Walk in the Spirit October 2020

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"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

WALK IN THE SPIRIT October 2020 Issue 344 Commencement March 1992

"O Mary the power of the Most High will overshadow you!"

ISSN 1391-5967

Publication: Fr. Siri Oscar Abayaratne Kithu Dana Pubuduwa

SHARING ON PRAYER October 2020 If any good thought begins to disturb me overmuch, then the source of the disturbance must be from the ‘flesh’ or the devil. The Spirit of love will not force. He is the gentle Spirit whose movements will bring peace, joy and abundance of Love.

Persistent, harrowing thought or feeling is a sign of weakness that must be held before the Saviour Jesus. I would call on the Blessed Mother to do it for me.

Fr. Siri Oscar Abayaratne

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Thursday 1st October 2020 (White) St.Therese of the Child Jesus Isaiah:66/10-14 Psalm:44/11-12,14-17 (131/1-3) 1 Corinthians:13/4-13 Mathew:18/1-4 St. Therese of the Child Jesus Today we celebrate the feast of a much loved saint of the Church. She is St. Therese of the Child Jesus. She is also fondly called the Little Flower.

She achieved holiness by loving small things with great love. She died early in life at the age of twenty-four. But she left behind a strong legacy that would become part of the Catholic history. The spirituality of the Little Flower makes all of us to please God and our neighbour by doing small things with great charity.

The Gospel Proclamation At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child, ... and said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Prayerful Awareness Today's Good News of the Gospel proclamation enlightens me. Do I live according to my prominence or God's prominence?

We all have a sole purpose in our lives and that is to lead a good life on earth and gain entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven. But, how often do we lead a pleasing life to God? The Gospel of today enlightens us to have a child like attitude of humility, dependence and trust. As a child does not wish prominence, we are asked to depend on God's prominence and live a life of constant conversion of heart. St. Theresa of Child Jesus lived

an obscure life and yet she became the Patroness of Missions of the Universal Church. How did she accomplish this feat? It is not through her intellectual pursuits, but by living a life of faithfulness and perfect surrender to the plan of God. Jesus Christ gifted us the greatest salvation by the way of the cross. In humility He accepted all the sufferings and we are told that He was obedient to the last as a lamb. The result is, He became the most powerful living presence to the whole world. There is no other greatness of God. My sonship How much does this Good News enlighten me? I long for a heart which is humble, open, dependent and faithful.

But because of my negligence, I may not be the same. Am I able to welcome a child and in doing so, welcome Jesus and in turn Father God? Am I able to live the truth of Jesus - "The least among you is the greatest", because He tells me whom to welcome, honour and bless.

Prophet Isaiah in chapter 66 expresses very gladly the birth of the New Jerusalem. He proclaims Yahweh God's comforting words to the people. He tells the people "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."

Prayer Starter Abba Father, help me to be aware of the humility and the dependability of a child and incorporate these values into my life too. Let me help those who are lost and subject to various forms of enslavements and bring them back to the Kingdom of God. Also save all children who have gone astray and misled by the world. Holy Spirit help me to make my own the comforting words of Abba Father according to the reading of Isaiah.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Friday 2nd October 2020 (White) Exodus23/20-23 Psalm: 90/1-6,10-11 (91/1-6,10-11) Mathew:18/1-5,10

The First Proclamation "Look, I am sending an angel to precede you, to guard you as you go and bring you to the place that I have prepared. Revere him and obey what he says. Do not defy him: he will not forgive any wrong-doing on your part, for my name is in him. If, however, you obey what he says and do whatever I order, I shall be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes. ....

Song of Praise [Prayer of Moses, man of God] “Lord, you have been our refuge from age to age. Before the mountains were born, before the earth and the world came to birth, from eternity to eternity you are God. You bring human beings to the dust, by saying, “Return, children of Adam”. A thousand years are to you like a yesterday which has passed, like a watch of the night. You flood them with sleep -- in the morning they will be like growing grass: in the morning it is blossoming and growing, by evening it is withered and dry.

The span of our life is seventy years – eighty for those who are strong -- but their whole extent is anxiety and trouble, they are over in a moment and we are gone. Who feels the power of your anger, or who that fears you, your wrath?”

The Gospel Proclamation At this time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven”. So he called a little child to him whom he set among them. Then he said, “In

The Holy Guardian Angels truth I tell you, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.

And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. “Anyone who welcomes one little child like this in my name welcomes me. See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.

Prayerful Awareness Today’s Proclamations draw our attention to the fact that our lives will be like fleeting moments if we do not align our lives in accordance with our Almighty Creator God’s Will and earn a life in eternity with Him by accepting the free gift of salvation offered in His infinite Mercy by His boundless grace.

Almighty God knowing full well that man will abuse the gift of free will had already set in motion a plan of salvation

by Himself paying for mankind’s collective sin through the atoning sacrificial suffering, death, and resurrection, in the form of His only begotten Son, Jesus! By claiming this grace, by accepting Jesus (God Saves) as our Lord & Saviour, we can become children of God, receiving and being led by the Holy Spirit that emanates from God (Father) and Jesus (Son). God’s angels have been assigned to protect and guard us. Angels are as real as the evil spirits, and we have to know of their existence through faith based on God’s Word, like little children, as they are not visible to us in the normal course of life. But we have seen and heard of numerous accounts whereby people have been miraculously saved from dire circumstances by people who appear from nowhere in the nick of time, and disappear immediately thereafter without leaving a trace!

Amen! Alleluia! Praise the Lord!

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Saturday 3rd October 2020

(Green or White)

Job:42/1-3,5-6,12-16 Psalm: 118/66,71,75, 91,125,130 (119/66,71,75,91,125, 130) Luke:10/17-24

The First Proclamation

this Job lived one hundred and forty years and saw his children, and his children's children, four generations.

Prayerful Awareness In this reading we have the concluding verses of the Book of Job. The dark night of Job is over. His eyes are opened and he sees the truth about God and about himself. When he encountered God, he became a changed man. Everything in his life changed. Job's understanding of God was followed by his understanding of himself, a mere creature. The Divine teaching had completely changed him.

But evil had its Hour. The Hour of which he had so often spoken. In that Hour, God gave to evil the power to effect a momentary triumph in which the spiritually blind would think they had gained the victory. The hands of the wicked are bound until God allows them to work, nor can they master a stroke one moment after God commands them to stop. The power of darkness would not touch Job's property or person until God allowed them; nor would they prevent Job's prosperity returning when God willed it. So too in this Hour, darkness would have a power that would be powerless at the Resurrection.

Prayer Starter

Then Job answered the Lord, "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you, therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys.

He also had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first Jememimah, the second Keziah, and the third Kerenhapuch. In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters; and their Help us to surrender completely father gave them an inheritance to You and to place our trust in You along with their brothers. After only. Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Sunday 4th October 2020

(Green)

Isaiah:5/1-7 Psalm:79/9, 12-16, 19-20 (80/8,11-15,18-19) Philippians:4/6-9 Mathew:21/33-45

Introduction On this Twenty Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time let us focus on reflecting the Word of God in preparation for the Eucharistic Celebration. Today the Lord is speaking to us through the parable of the vineyard. The farmer intends to cultivate in the hope of receiving a good harvest. Similarly, the Almighty God hopes for a good harvest in establishing the Church on this earth and providing it with every support. As members of a Christian community, if we do not proclaim through each one of us Godly qualities, we too will be Christ's followers who do not bear fruit.

In the same manner, when we keep the fruits to ourselves without sharing them with others, we too will be dispelled from the Kingdom of God. During this Eucharistic Celebration let us earnestly implore the Lord to make us cross over to a fruitful Christian life.

The First Proclamation Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the 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

PS Wk III

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 The song on the parable of the vineyard in the book of Isaiah is presented to us today as the first proclamation. The owner of the vineyard dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.

When we ponder over it, we feel sorry for the owner, since he does not get the results of his labour and for which reason he allows it to be destroyed.

Likewise, although God kept much hope in the Israelites, the vineyard that He lovingly cared for, what He received was not a fruitful harvest but bloodshed and cruelty due to their bad behavior. Yet the Almighty God, the owner of the vineyard does act with much compassion.

Responsorial Psalm Thou didst bring a vine out of Egypt; thou didst drive out the nations and plant it.

It sent out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River. Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and sea; have regard for this vine, the stock which Thy right hand planted.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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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 watchtower.

Then he leased it out 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'?.....

Prayerful Awareness According to the parable, the householder himself planted a vineyard, provided the necessities and let it out to tenants and went on another errand. The tenants did not have to labour much except to protect and maintain it and hand over his share of the fruit to the owner when the season arrived. As mentioned in the parable, the tenants work contrary to the agreement, the climax of which is seen in planning to cast the son out of the vineyard and kill in order to have his inheritance.

