coming of the Messiah

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Sunday, 30 November 2014 : First Sunday of Advent, Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple or Violet

Psalm 79 : 2ac and 3bc, 15-16, 18-19

Listen, o Shepherd of Israel, You who sit enthroned between the cherubim. Stir up Your might and come to save us.

Turn again, o Lord of hosts, look down from heaven and see; care for this vine, and protect the stock Your hand has planted.

But lay Your hand on Your instrument, on the Son of Man whom You make strong for Yourself. Then we will never turn away from You; give us life, and we will call on Your Name.

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/28/sunday-30-november-2014-first-sunday-of-advent-feast-of-st-andrew-apostle-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Wednesday, 26 November 2014 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s readings remind us of the truth of our Faith and how things will happen to us if we are to be the disciples of Christ, and if we remain faithful to Him. Suffering and difficulties will be our lot and part of our lives, but we do not need to worry, as our Lord is with us, and He will guide us to the final triumph and victory against evil, and into our eternal reward and glory.

In the Gospel reading, Jesus told His disciples and the people who heard His teachings, and from them to us. We clearly heard of what challenges the faithful will encounter for the sake of the Lord. The world, which is our world, with all of its forces and powers, with all of its influences and temptations, are against the Lord and all of His ways. The ways of this world are the opposite of the ways of the Lord.

And as such, the world will always stand against the Lord and His efforts to bring light into it. The darkness of this world, the powers of Satan and his angels want us to remain in darkness and lost to the Lord, that we may remain forever in sin and debauchery. But the Lord Jesus wants an end to all of these, as He loves us and He wants us to be rescued and brought into the light.

Thus He sent His messengers and servants into the world, and through His teachings, the Apostles and the saints went forth around to spread His Good News to all the nations and all the people. They persevered in their missions, accepted in some but rejected in many places. There were many persecutions against them, betrayal by those they have trusted, betrayal by those who professed the same faith to God but who failed to persevere and were tempted by the world, and many other sufferings.

Many including St. Paul were sent to prison and suffered grievously in incarceration, and they were betrayed by their own people, reported and punished by the Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Priesthood and council, which jealously watched after their actions and tried many times to bring them to court and kill them for what they stood up for. And what did these holy servants of God stand up for? None other than the truth, as the Lord Jesus had revealed to them, and now these truths have also been revealed to us.

But the works of the Apostles, the disciples and servants of the Lord are not yet done. This world is always covered in darkness and sin, just as it had been in the past. Many among the people of God are still longing for the light, and many had been misled by the lies of the devil, and to follow the ways of the world. And who will be there to give the light of our Lord to them? It is none other than all of us, brothers and sisters.

For through our baptism, when we were born anew in the Lord, we have been made one as the Church of God, and as its members, we too share the same mission which had been given to the Apostles, the disciples and the servants of our Lord, that is to evangelise and spread the Good News of the Gospel to the whole world, and thus to enlighten a people who still live in the darkness of this world, and bring them all into the light just as we are already in the light of Christ.

It is important for us to realise that each and every one of us have been entrusted with many gifts of the Lord, for the use in the benefit of those who are around us. All of us have the responsibility and obligation to help our brethren in need. For surely, if we have done nothing to help them, then they will be lost to the darkness forever in damnation, and our Lord will then judge us for our failure to help when we are able to do so.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue our day today, and from now on henceforth, let us all realise that we need to stay true to our faith in God, and in that therefore, we have to live our faith and commit ourselves completely to the Lord, and in order to do so, we have to be a witness of the Faith and our Lord through our actions, words and deeds that truly proclaim the Lord and that we are indeed His followers.

We do not have to worry or fear about what we will encounter. We will indeed encounter challenges and difficulties in this life, but we have to keep our spirit up, knowing that we will be triumphant in the end. There is nothing that Satan and his allies can do to harm us, as they have no power over us, as long as we stay true to the Faith and refrain from sinning.

