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(Usus Antiquior) Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 9 October 2016 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour : Green

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

Ephesians 6 : 10-17

Fratres : Confortamini in Domino et in potentia virtutis Ejus. Induite vos armaturam Dei, ut possitis stare adversus insidias diaboli. Quoniam non est nobis colluctatio adversus carnem et sanguinem : sed adversus principes et potestates, adversus mundi rectores tenebrarum harum, contra spiritualia nequitiae, in caelestibus.

Propterea accipite armaturam Dei, ut possitis resistere in die malo et in omnibus perfecti stare. State ergo succincti lumbos vestros in veritate, et induti loricam justitiae, et calceati pedes in praeparatione. Evangelii pacis : in omnibus sumentes scutum fidei, in quo possitis omnia tela nequissimi ignea exstinguere : et galeam salutis assumite : et gladium spiritus, quod est verbum Dei.

 

English translation

Brethren, be strengthened in the Lord, and in the might of His power. Put you on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against Principalities and Powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.

Therefore, take unto you the armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect. Stand therefore having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of justice, and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, in all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one. And take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

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(Usus Antiquior) Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 9 October 2016 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : Green

Introit

Esther 13 : 9, 10-11 and Psalm 118 : 1

In voluntate Tua, Domine, universa sunt posita, et non est, qui possit resistere voluntati Tuae : Tu enim fecisti omnia, caelum et terram et universa, quae caeli ambitu continentur : Dominus universorum Tu es.

Beati immaculati in via : qui ambulant in lege Domini.

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

 

English translation

All things are in Your will, o Lord, and there is none that can resist Your will, for You have made all things, heaven and earth, and all things that are under the cope of heaven, You are Lord of all.

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the Law of the Lord.

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

Familiam Tuam, quaesumus, Domine, continua pietate custodi : ut a cunctis adversitatibus, Te protegente, sit libera, et in bonis actibus Tuo Nomini sit devota. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

 

English translation

Keep Your household, we beseech You, o Lord, with continual loving kindness, that by Your protection it may be free from all adversities and devoted to Your Name in well-doing. 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, 8 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of our Lady)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today through the Scripture Readings, we are reminded by our Lord Himself through the Gospels and the Scriptures that we have that obligation and responsibility as Christians to be true disciples of our Lord, not just on paper, not just with words but also through real and true commitment, that we may fulfil what the Lord wants from us, that is our love, commitment and devotion, and that we are righteous and just in our deeds.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are reminded yet again that all of us have received great grace and blessings from the Lord by having been accepted and made to be God’s sons and daughters through baptism. And by that, we have been liberated from the scourges of our sins and from the bonds of our past enslavement to those sins and to the darkness of this world.

And yet, now that we are sons and daughters of the Lord, it is imperative for us to take heed what a child of God ought to be doing, as we have been called not just to be given grace and blessing, but also with a responsibility to bear for the sake of one another. And Jesus Himself had given us the example of what we are to do, following His own examples in His faith to God His Father.

Jesus obeyed the Lord His Father, and obeyed even unto accepting great sufferings and ultimately even death on the cross. We can just imagine that if Jesus had not obeyed that duty, and instead willingly withdrew from surrendering His own life on the cross, then all of us mankind would have perished and be destroyed by our sins, for Christ had died for us all that we may be saved.

A child should obey his parents, as long as they have given the right instructions and are righteous and just in their deeds. And of course God Who is our Father is always perfect, right and just in all of His deeds. And God Who had taught us many things therefore should be the One Whom we ought to follow in all of our deeds and actions. Otherwise, then how would we be able to call ourselves God’s children?

If God’s children and followers do not act in accordance with His ways, then would it not then be a scandal against Him and our Faith? Worse still, if we commit sins and wicked acts, while being known as a Christian, would it not in fact deter others from following the Lord? And would it not be contradictory to what we preach as well?

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, it is so important for us all to be active in our faith, living our faith to God through real and concrete actions, and this means for us to be charitable and to be committed to the cause of those who are often ostracised and discriminated against, unloved and uncared for, those who have been hated and abandoned. These are the ones to whom we should open ourselves to, that through us they may find the way to God’s embrace.

Let us all be good children of God our Father, obeying His will and precepts, and walk faithfully along His way, so that when the time comes, and out Father calls on us to return to Him, He may find us worthy of His blessings, graces and love, and we shall all receive the fullness of His gift of eternal life and true joy. God bless us all. Amen.

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Saturday, 8 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of our Lady)
Luke 11 : 27-28

At that time, as Jesus was speaking, a woman spoke from the crowd and said to Him, “Blessed is the one who gave You birth and nursed You!”

Jesus replied, “Truly blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it as well.”

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Saturday, 8 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of our Lady)
Psalm 104 : 2-3, 4-5, 6-7

Sing to Him, sing His praise, proclaim all His wondrous deeds. Glory in His holy Name; let those who seek the Lord rejoice.

Look to the Lord and be strong; seek His face always. Remember His wonderful works, His miracles and His judgments.

You descendants of His servant Abraham, you sons of Jacob, His chosen ones! He is the Lord our God; His judgments reach the whole world.

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Saturday, 8 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of our Lady)
Galatians 3 : 22-29

But the Scriptures have declared that we are all prisoners of sin, so the only way to receive God’s promise is to believe in Jesus Christ. Before the time of faith had come, the Law confined us and kept us in custody until the time in which faith would show up.

The Law then was serving as a slave to look after us until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. With the coming of faith, we are no longer submitted to this guidance. Now, in Christ Jesus, all of you are sons and daughters of God through faith.

