Mass Reading: Sunday - 05th October 2025

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 - 05th October 2025

 

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.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 28th September 2025

First reading
Amos 6:1,4-7
Woe to those who live in luxury

The almighty Lord says this:

Woe to those ensconced so snugly in Zion

and to those who feel so safe on the mountain of Samaria,

those famous men of this first of nations

to whom the House of Israel goes as client.

Lying on ivory beds

and sprawling on their divans,

they dine on lambs from the flock,

and stall-fattened veal;

they bawl to the sound of the harp,

they invent new instruments of music like David,

they drink wine by the bowlful,

and use the finest oil for anointing themselves,

but about the ruin of Joseph they do not care at all.

That is why they will be the first to be exiled;

the sprawlers’ revelry is over.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 145(146):7-10

My soul, give praise to the Lord.

It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever,
    who is just to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry,
    the Lord, who sets prisoners free.

My soul, give praise to the Lord.

It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind,
    who raises up those who are bowed down.
It is the Lord who loves the just,
    the Lord, who protects the stranger.

My soul, give praise to the Lord.

The Lord upholds the widow and orphan
    but thwarts the path of the wicked.
The Lord will reign for ever,
    Zion’s God, from age to age.

My soul, give praise to the Lord.

________

Second reading
1 Timothy 6:11-16
Do all that you have been told, until the Appearing of the Lord

As a man dedicated to God, you must aim to be saintly and religious, filled with faith and love, patient and gentle. Fight the good fight of the faith and win for yourself the eternal life to which you were called when you made your profession and spoke up for the truth in front of many witnesses. Now, before God the source of all life and before Christ, who spoke up as a witness for the truth in front of Pontius Pilate, I put to you the duty of doing all that you have been told, with no faults or failures, until the Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who at the due time will be revealed
by God, the blessed and only Ruler of all,
the King of kings and the Lord of lords,
who alone is immortal,
whose home is in inaccessible light,
whom no man has seen and no man is able to see:
to him be honour and everlasting power. Amen.

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:
2Co8:9

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus Christ was rich,
but he became poor for your sake,
to make you rich out of his poverty.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 16:19-31
Dives and Lazarus

    Jesus said to the Pharisees: ‘There was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and feast magnificently every day. And at his gate there lay a poor man called Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even came and licked his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.

    ‘In his torment in Hades he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off with Lazarus in his bosom. So he cried out, “Father Abraham, pity me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.” “My son,” Abraham replied “remember that during your life good things came your way, just as bad things came the way of Lazarus. Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony. But that is not all: between us and you a great gulf has been fixed, to stop anyone, if he wanted to, crossing from our side to yours, and to stop any crossing from your side to ours.”

    ‘The rich man replied, “Father, I beg you then to send Lazarus to my father’s house, since I have five brothers, to give them warning so that they do not come to this place of torment too.” “They have Moses and the prophets,” said Abraham “let them listen to them.” “Ah no, father Abraham,” said the rich man “but if someone comes to them from the dead, they will repent.” Then Abraham said to him, “If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead.”’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 28th September 2025

 

AM 6:1A, 4-7; PS 146:7-10;1 TM 6:11-16; LK 16:19-31

“With great power comes great responsibility.” So goes the iconic line from the Spider-Man film in a poignant scene with Peter Parker and his wise Uncle Ben. We have all been given “great power” by God in the form of Time, Talents, and Treasure. Today’s readings remind us that this power is meant to be used for great good. And, that failure to do so has eternal consequences.

Our First Reading is again from the book of Amos. It warns of the danger of complacency. “Thus says the Lord the God of hosts: Woe to the complacent in Zion! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches….” The Lord says that because of the complacency of the people, “They shall be the first to go into exile, and their wanton revelry shall be done away with.”

The tendency towards complacency is perhaps an even greater danger for us in the modern age with so many conveniences (fast food, home automation, Amazon Prime to name a few) and so many possibilities for diversion and entertainment (streaming TV, laptops, iPads, cell phones, and the myriad other devices we all use).

