Waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to reveal himself

 

Welcome to my blog and peace be with you.

You will find here the readings of the Scriptures prescribed by the Catholic Church for today, with a short prayerful reflection. May they help us reach out to the God who created us and loves us.

Thursday 27 August 2020

Waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to reveal himself

Feast of St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine

Prayer

O God, who console the sorrowful

and who mercifully accepted

the motherly tears of Saint Monica

for the conversion of her son Augustine,

grant us, through the intercession of them both,

that we may bitterly regret our sins

and find the grace of your pardon.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

 

First reading

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 ·

You have been enriched in many ways in Christ

I, Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle, together with brother Sosthenes, send greetings to the church of God in Corinth, to the holy people of Jesus Christ, who are called to take their place among all the saints everywhere who pray to our Lord Jesus Christ; for he is their Lord no less than ours. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send you grace and peace.

I never stop thanking God for all the graces you have received through Jesus Christ. I thank him that you have been enriched in so many ways, especially in your teachers and preachers; the witness to Christ has indeed been strong among you so that you will not be without any of the gifts of the Spirit while you are waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed; and he will keep you steady and without blame until the last day, the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, because God by calling you has joined you to his Son, Jesus Christ; and God is faithful. THE WORD OF THE LORD

 

Prayerful reflection

All those who “who pray to our Lord Jesus Christ; for he is their Lord no less than ours” are ambivalent in their attitude. They are in this world and are part of this world and have responsibilities for life in this world. They are to contribute to the building up of ‘the earthly city’ and fulfil their ‘this world responsibilities’ and should be an example in all this. Yet, they do not belong to this world and look forward to life elsewhere. They are “waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.” There are temptations to fall in love with this world grasping the few gifts it offers. Yet, these are temptations, because whoever we are and whatever our belief, we are travellers. We have ‘no lasting city here.’ We should only carry what we need for the journey and should keep our eyes fixed on our destination. Our destination is not a place but a Person. Our destination is Jesus, who will reveal himself on our last day. May Jesus, hidden in our heart, keep us safe till he reveals himself to us.

Psalm

Psalm 145:2-7

I will bless your name for ever, O Lord.

I will bless you day after day

and praise your name for ever.

The Lord is great, highly to be praised,

his greatness cannot be measured.

I will bless your name for ever, O Lord.

Age to age shall proclaim your works,

shall declare your mighty deeds,

shall speak of your splendour and glory,

tell the tale of your wonderful works.

I will bless your name for ever, O Lord.

They will speak of your terrible deeds,

recount your greatness and might.

They will recall your abundant goodness;

age to age shall ring out your justice.

I will bless your name for ever, O Lord.

 

Gospel

Matthew 24:42-51

He is coming at an hour you do not expect

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

‘What sort of servant, then, is faithful and wise enough for the master to place him over his household to give them their food at the proper time? Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment. I tell you solemnly, he will place him over everything he owns. But as for the dishonest servant who says to himself, “My master is taking his time,” and sets about beating his fellow servants and eating and drinking with drunkards, his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.’ THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

 

Prayerful reflection

Jesus will certainly come at the end of time. When that will be no one knows ‘not even the Son of Man.’ It is the closely kept secret of the Father. It is useless for us to speculate. But, Jesus will come very soon to each of us. When our time is over in this world, he will come for us. He wants to take us home. We should be ready. Do I look forward to his coming? Of course, there is a fearful aspect to his coming. We must pass through death and death is an enemy. St. Paul tells us it is the last enemy we must overcome. Yet for the one who loves Jesus, our faith can take away the sting and pain of death for the one who dies. It can console those left behind. There is a happy side to death too. It is our meeting with ‘The Great Lover’ who longs for us and in his human life sacrificed everything, including his life on the Cross, to have this moment of joyful embrace and life together for ever. Let us energetically prepare ourselves for this supreme moment of happiness.

May we have the Spirit to see life and death as Jesus does.

 

Let us pray.

Almighty God,

you are all light,

in you there is no darkness.

Let your light shine upon us in all its radiance,

so that we may walk gladly in the way of your commandments

And come at last to our heavenly home with you..

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 

 

 

 

Lord, give me a humble contrite heart

 

Welcome to my blog and peace be with you.

You will find the Scripture readings assigned by the Catholic Church for today. If we read and reflect on them in prayer, they will nourish our spirit.

 

Wednesday 26 August 2020

Lord, give me a humble contrite heart

Let us pray.

Lord, holy Father, faithful to your promise

you sent your Spirit to bring together a people divided by sin.