As given in the parable, Jesus is speaking of Himself which means that all the messengers sent to the Israelites

by God were not listened to. Finally He

sends His Son thinking that they would respect Him. He is thoroughly disappointed at the outcome of the Son being subjected to the fiercest punishment carried out by the tenants. Accordingly, Lord Jesus was very conscious of the witness He was impelled to give through His life sacrifice in fulfilling the Will 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. ....

Prayerful Awareness Both in the First Proclamation as well as in the Gospel, we come across the unfortunate outcome the owner of the vineyard was faced with. Through the Second Proclamation St. Paul affirms the witness a Christian should bear with his life. Here St. Paul presenting his own life witness requests as follows: "What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you."

Towards our son-ship Let us be more and more mindful of 'whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious'. As called to a life of Christian discipleship am I leading a life in conformity with this? Do I present myself before God in my every necessity by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving? As such, let us enter into prayer pleading for the grace to present ourselves with no anxiety but with a thankful heart.

Prayer Starter Abba Father, equip us with courage and perseverance to be constantly open to the marvelous deeds that You will perform in us Your children who have been chosen as people of Your Kingdom and to overcome the evil forces of hindrance and deeds of the devil. Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Monday 5th October 2020 (Green) Galatians:1/6-12 Psalm:110/1-2,7-10 (111/1-2,7-10) Luke:10/25-37

The First Proclamation I am astonished that you are so promptly turning away from the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are going over to a different gospel - not that it is another gospel; except that there are trouble-makers among you who are seeking to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we ourselves or an angel from heaven preaches to you a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let God's curse be on him. I repeat again what we declared before: anyone who preaches to you a gospel other than the one you were first given is to be under God's curse. Whom am I trying to convince now, human beings or God? Am I trying to please human beings?

If I were still doing that I should not be a servant of Christ. Now I want to make it quite clear to you, brothers, about the gospel that was preached by me, that it was no human message. It was not from any human being that I received it, and I was not taught it, but it came to me through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Fix your gaze on Jesus

ing change, You perceived the always present Love (of ABBA) manifested in and through the Creation. You were the Best; the Perfect reflection of the Father.

Please coach us to look to You more and more, and to learn from you ‌..

Reading the First Proclamation for today, calls to mind the divine exhortation to 'Choose Life' in Deuteronomy 30: 15-20. Jesus, the living Word, is Life.

What could be said more moving, and more likely to make deep and lasting impressions? Every man wishes to obtain life and good, and to escape death and evil; he desires happiness, and dreads misery. So great is the compassion of the Lord, that He has favoured men, by His word, with such a knowledge of good and evil as will make them for ever happy, if it be not their own faults (wrong choices).

The sum of the whole matter is that: If we and ours would love God, and serve Him, we should live and be happy. If we or ours should turn from God, desert His service, and worship other gods, that would certainly be our ruin.

There never was, since the fall of man, more than one way to heaven; which is marked out in both Testaments, though not with equal clearness. Paul's exhortation is to turn us again to the Truth. In both Testaments the good and right way is brought near, and plainly revealed to us. The question then is, how should we understand / perceive / interpret these instructions?

We are to search for the Truth. In other words, humbly let the Spirit of God (Love) guide us back to Jesus...to overshadow us, just as was done to our Blessed Mother!

Prayer Starter

Jesus Lord, You kept Your gaze fixed on the Father at all times; You stayed in the experience of Love constantly; You choose to listen only to the ever-present ever-constant ever-enveloping Love.

Amidst the cacophony the world presLife is a call to grow; to journey ents us with, the resultant chaotic data towards our true worth and potential; stream our senses assail us with, You Lord, guide us on the journey‌ were at rest; in the turbulence of continu"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Tuesday 6th October 2020 (Green or White) Galatians:1/13-24 Psalm:139/1-3,14-15 (138/1-3.13-15) Luke:10/38-42

Gospel Proclamation As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him in her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the feet of the Lord and listened to his teaching.

Martha was upset over all the work she had to do, so she came and said, “Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!”

The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and troubled over so many things, but just one is needed. Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Gaze at Jesus' Sonship Our calling to be a child of God was predestined by God before He laid the foundations of the earth. Therefore, the world was created aiming at all the events that would take place eventually.

In all His plans, the most precious gift of all was to reveal His Son Jesus to those whom He has predestined. In the Gospel, we see Mary who recognized Jesus for someone more than a teacher was tenaciously holding onto her position to receive a word from Jesus. Thus, Martha is not able to deceive her with work.

Jesus in return knew Mary and Martha and He respected their uniqueness. He never told Martha; “you also should be seated with Mary”.

Our sonship

St. Bruno, Priest

ahead of most fellow-Jews of my age in my practice of the Jewish religion … But God in His grace chose me even before I was born and called me to serve Him. And when He decided to reveal His Son to me, so that I might preach the Good News about Him to the Gentiles”.

The scripture today is all about two biblical stalwarts, Mary and St. Paul and their response to God’s call. Let us be still for a moment to reflect. We are unique in Jesus. We have a unique call, a divine inheritance that shape our lifestyle. In union with Christ we are identified as Kingly, Priestly and Prophetic. Therefore, those same structures are used by the devil to reconstruct the material world, distracting us continuously to deny our call. Let us identify the distractions in our lifestyle, our work routines, power, finances, habits etc. The devil's effort is to scatter God’s people than to bring us together.

However, the devil has no hold in our life if we trust in Jesus' promises. He says, “Seek the kingdom of God first and everything will be given to you”.

In the current context we see all worldly power sources are failing, therefore, let us trust in His assurances and believe, we are unique in God’s eyes.

Prayerful Praise

Lord, You have examined me, and You know me. You know everything I do; from far away You understand all my thoughts. You see me, whether I am working or resting; You know all my actions. You created every part of me; You put me together in my mother's womb.

I praise You because You are to be feared; all you do is strange and wonderful. I know it with all my heart. When my bones were being formed, carefully put together in my mother's womb, when I was growing there in secret, You knew that I was there, You saw me before I was St Paul in Galatians says “I was born. (Ps.139/1-3. 14-15)

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Wednesday 7th October 2020 (White) Acts:1/12-14 Psalm:Luke:1/46-55 Luke:1/26-38

Gospel Proclamation In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." ... "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" .... "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, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

Prayerful Awareness

The Gospel reading begins with “in the sixth month”. It is in the sixth month of the pregnancy of Elizabeth (Luke 1: 26),

Our Lady of the Rosary

an aged relative of Holy Mary, expecting her first son (St. John the Baptist ) with the risk of delivery at her old age. Angel Gabriel was sent to Mary in Nazareth to give the message of God that she had been chosen by God to plant the seed of the Son of God, Son of the Most High, in her womb. Although Mary had a question as to how it could happen since she did not have any relationship of a husband, the Holy Spirit came upon her and the Power of the Most High overshadowed her, to raise her to accept God’s call. As proof, the angel shared the secret that Elizabeth who was said to be barren has conceived a son at her old age. Mary then surrendered herself and said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me according to your word.” Holy Mary is an example for all of us, how humble she was, and how she bowed to Lord’s Word to allow His Will in her life. Where are we? Do we accept God’s Word and change our lives accordingly? When we live according to Lord’s Commandments, do not lie, do not steal, etc., something new happens in our lives, thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit, as Lord Jesus will intercede for us and bless us with the Holy Spirit of God, to empower us and strengthen us to follow Lord’s path of salvation. First Reading: After Jesus’ assumption to heaven, the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives and went upstairs to the room where they were and all joined together constantly in prayer awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer Starter

Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to us to save us from eternal death.

We accept You as our Saviour and Lord.

Teach us and help us to follow all Your Commandments. Grant to us the Holy Spirit of God to empower us to be Your witnesses, Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Thursday 8th October 2020 (Green) Galatians:3/1-5 Psalm: Luke:1/69-75 Luke:11/5-13

The Gospel Proclamation

sacrificial, and constant/unconditional love) to disobedience, whereby we are bound to suffer from disease, decay and death, which are the wages of sin.

It is impossible for us to save ourselves from this predicament and that is why Almighty God Himself came down to earth in the form of Jesus (God Saves), His only begotten Son, to sacrifice His life to pay for mankind’s collective sin, whereby whoever repents and believes this is given the gift of His Holy Spirit so that we are no longer carnal but divine.

This is achieved not by our own effort, but given as a gift by His grace and mercy to those who believe. Hence the reference in today’s Gospel Proclamation: Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you, referring to the Holy Spirit!

This is why in the First Proclamation Saint Paul asks the Galatians who had come to be misled by the Devil to believe in their own efforts at piety: ‘Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish, that, whereas you began in the Spirit, you would now be made perfect by the flesh? … He therefore who giveth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you; doth he do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of the faith?’

