Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and may the perpetual light shine upon him ... Amen!

Taken from FB ...

SHARING THIS TRIBUTE:

We lose good people all the time but Rev Fr. Phillips Muthu 's passing is one loss that particularly hits you in the gut.
His work did not end at the pulpit. The pulpit was the catalyst for his work.
From championing the welfare of migrants, the rights of the orang asal, feeding the hungry through soup kitchens and helping those who fell by the wayside to right their wrongs through prison ministries, Fr Phillips practised what he preached and more.
He had a strong sense of social justice and while he maintained that the church should not be political, it had a duty to speak out against wrongdoings, corruption and abuse of power by the ruling elite.
It was not enough that his flock received enlightenment of the scriptures, he also wanted them to be aware of the world and times they lived in. Hence he organised forums on current issues and voter registration drives, even leading parishioners to rallies to demand accountability from the Government.
Fr. Phillips always maintained that the church should lead by example and was not coy about expressing his reservations or displeasure even though he is bound by the code of obedience.
He questioned the need to allocate millions in Diocese money for an opulent Vatican Embassy opining that the money would be of better use for poverty eradication programmes and social welfare projects for the poor and marginalised.
He had repeated many times at mass that "the church is not here but out there".
His easy going ways, approachability and joking demeanour were assets in his youth outreach efforts.
It was not about lecturing the young on what they should or should not be doing but was seeing things from their perspective.
He was not satisfied with just being with the kids, he needed to be one of the kids.
He spoke in their lingo, became their friend and to many troubled kids, was the father figure they never had.
One of Fr. Phillips's mottos was "Only God can judge " which is why many felt it easy to speak to him about their troubles, fears and wrongdoings whether it was in a confessional booth or over drinks at a watering hole or through the bars of a prison cell.
*Hence one can make sense of the outpouring of shock, grief and even anger at this sudden and enormous loss.*
There was so much more he could and had wanted to do and many communities including those of different faiths will feel his physical absence.
His time in Terengganu was among his happiest and most fulfilling as he mingled with conservative Muslims, became their friend and galvanized relief work for the Great East Coast Floods of 2014.
With his time on this earth cut short at 56, Fr. Phillips Muthu's life epitomised the saying that the candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long.
There will never be one like him ever again but he will live on through his work and ministry that the rest of us must continue with the same passion and compassion exemplified by this shooting star that brightened our lives and now streaks across the heavens.

Terence Fernandez
Sept 11, 2016

Matthew 25:21 (New American Bible (Revised Edition)
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.’


This post has been edited by khool: Sep 11 2016, 10:56 PM

Amen!

Her Eyes - A Study with Celine Dion



Ave Maria
Maiden mild!
Oh, listen to a maidens prayer.
For thou canst hear amid the wild
Tis thou, tis thou canst save amid despair
We slumber safely till the morrow
Though we've by man outcast reviled
Oh, maiden, see a maidens sorrow
Oh, mother, hear a suppliant child!
Ave Maria
Ave Maria, gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena
Ave, ave dominus
Dominus tecum
The murky caverns air so heavy
Shall breathe of balm if thou hast smiled
Oh, maiden, hear a maiden pleadin
Oh, mother, hear a suppliant child
Ave Maria
Ave Maria

Our Lady Of Sorrows



The title, Our Lady of Sorrows, given to our Blessed Mother focuses on her intense suffering and grief during the passion and death of our Lord. Traditionally, this suffering was not limited to the passion and death event; rather, it comprised the seven dolors or seven sorrows of Mary, which were foretold by the Priest Simeon who proclaimed to Mary, This child [Jesus] is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, a sign that will be opposed and you yourself shall be pierced with a sword so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare (Luke 2:34-35).

These seven sorrows of our Blessed Mother included the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt; the loss and finding of the child Jesus in the Temple; Mary’s meeting of Jesus on His way to Calvary; Mary’s standing at the foot of the cross when our Lord was crucified; her holding of Jesus when He was taken down from the cross; and then our Lord’s burial. In all, the prophesy of Simeon that a sword would pierce our Blessed Mother’s heart was fulfilled in these events. For this reason, Mary is sometimes depicted with her heart exposed and with seven swords piercing it.

