Mass Reading: Sunday - 29th October 2023

First reading
Exodus 22:20-26
If you are harsh with the widow and orphan, my anger will flare against you

The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell the sons of Israel this:

    ‘“You must not molest the stranger or oppress him, for you lived as strangers in the land of Egypt. You must not be harsh with the widow, or with the orphan; if you are harsh with them, they will surely cry out to me, and be sure I shall hear their cry; my anger will flare and I shall kill you with the sword, your own wives will be widows, your own children orphans.

    ‘“If you lend money to any of my people, to any poor man among you, you must not play the usurer with him: you must not demand interest from him.

    ‘“If you take another’s cloak as a pledge, you must give it back to him before sunset. It is all the covering he has; it is the cloak he wraps his body in; what else would he sleep in? If he cries to me, I will listen, for I am full of pity.”’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 17(18):2-4,47,51

I love you, Lord, my strength.

I love you, Lord, my strength,
    my rock, my fortress, my saviour.
My God is the rock where I take refuge;
    my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.
The Lord is worthy of all praise,
    when I call I am saved from my foes.

I love you, Lord, my strength.

Long life to the Lord, my rock!
    Praised be the God who saves me,
He has given great victories to his king
    and shown his love for his anointed.

I love you, Lord, my strength.

________

Second reading
1 Thessalonians 1:5-10
You broke with idolatry and became servants of God; you are now waiting for his Son

    You observed the sort of life we lived when we were with you, which was for your instruction, and you were led to become imitators of us, and of the Lord; and it was with the joy of the Holy Spirit that you took to the gospel, in spite of the great opposition all round you. This has made you the great example to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia since it was from you that the word of the Lord started to spread – and not only throughout Macedonia and Achaia, for the news of your faith in God has spread everywhere. We do not need to tell other people about it: other people tell us how we started the work among you, how you broke with idolatry when you were converted to God and became servants of the real, living God; and how you are now waiting for Jesus, his Son, whom he raised from the dead, to come from heaven to save us from the retribution which is coming.

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:
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!

________

Gospel
Matthew 22:34-40
The commandments of love

    When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees they got together and, to disconcert him, one of them put a question, ‘Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ Jesus said, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 29th October 2023

EX 22:20-26; PS 18:2-4, 47, 51; 1 THES 1:5C-10; MT 22:34-40

Today’s readings are all about love — the radical love of God for His people and the radical love we are called to live out in response. The stewardship way of life is nothing more and nothing less than the practical application of loving God and neighbor in our daily lives.
 
From the very beginning, God reveals Himself as a loving and compassionate Father Who has a particular concern for the most vulnerable of His people. He requires this same compassion from His people in our treatment of one another. 
 
Our First Reading, from Exodus, is an example. In this ancient text God says, “You shall not molest or oppress an alien... You shall not wrong any widow or orphan... If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you shall return it to him before sunset… If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate.” This love of neighbor was a radical departure for the people of this era. But this is the radical God that we serve.
 
Jesus sums up the message of all the prophets as well as the purpose of all God’s laws in today's Gospel passage, from Matthew. It is a message we have likely grown up hearing — but it is so beautiful and so challenging, it bears repeating again and again. It is Christ’s response to a question about which commandment is greatest. His answer reveals both the greatest and the second greatest commandments.
 
He says, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind... The second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 
 
How is the second like the first? What do the two commands have in common? Love. 
 
Love God first and love neighbor as self. This is the heart of the stewardship way of life — simple enough for a child to understand, challenging enough to be the life’s work of every “grown-up.” The “how” of loving God first and neighbor as self is unique to each individual.
 
Perhaps God is calling you to love Him with your whole heart, soul and mind by committing to a daily time of praying with the Scriptures. Maybe He is calling you to spend time with Him in adoration or a weekday Mass. It might be that He is asking you to put Him first as a family with a time for evening or morning prayer together. Maybe He wants you to spend a bit less time watching the news or surfing the internet, and a little more time pondering the blessings He has given you throughout the day.
 
And how is God calling you to love your neighbor as yourself? Maybe it is by checking on a relative or neighbor who is isolated. Or by patiently listening to a colleague at work who is overwhelmed. Or by getting involved in a ministry that serves children or the poor. 
 
The stewardship way of life is the unique way that each of us applies the two greatest commandments to our daily lives. To sum it up, it’s all about love. 