Responsorial Psalm (Zechariah’s Prophesy)

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, the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give 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. ... Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion?

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?

‘He has raised up a mighty Savior Prayerful Awareness for us in the house of his servant DaLet us read today’s Proclamations vid, as he spoke through the mouth of meditatively. We know we become saved his holy prophets from of old, that we when we hear the Good News and accept would be saved from our enemies and Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and thus from the hand of all who hate us. Thus set off on a journey with the Holy Spirit, he has shown the mercy promised to whereby our lives become transformed our ancestors, and has remembered his to be more and more like Jesus! Human holy covenant, the oath that he swore to kind is born with the taint of the original our ancestor Abraham, to grant us that sin of the first parents Adam and Eve, we, being rescued from the hands of our and are born with a bent to sin brought enemies, might serve him without fear, in forth by our ego/pride (sense of self and holiness and righteousness before him in selfishness, in place of universal, serving, our days.’ (Luke 1: 69-75).

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Friday 9th October 2020 St.Denis, Bishop & Companions,Martyrs (Green or Red or White) St.John Leonardi, Galatians:3/7-14 Psalm:110/1-6 (111/1-6) Luke:11/15-26

The First Proclamation

everyone who hangs on a tree" in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Prayerful Awareness Here we have the climax of Paul's letter to the Galatians.

He clearly states that there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free men, between men and women.

We are all one in union with Christ Jesus. Jews thought or considered themselves on a higher pedestal and Gentiles were "foreigners" and did not belong to God's chosen people. The Gentiles had no part in the covenants based on God's promises to this people and they lived without hope and without God." (Ephesians 2:12).

We can say that St. Paul's statement is really a revolutionary one. In the Kingdom of God the Jews and Greeks, male and female, slave and free, stand on the same footing. All are equal heirs of God and children of God. All are called to become holy by willing to correspond to the internal action of the Spirit.

Prayer Starter

so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham.

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you." For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed.

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law." Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The one who is righteous will live by faith." But the law does not rest on faith, on the contrary, "whoever does the works of the law will live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of Make us Your own chosen ones. the law by becoming a curse for us - for it is written, "Cursed is Help us to be true citizens of the Divine Kingdom. Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Saturday 10th October 2020 (Green OR White) Galatians:3/22-29 Psalm:104/2-7

(105/2-7) Luke:11/27-28

The First Proclamation Please read Galatians 3/22-29 meditatively.

Prayerful Awareness Here we have the climax of Paul's letter to the Galatians. He clearly states that there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free men, between men and women. We are all one in union with Christ Jesus. Jews thought or considered themselves on a higher pedestal and Gentiles were "foreigners" and did not belong to God's chosen people The Gentiles had no part in the covenants based on God's promises to this people and they lived without hope and without God." (Ephesians 2:12).

We can say that St. Paul's statement is really a revolutionary one. In the Kingdom of God the Jews and Greeks, male and female, slave and free, stand on the same footing. All are equal heirs of God and children of God. All are called to become holy by willing to correspond to the internal action of the Spirit.

The Gospel Proclamation Please read Luke 11/27-28 meditatively Gaze on Jesus

He cast out the demon by the power of God then the Kingdom of God has come upon them.

A woman present there, on seeing what Jesus said was moved to say to Jesus that blessed is the one who bore Him and nursed Him. The woman actually praised Jesus when she said that His mother is blessed for who can speak like Him. This made Jesus to tell her and to all who will believe in Him that those who believe in the Word of God and keep it are also blessed. What Jesus would have meant was that, if His words were so good and convincing, then, instead of praising His relatives who may be proud of Him, she should rather praise those who make the most of His words. As for Mary the Blessed Mother of Jesus she was the first to believe (Luke 1/38) and she kept all the words and deeds of the Lord in her heart. (Luke 2/51) Prayerful Awareness Jesus would not suspend His teaching even for a moment in order to meet His mother and His brothers who had come to see Him on something important. He only sent word to them saying that whoever does the Will of God is His brother, sister and His mother (Mark 3/31-35). When His disciples brought Him food and urged Him to eat while He was speaking to a Samaritan woman, He told them that His food is to do the Will of the One who sent Him and to carry on His work. (John 4/31-34). Even as a twelve year old boy, He was totally unmindful of His parents who had dramatically searched Him for three days.

When they found Him at last, He only told them that He must be in His Father's House (John 2/48-50) Prayer Starter

Jesus had cast out a dumb demon and the mute man who had been afflicted could speak. Some people there with an open mind were amazed at what Jesus did. There were others who like the Make us Your own chosen ones.

Pharisees asserted that it was through Help us to be true citizens of the Divine the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons that Jesus could cast out the Kingdom. Amen. demon. Jesus then did tell them that if "O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Sunday 11th October 2020 (Green)

28th Sunday of Ordinary Time National Laity Sunday PS Wk IV

Isaiah:25/6-10 Psalm: 22/1-6 (23/1-6) Philippians:4/12-14, 19-20 Mathew:22/1-14 OR 22/1-10

Introduction Holy Mother the Church has declared this day the National Laity Sunday setting it apart as a special day for us. Today let us awaken ourselves to the special mission expected of us by God and participate in the great task of sanctifying the world and winning souls for the Kingdom of God. As Christians we are called to enjoy the banquet of God's love and share it with others. That is our vocation. The persecution, the struggle and the condemnation we are faced with cannot overpower us since we are under the experience of power, strength and life of Christ. Let us witness to our divine son-ship enjoying these graces bestowed upon us. Let us enjoy the fruits of redemption in order to enter eternal life. And asking for the power from on high let us enter into prayer.

The First Proclamation On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will prepare for all people a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines, of food rich and juicy, of fine stained wines. On this mountain he will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nations, he will destroy Death for ever. The Lord will wipe away the tears from every cheek; he will take away his people's shame everywhere on earth, for the Lord has

said so. That day, it will be said: See, this is our God in whom we hoped for salvation; the Lord is the one in whom we hoped. We exult and we rejoice that he has saved us; for the hand of the Lord rests on this mountain.

Prayerful Awareness The banquet of the Lord is a space where we experience joy, peace and happiness. There will be no sorrow but an experience of joy. Moreover, there won't be room for sin anymore.

However much persecution, slander and condemnation one is faced with, the person who experiences the love of God will have an inner peace which nobody could take away. Wherever the Lord abides the love of God will be there.

According to prophet Micah God drops our sins to the depths of the sea from where it can never come up and we are able to experience the joy of salvation.

The 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 It is an invitation to work according to the mind of God other than depending on what is material, since the one who is in God will be victorious in everything.

God can turn every evil into good.

Hence the person who experiences the love of God will naturally come to ex-

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perience the joy of salvation. It was the risen Christ that St. Paul experienced.

His encounter with the Lord and his contact with Him enabled him to experience an immense power, life and strength.

Due to which neither the persecution, struggle, condemnation nor anything else he was faced with could undermine that experience. He was convinced that even death could not overcome it.

For him everything was a sacrament, an experience of seeing and meeting with God, a God encounter. When we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Master and give the authority of our life to Him everything will be fulfilled.

"Give us our daily bread". Once we find Him there is nothing to fear. Therefore, let us depend on Him, trust Him at all times and come to experience the same divine providence that St. Paul was endowed with.

The Gospel Proclamation Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come.

Again he sent other slaves, saying, "Tell those who have been invited; Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet. But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them.

The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, '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. Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad, so the

wedding hall was filled with guests.

"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. Then the king said to the attendants, '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 It is an invitation extended to all to experience and enjoy the banquet of the love of God where the Kingdom of God is manifested along with the experience of unity, acceptance and joy. Yet when those invited being anxious of worldly cares reject it acting so as to be subjected to His fury, He calls many others to experience the privilege of His grace.

The tradition then was to keep wedding garments close to the wedding hall which the invitees were to put on before they entered. The one who fell under the fury of the king was a person being disobedient neglected this simple matter. Our salvation, redemption depends on the grace of God. We should always be clothed in our divine son-ship experiencing the grace of God in faith and trust for we are meant to experience the redemption by claiming the inheritance of divine sonship won for us by Our Lord.

