Panis Angelicus: October 2021

The Greatest Commandment

OCTOBER 31, 2021, Sunday
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 152

Reading I
Dt 6:2-6

Moses spoke to the people, saying:
"Fear the LORD, your God,
and keep, throughout the days of your lives,
all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you,
and thus have long life.
Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them,
that you may grow and prosper the more,
in keeping with the promise of the LORD, the God of your fathers,
to give you a land flowing with milk and honey.
"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone!
Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your strength.
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today."

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51

R. (2) I love you, Lord, my strength.

I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.

R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.

R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

The LORD lives! And blessed be my rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed.

R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

Reading II
Heb 7:23-28

Brothers and sisters:
The levitical priests were many
because they were prevented by death from remaining in office,
but Jesus, because he remains forever,
has a priesthood that does not pass away.
Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him,
since he lives forever to make intercession for them.
It was fitting that we should have such a high priest:
holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,
higher than the heavens.
He has no need, as did the high priests,
to offer sacrifice day after day,
first for his own sins and then for those of the people;
he did that once for all when he offered himself.
For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests,
but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law,
appoints a son,
who has been made perfect forever.

Alleluia
Jn 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord;
and my father will love him and we will come to him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mk 12:28b-34

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
"Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
'He is One and there is no other than he.'
And 'to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself'
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
"You are not far from the kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

REFLECTION:

The word love is one of depth, of relationship, and of great importance in life, but its deeper meaning can be glossed over in superficial expressions. St. John tells us that God is love (I John 4:16), a love that is creative and self-giving, that desires the best for each of us as creatures of God. Thus, we are called to love God, to love each other and to love ourselves as given life by God. We pray for a deeper appreciation of love, for the freedom to accept it more fully and to live it as Jesus did in a self-giving way.

Loving means sharing with the loved one and is shown in action. Words can be hollow unless they are incarnated in life, just as the love of the Father is incarnated in Jesus – God so loved the world (John 3:16). In a hymn we sing of Jesus - ‘love is his word, love is his way.’ His love did cost. Love is often a decision in that we want to respond like Jesus, though we may not feel like it. Lord, we ask you to give us loving hearts that reach out to others in your name, bringing them closer to you.

PRAYER:

Lord, why should I love you with all my heart? Because if a group of good people set up a beautiful house and gardens for me to live in, I would love them. If they worked against all that might hurt me, I would love them. If one of them were to die a horrible death to save me from disaster, I would love them. If they Lord, promised me eternal joy, I would love them.

Go and Take the Lowest Place

OCTOBER 30, 2021, Saturday
Saturday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 484

Reading I
Rom 11:1-2a, 11-12, 25-29

Brothers and sisters:
I ask, then, has God rejected his people?
Of course not!
For I too am a child of Israel, a descendant of Abraham,
of the tribe of Benjamin.
God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.
Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah,
how he pleads with God against Israel?
Hence I ask, did they stumble so as to fall?
Of course not!
But through their transgression
salvation has come to the Gentiles,
so as to make them jealous.
Now if their transgression is enrichment for the world,
and if their diminished number is enrichment for the Gentiles,
how much more their full number.
I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers and sisters,
so that you will not become wise in your own estimation:
a hardening has come upon Israel in part,
until the full number of the Gentiles comes in,
and thus all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
The deliverer will come out of Zion,
he will turn away godlessness from Jacob;
and this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.
In respect to the Gospel, they are enemies on your account;
but in respect to election,
they are beloved because of the patriarch.
For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.

Responsorial Psalm
94:12-13a, 14-15, 17-18

R. (14a) The Lord will not abandon his people.

Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD,
whom by your law you teach,
Giving him rest from evil days.

R. The Lord will not abandon his people.

For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.

R. The Lord will not abandon his people.

Were not the LORD my help,
my soul would soon dwell in the silent grave.
When I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your mercy, O LORD, sustains me.

