deliverance

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Friday, 25 April 2014 : Friday within Easter Octave (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 117 : 1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a

Alleluia! Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His loving kindness endures forever. Let Israel say, “His loving kindness endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say, “His loving kindness endures forever.”

The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing and we marvel at it. This is the day the Lord has made; so let us rejoice and be glad.

Save us, o Lord, deliver us, o Lord! Blessed is He who comes in the Lord’s Name! We bless You from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God; may His light shine upon us.

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Friday, 18 April 2014 : Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion, Easter Triduum (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 30 : 2 and 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17 and 25

In You, o Lord, I take refuge, may I never be disgraced; deliver Me in Your justice. Into Your hands I commend My Spirit; You have redeemed Me, o Lord, faithful God.

I have become an object of reproach for My foes, a horror for My neighbours, a fear to My friends. Those who see Me in the streets flee from Me. I am like the dead, unremembered; I have become like a broken pot, thrown away, discarded.

But I put My trust in You, o Lord, I said : “You are My God;” My days are in Your hand. Deliver Me from the hand of My enemies, from those after My skin.

Make Your face shine upon Your servant; save Me in Your love. Be strong and take courage, all you who hope in the Lord.

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Sunday, 6 April 2014 : 5th Sunday of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 129 : 1-2, 3-4ab, 4c-6, 7-8

Out of the depths I cry to You, o Lord, o Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears pay attention to the voice of my supplication.

If You should mark our evil, o Lord, who could stand? But with You is forgiveness, and for that You are revered.

I waited for the Lord, my soul waits, and I put my hope in His word. My soul expects the Lord more than watchmen the dawn.

O Israel, hope in the Lord, for with Him is unfailing love and with Him full deliverance. He will deliver Israel from all its sins.

 

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Saturday, 5 April 2014 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Vincent Ferrer, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jeremiah 11 : 18-20

YHVH made it known to me and so I know! And You let me see their scheming. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me that they were plotting, “Let us feed Him with trials and remove Him from the land of the living and let His Name never be mentioned again.”

YHVH, God of Hosts, You who judge with justice and know everyone’s heart and intentions, let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You I have entrusted my cause.

 

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Tuesday, 25 March 2014 : Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 39 : 7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11

Sacrifice and oblation You did not desire; this You had me understand. Burnt offering and sin offering You do not require. Then I said, “Here I come!”

As the scroll says of me, to do Your will is my delight, o God, for Your Law is within my heart.”

In the great assembly I have proclaimed Your saving help. My lips, o Lord, I did not seal – You know that very well.

I have not locked up in my heart Your saving help, but have spoken about it – Your deliverance and Your faithfulness. I have made no secret of Your truth and of Your kindness in the great assembly.

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Friday, 14 March 2014 : 1st Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 129 : 1-2, 3-4ab, 4c-6, 7-8

Out of the depths I cry to You, o Lord, o Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears pay attention to the voice of my supplication.

If You should mark our evil, o Lord, who could stand? But with You is forgiveness, and for that You are revered.

I waited for the Lord, my soul waits, and I put my hope in His word. My soul expects the Lord more than watchmen the dawn.

O Israel, hope in the Lord, for with Him is unfailing love and with Him full deliverance. He will deliver Israel from all its sins.

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Thursday, 13 March 2014 : 1st Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 137 : 1-2a, 2bc-3, 7c-8

I thank You, o Lord, with all my heart, for You have heard the word of my lips. I sing Your praise in the presence of the gods. I bow down towards Your holy Temple and give thanks to Your Name.

For Your love and faithfulness, for Your word which exceeds everything. You answered me when I called; You restored my soul and made me strong.

With outstretched arm, You save me from the wrath of my foes, with Your right hand You deliver me. How the Lord cares for me! Your kindness, o Lord, endures forever. Forsake not the work of Your hands.

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Monday, 3 March 2014 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 110 : 1-2, 5-6, 9 and 10c

Alleluia! I thank the Lord with all my heart in the council of the just, in the assembly. The works of the Lord are great and pondered by all who delight in them.

Always mindful of His covenant, He provides food for those who fear Him. He shows His people the power of His arm by giving them the lands of other nations.

He has sent His people deliverances and made with them a covenant forever. His holy Name is to be revered! To Him belongs everlasting praise.

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Thursday, 20 February 2014 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Practice our faith, practice our faith, and practice our faith. That is the theme constantly repeated by St. James in his letter, which we heard today in our first reading. St. James placed a great importance in us having a living and real faith, one that is not just made with mere words or lip-service, but instead done in the spirit of love and true dedication to God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, continuing from my message yesterday about how important it was to love and to practice our faith, it is truly necessary to do so, because indeed, just as Jesus rebuked Peter in the Gospel today, the devil or Satan is everywhere, and at every opportunity, Satan will definitely try his best to undermine our efforts in faith.

That is because the devil does not want to see us saved from the fate that awaited us since the time when our ancestors first fell into sin, just as Satan himself and his fallen angels followers had fallen. They were to be condemned to death and eternal suffering, which we too were once destined to go to, and we were once destined and fated for this suffering, which we call hell, because it is a state of suffering because of the total separation we have to endure, from the love of God.

That is why our faith in God must be strong. It cannot be just by word or by empty nonsense, which means nothing to God. Our faith must be genuine, and must be genuinely loving, that is filled with love, both for God and for His children, our fellow brethren, all of mankind. If our faith is solid, strong and healthy, then we have no need to fear the devil and his forces standing to oppose us.

We have to be ever ready and ready to resist all the temptations of Satan and all of his advances which are designed to bring us to our downfall. In order to do so, then our faith must be strong, that it may become our strong shield of faith. We cannot be complacent in our faith, or the devil may find a weakness in our defense and attack us.

Follow the Lord faithfully and keep to His commandments and what He had taught us. If we do so, then we will have a powerful ally, none other than our Lord Himself who will come between us and the devil and his forces. That way, we certainly have no need to fear. The devil knows this, and he knows that if God is on our side and protects us, he will have no chance or power over us.

That is why he tries hard day by day to separate us from God, by planting fear and doubt in our hearts, as well as promoting to us the good things of the world and things that can divert our attention from the Lord. Brothers and sisters in Christ, it all comes down to us, and our ability to make a concrete decision. Will we choose our Lord or will we choose the devil and whatever lies he offers us?

Doubt no longer brethren, but believe. And if we have sinned and done things wicked in the eyes of the Lord, repent and sincerely change our hearts, our Lord who sees and knows all will see our faith and love for Him, and He will welcome us into His kingdom.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all together make a new commitment, to dedicate ourselves fully to the Lord our God, and to love Him with all of our hearts, our soul, and our minds. May the Lord continue to be with us, bless us, and protect us from the power and forces of the evil one. Amen.

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Thursday, 13 February 2014 : 5th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 105 : 3-4, 35-36, 37 and 40

Blessed are they who always do just and right. Remember me, o Lord, when You show favour to Your people; rescue me when You deliver them.

They mingled with these nations and learnt to do as they did. In serving the idols of the pagans, they were trapped.

Into sacrificing children to demons. The anger of the Lord grew intense and He abhorred His inheritance.