Walk In the Spirit October 2017

WALK IN THE SPIRIT October 2017 Volume 10 Issue 15

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord"

ISSN 1391-5967

Publication: Fr. Siri Oscar Abayaratne Kithu Dana Pubuduwa

SHARING ON PRAYER October 2017

‘Holy be Your Name’ – What a revelation of the heart of Jesus!

His complete surrender to the ‘Mystery’ that is God. Let anything happen, He would say, ‘I surrender’.

Help me Holy Spirit of God to reflect even in a wee, small way, the heart of Jesus in His surrender to the Mystery that is God.

Fr. Siri Oscar Abayaratne

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Twenty sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time Sunday 1st October 2017 St. Therese of the Child Jesus Ps. Wk. II

Isaiah 66/10-14 Whoever welcomes one such child Psalm:131/1-3 in my name welcomes me.

Revelation:3/14, 20-22 "Take care that you do not Mathew:18/1-5,10 despise one of these little ones, for, I tell you, in heaven their angels Today, the 26th Sunday in Ordi- continually see the face of my Father nary Time coincides with the celebra- in heaven. tion of the feast of St. Therese of the Prayerful Awareness Child Jesus - the little Flower, that is Let us fix our gaze on Jesus, watch always in bloom at the feet of the Lord Him drawing a child close to Him and Master. It is only exceptionally that the normally accepted Sunday and providing the disciples a picture celebration of the liturgical calendar of an ideal follower of His - Jesus' is superseded by the feast of a saint. external demeanor; His movements, The message of a life lived in the His preaching, did in no way bespeak contemplative silence of the enclosed a harmless simpleton, who could be Carmelites is broadcast as of value to cajoled, flattered and petted as one each follower of Jesus Christ in the could a lovable little boy or girl. He Catholic Church. The first and third is one who could stand up and say (Gospel) Proclamations make it abun- disturbingly; -"I am the Way, the Truth and the dantly clear that the innocence and Life" simplicity of a little child should be the hall mark of the followers of Jesus -"Take up your cross and follow in his/her relationship to Yahweh - the me" Almighty, yet a loving Father.

He is one who could stand up un"The Lord nurtured and taught dauntingly against wrong and injustice her; he guarded her as the apple of and face the accusers and judges with His eye. As the eagle spreads its wings a fearlessness that is far removed from to carry its young, He bore her on His the image of an innocent child. shoulders. The Lord alone was her May the Holy Spirit lead us to leader." (Deuteronomy 32/11-12) see the 'within' of Him, who is well The Gospel Proclamation and truly an Innocent Son of Yahweh, At that time the disciples came calling the Almighty Creator 'my to Jesus and asked, "|Who is the Abba". His is a challenging innocence. greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' It is an innocence that gives one the He called a child, whom he put freedom to be fearless, committed and among them, and said, "Truly I tell uncompromising when fidelity to the you, unless you change and become Father is all that matters, as also the like children, you will never enter freedom to be undeterred in the face of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever a merciless scourging, a crowning of becomes humble like this child is the thorns piercingly pressed on the head, greatest in the kingdom of heaven. to be stripped and humiliated as one

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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could possibly be. It is an innocence that takes the hand of friendship with the crudest and cruelest of death - a crucifixion and that in the company of thieves "Jesus You promised the Holy Spirit to Your followers. It was power that You wanted Your followers to experience. It was power of the innocent and the power of the free. Help us, who have made You the Lord of our lives to be truly and verily innocent in the very manner that You were."

The Second Proclamation ... Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches."

Prayerful Awareness St. Therese of the Child Jesus hears Jesus' knock at the door. She hears His voice, joins Him in a banquet laid out for the little ones. She is led to the throne to take her seat beside Jesus, very much in the manner of Jesus Himself who sat with the Abba on His throne. The followers of Christ, who measure up to the demands of the Kingdom for child-like trust in the Abba could in the words of the Psalmist exclaim thus: O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But,

I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother, my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.

The First Proclamation Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her- that you may nurse and be satisfied, from her consoling breast, that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious bosom.

For thus says the Lord, I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream, and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm, and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you, you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bodies shall flourish like the grass; and it shall be known that the hand of the Lord is with his servants and his indignation is against his enemies.

Prayerful Awareness There is reason for joy. The little ones can rejoice. They have a mother to care for them. There is a mother with abundant breasts to feed on, to drink deeply and delight. Her hips are readied to carry them and knees to dandle upon.

Prayer Starter Holy Spirit of God, give us the gift of awareness. Open wide our eyes.

Help us see a dear mother so very, very close to us. Amen.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Monday 2nd October 2017 Exodus: 23/20-23 Psalm: 91/1-6, 10-11 Mathew: 18/1-5, 10 The First Proclamation I am going to send an angel in front of you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Be attentive to him and listen to his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression; for my name is in him.

But if you listen attentively to his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes ......

The Gospel Proclamation

The Holy Guardian Angels without the slightest doubt and with love - always ready to do what he is told. Jesus convincingly states and with emphasis, "Unless you be like this little child you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven."

Prayerful Awareness

As stated in the first proclamation, the care and protection of God is always there to those who listen to Him and carry His plan and Will unquestionably. In the Gospel Proclamation, we see that little children are always sincere and honest and they look up to their elders for guidance and knowledge. They do not question but with obedience carry out what they are asked to do. This is the reason why Jesus said "Unless you be like At that time the disciples came a little child you will never enter to Jesus and asked, "Who is the the Kingdom of Heaven". Man is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" highly intellectual and always thinks He called a child, whom he put all what he says and does is right among them, and said, "Truly I tell for their heads are crammed with you, unless you change and become knowledge and their hearts are empty. like children, you will never enter Furthermore they are ensnared in the the kingdom of heaven. Whoever webs of their own thoughts and are becomes humble like this child is the groping in the dark. Those who are greatest in the kingdom of heaven. simple and accept the word of God Whoever welcomes one such child without questioning are the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. For such in my name welcomes me.

God's protection and care is there. Let "Take care that you do not de- us therefore be still and listen to God's spise one of these little ones, for, I word. "Be still and know that I am tell you, in heaven their angels con- God." (Ps.42/7) As Mother Theresa tinually see the face of my Father states, "It is in the silence of one's in heaven. heart that God speaks."

Gaze on Jesus Prayer Starter Jesus discloses to us the innocence Return to us O Lord and make us of a child and the height of humility of to experience Your steadfast love in a child in the midst of elders. A child all things that take place in our life. looks up to his elders with deep faith Amen.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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zzY=oaOd;auhdfKkS" uu Tnjykafiag jkaokd kuialdr lrĂą' ud l< hq;= l=ulaÂąhs ug wK l< uekjZZ

Tuesday 3rd October 2017 Zechariah:8/20-23 Psalm: 87/1-7 Luke: 9/51-56

The First Proclamation Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, the inhabitants of many cities; the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying "Come, let us go to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going." Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts; In those days ten men from nations of every language shall take hold of a Jew, grasping his garment and saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

The Gospel Proclamation When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"

But he turned and rebuked them, Then they went on to another village.

Prayerful Awareness Jesus' love for people is GOOD NEWS for everyone. His message is for all people in every nation. Each one of us has an opportunity to respond to Jesus in faith.

Although Jesus knew He would face persecution and death in Jerusalem, He was determined to go there. That kind of

resolve should characterize our lives too.

When God gives us a course of action, we must move steadily toward our destination, no matter what possible danger await us there.

After Assyria invaded Israel, the Northern kingdom and resettled it with its own people (2 Kings 17/24-41) the mixed race that developed became known as the SAMARITANS, "PURE-BRED".

Jews hated these "HALF BREDS" and the Samaritans in turn HATED the Jews.

So many tensions arose between the two peoples that Jewish travellers between Galilee and Southern Judea often walked around rather than through Samaritan territory, even though this lengthened their trip. Jesus held NO SUCH PREJUDICES and Jesus sent MESSENGERS ahead to get things ready in a SAMARITAN VILLAGE. But the village REFUSED to welcome these JEWISH travellers.

When James and John were REJECTED by the Samaritan village, they did not want to stop at SHAKING THE DUST from their feet. They wanted to REPAY by calling down FIRE from heaven on the people, as Elikah did on the servants of a wicked king of Israel (2 Kings 1).

When others REJECT or SCORN us, we too may feel like RETALIATING. We must REMEMBER that JUDGEMENT belongs to GOD and we must NOT expect him to use HIS POWER to carry out OUR personal revenge.

Jesus took NO SHORTCUTS and was not isolated from the pressures and temptations of life. There are no short comings for us either, as we prepare for a life of service to God. Jesus came to SAVE, not to DESTROY.

Prayer Starter Thank You, Father, for giving us everything we need to serve You. May we grow closer to You.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Wednesday 4th October 2017 Nehemiah:2/1-8 Psalm: 137/1-6 Luke: 9/57-62 OR Galatians:6/14-18 Psalm:16/1-2,7-8,11 Mathew:11/25-30 Gospel Proclamation .... 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children. .... Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

'Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. ....'

First Proclamation But as for me, it is out of the question that I should boast at all, except of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. It is not being circumcised or uncircumcised that matters; but what matters is a new creation. ....After this, let no one trouble me; I carry branded on my body the marks of Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, my brothers.

Amen.

Prayerful Awareness Let us meditatively dwell on today’s Proclamations where the central theme is the importance of faith, obedience, and humility in experiencing God’s mercy and grace in our lives.

