Day: August 30, 2017

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Sunday, 3 September 2017 : Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 16 : 21-27

At that time, from that day, Jesus began to make it clear to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem; that He would suffer many things from the Jewish authorities, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law; and that He would be killed and be raised on the third day.

Then Peter took Him aside and began to reproach Him, “Never, Lord! No, this must never happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an obstacle in My path. You are thinking not as God does, but as people do.”

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If you want to follow Me, deny yourself. Take up your cross and follow Me. For whoever chooses to save his life will lose it, but the one who loses his life, for My sake, will find it. What will one gain by winning the whole world, if he destroys his soul? Or what can a person give, in exchange for his life?”

“Know, that the Son of Man will come, in the glory of His Father with the holy Angels, and He will reward each one according to his deeds.”

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Sunday, 3 September 2017 : Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 12 : 1-2

I beg you, dearly beloved, by the mercy of God, to give yourselves, as a living and holy sacrifice, pleasing to God; that is the kind of worship for you, as sensible people.

Do not let yourselves be shaped by the world where you live, but, rather, be transformed, through the renewal of your mind. You must discern the will of God : what is good, what pleases, what is perfect.

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Sunday, 3 September 2017 : Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 62 : 2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

O God, You are my God, it is You I seek; for You, my body longs and my soul thirsts, as a dry and weary land without water.

Thus have I gazed upon You in the Sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.

I will praise You as long as I live, lift up my hands and call on Your Name. As with the richest food, my soul will feast; my mouth will praise You with joyful lips.

For You have been my help; I sing in the shadow of Your wings. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.

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Sunday, 3 September 2017 : Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Jeremiah 20 : 7-9

YHVH, You have seduced me and I let myself be seduced. You have taken me by force and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; they all make fun of me, for every time I speak I have to shout, “Violence! Devastation!” YHVH’s word has brought me insult and derision all day long.

So I decided to forget about Him and speak no more in His Name. But His word in my heart becomes like a fire burning deep within my bones. I try so hard to hold it in, but I cannot do it.

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(Usus Antiquior) Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 3 September 2017 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Liturgical Colour : Green

Offertory

Psalm 30 : 15-16

In Te speravi, Domine; dixi : Tu es Deus meus, in manibus Tuis tempora mea.

 

English translation

In You, o Lord, have I hoped. I said, “You are my God, my times are in Your hands.”

 

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Propitiare, Domine, populo Tuo, propitiare muneribus : ut, hac oblatione placatus, et indulgentiam nobis tribuas et postulata 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

Look with favour upon Your people, o Lord, look with favour upon their gifts, that being appeased by this oblation, You may give us pardon and grant us what we ask. 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

Wisdom 16 : 20

Panem de caelo dedisti nobis, Domine, habentem omne delectamentum et omnem saporem suavitatis.

 

English translation

You have given us, o Lord, bread from heaven, having in it all that is delicious, and the sweetness of every taste.

 

Post-Communion Prayer

Sumptis, Domine, caelestibus sacramentis : ad redemptionis aeternae, quaesumus, proficiamus augmentum. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

 

English translation

Having received Your heavenly sacraments, o Lord, we beseech You that we may profit unto the increase of everlasting salvation. 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) Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 3 September 2017 : Holy Gospel

Liturgical Colour : Green

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Lucam – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke

Luke 17 : 11-19

In illo tempore : Dum iret Jesus in Jerusalem, transibat per mediam Samariam et Galilaeam. Et cum ingrederetur quoddam castellum, occurrerunt ei decem viri leprosi, qui steterunt a longe; et levaverunt vocem dicentes : Jesu praeceptor, miserere nostri.

Quos ut vidit, dixit : Ite, ostendite vos sacerdotibus. Et factum est, dum irent, mundati sunt. Unus autem ex illis, ut vidit quia mundatus est, regressus est, cum magna voce magnificans Deum, et cecidit in faciem ante pedes ejus, gratias agens : et hic erat Samaritanus.

Respondens autem Jesus, dixit : Nonne decem mundati sunt? Et novem ubi sunt? Non est inventus, qui rediret et daret gloriam Deo, nisi hic alienigena. Et ait illi : Surge, vade, quia fides tua te salvum fecit.

 

English translation

At that time, as Jesus was going to Jerusalem, He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee, and as He entered into a certain town, there He met ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off, and lifted up their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

Jesus Whom when He saw, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And it came to pass that, as they went, they were made clean. And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, and with a loud voice, glorifying God, and he fell on his face before His feet, giving thanks, and this was a Samaritan.

And Jesus answering, said, “Were not ten made clean? And where are the nine? There is no one found to return, and give glory to God, but this stranger.” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. For your faith had made you whole.”

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(Usus Antiquior) Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 3 September 2017 : Gradual and Alleluia

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 73 : 20, 19, 22 and Psalm 89 : 1

Respice, Domine, in testamentum Tuum : et animas pauperum Tuorum ne obliviscaris in finem.

Response : Exsurge, Domine, et judica causam Tuam : memor esto oprobrii servorum Tuorum.

Alelluja, Alleluja.

Response : Domine, refugium factus es nobis a generatione et progenie. Alleluja.

 

English translation

Have regard, o Lord, to Your covenant, and do not forsake to the end the souls of Your poor.

