Jesus Drives Out An Impure Spirit

August 31, 2021, Tuesday
Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 432

Reading I
1 Thes 5:1-6, 9-11

Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters,
you have no need for anything to be written to you.
For you yourselves know very well
that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.
When people are saying, “Peace and security,”
then sudden disaster comes upon them,
like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, 
and they will not escape.
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness,
for that day to overtake you like a thief.
For all of you are children of the light 
and children of the day.
We are not of the night or of darkness.
Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do,
but let us stay alert and sober.
For God did not destine us for wrath,
but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep
we may live together with him.
Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up,
as indeed you do.

Responsorial Psalm
27:1, 4, 13-14

R. (13) I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?

R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.

R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.

R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

Alleluia
Lk 7:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

A great prophet has arisen in our midst
and God has visited his people.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Lk 4:31-37

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee.
He taught them on the sabbath,
and they were astonished at his teaching
because he spoke with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, 
and he cried out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be quiet! Come out of him!”
Then the demon threw the man down in front of them
and came out of him without doing him any harm.
They were all amazed and said to one another,
“What is there about his word?
For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits,
and they come out.”
And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

REFLECTION:

When was the last time somebody made a deep impression on me? What did I do in consequence, how have I grown? I give thanks to God for those who have spoken or acted with authority, bringing truth or meaning to my life.

The evil spirit knew its opposite and saw that it’s time was up; I pray that my presence and values may create a space for good where God’s positive Spirit is present and evident.

PRAYER:

Lord, the people were astounded at hearing you. Let me too be amazed by your words, especially when you reveal the goodness of your Father towards me. Jolt me from my dullness. Let me experience your disturbing freshness, your vision of how we should live. May your promises of eternal life give me energy and joy, no matter how difficult my life may be right now. 

Jesus in the Synagogue in Nazareth

August 30, 2021, Monday
Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 431

Reading I
1 Thes 4:13-18

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,
about those who have fallen asleep,
so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose,
so too will God, through Jesus,
bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord,
that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,
will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself, with a word of command,
with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God,
will come down from heaven, 
and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive, who are left,
will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air.
Thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore, console one another with these words.

Responsorial Psalm
96:1 and 3, 4-5, 11-12, 13

R. (13b) The Lord comes to judge the earth.

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
awesome is he, beyond all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are things of nought,
but the LORD made the heavens.

R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.

R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

Before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.

R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

Alleluia
See Lk 4:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me;
he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Lk 4:16-30

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
    The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
        because he has anointed me
            to bring glad tidings to the poor.
    He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
        and recovery of sight to the blind,
            to let the oppressed go free,
    and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll,
he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They also asked, “Is this not the son of Joseph?”
He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,
‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place
the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”
And he said,
“Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

REFLECTION:

From the beginning of his public life, Jesus' eyes looked outwards to the poor, the oppressed and those in his society who needed help. He saw himself as sent especially by God for them. Others did not go for this and wanted just an ordinary preacher who would leave God a bit remote. For Jesus, God his Father was the one in whom he lived; in Jesus, God becomes totally one with the people of God.

PRAYER:

Lord, in what spirit do I receive your daily word? Is it with amazement or with indifference and apathy? Lord, ‘set a watch over my mouth, keep guard at the door of my lips’ so that words of hope, comfort and healing may flow from my heart, as they do from yours.

That Which Defiles

August 29, 2021, Sunday
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 125

Reading I
Dt 4:1-2, 6-8

Moses said to the people:
“Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees
which I am teaching you to observe,
that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land
which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 
In your observance of the commandments of the LORD, your God,
which I enjoin upon you,
you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it. 
Observe them carefully,
for thus will you give evidence
of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations,
who will hear of all these statutes and say,
‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.’
For what great nation is there
that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us
whenever we call upon him? 
Or what great nation has statutes and decrees
that are as just as this whole law
which I am setting before you today?”

