Mass Reading: Sunday -20th September 2026

First reading
Isaiah 55:6-9
My thoughts are not your thoughts

Seek the Lord while he is still to be found,
call to him while he is still near.
Let the wicked man abandon his way,
the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him,
to our God who is rich in forgiving;
for my thoughts are not your thoughts,
my ways not your ways – it is the Lord who speaks.
Yes, the heavens are as high above earth
as my ways are above your ways,
my thoughts above your thoughts.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 144(145):2-3,8-9,17-18

The Lord is close to all who call him.

I will bless you day after day
    and praise your name for ever.
The Lord is great, highly to be praised,
    his greatness cannot be measured.

The Lord is close to all who call him.

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.

The Lord is close to all who call him.

The Lord is just in all his ways
    and loving in all his deeds.
He is close to all who call him,
    who call on him from their hearts.

The Lord is close to all who call him.

________

Second reading
Philippians 1:20-24,27
Life to me is Christ; but death would bring me more

    Christ will be glorified in my body, whether by my life or by my death. Life to me, of course, is Christ, but then death would bring me something more; but then again, if living in this body means doing work which is having good results – I do not know what I should choose. I am caught in this dilemma: I want to be gone and be with Christ, which would be very much the better, but for me to stay alive in this body is a more urgent need for your sake.

    Avoid anything in your everyday lives that would be unworthy of the gospel of Christ.

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:
cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

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

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 20:1-16
Why be envious because I am generous?

    Jesus said to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, “You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage.” So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing round, and he said to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?” “Because no one has hired us” they answered. He said to them, “You go into my vineyard too.” In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first.” So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner. “The men who came last” they said “have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat.” He answered one of them and said, “My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?” Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

 

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 20th September 2026

 

IS 55:6-9; PS 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18; PHIL 1:20C-24, 27A; MT 20:1-16A

Though we can never fully comprehend the perfection of God and His ways, Sacred Scripture reminds us that God's ways and priorities are often very different from our own. As Christian stewards, we are called to adopt His way of thinking rather than the world's.

Our First Reading from Isaiah begins with an urgent invitation: "Seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near." Stewardship reminds us that time itself is a gift from God. The time to know, love, and serve Him is now. We cannot afford to waste the precious moments He has entrusted to us.

The world often tells us that success is measured by getting ahead, looking out for ourselves, or believing that time is money. God offers a different perspective: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways." As His disciples, we are called to see life from God's perspective, using our time, talents, and treasure with eternity in mind.

St. Paul models this way of thinking in today's Second Reading. He writes, "For to me life is Christ." Paul's life no longer revolves around himself. Everything is centered on Christ. The same should be true for every Christian steward.

In today's Gospel, Jesus illustrates this divine perspective through the parable of the workers in the vineyard. Some labor from early morning, while others are called only near the end of the day. Yet the landowner gives each worker the same wage. Those who worked the longest grumble because they are measuring fairness according to human standards rather than recognizing God's extraordinary generosity.

That same temptation can affect us. We may compare ourselves to others and wonder whether everyone else is contributing as much as we are at home, in our parish, or in our community. At those moments, we need to remember that it is a privilege simply to have been invited into the Lord's vineyard. The more opportunities we have to serve Him, the greater the gift.

Living the stewardship way of life, with Christ at the center of everything, fills our lives with meaning, purpose, and lasting joy. May we thank God each day for calling us to share in His work.

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 Reflection: Sunday - 22nd September 2024

 

WIS 2:12, 17-20; PS 54:3-4, 5, 6, 8; JAS 3:16-4:3; MK 9:30-37

Our readings today bring to light the daily struggle between good and evil and how we can combat this struggle through wisdom and gratitude.

“Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members?”

In our Second Reading, St. James is reminding us to not become enslaved to our passions. In a moment, it might feel good to jab back at someone in an argument or selfishly do what you can to gain the upper hand in life or even overindulge in earthly pleasures. But when we step back outside of that moment, we realize we have not gained anything and lost the ability to do something great. These are moments where we must decide between good and evil.

“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits…”

Instead, St. James encourages us to seek wisdom from above. When we seek the Lord, we will have the strength to choose good and the wisdom to properly use what we have received from Him.