When our lives become too rigid in its ways we tend to become unduly

St. Francis of Assisi agitated on account of any and every variation from the set pattern. This was the problem with the Pharisees and Sadducees who had become very rigid in their interpretations of the Law, devoid of love. They had taken the basic commandments (given by God to foster good and loving human relationships) and made a plethora of rules and regulations which however they themselves were not adhering to, but exhorting strict observance as a means of wielding power over the congregation. In the process the majority of them had become very pompous and unable to see beyond their narrow confines. This is why the Lord Jesus Christ had to admonish them time and time again and extol the virtues of being like little children who are humble, tolerant, and ever ready to learn new things and embrace new experiences. This is the context in which our Lord makes today’s Gospel proclamation.

It is in the same context that St. Paul makes the First Proclamation. A controversy had arisen among the Jews whereby they were urging non-Jew converts to the ‘New Way’ (as Christians were initially referred to) to adhere to all the rules and regulations of the Jews, which Paul vehemently opposed saying that it would place unnecessary burdens on the non-Jew converts. This controversy was put to rest when the Apostles got together and prayed to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to discern God’s Holy Will in this regard, and it was made known that what was required was circumcision of the heart through repentance whereby one is born anew through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Let us thus sing as follows: Song of Praise (Psalm 16/1-2, 7-8, 11) Protect me, O God, in you is my refuge. ... I bless the Lord who is my counsellor, even at night my heart instructs me. I keep the Lord before me always, for with him at my right hand, nothing can shake me......

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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zzY=oaOd;auhdfKkS" uu Tnjykafiag jkaokd kuialdr lrĂą' ud l< hq;= l=ulaÂąhs ug wK l< uekjZZ

Thursday 5th October 2017

St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, Virgin

Nehemiah: 8/1-12 Psalm: 19/7-10 Luke: 10/1-12 St. Maria Faustina Kowalska She was born on 2th August, 1905 in Glogowea, Poland. She worked as a domestic since the age of 14 in order to help her parents. Later she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy at Warsaw. There she carried out daily chores like cooking, baking, gardening, gate-keeping etc. In a vision on 22nd February 1931, Jesus made her His secretary, confidant and messenger, instructing her to paint an image, according to the profiles she saw. The innumerable and extensive mystical experiences she was blessed with were put down in her "Diary" at the behest of her spiritual director - Jesus. She had to face hostility and humiliation in the convent and added to that her health was weak. The Lord was satisfied at having chosen her - "my child, you are my delight. You are the comfort of my heart. I grant you as many graces as you can hold. As often as you want to make me happy, speak to the world about my great and unfathomable mercy."

Died: 5th October 1930. Canonized by Pope John Paul II on 30th April, 2000.

The Gospel Proclamation Please read Luke 10/1-12 meditatively.

Prayerful Awareness All Christians are missionaries - both lay and clergy. Jesus draws our attention to what we must give top priority to.

It is also interesting to note that ahead of Him He sends the 72 men to lay the foundation for Him to build on. By the very sacrament of Baptism we are called to listen and preach the Word of God. As preachers we have got to pay attention to the task in hand and greet no one on the way. Thus be discourteous to others - not so - but to keep our attention on matters pertaining to serving God

and not to swerve, refrain from giving undue attention to lesser things, be not cluttered up with material things and travel light; do not get entangled in the temporal things. He is expected to eat whatever is offered and in the area of accommodation not to go after luxuries, comfortable lodging etc. Workers must get their promised wage. A preacher, as a follower or a servant of the great Master, the crucified One. Can one go after luxury - be devoid of frugality? "I can't do it without God. Without me He will not." Do we unreservedly make ourselves available to Him or are at His beck and call? How about His Word, revelations and the talents He has made available to us? Have we put them to good use bear fruit, fruit that lasts? All these for the spread of His Kingdom. If not - the very same things will be someday bear witness against us. "The Lord Jesus endowed His community with a structure that will remain until the Kingdom is fully achieved. Before all else there is the choice of the twelve with Peter as their head. Representing the twelve tribes of Israel, they are the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem. The twelve and the other disciples share in Christ's mission and His power and also in His lot. But in all His actions Christ prepares and builds His Church" (C.C.C. 765). "All religious congregations, dioceses etc. must be energetic in undertaking the research, planning and organization necessary for the promotion of vocations. The quality and number of personnel and resources allotted to the work are not only a measure of the priority given to the challenge, but also a testimony to the firm conviction of the various dioceses and religious communities that God's generosity will not be lacking to support our human endeavours." (Words of Eternal Life).

Prayer Starter Sustain the "labourers in the harvest" and grant that their efforts may bear fruit that lasts. Amen.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Friday 6th October 2017 Baruch:1/15-22 Psalm: 79/1-5, 8-9 Luke: 10/13-16

The First Proclamation You must say: Saving justice is the Lord's, we have only the look of shame we bear, as is the case today for the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for our kings and princes, our priests, our prophets, and for our ancestors, because we have sinned before the Lord, have disobeyed him, and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God telling us to follow the commandments which the Lord had ordained for us. From the day when the Lord brought our ancestors out of Egypt until today we have been disobedient to the Lord our God, we have been disloyal, refusing to listen to his voice. And we are not free even today of the disasters and the curse which the Lord pronounced through his servant Moses the day he brought our ancestors out of Egypt to give us a land flowing with milk and honey.

We have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God in all the words of those prophets he sent us; but, each following the dictates of our evil heart, we have taken to serving alien gods, and doing what is displeasing to the Lord our God. Fix your gaze on Jesus Jesus, the Christ, the Logos – Word of God, brother to All of Creation – all that is seen and unseen, help us to still our mind chatter, and to focus on Thee! O Holy Spirit of God,

St. Bruno, Priest the complete whole essence of God, do turn us anew, and anew.

The Lord speaks through the prophet, to convince the Jews of their ignorance, and shame them for their folly in going their own ways. If we thus try ourselves, we too shall soon be brought before the results of 'what we sow', to own that what we know is nothing in comparison with what we know not. By the tender mercies of our God, the 'Day' from on-high has visited us, to give light to those who sit in darkness. Thus does Jesus lament in the Gospel today for the mediocre choices made by the chosen, 'Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes....

Once we are sure that the gates of heaven shall be opened to us on the other side of death, and then we shall not fear the opening of the gates of death; we would be ready to 'die to ourselves', enter in to this frame of mind-attitude as an on-going process.

What folly it is to strive against God! How much is it our interest to seek peace with him, and to keep his commandments and to stay in his love!

Communion with the Lord effectually convinces and humbles a soul, and makes one glad to part with the most beloved of sins. There is need to be thoroughly convinced and humbled, to prepare us for remarkable deliverance.

We need to be teachable, if we are to be truly Sons and Daughters of the Lord.

Are you willing to become so?

Prayer Starter Lord, create a teachable heart and mind within me…

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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zzY=oaOd;auhdfKkS" uu Tnjykafiag jkaokd kuialdr lrñ' ud l< hq;= l=ula±hs ug wK l< uekjZZ

Saturday 7th October 2017 Acts: 1/12-14 Psalm: Luke:1/46-49, 50-55 Luke: 1/26-38 The Gospel Proclamation In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one!

The Lord is with you."But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.\ Prayerful Awareness First Reading of Acts is on disciples

Our Lady of the Rosary returning to Jerusalem from Mount Olive, after Jesus Christ Ascended to Heaven. Since they were ordered to stay in Jerusalem till the Holy Spirit was sent, they assembled with the Holy Mother in the upper room and devoted themselves in prayer. In 1967, Professors and students of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA also prayed, and received powers of Holy Spirit. This event started the Charismatic Renewal of the Catholic Church. In Luke 11:9 &13 Jesus says, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. And If you, who are evil know how to give your children good things how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” Gospel proclamation is on Mary receiving the message from the angel. As a young girl she knew that she had to face misunderstanding from family, her betrothed, and her townpeople, but, yet said "I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” With this she received the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God in a special way to get strength, courage, wisdom and all the other Gifts of the Holy Spirit. She, also became the very first disciple of Jesus Christ and Mother of God on earth as the Holy Spirit was with her as well as with her baby. Through Jesus Christ she finally became the Mother of all children of God, who pray and intercede for them as a Loving and Caring Mother.

Prayer Starter Holy Spirit of God, fill our hearts too, as You filled the heart of the Holy Mother, and help us to be like her, pious, God loving and God fearing servants of God, our Creator, who is “our God and also our Loving Father” through Jesus Christ our Saviour, Amen

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Sunday 8th October 2017 Twenty-seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time Ps. Wk. III Isaiah:5/1-7 love-song concerning his vineyard: Psalm:80/8,11-15,18-19 My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it Philippians:46-9 of stones and planted it with choice Matthew: 21/33-43 vines; he built a watchtower in the Introduction Today in Sri Lanka we are inundated with so-called Reality shows. It is a remote question as to in what sense the word Reality is used, and it is further remote to ask whether those who take part in them and those who watch them on TV are rooted in reality. Man who has invented and developed extensions to his senses is able now to see, hear and grasp what was earlier beyond his reach.

The latest instruments like the telescopes and microscopes enable us to perceive farther and farther outwards and deeper and deeper inwards. In both directions we are taken into the realm of infinity, and reality as we know it, escapes the grasp of our senses like a mirage.

Whilst science presents to us the ever expanding and deepening Reality discovered through experimentation and calculation, the wisdom traditions of religion presents to us a Reality gleaned through a process owe call revelation.

The proclamations of today reveal to us in part as to who and what we are in relation to the world we live in. They tell us that we live in a world which has meaning waiting to be discovered and honoured.

Let us join in the Entrance Antiphon which puts the Reality handed down to us through the faith of our fathers in a nutshell.

O Lord, You have given everything its place in the world and no one can make it otherwise. For it is your creation, the heavens and the earth and the stars: You are the Lord of all.

The First Proclamation Let me sing for my beloved my

midst of it and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes .

And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes why did it yield wild grapes?

And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting, he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!

Prayerful Awareness In the story of the creation, it is stated that the first man and woman were installed in a very beautiful garden. Because they did not obey the calling to perfect it, the earth and the whole nature fell into an accursed state.

Yet, God is ever calling to Himself a nation who would listen to and obey His word. It is a challenge to hear that even in the time of Isaiah 1, the chosen people abandoned God and practiced their evil ways. Let us commit ourselves to the hands of God, to plant us as a new vine, by destroying our evil ways which hinder our good life, just as the branches that bear bad fruit instead of good fruit are cut off and put into the fire.

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The Gospel Proclamation "Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower.

Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce, but the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir, come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.' So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They said to him, 'He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time."

Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'?

Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.

Gaze at Jesus Jesus understands man's greed to possess all that comes within his grasp, even if it means murdering the rightful owner. He also knows that ultimately God's plan will prevail. Looking at it ostensibly, it appears that God uses strong-arm tactics to have His own way.

But the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes. Yes indeed, ultimately we come to realize that God's plan is wonderful.

Those who lose the kingdom because of

their selfishness, will ultimately benefit when the new tenants produce its fruit.

The fruit of God's Love.

The Second Proclamation describes the wonderful state of experiencing the Kingdom of God. The Second Proclamation Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Our sonship If we need a goal towards which community we should look forward to, St. Paul gives it to us in a nutshell in the Second Proclamation. Let us read it reflectively and make it our dream. Let such a life of community, a reflection of the Triune God, be the reality we discover as the yearning deep in our hearts.

How good it is, how pleasant, where the people dwell as one! Like precious ointment on the head, running down upon the beard. Upon the beard of Aaron, upon the collar of his robe. Like dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountain of Zion. There the Lord has lavished blessings, life for evermore!

(Psalm 133) Prayer Starter O Lord of hosts, look down from heaven, and see; take care of this vine, and protect what Your right hand has planted, the Son of Man whom You Yourself made strong.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Monday 9th October 2017 St. Denis,Bishiop & Companions,St.John Leonardi, Priest once again shows that it is not in knowing Jona:1/1-17, 2/10 the law that leads to caring action towards Song: Jona: 2/2-4, 7 fellow human beings. The spontaneity of Luke:10/25-37 caring action relies on the heartfulness Gospel Proclamation On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life”?

"What is written in the Law"?

He replied. "How do you read it"?

He answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself."

"You have answered correctly, Jesus replied. Do this and you will live." But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "and who is my neighbor?"

In reply Jesus said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers…."

Prayerful Awareness What is one’s goal in life? It could be many things including climbing Mt. Everest. Here is a question, what must I do to inherit eternal life? This should be the goal of every human being. As Jesus says, I will prepare many rooms in my Father’s house for you. Therefore, Jesus explains that eternal life comes through by one’s own heartfulness that is fostered through a loving relationship with God. What grows out from that relationship with God gives the power and the strength to love your neighbor.

Although Jonah was entrusted with a vital message to be taken to Nineveh, he flees from the presence of the Lord.

However, God’s mercy towards man was so great that He turns Jonah back into his mission to serve the Lord.

The parable of the Good Samaritan

that governs our inner disposition, as modeled by the good Samaritan.

Our sonship

As we move along with the work load today, let us continually become aware of our own inner disposition. How connected and aware are we about our neighbor? It could be the person who sits or stands next to you in the bus, on the road, the other drivers in the vehicles on the road. Become aware of the people around you at your home, workplace or school. All these encounters are possible ways of sharing the goodness of God. We could avoid and run away from them like Jonah did, or we could ignore and avoid them because of our fears of being manipulated, taken advantage of, or our own preoccupations as in the parable of the Good Samaritan.

At the end of the day, it is important that we come before God in prayer to ask the Lord to show us the times we avoided our obligations towards our neighbor.

When we continually do this, before God, He will nourish us and teach us the way to foster good relationships with our neighbors. God continually awaits to put us on the right track.

Prayer Starter (Jonah 2:2-4) He said, In my distress, I called to the Lord and he answered me.

From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry.

You hurled me into the depths into the very heart of the seas and the currents swirled about me.

All your waves and breakers swept over me.

I said, I have been banished from your sight, yet is will look again toward your Holy temple.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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zzY=oaOd;auhdfKkS" uu Tnjykafiag jkaokd kuialdr lrĂą' ud l< hq;= l=ulaÂąhs ug wK l< uekjZZ

Tuesday 10th October 2017 Jona:3/1-10 Psalm:130/1-4, 7-8 Luke:10/38-42 The Gospel Proclamation Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

Prayerful Awareness Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, Having completed successfully His mission which was entrusted by His Father God, He was going to face the final and biggest challenge of His life. He is going to die, on behalf of all mankind. This was a moment where His whole being was filled with the intensity of the inner battle to carry out the task ahead of Him. When Jesus came to the home in Bethany it was a great joy; and Martha was eager to celebrate it by laying on the best the house could give. But all Jesus wanted at that moment was quiet. With the cross before Him and with the inner tension in His heart, He decided to go to Bethany to find calm, away from the demanding crowds, if only for an hour or two and that is what Mary gave Him. Each day we are so busy with a lot of entanglements as if we are running a

rat race. Do we allow a little time to be silent and calm, to be in the presence of God, a time to experience His warmth and love and a moment of heavenly bliss? Once Pope St. John Paul II told a group of religious: "You are so much taken up with the work of the vineyard that you have no time for the Lord of the vineyard." The best way to serve the Lord is to listen to His words and put them into practice. People who habitually spend time with the Lord in prayer are not likely to lose sight of the Lord even when they are busy working for people.

Like Martha all of us must learn that the better part is to care for those who have been the victims of violence and those who are despised because they have spoken the truth, as the good Samaritan did to his enemy and as Jesus will do for all of us.

Our sonship Let us reflect on our Christian life.

Are we able to balance the time allotted to our work and prayer? Are we able to give time to God, amidst all the worlkload of the day?

Although Jesus did not fail to appreciate the work of Martha, Mary had been praised by Jesus, because she chose to be at the feet of Jesus. Let us be in the presence of the Holy Spirit at day-break and from time to time during the day. If we do this we would be led by the Spirit to experience the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer Starter Help us Lord to repent and ask for God's forgiveness. Let us repent for the evil that we do - disrespect for others, ignoring the homeless on the streets, not helping the poor with food and health care. Also Lord help us to set aside moments of silence every day from time to time to experience Your loving warmth and joy.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Wednesday 11th October 2017 Jonah:4/1-11 Psalm:86/3-6, 9-10 Luke:11/1-4 Introduction Let us meditatively dwell on today’s Proclamations (which are self-explanatory) where the central theme is Almighty God’s infinite mercy and love for His creation, even when we constantly sin against Him! Jonah (who represents the average human being) is by contrast indignant at the mercy shown to sinners! One has to only listen to people’s conversations to realize how vindictive an average human being is, wishing dire consequences and curses on any observed frailties of others, without realizing that they are in fact condemning themselves to a similar fate by wishing punishment on transgressions, because we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. First Proclamation ... 'Please, Yahweh, isn't this what I said would happen when I was still in my own country? That was why I first tried to flee to Tarshish, since I knew you were a tender, compassionate God, slow to anger, rich in faithful love, who relents about inflicting disaster. ...'Yahweh replied, 'Are you right to be angry?' Jonah then left the city and sat down to the east of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, to see what would happen to the city.

Yahweh God then ordained that a castor-oil plant should grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head and soothe his ill-humour; Jonah was delighted with the castor-oil plant. But at dawn the next day, God ordained that a worm should attack the castor-oil plant -- and it withered. Next,

St. John XXIII, Pope

when the sun rose, God ordained that there should be a scorching east wind; the sun beat down so hard on Jonah's head ....'

God said to Jonah, 'Are you right to be angry about the castor-oil plant?' He replied, 'I have every right to be angry, mortally angry!'Yahweh replied, 'You are concerned for the castor-oil plant which has not cost you any effort and which you did not grow, which came up in a night and has perished in a night. So why should I not be concerned for Nineveh, ....

Song of Praise (Psalm 86/3-6,9-10) Take pity on me, Lord, for to you I cry all the day. Fill your servant's heart with joy, Lord, for to you I raise up my heart. Lord, you are kind and forgiving, rich in faithful love for all who call upon you.

Yahweh, hear my prayer, listen to the sound of my pleading. .....

Gospel Proclamation Now it happened that he was in a certain place praying, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.'

He said to them, 'When you pray, this is what to say: Father, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come; give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us. And do not put us to the test.'

Prayerful Awareness The Gospel Proclamation contains the shorter version of the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ taught by our Lord Jesus Christ (see also Mathew 6:9-15). Dear Lord, help us to be merciful to others in order to appropriate God’s forgiveness on us!

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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zzY=oaOd;auhdfKkS" uu Tnjykafiag jkaokd kuialdr lrĂą' ud l< hq;= l=ulaÂąhs ug wK l< uekjZZ

Thursday 12th October 2017 Feast of St. Wilfred of York, Bisho, Con- fessor if the child asks for an egg will give a Malachi:3/13-18 scorpion? If you then, who are evil, Psalm: 1/1-6 know how to give good gifts to your Luke: 11/5-13 children, how much more will the St. Wilfred of York He was a native of Northumbria (England) and was educated at the court of King Osway. He founded the monastery of Ripon and at 24 became its first Abbot. He introduced the Benedictine rule and was ordained priest 5 years later. He was able to persuade the majority to accept for all of England the Roman usage concerning Easter and the tensure, at the famous Synod of Whitly in 663. Later he was made Archbishop of York. He founded many Benedictine monasteries. When his Archdiocese was divided into three parts, he appealed to Rome and won his case. He was exiled.

