Tuesday August 6, 2019 THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD (Feast) – Readings

Parish Communication
-
0
Tuesday August 6, 2019 THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD (Feast) – Readings

Entrance Antiphon Cf. Mt 17:5
In a resplendent cloud the Holy Spirit appeared. The Father’s voice was heard: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.

Collect
O God, who in the glorious Transfiguration of your Only Begotten Son confirmed the mysteries of faith by the witness of the Fathers and wonderfully prefigured our full adoption to sonship, grant, we pray, to your servants, that, listening to the voice of your beloved Son, we may merit to become coheirs with him. Who lives and reigns with you.

FIRST READING Daniel 7:9-10.13-14
As I looked, thrones were placed and one that was ancient of days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgement, and the books were opened. I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm97: I-2.5-6.9(R.cf.la.9a)
R/. The Lord is king, the most high above all the earth.

The Lord is king, let earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
Cloud and darkness surround him;
Justice and right are the foundation of his throne. R/.

The mountains melt like wax
Before the face of the Lord,
Before the face of the Lord of all the earth.
The skies proclaim his justice;
all peoples see his glory. R/.

For you indeed are the Lord
most high above all the earth,
exalted far above all gods. R/.

SECOND READING 2 Peter 1:16-19
Beloved: We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye witnesses of his majesty. For when he received honour and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word made more sure. You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
The word of the Lord.

ALLELUIA Matthew I7:5c
Alleluia. This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Luke 9:28b-36
At that time: Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep but kept awake, and they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah” – not knowing what he said, as he said this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, my chosen; listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silence and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
The Gospel of the Lord.

Monday August 5, 2019 Reflection

Parish Communication
-
0
Monday August 5, 2019 Reflection

Today we see a totally different kind of behaviour in Jesus when he receives news about the death of John. He withdraws to a lonely place, but the crowd won’t accept it and they follow him. There are moments in our lives when Jesus seems to hide from us. He is just nowhere to be found. So there are times when even we feel desperate and hopeless like the crowd to find Jesus. Each of them must have had an experience with Jesus to have that fire within them. Do we have our own unique encounter with Jesus? How meaningful is that for us? Do we too desire to pursue him irrespective of any hardship? Could we be like those people who will just not stop searching for him?

Monday August 5, 2019 Readings

Parish Communication
-
0
Monday August 5, 2019 Readings

FIRST READING Numbers 11:4b-15
In those days: The people of Israel said, “O that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.” Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of gum resin. The people went about and gathered it, and ground it in mills or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it; and the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it. Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent; and the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favour in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people upon me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I bring them forth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries the sucking child,’ to the land which you swore to give their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat. ’I am not able to carry all this people alone, the burden is too heavy for me. If you will deal thus with me, kill me at once, if I find favour in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm81:12-13.14-15.16-17(R.2a)
R/. Sing joyfully to God our strength.

My people did not heed my voice,
And Israel would not obey me.
So I left them in their stubbornness of heart,
to follow their own designs. R/.

O that my people would heed me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!
At once I would subdue their foes,
Turn my hand against their enemies. R/.

Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,
and their subjection would last forever.
But Israel I would feed with finest wheat,
and satisfy with honey from the rock. R/.

ALLELUIA Matthew 4:4b
Alleluia. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Matthew 14:13-21
At that time: When Jesus heard [of the death of John the Baptist], he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said. “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
The Gospel of the Lord.

Sunday 4 August 2019 Prayer of the Faithful

Parish Communication
-
0
Sunday 4 August 2019 Prayer of the Faithful

Celebrant: Let us offer our prayers to God, the Giver of life and Source of all that is good:

  1. That the love of Christ may be the object of every prayer and work of our Church and parish community: let us pray to the Lord.
  2. That the laws and policies of governments and nations may honour and uphold the sacred dignity of every person: let us pray to the Lord.
  3. That equality and justice may guide the affairs of businesses, corporations, and financial institutions: let us pray to the Lord.
  4. That families, households, and communities may grow rich in love, compassion, and forgiveness: let us pray to the Lord.
  5. That we may respond to the plight of the poor, the homeless, and the destitute with unlimited and unconditional generosity: let us pray to the Lord.
  6. That the souls of the faithful departed may be raised up “in company with Christ”: let us pray to the Lord.
  7. That God will hear the prayers we now offer in the silence of our hearts:
    Celebrant:
    Gracious God, may your Spirit of wisdom and justice dwell within us always, guiding us and inspiring us to work joyfully and unceasingly to make these prayers a reality. We ask these things in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Celebrant: Jesus promises that our heavenly Father hears the prayers of those who come before God in faith. And so, let us confidently lift up our hearts in prayer:

