Mass Reflection: Sunday - 31st July 2022

July 31, 2022 — Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

ECC 1:2, 2:21-23; PS 90:3-6, 12-13, 17; COL 3: 1-5, 9-11; LK 12:13-21

Today’s readings come as a pat on the back from Heaven for all of us striving to live a stewardship way of life. They remind us why we live the way we do, make the choices we make, and leave other things aside. Let’s face it, if we truly embrace this way of life, there will be people who find our choices downright foolish. Today we will see what God thinks. Spoiler alert: turns out Christian stewards are not the fools!

 
Our First Reading from the book of Ecclesiastes contains the famous line, “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” The narrator, Qoheleth, points out that we toil and labor all day, worry all night about our work and all we still have to do, and for what? Essentially, he asks what is the point of constantly “stressing out” about things that won’t last anyway? That’s no way to live! Christian stewards already know this. We live for a higher purpose — we live for our God and for the things that matter to Him. Our time, talents, and treasure have an everlasting focus because we recognize that these things are all gifts from God and we use them in gratitude to give Him glory.

Our Second Reading, from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, reminds us how to go about making decisions so that we can make the best use of the gifts we have been given. In making decisions about our use of time, talent and treasure, he gives us this advice: “Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” He adds, “Take off the old self with its practices and put on the new self which is being renewed for knowledge in the image of its creator.” This is precisely what is taking place within us as we embrace the spirituality of stewardship. We find ourselves living in a continuous process of sloughing off our selfishness (the “old self”) and living more and more for God and others. 

To many people in our materialistic world, setting priorities that are not focused on earthly goals like wealth, status and power, is foolish and naive. But look at what Jesus has to say about priorities in today’s Gospel passage from Luke. He makes it clear that life is not about “stuff.” “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” 

Then Jesus goes on to tell the parable of the wealthy businessman who thought he had everything figured out. The man had such an abundance of “stuff” that he didn’t have room to store it all. So, thinking of earthly things and not on what is above, he decided to build a bigger place to store all that stuff. Patting himself on the back, he thought about what good times he would have in the years ahead. But Jesus tells us that day would turn out to be the man’s last day on the earth. And he had spent it thinking only of himself. How foolish! What vanity of vanities!

Don’t be ashamed of living differently from the people around you. Be confident as you set priorities based on what is above. You are wise in God’s eyes, Christian steward. And you will be rich in what matters most.

Mass Reading: 31st July 2022

First reading
Ecclesiastes 1:2,2:21-23
Vanity of vanities; all is vanity

    Vanity of vanities, the Preacher says. Vanity of vanities. All is vanity!

    For so it is that a man who has laboured wisely, skilfully and successfully must leave what is his own to someone who has not toiled for it at all. This, too, is vanity and great injustice; for what does he gain for all the toil and strain that he has undergone under the sun? What of all his laborious days, his cares of office, his restless nights? This, too, is vanity.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 89(90):3-6,12-14,17

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

You turn men back to dust
    and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’
To your eyes a thousand years
    are like yesterday, come and gone,
    no more than a watch in the night.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

You sweep men away like a dream,
    like the grass which springs up in the morning.
In the morning it springs up and flowers:
    by evening it withers and fades.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

Make us know the shortness of our life
    that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever?
    Show pity to your servants.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

In the morning, fill us with your love;
    we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Let the favour of the Lord be upon us:
    give success to the work of our hands.

O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.

________

Second reading
Colossians 3:1-5,9-11
You must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is

    Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.

    That is why you must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator; and in that image there is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, between the circumcised or the uncircumcised, or between barbarian and Scythian, slave and free man. There is only Christ: he is everything and he is in everything.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn17:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word is truth, O Lord:
consecrate us in the truth.

Alleluia!

Or:
Mt5:3

Alleluia, alleluia!

How happy are the poor in spirit:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 12:13-21
Fool! This very night your soul will be demanded of you

    A man in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.’ ‘My friend,’ he replied, ‘who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.’

