2011 Oct 1 Sat: Thérèse of Lisieux, v, r, dr M
Bar 4: 5-12. 27-29
Ps 69: 33-35. 36-37
Lk 10: 17-24, Mt. 18, 1-4
17The seventyreturned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’18He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.19See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you.20Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’
21At that same hour Jesusrejoiced in the Holy Spiritand said, ‘I thankyou, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.22All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’
23Then turning to the disciples, Jesussaid to them privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!24For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.’
Reflection:
The Church celebrates the feast of St Theresa of the Child Jesus. Pope Pius XI declared her the patroness of the missions… even though she did not venture into “mission territory” because of her special love for the missions, and her prayers and letters to support missionaries. Today’s readings brim with hope and prosperity, and offer a strategy for work – love and childlike trust in God. St Theresa passed away at the youthful age of 24, but the memory and legacy of her holiness lives on.
Are you cultivating a heart of love for God’s people, and an attitude of trust in God’s plans for your prosperity? What is the legacy you want to leave behind?
2011 Oct 2 SUN: TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Is 5: 1-7
Ps 80: 9. 12. 13-14. 15-16. 19-20
Phil 4: 6-9
Mt 21: 33-43
33‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” 39So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ 41They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’
42Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures:
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,and it is amazing in our eyes”?
43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.
Reflection:
God has entrusted you and me with the responsibility of tending his Kingdom. That is the level of trust he places in us. We have a choice of either abusing that trust – whereby we become like those wicked tenants who sowed and reaped discord, hatred, violence and sin; or respecting that trust by bringing out the fruits of the Kingdom – justice, forgiveness, charity, joy and peace. If we choose to abuse God’s trust in us, we choose to forfeit his Kingdom.
Are you proud of the trust God places in you? What are your choices that manifest the value you place in this trust?
2011 Oct 3 Mon: Ordinary Weekday
Jon 1: 1 – 2: 1-2. 11
Jon 2: 3. 4. 5. 8
Lk 10: 25-37
25Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ 26He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ 27He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ 28And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’
29But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ 30Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” 36Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ 37He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’
Reflection:
Jesus does not answer the lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbour?” We paraphrase his response! “Don’t ask who your neighbour is! Instead be a neighbour to anyone who needs your help. If you have a heart of compassion to rise beyond your private world, to give priority to a helpless soul even if that soul is totally unknown to you, you are being a neighbour. As a neighbour to another you need to transcend all barriers – geographical, linguistic, ethnic, religious… – so as to celebrate true human fellowship. It is manifested in your compassion and your readiness to stake your all for the well being of the other.
2011 Oct 4 Tue: Francis of Assisi, rf M
Jon 3: 1-10
Ps 130: 1b-2. 3-4ab. 7-8
Lk 10: 38-42
38Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ 41But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’
Reflection:
Do you feel the need for self-transformation in some area of your life? When was the last time you made a resolution to better yourself? What is it that motivates you when you desire reform?
The people of Nineveh heeded the words of Jonah and set about repenting and resolving to obey God. However, their fundamental motivation to repent was fear of God’s impending anger against them, and the immanent destruction of their city and their lives. They were externally driven.
St Francis of Assisi resolved to leave behind his rich inheritance, and to live a life of simplicity and poverty by following Jesus, not out of fear, but because he felt the Lord calling him, and his heart was filled with love for the Lord. He was internally driven.
What about you?
2011 Oct 5 Wed: Ordinary Weekday
Jn 4: 1-11
Ps 86: 3-4. 5-6. 9-10
Lk 11: 1-4
11He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ 2He said to them, ‘When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3Give us each day our daily bread.*
4And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial.
Reflection:
The expression “Lord teach us to pray!” is indicative of the desire for inner spiritual growth. The disciples yearned for this because they had seen John the Baptist give importance to ‘prayer’, and Jesus practise it. They needed no evidence to convince them of the spiritual maturity of Jesus and John.They saw in their lives a passion for God’s holy ways which manifested itself in a prophetic call to repentance, to honesty, to justice, to forgiveness, to love, to freedom, to peace, to health, to wholeness. There was something special about their prayer.
Have you ever wondered what prayer can do to you? The value of prayer can be realized only when you experience its effects. But you will never experience those effects unless you pray. Jesus has given us a fine recipe for prayer. It is our responsibility to meditate on its implications, live according to its precepts and experience the wholeness it brings.