  1. That, in our work and worship together, our Church and parish may reflect our faith
    in Christ’s resurrection: let us pray to the Lord.
  2. That those who serve our Church as pastors, teachers, and counselors may be ministers of God’s reconciling and healing love: let us pray to the Lord.
  3. That those nations, cities, and peoples plagued by war, oppression, and destruction may be rebuilt in the peace and justice of God: let us pray to the Lord.
  4. That men and women of good will may speak, like Abraham, on behalf of the innocent victims of poverty, oppression, greed, and abuse: let us pray to the Lord.
  5. That the sick, the suffering, and the dying may find hope and healing in company with Christ the Redeemer: let us pray to the Lord.
  6. That the Father will to the new life of the Risen Jesus the souls of all who have died: let us pray to the Lord.
  7. That God will hear the prayers we now offer in the silence of our hearts

Celebrant:
Loving Father, we know you hear our prayers. May the spirit in which we ask these things inspire us and enable us to make these prayers a reality. In Jesus’ name, we pray.

Sunday 4 August 2019 Readings

Parish Communication
-
0
Sunday 4 August 2019 Readings

Theme of the Sunday, Hoarding Up Treasure for Oneself is Madness! What do we think of when we think of the word ‘rich?’ People happy, with a beautiful house, a new car, servants, who can buy what they like, go where they like? In today’s gospel Jesus tells us that those who hoard wealth are “fools,” people who have got everything wrong. The first reading reflects on riches that must be left to others. The second reading speaks of the new clothes a Christian puts on. What characterises a disciple of Christ is a new kind of relationship with riches.

FIRST READING Ecclesiastes 1 :2; 2 :21 -23
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. Sometimes a man who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by a man who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What has a man from all the toil and strain with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of pain, and his work is a vexation; even in the night his mind does not rest. This also is vanity.
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIA L PSALM Psalm 90:3-4.5-6. 12- 13.14 and 17 (R. 1)
R/. O Lord, you have been our refuge, from generation to generation.

You turn man back to dust,
and say, “Return, O children of men.”
To your eyes a thousand years
are like yesterday, come and gone,
or like a watch in the night. R/.

You sweep them away like a dream,
like grass which is fresh in the morning.
In the morning it sprouts and is fresh;
by evening it withers and fades. R/.

Then teach us to number our days,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Turn back, O Lord! How long?
Show pity to your servants. R/.

At dawn, fill us with your merciful love;
we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us;
give success to the work of our hands
O give success to the work of our hands. R/.

SECOND READING Colossians 3:1-5.9-11
Brethren: If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his practices and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Sythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all.
The word of the Lord.

ALLELUIA Matthew 5:3
Alleluia. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Luke 12:13-21
At that time: One of the multitude said to Jesus, “Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?” And he said to them, “Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.”
The Gospel of the Lord.

Saturday 3 August 2019 Reflection

Parish Communication
-
0
Saturday 3 August 2019 Reflection

In the Gospel we see how many people are affected by just one true sentence of John the Baptist; it is against the law for you to have your brother’s wife. That sparks off violent reactions in Herod, Herodias and then her daughter. A holy man gets executed all because some people care more about their reputation and the opinion of others than gods law. When we live out the Christian values of love, patience, humility etc. and get slapped in the face, we may wonder if it is worth it. But let us remember that when we do good, the benefactors are not just the others. We ourselves begin to realize our Christian identity and see the power of God’s goodness and love happening in the lives of others.

Saturday 3 August 2019 Readings

Parish Communication
-
0
Saturday 3 August 2019 Readings

FIRST READING Leviticus 25:1.8-17
The Lord said to Moses on Mount Sinai, You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall be to you forty-nine years. Then you shall send abroad the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall send abroad the trumpet throughout all your land. And you shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants; it shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his family. A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be to you; in it you shall neither sow, nor reap what grows of itself, nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines. For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat what it yields out of the field. “In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property. And if you sell to your neighbour or buy from your neighbour, you shall not wrong one another. According to the number of years after the jubilee, you shall buy from your neighbour, and according to the number of years of crops he shall sell to you. If the years are many you shall increase the price, and if the years are few you shall diminish the price, for it is the number of the crops that he is selling to you. You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God.”
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm67:2-3.5.7-8 (R. 4)
R/. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you

O God, be gracious and bless us
And let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth
And all nations learn your salvation. R/.