    Then he told them a parable: ‘There was once a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his land, thought to himself, “What am I to do? I have not enough room to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” But God said to him, “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?” So it is when a man stores up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 24th July 2022

July 24, 2022 — Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

GN 18:20-32; PS138:1-3, 6-8; COL 2:12-14; LK 11:1-13

The teachings of our Catholic faith are inexhaustibly deep, but they are also amazingly simple. Today’s readings take us back to the basics, reminding us how we as Christian stewards are to approach our relationship with God and others.
 
The First Reading gives us an early glimpse of the extravagance of God’s mercy revealed in the very first book of the Old Testament. In this passage from Genesis, we find Abraham testing the limits of God’s kindness and patience with His people. God tells Abraham that despite the terrible depravity in Sodom and Gomorrah, for the sake of just a handful of innocent people, He would spare them all. This passage illustrates two basic truths of Christian stewardship: what an infinitely loving God we serve and what a privilege we have in our gift of faith, a gift that we must share for the sake of others.
 
The Second Reading, from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, reminds us of this stewardship basic: Christ “brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us…nailing it to the cross.” Jesus loves us so much that he took on our sins to free us from death and offer us eternal life. What a generous Savior we have who gives us the gift of eternal life. This truth should fill us with overwhelming gratitude, inspiring us to share our lives generously with others as faithful disciples of our Lord. 
 
The Gospel reading from Luke takes us back to the basics of prayer, offering us both a method of prayer from Jesus Himself and the encouragement to persist in prayer. In this passage, some of His disciples ask our Lord to teach them how to pray. Jesus instantly offers them the beautiful prayer which we, of course, call the Our Father. This prayer is so rich that it still forms the basis of our approach to God the Father over 2,000 years later. At the same time, it is so simple, we teach it as a first prayer to young children.
 
The Our Father is truly a steward’s prayer. In it, we call upon God in an intimate way, as Father. We ask that His will be done (not ours!) and that His kingdom come (not ours!). In other words, we remember that He is our Creator, everything is His, and our focus in life should be on His priorities, not our own. Then we ask Him to supply our needs (to give our daily bread), forgive our sins, and protect us from evil. That is, we proclaim that we trust completely in His provision for us and mercy towards us. We, too, commit to extending mercy ourselves (as we forgive those who sin against us). 
 
As we pray the words of the Our Father, we recognize this basic truth about ourselves and God: God is our Father, and we are beloved and infinitely blessed to be His children. This is the basis of a stewardship way of life. 
 
After giving us the Our Father, Jesus shares the funny little story of the man who bugs his neighbor for bread in the middle of the night. The man’s persistence pays off. How much more perfectly the Father will answer the prayers of His children when we persist in going to Him with our needs. 
 
At the end of the Gospel passage, Jesus offers one more “basic” for us stewards about our relationship with the Father:  Ask Him, seek Him, knock on His door! He can hardly wait to bless us, HIs children. Remember that this week, then go, be a blessing to others! Stewardship is just that simple.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 24th July 2022

First reading
Genesis 18:20-32
Abraham negotiates with the Lord

    The Lord said, ‘How great an outcry there is against Sodom and Gomorrah! How grievous is their sin! I propose to go down and see whether or not they have done all that is alleged in the outcry against them that has come up to me. I am determined to know.’

    The men left there and went to Sodom while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Approaching him he said, ‘Are you really going to destroy the just man with the sinner? Perhaps there are fifty just men in the town. Will you really overwhelm them, will you not spare the place for the fifty just men in it? Do not think of doing such a thing: to kill the just man with the sinner, treating just and sinner alike! Do not think of it! Will the judge of the whole earth not administer justice?’ the Lord replied, ‘If at Sodom I find fifty just men in the town, I will spare the whole place because of them.’

    Abraham replied, ‘I am bold indeed to speak like this to my Lord, I who am dust and ashes. But perhaps the fifty just men lack five: will you destroy the whole city for five?’ ‘No,’ he replied ‘I will not destroy it if I find forty-five just men there.’ Again Abraham said to him, ‘Perhaps there will only be forty there.’ ‘I will not do it’ he replied ‘for the sake of the forty.’