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5

R. (1a)    The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Whoever walks blamelessly and does justice;
    who thinks the truth in his heart
    and slanders not with his tongue.

R. The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Who harms not his fellow man,
    nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
by whom the reprobate is despised,
    while he honors those who fear the LORD.

R. The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Who lends not his money at usury
    and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
    shall never be disturbed.

R. The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Reading II
Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27

Dearest brothers and sisters:
All good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. 
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you
and is able to save your souls.
Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:
to care for orphans and widows in their affliction
and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Alleluia
Jas 1:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. 
—For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace 
they do not eat without purifying themselves. 
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds. —
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” 
He responded,
“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:
    This people honors me with their lips,
        but their hearts are far from me;
    in vain do they worship me,
        teaching as doctrines human precepts.
You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
He summoned the crowd again and said to them,
“Hear me, all of you, and understand. 
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile.
“From within people, from their hearts,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile.”

REFLECTION:

What make us unclean, unwashed hands or hearts full of resentments and hatred? It seems that this question has been asked for us how many times. Whenever we examine our conscience we are being reminded to focus more on the purity of our intentions and actions. We will be judged by God not on what we put into our mouth but with what we do in order to let other people feel the love of God. Sometimes, there are tendencies that we focus more on the peripherals not on the core of our being. With this, we tend to be more hypocritical with our actions and we always wait for praises and acknowledgments. The Gospel reminds each of us to allow God to enter into our lives and let Him shape our hearts and minds.

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, fill us with your Holy Spirit and make our hearts like yours – on fire with love and holiness. Strengthen our will that we may always choose to love what is good and to reject what is evil. Continue to remind us that without You we can do nothing for you are the source of our inspiration and good tidings. 

Parable Of The Talents

August 28, 2021, Saturday
FEAST OF SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 430

Reading I
1 Thes 4:9-11

Brothers and sisters:
On the subject of fraternal charity
you have no need for anyone to write you,
for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
Indeed, you do this for all the brothers throughout Macedonia.
Nevertheless we urge you, brothers and sisters, to progress even more,
and to aspire to live a tranquil life,
to mind your own affairs,
and to work with your own hands,
as we instructed you.

Responsorial Psalm
98:1, 7-8, 9

R.    (9) The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
    for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
    his holy arm.

R.    The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.

Let the sea and what fills it resound,
    the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
    the mountains shout with them for joy.

R.    The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.

Before the LORD, for he comes,
    for he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
    and the peoples with equity.

R.    The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.

Alleluia
Jn 13:34

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mt 25:14-30

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“A man going on a journey 
called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one– 
to each according to his ability.
Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,
and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground
and buried his master’s money.
After a long time 
the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received five talents
came forward bringing the additional five.
He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents.
See, I have made five more.’
His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master’s joy.’
Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said,
‘Master, you gave me two talents.
See, I have made two more.’
His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master’s joy.’
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said,
‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person,
harvesting where you did not plant
and gathering where you did not scatter;
so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.
Here it is back.’
His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!
So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant
and gather where I did not scatter?
Should you not then have put my money in the bank
so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
Now then!  Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
For to everyone who has,
more will be given and he will grow rich;
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’”

REFLECTION:

This parable is more than an exhortation to use well our qualities. It is about the Kingdom, which is entrusted to us as the Master leaves for a long journey. When he returns, he expects his servants to have put to work the riches he had entrusted to them. The first two risked and doubled what they had been given. They were praised for their commitment to their master, to the Kingdom. The third servant, who was afraid of the master, lost even the one talent he had.

Wealth can lead to happiness, and can lead to generosity, if we remain masters of money rather than letting money, or its equivalent like property, personal or family reputation, or job, master us. The money in the ground made no extra money, but it gave no worries to the servant or the master while it was there! Money can contribute to happiness and can save us from many worries; but it can also engender anxiety and will never, of itself, make us happy. Jesus was one who founded his happiness on his relationship with God, and on the fulfillment of his mission in life. We can find a true happiness when our lives are guided towards God and live in the values of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:

Before I think of what my talents might be and count them out, I turn to the One from whom all blessings come. Help me, God, to appreciate how I make a difference in the world. Refine me so that who I am may give glory to you.

