Month: June 2016

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Sunday, 3 July 2016 : 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 10 : 1-12, 17-20

At that time, the Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples, and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place, where He Himself was to go. And He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to His harvest.”

“Courage! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know. Whatever house you enter, first bless them, saying, ‘Peace to this house!’ If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking at their table, for the worker deserves to be paid. Do not move from house to house.”

“When they welcome you to any town, eat what they offer you. Heal the sick who are there, and say to them : ‘The kingdom of God has drawn near to you.’ But in any town where you are not welcome, go to the marketplace and proclaim : ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off and leave with you. But know for a certainty that the kingdom of God has drawn near to you.’ I tell you, that on the Day of Judgment it will be better for Sodom than for this town.”

The seventy-two disciples returned full of joy. They said, “Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we called on Your Name.” Then Jesus replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. You see, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the Enemy, so that nothing will harm you.”

“Nonetheless, do not rejoice because the evil spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.”

Alternative reading (shorter version)

Luke 10 : 1-9

At that time, the Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples, and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place, where He Himself was to go. And He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to His harvest.”

“Courage! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know. Whatever house you enter, first bless them, saying, ‘Peace to this house!’ If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking at their table, for the worker deserves to be paid. Do not move from house to house.”

“When they welcome you to any town, eat what they offer you. Heal the sick who are there, and say to them : ‘The kingdom of God has drawn near to you.'”

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Sunday, 3 July 2016 : 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Galatians 6 : 14-18

For me, I do not wish to take pride in anything except in the cross of Christ Jesus our Lord. Through Him the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Let us no longer speak of the circumcised and of non-Jews, but of a new creation. Let those who live according to this rule receive peace and mercy : they are the Israel of God!

Let no one trouble me any longer : for my part, I bear in my body the marks of Jesus. May the grace of Christ Jesus our Lord be with your spirit brothers and sisters. Amen.

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Sunday, 3 July 2016 : 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 65 : 1-3a, 4-5, 6-7a, 16 and 20

Shout with joy to God, all you on earth, sing to the glory of His Name; proclaim His glorious praise. Say to God, “How great are Your deeds!”

All the earth bows down to You, making music in praise of You, singing in honour of Your Name. Come and see God’s wonders, His deeds awesome for humans.

He has turned the sea into dry land, and the river was crossed on foot. Let us, therefore, rejoice in Him. He rules by His might forever.

All you who fear God, come and listen; let me tell you what He has done. May God be blessed! He has not rejected my prayer; nor withheld His love from me.

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Sunday, 3 July 2016 : 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Isaiah 66 : 10-14c

Rejoice for Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her. Be glad with her, rejoice with her, all you who were in grief over her, that you may suck of the milk from her comforting breasts, that you may drink deeply from the abundance of her glory.

For this is what YHVH says : I will send her peace, overflowing like a river; and the nations’ wealth, rushing like a torrent towards her. And you will be nursed and carried in her arms and fondled upon her lap. As a son comforted by his mother, so will I comfort you. At the sight of this, your heart will rejoice; like grass, your bones will flourish.

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(Usus Antiquior) Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 3 July 2016 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Liturgical Colour : Green

Offertory

Daniel 3 : 40

Sicut in holocaustis arietum et taurorum, et sicut in milibus agnorum pinguium : sic fiat sacrificium nostrum in conspectu Tuo hodie, ut placeat Tibi : quia non est confusio confidentibus in Te, Domine.

 

English translation

As in holocausts of rams and bullocks, and as in thousands of fat lambs, so let our sacrifice be made in Your sight this day, that it may please You, for there is no confusion to those who trust in You, o Lord.

 

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Deus, qui legalium differentiam hostiarum unius sacrificii perfectione sanxisti : accipe sacrificium a devotis Tibi famulis, et pari benedictione, sicut munera Abel, sanctifica; ut, quod singuli obtulerunt ad majestatis Tuae honorem, cunctis proficiat ad salutem. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

 

English translation

O God, You Who have sanctioned the diversity of offerings by the perfection of one sacrifice, receive the sacrifice offered to You by Your devoted servants, and sanctify it as You had sanctified the gifts of Abel, that which each one had offered to the glory of Your majesty may profit for the salvation of all. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

 

Communion

Psalm 30 : 3

Inclina aurem Tuam, accelera, ut eripias me.

 

English translation

Bow down Your ear, make haste to deliver me.

 

Post-Communion Prayer

Tua nos, Domine, medicinalis operatio, et a nostris perversitatibus clementer expediat, et ad ea, quae sunt recta, perducat. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

 

English translation

May Your health giving operation, o Lord, mercifully rid us of our evil inclinations and unto rightful ways strongly lead us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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(Usus Antiquior) Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 3 July 2016 : Holy Gospel

Liturgical Colour : Green

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Matthaeum – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew

Matthew 7 : 15-21

In illo tempore : Dixit Jesus discipulis Suis : Attendite a falsis prophetis, qui veniunt ad vos in vestimentis ovium, intrinsecus autem sunt lupi rapaces : a fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos. Numquid colligunt de spinis uvas, aut de tribulis ficus? Sic omnis arbor bona fructus bonos facit : mala autem arbor malos fructus facit.

Non potest arbor bona malos fructus facere : neque arbor mala bonos fructus facere. Omnis arbor, quae non facit fructum bonum, excidetur et in ignem mittetur. Igitur ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos. Non omnis, qui dicit mihi, Domine, Domine, intrabit in regnum caelorum : sed qui facit voluntatem Patris Mei, qui in caelis est, ipse intrabit in regnum caelorum.