More importantly, each new suffering was received with the courage, love, and trust that echoed her fiat, let it be done unto me according to Thy word, first uttered at the Annunciation.

The key image here is our Blessed Mother standing faithfully at the foot of the cross with her dying Son: the Gospel of St. John recorded, Seeing His mother there with the disciple whom He loved, Jesus said to His mother, ‘Woman, there is your son.’ In turn He said to the disciple, ‘There is your mother.’ (John 19:26-27).

The Second Vatican Council in its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church wrote, A…She stood in keeping with the divine plan, suffering grievously with her only-begotten Son. There she united herself, with a maternal heart, to His sacrifice, and lovingly consented to the immolation of this Victim which she herself had brought forth (#58).

St. Bernard (d. 1153) wrote, Truly, O Blessed Mother, a sword has pierced your heart…. He died in body through a love greater than anyone had known. She died in spirit through a love unlike any other since His (De duodecim praerogatativs BVM).

Focusing on the compassion of our Blessed Mother, St. Pope John Paul II, reminded the faithful, Mary Most Holy goes on being the loving consoler of those touched by the many physical and moral sorrows which afflict and torment humanity. She knows our sorrows and our pains, because she too suffered, from Bethlehem to Calvary. ‘And they soul too a sword shall pierce.’ Mary is our Spiritual Mother, and the mother always understands her children and consoles them in their troubles. Then, she has that specific mission to love us, received from Jesus on the Cross, to love us only and always, so as to save us! Mary consoles us above all by pointing out the Crucified One and Paradise to us.

Therefore, when we honor our Blessed Mother, our Lady of Sorrows, we honor her as the faithful disciple and exemplar of faith. Let us pray as we do in the opening prayer of the Mass for this feast which is celebrated on September 15th “Father, as your Son was raised on the cross, His Mother Mary stood by Him, sharing His sufferings. May your Church be united with Christ in His suffering and death and so come to share in His rising to new life. Looking to the example of Mary, may we too unite our sufferings to our Lord, facing them with courage, love, and trust.” Amen.

Source: http://www.francismary.org/our-lady-of-sorrows/

Amen!!!

If Paul says you are no longer under the law and Abraham was saved by faith not works, and James says faith without works is dead and also says Abraham was saved by “works”, and the Bible cannot contradict itself, then are Paul and James talking about 2 different types of works? Yes! Works of Mosaic Law i.e. Sabbaths, new moons sacrificing bulls and goats / works of Charity through grace, which are given value because they are an extension of God’s love on earth. Only one is good. GOD IS LOVE. LOVE FULFILLS THE LAW. LOVE IS EXPRESSING CHRIST THROUGH YOU. IF YOU DO NOT COMPLETE THE WORKS IN LOVE THEN THEY HAVE NO VALUE.THROUGH LOVE WITHOUT SELF SERVING, THEY HAVE GREAT VALUE. THE LEAST YOU DO TO MY BROTHER THAT YOU DO UNTO ME. THE LAW THAT THE JEWS WERE UNDER WAS DUE TO THE HARDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS. SIN IS SEPARATION FROM GOD. GOD ALLOWED DIVORCE DUE TO THE HARDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS.( #77 of the mosaic law. The Sabbath is #107) HE CHANGED THE MOSAIC LAW. WHEN THE SPIRIT CAME INTO THE WORLD THE LAW WAS NO LONGER NEEDED. THE LAW BECAME LOVE. In Acts 15 the council led by Peter explained that we are no longer under Mosaic Law. This was Peter’s vision from God. There is neither Jew nor Greek bond or free, male or female you have all been baptized INTO CHRIST JESUS. Galatians 3. TAKE EAT ALL IS GOOD.

But there arose some of the sect of the Pharisees that believed, saying: They must be circumcised, and be commanded to observe the law of Moses.6 And the apostles and ancients assembled to consider of this matter… For it hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay no further burden upon you than these necessary things:29 That you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which things keeping yourselves, you shall do well. Fare ye well.

Acts 15

Be it known therefore to you, men, brethren, that through him forgiveness of sins is preached to you: and from all the things, from which you COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW OF MOSES.

