Mass Reading: Sunday - 30th October 2022

First reading
Wisdom 11:22-12:2
You are merciful to all, because you love all that exists

    In your sight, Lord, the whole world is like a grain of dust that tips the scales,
like a drop of morning dew falling on the ground.
Yet you are merciful to all, because you can do all things
and overlook men’s sins so that they can repent.

    Yes, you love all that exists, you hold nothing of what you have made in abhorrence,
for had you hated anything, you would not have formed it.
And how, had you not willed it, could a thing persist,
how be conserved if not called forth by you?

    You spare all things because all things are yours, Lord, lover of life,
you whose imperishable spirit is in all.
Little by little, therefore, you correct those who offend,
you admonish and remind them of how they have sinned,
so that they may abstain from evil and trust in you, Lord.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 144(145):1-2,8-11,13b-14

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

I will give you glory, O God my king,
    I will bless your name for ever.
I will bless you day after day
    and praise your name for ever.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
How good is the Lord to all,
    compassionate to all his creatures.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
    and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
    and declare your might, O God.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

The Lord is faithful in all his words
    and loving in all his deeds.
The Lord supports all who fall
    and raises all who are bowed down.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

________

Second reading
2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2
The name of Christ will be glorified in you, and you in him

    We pray continually that our God will make you worthy of his call, and by his power fulfil all your desires for goodness and complete all that you have been doing through faith; because in this way the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified in you and you in him, by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
    To turn now, brothers, to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we shall all be gathered round him: please do not get excited too soon or alarmed by any prediction or rumour or any letter claiming to come from us, implying that the Day of the Lord has already arrived.


The word of the Lord.

________


Gospel Acclamation
cf.Lk19:38,2:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessings on the King who comes,
in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest heavens!

Alleluia!

Or:
Jn3:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son:
everyone who believes in him has eternal life.

Alleluia!


________

Gospel
Luke 19:1-10
Salvation comes to the house of Zacchaeus

    Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance: he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’ And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully. They all complained when they saw what was happening. ‘He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house’ they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, ‘Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 30th October 2022

 

 WIS 11:22-12:2; PS 145:1-2, 8-11,13,14; 2 THES 1:11-2:2; LK 19:1-10

In the modern world, it is easy to view each other with suspicion or at least a certain guardedness. We are told at the airport to watch out for our luggage and report any suspicious activity. We install security systems on our homes and alarms on our cars. We scroll through our phones in waiting rooms rather than make eye contact and small talk with the people sitting near us. 

Of course, it’s wise to be prudent in our dealings with people. But stewardship living calls us to a different outlook towards others. It calls us to approach everyone with an open heart — not through a lens of suspicion but quite the opposite, through the lens of loving hospitality.

This is the attitude of our heavenly Father when He looks upon creation, as we see in our first reading from the Book of Wisdom. “For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made for you would not fashion what you hate… But you spare all things, because they are yours, O Ruler and Lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things!” What a loving and kind Father we have who sees the goodness in all His creation and all His children. God’s “imperishable spirit” is in every person because every person is made in God’s own image and likeness. 

Far deeper than good manners or a superficial exchange of pleasantries, the virtue of hospitality is the outward expression of this way of seeing people as God sees them. If we are willing to practice radical Christian hospitality in our daily lives, our families, our workplace, and our parish community can be transformed.

Jesus models this transforming hospitality in His encounter with Zacchaeus, the tax collector, in today’s Gospel reading from Luke. The passage begins, “At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.” Our Lord had plans that day and a mission to fulfill. He did not intend to stop in Jericho. But Zacchaeus was in Jericho and Zacchaeus needed Jesus. So, our Lord, who is the epitome of hospitality, graciously set aside His plans for the sake of the tax collector.

Not content with just exchanging a friendly hello with Zaccheus, Jesus seeks him out of the crowd and insists on having dinner in his home. “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” This was a gesture of intimacy and true fellowship in that day and culture. The gesture was scoffed at by the crowd who viewed the tax collector with suspicion. 

But Jesus saw the goodness within the man. Our Lord’s open and welcoming attitude (His hospitality) called forth that goodness and Zaccheus was transformed instantly. “Behold half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.”