Parable Of The Ten Virgins

August 27, 2021, Friday
MEMORIAL OF SAINT MONICA, MARRIED WOMAN (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I 
Lectionary: 429

Reading I
1 Thes 4:1-8

Brothers and sisters,
we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,
as you received from us
how you should conduct yourselves to please God– 
and as you are conducting yourselves– 
you do so even more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
This is the will of God, your holiness:
that you refrain from immorality,
that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself
in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion
as do the Gentiles who do not know God;
not to take advantage of or exploit a brother or sister in this matter,
for the Lord is an avenger in all these things,
as we told you before and solemnly affirmed.
For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness.
Therefore, whoever disregards this,
disregards not a human being but God,
who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Responsorial Psalm
97:1 and 2b, 5-6, 10, 11-12

R.    (12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
    let the many isles be glad.
    Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

R.    Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
    before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
    and all peoples see his glory.

R.    Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The LORD loves those who hate evil;
    he guards the lives of his faithful ones;
    from the hand of the wicked he delivers them.

R.    Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Light dawns for the just;
    and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
    and give thanks to his holy name.

R.    Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Alleluia
Lk 21:36

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Be vigilant at all times and pray,
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mt 25:1-13

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 
Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him!’ 
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’ 
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. 
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ 
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

REFLECTION:

This is a parable that can be undone by focusing on what seems like "selfishness" in the prepared bridesmaids. I need to ask the help of the Holy Spirit who inspired Jesus to speak in this way to help me to listen and humbly to learn.

Jesus tells us that there is a right time and a time when it will be too late. I ask God's help that I may realize what it is I might do now, how I might recognize the approaching bridegroom and welcome him.

PRAYER:

I grow in relationship with God in my prayer. God sees my desire to seek out these times of prayer and recognizes what is in my heart. In these quiet moments I come to know God and to know myself in relation to God. Help me, Lord, not to wait for some far-off day when things are quieter or better, but to respond now to your invitation to receive love, hope and life.

Stay Awake!

August 26, 2021, Thursday
Thursday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 428

Reading I
1 Thes 3:7-13

We have been reassured about you, brothers and sisters,
in our every distress and affliction, through your faith.
For we now live, if you stand firm in the Lord.
What thanksgiving, then, can we render to God for you,
for all the joy we feel on your account before our God?
Night and day we pray beyond measure to see you in person
and to remedy the deficiencies of your faith.
Now may God himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus
direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase
and abound in love for one another and for all,
just as we have for you,
so as to strengthen your hearts, 
to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm
90:3-5a, 12-13, 14 and 17

R. (14) Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.

R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!

R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!

R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Alleluia
Mt 24:42a, 44

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Stay awake!
For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mt 24:42-51

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant,
whom the master has put in charge of his household
to distribute to them their food at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so.
Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.
But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed,’
and begins to beat his fellow servants,
and eat and drink with drunkards,
the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day
and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely
and assign him a place with the hypocrites,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

REFLECTION:

We face an ongoing temptation to jog along in the present, as if there were no significant changes to be made in our lifestyles. We can get comfortable about the way things are, or upset and cynical about the poor state of the world, but do we do anything to make it better? Jesus urges us to take the longer view; to believe that God is in charge of human history and wants us to play our part in bringing it to completion. We are to be ‘faithful and wise’ and live as if the Son of Man were just about to come.

PRAYER:

‘Every moment and every event in every person’s life plants something in their soul.’ Lord, You are busily at work in my life, so help me catch on and respond. Amen.