Acts 13:38

Keep my commands, and you will live.5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them.6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[a]wisdom. Though it cost all you have,[b]get understanding.
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.9 She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.”

But to us God hath revealed them, by this Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, but the spirit of a man that is in him? So the things also that are of God no man knoweth, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit that is of God; that we may know the things that are given us from God. Which things also we speak, not in the learned words of human wisdom; but in the doctrine of the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

But the sensual man perceiveth not these things that are of the Spirit of God; for it is foolishness to him, and he cannot understand, because it is spiritually examined. But the spiritual man judgeth all things; and he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that we may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

EPHESIANS 2

5 Even when we were dead in sins,

(COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW OF MOSES. I WAS BORN IN INIQUITIES IN MY MOTHER'S WOMB. WHO CAN MAKE UNCLEAN SEED CLEAN. THROUGH ONE MAN DEATH ENTERED THE WORLD THROUGH ANOTHER LIFE. SPRINKLE ME WITH HYSOP AND I WILL BE MADE WHITER THAN SNOW. CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART O GOD. THE TRUE CIRCUMCISION IS BAPTISM)

hath quickened us together in Christ,

( CHRIST IS A QUICKENING SPIRIT. IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT GIVES LIFE THE FLESH PROFITS NOTHING. AND IF THE SPIRIT OF HIM THAT RAISED UP JESUS FROM THE DEAD, DWELL IN YOU; HE THAT RAISED UP JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD, SHALL QUICKEN ALSO YOUR MORTAL BODIES, BECAUSE OF HIS SPIRIT THAT DWELLETH IN YOU)

by whose grace you are saved,

(THE GRACE GIVEN BY BAPTISM “NOW SAVES YOU”. IF SALVATION IS MENTIONED AS AN INSTANTANEOUS EVENT THE APOSTLE IS REFERRING TO REDEMPTION FROM ORIGNAL SIN FROM BAPTISM AND ACTIVE SIN UP TO THE POINT OF BAPTISM. IF THIS WAS NOT TRUE THEN PAUL WOULD NEVER HAVE SAID “I WORK OUT MY SALVATION IN FEAR AND TREMBLING” AND “I RUN THE RACE TO WIN”. REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED AND YOUR SINS WILL BE FORGIVEN. GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. IS BAPTISM A PREREQUISITE FOR DISCIPLESHIP? MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS BY BAPTIZING THEM? THERE ARE THREE THAT GIVE TESTAMONY ON EARTH THE SPIRIT THE WATER AND THE BLOOD AND THESE THREE ARE ONE. THE ISRAELIGHTS CROSSED THERED SEA WHILE MOSES STOOD IN THE FORM OF A CROSS AND THE PILLAR OF FIRE WAS BEHIND THEM. THE WATER THE SPIRIT AND THE BLOOD. TAKE AN UNBLEMISHED LAMB SPREAD THE BLOOD UPON THE LENTIL “NAME OF THE FATHER, AND THE DOOR POSTS. “SON AND HOLY SPIRIT” AND THOSE INSIDE CONSUMED THE ENTIRE LAMB SO THAT THE ANGEL OF DEATH WOULD SEE THE LAMB IN THEM ANDPASSOVER.THE WATER AT MARA WAS BITTER UNTIL THE WOOD “MADE IT SWEET” COME DRINK OF THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY. WHEN THE WATER IS SIGNED WITH THE CROSS IT GIVES IT THE POWER OF THE BLOOD AND THE SPIRIT AND DEMONS RUN.THE BRIDE IS PREPARED’ BAPTISM; BLOOD ON LENTIL AND DOORPOSTS. THE MARRIAGE IS CONSUMATED; THE EUCHARIST SO THAT THE ANGEL OF DEATH WOULD SEE THE LAMB IN THEM AND PASSOVER. THE CHURCH IS BIRTHED THROUGH THE WATER AND BLOOD THAT COMES FROM THE RIB OF GOD, THE TRUE ADAM OF SPIRIT )