In our Gospel, we see an example of how surrendering to our passions negatively affects us. Jesus was with His disciples when they began to argue amongst themselves as to who was the greatest in the group.

We can imagine the twelve apostles spent significant amounts of time together as they followed Jesus and learned from Him. The apostles were human — they had imperfections, clashing personalities, jealous and competitive natures just like we do. There were bound to be some arguments that rose among them.

If we look at our own lives, we might find many instances where we fall into the same tendencies—we constantly compare ourselves to others, out of pride we feel the need to point out another’s faults or choose to fight back in an argument. We know we should act one way but choose another.

When Jesus hears what the apostles are discussing, He has them focus on a child. “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me.”

There is much for us to take away from the example of a child, but ultimately it is centered around gratitude.

If we reflect on the moment someone receives a child, oftentimes their hearts are overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for this gift. There is no jealousy or anger, just thanksgiving, and appreciation.

The apostles are busy bickering about who was the best. Their vision was clouded on something that really didn’t matter and because of this, they could not even stop and be grateful for the gift to be so close to our Savior Jesus Christ and were chosen to be His closest followers.

When we are caught in the raging war of jealousy, fighting, and pride, and begin to become enslaved to our passions we are ultimately being ungrateful for what we have been given. We overlook the blessing God has given us and the gifts and talents He has entrusted to us.

And gratitude doesn’t stop with the acknowledgment of our blessings. It should ultimately transform how we live our lives. In gratitude, the raging wars will subside within us, and we can begin to use the many blessings God has already given to us for His glory.

Today, let us recall that we have an infinitely loving God who cares deeply for us. Consider all that He has blessed you with, and how you can use those blessings for His glory.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 22nd September 2024

First reading
Wisdom 2:12,17-20
The wicked prepare to ambush the just man

The godless say to themselves:

‘Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man, since he annoys us
and opposes our way of life,
reproaches us for our breaches of the law
and accuses us of playing false to our upbringing.

‘Let us see if what he says is true,
let us observe what kind of end he himself will have.
If the virtuous man is God’s son, God will take his part
and rescue him from the clutches of his enemies.
Let us test him with cruelty and with torture,
and thus explore this gentleness of his
and put his endurance to the proof.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death
since he will be looked after – we have his word for it.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 53(54):3-6,8

The Lord upholds my life.

O God, save me by your name;
    by your power, uphold my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
    listen to the words of my mouth.

The Lord upholds my life.

For proud men have risen against me,
    ruthless men seek my life.
    They have no regard for God.

The Lord upholds my life.

But I have God for my help.
    The Lord upholds my life.
I will sacrifice to you with willing heart
    and praise your name for it is good.

The Lord upholds my life.

________

Second reading
James 3:16-4:3
The wisdom that comes from above makes for peace

    Wherever you find jealousy and ambition, you find disharmony, and wicked things of every kind being done; whereas the wisdom that comes down from above is essentially something pure; it also makes for peace, and is kindly and considerate; it is full of compassion and shows itself by doing good; nor is there any trace of partiality or hypocrisy in it. Peacemakers, when they work for peace, sow the seeds which will bear fruit in holiness.

    Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn’t it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves? You want something and you haven’t got it; so you are prepared to kill. You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy; so you fight to get your way by force. Why you don’t have what you want is because you don’t pray for it; when you do pray and don’t get it, it is because you have not prayed properly, you have prayed for something to indulge your own desires.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn8:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life.

Alleluia!

Or:
cf.2Th2:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Through the Good News God called us
to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Mark 9:30-37
Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me

    Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, ‘The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him.

    They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.’ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

 

Mass Reading: Sunday - 24th September 2023

First reading
Isaiah 55:6-9
My thoughts are not your thoughts

Seek the Lord while he is still to be found,
call to him while he is still near.
Let the wicked man abandon his way,
the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him,
to our God who is rich in forgiving;
for my thoughts are not your thoughts,
my ways not your ways – it is the Lord who speaks.
Yes, the heavens are as high above earth
as my ways are above your ways,
my thoughts above your thoughts.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 144(145):2-3,8-9,17-18

The Lord is close to all who call him.

I will bless you day after day
    and praise your name for ever.
The Lord is great, highly to be praised,
    his greatness cannot be measured.

The Lord is close to all who call him.

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.

The Lord is close to all who call him.

