Feast

by

Thursday, 12 September 2024 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Most Holy Name of Mary)

Luke 6 : 27-38

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “But I say to you who hear Me : Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who treat you badly. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, turn the other cheek; from the one who takes your coat, do not keep back your shirt. Give to the one who asks, and if anyone has taken something from you, do not demand it back.”

“Do to others as you would have others do to you. If you love only those who love you, what kind of grace is yours? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do favours to those who are good to you, what kind of grace is yours? Even sinners do the same. If you lend only when you expect to receive, what kind of grace is yours? For sinners also lend to sinners, expecting to receive something in return.

But love your enemies and do good to them, and lend when there is nothing to expect in return. Then will your reward be great, and you will be sons and daughters of the Most High. For He is kind toward the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

“Do not be a judge of others and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you, and you will receive in your sack good measure, pressed down, full and running over. For the measure you give will be the measure you receive back.”

Alternative reading (Mass of the Most Holy Name of Mary)

Luke 1 : 39-47

Mary then set out for a town in the hill country of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb.

Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, giving a loud cry, said, “You are most blessed among women; and blessed is the Fruit of your womb! How is it, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you, who believed that the Lord’s word would come true!”

And Mary said, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God, my Saviour!”

by

Thursday, 12 September 2024 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Most Holy Name of Mary)

Psalm 138 : 1-3, 13-14ab, 23-24

O YHVH, You know me : You have scrutinised me. You know when I sit and when I rise; beforehand, You discern my thoughts. You observe my activities and times of rest; You are familiar with all my ways.

It was You Who formed my inmost part and knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank You for these wonders You have done, and my heart praises You.

Search me, o God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts. See if my steps are going astray, and lead me in Your eternal way.

Alternative reading (Mass of the Most Holy Name of Mary)

Luke 1 : 46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God, my Saviour!

He has looked upon His servant, in her lowliness, and people, forever, will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is His Name!

From age to age, His mercy extends to those who live in His presence. He has acted with power and done wonders, and scattered the proud with their plans.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.

He held out His hand to Israel, His servant, for He remembered His mercy, even as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.

by

Thursday, 12 September 2024 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Most Holy Name of Mary)

1 Corinthians 8 : 1b-7, 11-13

We know that all of us have knowledge, but knowledge puffs up, while love builds. If anyone thinks that he has knowledge, he does not yet know as he should know, but if someone loves God, he has been known by God.

Can we, then, eat meat from offering to the idols? We know that an idol is without existence and that there is no God but one. People speak indeed of other gods in heaven and on earth and, in this sense, there are many gods and lords. Yet for us, there is but one God, the Father, from Whom everything comes, and to Whom we go. And there is one Lord, Christ Jesus, through Whom everything exists, and through Him, we exist.

Not everyone, however, has that knowledge. For some persons, who, until recently, took the idols seriously, the food remains linked to the idol, and eating of it stains their conscience, which is unformed. Then, with your knowledge, you would have caused your weak brother or sister to perish, the one for whom Christ died. When you disturb the weak conscience of your brother or sister, and sin against them, you sin against Christ Himself. Therefore, if any food will bring my brother to sin, I shall never eat this food, lest my brother or sister fall.

Alternative reading (Mass of the Most Holy Name of Mary)

Galatians 4 : 4-7

But when the fullness of time came, God sent His Son. He came born of woman and subject to the Law, in order to redeem the subjects of the Law, that we might receive adoption as children of God.

And because you are children, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of His Son which cries out : Abba! That is, Father! You yourself are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and yours is the inheritance by God’s grace.

Alternative reading (Mass of the Most Holy Name of Mary)

Ephesians 1 : 3-6

Blessed be God, the Father of Christ Jesus our Lord, Who, in Christ, has blessed us from heaven, with every spiritual blessing. God chose us, in Christ, before the creation of the world, to be holy, and without sin in His presence.

From eternity He destined us, in love, to be His adopted sons and daughters, through Christ Jesus, thus fulfilling His free and generous will. This goal suited Him : that His loving-kindness, which He granted us His beloved might finally receive all glory and praise.

by

Sunday, 8 September 2024 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded by the Lord through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures of the need for each and every one of us to turn towards the Lord, to trust in Him and to follow Him wholeheartedly all the days of our lives. Each and every one of us are called to open our hearts and minds, to welcome the Lord into our beings so that by embracing Him, we may truly be reunited to Him, reconciled and brought back from the depth of the darkness surrounding us. God wants us to be healed from our affliction and maladies, the troubles facing us in our bodies and hearts, our minds and souls, and He has reached out to us through HIs Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, through Whom He has manifested His love and compassionate mercy towards us.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the Lord spoke to His people through the prophet regarding how He would send them His deliverance and salvation, which He would indeed made manifest through the same Christ, His beloved Son, Whom He had promised to us all through His many prophets and messengers. By His Presence and love, all of us would be saved, strengthened and restored, and we should no longer be afraid or fearful of what we have suffered and endured, and instead, we should deepen our trust and faith in God, believing that we truly will be rescued, redeemed and brought to true happiness and joy by our faith in the most loving and merciful God Who is always by our side, at all times.