R. The Lord will not abandon his people.

Alleluia
Mt 11:29ab

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
For I am meek and humble of heart.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Lk 14:1, 7-11

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
‘Give your place to this man,’
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

REFLECTION:

We like a humble person. In Jesus we see the humility of the one who knew who he was - loved by the Father - and on earth to serve others. He is among us as one who serves, the one who sees the needs of his people and does his best to meet them. In word and action he served us in love - even onto death.

PRAYER:

Lord, if I am happy in my own skin, I'll be good company for whoever is beside me. I do not ask to make an entrance like a celebrity, nor do I want to be overlooked completely. Give me contentment and an eye for the needs of whoever sits by me.

Jesus Cures a Man with Dropsy

OCTOBER 29, 2021, Friday
Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 483

Reading I
Rom 9:1-5

Brothers and sisters:
I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;
my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness
that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ
for the sake of my own people,
my kindred according to the flesh.
They are children of Israel;
theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,
the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
theirs the patriarchs, and from them,
according to the flesh, is the Christ,
who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm
147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.

R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!

R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.

R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

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
Lk 14:1-6

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.
Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,
“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”
But they kept silent; so he took the man and,
after he had healed him, dismissed him.
Then he said to them
“Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?”
But they were unable to answer his question.

REFLECTION:

The Sabbath was a sacred day for the Israelites, a day dedicated to God who was described as resting on the seventh day of creation. It was a reminder of having due place for God in life and of having balance of work and rest. Lord, in our busy lives we ask you to give us perspective and balance so that we have time for you, to pray and to worship, for you are Lord of the Sabbath.

PRAYER:

Lord, we pray that you will help us to see the true meaning of the Sabbath in our lives dedicated to you, but give us compassionate hearts that we may respond as you did.

The Chosen Twelve

OCTOBER 28, 2021, Thursday
FEAST OF SAINTS SIMON AND JUDE, APOSTLES (Red)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 666

Reading I
Eph 2:19-22

Brothers and sisters:

You are no longer strangers and sojourners,

but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones

and members of the household of God,

built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,

with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.

Through him the whole structure is held together

and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;

in him you also are being built together

into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm
19:2-3, 4-5

R. (5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.

The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day pours out the word to day,

and night to night imparts knowledge.

R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

Not a word nor a discourse

whose voice is not heard;

Through all the earth their voice resounds,

and to the ends of the world, their message.

R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

Alleluia
See Te Deum

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

We praise you, O God,

we acclaim you as Lord;

the glorious company of Apostles praise you.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Lk 6:12-16

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,

and he spent the night in prayer to God.

When day came, he called his disciples to himself,

and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:

Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,

James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,

Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,

Simon who was called a Zealot,

and Judas the son of James,

and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

REFLECTION:

Choosing a team is agonizing. It always means leaving out some who are worthy. Jesus had come to know his disciples, and prayed that he would make a good choice. He still could not guarantee that Judas would not become a traitor, or that Simon would not deny him three times. Jesus is at the mercy of our human frailty.

PRAYER:

I am not one of the twelve apostles, but I am a disciple, a learner. Lord, may I go on learning, and not let you down.

The Narrow Door

OCTOBER 27, 2021, Wednesday
Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 481

Reading I
Rom 8:26-30

Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
And the one who searches hearts
knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
because he intercedes for the holy ones
according to God’s will.
We know that all things work for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
For those he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.

Responsorial Psalm
13:4-5, 6

R. (6a) My hope, O Lord, is in your mercy.

Look, answer me, O LORD, my God!
Give light to my eyes that I may not sleep in death
lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him”;
lest my foes rejoice at my downfall.

R. My hope, O Lord, is in your mercy.

Though I trusted in your mercy,
Let my heart rejoice in your salvation;
let me sing of the LORD, “He has been good to me.”

R. My hope, O Lord, is in your mercy.

Alleluia
See 2 Thes 2:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

God has called us through the Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Lk 13:22-30

Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them,
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.’
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”

REFLECTION:

‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ How easy it is to distract ourselves from the real challenges by asking very interesting but ultimately irrelevant questions. Jesus’ reply points to what really matters: ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed’. Am I ready to do what is right, even when it costs?