Reconciliation was effected and he returned to York. Died: 24th April 709.

The Gospel Proclamation And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him. And he answers from within, 'Do not bother me, the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.

I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

"So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you, search, and you will find, knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or

heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Prayerful Awareness

The householder or the hospitable friend is behind closed doors - having had the last meal of the day, To his surprise his near and dear friend comes to him with a request - an earnest one the hospitable friend cannot turn down.

In this situation he is behind closed doors resting with his family. Repeated requests from his friend arouses pity and he comes to his importunate friend's help. Here we have the core of the parable - how we must go to God - i.e. with confidence and boldness. It is with and in prayer we must go to Him. "And when you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; you ask for things to use for your own pleasures. Don't you know that to be the world's friend means to be God's enemy. Whoever wants to be the world's friend makes himself God's enemy" (James 4:3-4) "Pray constantly .... always and for everything giving thanks in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father." St. Paul adds, "Pray at all times in the Spirit, with prayer and supplication. To that keep alert with all perseverance making supplication for all the saints" for "we have not been commanded to work, to keep watch and to fast constantly, but it has been laid down that we are to pray without ceasing." This tireless fervor can come only from love. Against our dullness and laziness, the battle of prayer is that of humble trusting and persevering love. (C.C.C. 2742) Prayer Starter You are always ready to do good to us. Please accept our importunity when it is for spiritual mercies. Amen.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Friday 13th October 2017 Joel:1/13-15; 2/1-2 Psalm:9/1-2, 5,15,7-8 Luke: 11/15-26 The First Proclamation Priests, put on sackcloth and lament! You ministers of the altar, wail! Come here, lie in sackcloth all night long, you ministers of my God! For the Temple of your God has been deprived of cereal offering and libation. Order a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly; you elders, summon everybody in the country to the Temple of Yahweh your God. Cry out to Yahweh: 'Alas for the day! For the Day of Yahweh is near, coming as destruction from Shaddai.'...Blow the ram's-horn in Zion, sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everybody in the country tremble, for the Day of Yahweh is coming, yes, it is near.

Day of darkness and gloom, Day of cloud and blackness. Like the dawn, across the mountains spreads a vast and mighty people, such as has never been before, such as will never be again to the remotest ages.

Fix your gaze on Jesus Lord, let us cast abominations from our minds and hearts and turn to you anewâ&#x20AC;Ś.

The sorrow of the people is turned into repentance and humiliation before God. With all the marks of sorrow and shame, sin must be confessed and bewailed.

A day is to be appointed for this purpose; a day in which people must be kept from their common employments and enjoyments, of their indulging in the lusts of the flesh, of

the worshipping of the Mammon, that they may more closely attend God's services; and there is to be abstaining from meat and drink. Every one had added to the national guilt and insanity, all have shared in the national calamity, therefore every one must join in repentance. We are all collectively, in SIN. When joy and gladness are cut off from God's house, when serious godliness decays, and love waxes cold, then it is time to cry unto the Lord. The prophet describes how grievous the calamity. See how even the inferior creatures and nature suffer for our transgression; the whole creation is affected. Whatever may become of the nations and churches that persist in ungodliness, believers will find the comfort of acceptance with God, when the wicked shall be burned up with his indignation.

The priests are to alarm the people of the nearing Divine judgements.

Our business on earth should especially be to secure an interest in our Lord Jesus Christ; and we should seek to be weaned from objects which will soon be torn from all who now make idols of them. For us to experience the love of God, there shall have to be the inner turning, and the outward expressions of sorrow and shame, fasting, weeping, and mourning; tears shed for trouble experienced must be turned into tears for the sin that caused it! Without the inward turning, the external appearances would be vanity.

Prayer Starter Dearest Lord, create within me a heart and mind that delights and abides in Your Word! Reveal to me Your Holy Will....Holy be Your Nameâ&#x20AC;Ś.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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zzY=oaOd;auhdfKkS" uu Tnjykafiag jkaokd kuialdr lrĂą' ud l< hq;= l=ulaÂąhs ug wK l< uekjZZ

Saturday 14th October 2017 Joel:3/12-21 Psalm:97/1-2,5-6,11-12 Luke: 11/27-28 The First Proclamation Let the nations rouse themselves and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the neighboring nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the wine press is full. The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.

Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shake. But the Lord is a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.

So you shall know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass though it.

In that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, the hills shall flow with milk, and all the stream beds of Judah shall flow with water; a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the Wadi Shittim.

Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, because of the violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they have shed innocent blood. But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations. I will avenge their blood, and I will not clear the guilty, for the Lord dwells in Zion.

St. Calistus I, Pope & Martyr Prayerful Awareness Joel the prophet speaks forthrightly and forcefully. His message is one of warning, but filled with HOPE. Joel states that our CREATOR, the omnipotent JUDGE is MERCIFUL and HE wants to bless all those who TRUST Him. Joel described that billions of people and every one of them - DEAD, LIVING and yet to be BORN - will face judgement. We must take God's offer of HOPE to those we know and help each other to receive God's forgiveness. The last word will be God's, His sovereignty will be revealed in the end. We cannot PREDICT when that end will come; but we have confidence in His control over the world's events. The world's history, as well as our own pilgrimage is in GOD's HANDS. The picture of this restored land is one of PERFECT BEAUTY. Similar to the 'Garden of Eden'. The life-giving fountain, flowing from the LORD's HOUSE shows the blessings that come from God. Those who attach themselves to God will be forever FRUITFUL. Egypt and Edom were two of Israel's most persistent enemies. THEY represent all the nations hostile to God's people. God's promise that they would be DESTROYED is also a promise that all evil in the world will one day be destroyed.

The word "JUDAH' is used here to refer to all God's people - anyone who has called on the Name of the Lord.

There is full assurance of victory and peace for those who trust in God. Prayer Starter Almighty God, help us to realize the danger in living apart from God. Thank You for giving us TIME to turn to God and enjoy the blessings mentioned in Joel's prophecy.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Sunday 15th October 2017 Isaiah: 25/6-10 Psalm:23/1-6 Philippians:4/12-14, 19-20 Mathew:22/1-14 OR 22/1-10

28th Sunday of Ordinary Time Ps. Wk IV forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth for the Lord has spoken.

Gospel Proclamation

Introduction This same goodness fills the whole universe and overflows. There are no conditions to God's love; no limits.

That love overflows and permeates the whole creation as well as all men.

There is no end to His love; no boundaries. That love can change hearts of men; mould them.

In the same way, when we take a wedding feast we know that it is an occasion that makes people happy, brings peace. It is a sign of each other's love, appreciation and sharing. Through today's Gospel which presents such a special event, the Lord reveals a great news to our parish, our sanga and family. That is, a wedding feast denotes the invitation from the Lord to enter into, to be aware of, the great Christian hope of eternity, love, redemption, joy and freedom; where there is no lack, no crying, no weeping or death anymore.

Therefore let us go into the presence of God with longing to enter into that very special experience.

First Proclamation On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.

And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death

.... The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his sons. He sent his slaves to call those ho had been invited ..... but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves ... but they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, anther to his business, while the rest seized his slaves .... and killed them. ?The king was enraged. .....'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet. .... But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe and he said to him, 'Friend how did you get in here without a wedding robe?' And he was speechless. .....'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called but few are chosen.

Prayerful Awareness According to Isaiah the Lord prepares a great wedding feast. The Lord reveals to the people of Israel through Isaiah the redemption, joy and freedom one would experience there. No one else can ever give it to anyone, anywhere. The Lord invites the people to enjoy this experience.

What those people hoped for at that time has been fulfilled today, in the new Testament. Our Lord had a yearning thirst to do the Father's Will.

Every moment He was in the presence

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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of the Father and listened to His voice.

So He enjoyed the love, joy, peace and freedom in the Father. Not even death could separate Him from the Father.

He was generous enough to share that liberating love, joy and freedom with the people. Denying what would have been beneficial to Him He endeavoured to experience eternal joy and salvation.

Therefore temptation could not hold Him bound anymore. Isn't it the Lord's invitation to you and to me today to experience this great joy and liberation.

Second Proclamation I know what it is to have little and I know what it is to have plenty.

In any and all circumstances, I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. In any case, it was kind of you to share my distress.

And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Prayerful Awareness Paul who savoured the taste of God's love has this to say, "But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as lost for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be lost, in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ."

(Phill. 3:7-8).

What else is needed if that joy is experienced? As it is so, Paul claiming the Lord's promise of redemption, committed himself, spent himself joyfully for the Kingdom. He responded with his whole life to the call of that day to follow Him. He followed Him, he was betrothed to Him, in doing so he ex-

horts the sanga to renounce our desires and by reaping the fruits of redemption to enjoy the joy of God's Kingdom.

Our sonship Let us be aware for a moment how many times do we suffer, confined within ourselves? How often do we respond to the Christian calling of our Lord?

If the Holy Mass is only another event to you, if you participate through habit only, if it is only a fulfilling of an obligation He challenges us about that sin in this way. Just as the king who asks "Friend how did you come without a wedding dress?" in Matthew 22:12, He asks the same question from us too. So if we give a great value to little things and neglect Holy Mass, if work is our priority, if tuition class is the biggest thing for us, are we not losing the Kingdom of God which is the great treasure?

The Lord God will look at us and will ask us "Fool this very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?"

Therefore let us do our work, let us enjoy the taste of the great wedding feast of the Holy Mass giving priority to the Kingdom of God. Experiencing the joy of redemption, salvation, let us yearn to be sons and daughters of the Kingdom of God. Prayer Starter The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want ......

