Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 121 : 1-2, 4-5
I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” And now we have set foot within your gates, o Jerusalem!
There the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, the assembly of Israel, to give thanks to the Lord’s Name. There stands the courts of justice, the offices of the house of David.
Liturgical Colour : White
2 Samuel 5 : 1-3
All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your bone and flesh. In the past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel. And YHVH said to you, ‘You shall be the shepherd of My people Israel and you shall be commander over Israel.'”
Before YHVH, King David made an agreement with the elders of Israel who came to him at Hebron, and they anointed him king of Israel.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Offertory
Psalm 129 : 1-2
De profundis clamavi ad Te, Domine : Domine, exaudi orationem meam : de profundis clamavi ad Te, Domine.
English translation
From the depths I have cried out to You, o Lord. Lord, hear my prayer, from the depths I have cried out to You, o Lord.
Secret Prayer of the Priest
Propitius esto, Domine, supplicationibus nostris : et, populi Tui oblationibus precibusque susceptis, omnium nostrum ad Te corda converte; ut, a terrenis cupiditatibus liberati, ad caelestia desideria transeamus. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
English translation
Be propitious, o Lord, to our supplications, and accept the offerings and prayers of Your people. Turn all our hearts unto You, that, being delivered from earthly desires, we may pass on to the enjoyments of heaven. 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
Mark 11 : 24
Amen, dico vobis, quidquid orantes petitis, credite, quia accipietis, et fiet vobis.
English translation
Amen, I say to you, whatsoever you ask when you pray, believe that you shall receive, and it shall be done unto you.
Post-Communion Prayer
Concede nobis, quaesumus, Domine : ut per haec sacramenta quae sumpsimus, quidquid in nostra mente vitiosum est, ipsorum medicationis dono curetur. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
English translation
Grant us, we beseech You, o Lord, that, through this sacrament which we have received, whatever is evil in our hearts may be restored by its gift of healing. 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.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Matthew 24 : 15-35
Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Matthaeum – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew
In illo tempore : Dixit Jesus discipulis Suis : Cum videritis abominationem desolationis, quae dicta est a Daniele Propheta, stantem in loco sancto : qui legit, intellegat : tunc qui in Judaea sunt, fugiant ad montes : et qui in tecto, non descendat tollere aliquid de domo sua : et qui in agro, non revertatur tollere tunicam suam.
Vae autem praegnantibus et nutrientibus in illis diebus. Orate autem, ut non fiat fuga vestra in hieme vel sabbato. Erit enim tunc tribulatio magna, qualis non fuit ab initio mundi usque modo, neque fiet. Et nisi breviati fuissent dies illi, non fieret salva omnis caro : sed propter electos breviabuntur dies illi.
Tunc si quis vobis dixerit : Ecce, hic est Christus, aut illic : nolite credere. Surgent enim pseudochristi et pseudoprophetae, et dabunt signa magna et prodigia, ita ut in errorem inducantur (si fieri potest) etiam electi.
Ecce, praedixi vobis. Si ergo dixerint vobis : Ecce, in deserto est, nolite exire : ecce, in penetralibus, nolite credere. Sicut enim fulgur exit ab Oriente et paret usque in Occidentem : ita erit et adventus Filii Hominis. Ubicumque fuerit corpus, illic congregabuntur et aquilae.
Statim autem post tribulationem dierum illorum sol obscurabitur, et luna non dabit lumen suum, et stellae cadent de caelo, et virtutes caelorum commovebuntur : et tunc parebit signum Filii Hominis in caelo : et tunc plangent omnes tribus terrae : et videbunt Filium Hominis venientem in nubibus caeli cum virtute multa et majestate.
Et mittet Angelos suos cum tuba et voce magna : et congregabunt electos ejus a quatuor ventis, a summis caelorum usque ad terminos eorum. Ab arbore autem fici discite parabolam : Dum jam ramus ejus tener tuerit et folia nata, scitis, quia prope est aestas : ita et vos cum videritis haec omnia, scitote, quia prope est in januis.
Amen, dico vobis, quia non praeteribit generatio haec, donec omnia haec fiant. Caelum et terra transibunt, verba autem mea non praeteribunt.