6 And hath raised us up together,

( WE DIE TO THE OLD MAN ADAM MYSTICALLY GOING TO THE CROSS IN THE FIRST DEATH OF BAPTISM AND RISE AND ARE QUICKENED IN CHRIST. FOR YOU ARE ALL THE CHILDREN OF GOD BY FAITH, IN CHRIST JESUS.27”FAITH LEADS US TO BAPTISM FOR AS MANY OF YOU AS HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED IN CHRIST, HAVE PUT ON CHRIST.28 THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK: THERE IS NEITHER BOND NOR FREE: THERE IS NEITHER MALE NOR FEMALE. FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS.)

and hath made us sit together in the heavenly places, through Christ Jesus.7

( NOTHING UNCLEAN CAN ENTER THE CHURCH NOR HEAVEN. THE LEVITICAL PRIEST HAD TO WASH BEFORE ENTERING THE MEETING TENT AND HAD TO TAKE THE BLOOD OF THE SACRIFICE WITH HIM INTO THE HOLY OF HOLIES. THE PRIESTHOOD WOULD BE REFINED IN GOLD. ORIGINAL SIN WOULD BE REMOVED AND WE WILL SHARE THE BLOOD OF THE GRAPE UNITED TO THE VINE IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH, WHATEVER IS BOUND ON EARTH IS BOUND IN HEAVEN. SO THAT WE COULD ONCE MORE OFFER SACRIFICE WORTHY OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS. THE MEETING TENT IS A SHADOW OF THE HEAVENLY REALITY OF GODS MYSTICAL BODY; HIS CHURCH. WHOEVER HATETH HIS OWN FLESH NO ONE LOVETH AND NOURISHES HIS FLESH AS CHRIST DOES THE CHURCH THIS IS A GREAT MYSTERY, WHEN SPEAKING OF CHRIST AND THE CHURCH THAT IS; THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST; EMANUEL. MY FLESH IS REAL FOOD MY BLOOD IS REAL DRINK. HE WHO EATS MY FLESH AND DRINKS MY BLOOD ABIDES IN ME AND I IN HIM AND I WILL RAISE HIM UP ON THE LAST DAY. THE ANGEL OF DEATH WILL PASSOVER. SHALL QUICKEN ALSO YOUR MORTAL BODIES, I STRONGLY DESIRE TO CELEBRATE THIS PASSOVER WITH YOU. IT IS FINISHED, THE TRUE PASSOVER THE MASS HAD BEEN PUT IN PLACE.THE WATER HAS BEEN GIVEN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT AND THE BLOOD. AT THE LAST CUP OF THE PASSOVER SEDER FEAST WHICH CHRIST TOOK WHILE ON THE CROSS AS PRIEST PROPHET AND KING, THE JEWS REPEATED THESE WORDS FOR 1500 YEARS. “I WILL TAKE YOU AS MY OWN, I WILL BE YOUR GOD AND YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE”. WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED. AT EVERY MASS AND THROUGH THE SACRAMENTS HE RENEWS AND PERPETUATES THE PROMISE. I WILL TAKE YOU AS MY OWN. THE VEIL IS THE FLESH OF CHRIST UNITED TO THE BRIDE. DO THIS IN COMMEMORATION OF ME.THE FATHER SEES THROUGH THE VEIL,”THE MASS”THE SACRIFICE OF THE LAMB, BEFORE HE SEES THE SINS OF THE WORLD. GOD SAID TO MOSES, STAND ASIDE I WILL DESTROY THIS PEOPLE. MOSES SAID NO LORD, LOOK TO THE SACRIFICES. YOU ARE A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. A CITY ON A HILL CANNOT BE HIDDEN. THIS IS THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD, HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO ARE CALLED TO HIS SUPPER.HE WHO HAS THE BRIDE IS THE BRIDE GROOM. THEY WEAR THEIR WEDDING GARMENTS, “BAPTISM”. YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY A CLOUD OF WITNESSES. THE ANGELS ARE PRESENT AT EVERY MASS IN WHICH WE MYSTICALLY SHARE IN THE HEAVENLY TABLE. THOU HAST PREPARED A TABLE BEFORE ME AGAINST THEM THAT AFFLICT ME. THOU HAST ANOINTED MY HEAD WITH OIL; AND MY CHALICE WHICH INEBRIATETH ME, HOW GOODLY IS IT! WE WALK BY FAITH NOT BY SIGHT. O YOU FOOLISH GALATIONS WHOM BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES CHRIST IS PORTRAYED AS CRUCIFIED. AND THEY DEDICATED THEMSELVES TO THE DOCTRINE AND THE PRAYERS AND THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD.)