The people of Judah, to whom the prophet Isaiah had been sent to at the time, had faced a lot of challenges and trials, and they had experienced having their northern neighbours, the ten tribes of the Israelites, their own brothers and sisters, having been defeated and conquered, their kingdom destroyed and they themselves being taken out and exiled from their homeland. The people of Judah themselves were facing hardships and challenges from their enemies and they brought all of these upon themselves, just like their northern neighbours, out of their own disobedience against God and their refusal to obey the Lord and their unwillingness to follow His path. And yet, God Who has always loved them and cared for them, continued to reach out to them and reassured them of His love.

In our second reading today, we heard of the passage from the Epistle of St. James, in which the Apostle spoke about the need for us all as Christian believers to stop carrying out biased and judgmental attitudes against each other. All of us must not distinguish one another based on appearances and status, as ultimately, each and every one of us are beloved and precious to God, and all of us are equally blessed by Him, Who wants each one of us to come to Him, loving us regardless of our status and past. As Christians, it is important that we do not put importance and emphasis on worldliness and glory, as all those things are actually just temporary and illusory in nature. Instead, we should always seek to love one another equally just as the Lord Himself has done.

The challenge is of course how we should overcome the temptations present all around us, tempting us with all sorts of worldly glory, ambitions, and all the things which may become serious obstacles in our path and journey through life. We must not let our ego and pride to distract and mislead us down the wrong path in life, making us think that we are in any way superior or better than others around us. Instead, as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, each and every one of us must strive to live our lives worthily of Him, and we should always be humble and be willing to listen to Him speaking to us and teaching us His truth. We must always be open-minded and be willing to let God guide our path, and we should also deepen our faith and trust in Him, following whatever He has called us to do through His Church.

Then, in our Gospel passage this Sunday from the Gospel according to St. Mark, we heard of the Lord Jesus and His ministry in the region of Decapolis, as He went about from place to place, carrying out the missions and works which God has entrusted to Him. The Lord met a man who was deaf and mute, and He healed him in a miraculous occasion as He touched the man’s ears and tongue, and speaking the words, ‘Ephphata!’ which means ‘Be opened!’. Through this occasion and miracle, the Lord fulfilled everything that the prophets had spoken about Him, reassuring us all of the love of God and everything that He has promised us. Through His coming into our midst, not only that God showed us His love, but He also wants to make us all whole once again, united perfectly to Him in love.

Each and every one of us have also suffered from the torments and sufferings due to our many sins, our wickedness and evils. All these things prevented us from coming towards God and distracted us from our true focus and attention in Him. But God has offered us all His healing and redemption through His Son, and each and every one of us have been given this opportunity. What remains is for us to embrace this loving care and compassion which the Lord has freely and most generously shown us. We should not take God’s love and generous mercy for granted, and we should indeed appreciate His ever enduring love for each and every one of us. We need to be thankful for everything that He has done for us, in caring for us and being attentive to us, all these while, trusting in His providence and love.

Let us all therefore respond to God’s love and mercy with faith, and entrust ourselves to His care. We should no longer oppose Him and His desire to be reunited with us, but answer His call upon us and follow Him wholeheartedly from now on. May God bless each and every one of us, and may He give us the strength and courage to walk through this journey of faith towards Him, so that we may devote ourselves ever more to Him, in each and every moments of our lives. Amen.

by

Sunday, 8 September 2024 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 7 : 31-37

At that time, again Jesus set out : from the country of Tyre He passed through Sidon and, skirting the sea of Galilee, He came to the territory of Decapolis. There, a deaf man, who also had difficulty in speaking, was brought to Him. They asked Jesus to lay His hand upon him.

Jesus took him apart from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears, and touched his tongue with spittle. Then, looking up to heaven, He said with a deep sigh, “Ephphata!” that is, “Be opened!”

And immediately, his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly. Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone about it; but the more He insisted, the more they proclaimed it. The people were completely astonished and said, “He has done all things well; He makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.”

by

Sunday, 8 September 2024 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

James 2 : 1-5

My brothers and sisters, if you truly believe in our glorified Lord, Jesus Christ, you will not discriminate between persons.

Suppose a person enters the synagogue where you are assembled, dressed magnificently and wearing a gold ring; at the same time, a poor person enters dressed in rags. If you focus your attention on the well-dressed and say, “Come and sit in the best seat,” while, to the poor one you say, “Stay standing, or else sit down at my feet,” have you not in fact, made a distinction between the two? Have you not judged, using a double standard?