Through a life of integrity and love, give us the grace to foster unity

and peace among all people

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 

First reading

2 Thessalonians 3:6-10,16-18 ·

We worked night and day not to be a burden on you

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we urge you, brothers, to keep away from any of the brothers who refuses to work or to live according to the tradition we passed on to you.

You know how you are supposed to imitate us: now we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we ever have our meals at anyone’s table without paying for them; no, we worked night and day, slaving and straining, so as not to be a burden on any of you. This was not because we had no right to be, but in order to make ourselves an example for you to follow.

We gave you a rule when we were with you: do not let anyone have any food if he refuses to do any work. May the Lord of peace himself give you peace all the time and in every way. The Lord be with you all.

From me, PAUL, these greetings in my own handwriting, which is the mark of genuineness in every letter; this is my own writing. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. THE WORD OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

Be an example to those you lead. Never say ‘Go on, but always ‘come on.’ Parents to children, Priests to parishioners, anyone in authority. This is the example St. Paul has given us. Let us first be the kind of person we wish others to become.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 127(128):1-2,4-5

O blessed are those who fear the Lord.

O blessed are those who fear the Lord

and walk in his ways!

By the labour of your hands you shall eat.

You will be happy and prosper.

O blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Indeed thus shall be blessed

the man who fears the Lord.

May the Lord bless you from Zion

all the days of your life!

O blessed are those who fear the Lord.

 

Gospel

Matthew 23:27-32

You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets

Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who are like whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of corruption. In the same way you appear to people from the outside like good honest men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who build the sepulchres of the prophets and decorate the tombs of holy men, saying, “We would never have joined in shedding the blood of the prophets, had we lived in our fathers’ day.” So! Your own evidence tells against you! You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets! Very well then, finish off the work that your fathers began.’ THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

 Matthew was writing at a time and in a context. It was after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70AD and after the Jewish council of Jamna in which Christians were refused the right of being Jews. Believe in Jesus as the Messiah, and you lose your Jewish nationality. That may be, but the words Matthew has written apply to us. Hypocrisy, the double life, is abhorrent to God. God demands sincerity of heart and a life of integrity. In Revelation Jesus says, I wish you were either hot or cold, but you are lukewarm and so I spit you from my mouth. If sinners, then let us acknowledge our sin and be forgiven. Let us not pretend to be what we are not.

God our Saviour,

through the grace of Baptism, you have made us children of light.

Hear our prayer

that we may always walk in that light

and work for the truth as your witnesses before men.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

 

 

Love is the fulfillment of the Law

 

Welcome to my blog and peace be with you.

You will find the Scripture readings assigned for today by the Catholic Church and a prayerful reflection upon them.

May God bless you through his Word.

Tuesday 25 August 2020

Love is th fulfillment of the Law 

Ps 85: 1-3

Turn your ear, O Lord, and answer me;

save the servant who trusts in you, my God.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all day long.

 

____________________

 

Prayer

O God, who cause the minds of the faithful

to unite in a single purpose,

grant your people to love what you command

and to desire what you promise,

that, amid the uncertainties of this world,

our hearts may be fixed on that place

where true gladness is found.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

 

____________________

 

 

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3,14-17 ·

Stand firm and keep the traditions we have taught you

To turn, brothers, to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we shall all be gathered round him: please do not get excited too soon or alarmed by any prediction or rumour or any letter claiming to come from us, implying that the Day of the Lord has already arrived. Never let anyone deceive you in this way.

Through the Good News that we brought God called you to this so that you should share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Stand firm, then, brothers, and keep the traditions that we taught you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who has given us his love and, through his grace, such inexhaustible comfort and such sure hope, comfort you and strengthen you in everything good that you do or say. THE WORD OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

The Person of Jesus and our relationship with him is the heart and soul of our religion. Jesus calls us to one day live with him in his glory – something we can in no way imagine or conceive. That is the goal of our existence.

But, even now in faith, we can share his life and he will share our life. The relationship of love which we will have when all is fulfilled, can begin now. It begins by getting to know who Jesus is and through constant prayer building up a real relationship with him. This is the seed that will grow into the flower. It is all one process. Are you on the way?

 

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 95(96):10-13

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’

The world he made firm in its place;

he will judge the peoples in fairness.

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad,

let the sea and all within it thunder praise,

let the land and all it bears rejoice,

all the trees of the wood shout for joy

at the presence of the Lord for he comes,

he comes to rule the earth.

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

With justice he will rule the world,

he will judge the peoples with his truth.

The Lord comes to rule the earth.

 

____________________

 

Heb4:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

The word of God is something alive and active:

it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.

Alleluia!