All of you who were given to Christ through baptism, have put on Christ. Here there is no longer any difference between Jew or Greek, or between slave or freed, or between man and woman : but all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Christ, you are of Abraham’s race and you are to inherit God’s promise.

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Friday, 7 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of our Lady of the Rosary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we celebrate together the feast of our Lady of the Rosary, also once known as the feast of our Lady of Victory, a celebration of the great triumph and victory of the soldiers and the defenders of Christ and His Church in the great Battle of Lepanto in the year 1571, or about four hundred and forty-five years ago against the mighty forces of the enemies of the faithful, the pagan and the wicked Ottoman Turks.

On this day, at that time, the mighty Ottoman Empire had captured much of the eastern portion of Christendom, including the holy city of Constantinople, enslaving and ruling over many of the faithful, whose lives were made quite difficult, where they were not truly able to manifest their faith and devotion to God, and coercion as well as persuasion to abandon their faith were rampant.

And the same Ottoman Turks were then menacing and threatening the rest of Christendom with their mighty army and fleet, and there was then a very real possibility that they might just be able to overcome the rest of Christendom and destroy the Church and the faithful people of God just as they had done over vast areas of lands that they have conquered.

But of course the faithful people of God did not just stand by and let the devil and his armies to roll over them. Led by the brave and the courageous leaders of the forces of Christendom, many answered to the call made by a holy and devout saint, Pope St. Pius V, who called on all the faithful to defend the Church and their Faith and made a stand against the forces of the enemy, in which the decisive battle was fought at the sea in Lepanto.

Before the battle began, the forces of the faithful asked for the intercession of the holy saints and especially that of the Blessed Mother of our Lord, Mary, who was since then would be known as our Lady of Victory and later on as our Lady of the Rosary for the role which she played in that battle. Through her intercession of behalf of her Son, our Lord and God, it was told that the winds and the clouds themselves rallied against the enemy forces, and a vision apparently appeared to the Turks, that so terrified them that many abandoned their ships and the battlefield.

Eventually, the forces of the faithful triumphed in the battle, and Christendom and the people of God were saved from what was once a certain defeat and destruction in the hands of those who served the devil and the dark forces of this world. And in order to commemorate that great victory, thus this day was therefore forever marked to be celebrated as the Feast of our Lady of Victory, and later on also known as the Feast of our Lady of the Rosary.

We all are aware of the rosary and how to pray the rosary. But do we actually pray the rosary with genuine faith and devotion? Do we really dedicate ourselves heart, mind and soul when we handle the rosary and offer the prayers to God through His mother Mary? Or do we just mutter out prayers and words without really understanding them? Perhaps we should reflect on this and think about how we really should pray the rosary.

The rosary is a tool which the Blessed Virgin Mary herself had presented to the world, to those who are looking for a path towards the Lord. Mary is mankind’s greatest ally, for who else but the mother of our Lord, God and Saviour is able to assist us in so many ways, bringing us closer to the love and grace of God, and helping us to find our way to her Son? Through the rosary, she is trying to help us out, and to lift us out from the darkness that threatens our heart, mind and soul.

Rather, the rosary should be prayed with full sincerity, devoting ourselves and our time to offer this bouquet of prayers to Mary, that she may bring those prayers to our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the rosary we are shielded and protected from the depredations and attacks by the forces of the devil, that is the spiritual battles that are constantly striking against our souls.

The Lord sent us His guardian Angels who are always in constant battles with the devils and the demons desiring to see our downfall. And if we are not spiritually strong inside us, and if our faith is not resolute and strong, we may fall into temptation and therefore collapse into sin. Just as those Turks did so long ago, where they came bearing harm and destruction upon the faithful people of God, but this one is even more dangerous.

Why is that so? It is because, sin is a great harm upon our souls, and if we lose this spiritual battle, and if our souls are lost to the Lord, we will be condemned forever in suffering in the depths of hell and darkness. But that is exactly why our loving and merciful God wants us to be saved from such a sorry fate, and that was why He sent us Mary, His mother, who then revealed to us the gift of the rosary, the spiritual prayer bouquet, through which we will be able to steel ourselves with resolve for the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, from now on, let us all commit ourselves to the Lord and His ways, and pray the rosary with fervent devotion, so that in our great faith for God, His mother Mary may notice us and intercede for our sake, that her Son Jesus may intervene and help us to be freed from the darkness and the sufferings of this world. May God bless us all. Amen.

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Friday, 7 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of our Lady of the Rosary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White
Luke 1 : 26-38

In the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth. He was sent to a young virgin, who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the family of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

The Angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean. But the Angel said, “Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you. You shall conceive and bear a Son, and you shall call Him Jesus.”

“He will be great, and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the kingdom of David, His ancestor; He will rule over the people of Jacob forever, and His reign shall have no end.”

Then Mary said to the Angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” And the Angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the Holy Child to be born of you shall be called Son of God. Even your relative Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child; and she is now in her sixth month. With God nothing is impossible.”

Then Mary said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said.” And the Angel left her.

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Friday, 7 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of our Lady of the Rosary (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White
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.

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Friday, 7 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of our Lady of the Rosary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White
Acts 1 : 12-14

Then the disciples of Jesus returned to Jerusalem from the Mount called Olives, which is a fifteen minute walk away. On entering the city they went to the room upstairs where they were staying.

Present there were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James, son of Alpheus; Simon the Zealot and Judas son of James. All of these together gave themselves to constant prayer. With them were some women and also Mary, the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.