21ST SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A) – 27TH AUGUST, 2017

Saturday, 26th August, 2017

21st Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year A

5:00 pm  Novena to Our Lady

5:30 pm  Sunset Mass in English

First Reading

ISAIAH 22:12, 19-23

15 The Lord Yahweh Sabaoth says this: Go and find that steward, Shebna, the master of the palace:

19 I shall hound you from your office, I shall snatch you from your post

20 and, when that day comes, I shall summon my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah.

21 I shall dress him in your tunic, I shall put your sash round his waist, I shall invest him with your authority; and he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the House of Judah.

22 I shall place the key of David's palace on his shoulder; when he opens, no one will close, when he closes, no one will open.

23 I shall drive him like a nail into a firm place; and he will become a throne of glory for his family.

‘The Word of the Lord’

PSALMS 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8

1 [Of David] I thank you, Yahweh, with all my heart, for you have listened to the cry I uttered. In the presence of angels I sing to you,

2 I bow down before your holy Temple. I praise your name for your faithful love and your constancy; your promises surpass even your fame.

3 You heard me on the day when I called, and you gave new strength to my heart.

6 Sublime as he is, Yahweh looks on the humble, the proud he picks out from afar.

7 Though I live surrounded by trouble you give me life -- to my enemies' fury! You stretch out your right hand and save me,

8 Yahweh will do all things for me. Yahweh, your faithful love endures for ever, do not abandon what you have made.

Second Reading

ROMANS 11:33-36

33 How rich and deep are the wisdom and the knowledge of God! We cannot reach to the root of his decisions or his ways.

34 Who has ever known the mind of the Lord? Who has ever been his adviser?

35 Who has given anything to him, so that his presents come only as a debt returned?

36 Everything there is comes from him and is caused by him and exists for him. To him be glory for ever! Amen.

“The Word of the Lord”

Gospel Reading

MATTHEW 16:13-20

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of man is?'

14 And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'

15 'But you,' he said, 'who do you say I am?'

16 Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'

17 Jesus replied, 'Simon son of Jonah, you are a blessed man! Because it was no human agency that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.

18 So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it.

19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.'

20 Then he gave the disciples strict orders not to say to anyone that he was the Christ.

“The Gospel of the Lord”

20TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A) – 20TH AUGUST, 2017

Saturday, 19th August, 2017

20th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year A

5:00 pm  Novena to Our Lady

5:30 pm  Sunset Mass in English

First Reading

ISAIAH 56:1, 6-7

1 Thus says Yahweh: Make fair judgement your concern, act with justice, for soon my salvation will come and my saving justice be manifest.

6 As for foreigners who adhere to Yahweh to serve him, to love Yahweh's name and become his servants, all who observe the Sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant:

7 these I shall lead to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

“The Word of the Lord”

PSALMS 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

2 Then the earth will acknowledge your ways, and all nations your power to save.

3 Let the nations praise you, God, let all the nations praise you.

5 Let the nations praise you, God, let all the nations praise you.

6 The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God has blessed us.

Second Reading

ROMAS 11:13-15, 29-32

13 Let me say then to you gentiles that, as far as I am an apostle to the gentiles, I take pride in this work of service;

14 and I want it to be the means of rousing to envy the people who are my own blood-relations and so of saving some of them.

15 Since their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world, do you know what their re-acceptance will mean? Nothing less than life from the dead!

29 There is no change of mind on God's part about the gifts he has made or of his choice.

30 Just as you were in the past disobedient to God but now you have been shown mercy, through their disobedience;

31 so in the same way they are disobedient now, so that through the mercy shown to you they too will receive mercy.

32 God has imprisoned all human beings in their own disobedience only to show mercy to them all.

“The Word of the Lord”

Gospel Reading

MATTHEW 15:21-28

21 Jesus left that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

22 And suddenly out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, 'Lord, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.'

23 But he said not a word in answer to her. And his disciples went and pleaded with him, saying, 'Give her what she wants, because she keeps shouting after us.'

24 He said in reply, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.'

25 But the woman had come up and was bowing low before him. 'Lord,' she said, 'help me.'

26 He replied, 'It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to little dogs.'

27 She retorted, 'Ah yes, Lord; but even little dogs eat the scraps that fall from their masters' table.'

28 Then Jesus answered her, 'Woman, you have great faith. Let your desire be granted.' And from that moment her daughter was well again.