Let the nations be glad and shout for joy,
With uprightness you rule the peoples;
you guide the nations on earth. R/.

The earth has yielded its fruit
for God, our God, has blessed us.
May God still give us his blessing
that all the ends of the earth may revere him. R/.

ALLELUIA Matthew 5:10
Alleluia. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Matthew 14:1-12
At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus; and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist, he has been raised from the dead; that is why these powers are at work in him.” For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison, for the sake of Herodias, his Brother Philip’s wife; because John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and pleased Herod, so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” And the king was sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came and took the body and buried it; and they went and told Jesus.
The Gospel of the Lord.

Friday 2 August 2019 Readings

Parish Communication
-
0
Friday 2 August 2019 Readings

FIRST READING Lev. 23:1.4-11.15-16.27.34b-37
The Lord said to Moses, “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, is the Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to the Lord; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. But you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord seven days; on the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. And the Lord said to Moses, “say to the sons of Israel, when you come into the land which I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest; and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, that you may find acceptance; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. And you shall count from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven full weeks shall they be, counting fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a cereal offering of new grain to the Lord. On the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement; it shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the feast of booths to the Lord. On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. Seven days you shall present offerings by fire to the Lord; on the eight day you shall hold a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the Lord, it is a solemn assembly; you shall do no laborious work. These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the Lord Offerings by fire, burnt offerings and cereal offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day.
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 81:3-4.5-6ab.110-11ab (R.2a)
R/. Sing joyfully to God our strength.

Raise a song and sound the timbrel,
the sweet-sounding harp and the lute:
blow the trumpet at the new moon,
when the moon is full, on our feast. R/.

For this is a statute in Israel,
A command of the God of Jacob.
He made it a decree for Joseph,
when he went out from the land of Egypt. R/.

Let there be no strange god among you,
nor shall you worship a foreign god.
I am the Lord your God,
Who brought you up from the land of Egypt. R/.

ALLELUIA 1 Peter l:25
Alleluia. The word of the Lord abides forever; that word is the good news which was preached to you. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Matthew 13:54-58
At that time: Coming to his own country, Jesus taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these, mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?” And they took offence at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honour except in his own country and in his own house.” And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
The Gospel of the Lord.

Thursday 1 August 2019 Reflection

Parish Communication
-
0
Thursday 1 August 2019 Reflection

Much has been spoken about the attitude of some Catholics who come for Mass, some late, some unprepared, some in indecent dress and some busying themselves with other activities. God told Moses – to tell the people to prepare themselves for two days, washing their clothing and get themselves ready for the third day, because he will descend on Mount Sinai. How I wish that such attitudes of preparedness would be present at every Eucharist, so that we see the signs of God’s presence. We wash not just our clothes but we cleanse our hearts so that God will come and dwell in our hearts.

Thursday 1 August 2019 Readings

Parish Communication
-
0

FIRST READING Exodus 40: 16-21.34-35
In those days: According to all that the Lord commanded him, so Moses did. And in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected. Moses erected the tabernacle; he laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars; and he spread the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent over it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. And he took the covenant and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark, and set the mercy seat above on the ark; and he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the covenant; as the Lord had commanded Moses. Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting, because the cloud abode upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would go onward; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not go onward till the day that it was taken up. For throughout all their journeys the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 84:2.3.4-5a and 7a. 10 (R. 1)
R/. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!

My soul is longing and yearning
for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my flesh cry out
to the living God. R/.

Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself
in which she sets her young, at your altars,
O Lord of hosts, my king and my God. R/.

Blessed are they who dwell in your house,
forever singing your praise.
Blessed is the man whose strength is in you.
They walk with ever-growing strength. R/.

One day within your courts
is better than a thousand elsewhere.
The threshold of the house of God
I prefer to the dwellings of the wicked. R/.

ALLELUIA Acts 15:14b
Alleluia. Open our hearts, O Lord, that we may give heed to the words of your Son. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Matthew 13:47-53
At that time: Jesus said to the crowds, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous, and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and quashing of teeth. “Have you understood all this?” They said to him, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there.
The Gospel of the Lord.

1...137138139...147Page 138 of 147