Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 16 : 1, 5-6, 8b and 15
Hear a just cause, o Lord, listen to my complaint. Give heed to my prayer for there is no deceit on my lips.
Hold firm my steps upon Your path, that my feet may not stumble. I call on You, You will answer me, o God; incline Your ear and hear my word.
Under the shadow of Your wings hide me. As for me, righteous in Your sight, I shall see Your face and, awakening, gaze my fill on Your likeness.
Liturgical Colour : Green
2 Maccabees 7 : 1-2, 9-14
It happened also that seven brothers were arrested with their mother. The king had them scourged and flogged to force them to eat the flesh of a pig which was prohibited by the Law. One of them, speaking in behalf of all, said, “What do you want to find out from us? We are prepared to die right now rather than break the law of our ancestors.”
At the moment of his last breath, he said, “Murderer, you now dismiss us from life, but the King of this world will raise us up. He will give us eternal life since we die for His laws.” After this, they punished the third brother. He stuck his tongue out when asked to, bravely stretched forth his hands, and even had the courage to say : “I have received these limbs from God, but for love of His laws I now consider them as nothing. For I hope to recover them from God.”
The king and his court were touched by the courage of this young man, so unconcerned about his own sufferings. When this one was dead, they subjected the fourth to the same torture. At the point of death, he cried out, “I would rather die at the hands of mortals, and wait for the promises of God Who will raise us up; you, however, shall have no part in the resurrection of life.”
Liturgical Colour : Green
Offertory
Esther 14 : 12, 13
Recordare mei, Domine, omni potentatui dominans : et da sermonem rectum in os meum, ut placeant verba mea in conspectu principis.
English translation
Remember me, o Lord, You Who rule above all power, and give a well-ordered speech in my mouth, that my words may be pleasing in the sight of the prince.
Secret Prayer of the Priest
Da, misericors Deus : ut haec salutaris oblatio et a propriis nos reatibus indesinenter expediat, et ab omnibus tueatur adversis. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Dei, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
English translation
Grant, o merciful God, that this saving oblation may forever rid us of our own guilt and defend us from all adversities. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.
Communion
Psalm 16 : 6
Ego clamavi, quoniam exaudisti me, Deus : inclina aurem Tuam et exaudi verba mea.
English translation
I have cried for You, o God, have heard me. O, incline Your ear unto me, and hear my words.
Post-Communion Prayer
Sumpsimus, Domine, sacri dona mysterii, humiliter deprecantes : ut, quae in Tui commemorationem nos facere praecepisti, in nostrae proficiant infirmitatis auxilium. Qui vivis et regnas in unitate Spiritus Sanctus Dei, per omnia in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
English translation
We have taken the gifts of the sacred mystery, o Lord, humbly imploring that what You have bidden us to do in commemoration of You may avail unto the help of our infirmity. You Who lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Matthaeum – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew
Matthew 22 : 15-21
In illo tempore : Abeuntes Pharisaei consilium inierunt, ut caperunt Jesum in sermone. Et mittunt ei discipulos Suos cum Herodianis, dicentes : Magister, scimus, quia verax es et viam Dei in veritate doces, et non est Tibi cura de aliquo : non enim respicis personam hominum : dic ergo nobis, quid Tibi videtur, licet censum dare Caesari, an non?
Cognita autem Jesus nequitia eorum, ait : Quid me tentatis hypocritae? Ostendite mihi numisma census. At illi obtulerunt ei denarium. Et ait illis Jesus : Cujus est imago haec et superscriptio? Dicunt Ei : Caesaris. Tunc ait illis : Reddite ergo, quae sunt Caesaris, Caesari; et, quae sunt Dei, Deo.
English translation
At that time, the Pharisees went and consulted among themselves, how to ensnare Jesus in His speech. And they send to Him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, “Master, we know that You are a true speaker, and teach the way of God in truth, neither do You care for any man, for You have no regard for the person of men. Tell us therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”
But Jesus knowing their wickedness, said, “Why do you tempt Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the coin of the tribute.” And they offered Him a penny. And Jesus said to them, “Whose image and superscription is this?” They say to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar, the things that are Caesar’s, and to God, the things that are God’s.”
Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 132 : 1-2 and Psalm 113 : 11
Ecce, quam bonum et quam jucundum, habitare fratres in unum!
Response : Sicut unguentum in capite, quod descendit in barbam, barbam Aaron.
Alleluja, Alleluja.
Response : Qui timent Dominum sperent in eo : adjutor et protector eorum est. Alleluja.
English translation
Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.
Response : It is like the precious ointment on the head, that ran down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Response : They that fear the Lord, let them hope in Him. He is their Helper and Protector. Alleluia.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Lectio Epistolae Beati Pauli Apostoli ad Philippenses – Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Philippians
Philippians 1 : 6-11
Fratres : Confidimus in Domino Jesu, quia, qui coepit in vobis opus bonum, perficiet usque in diem Christi Jesu. Sicut est mihi justum hoc sentire pro omnibus vobis : eo quos habeam vos in corde, et in vinculis meis, et in defensione, et confirmatione Evangelii, socios gaudii mei omnes vos esse. Testis enjm mihi est Deus, quomodo cupiam omnes vos in visceribus Jesu Christi.
Et hoc oro, ut caritas vestris magis ac magis abundet in scientia et in omni sensu : ut probetis potiora, ut sitis sinceri et sine offensa in diem Christi, repleti fructu justitiae per Jesum Christum, in gloriam et laudem Dei.
English translation
Brethren, we are confident in the Lord Jesus, that He Who had begun a good work in you, will perfect it unto the day of Christ Jesus. As it is meet for me to think this for you all, for that I have you in my bands, and in the defence and confirmation of the Gospel you are all partakers of my joy. For God is my witness, how I long after you in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
And this I pray, that your charity may more and more abound in knowledge and in all understanding, that you may approve the better things, that you may be sincere and without offence unto the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of justice, through Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Introit
Psalm 129 : 3-4 and 1-2
Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine : Domine, quis sustinebit? Quia apud Te propitiatio est. Deus Israel.
De profundis clamavi ad Te, Domine : Domine, exaudi vocem meam.
Response : Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
English translation
If You shall observe iniquities, o Lord, Lord, who shall endure it? For with You is propitiation, o God of Israel.
From the depths I have cried to You, o Lord. Lord, hear my voice.
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
Deus, refugium nostrum et virtus : adesto piis Ecclesiae Tuae precibus, auctor ipse pietatis, et praesta; ut, quod fideliter petimus, efficaciter consequamur. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Dei, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
English translation
O God, our Refuge and our Strength, the very Author of piety, be present to the devout supplications of Your Church, and grant that what we seek in faith we may effectively arrive at. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are called to remember that we have to be true and committed in our faith in Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We cannot be easily swayed, distracted and tempted by the many worldly pleasures, coercions, distractions and temptations all around us. We have to remember that often times as Christians we have to make a stand and choice between following and serving God, or to choose following the path of the world, the path of temptation and sin. As long as we remember this, then we are less likely to be drawn or swayed into the wrong path, and we also have to keep in mind that our actions, deeds and works can either inspire others to do the right thing or things that can bring scandal to the Church and our faith.
In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful community in Philippi, the Apostle spoke of the need for all of the faithful people of God to put their faith and trust in Him, and to dedicate themselves to the path that He has shown and guided them through. St. Paul told them all that they have to trust in the Lord for His providence, strength and protection. What the Apostle referred to in our first reading today must have been the people’s concerns over what St. Paul had to endure, in his many struggles and trials, in the challenges that he had faced, throughout all those moments and times when he had to brave even great dangers in order to bring the Word of God and the Good News to more and more people.
Yet, the Lord was always with St. Paul and his companions, with the other Apostles and missionaries, all the servants whom God had chosen, called and sent to minister to the people of this world, to call them all back to Himself. The Lord never abandoned or left them all on their own, and even amidst their sufferings, they were still guided by God on their side. And first of all, we must also ever forget the very fact that the Lord Himself, in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, had suffered persecution, rejection and death for our sake, for the sake of His love for each and every one of us, and for the truth that He had brought into our midst by His coming into this world, and for the salvation of the whole entire world.
