Mass Reflection: Sunday - 29th August 2021

Our readings today call us to pause for a moment and consider how we respond to God’s love for us each day. 
 
Our Gospel recounts a dialogue between the Pharisees and Jesus. The Pharisees questioned why Jesus’ disciples did not practice the ritual washing before eating a meal. 
 
Jesus simply responded by quoting scripture, “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.”
 
The Pharisees were good at doing what they were supposed to. They knew all the traditions and customs, ensured they followed them, and ensured that it would be made known if someone else did not follow them. 
 
Jesus’ response reminds us to ask ourselves ‘why.’ Why do we remain faithful to God’s commands? Why do we pray or go to Mass? Why do we participate in the sacraments? Why do we love others?
 
Do we do these things because we know we ‘should’ or because we are afraid of what might happen if we do not? Are we just checking boxes? Or do we do these things out of love for our Good and Gracious Giver?
 
Often, we are living our faith a certain way out of obligation, fear, or duty. But Jesus reminds us that the greatest way to live out our faith is through love. Our faith has obligations to provide us opportunities to love, honor, and praise the Lord. They are meant to aid us on our personal journey with Jesus Christ. And we are called to not go through the motions by “honoring God with our lips” only, but with our whole hearts. 
 
St. James reminds us in our second reading how to do just that, as he says, “All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” He reminds us that every moment of each day is an opportunity to respond to God’s infinite love for us with love and gratitude in return. 
 
If we approach our relationship with Jesus with this in mind, then we begin to realize that the gift of the Mass is an opportunity to worship God, the sacraments are ways to draw us closer to Him and His commandments are opportunities to love Him more faithfully. 
 
And if we approach our day-to-day moments with this in mind, then we begin to see just how many blessings God has given us. Looking at life through the lens of gratitude helps us to see each moment as a gift with endless opportunities to respond in love. 
 
It begins by rising each day with a prayer of thanksgiving, offering our daily tasks as a prayer to the Lord, seeking ways to share our gifts and talents with others, saying a prayer of thanksgiving before meals, sharing words of affirmation to a loved, or taking time to reflect on how much God loves us and how we can best love Him in return.
 
This is how we ought to live our lives as Christian stewards — by recognizing our lives as a gift and an opportunity to love God in response to how He has loved us. 
 
So let us look inward at our hearts and ask ourselves why we live our faith the way we do. Let us strive to pray with meaning, attend Mass with attention, serve others out of love for God and recognize just how blessed we are. It is in these simple moments that we love extraordinarily and honor God wholeheartedly.

The Liturgy of the Word: Sunday - 29th August 2021

First reading
Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8
Observe these laws and customs, that you may have life

Moses said to the people: ‘Now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you. You must add nothing to what I command you, and take nothing from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God just as I lay them down for you. Keep them, observe them, and they will demonstrate to the peoples your wisdom and understanding. When they come to know of all these laws they will exclaim, “No other people is as wise and prudent as this great nation.” And indeed, what great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation is there that has laws and customs to match this whole Law that I put before you today?’

The word of the Lord.

__

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 14(15):2-5

The just will live in the presence of the Lord.

Lord, who shall dwell on your holy mountain?
He who walks without fault;
he who acts with justice
and speaks the truth from his heart;
he who does not slander with his tongue.

The just will live in the presence of the Lord.

He who does no wrong to his brother,
who casts no slur on his neighbour,
who holds the godless in disdain,
but honours those who fear the Lord.

The just will live in the presence of the Lord.

He who keeps his pledge, come what may;
who takes no interest on a loan
and accepts no bribes against the innocent.
Such a man will stand firm for ever.

The just will live in the presence of the Lord.

________

Second reading
James 1:17-18,21-22,27
Accept and submit to the word

It is all that is good, everything that is perfect, which is given us from above; it comes down from the Father of all light; with him there is no such thing as alteration, no shadow of a change. By his own choice he made us his children by the message of the truth so that we should be a sort of first-fruits of all that he had created. 

    Accept and submit to the word which has been planted in you and can save your souls. But you must do what the word tells you, and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves.

    Pure, unspoilt religion, in the eyes of God our Father is this: coming to the help of orphans and widows when they need it, and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
cf.Jn6:63,68

Alleluia, alleluia!
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you have the message of eternal life.
Alleluia!