Mass Reading: Sunday - 22nd October 2023

First reading
Isaiah 45:1,4-6
I have taken Cyrus by his right hand to subdue nations before him

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whom he has taken by his right hand
to subdue nations before him
and strip the loins of kings,
to force gateways before him
that their gates be closed no more:

‘It is for the sake of my servant Jacob,
of Israel my chosen one,
that I have called you by your name,
conferring a title though you do not know me.
I am the Lord, unrivalled;
there is no other God besides me.
Though you do not know me, I arm you
that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
that, apart from me, all is nothing.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 95(96):1,3-5,7-10

Give the Lord glory and power.

O sing a new song to the Lord,
    sing to the Lord all the earth.
Tell among the nations his glory
    and his wonders among all the peoples.

Give the Lord glory and power.

The Lord is great and worthy of praise,
    to be feared above all gods;
    the gods of the heathens are naught.
It was the Lord who made the heavens,

Give the Lord glory and power.

Give the Lord, you families of peoples,
    give the Lord glory and power;
    give the Lord the glory of his name.
Bring an offering and enter his courts.

Give the Lord glory and power.

Worship the Lord in his temple.
    O earth, tremble before him.
Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’
    He will judge the peoples in fairness.

Give the Lord glory and power.

________

Second reading
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5
We constantly remember your faith, your love and your hope

    From Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the Church in Thessalonika which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

    We always mention you in our prayers and thank God for you all, and constantly remember before God our Father how you have shown your faith in action, worked for love and persevered through hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ.

    We know, brothers, that God loves you and that you have been chosen, because when we brought the Good News to you, it came to you not only as words, but as power and as the Holy Spirit and as utter conviction.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn17:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

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

Alleluia!

Or:
Ph2:15-16

Alleluia, alleluia!

You will shine in the world like bright stars
because you are offering it the word of life.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 22:15-21
Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar

    The Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap Jesus in what he said. And they sent their disciples to him, together with the Herodians, to say, ‘Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in an honest way, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you. Tell us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’ But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied, ‘You hypocrites! Why do you set this trap for me? Let me see the money you pay the tax with.’ They handed him a denarius, and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they replied. He then said to them, ‘Very well, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 22nd October 2023

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

IS 45:1, 4-6; PS 96:1, 3-5, 7-10; 1 THES 1:1-5B; MT 22:15-21

Today’s readings encourage us Christian stewards to always be mindful of who we are and Who we are in every aspect of our lives.
 
Our First Reading, from Isaiah, takes us back to the very foundation of our faith. The prophet, serving as the “voice” of God, proclaims, “I am the LORD and there is no other, there is no God besides me.” This is a powerful reminder of a fundamental truth. But it is easy to lose sight of this truth in our fast-paced, stressed-out, digital world. As disciples of Christ, we must make intentional choices each day as to how we spend our Time, Talents and Treasure so that each of these aspects of our lives proclaim that we indeed serve God and God alone. 
 
Putting God first in all areas of life takes real courage, especially in this day and age. But we should not be afraid to live boldly for Christ. St. Paul reminds us of the power we have been given along with the gift of our faith. He says to the Thessalonians in our Second Reading (and we can claim these words for ourselves) that “our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.” Through our Baptism, and with the graces given to us in the Eucharist, Reconciliation, the Word of God, and the strength we find in each other in our faith family, we have everything we need to embrace the call to the stewardship way of life. We belong to God, and there is no other, after all.
 
Jesus reminds us of this truth in our Gospel passage today as He cleverly puts the Pharisees in their place during their attempt to verbally entrap Him. They ask Him whether it is lawful to pay the tax to Caesar. This tax was a daily reminder to the Jewish people of their humiliating status of occupation by the Roman Empire. The Pharisees thought they had laid a perfect trap for Christ. If He agreed that the tax should be paid, He would disappoint His followers. If he replied that it should not be paid, He and His followers would be in real trouble with the Romans. 
 
But the Pharisees were thinking small. Christ, on the other hand, thinks big. We all know how the story goes. Christ asks to see the coin that pays the tax and has them state whose image is on it. They of course, reply, “Caesar.” In response Christ tells them to “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” With that, He reminds us that while civil authorities should be obeyed, we answer to an infinitely higher Authority, God, Who is Lord of everything and everyone. All things and all people were created by God. In Baptism we have been claimed for Christ. Our lives are a gift from God and we have the privilege and responsibility to use every aspect of our lives in grateful response to Him. 
 
Let us joyfully give thanks to this wonderful God by the way we live our daily lives. We belong to Him and there is no other!

