We are on a constant journey in life towards wholeness. This search takes us each to different walks of life where we hope to find fulfillment. When we find fulfillment of life, our joys knows no bounds. That becomes, for each, his treasure. But greater than any earthly treasure is the fulfillment that comes with reaching heaven. The ultimate desire that we share as humans is in the reason for our creation; to be happy with God after our lifetime on earth. Some of our great men and women of faith, like Ignatius, found that treasure of the kingdom of heaven. They held on to it their last breath. Why not we?
Wednesday July 31, 2019 Readings
FIRST READING Exodus 34:29-35
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tables of the covenant in his hand as he came down from the mountain Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. And when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the sons of Israel what he was commanded, the sons of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses face shone; and Moses would put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 99:5.6.7.9 (R. 9c)
R. You are holy, O Lord our God.
Exalt the Lord our God;
bow down before his footstool.
Holy is he! R.
Among his priests were Aaron and Moses;
Among those who invoked his name was Samuel.
They cried out to the Lord and he answered. R.
To them he spoke in the pillar of cloud.
They obeyed his decrees and the statutes
Which he had given them. R.
Exalt the Lord our God;
bow down before his holy mountain,
for the Lord our God is holy. R.
ALLELUIA John 15:15b
Alleluia. I have called you friends, says the Lord, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. Alleluia.
GOSPEL Matthew 13:44-46
At that time: Jesus said to the crowds, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Gospel of the Lord
Tuesday July 30, 2019 Reflection
The kingdom of God is at hand. The message of the coming of the kingdom of God bears some sense of urgency. But Jesus never forces anyone to accept the message. He speaks the message and allows it to take root in people, each according to the size of his/her faith. Thus, at the end of the message, he says, ‘Whoever has ears, let them hear’. God created us freely and bestows on us freedom that he doesn’t tamper with. What this means is that we will be judged according to the law of freedom. In a world that is filled with so much noise, are we able to hear the message?
Tuesday July 30, 2019 Readings
FIRST READING Exodus 33:7-11:34:5b-9.28
In those days: Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp; and he called it the tent of meeting. And every one who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose up, and every man stood at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the door of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the door of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, every man at his tent door. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tent. And Moses proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy and faithfulness, keeping merciful love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” And Moses made haste to bow his head towards the earth, and worshipped. And he said, “If now I have found favour in your sight, O Lord, let the Lord, I beg you, go in the midst of us, although it is a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.” And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 103:6-7.8-9.10-11.12-13 (R. 8a)
R. The Lord is compassionate and gracious.
The Lord does just deeds,
Gives full justice to all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
And his deeds to the children of Israel. R.
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and rich in mercy.
He will not always find fault;
Nor persist in his anger forever. R.
He does not treat us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our faults.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so strong his mercy for those who fear him. R.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far from us does he remove our transgressions.
As a father has compassion on his children,
The Lord’s compassion is on those who fear him. R.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia. The seed is the word of God, and the sower is Christ; all who find him will abide forever. Alleluia.
GOSPEL Matthew 13:36-43
At that time: Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burnt with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Monday July 29, 2019 Reflection
Faith is a gift that God bestows on human to enable us to understand in depth the ordinary events of life and the divine messages they carry. However, faith in the face of a great loss is almost superhuman. Martha has just lost a brother. Just like everyone else around her, she is grieving. But she believes that all powers have been given to Christ by God and whatever he says comes to pass. That faith sees her brother brought back to life. The toll that an unfortunate situation takes on us is determined largely by our faith in God. Faith in God turns unimaginable things to imaginable ones.
