Mass Reading: Sunday - 28th August 2022

First reading
Ecclesiasticus 3:19-21,30-31

Behave humbly, and you will find favour with the Lord

My son, be gentle in carrying out your business,
    and you will be better loved than a lavish giver.
The greater you are, the more you should behave humbly,
    and then you will find favour with the Lord;
for great though the power of the Lord is,
    he accepts the homage of the humble.
There is no cure for the proud man’s malady,
    since an evil growth has taken root in him.
The heart of a sensible man will reflect on parables,
    an attentive ear is the sage’s dream.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 67(68):4-7,10-11

In your goodness, O God, you prepared a home for the poor.

The just shall rejoice at the presence of God,
    they shall exult and dance for joy.
O sing to the Lord, make music to his name;
    rejoice in the Lord, exult at his presence.

In your goodness, O God, you prepared a home for the poor.

Father of the orphan, defender of the widow,
    such is God in his holy place.
God gives the lonely a home to live in;
    he leads the prisoners forth into freedom:

In your goodness, O God, you prepared a home for the poor.

You poured down, O God, a generous rain:
    when your people were starved you gave them new life.
It was there that your people found a home,
    prepared in your goodness, O God, for the poor.

In your goodness, O God, you prepared a home for the poor.

________

Second reading
Hebrews 12:18-19,22-24
You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God

What you have come to is nothing known to the senses: not a blazing fire, or a gloom turning to total darkness, or a storm; or trumpeting thunder or the great voice speaking which made everyone that heard it beg that no more should be said to them. But what you have come to is Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem where the millions of angels have gathered for the festival, with the whole Church in which everyone is a ‘first-born son’ and a citizen of heaven. You have come to God himself, the supreme Judge, and been placed with spirits of the saints who have been made perfect; and to Jesus, the mediator who brings a new covenant and a blood for purification which pleads more insistently than Abel’s.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, 
and we shall come to him.

Alleluia!

Or:
Mt11:29

Alleluia, alleluia!

Shoulder my yoke and learn from me,
says the Lord,
for I am gentle and humble in heart.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 14:1,7-14
Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled

    On a sabbath day Jesus had gone for a meal to the house of one of the leading Pharisees; and they watched him closely. He then told the guests a parable, because he had noticed how they picked the places of honour. He said this, ‘When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. A more distinguished person than you may have been invited, and the person who invited you both may come and say, “Give up your place to this man.” And then, to your embarrassment, you would have to go and take the lowest place. No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that, when your host comes, he may say, “My friend, move up higher.” In that way, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

    Then he said to his host, ‘When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends, brothers, relations or rich neighbours, for fear they repay your courtesy by inviting you in return. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 28th August 2022

 

SIR 3: 17-18, 20,28-29; PS 68: 4-7, 10-11; HEB 12:18-19, 22-24A; LK 14:1, 7-14

Today’s readings remind us of a chief virtue that characterizes the Christian steward: humility. This is a virtue that is widely thought of as a form of self-abasement. But that understanding is off the mark. Humility is simply the awareness of who (and Whose) we truly are. 

On one hand, we are children of the Most High God who loved us into existence; children whose Father sent His son to die for our sins, children who, by virtue of our Baptism, have the Holy Trinity dwelling within us. On the other hand, we are children who are completely dependent on God for our very existence and for every breath we take. The Christian steward lives with an awareness of these two realities — our great dignity as sons and daughters of God, and our total dependence on Him for all that we are and all that we have been given.

Our First Reading, from Sirach, instructs, “What is too sublime for you, seek not, into things beyond your strength search not.” As Christian stewards, aware of our total dependence on God, we must be content with “being little.” We recognize that all that we have and all that we are is an unmerited gift from God. All bragging rights belong to Him, not us.

Our Lord speaks of true humility and the kind of outlook that goes along with it in our Gospel passage from Luke. While at a dinner party in the home of one of the leading Pharisees, Jesus observes the guests at the party jockeying for the most prestigious spots at the table. 

He takes the opportunity to tell a parable (which sounds amazingly like the real-life situation that is happening at the very dinner party Christ is attending. Our Lord really has a wonderful sense of humor!) He says if you get invited to, say, a wedding banquet, not to take a place of honor at the table. He warns that a more distinguished guest might arrive and then embarrassment would ensue as you have to make your way to a less prestigious spot. 

In sharing this parable, Jesus has in mind much more than an etiquette lesson. He is reminding us that all glory belongs to God. The visual image He offers in having to slink down to a lower seat at the table points out how silly we are when we forget to give God the credit for our blessings and talents. Jesus says, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” When we live in humility — recognizing that all we have is gift from God and using those gifts to serve Him and others, then God “exalts” us, by filling us with even more of Himself and His grace.