 

____________________

 

Gospel

Matthew 23:23-26

Clean the inside of the cup first, so that the outside may become clean

Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who pay your tithe of mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law – justice, mercy, good faith! These you should have practised, without neglecting the others. You blind guides! Straining out gnats and swallowing camels!

‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who clean the outside of cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance. Blind Pharisee! Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that the outside may become clean as well.’ THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

 

Prayerful reflection

“These you should have practised, without neglecting the others.” We must keep all the Commandments of God. But, why do we keep them? This is the question we must ask ourselves. To really keep Go’s Commandments, there should be only ONE reason. I love Jesus and wish to please him in all things. So, I will not do anything that displeases him.

Do I try to know Jesus as an intimate friend? Do I live with him and for him?

On the rock of Peter, I will build my Church

 

Sunday 23 August 2020

On the rock of Peter, I will build my Church

 

First reading

Isaiah 22:19-23 ·

I place the key of the House of David on my servant's shoulder

Thus says the Lord of Hosts to Shebna, the master of the palace:

I dismiss you from your office,

I remove you from your post,

and the same day I call on my servant

Eliakim son of Hilkiah.

I invest him with your robe,

gird him with your sash,

entrust him with your authority;

and he shall be a father

to the inhabitants of Jerusalem

and to the House of Judah.

I place the key of the House of David

on his shoulder;

should he open, no one shall close,

should he close, no one shall open.

I drive him like a peg

into a firm place;

he will become a throne of glory

for his father’s house.

THE WORD OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

In the ancient world when cities had huge walls surrounding them to prevent enemies from gaining access, the city gates were huge and the locks and keys for them huge too. The king would appoint his chief minister to be in charge of locking the gate in the evening and opening in the morning. He would be supreme in allowing people in or out of the city. He would wear the keys around his neck. When people saw him, they would realise that he was the person after the king with supreme authority. So it happens that one minister is removed from office and Eliakim is appointed. This passage is chosen because in the Gospel, Jesus gives the keys of heaven to Peter. After Jesus, he has authority to govern the Church.

 

 Psalm

Psalm 137(138):1-3,6,8

Your love, O Lord, is eternal: discard not the work of your hands.

I thank you, Lord, with all my heart:

you have heard the words of my mouth.

In the presence of the angels I will bless you.

I will adore before your holy temple.

Your love, O Lord, is eternal: discard not the work of your hands.

I thank you for your faithfulness and love,

which excel all we ever knew of you.

On the day I called, you answered;

you increased the strength of my soul.

Your love, O Lord, is eternal: discard not the work of your hands.

The Lord is high yet he looks on the lowly

and the haughty he knows from afar.

Your love, O Lord, is eternal,

discard not the work of your hands.

Your love, O Lord, is eternal: discard not the work of your hands.

 

____________________

 

Second reading

Romans 11:33-36 ·

All that exists comes from him; all is by him and from him.

How rich are the depths of God – how deep his wisdom and knowledge – and how impossible to penetrate his motives or understand his methods! Who could ever know the mind of the Lord? Who could ever be his counsellor? Who could ever give him anything or lend him anything? All that exists comes from him; all is by him and for him. To him be glory for ever! Amen. THE WORD OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

We humans are nothing before God. We should never forget this. None of us can understand the mind of the God who created the universe by the power of his Word. We shouldn’t think that God does not know what he is doing. The world is in his hands even though to us it may look as if evil has the upper hand. Eventually, in his own time, God will work all things out. Let us relax in the loving goodness and power of God.

 

 

 

Mt16:18

Alleluia, alleluia!

You are Peter

and on this rock I will build my Church.

And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it.

Alleluia!

 

____________________

 

Gospel

Matthew 16:13-20

You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said, ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’ Then he gave the disciples strict orders not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

Jesus came to save the whole world and people of all ages from sin, Satan, and death. He would do this by living the perfect human life and offering his life, ultimately, on the Cross as a Sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. Being the Son of God, his Sacrifice had infinite values and won for the whole world forgiveness and all the blessings of the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). This salvation was to be made available for everyone of every age. In order to do this, Jesus founded a church community which will be universal and last till the end of time. The  gates of hell, try as they may, will never overcome his Church and lead it into the way of error. Peter was given full authority to govern the Church after Jesus had left the world. Jesus always present spiritually in the Church throughout the ages will preserve it from error. After Peter died another was given his authority to guide and lead the Church and so on throughout the ages. We in the Catholic Church are members of the Church Jesus founded on the rock of Peter. The Church is like a Mother to us; through it we receive forgiveness for sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the nourishment of our faith through the Holy Eucharist which is the very Body and Blood of Jesus.