Tuesday 2, July 2019 Readings

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Tuesday 2, July 2019 Readings

FIRST READING Genesis 19:15-29
In those days: The angels urged Lot, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of Sodom.” But he lingered; so the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him forth and set him outside the city. And when they had brought them forth, they said, “Flee for your life; do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley; flee to the hills, lest you be consumed.” And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords; behold, your servant has found favour in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life; but I cannot flee to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me, and I die. Behold, yonder city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there-is it not little one? – and my life will be saved! He said to him, Behold, I grant you this favour also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Make haste, escape there; for I can do nothing until you arrive there. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But Lot’s wife behind him looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord; and he looked down towards Sodom and Gomorrah and towards all the land the valley, and beheld, and behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrow the cities in which Lot dwelt.
The word of the Lord.

RESPOSORIAL PSALM psalm 26:2-3.9-10.11-12(R. 3a)
R. O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.

Examine me, Lord, and try me.
O test my heart and my mind.
Your mercy is before my eyes,
And I walk according to your truth. R.

Do not sweep away my soul with sinners,
Nor my life with those who shed blood,
In whose hands are evil plots,
Whose right hands are filled with a bribe. R

As for me, I have walked in my integrity.
Redeem me and have mercy on me.
My foot stands on level ground:
I will bless the Lord in the assembly. R.

ALLELUIA See Psalm 130:5
Alleluia. I wait for the Lord, in his word I hope. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Matthew 8:23-27
At that time: When Jesus got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. And the men marvelled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
The Gospel of the Lord.

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Monday 1, July 2019 Reflection

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Monday 1, July 2019 Reflection

We see today from the Book of Genesis 18:16-33 the power of intercession. Abraham intercedes on behalf of the people of Sodom. The righteousness of a few saves a whole city. At the heart of Abraham’s drive for intercession is his awareness that ‘The Lord is Compassionate and gracious’ (psalm 103). Our current society is not devoid of conflicts and disputes. As Christians, we are invited in the daily events of life to move away from the sidelines and get involved, no matter how insignificant our efforts may appear. Your intervention in a situation today may save a soul.

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Monday 1, July 2019 Readings

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Monday 1, July 2019 Readings

FIRST READING Genesis 18:16-33
The men set out from the Oaks of Mamre, and they looked towards Sodom; and Abraham went with them to set them on their way. The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by him? No, for I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice; so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” Then 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.” And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 103:1-2.3-4.8-9.10-11 (R. 8a)
R/. The Lord is compassionate and gracious.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all within me, his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and never forget all his benefits. R/

It is the Lord who forgives all your sins,
who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
who crowns you with mercy and compassion. 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/.

Alleluia Psalm 95:7d.8a
Alleluia. Today, harden not your hearts, but listen to the voice of the Lord. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Matthew 5: 1 5-22
At that time: When Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
The Gospel of the Lord.

See Today’s Reflection

Sunday 30 June 2019 – Thirteenth Sunday Ordinary Time Reflection

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Sunday 30 June 2019 – Thirteenth Sunday Ordinary Time Reflection

See Today’s Readings When Jesus invites persons to follow him, he calls them to leave all other relationships and attachments behind and to cling to him. This detachment from possessions and family enables the disciple to be free to serve God whole-heartedly.

Many of us have a desire to serve God and to offer our lives to him. But, at times, our attachment to sinful habits or attitudes, to possessions and relationships, hinders us from following him closely. We need to burn the yoke of slavery to sin and worldly things, and in its place take up the yoke of Christ to find true freedom and joy.

St Paul reminds us that if we are to enjoy the freedom that Christ has won for us, we need to allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit and to make an effort to serve others with love.

May we find joy in serving the Lord and loving him above all things.

Sunday 30 June 2019 – Thirteenth Sunday Ordinary Time Prayer of the Faithful

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Sunday 30 June 2019 – Thirteenth Sunday Ordinary Time Prayer of the Faithful

I will follow you, wherever you go.

PRIEST: We have been chosen in Christ to follow wherever he leads us. Let us ask the Lord to open his grace to the world, so that everyone may follow Christ’s lead.

READER:
FOR CHRISTIAN LEADERS EVERYWHERE, (pause) that they may follow the example of Christ, who did not hesitate to go to Jerusalem, even though it involved his suffering and death. Lord, hear our prayer; may we always follow you we pray Oh Lord.

FOR THE LEADERS OF SOCIETY, pause that they may use their power to serve others wisely and well, and so follow the example of Christ, who became the servant of everyone. Lord, hear our prayer; may we always follow you we pray Oh Lord.

FOR THOSE WITH NO SENSE OF DIRECTION IN THEIR LIVES, (pause) that they may be guided by the Holy Spirit so that his grace will light up the true way which leads to Christ and salvation. Lord, hear our prayer; may we always follow you we pray Oh Lord.

FOR A CLOSER FOLLOWING OF CHRIST BY ALL HERE PRESENT, (pause) that we may so give our lives to God’s only Soon, whose service is perfect freedom, that we grow in holiness of life, and help each other to follow Christ. Lord, hear our prayer; may we always follow you we pray Oh Lord.

In silence, we make our private petitions to God, who is always prepared to answer us.