Jesus goes on to encourage us to actively seek to serve and share our blessings with people facing circumstances that would make it impossible for them to offer us any worldly advantage or prestige — people who are in poverty or have disabilities or infirmities of any kind. "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.

Our attitude and how we serve and share should be centered on true humility — recognizing that we are all “little” ones in the eyes of God. We are all His children; brothers and sisters invited to our Father’s heavenly banquet.

 . 

Mass Reading: Sunday - 21st Autust 2022

First reading
Isaiah 66:18-21
They will bring all your brothers from all the nations

The Lord says this: I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They shall come to witness my glory. I will give them a sign and send some of their survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Put, Lud, Moshech, Rosh, Tubal, and Javan, to the distant islands that have never heard of me or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory to the nations. As an offering to the Lord they will bring all your brothers, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, on dromedaries, from all the nations to my holy mountain in Jerusalem, says the Lord, like Israelites bringing oblations in clean vessels to the Temple of the Lord. And of some of them I will make priests and Levites, says the Lord.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 116(117)

Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.

O praise the Lord, all you nations,
    acclaim him all you peoples!

Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.

Strong is his love for us;
    he is faithful for ever.

Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.

________

Second reading
Hebrews 12:5-7,11-13
The Lord trains the one he loves

Have you forgotten that encouraging text in which you are addressed as sons? My son, when the Lord corrects you, do not treat it lightly; but do not get discouraged when he reprimands you. For the Lord trains the ones that he loves and he punishes all those that he acknowledges as his sons. Suffering is part of your training; God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose father did not train him? Of course, any punishment is most painful at the time, and far from pleasant; but later, in those on whom it has been used, it bears fruit in peace and goodness. So hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth out the path you tread; then the injured limb will not be wrenched, it will grow strong again.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, 
and we shall come to him.

Alleluia!

Or:
Jn14:6

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus said: ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one can come to the Father except through me.’

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 13:22-30
The last shall be first and the first last

    Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.

    ‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will find yourself saying, “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets” but he will reply, “I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!”

    ‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.

    ‘Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 21st August 2022

 IS 66:18-21; PS 117: 1-2; HEB 12:5-7, 11-13; LK 13:22-30

Today’s readings show us that it is not enough to be Christ’s disciples in name only. To be a real disciple, we must live for Christ every day and in every aspect of life. This kind of life takes strength and discipline.

In fact, the Second Reading, from the Letter to the Hebrews, mentions “discipline” five times in the six verses of today’s passage. Some examples: “Do not disdain the discipline of the Lord.” “Endure your trials as discipline.” “Whom the Lord loves, He disciplines.” In this passage we also learn why we should embrace God’s discipline: “Later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.”

Intentionally and consistently offering the Lord the best of our Time, Talent, and Treasure through a stewardship way of life is a form of spiritual discipline. These spiritual disciplines teach us to become ever more aware of God’s constant provision for us and they keep us on the narrow path towards the Kingdom of Heaven. The more we embrace this way of life, the more we can be “trained” by the Lord in the ways of true discipleship. Though difficult, these disciplines become a source of spiritual strength.

Our Lord Himself speaks of the difficult path to the Kingdom of Heaven in today’s Gospel passage from Luke. He is asked, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” Jesus responds, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” 

Then He goes on to tell the parable of the master of the house who locked his door to those outside. Jesus says, “You will stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord open the door for us.’” But the master will say in reply that he does not know them. Jesus continues, “And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ But the master will insist, ‘I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers.’” Showing up for Mass on Sunday while living as if Christ is an afterthought the rest of the week does not make us disciples. What’s more, this approach to our faith is an unjust and unloving response to our good God who has given us all that we have and are. 

Jesus does not want us to merely go through the motions of faith. He wants much more from us and for us. He wants to know us deeply and for us to get to know Him so that we become His holy disciples. This is not a burden; it is a privilege. But it does take discipline, the discipline of a stewardship way of life.

At the end of the Gospel passage, Jesus leaves us with great hope that it is indeed possible to make it through the narrow gate. He tells us, “People will come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.” Holiness of life, true discipleship, is meant for everyone — young and old, rich and poor, powerful and lowly. 

In the week ahead let’s strive to embrace the spiritual disciplines that can transform us into real disciples of Christ and lead us into the Kingdom of God.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 14th August 2022

JER 38:4-6, 8-10; PS 40:2-4,18; HEB 12:1-4; LK 12:49-53

Today’s readings set a high bar for us Christian stewards, reminding us that a stewardship way of life is meant be a challenging way of life. 