The Lord is just in all his ways
    and loving in all his deeds.
He is close to all who call him,
    who call on him from their hearts.

The Lord is close to all who call him.

________

Second reading
Philippians 1:20-24,27
Life to me is Christ; but death would bring me more

    Christ will be glorified in my body, whether by my life or by my death. Life to me, of course, is Christ, but then death would bring me something more; but then again, if living in this body means doing work which is having good results – I do not know what I should choose. I am caught in this dilemma: I want to be gone and be with Christ, which would be very much the better, but for me to stay alive in this body is a more urgent need for your sake.

    Avoid anything in your everyday lives that would be unworthy of the gospel of Christ.

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:

cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

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

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 20:1-16
Why be envious because I am generous?

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, “You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage.” So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing round, and he said to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?” “Because no one has hired us” they answered. He said to them, “You go into my vineyard too.” In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first.” So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner. “The men who came last” they said “have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat.” He answered one of them and said, “My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?” Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 24th September 2023

IS 55:6-9; PS 145:2-3, 8-9,17-18; PHIL 1:20C-24, 27A; MT 20:1-16A

Though we can never fully grasp the infinite perfection of God and His ways, a basic knowledge of Scripture reveals that God’s logic and priorities often differ from worldly logic and priorities. What does this mean for us who call ourselves His disciples and stewards? It means that our way of life should look decidedly different from a “worldly” way of life. 
 
Our first reading, from Isaiah, starts with a bang. “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near.” As stewards, we know that all things, including time, are gifts from the Lord. The time to know, love, and serve God is now! We must not waste any of the precious moments that He has gifted to us. This means that the way we prioritize our time will often be at odds with the world’s priorities. Worldly thinking says we must focus on things like “getting ahead,” “looking out for number one” and the idea that “time is money.” 
 
We are reminded clearly in this passage, however, that God thinks bigger than this. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.” As His followers, we must strive as best we can to think as God does, using our time (and our talents and treasure, too) with eternity in mind.
 
St. Paul describes this radical kind of thinking in our second reading, from the Letter to the Philippians. He says, “Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.” For Paul, life is not about Paul. It’s about Christ. This should be our mindset as Christ’s disciples, too. 
 
In our Gospel passage from Matthew, Jesus offers us a glimpse of the “Godly logic” of the Father through a parable of a landowner hiring workers for his vineyard.

The landowner goes out early in the morning and finds a group of laborers who agree to work for the usual daily wage. Later in the morning the landowner goes out again and notices another group “standing idle” in the marketplace. He invites them to work in his vineyard, too. The landowner repeats this exercise at noon and finally late in the day, as he comes to a last group of folks still waiting for work. At the end of the day, the landowner pays all the workers a full day’s pay, whether they had labored from the early hours of the morning or whether they had begun late in the day. This angered the laborers who had worked longest and they grumbled against the landowner. But those laborers were relying on human logic and human calculations. They were not thinking as God does. 
 
This can happen to us Christian stewards as well. We can grumble and complain (at least internally) when we compare ourselves to others and sense that not everyone is contributing as much as we are to the parish, the neighborhood, within our family and so on. At those moments, we need to think bigger! We must remember that it is a great privilege to have been called by the Father to work in His vineyard. The more time we are given to do this work, the greater the gift! 
 
Living the stewardship way of life — making Christ our life — brings us meaning, depth and purpose. Let’s embrace this Godly thinking and thank Him for calling us to this way of life. 

Mass Reading: Sunday - 18th September 2022

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 - 18th September 2022

 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 the 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.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 19th September 2021

Our readings today bring to light the daily struggle between good and evil and how we can combat this struggle through wisdom and gratitude. 
 
“Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members?”
 
In our Second Reading, St. James is reminding us to not become enslaved to our passions. In a moment, it might feel good to jab back at someone in an argument or selfishly do what you can to gain the upper hand in life or even overindulge in earthly pleasures. But when we step back outside of that moment, we realize we have not gained anything and lost the ability to do something great. These are moments where we must decide between good and evil. 
 
 “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits…”
 
Instead, St. James encourages us to seek wisdom from above. When we seek the Lord, we will have the strength to choose good and the wisdom to properly use what we have received from Him. 
 
In our Gospel, we see an example of how surrendering to our passions negatively affects us. Jesus was with His disciples when they began to argue amongst themselves as to who was the greatest in the group. 
 