PRIEST:
Father, we have made our prayers to you in true freedom and love, trusting you will answer us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Sunday 30 June 2019 – Thirteenth Sunday Ordinary Time Readings

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Sunday 30 June 2019 – Thirteenth Sunday Ordinary Time Readings

Theme of the Sunday: When God Calls. The abundance of “vocations” in the Church, during periods when a vocation is held in high esteem, should be looked upon with some suspicion. The readings of today describe some so-called “vocations.” The first reading describes how Elisha responded to the call of Elijah. It was during the time that Ahab and Jezebel ‘were persecuting believers. The gospel describes the Christian life as a journey undertaken to follow Christ. The goal of the Master is not to triumph, but to sacrifice himself in Jerusalem. Along the way he meets people who ask, or are invited, to join his group. Jesus is not interested in having a large number of followers. What he does is tell the person what is entailed in following him. The second reading tells us that people must be free to follow Christ or not. The disciple is not bound by any law except the law of love.

FIRST READING 1 Kings 19:16b.19-21
 In those days: The Lord said to Elijah, “Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.” So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?” And he returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah, and ministered to him.
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 16:1 -2a and 5.7-8.9-10.11 (R. cf 5a)
R. It is you, O Lord, who are my portion.

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord.”
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
you yourself who secure my lot. R.

I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord before me always;
with him at my right hand, I shall not be moved. R.

And so, my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;
even my flesh shall rest in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to hell,
nor let your holy one see corruption. R.

You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence,
at your right hand, bliss forever. R.

SECOND READING Galatians 5: 1.13- 18
Brethren: For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another take heed that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law.
The word of the Lord

ALLELUIA 1 Samuel 3:9c; John 6:68c
Alleluia. Speak, Lord, for your servant hears; you have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.

GOSPEL Luke 9:5 1-62
When the days drew near for Jesus to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him; but the people would not receive him, because his face was set towards Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them: And they went on to another village. As they were going along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; ‘but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” But he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one Who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
The Gospel of the Lord.

See today’s Prayer of the Faithful

2019 Church of the 12 Apostles Father’s Day Novelty Match Pictures

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2019 Church of the 12 Apostles Father’s Day Novelty Match Pictures

The Novelty Match between the CWO and CMO ended 1-0 in favor of the CWO. Below are pictures from the encounter.

Saturday June 29, 2019 – SS Peter and Paul APP (Solemnity) Reflection

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Saturday June 29, 2019 – SS Peter and Paul APP (Solemnity) Reflection

The feast of the apostles Peter and Paul is a reminder that God doesn’t choose perfect persons to be His apostles. Jesus gives Simon the name ‘Peter’ (Rock), and makes him the leader of the twelve and his vicar. He is a weak and impetuous man, yet Christ invests him with the authority to guide and govern his church. Saul persecuted the early Christians, believing that he was rendering service to God. Jesus appears to him on the road to Damascus and transforms his life radically. He will, by God’s grace, become the apostles to the nations.

Like Peter and Paul, if we allow Jesus to touch our lives despite our imperfections, fears and doubts, he can transform us into his witnesses and make us instruments of salvation for others.

Saturday June 29, 2019 – SS Peter and Paul APP (Solemnity) Prayer of the Faithful

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Saturday June 29, 2019 – SS Peter and Paul APP (Solemnity) Prayer of the Faithful

PRIEST: My brothers and sisters, Saint Peter and Saint Paul and, in union with them, we pray to the Lord for all the graces for the Church in today’s world.

READER: For the Pope, (pause) may the successor of Saint Peter be so guided by the Holy Spirit and strengthened in faith and love that the world will listen to his voice. Hear us, Lord; increase our faith we pray Oh Lord.

May they understand that the differences between Saint Peter and Saint Paul were finally resolved by their common desire to proclaim the divinity of Jesus Christ, and may all Christians follow their example of unity in Christ. Hear us, Lord; increase our faith we pray Oh Lord.

For those whose faith is weak, (pause) may they be given the grace, like Saint Peter, to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ , the Son of God, and, on this rock, to build their faith. Hear us, Lord; increase our faith we pray Oh Lord.

For a greater apostolic spirit in the Church, pause may all Christians be inspired by the example of Saint Paul, who became the great apostle of the Gentiles, because of his desire to preach the gospel to everyone. Hear us, Lord; increase our faith we pray Oh Lord.

In the silence of faith, we make our private petitions to God our Father, who loves us.

PRIEST: Father, may the prayers we have made, in union with Saint Peter and Saint Paul, bring about the spread of your kingdom. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Saturday June 29, 2019 – SS Peter and Paul APP (Solemnity) Readings

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Saturday June 29, 2019 – SS Peter and Paul APP (Solemnity) Readings

Entrance Antiphon: These are the ones who, living in the flesh, planted the Church with their blood; they drank the chalice of the Lord and became the friends of God.

Collect: O God, who on the solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul, give us the noble and holy joy of this day, grant, we pray, that your Church may in all things follow the teaching of those through whom she received the beginnings of right religion. Through our Lord.

FIRST READING: Acts 12: 1- 11
In those days: Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the Church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword; and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the Church. The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison; and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him; he did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened to them of its own accord, and they went out and passed on through one street; and immediately the angel left him. And Peter came to himself, and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 34:2-3.4-5.6-7.5-9 (R. cf. 5b)
R/. From all my terrors, the Lord set me free.

I will bless the Lord at all times,
praise of him is always in my mouth.
In the Lord my soul shall make its boast;
the humble shall hear and be glad. R/.

Glorify the Lord with me;
together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free. R/.

Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This lowly one called; the Lord heard,
and rescued him from all his distress. R/.

The angel of the Lord is encamped
around those who fear him, to rescue them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good. ,
Blessed the man who seeks refuge in him. R/.

SECOND READING: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17- 18
Beloved: I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength to proclaim the word fully, that all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The word of the Lord.

ALLELUIA Cf. Matthew 16:18
Alleluia. You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Alleluia.

GOSPEL: Matthew 16:13-19
At that time: When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
The Gospel of the Lord.

See today’s Prayer of the Faithful

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