he passes me, I me, and I do not see him; he moves on, cannot see him;when he goes by, I canbut I do not perceive him. He snatches not perceive him.” “But I cry to you for away; who can stop him? Who will say help, LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.” to him, 'What are you doing?'

Our sonship How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him? Though I am “No one who puts a hand to the plow innocent, I cannot answer him; I must and looks back is fit for service in the appeal for mercy to my accuser. If I kingdom of God.” When we are unable summoned him and he answered me, to forgive, we are constantly looking I do not believe that he would listen back, unable to move on, and unable to my voice. to fully receive God’s grace and love as He gives it. When we forgive, we The Gospel Proclamation are actually freeing ourselves from the As they were going along the road, bondage that we hold on to. God asks us someone said to him, "I will follow to forgive, not only because it is good you wherever you go." And Jesus said for the other, but because it is so good to him, "Foxes have holes and birds for us also. of the air have nests, but the Son of Prayer Starter Man has nowhere to lay his head." To another he said, "Follow me." But he Abba Father, help me to forgive, as said, "Lord, first let me go and bury a payment of gratitude to You, for You my father." But Jesus said to him, forgive me continuously.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Thursday 29th September Daniel:7/9-10,13-14

2016 The Holy Archangels, Michael, Gabriel & Raphael

OR Revelation:12/7-12 Psalm: 138/1-5 John:1/47-51 Sts. Michael, Gabriel & Raphael, the Archangels Today the Church celebrates the importance and significance of each of the three Archangels named in the Holy Bible i.e. Sts.Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, each with a different mission. Michael protects, Gabriel announces and Raphael guides. (ORDO)

The First Proclamation

And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated and there was no longer any places for them in heaven. ....

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming, "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, .....

But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of death. Rejoice then, you heavens and those who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea,for the devil has come down to you, with great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!"

Prayerful Awareness

The scene presented here is one of war in heaven - between Satan, the evil beings and Michael and all his angels. The fall from heaven of Satan and his notorious clan was due to their pride. Christian leaders and preachers must keep away from pride in case they too fall into the

same condemnation as the devils. Does Satan have access to the presence of God? In the Old Testament story of Job we find Satan among the heavenly beings. (Job 1:6). In the New Testament we see Satan engaged in wicked plans - seeks to seduce Jesus in His temptations - puts the scheme of betrayal into Judas' mind; makes Peter fall; hinders the work of the Good News by sowing darnel that choke the good seed; robs the human heart of the desire to bear fruit. So we see that he is the enemy of both God and man. His line of action is so wicked and harmful that in the Lord's prayer we have "but deliver us from evil."

"Pride goes before a fall." This proverb sums it up all. He misused his powers. He was in the good books of God but now - in the bad books. Satan is no more in heaven and is cast away and has power on earth.

He roams about seeking prey he has a short time here on earth before he is destroyed.

Do we have power over Satan? Be a prayer warrier; add to it fasting, mortifications and a pure life.

In the Gospel proclamation we have Philip telling about Jesus to his friend Nathaniel. Philip told him he had discoered the long-awaited Messiah in Jesus from Nazareth. Nathaniel was from Cana and the jealousy between town and town came to the fore. Philip was wise and did not argue with him but told him "come and see'. Get people to accept Christianity, through arguments - not many have accepted Christianity that way but the only way to make others Christians is to confront them with Christ.

To be a true evangelist - meet Christ persoally first. Christ understood Nathaniel, read him correctly and satisfied his heart. .

Prayer Starter

Lord Jesus, satiate my thirst to know and love You in a deeper way. Amen.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

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Friday 30th September 2016 Job:38/1,12-21;40/3-5 Psalm: 39/1-3,7-10, 13-14 Luke: 10/13-16 The First Proclamation Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: Have you commanded the morning since your days began and caused the dayspring to know its place, so that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, that the wicked be shaken out of it? It is changed like clay under the seal, and it is dyed like a garment. Light is withheld from the wicked, and their uplifted arm is broken. Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this. Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home?

Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!

Then Job answered the Lord: "See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth, I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but will proceed no further.

Prayerful Awareness

In the first reading, Job is convers-

St.Jerome, Priest & Doctor ing (praying) with God. What happens when we converse with God? Entering “your inner room” and “praying to your Father in secret” are obviously aimed at deepening our relationship with God. What happens in the inner room is a process of growing in “the deep knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:11). God of course does not actually come closer; rather God's actual closeness at all times and in every place begins to penetrate our ordinary consciousness. (Fr.Thomas Keating).

I read the above paragraph recently, and it hit me like a ton of bricks, that God is perpetually close at all times, and by spending time with Him intimately (prayer) God will start to penetrate our consciousness.

It is neither God coming to a physical proximity, nor I, but my consciousness is able to open up to the Holy presence of Him. Let’s put this into an analogy: they say that dark matter and dark energy is more abundant in the universe than ordinary matter such as you and me, light, sound, microwaves, gases, stars, planets etc. Apparently, dark energy and dark matter is so abundant, it even passes through our bodies. But because our senses cannot detect this strange matter, it never enters our consciousness.

Could it be that in the first reading, God has penetrated Job’s consciousness so much that we find it hard to comprehend this dialogue?

Prayer Starter Abba,deep stillness and silence spent in prayer, speak of nothing but Your presence.

"The Lord is with you. Be awake!"

WALK IN THE SPIRIT

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THE COVER STORY

The ‘Dark Night’ a person who participates in the mystery of the cross has to traverse, is truly terrifying.

Is there anyone able to stand between the paradox of sinfulness on the one hand and grace on the other in our life? He or she is blessed.

The moment of transformation is present right there. To be able to love with the compassionate love of God in the face of being rejected by everyone, comes to the extent that we participate in the paradoxical mystery of the cross and thus become partakers in the victory parade of Jesus Christ.

Walk in the Spirit - September 2016

ISSN 1391-5967