At the end of days, when our Lord and Master comes again in His glory, we shall be united in His triumph and enjoy forever our rightful reward. His wrath, as born by the seven angels will not befall us. The seven plagues of the Book of revelations will only affect all those who have not walked in the way of the Lord but instead prefer to give in to the world’s desires and temptations.

May Almighty God help to keep us faithful to Him, and awaken in us the desire to help one another, to keep each other vigilant and devoted to the Lord, so that at the end of time, when our Lord comes again to make a reckoning with the world and all of His children, He may find us righteous and faithful to the end and thus worthy of His eternal promise of life everlasting. God bless us all. Amen.

 

First Reading :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/25/wednesday-26-november-2014-34th-week-of-ordinary-time-first-reading/

 

Psalm :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/25/wednesday-26-november-2014-34th-week-of-ordinary-time-psalm/

 

Gospel Reading :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/25/wednesday-26-november-2014-34th-week-of-ordinary-time-gospel-reading/

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(Usus Antiquior) Twenty-Fourth and Last Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 23 November 2014 : Homily and Scripture Reflections

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we come to celebrate the last Sunday after Pentecost, the final Sunday before the season of Advent, we are always reminded of the fact that time is ticking and opportunity for us is running out, in order to secure our inheritance and salvation in God. The readings for this Sunday always focuses on the coming future, on the fact of the future coming of Jesus our Lord when He comes again to judge all the living and the dead.

As we always recite at the Creed, we believe that our Lord Jesus who have died and risen from the dead, and then ascended into His glory in heaven, He will come down in glory at the end of time, to judge the living and the dead. This is the final judgment, or the Last Judgment, when all the people will be divided and separated based on what they have done or what they have not done.

We fully believe in this, and we keep our faith in this. Yes, it is the hope for the coming of Christ, when He will again dwell among us and bring all those who are faithful to Him, to be united with Him in perfect love, harmony and glory. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, we have been made righteous before God, and if we all are truly faithful to Him, we shall be richly rewarded.

However, it is highlighted in the readings of this day, that we have to pray and pray often, that God will strengthen us and our spiritual defenses, so that we will not fall prey to the attacks and the lies of the devil. There will be a lot of challenges and false leads that will threaten to derail us away from the true path towards salvation, and we have to be careful in choosing our steps.

As mentioned, there will be false prophets and those who claimed to be the Christ, in order to mislead us and to fulfill their own selfish desires, and indeed these serve not God but themselves and Satan. There had been many cases both in the past and present, of those claiming to be the Lord who comes again into the world, declaring the coming of the end times, in their doom-filled messages.

Many of these tried to drive fear into the hearts of men, by claiming that God’s coming is around, and claimed to be the messengers of divine will. Unfortunately, many of the people of God were weak in their faith and they failed to understand the truth which the Gospel today highlighted. The coming of the Son of Man, that is the Great Judge, our Lord Jesus Christ, will be sudden and unexpected, fast and rapid like that of a lightning.

Yes, His coming into this world will come unannounced and even though there will be clear signs that He is to come again, as mentioned in the Gospel, no human being or worldly authority may ever claim to know the wisdom and knowledge of God with relation to the second coming of Christ. That is because Jesus Himself mentioned in another part of the Gospel, that only the Father knows the Son and therefore, vice versa, only the Son knows the Father.

This means that, whatever God has planned, He has planned everything thoroughly and meticulously, including our salvation from the hands of evil and death. Only He knows the fullness of truth of His plans for us. And Jesus also said that, the Son reveals to those whom He wants to reveal to. Who do you think that Jesus reveals part of His truth to? It is to the Church of God, through the Apostles, those beloved servants of Christ who were with Him and knew what He had done.

It is why a very important aspect of our faith is that we have to adhere closely to the teachings of the Church and reject all forms of temptations and falsehoods of the world, as the Church has that deposit of the Faith, which it had carefully guarded through the years and generations, that through the Church, God will have a strong anchor in this world, around which His faithful may cling to and remain faithful.