We can imagine the twelve apostles spent significant amounts of time together as they followed Jesus and learned from Him. The apostles were human — they had imperfections, clashing personalities, jealous and competitive natures just like we do. There were bound to be some arguments that rose among them. 
 
If we look at our own lives, we might find many instances where we fall into the same tendencies—we constantly compare ourselves to others, out of pride we feel the need to point out another’s faults or choose to fight back in an argument. We know we should act one way but choose another. 
 
When Jesus hears what the apostles are discussing, He has them focus on a child. “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me.”
 
There is much for us to take away from the example of a child, but ultimately it is centered around gratitude.
 
If we reflect on the moment someone receives a child, oftentimes their hearts are overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for this gift. There is no jealousy or anger, just thanksgiving, and appreciation. 
 
The apostles are busy bickering about who was the best. Their vision was clouded on something that really didn’t matter and because of this, they could not even stop and be grateful for the gift to be so close to our Savior Jesus Christ and were chosen to be His closest followers. 
 
When we are caught in the raging war of jealousy, fighting, and pride, and begin to become enslaved to our passions we are ultimately being ungrateful for what we have been given. We overlook the blessing God has given us and the gifts and talents He has entrusted to us. 
 
And gratitude doesn’t stop with the acknowledgment of our blessings. It should ultimately transform how we live our lives. In gratitude, the raging wars will subside within us, and we can begin to use the many blessings God has already given to us for His glory. 
 
Today, let us recall that we have an infinitely loving God who cares deeply for us. Consider all that He has blessed you with, and how you can use those blessings for His glory.

The Liturgy of the Word:. Sunday - 19th September 2021

First reading
Wisdom 2:12,17-20 ·

The wicked prepare to ambush the just man

The godless say to themselves:

‘Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man, since he annoys us

and opposes our way of life,

reproaches us for our breaches of the law

and accuses us of playing false to our upbringing.

‘Let us see if what he says is true,

let us observe what kind of end he himself will have.

If the virtuous man is God’s son, God will take his part

and rescue him from the clutches of his enemies.

Let us test him with cruelty and with torture,

and thus explore this gentleness of his

and put his endurance to the proof.

Let us condemn him to a shameful death

since he will be looked after – we have his word for it.’

The word of the Lord.

---

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 53(54):3-6,8

The Lord upholds my life.

O God, save me by your name;

  by your power, uphold my cause.

O God, hear my prayer;

  listen to the words of my mouth.

The Lord upholds my life.

For proud men have risen against me,

  ruthless men seek my life.

  They have no regard for God.

The Lord upholds my life.

But I have God for my help.

  The Lord upholds my life.

I will sacrifice to you with willing heart

  and praise your name for it is good.

The Lord upholds my life.

---

Second reading	James 3:16-4:3

The wisdom that comes from above makes for peace

Wherever you find jealousy and ambition, you find disharmony, and wicked things of every kind being done; whereas the wisdom that comes down from above is essentially something pure; it also makes for peace, and is kindly and considerate; it is full of compassion and shows itself by doing good; nor is there any trace of partiality or hypocrisy in it. Peacemakers, when they work for peace, sow the seeds which will bear fruit in holiness.

  Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn’t it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves? You want something and you haven’t got it; so you are prepared to kill. You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy; so you fight to get your way by force. Why you don’t have what you want is because you don’t pray for it; when you do pray and don’t get it, it is because you have not prayed properly, you have prayed for something to indulge your own desires.

The word of the Lord.

---

Gospel Acclamation	Jn8:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

anyone who follows me will have the light of life.

Alleluia!

Or:	cf.2Th2:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Through the Good News God called us

to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Alleluia!

---

Gospel	Mark 9:30-37

Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me

Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, ‘The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him.

  They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.’ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Reflection on Readings: Sunday, 20th September 2020

 IS 55:6-9; PS 145:2-3, 8-9,17-18; PHIL 1:20C-24, 27A; MT 20:1-16A

As Christian stewards, we recognize that all we have and all that we are is gift from God, and we live our lives in a grateful response to such extravagant love. This calls for continuous conversion of heart. The practices of giving a portion of our time, our talents and our treasure are essential steps on the path to conversion. But they serve an even deeper purpose than helping us remember our good intentions. They open our minds and hearts to ever-deepening surrender to the Lord, Who has given us every good thing. 

