Day: August 25, 2022

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Sunday, 28 August 2022 : Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 67 : 4-5ac, 6-7ab, 10-11

But let the righteous be glad and exult before God; let them sing to God and shout for joy. Sing to God, sing praises to His Name; YHVH is His Name. Rejoice in His presence.

Father of orphans and Protector of widows – such is our God in His holy dwelling. He gives shelter to the homeless, sets the prisoners free.

Then You gave a rain of blessings, to comfort Your weary children. Your people found a dwelling, and, in Your mercy, o God, You provided for the needy.

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Sunday, 28 August 2022 : Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Sirach 3 : 19-21, 30-31

The greater you are, the more you should humble yourself and thus you will find favour with God. For great is the power of the Lord and it is the humble who give Him glory. Do not seek what is beyond your powers nor search into what is beyond your ability.

As water extinguishes the burning flames, almsgiving obtains pardon for sins. The man who responds by doing good prepares for the future, at the moment of his downfall he will find support.

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(Usus Antiquior) Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 28 August 2022 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Liturgical Colour : Green

Offertory

Exodus 32 : 11, 13, 14

Precatus est Moyses in conspectu Domini, Dei sui, et dixit : Quare, Domine, irasceris in populo Tuo? Parce irae animae Tuae : memento Abraham, Isaac et Jacob, quibus jurasti dare terram fluentem lac et mel. Et placatus factus est Dominus de malignitate, quam dixit facere populo suo.

English translation

Moses prayed in the sight of the Lord his God, and said, “Why, o Lord, is Your indignation enkindled against Your people? Let the anger of Your mind cease, remember Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to whom You had sworn to give a land flowing with milk and honey.” And the Lord was appeased from doing the evil, which He had spoken of doing against the people.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Hostias, quaesumus, Domine, propitius intende, quas sacris altaribus exhibemus : ut, nobis indulgentiam largiendo, Tuo Nomini dent honorem. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Graciously behold, we pray to You, o Lord, the sacrifices which we lay upon Your sacred altars, that, in bringing us plentiful forgiveness, they may give honour to Your Name. 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 103 : 13, 14-15

De fructu operum Tuorum, Domine, satiabitur terra : ut educas panem de terra, et vinum laetificet cor hominis : ut exhilaret faciem in oleo, et panis cor hominis confirmet.

English translation

The earth shall be filled with the fruit of Your works, o Lord, that You may bring bread out of the earth, and that wine may cheer the heart of man, that he may make the face cheerful with oil, and that bread may strengthen man’s heart.

Post-Communion Prayer

Vivificet nos, quaesumus, Domine, hujus participatio sancta mysterii : et pariter nobis expiationem tribuat et munimen. 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 the holy partaking of this mystery, we pray to You, o Lord, vivify us, bringing us at once forgiveness and strengthening. 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) Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 28 August 2022 : Holy Gospel

Liturgical Colour : Green

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

Luke 10 : 23-37

In illo tempore : Dixit Jesus discipulis Suis : Beati oculi, qui vident quae vos videtis. Dico enim vobis, quod multi prophetae et reges voluerunt videre quae vos videtis, et non viderunt : et audire quae auditis, et non audierunt. Et ecce, quidam legisperitus surrexit, tentans illum, et dicens : Magister, quid faciendo vitam aeternam possidebo?

At ille dixit ad eum : In lege quid scriptum est? Quomodo legis? Ille respondens, dixit : Diliges Dominum, Deum tuum, ex toto corde tuo, et ex tota anima tua, et ex omnibus viribus tuis; et ex omni mente tua : et proximum tuum sicut teipsum.

Dixitque illi : Recte respondisti : hoc fac, et vives. Ille autem volens justificare seipsum, dixit ad Jesum : Et quis est meus proximus? Suscipiens autem Jesus, dixit : Homo quidam descendebat ab Jerusalem in Jericho, et incidit in latrones, qui etiam despoliaverunt eum : et plagis impositis abierunt, semivivo relicto.

Accidit autem, ut sacerdos quidam descenderet eadam via : et viso illo praeterivut. Similiter et levita, cum esset secus locum et videret eum, pertransiit. Samaritanus autem quidam iter faciens, venit secus eum : et videns eum, misericordia motus est. Et appropians, alligavit vulnera ejus, infundens oleum et vinum : et imponens illum in jumentum suum, duxit in stabulum, et curam ejus egit.