( YOU HAVE COME TO MOUNT SION TO THE NEW JERUSALEM TO THE SPIRITS OF THE JUST MADE PERFECT AND A SPRINKLING OF BLOOD THAT SPEAKS BETTER THAN ABLE . “BAPTISM”.YOU DO NOT POUR NEW WINE INTO OLD WINE-SKINS OR THEY WILL BURST. YOU POUR NEW WINE INTO NEW WINE SKINS SO THAT BOTH ARE PRESERVED. CHRIST IS A QUICKENING SPIRIT"BAPTISM". AND ON THAT DAY I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN DOWN. AND THE PRINCESS OF THE KINGDOM WILL OFFER SACRIFICE WORTHY OF GOD. LET THE PRIEST WHO RULES WELL BE WORTHY OF DOUBLE HONOR)

That he might shew in the ages to come the abundant riches of his grace, in his bounty towards US IN Christ Jesus.8

(THOSE WHO PARTAKE OF THE ONE BREAD ARE PART OF THE ONE BODY)

For by grace you are saved through faith,( FAITH LEADS YOU TO THE GRACE OF BAPTISM. THE ETHIOPIAN WHO HAD BEEN GIVEN FAITH SAID LOOK THERE IS WATER. AND HE WAS GIVEN THE FREE GIFT OF BEING CLEANSED OF ORIGINAL SIN.)

and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God;9 Not of works,

( NOT OF WORKS OF MOSAIC LAW. NEW MOONS, SACRIFICING BULLS AND GOATS SABBATHS. NOT OF WORKS OF HEARTS OF STONE. I HAVE NOT COME TO DESTROY THE LAW BUT TO FULFILL IT. HEAVEN AND EARTH WILL PASS AWAY BUT NOT ONE WORD OF MY LAW WILL. THE LAW IS A PEDAGOG A TEACHER FOR THOSE WHOSE HEARTS WERE HARDENED WITHOUT BAPTISM IN ORDER FOR THEM TO CONSTANTLY FOCUS ON THEIR SINS. IN IT ARE THE SHADOWS OF THE HEAVENLY REALITIES OF THE SACRAMENTS.CREATE INME A CLEAN HEART O GOD. CHRIST HAS PAID THEPRICE. YOUR REDEMPTION FROM ORIGINAL SIN THAT SEPARATED YOU FROM HEAVEN IS FREELY GIVEN TO INFANTS AND ADULTS. THE TRUE CIRCUMCISION IS BAPTISM. AND IF YOU BE CHRIST'S, THEN ARE YOU THE SEED OF ABRAHAM, HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE.)

that no man may glory.10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus in “GOOD WORKS”, “GOOD WORKS”,GOOD WORKS” “GOOD WORKS”,,GOOD WORKS”,

WORKS OF THE LAW/ WORKS OF CHARITY THROUGH GRACE

( IF I HAVE ALL FAITH AND NO CHARITY I AM NOTHING. NOT EVERYONE WHO SAYS LORD LORD WILL ENTER HEAVEN ACCEPT THOSE WHO DO THE WILL OF MY FATHER. AT THE POINT YOU SAY LORD LORD IS THE POINT OF FAITH. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DO NOT TAKE THE NEXT STEP AND DO NOT DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER?FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD. I WILL COME AND JUDGE EVERYONE ACCORDING TOTHEIR WORKS)

which God hath prepared that we SHOULD WALK IN THEM.

2 Peter 3:15-

And account the long suffering of our Lord, salvation; as also our most dear brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, hath written to you:

16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are certain things hard to be understood, WHICH THE UNLEARNED AND UNSTABLE WREST, AS THEY DO ALSO THE OTHER SCRIPTURES, TO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION.

