Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 3, 2013
Lectionary: 153

Reading 1 WIS 11:22-12:2
Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth. But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things;
and you overlook people’s sins that they may repent. For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.
And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you? But you spare all things, because they are yours, O LORD and lover of souls,
for your imperishable spirit is in all things! Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!

Responsorial Psalm PS 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14
R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name forever, my king and my God. I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. I will praise your name forever, my king and my God.
The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name forever, my king and my God.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name forever, my king and my God.
The LORD is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. The LORD lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name forever, my king and my God.

Reading 2 2 THES 1:11-2:2
Brothers and sisters: We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. We ask you, brothers and sisters, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.

Gospel LK 19:1-10
At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”

My Prayer:
Lord, you are the saving God. You will never tire of forgiving us, always spreading your arms wide to receive us as we fall away and return to you, fall away and return to you, even if it be a million times. What a kind God you are, that in the same page in the Book of Genesis, when you banished Adam and Eve from Eden, you quickly and without hesitation promised a redeemer who will crush the snake head underfoot. Thank you so much for loving us. We can only thank you and thank you many, many times over and over again. Peace can only come from you, and this peace is not something we have to mine laboriously from the depths of the earth, like gold or diamonds, but easily available to us at the VERY MOMENT of our Zacchaen epiphany, revelation or realization. Thank you that you are there, giving peace to anyone, if only he or she desires it strongly enough. Amen.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading:
Sir 35:12-14, 16-18
Second Reading: 2 Tim 4:6-8, 16-18

Gospel Reading: Lk 18:9-14
Jesus told another parable to some persons fully convinced of their own righteousness, who looked down on others, “Two men went up to the Temple to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and said: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people, grasping, crooked, adulterous, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give the tenth of all my income to the Temple.’

“In the meantime the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast saying: ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’

“I tell you, when this man went down to his house, he had been set right with God, but not the other. For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised.”

Reflection:
Two sinners prayed inside the Temple: one was justified – the one who was aware of his sinfulness, while the other was condemned – the one who thought he had the right to condemn others. It was the tax collector who was justified. Of him Jesus declared: “I tell you, when this man went down to his house, he had been set right with God, but not the other.”

Why didn’t the Pharisee find favor with God with his track record of fasting twice a week and giving the tenth of all his income to the Temple? Why was the tax collector, with his track record of corruption and disloyalty to his own people, justified? Blame this on motive. The Pharisee used prayer as venue to trumpet his righteousness while the tax collector went to the Temple to express sorrow for sins.

The tax collector was not lying; he was indeed a sinner. The Pharisee may have been telling the truth also. But telling the truth is not the only barometer to measure the genuineness of one’s spirituality. Jesus said: “Whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised.” The Pharisee failed in the test of humility.

The absence of humility rendered questionable the genuineness of the Pharisee’s prayer. By nature prayer is an act of the humble. Humility at prayer involves two dimensions: the first is bowing low before God, and the second is looking up to others. The Pharisee did the first dimension perfectly but utterly failed in the second. This made his prayer detestable before God. No wonder the Pharisee who was vertically humble yet horizontally proud went home a condemned person while the tax collector went home forgiven.— Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com. Website: www.frdan.org.

My Prayer:
In the end, Lord, all that matters is your mercy, for the most pious among us will fail your test of faith, hope, love and good works. No one is deserving of the sheer glory that awaits us in heaven, yet Jesus Christ died on the Cross so that we may be admitted into the heavenly kingdom, but only in, of, for and by God’s mercy. Thank you, Lord for this parable, for it opens our eyes to the smallness of our efforts and the gargantuan love you have for us—sinners, adulterers, liars, tax collectors, cheats, an anomaly on two legs since Genesis, in the 40-year trek in the desert, residence in and exile from the Promised Land, throughout the four Gospels, and now in the modern world, a world that has gone bonkers with too much selfie, too much I, me, mine, too much self-glorification, Pharisaical men and women walking their way to self-created doom, but all is not lost, for all we have to do is be aware of our smallness, our unworthiness, God’s creative fail, but God’s crowning glory, the saving of mankind so evil and self-serving, but destined for heaven in spite of ourselves, if only we accepted our nothingness, but in everything in heaven, God’s unimaginable love for us. Amen.