    Abraham said, ‘I trust my Lord will not be angry, but give me leave to speak: perhaps there will only be thirty there.’ ‘I will not do it’ he replied ‘if I find thirty there.’ He said, ‘I am bold indeed to speak like this, but perhaps there will only be twenty there.’ ‘I will not destroy it’ he replied ‘for the sake of the twenty.’ He said, ‘I trust my Lord will not be angry if I speak once more: perhaps there will only be ten.’ ‘I will not destroy it’ he replied ‘for the sake of the ten.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 137(138):1-3,6-8

On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:
    you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I will bless you.
    I will adore before your holy temple.

On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

I thank you for your faithfulness and love,
    which excel all we ever knew of you.
On the day I called, you answered;
    you increased the strength of my soul.

On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

The Lord is high yet he looks on the lowly
    and the haughty he knows from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of affliction
    you give me life and frustrate my foes.

On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

You stretch out your hand and save me,
    your hand will do all things for me.
Your love, O Lord, is eternal,
    discard not the work of your hands.

On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.

________

Second reading
Colossians 2:12-14
Christ has brought you to life with him and forgiven us all our sins

    You have been buried with Christ, when you were baptised; and by baptism, too, you have been raised up with him through your belief in the power of God who raised him from the dead. You were dead, because you were sinners and had not been circumcised: he has brought you to life with him, he has forgiven us all our sins.

    He has overridden the Law, and cancelled every record of the debt that we had to pay; he has done away with it by nailing it to the cross.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn1:14,12

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Word was made flesh and lived among us:
to all who did accept him 
he gave power to become children of God.

Alleluia!

Or:
Rm8:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

The spirit you received is the spirit of sons,
and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 11:1-13
How to pray

    Once Jesus was in a certain place praying, and when he had finished one of his disciples said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’

    He said to them, ‘Say this when you pray:

‘“Father, may your name be held holy,
your kingdom come;
give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us.
And do not put us to the test.”’

He also said to them:

    ‘Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say, “My friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine on his travels has just arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him”; and the man answers from inside the house, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give it you.” I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants.

    ‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 17th July 2022

  

GN 18: 1-10A; PS15:2-5; COL 1:24-28; LK 10:38-42

Today’s readings are chock full of inspiration for living a stewardship way of life, starting with our first reading, from Genesis. Here we see the stewardship concept of hospitality at work as Abraham offers a generous welcome to three mysterious men who appear at the entrance to his tent. Some Church fathers hold that the three men are an early symbol of our Triune God; others that the three are angels. In any case, Abraham welcomes them warmly in true steward-ship hospitality, offering them a good meal and some cool water with which to refresh themselves. In return for his generosity, one of the three men promises that Abraham’s elderly wife would miraculously give birth to a son, a promise which indeed comes true.
 
In our Second Reading, from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, Paul uses the term “stewardship” to describe the particular mission that has been entrusted to Him by God. That is why, he explains, that all the sufferings he endures as part of his ministry are a joy for Him — because they come as a part of the privilege of serving the Lord. This is equally true for each one of us today. We are all called to be the Lord’s faithful stewards, spreading the Good News of the Gospel in our sphere of influence. And while serving the Lord (through formal ministry or just in the daily duties of everyday life) involves some suffering, like Paul, we should count this as part of the privilege of being called His stewards.
 
Finally, in today’s Gospel reading, from St. Luke, we receive a reminder about the proper use of the gift of time, a fundamental aspect of a stewardship way of life. Our passage highlights one of the most famous dinner parties ever thrown, recalling the day that Martha and Mary hosted our Lord in their home. We are told that Martha, as a good steward, welcomes Christ in but then becomes “burdened with much serving” while her sister and fellow hostess choose to simply sit with Jesus, listening to Him speak. 
 
Martha becomes indignant at Mary’s behavior and complains to Jesus, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” But Jesus, in His infinite wisdom, refuses to get pulled into this sisterly spat. Instead, He offers Martha a fresh way to look at the situation. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing.” 
 
What is that one thing?  It is to put Jesus first in our lives and above all other things; to “sit at his feet” and listen as Mary did, giving Him the priority of our time no matter how busy we think we are.
 
When we truly commit to putting Christ first in our daily lives through a regular time of prayer and frequent participation in the sacraments, we will find that all our other concerns become less pressing and less overwhelming. Why is this so? Because the time we invest in our relationship with God saturates all aspects of our lives with His grace. And because God cannot be outdone in generosity. He will abundantly reward any sacrifice we make to spend time with Him.
 
