Jesus Is The Lord Of The Sabbath

SEPTEMBER 03, 2022, SATURDAY

MEMORIAL OF SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT, POPE AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 436

Reading 1

1 COR 4:6b-15

Brothers and sisters:

Learn from myself and Apollos not to go beyond what is written,

so that none of you will be inflated with pride

in favor of one person over against another.

Who confers distinction upon you?

What do you possess that you have not received?

But if you have received it,

why are you boasting as if you did not receive it?

You are already satisfied; you have already grown rich;

you have become kings without us!

Indeed, I wish that you had become kings,

so that we also might become kings with you.

For as I see it, God has exhibited us Apostles as the last of all,

like people sentenced to death,

since we have become a spectacle to the world,

to angels and men alike.

We are fools on Christ’s account, but you are wise in Christ;

we are weak, but you are strong;

you are held in honor, but we in disrepute.

To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty,

we are poorly clad and roughly treated,

we wander about homeless and we toil, working with our own hands.

When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;

when slandered, we respond gently.

We have become like the world’s rubbish, the scum of all,

to this very moment.

I am writing you this not to shame you,

but to admonish you as my beloved children.

Even if you should have countless guides to Christ,

yet you do not have many fathers,

for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 145:17-18, 19-20, 21

R. (18) The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

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. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

He fulfills the desire of those who fear him,

he hears their cry and saves them.

The LORD keeps all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy.

R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD,

and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

 

 

Alleluia

JOHN 14:6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;

no one comes to the Father except through me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

LK 6:1-5

While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath,

his disciples were picking the heads of grain,

rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.

Some Pharisees said,

“Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”

Jesus said to them in reply,

“Have you not read what David did

when he and those who were with him were hungry?

How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering,

which only the priests could lawfully eat,

ate of it, and shared it with his companions?”

Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

This passage marks the continuing debate about sabbath observance. Initially it seemed that the issue was about working on a sabbath, even in a good cause, but it soon became a much deeper issue. It became a question about the identity of Jesus. Jesus did not simply justify his actions on common sense humanitarian grounds but claimed to be ‘Lord of the sabbath’; this moved the dispute to a higher and dangerous level; the Pharisees ‘discussed what they might do to Jesus’ (Lk. 6:11).

PRAYER:

Jesus invites the Pharisees to recognise that there is more than meets the eye. If I find myself like the Pharisees in judging, I pray that I may be like them too in asking what Jesus thinks.

New Wine In Old Wineskins

SEPTEMBER 02, 2022, FRIDAY
Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 435

Reading 1
1 COR 4:1-5

Brothers and sisters:

Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ

and stewards of the mysteries of God. 

Now it is of course required of stewards

that they be found trustworthy.

It does not concern me in the least

that I be judged by you or any human tribunal;

I do not even pass judgment on myself;

I am not conscious of anything against me,

but I do not thereby stand acquitted;

the one who judges me is the Lord.

Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time,

until the Lord comes,

for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness

and will manifest the motives of our hearts,

and then everyone will receive praise from God.

Responsorial Psalm
PS 37:3-4, 5-6, 27-28, 39-40

R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Trust in the LORD and do good,

that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security.

Take delight in the LORD,

and he will grant you your heart’s requests.

R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Commit to the LORD your way;

trust in him, and he will act.

He will make justice dawn for you like the light;

bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.

R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Turn from evil and do good,

that you may abide forever;

For the LORD loves what is right,

and forsakes not his faithful ones.

Criminals are destroyed 

and the posterity of the wicked is cut off.

R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

The salvation of the just is from the LORD;

he is their refuge in time of distress.

And the LORD helps them and delivers them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him.

R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

 

Alleluia
JN 8:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

whoever follows me will have the light of life.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
LK 5:33-39

The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,

“The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers,

and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same;

but yours eat and drink.”

Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast

while the bridegroom is with them?

But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them,

then they will fast in those days.”

And he also told them a parable.

“No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one.

Otherwise, he will tear the new

and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.

Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.

Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins,

and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.

Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.

And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new,

for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

The Gospel today speaks to us about doing the right thing at the right time. People can fast for various reasons, for example weight loss or being addicted to chocolate or other luxuries. Fasting for spiritual reasons is well recognised as a means of growing in awareness of our weaknesses and of helping us to overcome them, so that we are freer in our lives.

Sometimes we try to ‘patch up’ our lives with half efforts when a deeper change is really required. Prayer is wonderful for letting God communicate with you regarding change in your life when it is required. God can do more in us than we can ask or imagine – let Him direct you – listen to Him – He can be trusted.

PRAYER:

Lord, our Church is sorely in need of new wineskins. Grant me an elasticity of heart and mind, so that I can be ever open to the freshness and power of your word. Today, as I ponder what you say to me, may I cry out with joy to you and serve you with gladness.

Do Not Be Afraid

SEPTEMBER 01, 2022, THURSDAY
Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 434

Reading 1
1 Cor 3:18-23

Brothers and sisters:
Let no one deceive himself.
If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age,
let him become a fool, so as to become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God,
for it is written:

God catches the wise in their own ruses,

and again:

The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you,
Paul or Apollos or Cephas,
or the world or life or death,
or the present or the future:
all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

R. (1) To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.

 
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. To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.

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. To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.

 
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. To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.

Alleluia

Mt 4:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 
Come after me, says the Lord,
and I will make you fishers of men.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 5:1-11

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."
Simon said in reply,
"Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets."
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men."
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

 

In this scene, Jesus is a teacher who inspires his followers to action. His followers are physically tired and disappointed with their own efforts. It is not just the words of Jesus but also the power of his authority that give us faith and courage to do what he asks. The faith and courage of his followers are rewarded with a miracle in this scene.

We are all part of a faith community, and there will be times when we can achieve more for God by working with fellow believers. The experience of following Jesus will change us forever more.

 

 

PRAYER:

We watch Jesus as he comes along the shore with a crowd pressing around him to hear everything he says. Let this image of Jesus capture our imagination, so that we could say, ‘I will recognise him no matter where or when I meet him’.