Thus, all the faithful who have shared in the Lord’s own Body and Blood, and become one in the Holy Communion of the faithful, as the one united Church of God, the Body of Christ, are bound to share in His sufferings and rejections, oppressions and challenges as well. The Lord Himself had told His disciples in a few occasions as highlighted in the Gospels, that if the world hated Him, the Lord and Master, then surely the same world will also hate those who are following Him and believing in Him. That is why we must not be surprised that we may have to endure those challenges as well, but we are not alone in that, because God is always by our side, and we must have firm faith in Him or else we will be easily swayed by worldly temptations.
In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord speaking to His disciples regarding the matter of serving God and Money, continuing from what we have heard yesterday with regards to the parable of the dishonest steward. In that parable, we heard of the steward who had been dishonest and cheated on his master and lord in order to gain more for his own good. However, when the lord found out about his dishonest action, the steward was fired and that same steward did whatever he could and in whatever way he knew, in order to secure a good livelihood for himself after he was fired. Thus, he then cheated his master of even more money by illicitly altering the debts of some of those who owed his master money and goods.
Through that parable, the Lord wanted us all to know that the temptations of the world such as money and other forms of material possessions are truly dangerous, and they can easily lead us down the wrong path if we are not vigilant or do whatever we can to resist those temptations. And as I mentioned in yesterday’s discourse, it is not that those money or material possessions themselves that are evil, as they can very well be used for good use and purposes too. However, it is actually our obsession and unhealthy attachments to them that is the true culprit for our downfall, and our inability to be truly faithful to God, because our hearts are divided between those things we desire and God. And often times we sidelined God and chose other things instead of God.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let today’s Scripture passages be reminders for each one of us so that we may truly carefully reflect upon our lives, our choice of actions and path in life. Are we going to continue to choose the path of worldliness, worldly desires and ambitions, desires and greed, and are we going to continue to sideline God in our lives and instead be focused on our wants and desires? Or are we going to reevaluate our priorities in life and begin to attribute a much more important place for the Lord in our lives, that is at the very heart and centre, and as the focus of our whole lives and existence? This is what we seriously have to consider as we remind ourselves of these Scripture passages we heard today and whatever we have discussed just earlier on.
Let us all make a commitment and renew our conviction to live ever more worthily of God from now on, prioritising Him in our lives and actions. Let us no longer be swayed or tempted by all sorts of attachment to worldliness and desires, ambitions, pride or ego. Let us all be purified in our hearts and minds, and be strengthened by God, that through His grace we may always ever strive to be faithful and committed to Him. May God be with us all, and may He bless our every good efforts and endeavours, for His greater glory, now and always, forevermore. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)
Luke 16 : 9-15
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “And so I tell you : use filthy money to make friends for yourselves, so that, when it fails, these people may welcome you into the eternal homes. Whoever can be trusted in little things can also be trusted in great ones; whoever is dishonest in slight matters will also be dishonest in greater ones.”
“So if you have been dishonest in handling filthy money, who would entrust you with true wealth? And if you have been dishonest with things that are not really yours, who will give you that wealth which is truly your own? No servant can serve two masters. Either he does not like the one and is fond of the other, or he regards one highly and the other with contempt. You cannot give yourself both to God and to Money.”
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and sneered at Jesus. He said to them, “You do your best to be considered righteous by people. But God knows the heart, and what is highly esteemed by human beings is loathed by God.”
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)
Psalm 111 : 1-2, 5-6, 8a and 9
Alleluia! Blessed is the one who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commands. His children will be powerful on earth; the upright’s offspring will be blessed.
It will be well with him who lends freely, who leads a life of justice and honesty. For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered and loved forever.
His heart is confident, he needs not fear, he gives generously to the poor, his merits will last forever and his head will be raised in honour.
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 