Et altera die protulit duos denarios et dedit stabulario, et ait : Curam illius habe : et quodcumque supererogaveris, ego cum rediero, reddam tibi. Quis horum trium videtur tibi proximus fuisse illi, qui incidit in latrones? At ille dixit : Qui fecit misericordiam in illum. Et ait illi Jesus : Vade, et tu fac similiter.

English translation

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Blessed are the eyes that see the things which you see. For I say to you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see the things that you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things that you hear, and have not heard them.” And behold a certain lawyer stood up, tempting Him, and saying, “Master, what must I do to possess eternal life?”

But He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” He answering, said, “You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.”

And He said to him, “You have answered rightly, do this and you shall live.” But he, willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” And Jesus answering, said, “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who also stripped him, and having wounded him, went away, leaving him half dead.”

“And it happened that a certain priest went down the same way, and seeing him, passed him by. In similar manner also a Levite, when he was near the place and saw him, he passed him by. But a certain Samaritan being on his journey, came near him, and seeing him, was moved with compassion, and going up to him, bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and setting him upon his own beast, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”

“And the next day he took out two pence, and gave to the host, and said, ‘Take care of him, and whatsoever you shall spend over and above, I, at my return, shall repay you. Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbour to him who fell among robbers?” But he said, “He who showed mercy to him.” And Jesus said to him, “Go, and do it in similar manner.”

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(Usus Antiquior) Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 28 August 2022 : Gradual and Alleluia

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 33 : 2-3 and Psalm 87 : 2

Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore : semper laus ejus in ore meo.

Response : In Domino laudabitur anima mea : audiant mansueti, et laetentur.

Alleluja, Alleluja.

Response : Domine, Deus salutis meae, in die clamavi et nocte coram Te. Alleluja.

English translation

I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall be ever in my mouth.

Response : In the Lord shall my soul be praised. Let the meek hear and rejoice.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Response : O Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried in the day, and in the night, before You, Alleluia.

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(Usus Antiquior) Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 28 August 2022 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour : Green

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

2 Corinthians 3 : 4-9

Fratres : Fiduciam talem habemus per Christum ad Deum : non quod sufficientes simus cogitare aliquod a nobis, quasi ex nobis : sed sufficientia nostra ex Deo est : qui et idoneos nos fecit ministros novi testamenti : non littera, sed spiritu : littera enim occidit, spiritus autem vivificat.

Quod si ministratio mortis, litteris deformata in lapidibus, fuit in gloria; ita ut non possent intendere filii Israel in faciem Moysi, propter gloriam vultus ejus, quae evacuatur : quomodo non magis ministratio Spiritus erit in gloria? Nam si ministratio damnationis gloria est, multo magis abundat ministerium justitiae in gloria.

English translation

Brethren, such confidence we have through Christ towards God. Not that we are sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God. He Who also had made us fit ministers of the New Testament, not in the letter, but in the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit quickens.

Now if the ministration of death, engraven with letters upon stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses, for the glory of His countenance; which is made void. How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather in glory? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more ministration of justice abounds in glory.

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(Usus Antiquior) Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 28 August 2022 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : Green

Introit

Psalm 69 : 2-3, 4

Deus, in adjutorium meum intende : Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina : confundantur et revereantur inimici mei, qui quaerunt animam meam.

Avertantur retrorsum et erubescant : qui cogitant mihi mala.

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

English translation

Incline unto my aid, o God. O Lord, make haste to help me. Let my enemies be confounded and ashamed, who seek my soul.

Let them be turned backward and blush for shame, who desire evils to me.

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 et misericors Deus, de cujus munere venit, ut Tibi a fidelibus Tuis digne et laudabiliter serviatur : tribue, quaesumus, nobis; ut ad promissiones Tuas sine offensione curramus. 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 and eternal God, Whose gift is that Your faithful serve You worthily and rightly, grant us, we beseech You, that we may without offense hasten on to the fulfilment of Your promises. 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, 27 August 2022 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Monica (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scripture, each and every one of us have been reminded that we have been called by God to be His servants, and to follow Him to whatever and wherever He sends us, in our respective and various areas of responsibilities, in whatever opportunities and moments we have been given, to be the evangelising and missionary witnesses of His truth. Each and every one of us have been given by God unique talents, abilities, opportunities and gifts, and it is really indeed up to us whether we want to embrace these gifts from God and do what God had called and commanded us to do.