Mass Reading: Sunday - 15th October 2023

First reading
Isaiah 25:6-10
The Lord will prepare a banquet for every nation

On this mountain,
the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples
a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines,
of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines.
On this mountain he will remove
the mourning veil covering all peoples,
and the shroud enwrapping all nations,
he will destroy Death for ever.
The Lord will wipe away
the tears from every cheek;
he will take away his people’s shame
everywhere on earth,
for the Lord has said so.
That day, it will be said: See, this is our God
in whom we hoped for salvation;
the Lord is the one in whom we hoped.
We exult and we rejoice
that he has saved us;
for the hand of the Lord
rests on this mountain.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 22(23)

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd;
    there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
    where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
    to revive my drooping spirit.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

He guides me along the right path;
    he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
    no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
    with these you give me comfort.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

You have prepared a banquet for me
    in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
    my cup is overflowing.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
    all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
    for ever and ever.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

________

Second reading
Philippians 4:12-14,19-20
With the help of the One who gives me strength, there is nothing I cannot master

    I know how to be poor and I know how to be rich too. I have been through my initiation and now I am ready for anything anywhere: full stomach or empty stomach, poverty or plenty. There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength. All the same, it was good of you to share with me in my hardships. In return my God will fulfil all your needs, in Christ Jesus, as lavishly as only God can. Glory to God, our Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

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:
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!

________

Gospel
Matthew 22:1-14
Invite everyone you can to the wedding

    Jesus began to speak to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come. Next he sent some more servants. “Tell those who have been invited” he said “that I have my banquet all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding.” But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them. The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town. Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, go to the crossroads in the town and invite everyone you can find to the wedding.” So these servants went out on to the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment, and said to him, “How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?” And the man was silent. Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.” For many are called, but few are chosen.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 15th October 2023

 

IS 25:6-10A; P S23:1-6; PHIL 4:12-14, 19-20; MT 21:1-14 or 22:1-10

How easy it is, especially in these times, to be consumed by the cares and distractions of the “here and now,” forgetting about what matters most — living for the Kingdom of Heaven. The stewardship way of life, with its emphasis on the virtuous use of our Time, Talent and Treasure, allows us to embrace daily life and all its demands — with eternity in mind.
 
In our First Reading, the prophet Isaiah paints a beautiful and compelling picture of what we can hope for in Heaven. “The LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.” And not only that, our loving Father will personally heal us of each and every suffering we endured during our lives. “The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face.” 
 
How can we say “no” to such an enticing invitation? Yet, so often we are tempted to do just that. We ignore our relationship with God, neglect our prayer and sacramental life, and the call to put others ahead of ourselves. We prioritize the  “immediate” over the “eternal.”
 
How do we keep focused on the Kingdom of Heaven? St. Paul shares his secret for an eternity-driven life. In our Second Reading from his Letter to the Philippians, Paul says, “I know how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need.” In other words, Paul has learned to live the stewardship way of life.
 
What is the secret? It is this: “I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” How? Through this: “My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” It is so simple! But it is not easy. It takes both courage and humility to live this way. God will supply these to us if we ask.
 
In our Gospel passage from Matthew, we return to the image of a feast. To describe the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus shares the parable of a wedding feast that a king gives for his son. The king sends several groups of servants to call the invited guests to come and join the feast. By virtue of our Baptism, we are the “invited guests” that Jesus is describing. How do the invited guests respond? The first group of guests refuses to come. Among the second group of guests, “some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.” Is this how we respond?
 
Our Heavenly Father is continuously inviting us (reminding us, prodding us) to come and join Him in the Kingdom of Heaven. Not in a far-off future, but right here and right now. If we will put Him first, partake of the sacraments He gives us (especially the gift of His own Son in the Eucharist) we can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven right now. And our example can lead others to join us. 
 
So let us embrace the stewardship way of life today! Let us put God first with our Time, our Talents and our Treasure, knowing that we can do all of this through Christ Who gives us strength. God is calling to us today to live with eternity in mind. If we do this, we will be feasting now and forever!

Mass Reading: Sunday - 08th October 2023

First reading
Isaiah 5:1-7
Against the Lord’s vineyard

Let me sing to my friend
the song of his love for his vineyard.

My friend had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside.
He dug the soil, cleared it of stones
and planted choice vines in it.
In the middle he built a tower,
he dug a press there too.
He expected it to yield grapes,
but sour grapes were all that it gave.