Towards my son-ship Repentance is the key to enter heaven. When we truly repent for our sins, seeing our tears the almighty God will open for us the door to life. The closed flood gates of heaven will open up for us enabling the grace of God to flow down. Based on His grace Abba Father is inviting us to enjoy the banquet of divine love. Let us enjoy the taste of this heavenly banquet and share it with others. To arrive at this end let us enter into prayer to experience the power and life of Our Lord.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Monday 12th October 2020 (Green) Galatians:4/22-24, 26-27,31-5/1 Psalm:112/1-7 (113/1-7) Luke:11/29-32

The First Proclamation Scripture says that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave girl and one by the freewoman. The son of the slave girl came to be born in the way of human nature; but the son of the freewoman came to be born through a promise. There is an allegory here: these women stand for the two covenants. The one given on Mount Sinai -- that is Hagar, whose children are born into slavery; ... But the Jerusalem above is free, and that is the one that is our mother; as scripture says: Shout for joy, you barren woman who has borne no children! Break into shouts of joy, you who were never in labour. For the sons of the forsaken one are more in number than the sons of the wedded wife .... So, brothers, we are the children not of the slave girl but of the freewoman. Christ set us free, so that we should remain free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be fastened again to the yoke of slavery.

Fix your gaze on Jesus Overshadow us O Holy Spirit of God, and bring us to the light and the freedom of abiding in the Living Word, in the Presence of the Living Lord!

In the Gospel reading today, we are told that God employed Jonah, who initially was reluctant and disobedient in his service. God is at peace with disobedient children. God’s using of us in His service is evidence of His being at

peace with us. See the nature of repentance in Jonah’s change; it is the change of our mind and way, and a return to our work and duty. Afflictions benefit us as it brings us back to our place in this chain of being. See the power of Divine grace; we who have deserted our place, through affliction are drawn closer to God. God's servants must go where He sends them, come when He calls them, and do what He bids them; we must do whatever the word of the Lord commands. Jonah faithfully and boldly delivered his errand before an audience which would quail the heart of many! He was obedient, courageous, and experienced the security of the Lord.

Thus does St. Paul exhort us today to abide and revel in the freedom the Lord adorns us with. This beautification par none has to be cherished and nurtured, so that we bring about the Kingdom of the Father. How do you fare?

There was a wonder of Divine grace in the repentance and reformation of Nineveh. The men were convinced that humbling themselves, confessing their sins with prayer, and turning from sin before God, are the means of escaping wrath and obtaining mercy. The people started off and then followed the example of the king. It became a national act, which was a necessity, when it was to prevent a national ruin. We need this as a nation today, more than ever. In prayer we must cry mightily, with fixedness of thought, firmness of faith, and devout affections. It concerns us in prayer to stir up all that is within us. It is not enough to fast for sin, but we must fast from sin; and, we must no more regard iniquity in our hearts. No more signs than the Son crucified and raised are necessary for us to turn!

Prayer Starter Lord, we must seriously search within and turn anew to You, the source of all…

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Tuesday 13th October 2020 (Green) Galatians:5/1-6 Psalm:118/41,44-45.

47-48 (119/41,43-45,47-48) Luke:11/37-41

The Gospel Proclamation While he was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him, so he went in and took his place at the table. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not first wash before dinner. Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.

You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you.

Prayerful Awareness Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, came down to this earth to perform the Will of God. So, each and every word He spoke and each and every act He performed was to uplift the Kingdom of God. The people of Jesus' time did not have a good relationship with Father God. Even at present, our actions and lives do not reveal whether or not we remain in God. Do we treasure the glory of God that had been shared with us in Baptism?

Do we take it for granted? Or have we laid it aside by the way we do evil in our hearts with others and against others?

The Gospel reading today highlights what is true love. The Pharisee practiced law in his daily life devoid of love. It was limited to the external

observances. What is important is our relationship with God. But, most people live with wrong values. Jesus, foresaw their mentality on this social sin as He was lead by the Holy Spirit.

Paul too was a practicing Pharisee, but the moment he encountered Jesus, he looked into himself and changed his way of life.

The people who conform to the mere observance of the law, practice rituals and are lost in themselves and they fail to come to the new life and freedom that Jesus offers.

In the first proclamation, St. Paul says to the Galatians that Christ freed us to remain firm in our faith and not to submit to the yoke of slavery. Circumcision received or not. What is important is to be righteous and be within the grace of Christ Jesus. It is only faith works in love and not the observances of the law. It is the Gospel of Mercy!

The Pharisee is concerned with outward appearance, while inwardly his heart is filled with evil. How is my way of life? Do I raise a voice against injustice happening around me? God who has made both the inside and outside knows us intimately. We need to look at ourselves and our associates and see what alms we could give in order to be made clean before our God. Prayer Starter Holy Spirit, You guide Christ Jesus to save all those who are tempted in craving worldly goods. We thank You for making us understand this fact.

Help us not to build a worldly paradise here on earth but to help the poor and needy and specially children who are open to many vises which are prevalent today. We ask this through Christ our Lord who reigns for ever and ever.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Wednesday 14th October 2020 (Green or Red) Galatians:5/18-25 Psalm:1/1-4, 6 Luke:11/42-46

The First Proclamation But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, .... and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Prayerful Awareness Our lives can take many directions, but today’s readings emphasize that there are two fundamental paths that we must understand and choose between. The Word of God teaches us that where the Spirit is, there is life in abundance. The one who keeps God’s commandments is “like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers". (Psalm 1:3). In extreme contrast, the destiny of those who live in opposition or denial of God “are like chaff that the wind drives away” (Psalm 1:4). Their lives are depicted as empty, amounting to nothing. In the gospel, Jesus condemns the Pharisees, tearing down their dignified airs with an image of extremely undignified death: “...you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it” When presented like this, our choice

St. Calistus I, Pope & Martyr seems obvious. Who would not want to possess the good fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5: 23-25). Yet, in application, we experience the flesh and the Spirit at war within us. St. Paul explains that to belong to Christ, we must “have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal 5:24), which can be as painful as it sounds. At the same time, the Devil is hard at work, taking good and godly concepts such as love and joy, distorting and disguising them in other concepts and structures with the aim of misguiding the world. Thus, the line that divides acting in anger or patience, jealousy or generosity, love or lust, and so on, is our willingness to discern with the Spirit.

In this regard, St. Paul brings up an important point: “If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Gal 5:18). This means that when we depend on the Spirit, we do not need the outer influence of the law to guide us because we have a more powerful internal compass to show us the way to God. The Pharisees were particularly fond of unpacking the law and enforcing it severely, to which Jesus says: “Woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others” (Luke 11:42).

They denounced, and ultimately crucified Jesus, while failing to grasp God’s grace.

It is the Spirit that leads us to experience the life-giving grace of God. For the law slays the sinner, while grace gives the sinner life. The law demands obedience, yet grace gives us power to obey. The law says: “the soul that sins shall die.” Grace says, believe and live!

Prayer Starter Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers. (P)s.1/1)

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Thursday 15th October 2020 St. Teresa of Jesus, Virgin & Doctor (White) Prayerful Awareness Ephesians:1/1-10 Psalm:97/1,2-6 God's prophets have been persecuted, murdered throughout history. But this (98/1-6) generation was rejecting more than a Luke:11/47-54

human prophet - they were rejecting God Himself. This question is not from the Old Testament. Jesus the GREATEST PROPHET of all, was directly giving them God's message.

Abel's death is recorded in Genesis The First Proclamation 4:8. By faith Abel offered God a bet.... Blessed be the God and Father ter sacrifice than Cain his brother did. of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has By faith Abel was commended as a blessed us in Christ with every spir- "righteous man". God spoke well of his itual blessing in the heavenly places, offerings. Abel's short life ended at the just as he chose us in Christ before hands of his jealous older brother Cain. the foundation of the world to be holy Zechariah's death is recorded in 2 and blameless before him in love. He Chronicles 24:20-22. Why would all destined us for adoption as his children these sins come upon this particular genthrough Jesus Christ, according to the eration? Because they were rejecting the good pleasure of his will, to the praise "Messiah" Himself, the ONE to whom all of his glorious grace that he freely their history and prophesy were pointing. bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him How did the law experts take away the we have redemption through his blood, "KEY TO KNOWLEDGE"? Through the forgiveness of our trespasses, ac- their erroneous interpretations of Scripcording to the riches of his grace that ture, and their added man-made rules, he lavished on us. ..... they made God's truth hard to understand and practice. On top of that, these men The Gospel Proclamation Woe to you! For you build the were BAD EXAMPLES arguing their tombs of the prophets whom your way out of the demanding rules they ancestors killed. So you are witnesses placed on others. Caught up in a religion and approve of the deeds of your an- of their own making, they could no longer cestors; for they killed them, and you lead the people to God. They had closed build their tombs. Therefore also the the door of God's love to the people and Wisdom of God said, 'I will send them had thrown away the key.