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 144

Reading 1 2 KGS 5:14-17
Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of Elisha, the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean of his leprosy.

Naaman returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. On his arrival he stood before Elisha and said,
“Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel. Please accept a gift from your servant.”

Elisha replied, “As the LORD lives whom I serve, I will not take it;” and despite Naaman’s urging, he still refused.
Naaman said: “If you will not accept, please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth, for I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the LORD.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
R. (cf. 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; his right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands: break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Reading 2 2 TM 2:8-13
Beloved: Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David: such is my gospel, for which I am suffering, even to the point of chains, like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus,
together with eternal glory. This saying is trustworthy:
If we have died with him we shall also live with him;
if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us. If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.

Gospel LK 17:11-19
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

Prayer:
Lord, oftentimes, we forget to say thank you. We are like the maya perched on top of the carabao’s head, saying how great and tall it is. For the times we forgot to express our profound gratitude for the small and big things you have done for us, we are sorry. The universe is yours, there is perfect order because you have made your creation safe and beneficial for man as your steward. Always remind us of your resilient love and your desire to have us beside you in your kingdom when the time comes. And, Lord, thank you so much for your kindness, for hearing our prayers, for being ahead of, behind, beside, above and below us all the time even if sometimes we forget you.  Amen.

6th October 2013. 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Hab 1:2-3, 2:2-4. To the human complaint against injustice, God promises a day of justice.

2 Tim 1:6-8,13-14. Like his teacher Paul, Timothy must make sacrifices for the Gospel.

Lk 17:5-10. “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed…” we could do great things.

First Reading: Habbakuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4
O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.

Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith.”

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 1:6ff
For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God.

Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

Gospel: Luke 17:5-10
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The Lord replied, “If you had 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.”

“Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’ ”

Lord, increase our Faith
“Lord increase our faith,” the apostles asked Jesus. Elsewhere they requested, “Lord teach us how to pray” (Lk 11:1). In essence the two requests were the same. For to pray is to focus the heart on God, to love and trust God, to have faith in God’s concern for us. Every prayer is an act of faith in God, and conversely every time we turn to God in faith, we are praying. It is no more possible to have faith without prayer than to swim without water. But we must try to pray to God in the right spirit. For often we are trying to bring God around to our way of thinking rather than putting our thoughts under God’s guidance.

Sometimes perhaps, we regard prayer as a kind of magical last resort, worth a try when all else fails. There is a story about a lawyer walking along a street with a friend who was something of a scholar. When they came to a ladder leaning over the sidewalk and against a house which was being painted, the friend refused to pass under it. “Surely you don’t believe in that superstition,” said the lawyer. “No, I don’t exactly believe in it,” was the reply, “but I never waste a chance of avoiding an accident.” Well, maybe that’s how some of us approach prayer. We don’t strongly believe in it, but we admit the possibility that it might work, as a last resort. So we could join in that request, “Lord, increase our faith; Lord, teach us how to pray.”

Jesus did not just teach his friends how to pray, he showed them how, by his own example. Never did any human being pray as he did. Even in the middle of a sermon he would turn to God and address him as Father. Early in the morning he would steal away to the hillside, his favourite place for quiet prayer. It was his custom, whenever he visited Jerusalem, to pray at night in the Garden of Gethsemane, so his being there on the night of his arrest was not unusual. On that occasion we know that “being in anguish he prayed the longer.” What he prayed that night is clearly reported. “Father, if it is your will, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, let your will, not mine be done” (Lk 22:42f). Well, the Father did not take away the cup of suffering from Jesus. But by embracing the will of God, something greater was to follow for Jesus – his resurrection from the dead. “Unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain” (Jn 12:24).

The letter to the Hebrews sums it up: “During his life on earth, he offered prayer and petition, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to raise him from the dead, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard.” May God grant that our prayer may be heard also, and that being guided through life by the spirit of Jesus we may be in his company for ever in heaven.

