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(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.”

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

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 101 : 16-17 and Psalm 97 : 1

Timebunt gentes Nomen Tuum, Domine, et omnes reges terrae gloriam Tuam.

Response : Quoniam aedificavit Dominus Sion, et videbitur in majestate Sua.

Alleluja, Alleluja.

Response : Cantate Domino canticum novum : quia mirabilia fecit Dominus. Alleluja.

English translation

The Gentiles shall fear Your Name, o Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory.

Response : For the Lord had built up Zion, and He shall be seen in His majesty.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Response : Sing all of you to the Lord a new canticle, because the Lord had done wonderful things. Alleluia.

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

Liturgical Colour : Green

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

Ephesians 3 : 13-21

Fratres : Obsecro vos, ne deficiatis in tribulationibus meis pro vobis : quae est gloria vestra. Hujus rei gratia flecto genua mea ad Patrem Domini nostri Jesu Christi, ex quo omnis paternitas in caelis et in terra nominatur, ut det vobis secundum divitias gloriae Suae, virtute corroborari per Spiritum Ejus in interiorem hominem.

Christum habitare per fidem in cordibus vestris : in caritate radicati et fundati, ut possitis comprehendere cum omnibus sanctis, quae sit latitudo et longitudo et sublimitas et profundum : scire etiam supereminentem scientiae caritatem Christi, ut impleamini in omnem plenitudinem Dei.

Ei autem, qui potens est omnia facere superabundanter, quam petimus aut intellegimus, secundum virtutem, quae operatur in nobis : ipsi gloria in Ecclesia et in Christo Jesu, in omnes generationes saeculi saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Brethren, I pray that you may not faint at my tribulations for you, which are your glory. For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom all paternity, in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened by His Spirit with might unto the inward man.

That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts, that being rooted and founded in charity, you may be able to comprehend with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and height and depth. To know also the charity of Christ, which surpasses all knowledge, that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God.

Now to Him Who is able to do all things more abundantly than we desire or understand, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the Church, and in Christ Jesus, unto all generations, world without end. Amen.

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

Liturgical Colour : Green

Introit

Psalm 85 : 3, 5, 1

Miserere mihi, Domine, quoniam ad Te clamavi tota die : quia Tu, Domine, suavis ac mitis es, et copiosus in misericordia omnibus invocantibus Te.

Inclina, Domine, aurem Tuam mihi, et exaudi me : quoniam inops, et pauper sum ego.

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

English translation

Have mercy on me, o Lord, for I have cried to You all the day, for You, o Lord, are sweet and mild, and plenty in mercy to all those who call upon You.

Bow down Your ear to me, o Lord, and hear me, for I am needy and poor.

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

Tua nos, quaesumus, Domine, gratia semper et praeveniat et sequatur : ac bonis operibus jugiter praestet esse intentos. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Let Your grace, we beseech You, o Lord, ever go before us and follow us, and may it make us to be continually zealous in doing good works. 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, 7 September 2024 : 22nd 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 as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we should be humble as Christians and followers of the Lord. We should not be proud in our hearts and minds lest we may be tempted to think that we are better than all others and look down on others around us whom we disagree with. We should not allow hubris, pride and ego to be great stumbling blocks in our path, keeping us away from falling down into the wrong path in life and helping us to remain firm in our faith and commitment towards the Lord. If we remain humble and committed to the Lord, resisting the temptations and allures of pride and ego, we will eventually triumph with the Lord, and share in His eternal joy and glory in the end.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Corinth in which he spoke to the people of God about how they should not look upon themselves with an air and sense of superiority, thinking that they were better than others around them as they lived their lives with comfort and full of blessings in this world. On the contrary, St. Paul said that to be Christians, they ought to be more humble and more focused on the Lord, seeking to glorify God by their lives and not to allow themselves to be swayed by worldly ambitions and temptations, all of which could lead us all down the path towards our downfall and destruction. If we allow ourselves to be swayed and tempted by those allures of glory, fame and power, then we may end up losing sight on our true destination and purpose in life, that is to seek the path towards the Lord our God.

In our world today, we often face this issue of being tempted by our own pride and ego, our preoccupation with status and the privileges we have and enjoy in life, as we may find it hard to be told that what we are doing is not right and proper, or that there are others who know it better than us. That is why as Christians we must always cultivate the virtue of humility and obedience, to be humble in all things and to be willing to listen to others, especially to be willing to listen to the Lord and His words, embracing His truth and love, doing whatever it is that He has told us to do, and not to harden our hearts and minds against Him. It was pride that had led the devil himself to fall into sin, the pride and ambition of thinking that he could surpass God and became the ruler of all of Creation.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist in which we heard of how the Lord Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees who were following Him as He went about His ministry and works, and they criticised the actions of His disciples and followers who were picking the grains of wheat from the fields on the day of the Sabbath as they were very hungry, an activity which according to the interpretation and ideas of the Pharisees was forbidden as for the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, absolutely no action or activity could be carried out on the day of the Sabbath, a day in the week when the Israelites were told to stop their usual activities and spend their time to worship the Lord and to do what He has commanded to do, to focus their lives and attention once again to the Lord.