The Hypocrisy of the Pharisees

August 25, 2021, Wednesday
Wednesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
(Opt. Memorial) Saint Louis of France, King (White)
(Opt. Memorial) Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 427

Reading I
1 Thes 2:9-13

You recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery.
Working night and day in order not to burden any of you,
we proclaimed to you the Gospel of God.
You are witnesses, and so is God,
how devoutly and justly and blamelessly
we behaved toward you believers.
As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his children,
exhorting and encouraging you and insisting
that you walk in a manner worthy of the God
who calls you into his Kingdom and glory.
And for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly,
that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us,
you received it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God,
which is now at work in you who believe.

Responsorial Psalm
139:7-8, 9-10, 11-12ab

R.    (1) You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

Where can I go from your spirit?
    From your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.

R.    You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

If I take the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
    and your right hand hold me fast.

R.    You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall hide me,
    and night shall be my light”–
For you darkness itself is not dark,
    and night shines as the day.

R.    You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

Alleluia
1 Jn 2:5

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever keeps the word of Christ,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mt 23:27-32

Jesus said,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,
but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.
Even so, on the outside you appear righteous,
but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You build the tombs of the prophets
and adorn the memorials of the righteous, 
and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,
we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’
Thus you bear witness against yourselves
that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets;
now fill up what your ancestors measured out!”

REFLECTION:

Once again Jesus challenges the scribes and Pharisees to think differently about how they live from day today. He challenges them to look at what is going on in their inner selves, the part of themselves they hide from one another, and indeed, from themselves. They are living on the surface of life but it has no real meaning. They cannot see how their way of life has an impact on others.

PRAYER:

I pray that the eye of my heart be clear, so that I may be aware of the inconsistencies in my thoughts and in my actions. I ask for pardon for all my hypocrisy and pray for those who suffer because of my weakness. 

Come and See

August 24, 2021, Tuesday
FEAST OF SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, APOSTLE (Red)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 629

Reading I
Rv 21:9b-14

The angel spoke to me, saying,
“Come here.
I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain
and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God.
It gleamed with the splendor of God.
Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,
like jasper, clear as crystal.
It had a massive, high wall,
with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed
and on which names were inscribed,
the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
There were three gates facing east,
three north, three south, and three west.
The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation,
on which were inscribed the twelve names
of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

Responsorial Psalm
145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18

R.    (12)  Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
    and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
    and speak of your might.

R.    Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Making known to men your might
    and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
    and your dominion endures through all generations.

R.    Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

The LORD is just in all his ways
    and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
    to all who call upon him in truth.

R.    Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Alleluia
Jn 1:49b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the King of Israel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Jn 1:45-51

Philip found Nathanael and told him,
“We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,
and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
But Nathanael said to him,
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” 
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

REFLECTION:

Has somebody ever really seen your personal life deeply and in a way that confirmed the best in you, while understanding the worst? Does such intimate knowledge by another build you up or threaten you? Could you allow Jesus to look at your life and your behavior in all its forms, both good and bad?

PRAYER:

‘Lord, grant me an inner knowledge of yourself that sets me on fire with a desire to share you with others. Even if I can’t mention your name, let me always try to be good news to those I meet’

Seven Woes On The Teachers Of The Law And The Pharisees

August 23, 2021, Monday
FEAST OF SAINT ROSE OF LIMA, VIRGIN (White)
(Secondary Patroness of the Philippines)
Monday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 425

Reading I
1 Thes 1:1-5, 8b-10

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians
in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace.
We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,
before our God and Father,
knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen.
For our Gospel did not come to you in word alone,
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.
You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake. 
In every place your faith in God has gone forth,
so that we have no need to say anything.
For they themselves openly declare about us
what sort of reception we had among you,
and how you turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God and to await his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead, Jesus,
who delivers us from the coming wrath.

Responsorial Psalm
149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

R.    (see 4a)  The Lord takes delight in his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Sing to the LORD a new song
    of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
    let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.

R.    The Lord takes delight in his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
    let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
    and he adorns the lowly with victory.

R.    The Lord takes delight in his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Let the faithful exult in glory;
    let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
    This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.