Let us Christian stewards resolve to practice radical hospitality towards everyone we encounter this week. Let us pray that God will open our minds and soften our hearts to those around us so that we are ready to set aside our own plans for their sake, find the goodness within them, and call it forth as Jesus does for each one of us.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 23rd October 2022

 SIR 35:12-14, 16-18; PS 34: 2-3, 17-19, 23; 2 TM 4:6-8,16-18; LK 18:9-14

One of the wonderful aspects of stewardship spirituality is its balanced approach to all areas of life. We see this balance in play as we continue to explore the Pillar of Prayer. As stewards, aware of our total dependence on God for everything, we come to Him in awe and gratitude. At the same time, we approach God with an awareness of the great dignity He has given us, creating us in His own image and likeness and calling us to join Him in the work of advancing His kingdom. 
 
In last week’s readings we were encouraged to remain persistent and constant in our prayer life. Today we focus on the proper attitude of a steward at prayer.
 
The first reading, from the Book of Sirach, gives us the confidence to turn to God with all our needs assuring us that “the Lord is a God of justice, who knows no favorites. Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed.” Whether rich and powerful or poor and obscure, our loving Father delights in hearing from all His children. We are all His favorites! 
 
But we learn that a particular attitude in our approach to prayer will make our prayer lives more effective: “the prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal.” When we pray with a humble attitude, God will respond. 
 
In today’s Gospel from Luke, Jesus Himself gives further instruction on the humble attitude we must have as we approach God in prayer as He tells a parable of two praying men. One is a Pharisee, a man with respected status, theological training and all the right credentials. He marches right up to the front of the temple to speak a prayer “to himself,” thanking God for making him just a little bit superior to everyone else! 
 
The other man is a tax collector, known by all those of his day to be a cheater and a sell-out to his fellow Jews. In contrast to the Pharisee, he stands near the back and cries out to God in a simple and honest way: “Be merciful to me a sinner.”
 
Jesus tells us that it is the tax collector and not the Pharisee who leaves the temple justified. Why?
 
The Pharisee was full of self as he approached God. He felt no real need for God as he rattled off his resume of good works and spiritual practices. He was simply going through the motions of prayer. His lack of humility prevented him from entering a real dialogue with the Father. He was not transformed by his time of prayer because he was so full of himself that He left God no space to enter in.
 
The tax collector, by contrast, emptied himself as he approached God. He recognized who he truly was (a sinner) and asked simply for mercy, leaving all the rest up to God. This is the kind of attitude that God can work with! This is how a good steward prays — with trust, with complete openness to God’s will, with a listening mind and heart, ready to serve as God leads.
 
The good steward knows he needs God, and that God has chosen to need him in advancing the Kingdom. His prayers pierce the clouds and God is glorified! 

Mass Reading: Sunday - 23rd October 2022

First reading
Ecclesiasticus 35:12-14, 16-19
The humble man's prayer pierces the clouds

The Lord is a judge
    who is no respecter of personages.
He shows no respect of personages to the detriment of a poor man,
    he listens to the plea of the injured party.
He does not ignore the orphan’s supplication,
    nor the widow’s as she pours out her story.
The man who with his whole heart serves God will be accepted,
    his petitions will carry to the clouds.
The humble man’s prayer pierces the clouds,
    until it arrives he is inconsolable,
And the Lord will not be slow,
    nor will he be dilatory on their behalf.

The word of the Lord.

All reply:

Thanks be to God.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 33(34):2-3,17-19,23

This poor man called; the Lord has heard him.

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.

This poor man called; the Lord has heard him.

The Lord turns his face against the wicked
    to destroy their remembrance from the earth.
The just call and the Lord hears
    and rescues them in all their distress.

This poor man called; the Lord has heard him.

The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;
    those whose spirit is crushed he will save.
The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants.
    Those who hide in him shall not be condemned.

This poor man called; the Lord has heard him.

________

Second reading
2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18
All there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me

    My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.

    The first time I had to present my defence, there was not a single witness to support me. Every one of them deserted me – may they not be held accountable for it. But the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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:

2Co5:19

Alleluia, alleluia!

God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 18:9-14
The tax collector, not the Pharisee, went home justified.