17 You therefore, brethren, knowing these things before, take heed, lest being led aside by the error of the unwise, you fall from your own steadfastness.

18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and unto the day of eternity. Amen.

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 135

Reading 1 (Am 8:4-7)

Hear this, you who trample upon the needy
and destroy the poor of the land!
“When will the new moon be over,” you ask,
“that we may sell our grain,
and the sabbath, that we may display the wheat?
We will diminish the ephah,
add to the shekel,
and fix our scales for cheating!
We will buy the lowly for silver,
and the poor for a pair of sandals;
even the refuse of the wheat we will sell!”
The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
Never will I forget a thing they have done!

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8)

R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.

Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.

High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.

He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor
to seat them with princes,
with the princes of his own people.
R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.

Reading 2 (1 Tm 2:1-8)

Beloved:
First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers,
petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone,
for kings and for all in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life
in all devotion and dignity.
This is good and pleasing to God our savior,
who wills everyone to be saved
and to come to knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God.
There is also one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus,
who gave himself as ransom for all.
This was the testimony at the proper time.
For this I was appointed preacher and apostle
— I am speaking the truth, I am not lying —,
teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray,
lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.

Alleluia (2 Cor 8:9)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Though our Lord Jesus Christ was rich, he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 16:1-13)

Jesus said to his disciples,
“A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said,
‘What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.’
The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do,
now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.’
He called in his master’s debtors one by one.
To the first he said,
‘How much do you owe my master?’
He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’
He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’
Then to another the steward said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’
He replied, ‘One hundred kors of wheat.’
The steward said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.’
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
“For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than are the children of light.
I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,
so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters
is also trustworthy in great ones;
and the person who is dishonest in very small matters
is also dishonest in great ones.
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,
who will trust you with true wealth?
If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is yours?
No servant can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and mammon.”

Prudent Stewards: Scott Hahn Reflects on the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 12, 2016


The steward in today's Gospel confronts the reality that he can't go on living the way he has been. He is under judgment, must give account for what he has done.

The exploiters of the poor in today's First Reading are also about to be pulled down, thrust from their stations (see Isaiah 22:19). Servants of mammon or money, they're so in love with wealth that they reduce the poor to objects, despise the new moons and Sabbaths—the observances and holy days of God (see Leviticus 23:24; Exodus 20:8).

Their only hope is to follow the steward's path. He is no model of repentance. But he makes a prudent calculation—to use his last hours in charge of his master's property to show mercy to others, to relieve their debts.

He is a child of this world, driven by a purely selfish motive—to make friends and be welcomed into the homes of his master's debtors. Yet his prudence is commended as an example to us, the children of light (see 1 Thessalonians 5:5; Ephesians 5:8). We too must realize, as the steward does, that what we have is not honestly ours, but what in truth belongs to another, our Master.

All the mammon in the world could not have paid the debt we owe our Master. So He paid it for us, gave His life as a ransom for all, as we hear in today's Epistle.

God wants everyone to be saved, even kings and princes, even the lovers of money (see Luke 16:14). But we cannot serve two Masters. By his grace, we should choose to be, as we sing in today's Psalm—"servants of the Lord."

We serve Him by using what He has entrusted us with to give alms, to lift the lowly from the dust and dunghills of this world. By this we will gain what is ours, be welcomed into eternal dwellings, the many mansions of the Father's house (see John 14:2).

Source: https://stpaulcenter.com/reflections/pruden...n-ordinary-time

St. Matthew, The Mystery and Power of Vocation

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Matthew, apostle and evangelist.

The call of Matthew, illuminated for us in this morning’s Gospel, is one of the great and memorable scenes in the New Testament.

At its heart is the mystery of vocation and discipleship. The call of Christ comes to Matthew unexpected and compels him to a decision which will not only change what he does with his life, but who he is as a person. The summons Matthew receives was not something he could have predicted and the outcome of his decision to follow Christ was not something that he would be able to control.

This is all about the mystery and power of vocation. Vocation is not just about getting a job or choosing a career. Instead, it is about God’s will and purpose for our lives.