Or:

James1:18

Alleluia, alleluia!
By his own choice the Father made us his children
by the message of the truth,
so that we should be a sort of first-fruits
of all that he created.
Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23
You put aside the commandment of God, to cling to human traditions

The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. For the Pharisees, and the Jews in general, follow the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing their arms as far as the elbow; and on returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves. There are also many other observances which have been handed down to them concerning the washing of cups and pots and bronze dishes. So these Pharisees and scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?’ He answered, ‘It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture:

This people honours me only with lip-service,
while their hearts are far from me.
The worship they offer me is worthless,
the doctrines they teach are only human regulations.

You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.’ He called the people to him again and said, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection:. Sunday - 22nd August 2021

Our readings today challenge us to reflect on how we are living as disciples of Christ. They offer us examples of how we should be living, and they present us with an opportunity to make a radical change in our lives. 
 
In our first reading, Joshua tells the leaders of the Israelites to decide as to who they shall serve in this life, “If it does not please you to serve the Lord, decide today whom you shall serve.” At this time, the Israelites were not wholeheartedly committed to the Lord. But Joshua outspokenly addresses this situation and challenges them to make a decision.
 
As he presents them with this opportunity, he boldly states, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
 
Who or what does your household serve? Whether you are a household of one or 12, now is the time to decide, ‘will we serve the Lord?’ 
 
We are constantly bombarded with endless distractions around us. It can be very easy to serve other ‘gods’ in our lives. For instance, putting technology (phone, internet, TV), our kids' extracurricular activities, our jobs, or our social lives before the Lord. We also might be putting these things above our loved ones, and if we are doing that, then we are putting them above our relationship with God. 
 
Reflect on how you may not be putting God first in your life and decide to respond like the Israelites, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord for the service of other gods…Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”
 
Our second reading specifically challenges our families to live out their vocation of marriage to the fullest. St. Paul’s message is uplifting and filled with profound beauty, truth, and goodness. 
 
St. Paul was relating marriage to Christ’s love for His Church. He is calling all husbands to radically love and serve their family as Christ radically loves us — by laying down His life for us. And he is calling all wives to support and uplift their husbands in this mission. Families are called to be a unified team in total service to one another out of love for Christ. 
 
This capacity to love is within us, yet to love our families as Christ loves, we must first wholeheartedly love Him. As families, we must decide to put Christ first in our hearts so that we can better love one another. This is a daily choice we must make, and the best way to stay committed to this choice begins in daily prayer. It will transform our hearts. 
 
Lastly, our Gospel brings us to the reality that making these radical changes in our lives will not be easy. Just as in Jesus’ time, people listened to His words, and chose to turn away from Him, “as a result, many disciples turned to their former way of life.” Sin is enticing but deathly.
 
Becoming a follower of Christ is life-giving and freeing. Peter reminds us to stay faithful and committed to Christ, “You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” 
 
With this in mind, we must strive each day to live intentionally as disciples of Christ. It starts with commitment — incorporating personal daily prayer and increasing that prayer week by week, incorporating prayer into our marriages and families, frequenting the sacraments, and serving others. Through this time with the Lord and service to those around us, He will reveal where to go next. 
 
Today, let us pray for the strength to live our lives as Joshua proclaimed, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

The Liturgy of the word: Sunday - 22nd August 2021

First reading
Joshua 24:1-2,15-18 ·

We will serve the Lord, for he is our God

Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together at Shechem; then he called the elders, leaders, judges and scribes of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. Then Joshua said to all the people, ‘If you will not serve the Lord, choose today whom you wish to serve, whether the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are now living. As for me and my House, we will serve the Lord.’

  The people answered, ‘We have no intention of deserting the Lord and serving other gods! Was it not the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, the house of slavery, who worked those great wonders before our eyes and preserved us all along the way we travelled and among all the peoples through whom we journeyed? What is more, the Lord drove all those peoples out before us, as well as the Amorites who used to live in this country. We too will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 33(34):2-3,16-23

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

I will bless the Lord at all times,

  his praise always on my lips;

in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.

  The humble shall hear and be glad.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

The Lord turns his face against the wicked

  to destroy their remembrance from the earth.

The Lord turns his eyes to the just

  and his ears to their appeal.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

They call and the Lord hears

  and rescues them in all their distress.