    Jesus spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else: ‘Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.” The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 16th October 2022

First reading
Exodus 17:8-13
As long as Moses kept his arm raised, Israel had the advantage

    The Amalekites came and attacked Israel at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, ‘Pick out men for yourself, and tomorrow morning march out to engage Amalek. I, meanwhile, will stand on the hilltop, the staff of God in my hand.’ Joshua did as Moses told him and marched out to engage Amalek, while Moses and Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill. As long as Moses kept his arms raised, Israel had the advantage; when he let his arms fall, the advantage went to Amalek. But Moses’ arms grew heavy, so they took a stone and put it under him and on this he sat, Aaron and Hur supporting his arms, one on one side, one on the other; and his arms remained firm till sunset. With the edge of the sword Joshua cut down Amalek and his people.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 120(121)

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains;
    from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord
    who made heaven and earth.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

May he never allow you to stumble!
    Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,
    Israel’s guard.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The Lord is your guard and your shade;
    at your right side he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you
    nor the moon in the night.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The Lord will guard you from evil,
    he will guard your soul.
The Lord will guard your going and coming
    both now and for ever.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

________

Second reading
2 Timothy 3:14-4:2
The man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work

    You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teachers were, and how, ever since you were a child, you have known the holy scriptures – from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people’s lives and teaching them to be holy. This is how the man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work.

    Before God and before Christ Jesus who is to be judge of the living and the dead, I put this duty to you, in the name of his Appearing and of his kingdom: proclaim the message and, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, call to obedience – but do all with patience and with the intention of teaching.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
cf.Ep1:17,18

Alleluia, alleluia!

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.

Alleluia!

Or:
Heb4:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

The word of God is something alive and active:
it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 18:1-8
The parable of the unjust judge

    Jesus told his disciples a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. ‘There was a judge in a certain town’ he said ‘who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. In the same town there was a widow who kept on coming to him and saying, “I want justice from you against my enemy!” For a long time he refused, but at last he said to himself, “Maybe I have neither fear of God nor respect for man, but since she keeps pestering me I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.”’

    And the Lord said ‘You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 16th October 2022

EX 17:8-13; PS 121:1-8; 1-4;2 TM 3:14-4:2; LK 18:1-8

The four pillars of parish stewardship are hospitality, prayer, formation, and service. They are intentionally presented in this order with the idea that we cannot expect people to respond to calls to increase their prayer life, their formation, and their service within and outside the parish, if they do not first feel welcomed and valued through warmth of hospitality. It just makes good sense. 
 
However, those who are already well-versed in the spirituality and practicalities of stewardship, know well that stewardship cannot succeed unless it is steeped in prayer. Today’s readings show us the immense value of prayer and the privileged place it must have in our individual lives and in our parish community.
 
In our first reading, from Exodus, we find Moses interceding for the Israelites as they engage in a fierce battle against Amalek. As long as Moses keeps his hands raised, the Israelites succeed. But when his hands grow tired and droop, the Israelites begin to lose ground.
 
In his wisdom, Moses anticipated that he would need support from his community as he engaged in this spiritual battle. He brought Aaron and Hur along with him to support him (quite literally) as he began to grow weary. Moses relied on his friends to hold his hands up so that they remained steady until the battle was won. We modern-day stewards would do well to follow the example of Moses and gather together in our families and as a faith community to support each other in our own spiritual battles, great or small.
 
In our second reading, from St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, Paul gives wise counsel on a particularly efficacious source of prayer — the Holy Scriptures. He reminds us that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction and for training in righteousness” so that when we truly study it and pray with it, we may be “competent, equipped for every good work” the Lord has for us to do. Paul says that it is not enough to simply study and pray over the Scripture, however. He exhorts us to proclaim it! And to be persistent in proclaiming it “whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.” Since we cannot give what we do not possess, it is vital that we develop a relationship with God and in a special way through praying over His living Word to us.
 
Our Lord Himself continues this call to prayer and persistence in the Gospel passage from Luke. He tells the parable of the nagging widow who finally wears down the judge with her unrelenting persistence in her pursuit of a just ruling from him on her behalf. Jesus goes to great length to describe this judge, saying he “neither feared God nor respected any human.”  Yet even this corrupt judge responds with a just judgment because of the widow’s persistence. 
 
Jesus uses this outlandish example to draw a vivid contrast between a reluctant, dishonest judge and our loving, all-merciful Father. If even a bad judge will give a good result in response to a persistent request, how much more (infinitely more) eagerly and perfectly will our good Father respond to our persistent prayers to Him. If he delays in responding, if he provides a different response than the one we were expecting, we can remain confident and trusting in His goodness, knowing that His response whenever it comes and in whatever form, will be the very best one for us.
 
Our job then, as Christian stewards, is simply to remain faithful to our relationship with God through prayer. We should prioritize the Scriptures as a source of prayer, and we must lean on each other in our communities — family and parish — as we support each other in prayer. A strong pillar of prayer will make all our other our stewardship efforts fruitful.
 