Thou preparest a table before me In the presence of my enemies Thou anointed my head with oil My cup floweth over Surely goodness and mercy Shall follow me all the days of my life And I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever."

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Monday 16th October 2017 St. Hedwig, ReligiousSt. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin Romans:1/1-7 Psalm:98/1-4 Luke: 11/29-32 The First Proclamation Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayerful Awareness Please pay special attention to the following verse: “Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.”

The belief that God the Father is a universal God for all people took a while to be comprehended by the apostles and the early Christians. Even for Jesus, born into a culture where God (YHWH) was only for the Jews must have been ingrained into His psyche right from the beginning. For example, in Mathew 15, when a Canaanite woman asks Jesus to heal her daughter, His initial response was to withhold His mercy as she was a Gentile. Thankfully, His eventual re-

sponse is love as the Holy Spirit guided Him to see the woman through the eyes of God. Peter was one of the first apostles to preach to the Gentiles, but only because he had received this message through a dream and he rightly believed it came from the Holy Spirit. However, the issue of whether the Gentiles needed to be circumcised, in other words, should the Gentiles be “seen” as Jewish by an outward symbol, continued for a while.

Finally, around 107 AD the name Catholic meaning “universal” was adopted by the church. Now, everyone is included! Well not so, ironically, we are now known as the Roman Catholic Church, due to the influence of the Roman empire in spreading the religion.

So, where are we now in 2017 AD? Our universe is 13.772 billion years old and the Word has been incarnate in the universe right from the beginning. The human species is a lot younger than the universe, only 200,000 years old. But, the universe has “known” Christ for a long time. In some of the native religions, there are incredible understandings of being one with the universe and of life and death. Yet, rather than being open to the universal God, we are too busy excluding people. We thank the Holy Spirit, for the leadership shown by Pope Francis in interfaith dialogue, so that one day we can all truly know the Universal God. Prayer Starter O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory. The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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zzY=oaOd;auhdfKkS" uu Tnjykafiag jkaokd kuialdr lrĂą' ud l< hq;= l=ulaÂąhs ug wK l< uekjZZ

Tuesday 17th October 2017 Romans:1/16-25 Psalm:19/1-4 Luke: 11/37-41 The First Proclamation For I am not ashamed of the gospel, it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, .... For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith ....; as it is written, "The one who is righteous will live by faith."

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. .....

The Gospel Proclamation

St. Ignatius of Antioch those things that are within, and see, everything will be clean for you.

Prayerful Awareness In the first reading, St. Paul admires those who have faith in God and in the Gospel. He believes that the Gospel reveals the Word of God and those who believe in the Gospel will have life everlasting. St. Paul says that God's creation reveals the nature and the majesty of God. He further says that most people do not recognize the sovereignty of God. They do not worship Him or give Him the honour due to His Divinity or treat Him as our sole Creator and the One who maintains our lives. In the past they made idols or false images in place of God. e.g. when Moses took a long time to come down after his visit to God in His holy mountain, they made a golden calf of the jewellery they collected and started worshipping it instead of God Almighty.

Even today, when God does not answer the wishes of the people as quickly as they ask of God, they turn to false gods - material objects, forgetting their Creator whom they had worshipped from childhood.

In the Gospel passage Jesus spoke against the Pharisees who were more concerned about the outward rituals like the washing of hands and feet before a meal. Jesus refers to the inner man, for according to Him our heart and soul should be pure and clean rather than the outer body.

Prayer Starter

While he was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him, so he went in and took his place at the table.

Unless we worship only God; our The Pharisee was amazed to see that lives cannot be truely free, for we were he did not first wash before dinner. made for Him alone Then the Lord said to him, "Now you All else is but idolatry.

Pharisees clean the outside of the cup

D.De Haan and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools!

"The idol of self is a sorry substitute Did not the one who made the outside for God." make the inside also? Give for alms

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Wednesday 18th October 2017 2 Timothy: 4/9-17 Psalm:145/10-13,16-18 Luke: 10/1-9 The First Proclamation Do your best to come to me soon, for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; ..... Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry. ... When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. .....

At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me.

May it not be counted against them!

But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, ....

The Gospel Proclamation After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few, therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.

Whatever house you enter, first say, 'peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. ... Do not move about from house to house. .... cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'

Prayerful Awareness Here Jesus designated a group of 72 to prepare a number of towns for

Jesus; later visit. These disciples were not UNIQUE in their qualifications. NOT better educated, more capable or of higher STATUS than other followers of Jesus.

What equipped them for this mission was their AWARENESS OF JESUS' POWER and their VISION to reach all the people.

These 3 teams were not to try to do the job without help; rather were to PRAY for more workers. In Christian service, there is NO UNEMPLOYMENT. God has enough work for everyone. Jesus said He was sending His disciples out "LIKE LAMBS AMONG WOLVES." They would have to be careful, they would surely meet with opposition. Be alert, to face your enemies not with aggression, but with LOVE and gentleness Jesus' direction to stay in one house avoided certain problems. It could offend the families who took them in first. Some might compete for the disciples' presence, some might even think they were not good enough to hear their message.

Then they might not accept Jesus when He followed them there. Staying in one place, they could settle down and do their appointed task. Jesus told the disciples to accept hospitality graciously because their work ENTITLED them to it, hence we must support them, make sure that they have what they NEED. Support them emotionally, express appreciation, lift their spirits, with special surprises.

They deserve to be given cheerfully and generously.

Jesus gave two rules to His disciples to follow. Eat what was set before them.

They were to heal the sick. Because of the healings people would be willing to LISTEN to the GOSPEL. Prayer Starter Almighty Father, give us the strength to do the work You have for us to do. Help us to rely on Your Holy Spirit and to be sensitive to Your divine calling.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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zzY=oaOd;auhdfKkS" uu Tnjykafiag jkaokd kuialdr lrĂą' ud l< hq;= l=ulaÂąhs ug wK l< uekjZZ

Thursday 19th October 2017 Sts. John de Brebeuf & Isaac Jogues or St. Paul of the Cross Romans:3/21-30 and the Pharisees began to be very hostile toward him and to cross-examPsalm: 130/1-6 ine him, about many things, lying in Luke: 11/47-54 wait for him, to catch him in something St. Paul of the Cross He was born on 3rd January1694, and was the first of 16 children in his family. He was much given to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. He was shown by Our Lord in a vision that he was to found a new religious order in honour of the Passion - Discalced Clerks of the Cross and the Passion. Later he was appointed Superior General much against his will, and remained so until his death. He prayed for the return of England to the faith and was vouchsafed several comforting visions in this connection. The results included Cardinal Newman, among thousands of others, who entered the Church. He was consumed by his penances and died at Rome on 18th October 1775. Canonized

by Pope Pius IX on 29th June 1867.

Gospel Proclamation Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors; for they killed them, and you build their tombs. Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,' so that this generation may be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation. Woe to you lawyers!

For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves and you hindered those who were entering.

When he went outside, the scribes

he might say.

Prayerful Awareness

Here we have Jesus finding fault with teachers of the law. Their actions, views and outlook lacked love and they demanded standards that they themselves refused to fulfill. For them legalism was religion and they made the Word of God difficult to listen to and live accordingly.

Those genuine followers of the Word of God were bewildered or were at a loss whom to listen to or follow. The meaning of the divine word - yes, they did not or could not or refused to see it clearly.

The worst part is that they imposed this wrong knowledge on the ordinary masses. "The Jewish people and their spiritual leaders viewed Jesus as a rabbi.

He often argued within the framework of rabbinical interpretation of the law. Yet Jesus could not help but offend the teachers of the Law, for He was not content to propose His interpretation alongside theirs but taught the people "as one who had authority, and not as their scribes."

In Jesus, the same Word of God that had resounded on Mount Sinai to give the written Law to Moses, made itself heard anew on the Mount of the Beatitudes.

Jesus did not abolish the Law but fulfilled it by giving its ultimate interpretation in a divine way; "You have heard that it was said to the men of old .... But I say to you ...." With the same divine authority, He disavowed certain human traditions of the Pharisees that were "making void the word of God." (C.C.C. 581). What a tragedy ... the prophets they admired were dead and on top of that they tried to kill the living One. Prayer Starter Enlighten us, guide us not to be stumbling blocks to others. Amen.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Friday 20th October 2017 Romans:4/1-8 Psalm: 32/1-2, 5, 11 Luke: 12/1-7 The First Proclamation of God’s Love Then what do we say about Abraham, the ancestor from whom we are descended physically? If Abraham had been justified because of what he had done, then he would have had something to boast about. But not before God: does not scripture say: Abraham put his faith in God and this was reckoned to him as uprightness? Now, when someone works, the wages for this are not considered as a favour but as due; however, when someone, without working, puts faith in the one who justifies the godless, it is this faith that is reckoned as uprightness. David, too, says the same: he calls someone blessed if God attributes uprightness to that person, apart from any action undertaken: How blessed are those whose offence is forgiven, whose sin is blotted out. How blessed are those to whom the Lord imputes no guilt.

Fix your gaze on Jesus Lord Jesus, you epitomize the destiny our Abba Father has willed for us! Help us to learn from you…..

The faithful, the believers come to know of the blessings available, by the Lord's showing them the mystery of his sovereign will, and of the redemption and salvation. God revealed these by his written word,

preached gospel, and Spirit of Truth.

Christ united the two differing parties, God and man, in his own person, and erased that error / wrong which caused the separation. He wrought, by his Spirit, those graces of faith and love, whereby we are made one with God, and among ourselves.

He dispenses all his blessings, according to his good pleasure. His Divine teaching lead those who so choose so to see the glory of those truths, whilst others who choose otherwise are left to blaspheme, to despair.