And finally, the Gospel today highlights what is required from us. Jesus was very clear, when He spoke of what will happen at the end of time. Those who had done what is good to those who are weak, downtrodden, abandoned, ostracised and disadvantaged against will receive rich rewards, for when they do so, they showed their love for their fellow men, just as what the Lord had asked us all to do.

Those who did not do so, and preferred to let the poor and the weak to suffer, while they enjoyed themselves, will be punished, and the Lord is sternly clear, that our action upon our brethren in need makes the difference between whether we will be judged among the sheep, the righteous ones, or to be judged among the goats, the wicked and unfaithful ones.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we end this liturgical year and approach the beginning of Advent, let us all reconsider how we all live out our lives. If we have done what the Lord had asked us to do, then well done, and we ought to continue living justly and righteously, not letting carelessness or our human frailties to cause us to be diverted from the path towards salvation.

Then, if we can still consider ourselves to be counted among those on the left, among the wicked, then while we still have the time, let us all take action. Our faith cannot just be mere words or observations alone. Remember that faith without action is dead, and a dead faith is meaningless and useless for us. The Lord who sees our dead faith will chide and rebuke us for our lack of action and judge us to be among the damned, if this is the case.

Remember, the Lord will come again at a time unknown to us, and He will come like a thief, unannounced and sudden. This is a reminder for us not to delay or postpone in changing our lives and our actions, if we have not done so. Otherwise, when He suddenly appears again in His glory, at a time unknown to us, we shall be caught unprepared and be judged to be among damned.

Hence, let us all be proactive in our faith, helping one another as we make our journey towards the Lord. Let our actions speak loudly of our faith, showing our Lord, Master and Judge, that we have all been faithful and devoted, and are worthy of His kingdom and promised inheritance. May Almighty God, our Lord Jesus Christ, bring us back to Him, our Good Shepherd, that we may forever enjoy the fullness of His love and care in the bliss of eternal heaven. God bless us all. Amen.

 

Epistle :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/19/usus-antiquior-twenty-fourth-and-last-sunday-after-pentecost-ii-classis-sunday-23-november-2014-epistle/

 

Gospel :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/19/usus-antiquior-twenty-fourth-and-last-sunday-after-pentecost-ii-classis-sunday-23-november-2014-holy-gospel/

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(Usus Antiquior) Twenty-Fourth and Last Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 23 November 2014 : Holy Gospel

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Matthaeum – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew

Matthew 24 : 15-35

In illo tempore : Dixit Jesus discipulis suis : Cum videritis abominationem desolationis, quae dicta est a Daniele Propheta, stantem in loco sancto : qui legit, intellegat : tunc qui in Judaea sunt, fugiant ad montes : et qui in tecto, non descendat tollere aliquid de domo sua : et qui in agro, non revertatur tollere tunicam suam.

Vae autem praegnantibus et nutrientibus in illis diebus. Orate autem, ut non fiat fuga vestra in hieme vel sabbato. Erit enim tunc tribulatio magna, qualis non fuit ab initio mundi usque modo, neque fiet. Et nisi breviati fuissent dies illi, non fieret salva omnis caro : sed propter electos breviabuntur dies illi.

Tunc si quis vobis dixerit : Ecce, hic est Christus, aut illic : nolite credere. Surgent enim pseudochristi et pseudoprophetae, et dabunt signa magna et prodigia, ita ut in errorem inducantur, si fieri potest, etiam electi. Ecce, praedixi vobis. Si ergo dixerint vobis : Ecce, in deserto est, nolite exire : Ecce, in penetralibus, nolite credere.

Sicut enim fulgur exit ab Oriente et paret usque in Occidentem : ita erit et adventus Filii Hominis. Ubicumque fuerit corpus, illic congregabuntur et aquilae. Statim autem post tribulationem dierum illorum sol obscurabitur, et luna non dabit lumen suum, et stellae cadent de caelo, et virtutes caelorum commovebuntur.