In the week ahead let’s examine how well we show “hospitality" to our Lord by putting Him first through our stewardship of time. If you do not have a daily habit of prayer, commit to five minutes for the next seven days. If you are already in the habit of daily prayer, make sure you are listening at least as much as speaking. Either way, you will be blessed. What a privilege to be His stewards!

Mass Reading: Sunday - 17th July 2022

First reading
Genesis 18:1-10
'Next year your wife Sarah will have a son'

    The Lord appeared to Abraham at the Oak of Mamre while he was sitting by the entrance of the tent during the hottest part of the day. He looked up, and there he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, and bowed to the ground. ‘My lord,’ he said ‘I beg you, if I find favour with you, kindly do not pass your servant by. A little water shall be brought; you shall wash your feet and lie down under the tree. Let me fetch a little bread and you shall refresh yourselves before going further. That is why you have come in your servant’s direction.’ They replied, ‘Do as you say.’

    Abraham hastened to the tent to find Sarah.’ ‘Hurry,’ he said ‘knead three bushels of flour and make loaves.’ Then running to the cattle Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurried to prepare it. Then taking cream, milk and the calf he had prepared, he laid all before them, and they ate while he remained standing near them under the tree.

    ‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ they asked him. ‘She is in the tent’ he replied. Then his guest said, ‘I shall visit you again next year without fail, and your wife will then have a son.’

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
Colossians 1:24-28
A mystery hidden for generations has been revealed to God's saints

    It makes me happy to suffer for you, as I am suffering now, and in my own body to do what I can to make up all that has still to be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body, the Church. I became the servant of the Church when God made me responsible for delivering God’s message to you, the message which was a mystery hidden for generations and centuries and has now been revealed to his saints. It was God’s purpose to reveal it to them and to show all the rich glory of this mystery to pagans. The mystery is Christ among you, your hope of glory: this is the Christ we proclaim, this is the wisdom in which we thoroughly train everyone and instruct everyone, to make them all perfect in Christ.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

Or:
cf.Lk8:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are those who, 
with a noble and generous heart,
take the word of God to themselves
and yield a harvest through their perseverance.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 10:38-42
Martha works; Mary listens

    Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 10th July 2022

July 10, 2022 — Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
DT 30:10-14; PS 69:14,17,30-31, 33-34, 36, 37 or PS 19:8-11; COL 1:15-20; LK 10: 25-37

In today’s Gospel passage, from Luke, we find our Lord appointing disciples to go out and prepare others to receive His invitation into the Kingdom of God. Every verse has something to say about the way a Christian steward should approach others. Let’s consider at least a few of the coaching tips Christ gives.
 
“The Lord appointed seventy-two others whom He sent out ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place He intended to visit.” In His wisdom, Christ sent His disciples out not as individuals but in pairs, as teams. This approach to evangelization certainly provided practical advantages. The disciples could lean on each other for mutual support and encouragement, helping each other to stay on task and to put their heads together to pray and problem-solve. This teamwork approach is just as relevant to us modern-day Christian stewards. It takes courage and commitment to go out and invite others into the Christian life. We need to work together to do it well.
 
But there is also symbolic importance to working in teams. It points to the reality that when we invite others to embrace the Good News of the Gospel, we are not merely inviting them into a belief system, but into a relationship with Christ and through that relationship, into Christ’s family — our fellow Christian disciples near and far. 
 
Our parish is, in a sense, our immediate spiritual family in this extended worldwide fold. We are not meant to live as isolated individuals within the parish any more than we are meant to live in isolation within our families. We are meant to be a community. That is why it is so important for us to foster a vibrant, supportive, welcoming parish life. This is why we emphasize hospitality as one of the pillars of stewardship. It is not enough just to point others to Christ, we must invite them to join us in community with Him; we must offer a place and mission for them in the Church and within our parish family.
 
Next, Christ instructs, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Who are the laborers that our Lord speaks of? Perhaps it is the clergy and religious who first come to mind. And we certainly have a duty to pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. But we confirmed Catholics are also HIs laborers, called by Christ to bring others to Him and to join us in the life of Christian discipleship.
 