“The Gospel of the Lord”

19TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A) – 13TH AUGUST, 2017

Saturday, 12th August, 2017

19th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year A

5:00 pm  Novena to Our Lady

5:30 pm  Sunset Mass in English

First Reading

First Kings 19:9, 11-13

9 There he went into a cave and spent the night there. Then the word of Yahweh came to him saying, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'

11 Then he was told, 'Go out and stand on the mountain before Yahweh.' For at that moment Yahweh was going by. A mighty hurricane split the mountains and shattered the rocks before Yahweh. But Yahweh was not in the hurricane. And after the hurricane, an earthquake. But Yahweh was not in the earthquake.

12 And after the earthquake, fire. But Yahweh was not in the fire. And after the fire, a light murmuring sound.

13 And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice came to him, which said, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'

“The Word of the Lord”

PSALMS 85:9, 10, 11-12, 13-14

9 His saving help is near for those who fear him, his glory will dwell in our land.

10 Faithful Love and Loyalty join together, Saving Justice and Peace embrace.

11 Loyalty will spring up from the earth, and Justice will lean down from heaven.

12 Yahweh will himself give prosperity, and our soil will yield its harvest.

13 Justice will walk before him, treading out a path.

Second Reading

Romans 9:1-5

1 This is the truth and I am speaking in Christ, without pretence, as my conscience testifies for me in the Holy Spirit;

2 there is great sorrow and unremitting agony in my heart:

3 I could pray that I myself might be accursed and cut off from Christ, if this could benefit the brothers who are my own flesh and blood.

4 They are Israelites; it was they who were adopted as children, the glory was theirs and the covenants; to them were given the Law and the worship of God and the promises.

5 To them belong the fathers and out of them, so far as physical descent is concerned, came Christ who is above all, God, blessed for ever. Amen.

“The Word of the Lord”

Gospel Reading

Matthew 14:22-33

22 And at once he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he sent the crowds away.

23 After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,

24 while the boat, by now some furlongs from land, was hard pressed by rough waves, for there was a head-wind.

25 In the fourth watch of the night he came towards them, walking on the sea,

26 and when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. 'It is a ghost,' they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, 'Courage! It's me! Don't be afraid.'

28 It was Peter who answered. 'Lord,' he said, 'if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.'

29 Jesus said, 'Come.' Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water,

30 but then noticing the wind, he took fright and began to sink. 'Lord,' he cried, 'save me!'

31 Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. 'You have so little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?'

32 And as they got into the boat the wind dropped.

33 The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, 'Truly, you are the Son of God.'

“The Gospel of the Lord”

18TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A) – 06TH AUGUST, 2017

Saturday, 05th August, 2017

18th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year A

5:00 pm  Novena to Our Lady

5:30 pm  Sunset Mass in English

First Reading

DANIEL 7:9-10, 13-14

9 While I was watching, thrones were set in place and one most venerable took his seat. His robe was white as snow, the hair of his head as pure as wool. His throne was a blaze of flames, its wheels were a burning fire.

10 A stream of fire poured out, issuing from his presence. A thousand thousand waited on him, ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was in session and the books lay open.

13 I was gazing into the visions of the night, when I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, as it were a son of man. He came to the One most venerable and was led into his presence.

14 On him was conferred rule, honour and kingship, and all peoples, nations and languages became his servants. His rule is an everlasting rule which will never pass away, and his kingship will never come to an end.

“The Word of the Lord”

PSALMS 97:1-2, 5-6, 9

1 Yahweh is king! Let earth rejoice, the many isles be glad!

2 Cloud, black cloud enfolds him, saving justice and judgement the foundations of his throne.

5 The mountains melt like wax, before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his saving justice, all nations see his glory.

9 For you are Yahweh, Most High over all the earth, far transcending all gods.

Second Reading

2 PETER 1:16-19

16 When we told you about the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not slavishly repeating cleverly invented myths; no, we had seen his majesty with our own eyes.

17 He was honoured and glorified by God the Father, when a voice came to him from the transcendent Glory, This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour.

18 We ourselves heard this voice from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.

19 So we have confirmation of the words of the prophets; and you will be right to pay attention to it as to a lamp for lighting a way through the dark, until the dawn comes and the morning star rises in your minds.

“The Word of the Lord”

Gospel Reading

MATTHEW 17:1-9

1 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

2 There in their presence he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as dazzling as light.

3 And suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them; they were talking with him.

4 Then Peter spoke to Jesus. 'Lord,' he said, 'it is wonderful for us to be here; if you want me to, I will make three shelters here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.'

5 He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and suddenly from the cloud there came a voice which said, 'This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him.'

6 When they heard this, the disciples fell on their faces, overcome with fear.

7 But Jesus came up and touched them, saying, 'Stand up, do not be afraid.'

8 And when they raised their eyes they saw no one but Jesus.

9 As they came down from the mountain Jesus gave them this order, 'Tell no one about this vision until the Son of man has risen from the dead.'

“The Gospel of the Lord”