The intention of this Law of the Sabbath was actually very clear, and it was meant to help the people of God to remember that they are ultimately God’s holy and beloved people, and that the Lord should always be the centre and focus of their lives. It was meant to help them all to set aside a day to be spent with the Lord and not to be used for their usual worldly pursuits and businesses, so that they would not lose touch and contact with their Lord and God. However, many among the people misunderstood it, especially those Pharisees and teachers of the Law who interpreted the Law of the Sabbath without truly understanding the intention and purpose of this Law which the Lord had presented to us all to help us to find our way towards Him, and instead, they understood it in manner that is contrary to what the Lord had intended.

Essentially, they spent a lot more time bothering about the details and unnecessary emphasis on how the people ought to observe the Sabbath rules and laws rather than helping the people to appreciate the day of the Sabbath more. Not only that, but they have even also judged against all those who needed to live their lives and to do certain good and worthy actions on that day sacred to the Lord. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were essentially putting too much focus on the letter of the Law and not appreciating the spirit of the Law, as they judged that any kind of actions done on the day of the Sabbath as improper and unlawful, when the purpose of the Sabbath was to actually help the people of God to live their lives more in accordance with God’s ways and to do His will. Thus, criticising those who did good deeds on the Sabbath and making it inconvenient on those who were hungry and facing difficulties are not what they should have done.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, all of these are reminders for all of us that we should not merely be outwardly faithful to the Lord, and we are reminded that we should not be like the Pharisees whose pride and ego, in their thinking and ambitions, claiming that they were superior and better than others because of their ways of observing the Law and obeying the Law like those of the rules of the Sabbath, which they thought were appropriate and better than those done by others. As Christians, we must always remind ourselves not to be easily swayed and tempted by those temptations, and continue to keep ourselves humble and open-minded in receiving advice and guidance from others around us, and in learning how we can better live in a more appropriate and genuine way in being faithful to God, not just merely by outward appearances but also through wholehearted devotion and orientation towards Him in all things.

May the Lord, our ever patient and loving God and Father continue to help and guide us in our journey, strengthening us in our desire and commitment to walk in His path and to love Him, ever reminding ourselves and one another to put our focus and emphasis in our lives in the Lord, our Master and Creator. May God bless our every good efforts, works and deeds, in our every contributions and commitments so that we may always glorify Him by our every moments in life, by our exemplary inspirations in each and every moments, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 7 September 2024 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Luke 6 : 1-5

At that time, one Sabbath Jesus was going through a field of grain, and His disciples began to pick heads of grain, crushing them in their hands for food. Some of the Pharisees asked them, “Why do you do what is forbidden on the Sabbath?”

Then Jesus spoke up and asked them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his men were hungry? He entered the house of God, took and ate the bread of the offering, and even gave some to his men, though only priests are allowed to eat that bread.”

And Jesus added, “The Son of Man is Lord and rules over the Sabbath.”

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Saturday, 7 September 2024 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 144 : 17-18, 19-20, 21

Righteous is YHVH in all His ways, His mercy shows in all His deeds. He is near those who call on Him, who call trustfully upon His Name.

He fulfils the wish of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them. For those who love Him, YHVH has compassion; but the wicked, He will destroy.

Let my mouth speak in praise of YHVH, let every creature praise His holy Name, forever and ever.

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Saturday, 7 September 2024 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

1 Corinthians 4 : 6b-15

Learn by this example, not to believe yourselves superior by siding with one against the other. How, then, are you more than the others? What have you that you have not received? And if you received it, why are you proud, as if you did not receive it?

So, then, you are already rich and satisfied, and feel like kings, without us! I wish you really were kings, so that we might enjoy the kingship with you! It seems to me, that God has placed us, the Apostles, in the last place, as if condemned to death, and as spectacles for the whole world, for the Angels as well as for mortals.

We are fools for Christ, while you show forth the wisdom of Christ. We are weak, you are strong. You are honoured, while we are despised. Until now we hunger and thirst, we are poorly clothed and badly treated, while moving from place to place. We labour, working with our hands. People insult us and we bless them, they persecute us and we endure everything; they speak evil against us, and ours are works of peace. We have become like the scum of the earth, like the garbage of humankind until now.

I do not write this to shame you, but to warn you, as very dear children. Because, even though you may have ten thousand guardians in the Christian life, you have only one Father; and it was I who gave you life in Christ through the Gospel.