English translation
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “When you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, he who reads, let him understand, then they who are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains, and he who is on the housetop, let him not come down to take anything out of his house, and he who is in the field, let him not go back to take his coat.”
“And woe to those who are with child, and those who give suckle, in those days. But pray that your flight be not in the winter, or on the sabbath, for there shall be then great tribulation, such as has not been found since the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be, and unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved, but for the sake of the elect, those days shall be shortened.”
“Then if any man shall say to you, ‘Lo, here is Christ, or there.’ do not believe him, for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and they shall show great signs and wonders, in so much as to deceive (if possible) even the elect.”
“Behold, I have told it to you beforehand, if they therefore shall say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the desert, do not go out; behold, He is in the closets, do not believe it. For as lightning comes out of the east, and appears even into the west, so shall also be the coming of the Son of Man. Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together.”
“And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be moved, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty.”
“And He shall send His Angels with a trumpet and a great voice and they shall gather together His elects from the four winds, from the farthest part of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them. And from the fig tree learn a parable, when the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you shall see all these things, may you know that it is nigh even at the doors.”
“Amen, I say to you, that this generation shall not pass until all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.”
Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 43 : 8-9 and Psalm 129 : 1-2
Liberasti nos, Domine, ex affligentibus nos : et eos, qui nos oderunt, confudisti.
Priest : In Deo laudabimur tota die, et in Nomine Tuo confitebimur in saecula.
Alleluja, Alleluja.
Priest : De profundis clamavi ad Te, Domine : Domine, exaudi orationem meam. Alleluja.
English translation
You have delivered us, o Lord, from those who afflicted us, and have put them to shame those who hated us.
Priest : In God we will glory all the day, and in Your Name we will give praise forever.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Priest : From the depths I have cried to You, o Lord. Lord, hear my prayer. Alleluia.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Lectio Epistolae Beati Pauli Apostoli ad Colossenses – Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Colossians
Colossians 1 : 9-14
Fratres : Non cessamus pro vobis orantes et postulantes, ut impleamini agnitione voluntatis Dei, in omni sapientia et intellectu spiritali : ut ambuletis digne Deo per omnia placentes : in omni opere bono fructificantes, et crescentes in scientia Dei : in omni virtute confortati secundum potentiam claritatis ejus in omni patientia, et longanimitate cum gaudio, gratias agentes Deo Patri, qui dignos nos fecit in partem sortis sanctorum in lumine : qui eripuit nos de potestate tenebrarum, et transtulit in regnum Filii dilectionis suae, in quo habemus redemptionem per sanguinem Ejus, remissionem peccatorum.
English translation
Brethren, we cease not to pray for you, and to beg that you may be filled with the knowledge of the will of God, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of God, in all things pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might according to the power of His glory, in all patience and long suffering with joy, giving thanks to God the Father, Who had made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light, Who had delivered us from the power of darkness and had translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we have redemption through His Blood, the remission of sins.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Introit
Jeremiah 29 : 11, 12, 14 and Psalm 84 : 2
Dicit Dominus : Ego cogito cogitationes pacis, et non afflictionis : invocabitis me, et ego exaudiam vos : et reducam capitivitatem vestram de cunctis locis.
Benedixisti, Domine, terram Tuam : avertisti captivitatem Jacob.
Priest : Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper : et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
English translation
The Lord said, “I think thoughts of peace, and not of affliction. You shall call upon Me and I will hear you, and I will bring back your captivity from all places.
Lord, You have blessed Your land, You have turned away the captivity of Jacob.
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
Excita, quaesumus, Domine, Tuorum fidelium voluntates : ut, divini operis fructum propensius exsequentes; pietatis Tuae remedia majora percipiant. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
English translation
Stir up, we beseech You, o Lord, the wills of Your faithful, that, by more earnestly following after the fruit of the divine work, they may the more abundantly partake of Your mercies. 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.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in today’s Scripture readings all of us are presented with the centre tenet of our belief and faith, that is the promise and faith in the resurrection from the dead, and this means that we believe in the existence of life after death, or the afterlife. We believe that our existence does not simply end upon our death, that is the end of our worldly life in this current world we are living in now.