Mass Reading: Sunday - 02nd October 2022

First reading
Habakkuk 1:2-3,2:2-4
The upright man will live by his faithfulness

How long, O Lord, am I to cry for help
while you will not listen;
to cry ‘Oppression!’ in your ear
and you will not save?
Why do you set injustice before me,
why do you look on where there is tyranny?
Outrage and violence, this is all I see,
all is contention, and discord flourishes.

Then the Lord answered and said,
‘Write the vision down,
inscribe it on tablets
to be easily read,
since this vision is for its own time only:
eager for its own fulfilment, it does not deceive;
if it comes slowly, wait,
for come it will, without fail.
See how he flags, he whose soul is not at rights,
but the upright man will live by his faithfulness.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 94(95):1-2,6-9

O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.’

Come, ring out our joy to the Lord;
    hail the rock who saves us.
Let us come before him, giving thanks,
    with songs let us hail the Lord.

O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.’

Come in; let us bow and bend low;
    let us kneel before the God who made us:
for he is our God and we
    the people who belong to his pasture,
    the flock that is led by his hand.

O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.

O that today you would listen to his voice!
    ‘Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
    as on that day at Massah in the desert
when your fathers put me to the test;
    when they tried me, though they saw my work.’

O that today you would listen to his voice! ‘Harden not your hearts.’

________

Second reading
2 Timothy 1:6-8,13-14
Never be ashamed of witnessing to our Lord

    I am reminding you to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord, or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but with me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God.

    Keep as your pattern the sound teaching you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. You have been trusted to look after something precious; guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
1S3:9,Jn6:68

Alleluia, alleluia!

Speak, Lord, your servant is listening:
you have the message of eternal life.

Alleluia!

Or:
1P1:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

The word of the Lord remains for ever.
What is this word?
It is the Good News that has been brought to you.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 17:5-10
Say, 'We are merely servants'

    The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.

    ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 02nd October 2022

 

HAB 1:2-3; 2:2-2-4; PS 95:1-2, 6-9; 2 TM 1:6-8, 13-14; LK 17:5-10

 

Our readings today show us that living a stewardship way of life, that is, a life focused on serving God and His Kingdom, is not easy. They also show us that our lives belong to God, not to us and that God will indeed bring about the fulfillment of His kingdom. We just need to have faith that He can do it and commit to our small part in His grand design.
 
We can all relate to the frustration expressed in the First Reading from Habakuk. “How long, O Lord? I cry for help but you do not listen!” “Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery?” The Lord knows that the life of a steward is not easy. When we look around us it can seem as if all our efforts are in vain. We spend time praying but nothing happens. We are faithful to our ministry but no one seems to notice. We give generously of our financial resources but the needs around us remain great. Despite all this, the Lord urges us to remain faithful. “For the vision [the fulfillment of His kingdom] still has its time, presses on to fulfillment and will not disappoint.”
 
Our Second Reading from St. Paul’s letter to Timothy offers encouragement on the difficult path of discipleship, reminding us that we have all the tools we need to remain faithful. Paul says to “stir into flame the gift of God that you have….” Through the sacraments, the Word of God, and the teachings of the Church, we have every possible grace and blessing needed to continue moving forward on the stewardship path. We simply need to return to them over and over so as to stir these gifts into flame. Paul instructs us to “guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.” Relying on the abundant spiritual gifts God has given to us, and relying on the Holy Spirit’s strength, we can bear our share of hardship well for the sake of the Gospel. This is both our privilege and responsibility as Christian stewards.
 
Jesus makes this privilege and responsibility clear in today’s Gospel passage from Luke. When the apostles ask the Lord to increase their faith, He tells them that even a mustard seed-sized faith is all that is needed to move mountains (because it is God who does the heavy lifting). We need only take the tiniest step forward, and He will do the rest. It is a true privilege to cooperate as servants in the work of building His Kingdom.
 
Living our lives in His service is also very much our responsibility as Jesus explains through the parable of the unprofitable servant later in this passage. Our Lord describes a scene in which a servant has just come in from tending to the master’s affairs and asks whether it would be reasonable for the master to begin waiting on his servant. Of course, it would not be reasonable. The servant would be expected to continue to serve his master until he has completed the work the master has given him that day. Jesus says we should have this same attitude before God. The time, talents, and treasure entrusted to us are all God’s. Our very lives belong to God. Whatever we do on God’s behalf with our lives and our gifts is simply our God-given responsibility.
 
The stewardship way of life makes the privilege and responsibility of serving Christ and His kingdom a reality.