The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;

  those whose spirit is crushed he will save.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Many are the trials of the just man

  but from them all the Lord will rescue him.

He will keep guard over all his bones,

  not one of his bones shall be broken.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Evil brings death to the wicked;

  those who hate the good are doomed.

The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants.

  Those who hide in him shall not be condemned.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Second reading
Ephesians 5:25-32

Christ loves the Church, because it is his body

Follow Christ by loving as he loved you. Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her in water with a form of words, so that when he took her to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless. In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself. A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church, because it is his body – and we are its living parts. For this reason, a man must leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one body. This mystery has many implications; but I am saying it applies to Christ and the Church.

The word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation	cf.Jn6:63,68

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;

you have the message of eternal life.

Alleluia!

Gospel	John 6:60-69

Who shall we go to? You are the Holy One of God

After hearing his doctrine many of the followers of Jesus said, ‘This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?’ Jesus was aware that his followers were complaining about it and said, ‘Does this upset you? What if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before?

‘It is the spirit that gives life,

the flesh has nothing to offer.

The words I have spoken to you are spirit

and they are life.

‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the outset those who did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. He went on, ‘This is why I told you that no one could come to me unless the Father allows him.’ After this, many of his disciples left him and stopped going with him.

  Then Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘What about you, do you want to go away too?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection:. Sunday - 15th August 2021

 Today we celebrate the Assumption of Mary. This Solemnity celebrates the end of Mary’s earthly life — the moment she was taken up, body and soul, into heaven. 

 
This day points to the resurrection of Christ and reminds us of the hope in our resurrection one day. Yet it also reveals much about our Holy Mother. Next to her Divine Son, Mary truly is the model steward for us as we journey through this life. 
 
Our Gospel recounts the story of Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth who was soon to deliver John the Baptist. The passage captures the moment Mary encounters Elizabeth. Upon seeing Mary, John leaps inside the womb of Elizabeth. 
 
Mary truly is a dwelling place for Christ. Even baby John the Baptist noticed as he leaped in his mother’s womb! We too are called to be a dwelling place for the Lord. Yet for Christ to dwell in us, we must prepare our hearts for Him. 
 
Mary was prepared for Christ to reside in her, and her Magnificat expresses how we can imitate her and prepare a place for Christ in ourselves: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” 
 
How can we proclaim the ‘greatness of the Lord?’ It is simply by how we choose to live our lives. Each day is an opportunity to grow as a disciple of Christ. We can choose to rise each day in prayer, respond to those around us in kindness, serve in our vocations and occupations from a place of love and selflessness, and use our gifts and talents for the glory of God. 
 
These everyday moments are simply how Mary glorified God and welcomed Him into her heart. She carried a child, took care of her family, remained faithful to God in prayer and traditions, and served her relatives and those around her just as we do today. 
 
How can ‘our spirits rejoice in God our Savior?’ Mary teaches us that to rejoice in the Lord, we must know Him. And the best way to know someone is to spend quality time with them. Mary was constantly praying or “contemplating” the mysteries of God in her heart. Through a routine of prayer — the undivided time between us and God — we will begin to rejoice more fully in the Lord. 
 
Mary also shows us that to rejoice in the Lord, we must have a heart of gratitude. She expresses her gratitude to God in her greeting to Elizabeth, “for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and Holy is His name.” 
 
In all the greatness Mary experienced, she never lost sight of the Gracious Giver. We all have abundant blessings, both big and small. We need to remember to look through the lens of gratitude as we live each moment by recognizing our gifts and proclaiming prayers of thanksgiving. 
 
It is when we take the focus off ourselves and place the focus on God that we begin to proclaim His greatness and rejoice in Him. It is then that we become a dwelling place for Christ — a steward of God in the world like Mary. 
 
As we reflect on the life of Mary today, how fitting it is that God prepared a place for her in eternal life. Let us celebrate her as our Mother, our Queen, and a Model Steward. She is not distant or out of reach, rather, she is as close to us as a mother to her baby — constantly watching, interceding, and guiding us to be with her Divine Son in eternal life.

The Liturgy of the Word: Sunday - 15th August 2021

First reading
Apocalypse 11:19,12:1-6,10 ·

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman adorned with the sun

The sanctuary of God in heaven opened and the ark of the covenant could be seen inside it.

  Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, adorned with the sun, standing on the moon, and with the twelve stars on her head for a crown. She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth. Then a second sign appeared in the sky, a huge red dragon which had seven heads and ten horns, and each of the seven heads crowned with a coronet. Its tail dragged a third of the stars from the sky and dropped them to the earth, and the dragon stopped in front of the woman as she was having the child, so that he could eat it as soon as it was born from its mother. The woman brought a male child into the world, the son who was to rule all the nations with an iron sceptre, and the child was taken straight up to God and to his throne, while the woman escaped into the desert, where God had made a place of safety ready.

  Then I heard a voice shout from heaven, ‘Victory and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ.’

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 44(45):10-12,16

On your right stands the queen, in garments of gold.

  The daughters of kings are among your loved ones.

  On your right stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words:

  forget your own people and your father’s house.

On your right stands the queen, in garments of gold.

So will the king desire your beauty:

  He is your lord, pay homage to him.

They are escorted amid gladness and joy;

  they pass within the palace of the king.

On your right stands the queen, in garments of gold.

Second reading
1 Corinthians 15:20-26 ·

Christ will be brought to life as the first-fruits and then those who belong to him

Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. Death came through one man and in the same way the resurrection of the dead has come through one man. Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him. After that will come the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having done away with every sovereignty, authority and power. For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under his feet.

The word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

Mary has been taken up to heaven;

all the choirs of angels are rejoicing.

Alleluia!

Gospel	Luke 1:39-56

The Almighty has done great things for me

Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’

  And Mary said:

‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord

and my spirit exults in God my saviour;

because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.

Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,

for the Almighty has done great things for me.

Holy is his name,

and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.

He has shown the power of his arm,

he has routed the proud of heart.

He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.

The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.

He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy

– according to the promise he made to our ancestors –

of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.

The Gospel of the Lord.

The Liturgy of the Word : Sunday - 8th August 2021

First reading
1 Kings 19:4-8 ·

The angel gives Elijah food to reach the mountain of God

Elijah went into the wilderness, a day’s journey, and sitting under a furze bush wished he were dead. ‘O Lord,’ he said ‘I have had enough. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down and went to sleep. But an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked round, and there at his head was a scone baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. But the angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, or the journey will be too long for you.’ So he got up and ate and drank, and strengthened by that food he walked for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 33(34):2-9

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

I will bless the Lord at all times,

  his praise always on my lips;

in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.

  The humble shall hear and be glad.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Glorify the Lord with me.

  Together let us praise his name.

I sought the Lord and he answered me;

  from all my terrors he set me free.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Look towards him and be radiant;

  let your faces not be abashed.

This poor man called, the Lord heard him

  and rescued him from all his distress.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

The angel of the Lord is encamped

  around those who revere him, to rescue them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

  He is happy who seeks refuge in him.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

---

Second reading
Ephesians 4:30-5:2 ·

Forgive each other as readily as God forgave you

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God who has marked you with his seal for you to be set free when the day comes. Never have grudges against others, or lose your temper, or raise your voice to anybody, or call each other names, or allow any sort of spitefulness. Be friends with one another, and kind, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ.

  Try, then, to imitate God as children of his that he loves and follow Christ loving as he loved you, giving himself up in our place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God.

The word of the Lord.

---

Gospel Acclamation

	Jn6:51

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the living bread which has come down from heaven,

says the Lord.

Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel	John 6:41-51

Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever

The Jews were complaining to each other about Jesus, because he had said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ ‘Surely this is Jesus son of Joseph’ they said. ‘We know his father and mother. How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ Jesus said in reply, ‘Stop complaining to each other.

‘No one can come to me

unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me,

and I will raise him up at the last day.

It is written in the prophets:

They will all be taught by God,

and to hear the teaching of the Father,

and learn from it,

is to come to me.

Not that anybody has seen the Father,

except the one who comes from God:

he has seen the Father.

I tell you most solemnly,

everybody who believes has eternal life.

‘I am the bread of life.

Your fathers ate the manna in the desert

and they are dead;

but this is the bread that comes down from heaven,

so that a man may eat it and not die.

I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.

Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;

and the bread that I shall give is my flesh,

for the life of the world.’

The Gospel of the Lord.