Et tunc parebit signum Filii Hominis in caelo : et tunc plangent omnes tribus terrae : et videbunt Filium Hominis venientem in nubibus caeli cum virtute multa et majestate. Et mittet Angelos suos cum tuba et voce magna : et congregabunt electos ejus a quatuor ventis, a summis caelorum usque ad terminos eorum.

Ab arbore autem fici discite parabolam : Dum jam ramus ejus tener tuerit et folia nata, scitis, quia prope est aestas : ita et vos cum videritis haec omnia, scitote, quia prope est in januis. Amen, dico vobis, quia non praeteribit generatio haec, donec omnia haec fiant. Caelum et terra transibunt, verba autem mea non praeteribunt.

 

English translation

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “When you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, he who reads let him understand, then those who are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains, and he who is on the housetop, let him not come down to take anything out of his house, and he who is in the field, let him not go back to take his coat.”

“And woe to those who are with child, and those whose babies suckle, in those days. But pray that your flight be not in the winter, or on the sabbath, for there shall then be great tribulation, such as that which has not been found from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be, and unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days shall be shortened.”

“Then if any man shall say to you, ‘Lo, here is Christ, or there,’ do not believe him, for there shall arise false ‘Christs’ and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, so much so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told it to you beforehand, if they therefore shall say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the desert, go out there all of you,’ or ‘Behold, He is in the closets,’ do not believe it.”

“For as lightning comes out from the east, and appears even unto the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be also. Wherever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together. And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be moved.”

“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty, and He shall send His angels with a trumpet and a great voice and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them.”

“And learn a parable from the fig tree, when the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you shall see all these things, may all of you know that it is nigh even at the doors. Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.”

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/19/usus-antiquior-twenty-fourth-and-last-sunday-after-pentecost-ii-classis-sunday-23-november-2014-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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(Usus Antiquior) Twenty-Fourth and Last Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 23 November 2014 : Epistle

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

Colossians 1 : 9-14

Fratres : Non cessamus pro vobis orantes et postulantes, ut impleamini agnitione voluntatis Dei, in omni sapientia et intellectu spiritali : ut ambuletis digne Deo per omnia placentes : in omni opere bono fructificantes, et crescentes in scientia Dei : in omni virtute confortati secundum potentiam claritatis ejus in omni patientia, et longanimitate cum gaudio, gratias agentes Deo Patri, qui dignos nos fecit in partem sortis sanctorum in lumine : qui eripuit nos de potestate tenebrarum, et transtulit in regnum Filii dilectionis suae, in quo habemus redemptionem per sanguinem ejus, remissionem peccatorum.

 

English translation

Brethren, we do not cease to pray for you, and to beg that you may be filled with the knowledge of the will of God, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of God, in all things pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might according to the power of His glory, in all patience and long suffering with joy, giving thanks to God the Father, who had made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light, who had delivered us from the power of darkness, and had translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His Blood, the remission of sins.

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/19/usus-antiquior-twenty-fourth-and-last-sunday-after-pentecost-ii-classis-sunday-23-november-2014-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Monday, 17 November 2014 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are shown that those who are faithful in God and those who have endured persecution for that faith will be rewarded greatly and wonderfully by the Lord. In the first reading, from the Book of the Revelations or Apocalypse of St. John the Evangelist, in the vision of the end of times which he received from the Lord at the island of Patmos, it was written about the Lord commending the Church in Ephesus, for their perseverance in faith.

In that revelation, the Lord sent His messages, praise and also warning to the faithful in the various principal Churches of the early Christianity. The Church in Ephesus had persevered amidst the difficulties and persecutions they had to endure, but yet they also have lapsed in some aspects of their faith, and they had not been completely faithful to the Lord, and the Lord wanted to remind them that fact.

In the Gospel is the story of how Jesus healed the blind man from his affliction, enabling him to see once again. In that story, we hear how the blind man knew that Jesus was coming towards him, and he asked humbly and with great persistence, calling Him as the Son of David. This is significant, consider that he could not even see, but yet he knew that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of David, and the One who would bring mankind to salvation.