 

English translation

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree brings forth good fruit, and the evil tree brings forth evil fruit.”

“A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that does not bring good fruit shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them, not every one that says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father, Who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

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(Usus Antiquior) Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 3 July 2016 : Gradual and Alleluia

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 33 : 12, 6 and Psalm 46 : 2

Venite, filii, audite me : timorem Domini docebo vos.

Priest : Accedite ad eum, et illuminamini : et facies vestrae non confundentur.

Alleluja, Alleluja.

Priest : Omnes gentes, plaudite manibus : jubilate Deo in voce exsultationis. Alleluja.

 

English translation

Come, children, hearken to me. I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Priest : Come all of you to Him and be enlightened, and your faces shall not be confounded.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Priest : O clap your hands, all you nations, shout unto God with the voice of joy. Alleluia.

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(Usus Antiquior) Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 3 July 2016 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour : Green

Lectio Epistolae Beati Pauli Apostoli ad Romanos – Letter from the Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Romans

Romans 6 : 19-23

Fratres : Humanum dico, propter infirmitatem carnis vestrae : sicut enim exhibuistis membra vestra servire immunditiae et iniquitati ad iniquitatem, ita nunc exhibete membra vestra servire justitiae in sanctificationem. Cum enim servi essetis peccati, liberi fuistis justitiae.

Quem ergo fructum habuistis tunc in illis, in quibus nunc erubescitis? Nam finis illorum mors est. Nunc vero liberati a peccato, servi autem facti Deo, habetis fructum vestrum in sanctificationem, finem vero vitam aeternam.

Stipendia enim peccati mors. Gratia autem Dei vita aeterna, in Christo Jesu, Domino nostro.

 

English translation

Brethren, I speak a human thing, because of the infirmity of your flesh, for as you have yielded your members to serve uncleanness and iniquity unto iniquity, so now yield your members to serve justice, unto sanctification. For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from justice.

What fruit therefore did you then have in those things, of which you are now ashamed? For the end of them is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end life everlasting.

For the wages of sin is death. But the grace of God, life everlasting, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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(Usus Antiquior) Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 3 July 2016 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : Green

Introit

Psalm 46 : 2, 3

Omnes gentes, plaudite manibus : jubilate Deo in voce exsultationis.

Quoniam Dominus excelsus, terribilis : Rex magnus super omnem terram.

Priest : Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper : et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

 

English translation

O clap your hands, all you nations. Shout unto God with the voice of joy.

For the Lord is most high. He is terrible, He is a great King over all the earth.

Priest : Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

 

Collect

Deus, cujus providentia in sui dispositione non fallitur : Te supplices exoramus; ut noxia cuncta submoveas, et omnia nobis profutura concedas. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

 

English translation

O God, You Whose providence does not fail in setting things in order, we, Your suppliants, beseech You, that You would remove from us all things harmful and grant us all that makes for our welfare. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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Saturday, 2 July 2016 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard about the prophet Amos who spoke the word of God about the promise of salvation and redemption of the people of God who had suffered for a long time, and who for a while had been left behind and abandoned to suffer the consequences of their sins and their wickedness.

This is a lesson for all of us as well, as it is showing us that first of all, the consequences of sin is suffering and eventually even death. If we do not repent from our sins, then our hope is dimmed and our chances are slimmed, as God while He loves us all, but His ways are against the ways of our sins and the ways of this world.

And this is reinforced by what we have heard in the Gospel today. The parable of the new wine and the new wineskins are reminders for us that our ways of life must be like the ways of our Lord. The ways of this world is against the ways of the Lord, and so if we do not give up on our sins and repent our wickedness, then I am afraid that it may be difficult for us all to find our way to the Lord.

God loves us all, but He detest our sins and wicked ways. Sin is what separated us from God and what will continue to keep us separated from Him unless we begin to make a difference in our own lives, shunning all forms of sins and wickedness, and begin anew in a life blessed with the grace of God. But this will not be easy as surely, challenges and difficulties will come our way.

It is really up to us to make a difference in our own lives. We must have that drive and dedication to commit ourselves and to change ourselves for the better. It is really up to us to stand up to the world and challenge the societal norms and ways, showing that it is not necessary that we should follow, conform or obey the ways of the world just because we live in it, and as the followers of our Lord Jesus Christ we are called to make a difference in this world.

And how do we do this, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is by devoting ourselves to new ways, the ways of our God, and reject before us the ways of the world, the ways of sin and evil. When before we have acted with selfishness, jealousy, anger and greed, now we have to show selfless love, care, compassion and concern for one another, to show the love of God to this world.

But this will not be easy, as it is easy for us to say that we no longer want to follow the ways of sin, but it is entirely different for us to commit to the ways of the Lord. It often requires sacrifice, commitment and hard work, in order for us to be able to fully devote ourselves to our loving God. And it often requires all of us to let go of the things and the ways which we love, such as pleasures and the goodness of this world, the temptations of wealth and possessions, and to be someone who think of others first before himself or herself.

Let us all reflect on this, brethren, and think of what we can change in our lives. If we endeavour and want to commit to follow the Lord our God, then we have to be aware that truly, we have to adapt to the Lord and to change ourselves for the better. Otherwise, as what Jesus mentioned in His parable, the new wine will break the old wineskin, as they are incompatible.

Let us all follow the Lord with all of our heart and devote ourselves completely to Him without reservation or hesitation. Let us put our trust completely in Him, and let us no longer hesitate but seek Him with joy and hope in the life and glory He has promised to all those who believed in Him. God bless us all. Amen.