Today’s readings call us to look inward to the state of our hearts, those aspects of ourselves that cannot quite be quantified or measured, but which are the deepest part of us — our thoughts and emotions. 

Our first reading, from Sirach, addresses the complicated emotion of anger. “Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight... Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord?... If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins?” We have all been wounded by others at some point, some perhaps quite deeply. Our emotions are gifts from God. But we must steward them well, rather than allowing them to overcome us. 

How do we do this? Sirach tells us. “Remember your last days, set enmity aside... Think of the commandments… remember the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults.” We embrace the stewardship mindset — not brooding over hurts, but recalling all the gifts our good God has given us, all the love He continually pours out upon us, and we put our focus and trust in Him.

In other words, we live for God and not ourselves. What freedom this approach to life brings! All we have is a gift from the Lord. He loves us completely and we can rest in this truth. Knowing this, we need not cling to anger over injustices. God is Lord over all. St. Paul puts it this way in our second reading from Romans: “For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”

In our Gospel passage from Matthew, Jesus gives us a provocative reminder of the true position we have before Him in light of all that He has done for us. He compares the kingdom of heaven to a “king who decided to settle accounts with his servants.” In the parable, a debtor is brought before the king, owing such an overwhelming debt that it could not possibly be repaid. Yet, the king is filled with compassion for the servant, forgives the debt and lets him go free. 

Doesn’t that sound like each of us in relation to the King of Kings? The Father has given us life, and then sent His only Son to die for us to free us from our sin “debts” and make eternal life with Him possible for us. Like the servant in the parable, it is impossible to repay this debt. All we can do is thank God by giving Him our whole selves —  our outward actions and our inner selves — and by treating our fellow debtors with the same compassion and forgiveness He has shown to us. In fact, Jesus rightfully and justly commands us to “forgive your brother from your heart.”

What joy and freedom of heart we find in the stewardship way of life!

Mass Readings - Sunday, 20th September 2020

FIRST READING

A reading from the book of Isaiah 55:6-9

My thoughts are not your thoughts.

Seek the Lord while he is still to be found,

call to him while he is still near.

Let the wicked man abandon his way,

the evil man his thoughts.

Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him,

to our God who is rich in forgiving;

for my thoughts are not your thoughts,

my ways not your ways – it is the Lord who speaks.

Yes, the heavens are as high above earth

as my ways are above your ways,

my thoughts above your thoughts.

The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm   Ps 144:2-3.8-9. 17-18. Rv 18

Response:  The Lord is close to all who call him.

1. I will bless you day after day

and praise your name for ever.

The Lord is great, highly to be praised,

his greatness cannot be measured.

2. 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.

3. The Lord is just in all his ways

and loving in all his deeds.

He is close to all who call him,

who call on him from their hearts.

SECOND READING

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Philippians 1:20-24.27

Life to me is Christ.

Christ will be glorified in my body, whether by my life or by my death.

Life to me, of course, is Christ, but then death would bring me

something more; but then again, if living in this body means doing

work which is having good results- I do not know what I should

choose. I am caught in this dilemma: I want to be gone and be with

Christ, which would be very much the better, but for me to stay alive

in this body is a more urgent need for your sake.

Avoid anything in your everyday lives that would be unworthy of the

gospel of Christ.

The Word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation  Lk 19: 38

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  Acts 16: 14

Alleluia, alleluia!

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

Alleluia!

GOSPEL

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 20:1-16

Why be envious because I am generous?

Jesus said to his disciples: The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner

going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an

agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and sent them

to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others

standing idle in the market place and said to them, “You go to my

vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage”. So they went. At about

the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and

did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and

found more men standing round, and he said to them, “Why have

you been standing here idle all day?” “Because no one has hired us”

they answered. He said to them, “You go into my vineyard too”.

In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, “Call the

workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and

ending with the first”. So those who were hired at about the eleventh

hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first

came, they expected to get more, but they too received one

denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner. “The

men who came last” they said “have done only one hour, and you

have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy

day’s work in all the heat.” He answered one of them and said, “My

friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one

denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer

as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own?

Why be envious because I am generous?”

Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.’

The Gospel of the Lord.