R.    The Lord takes delight in his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia
Jn 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mt 23:13-22

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land to make one convert,
and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna
twice as much as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,
‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’
Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’
You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,
or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple swears by it
and by him who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God
and by him who is seated on it.”

REFLECTION:

Hypocrites were originally actors who wore masks. Thus the term came to mean deceptive persons who pretend to be something that they are not, or those who are ostentatious and pretentious. Jesus tries to strip away all the disguises and facades that we employ. He himself had none: he is open, truthful, genuine, which is why the people loved him “for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes” (Matthew 7:29).

Lord, how do I come across to others: how genuine am I? I speak about loving others, but do my actions correspond? Do I fuss unnecessarily about details, including, perhaps, rubrics? Am I shallow, unfocused, waiting for something to happen rather than living out the life of grace to the full? Do I fixate on the flaws of others and de-energize those who are trying their best?

PRAYER:

Lord, reveal to me my hidden faults and heal me. Amen. 

Many Disciples Deserts Jesus

August 22, 2021, Sunday 
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 122

Reading I
Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b

Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem,
summoning their elders, their leaders,
their judges, and their officers. 
When they stood in ranks before God,
Joshua addressed all the people:
“If it does not please you to serve the LORD,
decide today whom you will serve,
the gods your fathers served beyond the River
or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling. 
As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
But the people answered,
“Far be it from us to forsake the LORD
for the service of other gods. 
For it was the LORD, our God,
who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt,
out of a state of slavery. 
He performed those great miracles before our very eyes
and protected us along our entire journey
and among the peoples through whom we passed. 
Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21

R. (9a)  Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
       his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
       the lowly will hear me and be glad.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

The LORD has eyes for the just,
       and ears for their cry.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
       to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
       and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
       and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Many are the troubles of the just one,
       but out of them all the LORD delivers him;
he watches over all his bones;
      not one of them shall be broken.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Reading II
Eph 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32

Brothers and sisters:
Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. 
Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.
For the husband is head of his wife
just as Christ is head of the church,
he himself the savior of the body. 
As the church is subordinate to Christ,
so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ loved the church
and handed himself over for her to sanctify her,
cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,
that he might present to himself the church in splendor,
without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish. 
So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. 
He who loves his wife loves himself. 
For no one hates his own flesh
but rather nourishes and cherishes it, 
even as Christ does the church,
because we are members of his body.
    For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother
        and be joined to his wife,
    and the two shall become one flesh.
This is a great mystery,
but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.

OR:

Brothers and sisters:
Live in love, as Christ loved us. 
Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ loved the church
and handed himself over for her to sanctify her,
cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,
that he might present to himself the church in splendor,
without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
that she might be holy and without blemish. 
So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. 
He who loves his wife loves himself. 
For no one hates his own flesh
but rather nourishes and cherishes it, 
even as Christ does the church,
because we are members of his body.
    For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother
        and be joined to his wife,
    and the two shall become one flesh.
This is a great mystery,
but I speak in reference to Christ and the church.

Alleluia
Jn 6:63c, 68c

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Jn 6:60-69

Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said,
“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, “Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending
to where he was before? 
It is the spirit that gives life,
while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him. 
And he said,
“For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father.”
As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer accompanied him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” 
Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? 
You have the words of eternal life. 
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

REFLECTION:

“What about you, do you want to go away too?” The teaching and miracles of Jesus left his hearers with a decision: to believe and follow Jesus or to follow the crowd and go their separate ways. Today is no different: fewer practice their faith and truly open themselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit when they have decisions to make.

“Lord, to whom shall we go?" You have the message of eternal life? If this is truly so, that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, then the Lord will surely give us the strength to withstand the jibes, the ridicule and give us the courage to follow our convictions trusting the Lord will be with us to enlighten our decisions and the grace to carry them through. Have you made a decision recently which put you among the Lord’s followers?

PRAYER:

Lord, draw me close to you, and be spirit and life for me.