If they could see me now
If they could see me now – I’ve often found myself wondering what my parents or friends would think of me if they were present at this or that encounter, whether generous or mean. Many feel this need to be seen by others – especially for appreciation or praise. It can reach the stage when no worthy action is done for its own sake; unless there’s an audience of some kind to give us credit, we hardly think it worthwhile. How easy it is to dress up things with a superficial cosmetic of virtue, “in order to be seen by men?” Yet only God sees the heart and knows the motive.

Certainly the opinions of others matter. But what counts in the long run is how our God sees us – not mere opinion, but God’s unerring vision, compassionate yet total. Nothing compares with that judgment. The basic question is this: have you been faithful in serving? Because of fidelity, the righteous will live. Life in God’s friendship, the state of grace, does not depend on social stature or reputation, but on a secret, inner quality. As St. Paul says, one cannot even fully judge oneself. Upon this profound question of righteousness, we can only trust in God’s mercy, while making an honest effort to serve Him. Then the principle will apply: for the one who loves God, all things work together unto good.

Unprofitable servants? A better word might be ordinary. The servants had done their duty, which was what could be expected of them. Too often we Christians take a casual attitude towards the service of God. We treat prayer as a casual option, the commandments as a burden and restriction to be periodically neglected, and works of charity as a rare event for which should expect congratulations. But if we take the words of Christ to heart, we would regard all these things as normal service. The standards he sets are much higher than those we habitually live by. What a new complexion things would have if we all became willing servants towards God, doing each ordinary thing according to His will.

But who will get us started? If I decided to do things simply for God’s approval, would I not be exploited and despised by others? So, while I’m taken by the ideal, I won’t commit until others adopt the same spirit of social responsibility. The rat-race is nobody’s fault, and yet it’s everybody’s. The change to a new spirit of mutual service can only begin when individuals embrace this ideal for its own sake. “Ask not what your country can do for you…”

Ultimately, this is the way to salvation. The just person shall live by fidelity. When all of life’s days have been lived, and the Master comes to judge our individual performance, only those who have given generous service will feel at home in his company. And then we will realize that this was the right way to live in God’s sight “Well done good and faithful servant,” God will say; and we will answer simply, “It was no more than our duty.”

Source: http://www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie/2013/10/6th-october-2013-27th-sunday-of-ordinary-time/

Prayer:

Lord, we are yours by nature and by birthright. We were born for a special purpose under heaven. It is not for us to seek praise or to feel good when we do good, just like the mango tree will not be any greater in the eyes of the other mango trees in the orchard when it has bore sweet fruit. It bears sweet fruit because it exists to bear sweet fruit, no more, no less. Thank you, Lord, for this important lesson. Most of the time, anger, unforgiveness, selfishness, greed, pride, gluttony and self-righteousness happens when we append so much value to ourselves. Forgive us, Lord, for this fatal attraction to ourselves. Send us the Holy Spirit when we work, play, drive, live with family and associate with friends so that we will be easy to live with, with no baggage, or chips on our shoulders, so that we will bear sweet fruit because we were made to do so, and not by our own conscious effort. Help us to live our lives in quiet surrender to your most Holy Will, praying with faith and faithfully praying because we were born to do so. Amen.

September 29, 2013
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 138

Reading 1 AM 6:1A, 4-7
Thus says the LORD the God of hosts: Woe to the complacent in Zion! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches, they eat lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall! Improvising to the music of the harp, like David, they devise their own accompaniment. They drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the best oils; yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph! Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile, and their wanton revelry shall be done away with.

Responsorial Psalm PS 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed he who keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those who were bowed down; the LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,but the way of the wicked he thwarts. The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 1 TM 6:11-16
But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession, to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.

Gospel LK 16:19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’  But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Prayer:

“If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.”

Lord, thank you for warning us time and time again of the wages of sin. You sent the prophets and the evangelists to foretell what could happen to us if we persist in our sinful ways. Save us, Lord, from eternal damnation. Make us your obedient lambs, discipline us, if you will, never let us out of your sight for we can be stubborn and hard-headed. Sometimes we are like the rich man, after only our own comfort, ignoring our neighbor who has less than us. We understand that our faith is a sharing faith, not a faith by form only and not by substance. Draw us closer and closer to you, so that we will not stray. Amen .