There are those who were skeptical about the resurrection then as it is now. The Sadducees presented in today’s Gospel is one of the major power parties in the society of the Jewish people during the time of Jesus, representing the intellectuals and the secular power holder, the nobility and the rulers. These are the people who have the most to benefit from the world, and accordingly, by nature, their possession of these worldly goods often led to unhealthy attachment.
They refused to believe in the resurrection of the dead, because they viewed that the only life they know and which matters to them is the life at present, which they were then going through in this world. For them death is an uncertainty, something that should be feared, because they saw death as the definitive end to their privileges and all the things which they have enjoyed in the world.
And this is what sadly many of us Christians are often falling prey to, falling prey to our own fears and uncertainties, our doubts and lack of faith in the Lord and His providence. We become entangled and trapped in the trap of desire, of worldliness, of worldly pleasure and goodness, all the things that keep us away from finding our way to the salvation in God.
And that is the reality of the Church, brothers and sisters in Christ, that even though many call themselves as Christians, but there are many who place their worldly interests above that of their faith in the Lord. Many of them only believe in the Lord as far as what pleases and suits them, and they would rather preserve their position and state in this world rather than to be truly devoted to God.
It is these people with unsteady and lukewarm faith who will be judged to be unworthy by God at the end of time, when the Lord comes again in His glory. He will not welcome these people who did not have love for Him but for themselves. These people would be easily tempted and pulled away by the lies of the devil, who is always constantly trying to undermine us and bring about our downfall.
This is where we need to make a stand, just as those two holy witnesses of the Lord spoke out against the wicked ways of the world in the first reading today from the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle. Persecutions and challenges will come our way from those whom the devil had ensnared in his lies and wickedness, those who followed the path of the Sadducees, refusing to believe in the salvation and the way of our Lord Jesus Christ, but the way forward is not to give up and succumb to these, but instead to remain true and committed to our faith in God.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, how do we do this then? It is by living our lives filled with faith and commitment to our God that we will be able to fulfil what the Lord expects from each and every one of us. We cannot be lukewarm in our faith, or be inactive and passive. Rather, let our every actions and deeds speak volumes for our sake and for the Lord’s sake, that we may inspire each other to keep up the hope, and that those who have been blinded by darkness and by worldly temptations may see the light and repent their sinful ways.
Let us all renew our faith in the Lord, our Risen Lord and Master, He Who has conquered death, and showed us the promise of eternal life, which is the eternity of bliss and joy, true joy and happiness that He will grant to those who remain faithful to Him. Let us not be distracted on this path, and let us no longer fear but believe wholeheartedly, believing that God will be with His people forevermore. Let us not put our trust in the temporary treasures of this world, but seek the true treasures found in God alone. God bless us all. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Luke 20 : 27-40
At that time, some Sadducees arrived. These people claim that there is no resurrection, and they asked Jesus this question, “Master, in the Law Moses told us, ‘If anyone dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife, and any child born to them will be regarded as the child of the deceased.'”
“Now, there were seven brothers; the first married a wife, but he died without children; and the second and the third took the wife; in fact, all seven died leaving no children. Last of all the woman died. On the day of the resurrection, to which of them will the woman be a wife? For all seven had her as a wife.”
And Jesus replied, “Taking a husband or a wife is proper to people of this world, but for those who are considered worthy of the world to come, and of resurrection from the dead, there is no more marriage. Besides, they cannot die, for they are like the Angels. They are sons and daughters of God, because they are born of the resurrection.”
“Yes, the dead will be raised, as Moses revealed at the burning bush, when He called the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. For God is God of the living, and not of the dead, for to Him everyone is alive.”
Some teachers of the Law then agreed with Jesus, “Master, You have spoken well.” They did not dare to ask Him anything else.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 143 : 1, 2, 9-10
Blessed be the Lord, my Rock, Who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.
My loving God, my Fortress; my Protector and Deliverer, my Shield where I take refuge, Who conquers nations and subjects them to my rule.
I will sing a new song to You, o God, I will make music on the ten-stringed harp, for You Who give victory to kings and deliver David, Your servant.
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 