And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
I ask you to judge
between my vineyard and me.
What could I have done for my vineyard
that I have not done?
I expected it to yield grapes.
Why did it yield sour grapes instead?

Very well, I will tell you
what I am going to do to my vineyard:
I will take away its hedge for it to be grazed on,
and knock down its wall for it to be trampled on.
I will lay it waste, unpruned, undug;
overgrown by the briar and the thorn.
I will command the clouds
to rain no rain on it.
Yes, the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts
is the House of Israel,
and the men of Judah
that chosen plant.
He expected justice, but found bloodshed,
integrity, but only a cry of distress.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 79(80):9,12-16,19-20

The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

You brought a vine out of Egypt;
    to plant it you drove out the nations.
It stretched out its branches to the sea,
    to the Great River it stretched out its shoots.

The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

Then why have you broken down its walls?
    It is plucked by all who pass by.
It is ravaged by the boar of the forest,
    devoured by the beasts of the field.

The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

God of hosts, turn again, we implore,
    look down from heaven and see.
Visit this vine and protect it,
    the vine your right hand has planted.

The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

And we shall never forsake you again;
    give us life that we may call upon your name.
God of hosts, bring us back;
    let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

________

Second reading
Philippians 4:6-9
If there is anything you need, pray for it.

    There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise. Keep doing all the things that you learnt from me and have been taught by me and have heard or seen that I do. Then the God of peace will be with you.

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:
cf.Jn15:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

I chose you from the world
to go out and bear fruit,
fruit that will last,
says the Lord.

Alleluia!

__________

Gospel
Matthew 21:33-43
This is the landlord's heir: come, let us kill him

    Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, ‘Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third. Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt with them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son” he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his inheritance.” So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They answered, ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him when the season arrives.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures:

    It was the stone rejected by the builders
that became the keystone.
This was the Lord’s doing
and it is wonderful to see?

    ‘I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 08th October 2023

IS 5:1-7; PS 80:9, 12-16, 19-20; PHIL 4:6-9; MT 21:33-43

We have been given so many gifts and blessings by our Heavenly Father. Yet, in our fallen state it is all too easy to take them for granted. Our readings today teach us that we must live with an intentional awareness of our many blessings and use them gratefully to glorify God.
 
Our First Reading, from Isaiah, foreshadows today’s Gospel passage. Both passages employ images of a landowner and his vineyard. The First Reading tells the story of a landowner who, with great love and care, creates the perfect vineyard and fills it with the choicest vines. Yet, it fails to produce good fruit. As a result, the landowner allows the vineyard to go to ruin. This is a reminder that while Our Heavenly Father is merciful and kind, He is also just. As Christian stewards, we must continuously fight the tendency towards complacency and instead use our blessings to produce good fruit.
 
Our Second Reading, from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians, is a reminder of one key blessing that is surprisingly easy to take for granted — the gift of our thought life. Our intellect is a gift from God and we are called to steward it well. Lack of discipline in our thoughts can easily lead us down a path of discontentment and fear. St. Paul instructs us rather to “have no anxiety at all.” How are we to do this? He tells us, “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” And as it turns out, by turning our thoughts towards God with gratitude, we will be blessed immediately. Paul continues, “Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
 
Paul gives specific advice for intentionally maintaining an attitude of gratitude in our thought life. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, and if there is anything worthy of praise” these are the things we should focus on. As we develop this habit we will discover a powerful way to navigate life with peace and joy despite the troubles that surround us.
 
In our Gospel passage from Matthew, we return to the image of a vineyard in a parable Jesus uses to teach the importance of using our blessings well. It is the story of a landowner who plants a vineyard and leases it to tenants before he goes on a journey. Instead of tending the vineyard, the tenants mistreat the servants in the vineyard and even the son of the landowner, whom they kill. When the landowner realizes what the tenants have done, he puts them to death and leases his vineyard to tenants who “will give him the produce at the proper times.”
 
By Baptism, we have received the gift of salvation and membership in Kingdom of God — we are now “tenants” called to work in the “vineyard” and produce fruit for its owner, our Heavenly Father. This calling is a gift from God to be treasured above all other gifts. Jesus makes it clear that if we squander the gift of salvation, we will lose it. It is a sobering truth.
 
So let us live each day with a profound awareness of all that we have been given by God. Let us use our intellect to think on these gifts throughout the day and resolve to use all our gifts for God’s glory. We will find peace, joy and purpose as we do.