 
The bar is set immediately, beginning in the first verse of our Old Testament reading from Jeremiah:  The king is told, “Jeremiah ought to be put to death” for “demoralizing” the people. What had Jeremiah been doing to merit such a punishment? He was speaking out against corruption and unjust treatment of the poor. For speaking God’s truth to those around him, Jeremiah gets thrown into a cistern where he is left to die. Later in the passage we learn that the king relents and sends someone to rescue Jeremiah from the cistern. Even so, some thanks he gets for preaching God’s word!

In the second reading, from the Letter to the Hebrews, we are told to live as Christ lived. And how did Christ live?  “For the sake of the joy that lay before Him He endured the cross.” If we are tempted to complain about the sufferings we must endure in living as Christ’s disciples, we are told, “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.”  In other words, “If you’re not bleeding, what are you complaining about?” That is quite a high bar! 

The Gospel reading from Luke continues this challenging theme. Our Lord tells His disciples “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing.” A couple of verses later Jesus adds, “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

Jesus’s life on this earth and the message He brought were not meant to simply make us feel good. In fact, His words can make us downright uncomfortable at times. That’s because His Good News (and it is indeed good news!) Is meant to change us, to make saints of us. 

Another verse in our second reading encourages us to embrace this challenging way of life. “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [our big brothers and sisters, the saints] let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.”

The stewardship way of life helps us to stay in good racing shape. By putting God first in all areas of our lives, we rid ourselves of the burden and sinfulness of over-attachment to ourselves and our things. We get lean and fit and strong for the long race to Heaven. We begin to look and act more like Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. 

The stewardship way of life sets a high bar indeed. But deeply embraced, this way of life focused on God and others will make us the saints we are called to be.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 14th August 2022

First reading
Jeremiah 38:4-6,8-10
'Do not let the prophet die'

    The king’s leading men spoke to the king. ‘Let Jeremiah be put to death: he is unquestionably disheartening the remaining soldiers in the city, and all the people too, by talking like this. The fellow does not have the welfare of this people at heart so much as its ruin.’ ‘He is in your hands as you know,’ King Zedekiah answered ‘for the king is powerless against you.’ So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the well of Prince Malchiah in the Court of the Guard, letting him down with ropes. There was no water in the well, only mud, and into the mud Jeremiah sank.

    Ebed-melech came out from the palace and spoke to the king. ‘My lord king,’ he said ‘these men have done a wicked thing by treating the prophet Jeremiah like this: they have thrown him into the well, where he will die.’ At this the king gave Ebed-melech the Cushite the following order: ‘Take three men with you from here and pull the prophet Jeremiah out of the well before he dies.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 39(40):2-4,18

Lord, come to my aid!

I waited, I waited for the Lord
    and he stooped down to me;
    he heard my cry.

Lord, come to my aid!

He drew me from the deadly pit,
    from the miry clay.
He set my feet upon a rock
    and made my footsteps firm.

Lord, come to my aid!

He put a new song into my mouth,
    praise of our God.
Many shall see and fear
    and shall trust in the Lord.

Lord, come to my aid!

As for me, wretched and poor,
    the Lord thinks of me.
You are my rescuer, my help,
    O God, do not delay.

Lord, come to my aid!

________

Second reading
Hebrews 12:1-4
We should keep running steadily in the race we have started

With so many witnesses in a great cloud on every side of us, we too, then, should throw off everything that hinders us, especially the sin that clings so easily, and keep running steadily in the race we have started. Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection: for the sake of the joy which was still in the future, he endured the cross, disregarding the shamefulness of it, and from now on has taken his place at the right of God’s throne. Think of the way he stood such opposition from sinners and then you will not give up for want of courage. In the fight against sin, you have not yet had to keep fighting to the point of death.

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:
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!

________

Gospel
Luke 12:49-53
How I wish it were blazing already!

    Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already! There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress till it is over!

    ‘Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three; the father divided against the son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 07th August 2022

First reading

Wisdom 18:6-9

You made us glorious by calling us to you

That night had been foretold to our ancestors, so that,

once they saw what kind of oaths they had put their trust in,

they would joyfully take courage.

This was the expectation of your people,

the saving of the virtuous and the ruin of their enemies;

for by the same act with which you took vengeance on our foes

you made us glorious by calling us to you.

The devout children of worthy men offered sacrifice in secret

and this divine pact they struck with one accord:

that the saints would share the same blessings and dangers alike;

and forthwith they had begun to chant the hymns of the fathers.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 32(33):1,12,18-20,22

Happy are the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just;

    for praise is fitting for loyal hearts.

They are happy, whose God is the Lord,

    the people he has chosen as his own.

Happy are the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

The Lord looks on those who revere him,

    on those who hope in his love,

to rescue their souls from death,

    to keep them alive in famine.