The teachers of the Law and the prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute.' so that Pharisees hoped to arrest Jesus for blasthis generation may be charged with phemy, heresy and law breaking. They the blood of all the prophets shed since were enraged by Jesus' words about them, the foundation of the world, from the but they could not arrest Him for merely blood of Abel to the blood of Zechari- speaking words. They had to find a legal ah, who perished between the altar and way to get rid of Jesus. the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be Prayer Starter charged against this generation. Woe Lord Jesus, help us to serve others to you lawyers! For you have taken from a pure heart and out of LOVE for away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered people. Help us to bring our inner life under God's control and our outer life those who were entering.... will then reflect Jesus.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Friday 16th October 2020 St.Hedwig, St.Margaret Mary Alacoque (Green or White) Ephesians:1/11-14 Psalm:32/1-2,4-5, 12-13 (33/1-2,4-5,12-13) Luke:12/1-7

Gospel Proclamation ...., Jesus said first to his disciples, “Be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees — I mean their hypocrisy.

Whatever is covered up will be uncovered, and every secret will be made known. ..... “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot afterwards do anything worse. I will show you whom to fear; fear God, who, after killing, has the authority to throw into hell. Believe me, he is the one you must fear! “Aren't five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one sparrow is forgotten by God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So, do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows! " Gaze at Jesus Jesus tells us to fear God and be fearless to deny the enemy. Hypocrisy of the enemy is like yeast; it can spread and multiply. Jesus says, to God, each one of us are worth to the extent that He came to this world to give His life for our sake.

Our Sonship To establish our life in Jesus, God has entrusted us to the loving care of the Holy Spirit. St Paul says in the first reading, “You believed in Christ, and God put his stamp of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit he had promised. The Spirit is the guarantee that we shall receive what God has promised his people, and this assures us that God will give complete freedom to those who

are his. Let us praise His glory!”

People are led astray to believe that it is difficult to be Spirit led unless you are anointed. Their lives are therefore, restricted to experiencing the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

In our journey in Pubuduwa, we consider, Spiritual gifts are important for service and to build the church. However, everyone is called to be fruitful in different ways. A relationship with the Holy Spirit enables us to experience God in our daily life and be truthful to witness to Christ in living a Godly life.

To establish a Spirit led lifestyle and follow God’s commandments, Jesus says, “I will ask the father and He will give you another helper who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit who reveals the truth about God. The world does not know Him, but you know him because He is in you and with you” (John 14: 16-17) If the Holy Spirit is with us forever as the Helper, He also makes us fearless. Therefore, our relationship with Him should be constant. For that we use seven simple tasks in our daily routine to ask the Holy Spirit to counsel to us.

We call this constant awareness of the Holy Spirit as these tasks occur multiple times in our routine that spans from morning till evening.

What are the seven tasks?

As you wake up As you clean yourself As you dress As you pray As you have meals As you start any work As you go to sleep Prayer Starter Lord, give me the gift of awareness, so that I will speak to You and reveal to my inner conscience when my motives are faulty.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Saturday 17th October 2020 (Red) Ephesians:1/15-23 Psalm:8/2-7 ( 8/1-6) Luke:12/8-12

The First Proclamation

and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Prayerful Awareness Paul sets out the characteristics of a true Church before us. He is gladdened to hear of their faith in Christ and their love to God's people. Loving God and one's neighbour is inseparable. The true Church is marked by these two faces of love.

So we see that the Church is playing a leading role in the area of social service. Paul prays for the spirit of Wisdom, a fuller knowledge of God and His graces.

A person following a profession knows well that it is a big mistake to stop studying. Doctors know well that they must update their knowledge with the latest developments of treatments and discoveries. This is a must if they really want to be of service to those who are sick.

True Christians too should be like that. Get to know God better every day.

We who were on the beach are led to the deep by the Holy Spirit.

This journey knows no end. He leads us to the greener pastures.

Prayer Starter

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age Though the world looks chaotic, but also in the age to come. And it is heartening to learn that God is he has put all things under his feet in control. Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Sunday 18th October 2020 (Green)

29th Sunday of Ordinary Time PS Wk I not be closed.

Isaiah:45/1,4-6 For the sake of my servant Jacob, Psalm:95/1,3-5,7-10 and Israel my chosen one, I call you (96/1,3-5,7-10) by your name, I surname you, though 1 Thessalonians:1/1-5 you do not know me. I am the Lord and there is no other; besides me Mathew:22/15-21 there is no god. I arm you, though you do not know me, so that they may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is no one besides me, I am the Lord, and there is no other.

Introduction Prayerful Awareness Today is world mission Sunday.

An incident manifesting the myste"The Word" is Jesus Christ (John1:1). rious action of God in a historical event Christianity means Christ Himself. If so, in order to be called "Missionaries" of the Israelites is spelled out. Presented they should be heralds of Christ, the here is the manner in which God saves Word. Accordingly every Christian his chosen people through Cyrus. "I should be a missionary. The task of a am the Lord, unrivalled; there is no true missionary is to give Christ, the other God besides me. Though you do not know me, I arm you that men Word to others. know from the rising to the setting Today as given in the first proc- of the sun that, apart from me, all is lamation, St. Paul who is writing to nothing." When these Israelites had the Thessalonians along with Silvanus been exiled in Babylon in 539 BC, and Timothy were undoubtedly true Cyrus the emperor of Persia captured missionaries. The letter makes it ob- Babylon and permitted the Israelites to vious that it is sent for the purpose of go back to Jerusalem. How many times admiring, nourishing and encouraging have our Lord God acted mysteriously the Christian life made available to the in our life situations? Let us present Thessalonians through them. It is really ourselves before the Lord. fitting that we too awaken ourselves to The Gospel Proclamation the missionary calling given to us. We are living in an age in which there exists Then the Pharisees went and plotan urgent need for missionary service. ted to entrap him in what he said. So Therefore, let us enter into prayer in- they sent their disciples to him, along voking the grace of the Holy Spirit to with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, witness to our faith as true missionaries we know that you are sincere, and in an effort to enable the reign of the teach the way of God in accordance kingdom of God on earth. with truth, and show deference to no one, for you do not regard people The First Proclamation with partiality. Tell us, then, what you Thus says the Lord to his anoint- think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the ed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have emperor, or not?" But Jesus aware grasped to subdue nations before him of their malice, said, "Why are you and strip kings of their robes, to open putting me to the test, you hypocrites? doors before him and the gates shall Show me the coin used for the tax " "O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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and they brought him a denarius.

Then he said to them, "Whose head is this, and whose title?" They answered, "The emperor's". Then he said to them, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's and to God the things that are God's." When they heard this, they were amazed, and they left him and went away.

Prayerful Awareness Lord Jesus Christ came to the world to bring peace, joy, love, salvation, freedom and redemption to the whole of humanity and finally to open access to eternal life. Amidst trials and tribulations, slander and calumny of the hypocrites such as Pharisees and Sadducees who followed Him treacherously, He proclaimed the Gospel without any hesitation. Even when they tried to trap Him with a word, He proclaimed the Gospel with certainty opening their eyes to their own wrong doings. He, who was thoroughly convinced of the nature of the mission entrusted to Him, did not let any person, event or anything else to dominate or manipulate Him other than God. His clear statement is "My aim is not to do my own will but the will of the One who sent me." In relation to this, where are we?

The Second Proclamation Paul, Silvanus and Timothy; To the Church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; Grace to you and peace.

We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith in labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 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 among you for your sake.

Prayerful Awareness The first impression given here is St. Paul working for the Kingdom not by himself but as a small community.

Similarly the identity of the Thessalonian community is clearly presented by calling them, "the Church in Thessalonica which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." While greeting the community, thanksgiving is also offered to God on their behalf. Further it affirms that St. Paul's proclamation is not simply with human words but with the power of the Holy Spirit and with an assurance of faith. It is clear that the purpose of the letter is to encourage the Christians in Thessalonica. What is my opinion of my own community and what can I do for them?

Towards my son-ship "I am the Lord. There is no other God but me" says the Lord. Can we honestly say, "You are our only Lord, there is no other God but you." On what do I spend my life most? Is it to pursue riches, wealth, power, position? What is the place I have given to God in my life and in everything that is pertaining to me?

Let us truly realize where we are now and pray that all of us may be taken to where we should be.

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.

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Monday 19th October 2020 (Green or Red or White)

Sts. John de Brebeuf & Isaac Jogues

Ephesians:2/1-10 Psalm:99/2-5 (100/1-5) Luke:12/13-21

The First Proclamation And you were dead, through the crimes and the sins which used to make up your way of life when you were living by the principles of this world, obeying the ruler who dominates the air, the spirit who is at work in those who rebel. We too were all among them once, living only by our natural inclinations, obeying the demands of human self-indulgence and our own whim; our nature made us no less liable to God's retribution than the rest of the world. But God, being rich in faithful love, through the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our sins, brought us to life with Christ -- it is through grace that you have been saved - and raised us up with him and gave us a place with him in heaven, in Christ Jesus.