As such, vocation exposes us to the vulnerability of genuine faith.

Further, vocation is not simply about what one “does” with one’s life; it is about what God’s will is for a person. This is an important distinction for us, as our culture assumes that a person’s identity is almost exclusively defined by what someone does or is doing rather than who they are.

It is the divine will that reveals who a person is to the depth of their being, which is why to miss one’s vocation is no small thing. It means that one misses their purpose, and that despite all kinds of accomplishments, one will remain unfulfilled. This is also a great cultural challenge, because the prevailing understanding of a fulfilled life in our times is based, not so much on the fulfillment of God’s purpose for our lives, but in terms of our own decisions and the need to have “experiences.”

Therefore, what Christ reveals as vocation—priesthood, marriage, religious life—these are not career options. They are illuminations of the purpose and meaning of our lives. We are chosen for these things, and like St. Matthew, we become who we are meant to be in our response to this divine call.

One of the tragedies of our time is the crisis of vocations. Often this is looked upon as some kind of staffing problem for our churches—we won’t get the level of service that we have grown accustomed to. That’s not the crisis at all. The crisis is that many people, summoned by God to serve him in priesthood, in marriage, in religious life, lack the spiritual means to discern that call or cannot see the gravity of what happens when a divine call is refused or opposed. To refuse one’s vocation is to lose the purpose of one’s life! That is the challenge of our time.

On this Feast of St. Matthew, may all the apostles intercede for us and bring us to a deeper appreciation of the urgency of our vocation.

Source: http://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/s...-vocation/1806/

Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 452

Reading 1 (Eccl 1:2-11)

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
What profit has man from all the labor
which he toils at under the sun?
One generation passes and another comes,
but the world forever stays.
The sun rises and the sun goes down;
then it presses on to the place where it rises.
Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north,
the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds.
All rivers go to the sea,
yet never does the sea become full.
To the place where they go,
the rivers keep on going.
All speech is labored;
there is nothing one can say.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing
nor is the ear satisfied with hearing.

What has been, that will be;
what has been done, that will be done.
Nothing is new under the sun.
Even the thing of which we say, “See, this is new!”
has already existed in the ages that preceded us.
There is no remembrance of the men of old;
nor of those to come will there be any remembrance
among those who come after them.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17bc)

R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

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. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

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. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Alleluia (Jn 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 9:7-9)

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.

RIP Rev Fr Peter Kim, SJ

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and let your perpetual shine upon him ...



It is with deep sorrow that we convey to you the sudden demise of our beloved Rev Fr Peter Kim Se Mang, SJ, the first Malaysian Parish Priest of Church of St Francis Xavier, Petaling Jaya, from 1979-1985. The cause of his sudden death was a bleeding tumour in the lung.

Fr Peter Kim will be lying in state at Paul Miki Room of the Church of St Francis Xavier, from Saturday morning, 24th September.

The funeral Mass will take place on Tuesday, 27th September at 10.30am at the Church of St Francis Xavier, Petaling Jaya. The burial will be at the Holy Family Catholic cemetery, Kajang.

Let us continue to support one another with prayers.

We thank all of you for your expressions of condolences and the prayers offered for the repose of the soul of our dearly beloved priest Fr Peter Kim.

Fr Lawrence Andrew, SJ
Parish Priest
SFX Church, PJ

Source: https://archkl.org/index.php/parish-resourc...fr-peter-kim-sj

This post has been edited by khool: Sep 23 2016, 11:56 PM

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 138

Reading 1 (Am 6:1a, 4-7)
Thus says the LORD the God of hosts:
Woe to the complacent in Zion!
Lying upon beds of ivory,
stretched comfortably on their couches,
they eat lambs taken from the flock,
and calves from the stall!
Improvising to the music of the harp,
like David, they devise their own accompaniment.
They drink wine from bowls
and anoint themselves with the best oils;
yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph!
Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile,
and their wanton revelry shall be done away with.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10)

R. Praise the Lord, my soul!

Blessed he who keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!

The LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who were bowed down;
the LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!

The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!