What a gracious promise that is, which secures the gift of the Holy Ghost to those who desire him! The sanctifying and comforting influences of the Holy Spirit seal believers as the children of God, and heirs of heaven. These are the first–fruits of holy happiness. For this we were made, and for this we were redeemed; this is the great design of God in all that he has done for us; let all be ascribed unto the praise of his glory.

The call is yours. What would you choose? For me the choice is clear.

I choose to believe. After all, I will loose nothing if there is no God, but if there is, I cannot imagine the end of the riches I would get from the Being who can create an entire universe from nothing …….

Prayer Starter Almighty Father, I am willing to be a son / daughter of yours. I want to experience that heavenly state of being together with You! I believe that this is your Holy Will!

Teach me how to be so, strengthen my beliefs, open me up to be with the Truth.…..

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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zzY=oaOd;auhdfKkS" uu Tnjykafiag jkaokd kuialdr lrĂą' ud l< hq;= l=ulaÂąhs ug wK l< uekjZZ

Saturday 21st October 2017 Romans: 4/13, 16-18 Psalm:105/6-9,42-43 Luke:12/8-12

The Gospel Proclamation "And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to speak for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say."

Prayerful Awareness The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead. He always works in unity and harmony with the other two Persons of the Godhead - Father and Son. The Holy Spirit is our lover. He enlightens us. He leads us on the correct path, strengthens us and consoles us. He tells us what the Will of the Father is and shows us what we should do. The desert that we cross during our life can be experienced and conquered only with the help of the Holy Spirit. He gives us power.

The Holy Church was born after the life breath of Jesus came on the apostles.

The power of the Holy Church is the power of the Holy Spirit. The Church that does not experience the Holy Spirit is a lifeless church. In the same way the Christians who do not experience the Holy Spirit has no power and is a lifeless person.

Nobody on earth can stay with us for ever. But the One who lives with us for ever is the Holy Spirit. "I will ask the Father and He will give you another Advocate to be with you for ever."

(John 14:16) Sometimes, because of our weaknesses or hard words we exchange, most of our loved ones will find it difficult to persist in loving even for a short time.

But the Holy Spirit, the beloved of my soul and yours, will never leave us for any wrong we do. Therefore my soul's real lover is the Holy Spirit.

Jesus through the words of John 3:35 tells us "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born from above." To go along the lighted path we must be born anew again and again. This new birth is from the Holy Spirit.

Christ gives us the Holy Spirit as a Comforter, who will stay with us forever. The intimacy of the togetherness gives meaning to our lives, comforts us and we feel that we are uplifted.

Jesus tells us that if we acknowledge the Son of Man, the Crucified and Risen One, in the presence of the world, then we will be acknowledged by Jesus before God. But do we speak against the Son of Man in word and deed and sin against the Spirit of God? Have we ever had to stand up for what we believe?

Or have we ignored the issues that must be faced and resisted to care for the poor, justice for all, equality for all, no destruction of the earth and human beings because of greed? Avoid having to stand up for what we believe -This too is to sin against the Spirit.

Prayer Starter "Come Holy Ghost, Creator blest, and in our hearts take up Thy rest; Come with Thy grace and heavenly aid, to fill our hearts which Thou hast made."

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Sunday 22nd October 2017 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time Ps.Wk. I World Mission Sunday of the gospel came to you not in word Isaiah: 45/1, 4-6 only, but also in power and in the Psalm: 95/1,3-5,7-10 1 Thessalonians:1/1-5 Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of perMathew:22/15-21 sons we proved to be among you for OR your sake.

Isaiah:2/1-5 The Gospel Proclamation Psalm:19/1-4 Then the Pharisees went and Ephesians:3/2-12 plotted to entrap him in what he Mark:16/15-20 said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you The First Proclamation are sincere, and teach the way of Thus says the Lord to his anoint- God in accordance with truth, and ed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I show deference to no one; for you have grasped to subdue nations do not regard people with partiality. before him and strip kings of their Tell us, then, what you think. Is it robes, to open doors before him and lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" But Jesus, aware of their the gates shall not be closed. malice, said, "Why are you putting For the sake of my servant Jacob, me to the test you hypocrites? Show and Israel my chosen, I call you by me the coin used for the tax." And your name, I surname you, though they brought him a denarius. Then you do not know me. I am the Lord, he said to them, "Whose head is and there is no other; besides me this, and whose title?" They anthere is no god. I arm you, though swered, "The emperor's." Then he you do not know me, so that they said to them, "Give therefore to the may know, from the rising of the sun emperor the things that are the emand from the west, that there is no peror's, and to God the things that one besides me; I am the Lord, and are God's." there is no other.

Prayerful Awareness The Second Proclamation Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and His Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. To taking possession of the Temple has led the church of the Thessalonians in to a series of parables through which God the Father and the Lord Jesus He attacks the political and religious Christ; Grace to you and peace. leaders of Israel. He has always held We always give thanks to God the initiative. Now that changes, havfor all of you and mention you in our ing been on the receiving end of Jesus' prayers, constantly remembering thinly veiled attacks through the parabefore our God and Father your bles, the Pharisees attempt to put Jesus work of faith and labor of love and into a no-win situation. The telling of steadfastness of hope in our Lord the story, however, already places the Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers Pharisees in a bad light. They go away and sisters beloved by God, that he from the conflict 'to work out between has chosen you, because our message them how to trap him' (vs.15). They

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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do not have the courage to face Jesus themselves. They send their disciples to him, together with the Herodians'. (vs. 16) This itself is an unholy alliance between the defenders of the tradition (the Pharisees and their disciples) and the royal party who worked in league with the Romans (the Herodians).

The messengers praise His teaching 'the way of God in an honest way' (vs.16). Jesus does indeed speak the truth. In fact, this is what will lead Him to the Cross. The trap they are setting is an attempt to lead Him to that Cross. They ask whether one should pay taxes to Caesar (vs.17).

This question could place Jesus in a no-win situation. If Jesus answers 'yes', then He will be guilty of disloyalty to the Jewish people, represented by the messengers of the Pharisees; if He says 'no' then He will be guilty of fomenting rebellion against Rome, represented by the Herodians.

Jesus sees through their malice and hypocrisy, and tells them so. He asks for the denarius, the coin used to pay the tax (vs.19). He does not carry it, but His opponents are quite willing to use Caesar's money in their business transactions. It is a tacit acceptance of Caesar's system. As they are willing to carry the coin which carries Caesar's effigy (vs.20), they should also be willing to give back to Caesar what is his. But there is a further duty beyond rendering to Caesar what is his. They are obliged to recognise the supreme Sovereign (vs.21).

Gaze at Jesus As the Gospel readings over the past weeks have shown, since Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, there have been continual conflicts between Himself and the Jewish authorities. Thus, it is their second obligation - rendering to God - which needs their attention.

They should be worrying less about

what is due to Caesar, and paying more attention to the presence of the Son of God in their midst.

Politics and religion mix rather uncomfortably, yet politics and religion there will always be. It is not a question of naively forgetting one or the other. It is a question of putting first things first. Politics which look to the service of the supreme Sovereign will work, but a service of God which is dominated by politics can only bring hatred and sinfulness into the Church.

These principles, so clearly enunciated in today's encounter between Jesus and representatives of both religious authority (Pharisees) and political authority (Herodians), not only challenge the state to allow God to be God, but especially challenge the Church to preach and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, rather than the Gospel of political convenience.

Prayer Starter O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed.

For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

O that today you would listen to his voice!

Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your ancestors tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.

For forty years I loathed that generation and said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray and they do not regard my ways."

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Monday 23rd October 2017 Romans: 4/20-25 Song: Luke:1/69-75 Luke:12/13-21

The First Proclamation No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness."

Now the words, "it was reckoned to him," were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

Prayerful Awareness “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God”( Romans 4: 20).

The above text reminded me of the concepts of “true self” and “false self” as described by Fr. Richard Rohr, a Franciscan friar, who is influenced by the writings of Thomas Merton.

“To waver through unbelief” is a characteristic of the false self and to be “strengthened in his faith” is an aspect of the true self. When we waver through unbelief, we do not want to trust God, we do not want to let go into the abyss of darkness for fear that God will not catch us; we better take things into our own hands and make sure that there is a safety net.

What are the true and false selves?

The true self can also be called our soul, the part of our self that longs for

God and the only thing that will remain when we die. Fr. Rohr says: “The true self is our whole self before God, the self we were created to become, our self in Christ. It is the self that breathes, that stands and sits.

It is the self that is. The true self, being simple like God, can be realized only in the mode of simple, contemplative awareness” In contrast, the false self (also be known as our ego) is a way of being where God is not in our centre. Fr Rohr says that we can recognise the false self in action whenever we get offended.

The true self, on the other hand, can never get offended. The false self is described by Thomas Merton in the following way: Every one of us is shadowed by an illusory person: a false self.

This is the man I want myself to be but who cannot exist, because God does not know anything about him. And to be unknown of God is altogether too much privacy.

My false and private self is the one who wants to exist outside the reach of God’s will and God’s love—outside of reality and outside of life. And such a self cannot help but be an illusion.

Prayer Starter Holy Spirit, how many times did I get offended today and how many offences of yesterday are still flowing through my mind? “How could she say that about me or my family?” “How can he point out my fault?” “Why didn’t she smile at me?” “Why didn’t he invite me?” “Why didn’t she repay my kindness?” “Why was he disloyal?” Help me to recognise my false self, so that I can be truly one with God and jump in to the abyss of darkness.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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zzY=oaOd;auhdfKkS" uu Tnjykafiag jkaokd kuialdr lrñ' ud l< hq;= l=ula±hs ug wK l< uekjZZ

Tuesday 24th October 2017

Romans:5/12,15, 17-21 Psalm:40/6-9, 16 Luke: 12/35-38 The First Proclamation Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— But the gift is not like the trespass.