Reading 1, Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14

7 Yahweh then said to Moses, ‘Go down at once, for your people whom you brought here from Egypt have become corrupt.

8 They have quickly left the way which I ordered them to follow. They have cast themselves a metal calf, worshipped it and offered sacrifice to it, shouting, “Israel, here is your God who brought you here from Egypt!” ‘

9 Yahweh then said to Moses, ‘I know these people; I know how obstinate they are!

10 So leave me now, so that my anger can blaze at them and I can put an end to them! I shall make a great nation out of you instead.’

11 Moses tried to pacify Yahweh his God. ‘Yahweh,’ he said, ‘why should your anger blaze at your people, whom you have brought out of Egypt by your great power and mighty hand?

13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to whom you swore by your very self and made this promise: “I shall make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven, and this whole country of which I have spoken, I shall give to your descendants, and it will be their heritage for ever.”

14 Yahweh then relented over the disaster which he had intended to inflict on his people.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19

3 For I am well aware of my offences, my sin is constantly in mind.

4 Against you, you alone, I have sinned, I have done what you see to be wrong, that you may show your saving justice when you pass sentence, and your victory may appear when you give judgement,

12 Give me back the joy of your salvation, sustain in me a generous spirit.

13 I shall teach the wicked your paths, and sinners will return to you.

17 Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a broken, contrite heart you never scorn.

19 Then you will delight in upright sacrifices — burnt offerings and whole oblations — and young bulls will be offered on your altar.

Gospel, Luke 15:1-32

1 The tax collectors and sinners, however, were all crowding round to listen to him,

2 and the Pharisees and scribes complained saying, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’

3 So he told them this parable:

4 ‘Which one of you with a hundred sheep, if he lost one, would fail to leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the missing one till he found it?

5 And when he found it, would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders

6 and then, when he got home, call together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, I have found my sheep that was lost.”

7 In the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner repenting than over ninety-nine upright people who have no need of repentance.

8 ‘Or again, what woman with ten drachmas would not, if she lost one, light a lamp and sweep out the house and search thoroughly till she found it?

9 And then, when she had found it, call together her friends and neighbours, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, I have found the drachma I lost.”

10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.’

11 Then he said, ‘There was a man who had two sons.

12 The younger one said to his father, “Father, let me have the share of the estate that will come to me.” So the father divided the property between them.

13 A few days later, the younger son got together everything he had and left for a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery.

14 ‘When he had spent it all, that country experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch;

15 so he hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the pigs.

16 And he would willingly have filled himself with the husks the pigs were eating but no one would let him have them.

17 Then he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father’s hired men have all the food they want and more, and here am I dying of hunger!

18 I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;

19 I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired men.”

20 So he left the place and went back to his father. ‘While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him.

21 Then his son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.”

22 But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

23 Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we will celebrate by having a feast,

24 because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate.

25 ‘Now the elder son was out in the fields, and on his way back, as he drew near the house, he could hear music and dancing.

26 Calling one of the servants he asked what it was all about.

27 The servant told him, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the calf we had been fattening because he has got him back safe and sound.”

28 He was angry then and refused to go in, and his father came out and began to urge him to come in;

29 but he retorted to his father, “All these years I have slaved for you and never once disobeyed any orders of yours, yet you never offered me so much as a kid for me to celebrate with my friends.

30 But, for this son of yours, when he comes back after swallowing up your property — he and his loose women — you kill the calf we had been fattening.”

31 ‘The father said, “My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours.

32 But it was only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because your brother here was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found.” ‘

Reading 2, First Timothy 1:12-17

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength. By calling me into his service he has judged me trustworthy,

13 even though I used to be a blasphemer and a persecutor and contemptuous. Mercy, however, was shown me, because while I lacked faith I acted in ignorance;

14 but the grace of our Lord filled me with faith and with the love that is in Christ Jesus.

15 Here is a saying that you can rely on and nobody should doubt: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I myself am the greatest of them;

16 and if mercy has been shown to me, it is because Jesus Christ meant to make me the leading example of his inexhaustible patience for all the other people who were later to trust in him for eternal life.

17 To the eternal King, the undying, invisible and only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

From http://www.catholic.org/bible/daily_reading/?select_date=2013-09-15

Prayer:

“My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours.”