Reading 2 (1 Tm 6:11-16)

But you, man of God, pursue righteousness,
devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.
Compete well for the faith.
Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called
when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.
I charge you before God, who gives life to all things,
and before Christ Jesus,
who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession,
to keep the commandment without stain or reproach
until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ
that the blessed and only ruler
will make manifest at the proper time,
the King of kings and Lord of lords,
who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,
and whom no human being has seen or can see.
To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.

Alleluia (Cf. 2 Cor 8:9)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Though our Lord Jesus Christ was rich, he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 16:19-31)

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man's table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.'
Abraham replied,
‘My child, remember that you received
what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go
from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father,
send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers,
so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.'
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’”




This post has been edited by khool: Sep 25 2016, 04:06 PM

Mass Order for TLM?

In any case, for me personally, I always found Matthew 22: 1-14 far more scary compared to all of Revelation / Apocalypse put together. Especially verse 13, the indication of where eternal salvation is beyond reach already. Quite an overlooked verse, I daresay.

Amen, amen!!!

Memorial of Saint Vincet de Paul, Priest
Lectionary: 456

Reading 1 (Jb 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23)

Job opened his mouth and cursed his day.
Job spoke out and said:

Perish the day on which I was born,
the night when they said, “The child is a boy!”

Why did I not perish at birth,
come forth from the womb and expire?
Or why was I not buried away like an untimely birth,
like babes that have never seen the light?
Wherefore did the knees receive me?
or why did I suck at the breasts?

For then I should have lain down and been tranquil;
had I slept, I should then have been at rest
With kings and counselors of the earth
who built where now there are ruins
Or with princes who had gold
and filled their houses with silver.

There the wicked cease from troubling,
there the weary are at rest.

Why is light given to the toilers,
and life to the bitter in spirit?
They wait for death and it comes not;
they search for it rather than for hidden treasures,
Rejoice in it exultingly,
and are glad when they reach the grave:
Those whose path is hidden from them,
and whom God has hemmed in!

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 88:2-3, 4-5, 6, 7-8)

R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

O LORD, my God, by day I cry out;
at night I clamor in your presence.
Let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my call for help.
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

For my soul is surfeited with troubles
and my life draws near to the nether world.
I am numbered with those who go down into the pit;
I am a man without strength.
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

My couch is among the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom you remember no longer
and who are cut off from your care.
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

You have plunged me into the bottom of the pit,
into the dark abyss.
Upon me your wrath lies heavy,
and with all your billows you overwhelm me.
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

Alleluia (Mk 10:45)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 9:51-56)
When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,
he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village
to prepare for his reception there,
but they would not welcome him
because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven
to consume them?”
Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they journeyed to another village.

Wednesday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 457

Reading 1 (Jb 9:1-12, 14-16)

Job answered his friends and said:

I know well that it is so;
but how can a man be justified before God?
Should one wish to contend with him,
he could not answer him once in a thousand times.
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
who has withstood him and remained unscathed?

He removes the mountains before they know it;
he overturns them in his anger.
He shakes the earth out of its place,
and the pillars beneath it tremble.
He commands the sun, and it rises not;
he seals up the stars.

He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads upon the crests of the sea.
He made the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south;
He does great things past finding out,
marvelous things beyond reckoning.

Should he come near me, I see him not;
should he pass by, I am not aware of him;
Should he seize me forcibly, who can say him nay?
Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

How much less shall I give him any answer,
or choose out arguments against him!
Even though I were right, I could not answer him,
but should rather beg for what was due me.
If I appealed to him and he answered my call,
I could not believe that he would hearken to my words.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 88:10bc-11, 12-13, 14-15)

R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

Daily I call upon you, O LORD;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work wonders for the dead?
Will the shades arise to give you thanks?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

Do they declare your mercy in the grave,
your faithfulness among those who have perished?
Are your wonders made known in the darkness,
or your justice in the land of oblivion?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

But I, O LORD, cry out to you;
with my morning prayer I wait upon you.
Why, O LORD, do you reject me;
why hide from me your face?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

Alleluia (Phil 3:8-9)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I consider all things so much rubbish
that I may gain Christ and be found in him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 9:57-62)

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding
on their journey, someone said to him,
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”