In our first reading today taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in Corinth, we heard of the Apostle speaking regarding the Lord and how He called and chose those from the world that might not be in accordance to the expectations of the world. While the world often sought the rich, the powerful and the mighty, the intellectual and those who are considered worthy and good, but the Lord called on all those who are considered ordinary and plain, those whom the world does not consider to be good or worthy, to be the ones to carry out His will and to do His works. God called on all these to be the instruments of His will.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard another story, that of the parable of the silver talents, in which a master gave three of his servants several amounts of silver talents while he was going away for a while. Entrusting those silver talents to them, the master left on his matter, and the three servants acted differently on the silver talents given to them. The one who had only one silver talent chose to hide his silver talent and did nothing to it, while the ones who had received five and two silver talents respectively chose to put their silver to good use, invested in them and made good returns from them.

We heard how then the master chastised and was angry against the servant who was lazy and did not do anything to his one silver talent, while praising those servants who had done what they could to the silver entrusted to them. Through what we heard in our Gospel passage today and linking to what we have also heard in our first reading today earlier, we can see the clear parallel and comparison, between that of the silver talents and the servants with our calling and responsibilities as Christians, in serving the Lord, our Master and King. The Lord entrusted to us various talents, gifts, abilities, opportunities and others just as the master in the parable entrusted the silver talents to his three servants.

Yes, linking with what we heard earlier from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, God called us all to follow Him, and bestowed on us various gifts and talents, opportunities as each one of us have received and experienced throughout our lives. Each one of us have unique experiences and diverse gifts, all of which should be put to good use for the purpose which the Lord had given these to us. Sometimes we may not be sure what we should do with those gifts and blessings, and that is why it is important for us to discern carefully what our respective calling in life as Christians are, as we are all called to different vocations and purposes in life.

God called on us all from our diverse backgrounds, bestowing on us various things, blessings, abilities and more so that we may make good use of them, and be fruitful in our actions throughout life. As Christians, our actions, words and deeds should be life-giving and bear testimony to our Christian faith and to the Lord, our God and Saviour. But sadly, many Christians throughout the world are still lukewarm about their faith, and many did not do anything more than the minimum required obligations and responsibilities placed on us as Christians, and many more are even Christians in name and formality only.

That is why today all of us are reminded of this duty and obligation that each and every one of us as Christians have in being obedient to God and in doing His will, making good use of whatever God has given us to do His will. And unless we make the effort to do so, then we are likely to continue to ignore the Lord and His truth, and may end up falling into the slippery slope of worldliness and sins. We have to remind ourselves to be genuine in our faith and to be truly dedicated to God in all things. We can be inspired today from the story and the life of St. Monica, a great saint and woman, and the mother of St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the most renowned and famous early Church fathers, servant of God and Doctor of the Church.

Back then, St. Monica was married to a Roman pagan nobleman and had a child which was to become St. Augustine. St. Monica had to put up with her husband’s often violent temper and then her son’s immoral behaviour in his youth. St. Augustine was a wayward child and teenager, and spent his life in hedonistic pursuits and also fell into the Manichaean heretical teachings and influence. St. Monica never ceased to pray for her son and continued to patiently care for him, and after her many tearful nights being concerned and worried about him, eventually her prayers and the Lord brought St. Augustine to be converted to the true faith.

St. Monica might have just been an ordinary woman, a normal mother with all the issues that mothers often face even up to this day. Yet, in all of that ordinary living and things, we see how God turned what was ordinary into extraordinary. St. Monica lived her life with faith and righteousness, and did all that she could to obey the Lord and to care for her loved ones, and that led to the conversion of her son, who was to become one of the greatest of the Church fathers, and whose own contributions and works led to the many other good things and the salvation of so many other souls.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, after hearing all that and discerning on the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all called to not be afraid to be extraordinary through God, although we may seem to be ordinary in our lives and appearances. It is God in the end Who will make us worthy of Him, as He had done with St. Monica and countless other saints, holy men and women of God who have inspired us with the stories of their great faith and deeds. It was God Who made all those things possible. That is why, we should answer God’s call with faith and conviction, and do our best to invest our time and effort in doing whatever is within our means, in living our lives for the greater glory of God.

May God be with us always, and may He continue to guide us and bless us in all of our good efforts and endeavours, and may He continue to lead us down the path of righteousness, and bestow us His blessings and graces that we may make good use of them to glorify His Name all the more. Amen.