Monday July 29, 2019 Readings
FIRST READING Exodus 32:15-24. 30-34
In those days: Moses turned, and went down from the mountain with the two tables of the covenant in his hands, tables that were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “there is a noise of war in the camp.” But he said, “it is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burnt hot and he threw the tables out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it upon the water, and made the sons of Israel drink it. And Moses said to Aaron, “what did this people do to you that you have brought a great sin upon them?” and Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot; you know the people, that they are set on evil. For they said to me, ‘make us gods, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ And I said to them, ‘let any who have gold take off; so they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and there came out calf.” The next day Moses said to the people, “you have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people have sinned a great sin; they have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will forgive their sin-and if not, blot me, I beg you, out of your book which you have written.” But the Lord said to Moses, “whoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. But now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps106:19-20.21-22.23 (R1b)
R. O give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
They fashioned a calf at Horeb,
And worshipped an image of metal,
They exchange their glory
For the image of a bull that eats grass. R
They forgot the God who was their saviour,
Who had done such great things in Egypt,
Such wonders in the land of Ham,
Such marvels at the Red Sea. R.
For this he said he would destroy them,
But Moses, the man he had chosen,
Stood in the breach before him,
To turn back his anger from destruction. R.
ALLELUIA James 1:18
Alleluia. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be kind of first fruits of his. Alleluia.
GOSPEL Matthew 13:31-35
At that time: Another parable Jesus put before the crowds, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened.” All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Sunday 28 July 2019 Prayer of the Faithful
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 28 July 2019 Readings
Theme of the Sunday: When You Pray Say “Father…” The Bible urges us to pray always, to thank God in all the situations of our life (I Thes 5:17-18). But what is prayer? When should we pray? How and why should we pray? The first reading and the gospel give us answers to these questions. We pray so that we may see the world, people and history as God sees theirs. We need to purify our hearts and this can only happen in prayer. The second reading tells us what the Christian is. A Christian is one who, through baptism, has become a part of the body of Christ. Being in Christ, the disciple prays like him.
FIRST READING Genesis 18:20-32
In those days: The Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry which has come to me; and if not, I will know.” So the men turned from there, and went towards Sodom; but Abraham still stood before the Lord. Then Abraham drew near, and said, “Will you indeed destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Abraham answered, “Behold, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” Again he spoke to him, and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” He said, “Behold, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 13b:1-2a.2bcd-3. 5-7ab.7c-8 (R. 3a)
R. On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart;
You have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I praise you.
I bow down towards your holy temple. R.
I give thanks to your name
for your merciful love and your faithfulness.
You have exalted your name and your promise over all.
On the day I called, you answered me;
you increased the strength of my soul. R.
The Lord is high, yet he looks on the lowly,
and the haughty he knows from afar.
You give me life though I walk amid affliction;
you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes. R.
With your right hand you save me;
the Lord will accomplish this for me.
O Lord, your merciful love is eternal;
discard not the work of your hands. R.
SECOND READING Colossians 2: 12-14
Brethren: You were buried with Christ in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, having cancelled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
The word of the Lord.
ALLELUIA Romans 6:15bc
Alleluia. You have received the spirit of sonship; in him we cry, “Abba! Father!” Alleluia.
GOSPEL Luke 11 : 1- 13
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread; and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive every one who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.” And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If 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!”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Sunday 28 July 2019 Reflection
At the depth of each and every one of us is a desire to connect to God. Prayer is the expression of such a desire. The disciples of Jesus ask for the greatest of all lessons; to be taught to pray. In prayer we commune with God. We come to have a beatific experience of God and heaven. Above all, Jesus teaches us that, when we pray, the floodgates of heaven are opened. But how do we open the floodgates of heaven in prayer? The only virtue needed for us in prayer to open the doors of heaven is persistence. Any time we pray, we shift the goalpost of life to our area of competitive advantage over the devil. The forces of evil are overpowered when we pray.
Saturday July 27, 2019 Reflection
The patience of God is unmatched. In the Book of Ezekiel 18:23, he says; ‘Do I derive pleasure in the death of a wicked person and not rather that he should turn away from evil and live?’ he is aware of the operations of the enemy in the lives of some of his children, yet the offers them time to return to him. How then do we end up so impatient with one another? How quick we are to pass harsh judgements on other and condemn them! How quick we are to expect instant results when we pray! How quick we are to seek instant pleasure when we fall in love! We demand quick solutions to problems, showing our want of patience.