Why is this so, brothers and sisters? In another occasion, when Jesus also healed another blind man, He mentioned how the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who opposed and criticised Jesus in His every actions by their hypocrisy and strict observance on the Law, were truly blind even though they physically could see with their eyes.

The blind man on the contrary, can truly and perfectly see, even though he may appear to be blind. That is because, ultimately, our true eyes lie in our hearts. The eye of our hearts is the one that truly sees all around us and also at the same time, show who we are inside of us. If our eyes on our head that can see visually all things around us, fail to see truth, then it is useless.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, they were not able to look at the truth or face the truth, that the One whom they have opposed all that time, was the One who had been promised by God to be their salvation. Yes, Jesus came to this world out of the love of God, to save all mankind, even those who hated and rejected Him. He came into this world to dispel the darkness that veiled men’s hearts, the true eyes of theirs, so that they can see once again.

The blind man recognised the light of Christ from within his heart, as even though he was unable to see, but the presence of Christ is known to him. The eyes of his heart can see clearly amidst the darkness. Meanwhile, the jealousy, pride and arrogance of the Pharisees had clouded and blinded their eyes, closing the doors of their hearts from the possibility of them accepting Jesus as their Lord.

Therefore, it is a call to all of us, so that we may abandon and reject all forms of wickedness and evil from our lives, that we do not follow the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law to their doom. Those people were not able to recognise the Lord and accept Him because of their jealousy and hatred for Him, seeing Him as a great rival to their worldly power and influence. They have seen much in world, and the temptations and seductions of Satan swayed their heart over, and they were corrupted.

The blind man, who was not able to see for many, many years, if not the whole of his life, was pure and innocent, for he was not able to see the tempting things in the world, and therefore, he was able to recognise God when He came. This means that our eyes that see many things around us, are the gateways to our hearts. And if they are corrupted, our hearts inside us too will likely to be corrupted as well.

Therefore, we have to be careful in our actions, and we have to discern well everything that we are to say or do. Let our eyes not corrupt us and resist the temptations of pride, of greed, of anger, of jealousy and of any other negativities with which the devil is trying to subvert us against the Lord. Let us break through the veil of darkness which covers our hearts, that from there, we may be like the blind man, who sincerely and genuinely seek the Lord, knowing that He is there.

Yes, our loving God is always there for us, and it only takes us to ask Him, and seek Him with all of our hearts, for us to gain His graces. Remember what He told His disciples? Ask and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you? Therefore, let us all ask God for His grace, that we may recognise Him and His presence in our lives, and through our interactions with those around us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today is also the feast of a holy woman, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, whose life can be a great inspiration to all of us. St. Elizabeth of Hungary was a princess of the Kingdom of Hungary during the High Middle Ages. She was of the royal blood and of very high social class, betrothed and married to the family of another ruler, and yet in all of her actions, she was very devout and charitable.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary was the patroness of many religious works, evangelisation and mission efforts, and especially, the patroness of many charitable organisations. She donated much money and funds to help the poor, and occasionally also took part in directly helping the poor themselves. She was widowed later on, and after her widowhood, she devoted herself completely to the Lord.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary donated whatever she had in her possession to charity and for the sake of the poor. She also devoted herself as a religious nun, and gave her all to God from then onwards, just as she had devoted herself earlier on through her actions. This is an example we can and indeed should follow, as with love and charity, our faith will be strong, and a strong faith will help us to keep our vision straight and clear, avoiding and resisting all the temptations and false promises of the evil one.

May Almighty God, who gave us the grace and blessing in St. Elizabeth of Hungary, a holy woman and a person of charity and love, a person of true faith and devotion, help us to also be able to walk in her path, that all of us will have our faith in Him strengthened and at the end of time, we will be found righteous and be worthy of the glories of heaven. God bless us all. Amen.