For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!.....

The Gospel Proclamation “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.

Prayerful Awareness God has given us this one life; How do we choose to live it? The scriptures reveal the answer to this question in multiple ways. The first proclamation

presents us with two figures whose origins make them quintessentially sons of God, yet were vastly different in how they followed God’s Will and thereby transformed the destiny of humanity. The first is Adam; God formed him out of clay in His image and placed the world in his inheritance. Yet his disobedience made death pass upon the whole human race.

The second is Jesus Christ, immaculately conceived of the Holy Spirit, who came into this world with nothing, yet whose total obedience led to the righteousness and salvation of many. It took Adam a fleeting moment to disobey the Lord.

It took Jesus a lifetime of obedience withstanding temptation from all sides to lead humanity to eternal life. “For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!” (Romans 5: 15).

When we choose Jesus, we choose life. To stand for God, and to choose goodness even in the absence of tangible hope or reward in this earthly life makes us like the servants who are always ready to receive their master. Such a life is a blessing to others too, because the way we live our life is an opportunity for others to see the grace of what it means to be a child of God. This is most clarified during funerals: A steadfast faith and desire to do God’s will across a lifetime is a message of hope that gives strength to those who are still living. While there is sorrow in such an occasion, there is also peace. Our lives should be pitchers for Jesus’ overflowing grace, that we might receive and then share it with those around us.

Prayer Starter "...may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!” (Psalm 40:16)

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Wednesday 25th October 2017 Romans:6/12-18 Psalm:124/1-8 Luke: 12/39-48 The Gospel Proclamation Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."Then Peter said, "Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?"And the Lord replied, "Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute (the) food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master's will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master's will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly.

Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.

Prayerful Awareness Lord Jesus speaks on the Final judgment by a parable, how the Master of the house will judge his servant

to whom a job was entrusted, in order to give a message of how to receive Salvation through our acts. We Christians will be as leaders put in charge of God’s property, the entire mankind, to feed them with Lord’s Word and treat them with Lord’s Love. All Christians who have heard and know God’s Word, will be judged severely for not carrying out their part, and those Christians who had not known God’s Word will be judged lightly. Only the ones who do the Will of God the Father will enter heaven - Mathew 7 : 21. ( Basically to follow Jesus and His Teachings and live according to the Commandments).

Lord’s Second Coming will be sudden, without any notice, like a thief entering a house. It is said in Mark 13 :32 .

"But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, no one but the Father!”

Today many people live worried about the end of the world. Why waste time on that as no one will know this except God. We are called to be prepared, to be awake in order to protect our souls like protecting our wealth from a thief.

In Mathew 25: 31-46 Jesus Christ said that whatever we give to the least of the brothers and sisters, we have granted it to Him. Accordingly, I see that, as said in the above parable, Jesus Christ can come to us many times giving us the opportunity to serve Him, in many ways as the least, by way of beggars, people in need of help, people in need of food and clothing, whom we may help according to our capacities. At the Final judgment Lord will say you gave all that to me / or condemn us for opportunities rejected due to our selfishness, greed etc.

Prayer Starter Lord Jesus Christ, Forgive my sins and send to me the Holy Spirit to make me be humble like You, be able to love others as You Love me, and help others as You have taught us, Thank You Jesus,

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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zzY=oaOd;auhdfKkS" uu Tnjykafiag jkaokd kuialdr lrĂą' ud l< hq;= l=ulaÂąhs ug wK l< uekjZZ

Thursday 26th October 2017 Romans:6/19-23 Psalm:1/1-4, 6 Luke: 12/49-53 St. Evaristus Very little is known about his life.

Believed to have been the son of a Jew from Bethlehem who settled in Antioch, he succeeded St. Clement about the year 100 and reigned until 107. "The Book of Popes" (6th century) states that he divided the city of Rome into 25 parishes or "titles", each under its presbyter. He regulated the formal ceremonies for the consecration of Churches, which had been handed down from the apostles. It was during his reign that the last of the apostles, St. John the Evangelist, died in Ephesus.

The First Proclamation ......When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God, is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayerful Awareness What a distinction St. Paul brings out between the old life and the new. In the old life uncleanliness and immorality reigned supreme; mainly the lusts of the body were given undue attention.

The meaning of chastity was something foreign. The result was lawlessness which led to more lawlessness. One who yields to impurity is soon led to greater impurity. The voice from within - i.e. the Holy Spirit - sounds the bell or draws one's attention to the sinful nature but

Feast of St. Evaristus, Pope, Martyr

that one carries on regardless. What is in store is disastrous - when the warning of the Holy Spirit is neglected a number of times; He ceases His advice and the result is .... the one carries on regardless or becomes a pervert; a real burden to the society. We can add yet another malady - drugs. Then we have the new life that is righteous - giving to God and to others, their due. In this new world - the world of a Christian God is given His due place and respect.

Once a man is convinced that Christ has saved him from sin, he sees that Christ is his righteousness. But one cannot talk righteousness to one who is not a sinner.

The Pharisee in front of the temple was convinced of his own righteousness, the temple leaders who put Him to death were convinced of their own righteousness. Good Friday seemed to ascribe sin to Christ and righteousness to His judges, but Pentecost and the coming of the Spirit would assign righteousness to the Crucified and sin to His judges.

To those who reject Him, righteousness would one day appear as a terrible justice; to the sinful men who accepted him and allied themselves to His life, righteousness would show itself as mercy." (Archbishop Fulton J.Sheen).

In the gospel text we have Jesus speaking of His mission in terms of fire and division. What a shock we have here to those who regard Jesus as the Anointed One of God., the Messiah. His word or the gospel bring warfare in the soul. It is a challenge to old habits and tolls the death knell on sin. The old Adam must die but not without some struggle, warfare. The new man must fight his way through and the ensuring result is utter chaos. It is an internal struggle against evil inclinations.

Prayer Starter Let us face and not run away from this challenge before us. Amen.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Friday 27th October 2017 Romans:7/18-25 Psalm:119/66,68,76-77, 93-94 Luke:12/54-59 The First Proclamation And really, I know of nothing good living in me -- in my natural self, that is -- for though the will to do what is good is in me, the power to do it is not: the good thing I want to do, I never do; the evil thing which I do not want -- that is what I do. But every time I do what I do not want to, then it is not myself acting, but the sin that lives in me. So I find this rule: that for me, where I want to do nothing but good, evil is close at my side. In my inmost self I dearly love God's law, but I see that acting on my body there is a different law which battles against the law in my mind. So I am brought to be a prisoner of that law of sin which lives inside my body. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body doomed to death?

God -- thanks be to him -- through Jesus Christ our Lord. So it is that I myself with my mind obey the law of God, but in my disordered nature I obey the law of sin.

Fix your gaze on Jesus Jesus, you were so focussed on the Father, that even the death throe on the cross did not deter your resolve. How could we, who deep within believe not in the strength you endow us with, follow you? Have mercy on us, and encourage our heartsâ&#x20AC;Ś..

Nothing is pressed more earnestly in the Scriptures, than to walk as becomes those called to Christ's kingdom and glory. But this calls for us to wage the internal battle; we need to reject the error within us, and to embrace the truth

within. This is what St. Paul describes to us today; having become aware of this on-going conflict within, finding that the pull of the error within: the sin in us is too strong and deep seated to uproot on our own, he finds the solution in turning to the Christ within. There do we find that unconditional love....

If we truly seek within, we find much in ourselves for which we can hardly forgive ourselves; therefore we must not be surprised if we find in others that which we think it hard to forgive: and that is exactly the calling; we are to receive and give love unconditionally.

Please search carefully to verify whether you impose conditions (consciously or unconsciously) for both receiving and extending love? Our sorry state is that we are presently unable to truly receive and give love unconditionally.

BUT, there is one Christ in whom all believers hope, and one heaven they are all hoping for; therefore they should be of one heart. They had all one faith, as to its object, Author, nature, and power.

Coming to know the Christ is the 'Be All' and 'End All' of experiences.

In all believers God the Father dwells, as in his holy temple, by his Spirit and special grace. Take heart.

You are a worthy child in His eyes; start believing this, and you shall be delivered from the serpent.

Prayer Starter Dearest Lord, please open my eyes to see that we are all One in You! We have our being within you, and we journey within you and we are linked in unfathomable ways to each other within you. We are each of us different in so many ways, and yet the same in so many ways, and Your Spirit rejoices in the Unity among Diversity. Let me be Peace; let me be Joy; let me be Love; let me be One with youâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;Ś

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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zzY=oaOd;auhdfKkS" uu Tnjykafiag jkaokd kuialdr lrĂą' ud l< hq;= l=ulaÂąhs ug wK l< uekjZZ

Saturday 28th October 2017 Ephesians:2/19-22 Psalm: 19/1-3 Luke: 6/12-19 Gospel Proclamation At that time, Jesus went up a hill to pray and spent the whole night there praying to God. When day came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he named apostles. Simon, (whom he named Peter) and his brother Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James son of Alphaeus and Simon (who was called Patriot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became the traitor. When Jesus had come down from the hill with the apostles, he stood on a level place with a large number of his disciples.

A large crowd of people was there from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those who were troubled by evil spirits also came and were healed. All the people tried to touch him, for power was going out from him and healing them all.

Gaze at Jesus Jesus after prayer chooses the most suitable out of his disciples to be His apostles. Each of the twelve apostles had a special task in carrying out the message of salvation. It is important to note that Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; prayer led Him to forma small community who would eventually lead his ministry in Evangelizing.