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Friday, 6 September 2024 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, each and every one of us who have accepted Him as our Lord and Saviour, as Christian believers, and as those whom God had called and chosen, we have to commit ourselves to the teachings and to the path that the Lord has shown us, that each and every one of us adhere to the truth which the Lord our God has been showing us, that we are all truly His disciples and followers in all things and at all circumstances. We must not be merely obeying the Lord outwardly and as formalities, paying lip service to Him while our hearts and minds are not focused or aligned to Him and His ways.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Corinth in what is today part of Greece, in which the Apostle exhorted the people of God there to live their lives faithfully as the disciples and followers of the Lord in all things, because each and every one of them had been entrusted as stewards of this world and all that God had created. And as the stewards of the Lord’s creation and this world, all of us should do our best to be exemplary in how we carry out ourselves and our actions, words and deeds at every possible moments and opportunities so that in each and every things that we do, we will proclaim the Lord our God faithfully and worthily through even the smallest things that we say and do.

We are all reminded that as Christians, we cannot and should not be idle in how we live our lives with faith and with the conviction as well as desire to love and serve the Lord, and also His beloved people, our fellow brothers and sisters in our midst and in our community. We should always be committed to have a good and worthy faith in the Lord, to be righteous and just in each and every actions and deeds, in our every words and interactions with one another. As Christians we must be truly the beacons of God’s light and grace, be illuminated with His truth and filled with His generous and compassionate love. We should be inspiration, strength and examples for our fellow brethren so that we can help each other to remain true and firmly faithful to the path that the Lord has shown and led us through in life. We cannot conform to the ways of the world or live in manner or ways that contradict our beliefs in God.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the parable which the Lord Jesus used to teach His disciples and followers about the compatibility between His Law and commandments, His teachings and ways to the way and interpretations that were done before His revelation of truth. In that parable we heard how the Lord spoke about the incompatibility of old wineskin and new wine, as well as new wineskin and old wine, adding on the examples of new patch of cloth being used to fix a hole or damage on an old cloth, and vice versa. All of these incompatible combinations eventually would lead to friction and problems, and which the Lord highlighted through the parable to make the people understand that following His path and ways would often mean that they might have to abandon the ways and paths commonly known or acceptable to the world.

It was a subtle rebuke made by the Lord against the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, as well as the chief priests and the Sadducees, all those people who had not truly obeyed the Lord in the right way, and who had chosen to believe in the Lord according to their own flawed and incomplete interpretations and understanding. The Lord told the people and all those who followed Him that to be His disciples and followers, they cannot remain faithful and obedient to God in the manner that the Pharisees and those teachers of the Law, the chief priests and the Sadducees had obeyed the Law. They had to listen to Him and what He had revealed and spoken before them so that they could truly be faithful to the Lord in the right manner, or else, that would lead to conflict and obstacles in their path.

This is also a reminder for us all as Christians that being a follower of Christ often requires us to commit ourselves beyond just the externals and appearances. To be true Christians, we may often be required to commit ourselves in making the changes and realignments needed so that our lives may truly be centred in the Lord, and no longer be against or in opposition against His path and ways. Each and every one of us as Christians are called and expected to resist the temptations of the world to sin and to disobey the Lord. With the revelation of God’s truth which we have received from His own Son, and which He has told and passed down to us through His Church, we are all called to adopt His new path and embrace wholeheartedly this way, rejecting the old ways of sin and worldliness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is why we are challenged and reminded that as the followers and disciples of the Lord, we cannot remain idle or forget our calling to be missionary and evangelising, to be truly active in walking down the path of righteousness, obeying Him and entrusting to Him all of our actions and efforts, in each and every moments of our lives.  As Christians, we should continue to strive to embrace God’s ways and be ever more committed to live our lives worthily and inspire one another, fellow brothers and sisters in doing the same as well. We should keep up our efforts to glorify the Lord by each and every one of our lives’ moments and actions.

May the Lord continue to guide each and every one of us, strengthening and empowering all of us so that in our every efforts and endeavours, in each and every moments of our lives, we will always strive to do what God has taught and shown us to do. May He continue to encourage us all to embrace His love and compassion, His patient guidance and help, so that we will be good and faithful stewards of His creation, to be exemplary in all things at all times. May God bless us all in our every good works, efforts and endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 6 September 2024 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 5 : 33-39

At that time, some people asked Jesus, “The disciples of John fast often and say long prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why is it, that Your disciples eat and drink?”

Then Jesus said to them, “You cannot make wedding guests fast while the Bridegroom is with them. But later, the Bridegroom will be taken from them; and they will fast in those days.”

Jesus also told them this parable : “No one tears a piece from a new coat to put it on an old one; otherwise the new coat will be torn, and the piece taken from the new coat will not match the old coat. No one puts new wine into old wine skins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and be spilt, and the skins will be destroyed as well.”

“But new wine must be put into fresh skins. Yet, no one who has tasted old wine is eager to drink new wine, but says, ‘The old is good.’”