This was to show for all ages to come, through his goodness towards us in Christ Jesus, how extraordinarily rich he is in grace. Because it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit....

Fix your gaze on Jesus Spirit of God, please guide us to clean the lenses through which we see our lives, enabling us to journey towards the Truth and See...!

Any person who has made progress in developing 'Awareness' comes to re-

alise how we humans are greatly caught up in illusions. We project the power to satisfy ourselves to the external, to some thing/one outside of ourselves, and go about chasing this satisfaction.

Very creatively too! So much so, that the clause 'Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness' is built in to the 'Declaration of Independence' of the USA itself.

This calls to mind the scripture passage 2 Corinthians 8:2's paradoxical statement about the Churches of Macedonia.

That 'their unfailing joy and their intense poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part'. What would you normally understand from intense poverty causing or resulting in an overflow of wealth of generosity? Our usual 'Consumerism Oriented' mind-set would ridicule such a statement. When you are intensely poor and can't adequately cover even your own needs, when you yourself go a-begging, how can you be over-flowingly generous? This begs the question as to what 'true richness' is! Who is truly rich; someone who has everything s/he needs, but is never satisfied, eternally goaded by cravings, or someone who is easily satisfied with their basic needs met, having brought cravings (wants) under control. The inner disposition of being minimalistic, is truly a blessed state of being, and this is exactly what the Christ did, showing us the way of true richness! How? By not clinging on to His divinity, and becoming a helpless infant in a manger - for starters! Are we ready to follow and experience the same? Or are we to continue to allow our own cravings, compulsions and drives to control us causing the sorry life experience most of us still create for ourselves?

Prayer Starter Mantra - We are God's work of art, created in Christ Jesus for the good works which God has already designated to make up our way of life...

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Tuesday 20th October 2020 (Green) Ephesians:2/12-22 Psalm:84/9-14 (85/8-13) Luke:12/35-38

Gospel Proclamation Jesus said to his disciples: “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.

Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants.”

Prayerful Awareness Jesus said, “Gird your loins and light your lamps”. To gird oneself, meant to take a cloth or a cord and put it around the robe and be prepared for immediate action. Before the flight from Egypt, at the moment of celebrating the Passover, the Israelites had to gird themselves and be ready to leave immediately (EX 12: 11). Lord said “Be ready to open the door immediately when the Master comes and knocks”.

He asks us to be awake always, for the leader of the world, all wrongs and all corrupt practices of the world is waiting to grab you to fall into them.

This is why Jesus said to be on alert always and be able to resist them. To be vigilant, not to get caught to them. Lord asks everyone to be with Him, follow

His commandments, and to always be armed with weapons of the Holy Spirit ( Eph. 6: 14 - 17 ). Jesus Himself intercedes for all who follow His Commandments, to strengthen them sending to them the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit teaches us the Truth about everything, about God, and His Great LOVE for all of us, how Lord God tries to save all whom He created without losing a single soul. The Gospel message speaks to us to be always awake and on alert. In the First Reading of Ephesians St. Paul speaks to the Gentiles alienated from the community of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise. You were at that time without Christ, without hope, and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off have become near by the Blood of Christ. For he is our peace.

He made both one, and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his Flesh, abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person in place of two, thus establishing peace, and reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it. He came and preached peace to us who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then we are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the capstone.

Prayer Starter Jesus Christ, You are our Saviour, our Master our Leader and our Lord, Help us to follow Your commandments and live as children of God, guided by the Holy Spirit, Amen.

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Wednesday 21st October 2020 (Green) Ephesians:3/2-12 Psalm:Isaiah:12/2-6 Luke:12/39-48

The Gospel Proclamation "But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."

Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?"

And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says to himself, "My master is delayed in coming, and if he begins to beat the other slaves, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and put him with the unfaithful. That slave who knew what his master wanted, but did not prepare himself or do what was wanted, will receive a severe beating, but the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required, and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.

Prayerful Awareness When someone is given a great deal, a great deal will be demanded of that person; when someone is entrusted with

a great deal, of that persn even more will be expected.

Today's Gospel presents the exhortation to vigilance with two parables. One is the parable of the householder and the burglar and the other speaks of the master and the steward. Both made us aware of the hour of the return of the Lord Jesus.

Jesus speaks about this in a nice manner. Jesus says the good steward is the one who carries out his mission of servant. He does not use the goods received for his own advantage and is always vigilant and attentive. Not only now, the return of Jesus was a problem for Christian communities of the first centuries. Many people were waiting for Jesus close at hand. This made some people to feel it was not necessary to work. They thought if Jesus would return, there is no need to work to earn their living. But Paul responded to them, saying, "He who does not work has no right to eat." In other words, Christians lived expecting the imminent coming of Jesus.

Our sonship

Many hearts are struggling to find an answer to the hour of the return of Lord Jesus. But we, the Pubuduwa people, are aware that Jesus has already returned and that He is in our midst. "Look, I am with you always. Yes, till the end of time."

(Matthew 28:20).

He is already at our side, in the struggle for justice, for peace and for life. The plentitude and the fullness has not been attained, but an example or guarantee of the Kingdom is already in our midst. This is why we wait with firm hope for the total liberation of humanity and of nature.

Prayer Starter The response of Peter, serves also for us, for me. Am I a good administrator of the mission which I have received? What do I do in order to be always vigilant?

Let us ask ourselves and turn towards the Lord!

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Thursday 22nd October 2020 St. John Paul II, Pope

(Green or White)

fathers; mothers will be against their Ephesians:3/14-21 daughters, and daughters against Psalm:32/1-2.4-5, their mothers; mothers-in-law will 11-12,18-19 be against their daughters-in-law, and daughters-in-law against their (33/1-2,4-5,11-12, mothers-in-law.

18-19) Prayerful Awareness Luke:12/49-53

The First Proclamation For this reason I fall on my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its true name. I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves, and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all God's people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ's love.

Yes, may you come to know his love although it can never be fully known - and so be completely filled with the very nature of God. To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of: to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen.

The Gospel Proclamation

In the First Proclamation Paul tells us about the amazing unfathomable love of God. But in the Gospel Proclamation Jesus declares something to most who don’t know Jesus will find difficult to understand. In the First line “Fire” used as a metaphor, used in the Bible for purification. Jesus' reference to baptism is a veiled reference to His death. He knows the reason of His coming to this world and here He appears to be longing to face the crucifixion and to move through it to the victory of the empty tomb.

He longs to get it behind Him. Jesus also says He has not come into this world to bring peace and good will but division. Jesus came into this world to establish the Kingdom of God. He came to transform a sinful world, and that kind of transformation does not come easily.

Many who are first in this world will be last in the Kingdom of God. If we are to do Christ’s work, we must expect opposition. Ordination of homosexuals, abortion, stem cell research, and military service and in the future taking the mark of the beast are only a few of the dividing lines. Even today the Church struggles with opposition from without and divisions within. But we must remember that however much we are persecuted and torn from our loved ones in our mission to take a stand for Jesus that “he has overcome the World” Praise the Lord!

Prayer Starter

I came to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism to receive, and how distressed I am until it is over! Do you suppose that I came to bring peace to the world? No, not peace, but division.

From now on a family of five will be Help us Lord to be strong in the divided, three against two and two face of fear and division and because against three. Fathers will be against we accept You as our Lord and our their sons, and sons against their God! Amen.

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Friday 23rd October 2020 St. John of Capestrano, Priest (Green or White) Ephesians:4/1-6 Psalm:23/1-6 (24/1-6) Luke: 12/54-59

The First Proclamation I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

The Gospel Proclamation He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the West, you immediately say, 'It is going to rain'; and so it happens. And when you see the South wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

"And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? Thus, when you go with your accuser before a magistrate, on the way make an effort to settle the case, or you may be dragged before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny."

Prayerful Awareness

God has chosen us to be Christ's representatives on earth. In the light of this TRUTH, Paul challenges us to live lives worthy of the calling we have received - the awesome privilege of being called Christ's very own. This includes being HUMBLE, PATIENT, UNDERSTANDING and PEACEFUL. People are watching our lives. Can they see Christ in us?

"There is one body" says Paul. Unity does not just happen, we have to work at it.

Often differences among people can lead to division, but this should not happen in the Church. We should remember what unites us. ONE BODY, ONE SPIRIT, ONE HOPE, ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM.

No one is ever going to be perfect here on earth, so we must accept and love other Christians in spite of their faults. When we see faults in fellow believers, let us be patient and gentle. Pray for them. Then do even more - spend time together and learn to like him or her. To build UNITY is one of the HOLY SPIRIT'S important roles. He leads, but we have to be willing to be led and to do our part to keep the peace. We do that by focusing on God, not on ourselves.