Response : Arise, o Lord, and judge Your cause, remember the reproach of Your servants.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Response : Lord, You had been our refuge, from generation to generation. Alleluia.

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(Usus Antiquior) Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 3 September 2017 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour : Green

Lectio Epistolae Beati Pauli Apostoli ad Galatas – Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Galatians

Galatians 3 : 16-22

Fratres : Abrahae dictae sunt promissiones, et semini ejus. Non dicit : Et seminibus, quasi in multis; sed quasi in uno : Et semini tuo, qui est Christus. Hoc autem dico : testamentum confirmatum a Deo, quae post quadringentos et triginta annos facta est lex, non irritum facit ad evacuandam promissionem.

Nam si ex lege hereditas, jam non ex promissione. Abrahae autem per repromissionem donavit Deus. Quid igitur lex? Propter transgressiones posita est, donec veniret semen, cui promiserat, ordinata per Angelos in manu mediatoris.

Mediator autem unius non est : Deus autem unus est. Lex ergo adversus promissa Dei? Absit. Si enim data esset lex, quae possit vivificare, vere ex lege esset justitia. Sed conclusit Scriptura omnia sub peccato, ut promissio ex fide Jesu Christi daretur credentibus.

 

English translation

Brethren, to Abraham were the promises made, and to his seed. He did not say, and to his seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to your seed, which is Christ. Now this I say, that the testament which was confirmed by God, the law which was made after four hundred and thirty years, had not been disannulled, to make the promise of no effect.

For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise. Why then was the law? It was set because of transgressions, until the seed should come, to whom He made the promise, being ordained by angels in the hand of a Mediator.

Now a mediator is not of one, but God is one. Was the Law then against the promises of God? God forbid. For if there had been a law given, which could give life, verily justice should have been by the Law. But the Scripture had concluded all under sin, that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

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(Usus Antiquior) Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 3 September 2017 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : Green

Introit

Psalm 73 : 20, 19, 23, 1

Respice, Domine, in testamentum Tuum, et animas pauperum Tuorum ne derelinquas in finem : exsurge, Domine, et judica causam Tuam, et ne obliviscaris voces quaerentium Te.

Ut quid, Deus, repulisti in finem : iratus est furor Tuus super oves pascuae Tuae?

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

 

English translation

Have regard, o Lord, to Your covenant, and do not forsake to the end the souls of Your poor. Arise, o Lord and judge Your cause, and do not forget the voices of those who seek You.

O God, why have You cast us off unto the end. Why is Your wrath enkindled against the sheep of Your pasture?

Response : 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

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, da nobis fidei, spei et caritatis augmentum : et, ut mereamur assequi quod promittis, fac nos amare quod praecipis. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

 

English translation

Almighty, eternal God, grant us the increase of faith, hope and charity, and that we may deserve to attain what You had promised, make us to love what You had commanded. 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 September 2017 : 21st 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 from the Gospel the parable of the silver talents, in which our Lord Jesus related the story to the people and to His disciples, telling them of what they need to do if they are to remain faithful as His disciples. They cannot be idle or be lukewarm in our faith, and He showed this through the example of the silver talents entrusted by the master to the servants.

The master represents the Lord our God, Who has given each and every one of us with different abilities and gifts, in each of our own capacities, so that we may use them in what He has willed us to do, and to utilise these gifts and abilities He has granted us, all the blessings He has bestowed upon us, for our common good. However, this is something which many of us tend to overlook, and which the Lord wants us to remember through the Scriptures we heard today.

There were three servants who were given different silver talents depending on their abilities, as one was given five silver talents, another was given two silver talents, and one was given one silver talent to be taken care of while the master was away on his official business. Yet the one who has one silver talent hid his silver talent piece away when the two other servants invested their silver talents and gained profit as a result.

When the master came back to his place, and asked for an account from each of his servants, he praised the diligence and astuteness of the two servants who have invested their silver talents and gained great profits from what they have been given, and they were entrusted with even more of the master’s wealth, who knew that those servants could be depended on because of their performance.

Yet, the one who hid his silver talent and did nothing to it, was punished because he failed to do as what his master had said, that is to use the silver talent and invest it so that it would not just remain a silver talent, but instead giving great returns and profits, that when the master himself returned, he would have been able to gain more from what he has entrusted to the servant.

In the same manner, therefore, God will punish us if we have failed to do whatever it is that He had commanded us to do, and in today’s Gospel, He reminded us that He had granted us those many gifts and blessings, each according to our abilities and capacities. If we keep all these things to ourselves without using them, we will be just like the servant who was lazy and did not invest his silver talent.

And then, we should also not say that because God does not bless us with many things in this life, or that because we think that we do not have any special abilities, gifts or anything that we can give, share or use for the benefit of all. If we pay attention to the parable, we notice how the master gave each of the servants different amount of silver talents, each according to the servants’ abilities. Surely God has done the same with us as well. He knows what He has given us, and whatever little we have, even those we can use as well, for the common benefit of all.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all make the pledge from now on, to be generous in our giving, to those who have less than us, in material and most importantly in our love. Let us share what we have received with one another, that God’s blessings in us may multiply and grow greater, just as the silver talents invested by the good servants bore profits.

May the Lord bless our endeavours, and may He be with us throughout our journey in life, that we will ever bear fruits and be filled with goodness in all of our actions. May He empower us to live in His presence with faith, joy and hope at all times. Amen.