Lord, I’ve always focused on the son who went away when I read and reflect on the parable of the prodigal son, but tonight, I realized that the son who stayed behind is also prodigal in a way. In complaining about his father’s treatment of the son who has returned, the other son who never left his father’s side could have recklessly squandered his father’s goodwill by his grumbling. He tested his father, the same way the outwardly wayward son tested his father. Lord, sorry if I am either son. Sometimes, I am outwardly wayward, but sometimes I resent your treatment for favoring other people over me. From now on, I shall always be thankful and joyful for the blessings you have given me, regardless of what others have. Thank you for forgiving me again and again. Even if I don’t ask for your forgiveness, you still forgive me I know because of the lightness of my spirit. Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to the me, your most undeserving son. Amen.

Gospel for August 18, 2013 , Sunday, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc.

Ps 40:2, 3, 4, 18
Lord, come to my aid!

1st Reading: Jer 38:4-6, 8-10

Then the officials told the king,“This man should be put to death, because he is weakening the will of the fighting men and the people left the city. In fact he is not out to save the people but to do harm.” King Zedekiah said, “His life is in your hands for the king has no power against you.”

So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchiah the king’s son, in the Guards’ Court. They lowered him by means of ropes. There was no water in the cistern but only mud and Jeremiah sank into the mud. Ebedmelech went and spoke to him, “My lord king! These men have acted wickedly in all they did to Jeremiah the prophet. They threw him into the cistern where he will die.”

So the king ordered Ebedmelech the Ethiopian: “Take three men with you from here and draw Jeremiah the prophet out from the cistern before he dies.”

2nd Reading: Heb 12:1-4

What a cloud of innumerable witnesses surround us! So let us be rid of every encumbrance, and especially of sin, to persevere in running the race marked out before us.

Let us look to Jesus the founder of our faith, who will bring it to completion. For the sake of the joy re- served for him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and then sat at the right of the throne of God. Think of Jesus who suffered so many contradictions from evil people, and you will not be discouraged or grow weary. Have you already shed your blood in the struggle against sin?

Gospel: Lk 12:49-53

I have come to bring fire up on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what anguish I feel until it is over! Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on, in one house five will be divided: three against two, and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Reflection:

Read: Prophet Jeremiah suffers at the hands of his own people who turn against him. The Samaritans refuse to receive Jesus or offer him lodging, as they do not approve of his intentions. The author of the letter to the Hebrews reminds us of the suffering and rejection Jesus endured in fulfilling his mission, and invites us to draw strength from Jesus in our own struggles in witnessing to the faith.

Reflect: We continue to reflect on the theme of blessings and trials which we encountered last Sunday. Jeremiah suffers terribly at the hands of his own people, but he remains faithful to his mission. Jesus is fully focused on his mission and takes being rejected in stride. Sometimes the rejection can come from individuals and groups who serve the same Lord—John and his friends were quick to silence the stranger who was ministering in Christ’s name. During such difficult moments of opposition from within and without, let us look to Christ and draw strength from the example of the cloud of witnesses who have gone before us.

Pray: Lord God, we pray for all the missionaries who are persecuted for their missionary service of the Gospel. We pray for all Christians who suffer discrimination and persecution in different parts of the world. Be their strength and reward, Amen.

Listen: In your imagination, observe and listen to how Jesus responds to the Samaritans who refuse hospitality to him.

Act: Pray a decade of the Rosary for missionaries.

Prayer:

“Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

Lord, your message of salvation is sometimes hard to accept, for you teach us to turn the left cheek when the other cheek is slapped; and if someone takes our coat, we must give him our cloak as well; if he makes us go a mile with him, we must go with him two; to be meek and humble of heart which is counterintuitive if we have to stay out of harm’s way. Perhaps that is the reason why you will not bring peace, but rather division, because your law is contrary to what we learn by force of circumstance. Thank you for giving us an alternative lifestyle, for the world takes its toll on us, it robs us of peace as we create enemies because we didn’t turn the other cheek, or the one who wanted to have our coat died from the cold because we refused to let him have it, or we became too bellicose for our own good and we are killed because we resisted superior force. Send us the holy spirit so that we will learn your virtues, for to get our reward in heaven we have to be like you. Teach us to “take your yoke upon ourselves, and learn from you, for you are gentle and lowly in heart, and we will find rest for your souls.” Amen.