How are we to do this?  We are to go first to God in prayer. Inviting people into the Kingdom of Christ is above all a spiritual endeavor so our Lord reminds us to seek God’s wisdom before approaching others. The harvest, after all, belongs to Him. We simply have the privilege of helping with the harvesting. This also reminds us that it is not primarily through “Catholic guilt trips” that we will ignite in others a passion for serving Christ and living the Gospel. It is God Himself who must be at work in us as we call others to the Christian life.
 
The very next instruction Christ gives is this: “Go on your way.” Yes, we must pray for each other, for our families, and for our parish. But then we must go! The Good News of Christ is meant to be shared, and not just within the confines of our own parish family. We must take it out wherever our way leads us — in our neighborhood, at our workplace, in our social life. This is the essence and purpose of a stewardship way of life.
 
This week, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work on the harvest all around us.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 10th July 2022

First reading
Deuteronomy 30:10-14
The Law is not beyond your strength or beyond your reach

    Moses said to the people: ‘Obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping those commandments and laws of his that are written in the Book of this Law, and you shall return to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.

    ‘For this Law that I enjoin on you today is not beyond your strength or beyond your reach. It is not in heaven, so that you need to wonder, “Who will go up to heaven for us and bring it down to us, so that we may hear it and keep it?” Nor is it beyond the seas, so that you need to wonder, “Who will cross the seas for us and bring it back to us, so that we may hear it and keep it?” No, the Word is very near to you, it is in your mouth and in your heart for your observance.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 68(69):14,17,30-31,33-34,36-37

Seek the Lord, you who are poor, and your hearts will revive

This is my prayer to you,
    my prayer for your favour.
In your great love, answer me, O God,
    with your help that never fails:
Lord, answer, for your love is kind;
    in your compassion, turn towards me.

Seek the Lord, you who are poor, and your hearts will revive

As for me in my poverty and pain
    let your help, O God, lift me up.
I will praise God’s name with a song;
    I will glorify him with thanksgiving.

Seek the Lord, you who are poor, and your hearts will revive

The poor when they see it will be glad
    and God-seeking hearts will revive;
for the Lord listens to the needy
    and does not spurn his servants in their chains.

Seek the Lord, you who are poor, and your hearts will revive

For God will bring help to Zion
    and rebuild the cities of Judah
    and men shall dwell there in possession.
The sons of his servants shall inherit it;
    those who love his name shall dwell there.

Seek the Lord, you who are poor, and your hearts will revive

________

Second reading
Colossians 1:15-20
All things were created through Christ and for Christ

Christ Jesus is the image of the unseen God
and the first-born of all creation,
for in him were created
all things in heaven and on earth:
everything visible and everything invisible,
Thrones, Dominations, Sovereignties, Powers –
all things were created through him and for him.
Before anything was created, he existed,
and he holds all things in unity.
Now the Church is his body,
he is its head.

As he is the Beginning,
he was first to be born from the dead,
so that he should be first in every way;
because God wanted all perfection
to be found in him
and all things to be reconciled through him and for him,
everything in heaven and everything on earth,
when he made peace
by his death on the cross.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn10:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, 
says the Lord, 
I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

Or:
cf.Jn6:63,68

Alleluia, alleluia!

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

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 10:25-37
The good Samaritan

    There was a lawyer who, to disconcert Jesus, stood up and said to him, ‘Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? What do you read there?’ He replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.’ ‘You have answered right,’ said Jesus ‘do this and life is yours.’

    But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead. Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said “and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have.” Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’ ‘The one who took pity on him’ he replied. Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 03rd July 2022

First reading
Isaiah 66:10-14
Towards Jerusalem I send flowing peace, like a river

Rejoice, Jerusalem,
be glad for her, all you who love her!
Rejoice, rejoice for her,
all you who mourned her!

That you may be suckled, filled,
from her consoling breast,
that you may savour with delight
her glorious breasts.

For thus says the Lord:
Now towards her I send flowing
peace, like a river,
and like a stream in spate
the glory of the nations.

At her breast will her nurslings be carried
and fondled in her lap.
Like a son comforted by his mother
will I comfort you.
And by Jerusalem you will be comforted.