 

First Reading :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/16/monday-17-november-2014-33rd-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-elizabeth-of-hungary-religious-first-reading/

 

Psalm :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/16/monday-17-november-2014-33rd-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-elizabeth-of-hungary-religious-psalm/

 

Gospel Reading :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/16/monday-17-november-2014-33rd-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-elizabeth-of-hungary-religious-gospel-reading/

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Saturday, 15 November 2014 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

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

Luke 18 : 1-8

At that time, Jesus told His disciples a parable, to show them that they should pray continually, and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain town there was a judge, who neither feared God nor people. In the same town there was a widow, who kept coming to him, saying, ‘Defend my rights against my opponent!'”

“For a time he refused, but finally he thought, ‘Even though I neither fear God nor care about people, this widow bothers me so much, I will see that she gets justice; then she will stop coming and wearing me out.'”

And Jesus said, “Listen to what the evil judge says. Will God not do justice for His chosen ones, who cry to Him day and night, even if He delays in answering them? I tell you, He will speedily do them justice. But, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/13/saturday-15-november-2014-32nd-week-of-ordinary-time-memorial-of-st-albert-the-great-bishop-and-doctor-of-the-church-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Sunday, 26 October 2014 : 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Thessalonians 1 : 5c-10

You also know how we dealt with you for your sake. In return, you became followers of us and of the Lord when, on receiving the word, you experienced the joy of the Holy Spirit in the midst of great opposition.

And you became a model for the faithful of Macedonia and Achaia, since from you the word of the Lord spread to Macedonia and Achaia, and still farther. The faith you have in God has become news in so many places that we need say no more about it.

Others tell of how you welcome us and turned from idols to the Lord. For you serve the living and true God, and you wait for His Son from heaven whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who frees us from impending trial.

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Wednesday, 22 October 2014 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. John Paul II, Pope (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Luke 12 : 39-48

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Pay attention to this : If the master of the house had known at what time the thief would come, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.”

Peter said, “Lord, did You tell this parable only for us, or for everyone?” And the Lord replied, “Imagine, then, the wise and faithful steward, whom the master sets over his other servants to give them wheat at the proper time. Fortunate is this servant if his master on coming home, finds him doing his work. Truly, I say to you, the master will put him in charge of all his property.”

“But it may be that the steward thinks, ‘My Lord delays in coming,’ and he begins to abuse the male servants and the servant girls, eating and drinking and getting drunk. Then the master will come on a day he does not expect, and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him off, and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful.”

“The servant who knew his master’s will but did not prepare and do what his master wanted, will be soundly beaten; but the one who does unconsciously what deserves punishment, shall receive fewer blows. Much will be required of the one who has been given much, and more will be asked of the one who has been entrusted with more.

 

Alternative reading (Mass for Popes)

John 21 : 15-17

At that time, after Jesus and His disciples had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.” And Jesus said, “Feed My lambs.”

A second time Jesus said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” And Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Look after My sheep.”

And a third time He said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was saddened because Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love Me?” and he said, “Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You.” Jesus then said, “Feed My sheep!”

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Tuesday, 21 October 2014 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Ephesians 2 : 12-22

At that time you were without Christ, you did not belong to the community of Israel; the covenants of God and His promises were not for you; you had no hope and wer without God in this world. But now, in Christ Jesus and by His Blood, you who were once far off have come near.

For Christ is our peace, He who has made the two peoples one, destroying in His own flesh the wall – the hatred – which separated us. He abolished the Law with its commands and precepts. He made peace in uniting the two peoples in Him, creating out of the two one New Man. He destroyed hatred and reconciled us both to God through the cross, making the two one body.

He came to proclaim peace; peace to you who were far off, peace to the Jews who were near. Through Him we – the two peoples – approach the Father in one Spirit. Now you are no longer strangers or guests, but fellow citizens of the holy people : you are of the household of God. You are the house whose foundations are the Apostles and prophets, and whose cornerstone is Christ Jesus.

In Him the whole structure is joined together and rises to be a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you too are being built to become the spiritual sanctuary of God.