August 11, 2013
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 117

Reading 1 WIS 18:6-9
The night of the passover was known beforehand to our fathers, that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith, they might have courage. Your people awaited the salvation of the just and the destruction of their foes. For when you punished our adversaries, in this you glorified us whom you had summoned. For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution.

Responsorial Psalm PS 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22
R. (12b) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Exult, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting. Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield. May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Reading 2 HEB 11:1-2, 8-19

Brothers and sisters:
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God.

By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age—and Sarah herself was sterile—for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy. So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore. All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth, for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.” He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol.

Gospel LK 12:32-48

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

“Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” And the Lord replied, “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish the servant severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

Prayer:

“… for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Lord, bless us with vigilance and preparedness.  Make us prepare for any eventuality: today the sun may shine, but tomorrow it may be covered by storm clouds.  Make us carry our own weather, Lord, that we may be ready with light clothes for a sunshiny day, or have an umbrella or a raincoat on hand for our use when clouds suddenly gather and unleash torrential rains, for life is like that.  And if you do return during our lifetime, equip us we pray with the grace and disposition to welcome you with open arms, knowing that our salvation is nigh.  Thank you for reminding us by way of gospel or daily experience to “gird our loins” and be ready to put our best effort to the task of building your kingdom on earth day after day.  Amen.

August 4, 2013

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 114
Reading 1 ECC 1:2; 2:21-23

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity! Here is one who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill, and yet to another who has not labored over it, he must leave property. This also is vanity and a great misfortune. For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun? All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation; even at night his mind is not at rest. This also is vanity.

Responsorial Psalm PS 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17

R. (1) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

You make an end of them in their sleep; the next morning they are like the changing grass, Which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands!

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Reading 2 COL 3:1-5, 9-11

Brothers and sisters: If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory. Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry. Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator.  Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.

Gospel LK 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Then he told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.”

Prayer:

“… not rich in what matters to God.”

Lord, teach us abundance in your name. You have taught us to seek and we shall find, to knock and it shall be given us, therefore, Lord, when we work, we hope to always work for your glory, for you have made all things, visible and invisible, and in one moment you can provide for us, in another, you can withdraw the same. Riches only matters if it brings us closer to you and your heavenly kingdom. Make us remember our ethics, make us remember your providence every time we are sufficient unto ourselves, for you alone are holy, you only are pure, you only can give life in all its abundance. Amen.

Luke 11:1-13

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”

And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

(Text from page http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/07/25/sunday_gospel_july_28_2013/en1-713547
of the Vatican Radio website)

Prayer:

“Persistence.”

Lord, with this gospel I understand more clearly the significance of the Holy Rosary and novenas to the Blessed Mother and the saints. Persistent prayer, over and over again, such as the ten Hail Marys in every decade of the Rosary, the same prayer over a nine-day period in novenas such as that for the Mother of Perpetual Help in Baclaran Church or for the Lady of Mount Carmel, gives the prayer petition a robust push because of its repetition and constancy. Never allow us, Lord, to tire in our repetitive prayers such as the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. While always on the same track, seemingly lacking creativity or personality, these prayers drill into the petitioner’s mind the importance and impact of the prayer request upon one’s life. How simply put are “give us this day our daily bread,” or “pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death,” or “world without end.” Praying in our own words surely has its significance in your eyes and ears, O Lord, but Jesus did give us a formula with which to approach you, the giving God. Formulaic, standard, even unexciting or boring, the prayer that Jesus himself taught us may seem to lack the stamp of our personhood but it does reach you, and it is not so much the words of the prayer as the intention, the urgency, the persistency of the request, the unceasing knocking. Thank you, God for the Our Father. Thank you, God for teaching us well, so that even if Jesus Christ had physically left the earth a long time ago, the Holy Spirit is with us 24/7, and we are reminded in the gospel and homily, at Mass, in Rosary and in our devotions to Mary and the saints, of the stark simplicity of asking, of knocking on your door without tiring, straightforward and simply put. In Jesus Christ, through Mary and the saints, amen.