PRAYER:

I bring my joys and hopes, my anxieties and difficulties, before Jesus in my prayer. I speak to him about them, listening for his voice as I come to know my own life better. My prayer makes it evident ‘where I come from’ – what is important to me.

Parable Of The Mustard Seed And Yeast

OCTOBER 26, 2021, Tuesday
Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 480

Reading I
Rom 8:18-25

Brothers and sisters:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
For creation awaits with eager expectation
the revelation of the children of God;
for creation was made subject to futility,
not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,
in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery to corruption
and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
we also groan within ourselves
as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
For in hope we were saved.
Now hope that sees for itself is not hope.
For who hopes for what one sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.

Responsorial Psalm
126:1b-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

R. (3a) The Lord has done marvels for us.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.

R. The Lord has done marvels for us.

Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.

R. The Lord has done marvels for us.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.

R. The Lord has done marvels for us.

Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.

R. The Lord has done marvels for us.

Alleluia
See Mt 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Lk 13:18-21

Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like?
To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.
When it was fully grown, it became a large bush
and 'the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.'"
Again he said, "To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?
It is like yeast that a woman took
and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch of dough was leavened."

REFLECTION:

The kingdom of God is like a small seed that grew and became a large tree. The tree breathes in and out through its leaves and roots. Could I take a little time to breathe in and out, aware of the mysterious source of my life.

Jesus compared the kingdom of God to common ingredients; to what might I compare God’s reign in the ordinary things of my life?

PRAYER:

Lord, teach me to recognize the seeds of transformation which you have placed within me. Help me to understand that the kingdom is growing now in me, and that you are making your presence known to me in small as well as big ways.

Jesus Heals A Crippled Woman On The Sabbath

OCTOBER 25, 2021, Monday
Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 479

Reading I
Rom 8:12-17

Brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you received a spirit of adoption,
through which we cry, “Abba, Father!”
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if only we suffer with him
so that we may also be glorified with him.

Responsorial Psalm
68:2 and 4, 6-7ab, 20-21

R. (21a) Our God is the God of salvation.

God arises; his enemies are scattered,
and those who hate him flee before him.
But the just rejoice and exult before God;
they are glad and rejoice.

R. Our God is the God of salvation.

The father of orphans and the defender of widows
is God in his holy dwelling.
God gives a home to the forsaken;
he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.

R. Our God is the God of salvation.

Blessed day by day be the Lord,
who bears our burdens; God, who is our salvation.
God is a saving God for us;
the LORD, my Lord, controls the passageways of death.

R. Our God is the God of salvation.

Alleluia
Jn 17:17b, 17a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Your word, O Lord, is truth;
consecrate us in the truth.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Lk 13:10-17

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.
And a woman was there who for eighteen years
had been crippled by a spirit;
she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.
When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,
“Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.”
He laid his hands on her,
and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.
But the leader of the synagogue,
indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,
said to the crowd in reply,
“There are six days when work should be done.
Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.”
The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites!
Does not each one of you on the sabbath
untie his ox or his ass from the manger
and lead it out for watering?
This daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,
ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day
from this bondage?”
When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;
and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

REFLECTION:

Think of the perspective this woman had: never able to look anyone in the eye, unable to take her place among any ordinary crowd. She was likely to have been looked down on or overlooked, denied her dignity as a person. Jesus wants to free me of any improper impediments, ligatures, or restrictions. He does not ask me what I can bear, what I am used to, or what I can settle for. He wants to restore me to my proper stature and to let me see as he sees.

PRAYER:

Straighten me up, Lord. Unshackle my heart from crippling attachments.

Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight (30th Sunday Ordinary Time Year-B)

OCTOBER 24, 2021, Sunday
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)
WORLD MISSION SUNDAY
PRISON AWARENESS SUNDAY
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 149

Reading I
Jer 31:7-9

Thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.
Behold, I will bring them back
from the land of the north;
I will gather them from the ends of the world,
with the blind and the lame in their midst,
the mothers and those with child;
they shall return as an immense throng.
They departed in tears,
but I will console them and guide them;
I will lead them to brooks of water,
on a level road, so that none shall stumble.
For I am a father to Israel,
Ephraim is my first-born.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6

R. (3) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion,
we were like men dreaming.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.

R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us;
we are glad indeed.

R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.

R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Although they go forth weeping,
carrying the seed to be sown,
They shall come back rejoicing,
carrying their sheaves.

R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Reading II
Heb 5:1-6

Brothers and sisters:
Every high priest is taken from among men
and made their representative before God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,
for he himself is beset by weakness
and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself
as well as for the people.
No one takes this honor upon himself
but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.
In the same way,
it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,
but rather the one who said to him:
You are my son:
this day I have begotten you;
just as he says in another place:
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.

Alleluia
Cf. 2 Tm 1:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Our Savior Jesus Christ destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mk 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more,
"Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see."
Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.

REFLECTION:

Bartimaeus was an irritation to the crowd; they asked him to keep quiet, they were embarrassed by the attention he was drawing. Might there be some part of me that I prefer to keep silent? I lead all my needs be given expression as I am here in prayer.

I listen to Jesus speak to me as he spoke to Bartimaeus. He asks, ‘What do you want me to do for you?'

PRAYER:

Lord, I sometimes open my eyes in the morning, and do not notice the sunshine, the green of trees, the colours in my room, the warmth or sorrow in the faces around me. If I had been blind, like Bartimaeus in today's gospel, I would long to open my eyes and see all that is to be seen. I could not have enough of this light-filled world around me.

Give me a relish, Lord, for all that my eyes can take in: not the pre-selected shots of the TV screen, but the endlessly varied landscape and peoplescape that surrounds me. I pray with Bartimaeus: "Master, let me receive my sight".

Repent Or Perish

OCTOBER 23, 2021, Saturday
Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
(Opt. Mem) Saint John of Capistrano, Priest (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 478

Reading I
Rom 8:1-11

Brothers and sisters:
Now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus
has freed you from the law of sin and death.
For what the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do,
this God has done:
by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh
and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
so that the righteous decree of the law might be fulfilled in us,
who live not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh
are concerned with the things of the flesh,
but those who live according to the spirit
with the things of the spirit.
The concern of the flesh is death,
but the concern of the spirit is life and peace.
For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God;
it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it;
and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you,
although the body is dead because of sin,
the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.

Responsorial Psalm
24:1b-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.

R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.

R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.

R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Alleluia
Ez 33:11

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord,
but rather in his conversion that he may live.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Lk 13:1-9

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
He said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”
And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.’”

REFLECTION:

The story about the fig tree is about the patience of God, our need for time to repent and grow in our faith and prayer, and it is about the 'God of the many chances'. The God of Jesus never lets go on us, and always believes in our future. All of us carry particular faults and failings through life, and even though we try our best, find that they stay with us. God knows this and sees our efforts to change and be renewed. Prayer helps us to believe in ourselves as God believes in us.

PRAYER:

You speak to me too, Lord. You look to me for fruit, for signs of love in my life. I do not want to be wasting my opportunities, but I rely on you to have patience and help me. Dig around me and dung me, even if it hurts. You alone know how to make something good of my life.

Interpret The Sign Of The Times

OCTOBER 22, 2021, Friday
Friday of the Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
(Opt. Mem) Saint John Paul II, Pope (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 477

Reading I
Rom 7:18-25a

Brothers and sisters:
I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh.
The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not.
For I do not do the good I want,
but I do the evil I do not want.
Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it,
but sin that dwells in me.
So, then, I discover the principle
that when I want to do right, evil is at hand.
For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self,
but I see in my members another principle
at war with the law of my mind,
taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Miserable one that I am!
Who will deliver me from this mortal body?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.