At the sight your heart will rejoice,
and your bones flourish like the grass.
To his servants the Lord will reveal his hand.

The word of the Lord.

___________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 65(66):1-7,16,20

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

Cry out with joy to God all the earth,
    O sing to the glory of his name.
O render him glorious praise.
    Say to God: ‘How tremendous your deeds!

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

‘Before you all the earth shall bow;
    shall sing to you, sing to your name!’
Come and see the works of God,
    tremendous his deeds among men.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

He turned the sea into dry land,
    they passed through the river dry-shod.
Let our joy then be in him;
    he rules for ever by his might.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

Come and hear, all who fear God.
    I will tell what he did for my soul:
Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer
    nor withhold his love from me.

Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.

________

Second reading
Galatians 6:14-18
The marks on my body are those of Jesus

    The only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. It does not matter if a person is circumcised or not; what matters is for him to become an altogether new creature. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, who form the Israel of God.

    I want no more trouble from anybody after this; the marks on my body are those of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, my brothers. Amen.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn15:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

I call you friends, says the Lord,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.

Alleluia!

Or:
Col3:15,16

Alleluia, alleluia!

May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts;

let the message of Christ find a home with you.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 10:1-12,17-20
Your peace will rest on that man

    The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road.

    ‘Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house.

    ‘Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.” But whenever you enter a town and they do not make you welcome, go out into its streets and say, “We wipe off the very dust of your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God is very near.” I tell you, on that day it will not go as hard with Sodom as with that town.’

    The seventy-two came back rejoicing. ‘Lord,’ they said ‘even the devils submit to us when we use your name.’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 03rd July 2022

In today’s Gospel passage, from Luke, we find our Lord appointing disciples to go out and prepare others to receive His invitation into the Kingdom of God. Every verse has something to say about the way a Christian steward should approach others. Let’s consider at least a few of the coaching tips Christ gives.
 
“The Lord appointed seventy-two others whom He sent out ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place He intended to visit.” In His wisdom, Christ sent His disciples out not as individuals but in pairs, as teams. This approach to evangelization certainly provided practical advantages. The disciples could lean on each other for mutual support and encouragement, helping each other to stay on task and to put their heads together to pray and problem-solve. This teamwork approach is just as relevant to us modern-day Christian stewards. It takes courage and commitment to go out and invite others into the Christian life. We need to work together to do it well.
 
But there is also symbolic importance to working in teams. It points to the reality that when we invite others to embrace the Good News of the Gospel, we are not merely inviting them into a belief system, but into a relationship with Christ and through that relationship, into Christ’s family — our fellow Christian disciples near and far. 
 
Our parish is, in a sense, our immediate spiritual family in this extended worldwide fold. We are not meant to live as isolated individuals within the parish any more than we are meant to live in isolation within our families. We are meant to be a community. That is why it is so important for us to foster a vibrant, supportive, welcoming parish life. This is why we emphasize hospitality as one of the pillars of stewardship. It is not enough just to point others to Christ, we must invite them to join us in community with Him; we must offer a place and mission for them in the Church and within our parish family.
 
Next, Christ instructs, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Who are the laborers that our Lord speaks of? Perhaps it is the clergy and religious who first come to mind. And we certainly have a duty to pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. But we confirmed Catholics are also HIs laborers, called by Christ to bring others to Him and to join us in the life of Christian discipleship.
 
How are we to do this?  We are to go first to God in prayer. Inviting people into the Kingdom of Christ is above all a spiritual endeavor so our Lord reminds us to seek God’s wisdom before approaching others. The harvest, after all, belongs to Him. We simply have the privilege of helping with the harvesting. This also reminds us that it is not primarily through “Catholic guilt trips” that we will ignite in others a passion for serving Christ and living the Gospel. It is God Himself who must be at work in us as we call others to the Christian life.
 
The very next instruction Christ gives is this: “Go on your way.” Yes, we must pray for each other, for our families, and for our parish. But then we must go! The Good News of Christ is meant to be shared, and not just within the confines of our own parish family. We must take it out wherever our way leads us — in our neighborhood, at our workplace, in our social life. This is the essence and purpose of a stewardship way of life.
 
This week, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work on the harvest all around us.