God is OVER ALL and IN ALLThis shows His active presence in the world and in the lives of believers (IMMANENCE). Any views of God that violate either His transcendence or His immanence does not paint a true picture of God. Prayer Starter Lord Jesus, help us believers to have the unity of Spirit. Never let petty differences be allowed to dissolve this unity. May the Holy Spirit activate our fellowship and show us the areas where Christians must agree to attain TRUE UNITY.

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Saturday 24th October 2020 St. Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop (Green or White)

Ephesians:4/7-16 Psalm:121/1-5 (122/1-5) Luke: 13/1-9

The First Proclamation But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people." (When it says, "He ascended" what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things).

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful schem-

ing. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.

Prayerful Awareness

Paul speaks of Christ as the giver of gifts. The Good News is that the living God pours out His love to men and women. When Jesus was here on earth in human form, the limitations of body had the say on Him. But when He was set free from the limitations, He was able to be everywhere in the Universe. "We must not remain always as babies. There is a state of infancy with which we begin. We must slowly grow in maturity through personal union with Christ, through personal prayer, through the reception of Sacraments, through good works. To be mature, we must have deep faith, firm hope and ardent charity." (Words of Eternal Life).

Each Christian has a part to play in the service of God and his neighbour.

Prayer Starter Help us to know what to do and do it as children of God. Amen.

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Sunday 25th October 2020 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Green) PS Wk II widows and your children orphans.

Exodus:22/20-26 If you lend money to my people, Psalm:18/1-3, 46, 50 to the poor among you, you shall 1 Thessalonians:1/5-10 not deal with them as a creditor, you Mathew:22/34-40 shall not exact interest from them.

If you take your neighbor's cloak in pawn, you shall return it before the sun goes down.

Introduction Prayerful Awareness On this 30th Sunday of Ordinary The First Proclamation consists Time the Eucharistic Theme reminds of some of the laws given by God to us that all of us should be Christ's Moses that reveal His compassion for disciples full of Christian qualities the foreigner, the widow, the orphan experiencing brotherly love. Hence and the poor. Also it says that His anwe should be witnessing to a life of ger will flare up against the oppressors love oriented towards God as well as which too reveal His love, care and our neighbor. The first proclamation affection toward the destitute, the poor reveals God's love for the destitute, and the orphan: "when they cry out the widow, the orphan and the per- to me, I will surely heed their cry; secuted and how His anger would The Second Proclamation flare at the persecutors. St. Paul in the Second Proclamation declares that the because our message of the gosmessage of the Lord will spread forth pel came to you not in word only, through those who follow the risen but also in power and in the Holy Lord that conquered death. Similarly, Spirit and with full conviction, just the Gospel invites us to enter into a as you know what kind of persons journey of loving our neighbor fully we proved to be among you for your experiencing the love of God. Let us sake. And you became imitators of pray to the Holy Spirit to empower us us and of the Lord, for in spite of on this journey. persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, The First Proclamation so that you became an example to Whoever sacrifices to any god, all the believers in Macedonia and other than the Lord alone, shall be in Achaia. For the word of the Lord devoted to destruction. You shall has sounded forth from you not only not wrong or oppress a resident in Macedonia and Achaia, but in alien, for you were aliens in the land every place your faith in God has of Egypt. You shall not abuse any become known, so that we have no widow or orphan. If you do abuse need to speak about it .,‌. them, when they cry out to me, I will Prayerful Awareness surely heed their cry; my wrath will Addressing the Thessalonian comburn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become munity St. Paul rejoices over the "O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Church renewal brought forth by them as a result of taking to the gospel and following the Lord. He says that their example of witnessing as followers of Christ echoed throughout Macedonia and Achaia. St. Paul based on his Christ encounter encourages and enlivens the community directing them as an authentic leader.

The Gospel Proclamation When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees they gathered together and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. Teacher, which commandment in the Law is the greatest?"

He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind'. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'. On these two commandments hang all the Law, and the Prophets.

Let us pause and reflect for a moment.

Is our life based on love? Even though the Lord said, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself", do I love my neighbor as much as I love myself?

The challenge thrust upon us through the First Proclamation as well as the Second Proclamation is to spread the message of love. One single act of love has the power to echo the message of love given by the Lord throughout the world more than a thousand words of preaching. St. Francis of Assisi says, "Preach at all times but use words only when necessary". Therefore, let us pray for the strength and courage to be Christian disciples filled with love.

Prayer Starter

Let us enter into prayer meditating on Psalm 18:1-3, 46 & 50. I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, Prayerful Awareness so I shall be saved from my enemies.

The Lord was endowed with the (Ps.18/1-3) gift of Son-ship that equipped Him "If I have prophetic powers, and with awareness and wisdom that understand all mysteries and all could foresee the intention of the knowledge, and if I have faith, so as to Pharisees in their attempt to catch remove mountains, but have not love, Him with a word from Him. Thus the I am nothing. If I give away all I have, clear reply given amazed all gathered and if I deliver my body to be burned, around. Explaining the commandbut have not love, I gain nothing. Love ment of love the Lord revealed the is patient and kind; love is not jealous secret of experiencing perfect love or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. for which reason what He said and Love does not insist on its own way; did filled with the love of the Father, it is not irritable or resentful; it does really did make others wonder. not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the Our Sonship right. Love bears all things, believes Do we who have been called to all things, hopes all things, endures all love with all our heart, all our soul things." (1 Corinthians 13:2-7) and with all our mind actually do so?

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Monday 26th October 2020 (Green) not only out there, but also within. Thus, the search for finding and rooting out the demons in here must be diligently done. So, what prevents us from this experience? Turning to the Prayer of Confession in which we say that 'In our Thoughts, Words and Deeds...', we recognise the relationship; that the thoughts The First Proclamation we choose become the words we utter Be generous to one another, sym- and the deeds we do. Of course there is pathetic, forgiving each other as read- a feedback loop, but the source of our ily as God forgave you in Christ. As fallen nature comes from the beliefs and God's dear children, then, take him as thoughts we accept/choose. Our 'Search your pattern, and follow Christ by lov- for Happiness' leads us astray because ing as he loved you, giving himself up our beliefs are in error. We need to search for us as an offering and a sweet-smell- for this darkness, these devil inspired ing sacrifice to God. Among you there mental and psychic traps of our enemy, must be not even a mention of sexual within. Search for the 'Truth', reminding vice or impurity in any of its forms, yourself that the 'Truth shall set you or greed: this would scarcely become free'! Then, once you are experiencing the holy people of God! There must the ability to 'Rejoice under all circumbe no foul or salacious talk or coarse stances', there would be no need or drive jokes -- all this is wrong for you; there or inner compulsion to engage in foul or should rather be thanksgiving. For salacious talk or coarse jokes to enjoy you can be quite certain that nobody a moment! When you enjoy ecstasy who indulges in sexual immorality regularly in your communion with the or impurity or greed -- which is wor- Lord and your brethren, you will have shipping a false god -- can inherit the no inclination to indulge in sexual imkingdom of God. Do not let anyone morality or impurity or greed. After-all, deceive you with empty arguments: who would go to the Pig-Sty and eat swill it is such behaviour that draws down when you have great nourishing food God's retribution on those who rebel regularly on your table? When you begin against him. Make sure that you do to see through the veil and look upon the not throw in your lot with them. You glory of what the Lord sets before us, the were darkness once, but now you are beauty of this world and our attachment light in the Lord; behave as children to it fades away. Read today's scripture of light. again with this in mind. There were no Fix your gaze on Jesus blocks experienced by the Lord Jesus Blessed Mother, teach us to stay at- to provide relief to the lady who for 18 tuned to and overshadowed by the Holy years blocked the healing of God (for whatever reason). Jesus disregarded the Spirit of God! societal sin of that time too, that tried to Let's face it; humanity is fallen. What block this communion. Alleluia!!! this means is that, the divine potential Prayer Starter infused in each and every one of us is not realised; we do not experience the Lord we know that we are worthy, ever-flowing, renewing, nourishing, and that You cherish us! Turn us that we blossoming Love of the Creator God; we will stop these lies we tell ourselves, and harbour falsehoods/errors in our think- embrace Your Spirit, just as our Blessed ing/beliefs. The darkness/evil is present Mother did!

Ephesians:4/32-5/8 Psalm:1/1-4, 6 Luke:13/10-17

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Tuesday 27th October 2020 (Green) Ephesians:5/21-33 Psalm:127/1-5 (128/1-5) Luke:13/18-21

The First Proclamation Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior. Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be in everything, to their husbands.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind - yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish. In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, because we are members of his body.

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is the great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church. Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect her husband.