2011 Oct 6 Thu: Ordinary Weekday/ Bruno, p, h, rf/ Bl Marie-Rose Durocher, v, rf
Mal 3: 13-20b
Ps 1: 1-2. 3. 4 and 6
Lk 11: 5-13
5And he said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.” 7And he answers from within, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.” 8I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
9‘So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish?12Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’
Reflecton:
Looking around one does get the impression that evil doers not only prosper, but also escape when they put God to the test. It won’t be long before God manifests his power over them. True prosperity does not lie in material comforts; it lies in the peace that comes from having a pure conscience. Therefore it is important to know what exactly you wantwhen you seek prosperity. You may ask God for what you want; he will give you what you need. He knows – even if we don’t know it – that what we need most is the Holy Spirit who helps us keep our conscience pure.And that is true prosperity!
2011 Oct 7 Fri: Our Lady of the Rosary M
Jl 1: 13-15; 2: 1-2
Ps 9: 2-3. 6 and 16. 8-9
Lk 11: 15-26, Lk. 1, 26-38
15But some of them said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.’16Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven.17But he knew what they were thinking and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself becomes a desert, and house falls on house.18If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? —for you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul.19Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcistscast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.20But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.21When a strong man, fully armed, guards his castle, his property is safe.22But when one stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away his armour in which he trusted and divides his plunder.23Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
24‘When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting-place, but not finding any, it says, “I will return to my house from which I came.”25When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order.26Then it goes and brings seven other spiritsmore evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first.’
Reflection:
After the ascension of Jesus, the apostles went back to the Upper Room and devoted themselves to prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was there in the Cenacle, giving the shattered apostles, who were waiting for the Holy Spirit, hope and strength. That’s what makes the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. The feast of the Holy Rosary reminds us that Mary prayed with the apostles. She accompanied them just as she accompanied Christ. She accompanied her Son from the Crib through the years he spent as a Child (the Joyful Mysteries). She was at Cana initiating his first miracle during his public ministry (the Luminous Mysteries). She was walked with him on the way to Calvary, right till the Cross (the Sorrowful Mysteries).
Today she is present in every Contour of our lives, helping us Contemplate the mysteries of the salvation Christ has won for us. So the rosary is not just a prayer TO our Lady as much as it is a prayer WITH our Blessed Mother. She intercedes for us.
Are you losing out on the divine assistance of our Blessed Mother just because you have never reflected on her role, or just because others are sceptical about your devotion to her? Let’s not forget that the Rosary, while Celebrating the Discipleship of our Lady, brings out the Centrality of Christ. And we need both.
2011 Oct 8 Sat: Ordinary Weekday/ BVM
Jl 4: 12-21
Ps 97: 1-2. 5-6. 11-12
Lk 11: 27-28
27While he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!’28But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!’
Reflection:
What is your criterion for considering yourself blessed? Prosperity preachers hold that material wealth, good health, fame, status, power, and glory are all benchmarks of God’s blessings, and those who don’t have these are under the curse of God. The woman in today’s gospel attributes Mary’s condition of being blessed to her being associated as the mother of the great, sensational, and powerful miracle worker – Jesus. “Wow! It must be a great thing to be a mother of someone so famous,” the woman may have thought. Jesus corrects this woman’s worldly of blessedness, and states that one should consider oneself truly blessed if one finds oneself attuned to God’s word and lives by it on a daily basis. Material prosperity has no worth exclusive of a relationship with God.
2011 Oct 9 SUN: TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Is 25: 6-10a
Ps 23: 1-3a. 3b-4. 5. 6 (6cd)
Phil 4: 12-14. 19-20
Mt 22: 1-14
22Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4Again he sent other slaves, saying, “Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.” 5But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6while the rest seized his slaves, maltreated them, and killed them. 7The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8Then he said to his slaves, “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.” 10Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11‘But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12and he said to him, “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?” And he was speechless. 13Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 14For many are called, but few are chosen.
Reflection:
In the rat-race of life, people aim to get to the topmost notch. The desire is to get maximum profit, highest levels of comfort, greatest amount of satisfaction, the best of facilities, instant gratification; everything must be superlative vis-à-vis success.