The Lord’s message could not be any clearer — we must get off the couch and put our powers (the many gifts He has given us) to work!

The Second Reading, from St. Paul’s letter to Timothy shows us how to free ourselves of this dangerous complacency we are warned of in the First Reading. Paul instructs us to:“Pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.”
“Compete well for the faith.”
“Lay hold of eternal life, to which [we] were called.” And
“Keep [God’s] commandment without stain or reproach.”


Notice how active St. Paul’s word choices are: “pursue,” “compete,” “lay hold,” and “keep” are the terms he uses to instruct us.

Our Lord Himself gives us a very clear illustration of the urgency for us to put our powers to good use in today’s Gospel Passage from Luke. He tells the rather chilling parable of the rich man who ignored poor Lazarus during their lifetimes. At the moment of the rich man’s death, he goes down to the netherworld while Lazarus is taken to the eternal joy and comfort in the bosom of Abraham. The rich man keenly regrets his complacency towards the needs of Lazarus, but it is too late for regret. His choices have played out and now the rich man will face the consequences of his failure to use the gifts God gave him.

Pursuit of God’s kingdom and care for the poor are not trifling matters. Our Lord makes this clear to us over and over in the Scriptures and the constant teachings of our 2,000-year-old Church. We are free to ignore these teachings and live instead for ourselves. But there will be tragic results for us in the end. And, because we are made for eternity, living selfishly on this earth doesn’t really bring us true happiness anyway.

So how can use our great powers for great good? By embracing a stewardship way of life. By putting God first in all areas of our lives — in the way we spend our time, the ways we share our talents, the ways we use our financial resources. Stewardship living calls us out of our comfort zone and into commitment to the Lord and the things that matter to Him.

Let us examine our lives and make any changes or corrections needed in our priorities so that we can indeed compete well for the faith, pursue righteousness and lay hold of eternal life.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 21st September 2025

First reading

Amos 8:4-7 ·

I will never forget your deeds, you who trample on the needy

Listen to this, you who trample on the needy

and try to suppress the poor people of the country,

you who say, ‘When will New Moon be over

so that we can sell our corn,

and sabbath, so that we can market our wheat?

Then by lowering the bushel, raising the shekel,

by swindling and tampering with the scales,

we can buy up the poor for money,

and the needy for a pair of sandals,

and get a price even for the sweepings of the wheat.’

The Lord swears it by the pride of Jacob,

‘Never will I forget a single thing you have done.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 112(113):1-2,4-8

Praise the Lord, who raises the poor.

Praise, O servants of the Lord,

    praise the name of the Lord!

May the name of the Lord be blessed

    both now and for evermore!

Praise the Lord, who raises the poor.

High above all nations is the Lord,

    above the heavens his glory.

Who is like the Lord, our God,

    who has risen on high to his throne

yet stoops from the heights to look down,

    to look down upon heaven and earth?

Praise the Lord, who raises the poor.

From the dust he lifts up the lowly,

    from the dungheap he raises the poor

to set him in the company of princes,

    yes, with the princes of his people.

Praise the Lord, who raises the poor.

________

Second reading

1 Timothy 2:1-8 ·

Pray for everyone to God, who wants everyone to be saved

My advice is that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. To do this is right, and will please God our saviour: he wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth. For there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus, who sacrificed himself as a ransom for them all. He is the evidence of this, sent at the appointed time, and I have been named a herald and apostle of it and – I am telling the truth and no lie – a teacher of the faith and the truth to the pagans.

    In every place, then, I want the men to lift their hands up reverently in prayer, with no anger or argument.

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:

2Co8:9

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus Christ was rich,

but he became poor for your sake,

to make you rich out of his poverty.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel

Luke 16:1-13

You cannot be the slave of both God and money

Jesus said to his disciples:

    ‘There was a rich man and he had a steward denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.” Then the steward said to himself, “Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.”

    Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” “One hundred measures of oil” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down straight away and write fifty.” To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?” “One hundred measures of wheat” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty.”

    ‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.

    ‘And so I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?

    ‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 21st September 2025

AM 8:4-7; PS 113:1-2, 4-8;1 TM 2:1-8; LK 16:1-13 or LK 6:10-13
 

After today’s readings, we can’t say we have not been warned about the dangers of mixed-up priorities. God’s Word is so very clear today on the necessity of putting Him first in all areas of our lives.
 
We see this in the First Reading from Amos. The Lord has harsh words for those who would take advantage of the poor and whose priorities are not aligned with God’s. “Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land… Never will I forget a thing they have done!” Lest we think we are off the hook as long as we are not cheating the poor outright, the Lord condemns just as strongly those who are anxious for the Sabbath to be over so they can go back to the more “important” matters of business and the like. Even our thought life is important to the Lord! Perhaps we are not off the hook after all.
 
In the Second Reading from St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, Paul gives us the antidote to the self-centeredness condemned in our First Reading. The antidote, of course, is to imitate Christ. “There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all.” Rather than thinking of Himself and how to “get ahead,” Christ gave Himself away — completely — for our sake. That is how we are to live. How to better serve God and give ourselves to others are the thoughts that should preoccupy our minds.
 
In our Gospel passage from Luke, the Lord shows us how to bridge the gap between worldly thinking and priorities and eternal thinking and priorities. Jesus tells the parable of the corrupt but clever steward who is about to get fired when the master discovers the steward has been squandering his property. Realizing his imminent unemployed status, the clever steward reaches out to the various debtors of his master to wheel and deal with them, making friends who would look out for him when he became jobless. 
 
We do have to give this man credit for his ingenuity. And, in fact, Jesus does just that by saying, “The master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.”
 
What do we learn from this curious parable to help us avoid the worldly thinking condemned in our First Reading and give ourselves away as Jesus did, as is described in our Second Reading? We know this “bad steward” was clever and energetic. He put thought, prudence, and creativity into the plans he made for his self-serving ends and carried out his plans with great success. 
 
What if we put that kind of effort into our own tasks as good stewards of all God’s gifts to us?  
 
Into our ministries, into the ways we could make more time for prayer as individuals, as couples, as families, and as a parish? What if we got as creative as the “bad steward” in the use of our finances so that we could give more generously to the poor and the advancement of God’s kingdom on the earth? That’s our lesson and our challenge.
 
We are called to be forward-thinking, savvy, and good stewards of all that our good God has given us. Let’s start thinking that way!

Mass Reading: Sunday - 14th September 2025

First reading

Numbers 21:4-9

If anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked up at the bronze serpent and lived

    On the way through the wilderness the people lost patience. They spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is neither bread nor water here; we are sick of this unsatisfying food.’

    At this God sent fiery serpents among the people; their bite brought death to many in Israel. The people came and said to Moses, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede for us with the Lord to save us from these serpents.’ Moses interceded for the people, and the Lord answered him, ‘Make a fiery serpent and put it on a standard. If anyone is bitten and looks at it, he shall live.’ So Moses fashioned a bronze serpent which he put on a standard, and if anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked at the bronze serpent and lived.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 77(78):1-2,34-38

Never forget the deeds of the Lord.

Give heed, my people, to my teaching;

    turn your ear to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth in a parable

    and reveal hidden lessons of the past.

Never forget the deeds of the Lord.

When he slew them then they would seek him,

    return and seek him in earnest.

They would remember that God was their rock,

    God the Most High their redeemer.

Never forget the deeds of the Lord.

But the words they spoke were mere flattery;

    they lied to him with their lips.

For their hearts were not truly with him;

    they were not faithful to his covenant.

Never forget the deeds of the Lord.

Yet he who is full of compassion

    forgave them their sin and spared them.

So often he held back his anger

    when he might have stirred up his rage.

Never forget the deeds of the Lord.