In Ephesians, St. Paul says that eventually the communities that the apostles formed were Christ centered

Sts. Simon & Jude, Apostles where the Spirit of God was active.

They are compared to a Holy Temple where the corner stone is Christ.

Our sonship Let us reflect. Do our churches reflect the qualities of the early Christian church, where community life was the hub and where Christ thrived in their unity for the church to grow in numbers?

It was not like the churches of today where it is a personalized church, where individuals come, worship, and then leave. The identity of the early community church changed with the politicalized church of the Roman empire.

As later developments, different saints took the initiative to form communities that served the purpose of the Catholic church as per the needs during that era. They exist to this date as service based communities such as the zonal system, or service communities such as the sacred heart society, or the Vincent de Paul society and many more.

What still lacks in many communities today is their Christ-centeredness.

It is therefore, timely for us all who belong to a Christian community, to feel the presence of the Lord in our community life. For that we must believe in His promise, where there are two or three gathered, we could experience the love of our living savior.

Thereby, the community is encouraged to Evangelize.

Prayer Starter Dear Lord, make us the powerful instruments of the divine master. Help us be courageous to stand for unity in Jesus name when our communities try to personalize community life to their benefit.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Sunday 29th October 2017 Exodus: 22/21-27 Psalm: 18/1-3,46,50 1 Thessalonians:1/5-10 Mathew:22/34-40 Introduction In the first book of the Bible - Genesis, creation begins with the Spirit of God hovering over chaos and bringing about order. The Cosmos could be defined as a term for the whole of creation.

Those who study the cosmos are called cosmologists. They tell us by scientific research that creation came into being as a result of a colossal explosion "The Big Bang" which occurred in a "particle" which contained everything that we and all of humanity experienced in the past, present and the future. According to them creation is still ongoing bringing about order in the midst of the chaotic emergence of new particles and substances.

The chaos is not only in the world of inert matter but also in the world of the living. Typically the life of the Hebrews under the pharaohs was chaotic to the extreme. They cried out to the God of their ancestors pleading to be liberated from the state which they were in. Today's proclamations are about how God is working to put order in the life of His chosen people thus bringing about a new creation. They who seek the Lord God discover in Him their Creator who knits them into a cohesive people by giving them laws, ordinances and statutes to live by.

The Entrance Antiphon gives expression to the experience of the chosen people when they relied on the Lord to give direction to their life as a people.

Entrance Antiphon Let hearts rejoice who search for the

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Ps Wk II Lord. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek always the face of the Lord.

The First Proclamation You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry; my wrath will burn and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans.

If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you, you shall not deal with them as a creditor, you shall not exact interest from them. If you take your neighbor's cloak in pawn, you shall restore it before the sun goes down, for it may be your neighbor's only clothing to use as cover; in what else shall that person sleep? And if your neighbor cries out to me, I will listen, for I am compassionate.

Prayerful Awareness It is said that the laws that the Israeli people were bound by according to the Pharisees numbered 613. It seems that the people that were saved by the Lord God from being slaves in Egypt only to be now enslaved by a rigid system of ordinances enforced by the Pharisees.

The time that the people of Israel dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:40-41).

Quite a long portion of this period they were slaves; just doing what they were told to do. They had lost their ability to make decisions of their own so it is no wonder that Moses was instructed

by God to spell out in detail what they should and should not do. It is into this oppressive legalistic closely kit society

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

37

ruled by the Pharisees and Sadducees that Jesus walks in. He does not have legal, political or 'religious' powers to back Him up. Let us read the Gospel proclamation which tells us how He fares when confronted by the powers that be.

Gospel Proclamation

Thessalonians for their life of willingness to be imitators of the Lord....

The Second Proclamation

because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction, just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be When the Pharisees heard that among you for your sake. And you behe had silenced the Sadducees, they came imitators of us and of the Lord, gathered together, and one of them, a for in spite of persecution you received lawyer, asked him a question to test the word with joy inspired by the Holy him. "Teacher, which commandment Spirit, so that you became an example in the law is the greatest?" He said to to all the believers in Macedonia and him, "'You shall love the Lord your Achaia, but in every place your faith God with all your heart, and with all in God has become known, so that we your soul, and with all your mind.' have no need to speak about it. For the This is the greatest and first com- people of those regions report about us mandment. And a second is like it. what kind of welcome we had among 'You shall love your neighbor as your- you, and how you turned to God from self.' On these two commandments idols, to serve a living and true God, hang all the law and the prophets." and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead - Jesus, Gaze at Jesus who rescues us from the wrath that Jesus is engaged in a battle with is coming. the "keepers and protectors of the Our sonship Law" - the Pharisees, Sadducees and the scribes. Jesus was trying to restore a The call we receive from the Lord is life based on the spirit of the law rather none other than to "follow Him". It was than being satisfied with carrying out reported that when Pope John Paul 1 (the the letter of the law. For Jesus the core first) died he had the book "Imitation of of the law was very simple. Love God Christ" by Thomas Kemple in his hands. and love your neighbor. it goes to show the importance given to Jesus seems to assert that the people following Christ even by one who had of God are now mature enough to dis- been elected to the highest office in the cern for themselves whether a particular Catholic Church. word or deed of theirs is in conformity So let us remind ourselves of our call to these two great commandments or to live positively in loving God and our not. Moreover by making the law so neighbor, rather than make our Christian pure and simple, Jesus makes the roles lives one of "avoiding sin". of the Pharisees and the other keepers Prayer Starter of the law redundant. No wonder that My sweet Lord! I really want to know they were fighting tooth and nail to You; I really want to follow You I really discredit Jesus.

Jesus stresses on two "thou shall" want to see You and I really want to be commandments and pushes the "thou with You. I truly want to love You and shall not's" into the background. It is a love my neighbor as You love them. My life of willingness rather than a life of longing is that it happens now ..... Let it willfulness. St. Paul complements the be Lord let it be .....

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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Monday 30th October 2017 spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, "Abba, Father!"

Here the Word speaks of a death to the soul and the eternal life, whereas if we live by the Spirit, under the guidance and control of the Spirit we will be The Gospel Proclamation living as Children of God (doing the Now he was teaching in one of Will of God) and will receive eternal the synagogues on the sabbath. And life.

just then there appeared a woman Prayerful Awareness with a spirit that had crippled her In the Gospel Proclamation, Jesus for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand went to the synagogue on a Sabbath up straight. When Jesus saw her, he Day as all Jews did, and was teaching called her over and said, "Woman, where He saw this woman who was you are set free from your ailment." kept crippled for 18 years by a spirit.

When he laid his hands on her, im- Imagine what her life was like? She mediately she stood up straight and was also a daughter of Abraham and began praising God. But the leader had come to the synagogue to listen of the synagogue, indignant because to Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Word.The woman did not Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept appeal to Jesus as she probably could saying to the crowd, "There are six not even look up at Him, since she days on which work ought to be was bent over with her face towards done, come on those days and be the ground. Jesus full of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Love, cured, and not on the sabbath day." a Love that He freely gave to others, But the Lord answered him and said, noticed her need, called her and said "You hypocrites! Does not each of the words laying His hands on her to you on the sabbath untie his ox or his set her free. How Great is the Love and donkey from its manger, and lead it Mercy of God that passed through the away to give it water? And ought not words and the touch of Jesus to cure this woman a daughter of Abraham her. The leaders of the synagogue who whom Satan bound for eighteen long act like hypocrites showing the world years, be set free from this bondage that they are holy but trying to strictly on the sabbath day? " When he said adhere to the laws without any love or this, all his opponents were put to mercy to the poor and destitute, accused shame, and the entire crowd was Jesus of breaking Sabbath rule, catrejoicing at all the wonderful things egorizing the act of Love what Jesus carried out as work. that he was doing.

Prayer Starter Prayerful Awareness

Romans:8/12-17 Psalm: 68/1,3,5-6, 19-20 Luke: 13/10-17

In the First Reading of Romans it is said - For if you live, according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a

Lord Jesus Christ, forgive all my sins. Help me to repent for all my sins and all sinful acts I have committed and also for all such acts of good deeds I have omitted. Grant me the Holy Spirit to act with Your Great Love, the Love You Grant me so Free. Amen

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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zzY=oaOd;auhdfKkS" uu Tnjykafiag jkaokd kuialdr lrñ' ud l< hq;= l=ula±hs ug wK l< uekjZZ

Tuesday 31st October 2017 Romans:8/18-25 Psalm: 126/1-6 Luke: 13/18-21 The First Proclamation I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain in the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Prayerful Awareness Are we still in the habit of assigning good fortune to God’s grace and bad fortune to God’s punishment?

Saint Paul, who suffered much, seem to have a different understanding of suffering. He says that “the creation was subjected to frustration” due to the “will of the one who subjected it” because through suffering there is “hope that the creation itself will be liberated” and have the freedom to be

“children of God”!!

How hard is it to accept that our fall is also the will of God, and not just our getting up? Do we still believe that if we had just prayed hard enough the bad fortune could have been avoided?

How did Paul’s message of suffering as an essential part of God’s will for us get lost in translation over the years?

Has Christianity become a pathway to achieving success and a way to relieve our fears of disease and other suffering?

Death and rebirth is a constant pattern of our lives that must be embraced. Fr. Richard Rohr once said, when someone comes to him for spiritual advise due to a life tragedy, internally Fr. Rohr is joyful for this collapse, because the fall has the capability to deepen the relationship that the person has with God. The Gospel Proclamation He said therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.

And again he said, "To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."

Prayer Starter Holy Spirit, give me the strength to carry through my suffering with every fall brought upon me by God. Help me to always hope to come closer to God, every time I fall.

"Reveal Your Holy Will to us O Lord!"

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