Happy are the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

Our soul is waiting for the Lord.

    The Lord is our help and our shield.

May your love be upon us, O Lord,

    as we place all our hope in you.

Happy are the people the Lord has chosen as his own.

________

Second reading

Hebrews 11:1-2,8-19

Abraham looked forward to a city founded, designed and built by God

    Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present remain unseen. It was for faith that our ancestors were commended.

    It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call to set out for a country that was the inheritance given to him and his descendants, and that he set out without knowing where he was going. By faith he arrived, as a foreigner, in the Promised Land, and lived there as if in a strange country, with Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. They lived there in tents while he looked forward to a city founded, designed and built by God.

    It was equally by faith that Sarah, in spite of being past the age, was made able to conceive, because she believed that he who had made the promise would be faithful to it. Because of this, there came from one man, and one who was already as good as dead himself, more descendants than could be counted, as many as the stars of heaven or the grains of sand on the seashore.

    All these died in faith, before receiving any of the things that had been promised, but they saw them in the far distance and welcomed them, recognising that they were only strangers and nomads on earth. People who use such terms about themselves make it quite plain that they are in search of their real homeland. They can hardly have meant the country they came from, since they had the opportunity to go back to it; but in fact they were longing for a better homeland, their heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, since he has founded the city for them.

    It was by faith that Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He offered to sacrifice his only son even though the promises had been made to him and he had been told: It is through Isaac that your name will be carried on. He was confident that God had the power even to raise the dead; and so, figuratively speaking, he was given back Isaac from the dead.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation

Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father, 

Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt24:42 44

Alleluia, alleluia!

Stay awake and stand ready,

because you do not know the hour

when the Son of Man is coming.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel

Luke 12:32-48

You too must stand ready

    Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.

    ‘Sell your possessions and give alms. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

    ‘See that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on them. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the third, but happy those servants if he finds them ready. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

    Peter said, ‘Lord, do you mean this parable for us, or for everyone?’ The Lord replied, ‘What sort of steward, then, is faithful and wise enough for the master to place him over his household to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment. I tell you truly, he will place him over everything he owns. But as for the servant who says to himself, “My master is taking his time coming,” and sets about beating the menservants and the maids, and eating and drinking and getting drunk, his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful.

    The servant who knows what his master wants, but has not even started to carry out those wishes, will receive very many strokes of the lash. The one who did not know, but deserves to be beaten for what he has done, will receive fewer strokes. When a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 07th August 2022

WIS 18: 6-9; PS 33: 1, 12, 18-19, 20-22; HEB 11: 1-2, 8-19 or HEB 11: 1-2, 8-12; 

LK 12:32-48 or LK 12: 35-40

Whether you are just beginning your stewardship journey or have been living a stewardship way of life for years, today’s readings invite us to ask ourselves two potentially life-changing questions.

 
The first question is this: “What do you treasure?” Of course, we all know the “right” answer to this question: we treasure our faith, our family, and our friendships. But Jesus tells us in the Gospel passage from Luke how we can discover the real answer to this question. He says, “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” 

To bring to light what we truly treasure in life, we can each ask ourselves, “Where do I spend the majority of my energy? Where do I find my thoughts dwelling? How do I choose to spend my time when I find myself with a few spare moments? What do my spending habits reveal about my what is important to me?

As Christian stewards, we are called to live our lives in grateful response to all that God has given us. Do I recognize and treasure these gifts?  

The second question today’s readings ask is this: “What would you do if you were not afraid?” To put it another way, “What would you do if you had radical faith in God?” The second reading from the letter to the Hebrews defines faith as “the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” 

This passage inspires us with the faith shown by Abraham. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. By faith he sojourned in the promised land... By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age.”

Abraham was a senior citizen when he received the seemingly crazy invitation from God to take his entire household and head out to an unknown destination. He was an elderly man with an elderly wife and no heirs when God promised to give him countless descendants. Putting his faith in God, Abraham rose above all the fears and doubts he may have had and set out, following God’s call to him “for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.”

In the Gospel, Jesus tells us plainly, “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” If our perfect Father is pleased to offer us nothing less than His Son right now, and Heaven eventually, then what on earth have we to be afraid of?

So, what would our lives look like if we lived unafraid? If we had the kind of radical faith that Abraham showed in ancient days. What ministry might I take on? Or, what projects might I pass up at work so that I can be more present at home? What is the risk God is asking me to take as an act of faith in Him and gratitude for all He has given me?

Later in this Gospel passage Jesus challenges us with these words. “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

There is so much to think about this week. Let’s ask ourselves what we really treasure, and then take a bold risk — faith-filled and unafraid — to show our gratitude to God for all that He has given to us.