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters, did God not choose the poor of this world to receive the riches of faith, and to inherit the kingdom, which He has promised to those who love Him?

by

Sunday, 8 September 2024 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 145 : 6c-7, 8-9a, 9bc-10

The Lord is forever faithful; He gives justice to the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free.

The Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord straightens the bent. The Lord loves the virtuous, but He brings to ruin the way of the wicked. The Lord protects the stranger.

He sustains the widow and the orphan. The Lord will reign forever, your God, o Zion, from generation to generation. Alleluia!

by

Sunday, 8 September 2024 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Isaiah 35 : 4-7a

Say to those who are afraid : “Have courage, do not fear. See, your God comes, demanding justice. He is the God Who rewards, the God Who comes to save you.”

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unsealed. Then will the lame leap as a hart and the tongue of the dumb sing and shout. For water will break out in the wilderness and streams gush forth from the desert. The thirsty ground will become a pool, the arid land springs of water.

by

(Usus Antiquior) Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Double II Classis) – Sunday, 8 September 2024 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Liturgical Colour : Green

Offertory

Psalm 39 : 14, 15

Domine, in auxilium meum respice : confundantur et reverantur, qui quaerunt animam meam, ut auferant eam : Domine, in auxilium meum respice.

English translation

Look down, o Lord, to help me, let them be confounded and ashamed, those who seek after my soul to take it away, look down, o Lord, to help me.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Munda nos, quaesumus, Domine, sacrificii praesentis effectu : et perfice miseratus in nobis; ut ejus mereamur esse participes. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Cleanse us, we beseech You, o Lord, by the effect of the present sacrifice, and in Your mercy bring to pass in us that we may deserve to be partakers of it. 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 70 : 16-17, 18

Domine, memorabor justitiae Tuae solius : Deus, docuisti me a juventute mea : ut usque in senectam et senium, Deus, ne derelinquas me.

English translation

O Lord, I will be mindful of Your justice alone. You have taught me, o God, from my youth, and unto old age and gray hairs, o God, do not forsake me.

Post-Communion Prayer

Purifica, quaesumus, Domine, mentes nostras benignus, et renova caelestibus sacramentis : ut consequenter et corporum praesens pariter et futurum capiamus auxilium. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

In Your loving kindness, purify our souls, we beseech You, o Lord, and renew them with the heavenly sacrament, that we may receive bodily assistance thereby, both for this life and for the life to come. 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.

by

(Usus Antiquior) Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Double II Classis) – Sunday, 8 September 2024 : Holy Gospel

Liturgical Colour : Green

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

Luke 14 : 1-11

In illo tempore : Cum intraret Jesus in domum cujusdam principis pharisaeorum sabbato manducare panem, et ipsi observabant eum. Et ecce, homo quidam hydropicus erat ante illum. Et respondens Jesus dixit ad legisperitos et pharisaeos, dicens : Si licet sabbato curare? At illi tacuerunt. Ipse vero apprehensum sanavit eum ac dimisit.

Et respondens ad illos, dixit : Cujus vestrum asinus aut bos in puteum cadet, et non continuo extrahet illum die sabbati? Et non poterant ad haec respondere illi. Dicebat autem et ad invitatos parabolam, intendens, quomodo primos accubitus eligerent, dicens ad illos : Cum invitatus fueris ad nuptias, non discumbas in primo loco, ne forte honoratior te sit invitatus ab illo, et veniens is, qui Te et illum vocavit, dicat tibi : Da huic locum : et tunc incipias cum rubore novissimum locum tenere.

Sed cum vocatus fueris, vade, recumbe in novissimo loco : ut, cum venerit, qui te invitavit, dicat tibi : Amice, ascende superius. Tunc erit tibi gloria coram simul discumbentibus : quia omnis, qui se exaltat, humiliabitur : et qui se humiliat, exaltabitur.

English translation

At that time, when Jesus went into the house of one of the chief of the Pharisees on the sabbath day to eat bread, they watched Him. And behold, there was a certain man before Him that had the dropsy, and Jesus answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?” But they held their peace, but He took him, healed him and sent him away.

And answering them, He said, “Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fall into a pit, and will not immediately draw him out on the sabbath day?” And they could not answer Him these things. And He spoke a parable also to those who were invited, marking how they chose the first seats at the table, saying to them, “When you are invited to a wedding, do not sit down in the first place, lest perhaps one more honourable than you be invited by him, and he who invited you and him, come and say to you, ‘Give this man place,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.”

“But when you are invited, go, sit down in the lowest place, that when he who invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher,’ then you shall have glory before those who sit at table with you, because everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.”