________

Second reading

Philippians 2:6-11

Christ humbled himself but God raised him high

His state was divine,

yet Christ Jesus did not cling

to his equality with God

but emptied himself

to assume the condition of a slave

and became as men are;

and being as all men are,

he was humbler yet,

even to accepting death,

death on a cross.

But God raised him high

and gave him the name

which is above all other names

so that all beings

in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld,

should bend the knee at the name of Jesus

and that every tongue should acclaim

Jesus Christ as Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

We adore you, O Christ, 

and we bless you;

because by your cross 

you have redeemed the world.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel

John 3:13-17

God sent his Son so that through him the world might be saved

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

‘No one has gone up to heaven

except the one who came down from heaven,

the Son of Man who is in heaven;

and the Son of Man must be lifted up

as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,

so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost

but may have eternal life.

For God sent his Son into the world

not to condemn the world,

but so that through him the world might be saved.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 14th September 2025

 

NM 21: 4B-9; PS 78: 1BC-2, 34-38; PHIL 2: 6-11; JN 3:13-17

On this Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, we celebrate the Holy Cross as the instrument of our salvation. Multiple times in scripture, a reference is made to Jesus having been “hung on a tree.” This reference to the Cross as a tree has a much deeper meaning for us. The Cross became a life-giving tree for us, and it turned around Adam’s original sin when he ate of the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden. The Cross is so central to our beliefs.

The readings for this Feast each have a strong relationship to our appreciation of and our understanding of the meaning of the Cross. The first reading is from the Book of Numbers. Numbers is the fourth Book in our Old Testament (also the fourth book of what is called the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament). It derives its name from the historical fact that it involves two censuses taken of the Israelites during their time in the wilderness, one at the beginning of the trek and one at the end. This passage from Numbers 21 describes how the people are discouraged, and they literally speak out against God. One of the hallmarks of stewardship is trust in God, faith in the Lord, our hope in salvation through Jesus Christ. Like the Israelites, we may at times become discouraged, but we must always focus on the fact that God is there for us always, that He watches over us, and that He is our strength.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians, our second reading, presents Jesus as the ultimate example of humility. As much as we may resist it, humility is another key characteristic of a stewardship way of life. From His humble beginnings in a manger to the humiliation of death on the Cross, Jesus bore humility like none other. His example of humility is a standard for each of us as we approach living as a steward. St. Paul makes reference to some of Jesus’ humiliations, but it is well for us to keep in mind all the ways the Lord might have approached living among us, but He chose the more humble approach consistently, represented by His birth, the fact that he came as a baby, not as a grown adult; His willingness to be a child beholden to His parents; His humble way of teaching and addressing people; His humble approach to life in general, becoming a carpenter, a basic and useful trade; but most of all His humble acceptance of death on the Cross with all of the agony and sacrifice associated with that.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish, but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16) That scriptural statement, considered by many to be the central and climactic point of John’s entire Gospel, is so full of consequence to us as Catholics and Christians that we could almost analyze it in detail phrase by phrase. Let us just examine the opening phrase, “For God so loved the world…” We tend to filter our own understandings through the many ways a word is used and what it may mean to us. The word “love” certainly falls into that category. The love described here, the love that God feels for us, that He felt for His Son, and that was returned to Him by His Son, is a love almost beyond our comprehension. It is a complete love, shared with all and felt for all, believers and non-believers. There is no way that we can match or equal that love. It is a love beyond our ability to feel, but that is exactly what we are called to strive toward. Another word for stewardship is quite simply “love” — unconditional and total.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 07th September 2025

First reading
Wisdom 9:13-18
Who can divine the will of God?

What man indeed can know the intentions of God?

Who can divine the will of the Lord?

The reasonings of mortals are unsure
and our intentions unstable;

for a perishable body presses down the soul,
and this tent of clay weighs down the teeming mind.

It is hard enough for us to work out what is on earth,
laborious to know what lies within our reach;
who, then, can discover what is in the heavens?