Prayerful Awareness St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians, though written hundreds of years ago, gives a deep insight to what Christian marriage truly is. Today people marry in haste, without the slightest idea of what it means and very often they also separate in a hurry. They have not been made aware of the sanctity to which their marriage has been elevated by the Sacrament of Matrimony. This sanctity has many aspects to it. Firstly they become a sacrament (read sign) of the image and likeness of God, secondly they are called upon to be a sacrament of the relationship of Christ and His church, thirdly they become a new 'building block of the Church'; and last but not least they become a microcosm of the society they live in.

What a great vocation. Sadly when a couple say "I do" at the altar, it is uttered without understanding the profundity of their pronouncement. It can be compared to the "Let it be done unto me according to thy Word" of the Blessed Mother. God asked the Blessed Mother for her consent to make the incarnation of His Word a reality. Mary said 'Yes'.

Today, when a bride and bridegroom are asked to freely give their consent, they are being actually asked by God whether they are willing to be "a living sign" of His image and likeness and also a living sign of the mystical relationship between Christ and His Church.

Prayer Starter Lord! We pray that those who have entered into marriage be given the grace to be what they promised to be - an image of You and a witness to the relationship of Christ and His Church.

May they experience the power of the Sacrament of Matrimony to make their promises a reality.

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Wednesday 28th October 2020 (Red) Ephesians:2/19-22 Psalm:18/2-5 (19/1-3) Luke:13/31-35

Sts. Simon & Jude, Apostles Prayerful Awareness

The Gospel writers note that before every important event in Jesus' life, He took time to go off by Himself and pray. This time Jesus was preparing to choose His INNER CIRCLE, the twelve disciples.

Jesus had many learners, but He chose only twelve to whom He gave The First Proclamation special training and whom He sent out So then you are no longer strang- with His own authority. These were the ers and aliens, but you are citizens men who started the Christian church. with the saints and also members In the gospels these twelve men are of the household of God, built upon usually called His disciples, but in the the foundation of the apostles and book of Acts they are called Apostles.

Jesus selected ORDINARY men to prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the do EXTRAORDINARY things. These whole structure is joined together men with a mixture of backgrounds and grows into a holy temple in the and personalities were to be His inner Lord; in whom you also are built circle. Today too, God calls "ordinary" together spiritually into a dwelling people together to build His church, teach salvation's message and save place for God. others out of love. Alone we may feel The Gospel Proclamation unqualified to serve Christ effectively, At that very hour some Pharisees but together we make up a group strong came and said to him, "Get away enough to serve God in any way. from here, for Herod wants to kill These disciples are not always you." He said to them, "Go and tell listed by the same names. Peter is somethat fox for me 'Listen, I am casting times called Simon or Cephas. Mathew out demons and performing cures is Levy. Bartholomew is thought to be today and tomorrow, and on the the same person as Nathanael. Judas the third day I finish my work. Yet today, son of James is also called Thaddaeus. tomorrow, and the next day I must be Once word of Jesus' healing powon my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of er spread, crowds gathered just to Jerusalem.' Jerusalem, Jerusalem, TOUCH HIM. For many, He had bethe city that kills the prophets and come a symbol of good fortune, instead stones those who are sent to it! How of desiring God's pardon and love, often have I desired to gather your they only wanted physical healing or a children together as a hen gathers chance to see SPECTACULAR events.

Prayer Starter her brood under her wings and you were not willing! See, your house is Lord Jesus, help us to make sure left to you. And I tell you, you will not that all our important decisions are see me until the time comes when you grounded in prayer, and thus put oursay, 'Blessed is the one who comes in selves under God's control. the name of the Lord.'

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Thursday 29th October 2020

(Green)

the Father as an obedient son, as all whom He created belong to Him, to be like Him (His children, with Love and Mercy). Jesus was warned by the Pharisees that king Herod is waiting to kill Him. Jesus proved to them that He is not going to stop the good work He came to do in spreading the Word, healing the sick and casting out demons of people affected. This is why St. Paul in his letter to Ephesians said: Draw your strength from the Lord and from The First Proclamation his mighty power. Put on the armor of Please read Ephesians 6/10-20 God ( Eph. 6: 11 – 18 ) so that you may meditatively. be able to stand firm against the tactics Gospel Proclamation of the Devil. For our struggle is not with At that very hour some Pharisees flesh and blood, but with the principalcame and said to him, “Get away ities, with the powers, with the world from here, for Herod wants to kill rulers of this present darkness and with you.” He said to them, “Go and tell the evil spirits. Therefore, put on the that fox for me, 'Listen, I am casting armor of God, that you may be able to out demons and performing cures resist the evil day and night, clothed today and tomorrow, and on the with righteousness as a breastplate, third day I finish my work. Yet today, and our feet shod in readiness for the tomorrow, and the next day I must be Gospel of peace. In all circumstances, on my way, because it is impossible hold faith as a shield, to quench all the for a prophet to be killed outside of flaming arrows of the Evil One. And Jerusalem. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, take the helmet of salvation and the the city that kills the prophets and sword of the Spirit, which is the word stones those who are sent to it! How of God. With prayer and supplication, often have I desired to gather your pray at every opportunity, pray in the children together as a hen gathers Spirit. To that end, be watchful with her brood under her wings, and you all perseverance and supplication for were not willing. See your house is all the holy ones, that speech may be left to you. And I tell you, you will not given to us to open our mouths, to make see me until the time comes when you known with boldness the mystery of say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the Gospel for which we all are Lord’s ambassadors. the name of the Lord.'”

Ephesians:6/10-20 Psalm:143/1-2,9-10 (144/1-2,9-10) Luke:13/31-35

Prayerful Awareness Lord came into this world to pay for man’s sin, save him, open the path of Salvation to him and to teach him how to achieve salvation through Lord’s example of living, following all God’s Commandments. We are to live pious lives without sin, a life pleasing to God

Prayer Starter

Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, empower us with Your Spirit, and send us to spread Your Word, join others in the spirit in Your Name, and heal the sick and save the souls who are in darkness, Amen.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Friday 30th October 2020 (Green) Philippians:1/1-11 Psalm:110/1-6 (111/1-6) Luke:14/1-6

The First Proclamation Paul and Timothy, the servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons; Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God. Gaze on Jesus Jesus my Lord, my Good Shep-

herd, I will be coached to recognise Your voice more and more .....

We follow Jesus. Thus, shall we not pity and love those souls whom Christ loves and pities? Yes, we should do so. Those who are favoured with grace, need to abound more and should turn anew to the source of the grace. To succeed at life, we try different things, and various ways, that we may accommodate and approve the things and ways which are excellent. The truths and laws of Christ are excellent; and they recommend themselves as such to any attentive mind. Learn and test them out; that you may truly benefit.

Christians should not be apt to take offence, and should be very careful not to offend God or the brethren. Things which honour God most will benefit us most. Let us ensure that good fruit is found in us. Let us not be satisfied with a small measure of Christian love, knowledge and fruitfulness, but expect more from ourselves, in the Lord who strengthens us.

There is no peace without grace.

Inward peace springs from a sense of Divine favour. And there is no grace and peace but from God our Father, the Fountain and Origin of all blessings.

At Philippi the apostle saw little fruit of his labour; yet he remembers Philippi with joy. We must thank our God for everything as we receive the benefit, and give God the glory. The work of grace will not be complete till the day of Jesus Christ, but we may always be confident God will perform His good work, in every soul wherein He has really begun it by regeneration.

Prayer Starter Thank You O Lord for all the good things You send our way.

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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Saturday 31st October 2020 (Green or White) Philippians:1/18-26 Psalm:41/2,3,5 (42/1-2,5) Luke:14/1,7-11

The First Proclamation What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true; and in that I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance. It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death.

For to me living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me, and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two; my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.

Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.

Prayerful Awareness Here we see Paul is very happy at seeing the results of his endeavour - the outward life of Philippians with its comforts and hardships plus the inner life of the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Though Paul's real life was hidden with Christ, Christ's presence filled his soul. He was always open or alive to Christ, he was dead unto the world and its values. And of worldly values, Paul says, "I consider it all as mere refuse."

(Philippians 3:8). His aim was that his life was worth living only in so far as the life of Christ was realized in his life.

"Paul was willing to wait but ready to go. For, to die is gain to the man whose life was Christ. It is not of course a gain to those who live a sensual life, a life of worldly enjoyments and worldly interests." (Words of Eternal Life).

The Gospel Proclamation On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.

When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, 'Give this person your place' and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place.

But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher', then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

Prayer Starter Happy are those who are concerned for the poor. The Lord will protect them and preserve their lives. Amen.

(Ps. 41/1 & 2)

"O MARY! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL OVERSHADOW YOU"

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