As for your intention, who could have learnt it, had you not granted dom and sent your holy spirit from above?

Thus have the paths of those on earth been straightened
and men been taught what pleases you,
and saved, by Wisdom.

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
Philemon 9-10,12-17
He is a slave no longer, but a dear brother in the Lord

    This is Paul writing, an old man now and, what is more, still a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for a child of mine, whose father I became while wearing these chains: I mean Onesimus. I am sending him back to you, and with him – I could say – a part of my own self. I should have liked to keep him with me; he could have been a substitute for you, to help me while I am in the chains that the Good News has brought me. However, I did not want to do anything without your consent; it would have been forcing your act of kindness, which should be spontaneous. I know you have been deprived of Onesimus for a time, but it was only so that you could have him back for ever, not as a slave any more, but something much better than a slave, a dear brother; especially dear to me, but how much more to you, as a blood-brother as well as a brother in the Lord. So if all that we have in common means anything to you, welcome him as you would me.

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:
Ps118:135

Alleluia, alleluia!

Let your face shine on your servant;
and teach me your decrees.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Luke 14:25-33
Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple

    Great crowds accompanied Jesus on his way and he turned and spoke to them. ‘If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple. Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

    ‘And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, the onlookers would all start making fun of him and saying, “Here is a man who started to build and was unable to finish.” Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who advanced against him with twenty thousand? If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace. So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

 

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 07th September 2025

 

WIS 9:13-18B; PS 90:3-6,12-14, 17; PHMN 9-10, 12-17; LK 14:25-33

Today’s readings make very clear the demands that will be made of those wanting to be called disciples of Christ. We must be prepared to give our all to Him. But in the end, the life of discipleship — the stewardship way of life — is the only life that can truly satisfy.

Our First Reading, from the ancient book of Wisdom, prepares us for the challenging teaching that will follow in today’s Gospel passage. “Who can know God’s counsel or who can conceive what the Lord intends? For the deliberations of mortals are timid… the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns.”

Weighed down by financial woes, relationship stress, illness — all the concerns of modern life (and apparently, ancient life, too) — how can we possibly concern ourselves with anything more than these immediate needs? Our human “earthly” instincts limit our ability to think with an eternal perspective. But, a few verses later, we are told that God has sent His Holy Spirit from on high to assist us. “And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.” Relying on the Holy Spirit, we can live indeed live for higher goals despite all the challenges of daily life.

But this way of life will not be easy, and our Lord, knowing well our human nature, must prepare us for the challenge. In the Gospel passage from Luke, Christ is very straightforward about the cost of living for the higher aims of discipleship. “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Our Lord is speaking here not of emotions, but rather of priorities. He must come first in all aspects of our lives. Period.

He goes on to say, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” In other words, it’s all or nothing. Compromise is simply not possible. Christ wants us to give all of ourselves, all aspects of our individual lives, our family life, our parish, over to Him and to the pursuit of His kingdom.

To further this point, Christ shares two parables. The first is about a builder who wants to construct a tower. Christ says that before beginning, the builder must sit down and consider the cost to see if he has what is needed to complete the project. The second parable is of a king facing a potential battle. Again, Christ says he must first consider if he has sufficient troops for success before he goes off headlong into battle. Discipleship will cost us, and we must be prepared to give it our all.

And just when we think our Lord might soften His message to make it a little more palatable, He goes further! “Anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” Why is our Lord being so demanding? Only because He knows us so well and loves us so much.

He knows that if we do not live with great intentionality — putting Him first before all else — we will easily be swallowed up by the earthly cares that weigh us down — our material things, our status, and our egos. He knows that these things cannot satisfy us. He knows this because He is our Maker, and He made us for more.


We are made to be His disciples, to seek after Him and His Kingdom. Embracing stewardship as a way of life allows us to count the cost and then run after Him with all our might.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 31st August 2025

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 - 31st August 2025

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 Reflection: Sunday - 24th August 2025

 

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 Reading: Sunday - 24th August 2025

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.