Wednesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 499

Reading 1 (Rv 4:1-11)

I, John, had a vision of an open door to heaven,
and I heard the trumpetlike voice
that had spoken to me before, saying,
“Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards.”
At once I was caught up in spirit.
A throne was there in heaven, and on the throne sat one
whose appearance sparkled like jasper and carnelian.
Around the throne was a halo as brilliant as an emerald.
Surrounding the throne I saw twenty-four other thrones
on which twenty-four elders sat,
dressed in white garments and with gold crowns on their heads.
From the throne came flashes of lightning,
rumblings, and peals of thunder.
Seven flaming torches burned in front of the throne,
which are the seven spirits of God.
In front of the throne was something that resembled
a sea of glass like crystal.

In the center and around the throne,
there were four living creatures
covered with eyes in front and in back.
The first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf,
the third had a face like that of a man,
and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight.
The four living creatures, each of them with six wings,
were covered with eyes inside and out.
Day and night they do not stop exclaiming:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty,
who was, and who is, and who is to come.”
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks
to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
the twenty-four elders fall down
before the one who sits on the throne
and worship him, who lives forever and ever.
They throw down their crowns before the throne, exclaiming:

“Worthy are you, Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things;
because of your will they came to be and were created.”

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 150:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6)

R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!

Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!

Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp,
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!

Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD! Alleluia.
R. Holy, holy, holy Lord, mighty God!

Alleluia (Jn 15:16)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 19:11-28)

While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
So he said,
“A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’
His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
‘We do not want this man to be our king.’
But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said,
‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’
He replied, ‘Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.’
Then the second came and reported,
‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’
And to this servant too he said,
‘You, take charge of five cities.’
Then the other servant came and said,
‘Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.’
He said to him,
‘With your own words I shall condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’
And to those standing by he said,
‘Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant who has ten.’
But they said to him,
‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’
He replied, ‘I tell you,
to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them before me.’”

After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious
Lectionary: 500

Reading 1 (Rv 5:1-10)

I, John, saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who sat on the throne.
It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals.
Then I saw a mighty angel who proclaimed in a loud voice,
“Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth
was able to open the scroll or to examine it.
I shed many tears because no one was found worthy
to open the scroll or to examine it.
One of the elders said to me, “Do not weep.
The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed,
enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals.”

Then I saw standing in the midst of the throne
and the four living creatures and the elders
a Lamb that seemed to have been slain.
He had seven horns and seven eyes;
these are the seven spirits of God sent out into the whole world.
He came and received the scroll from the right hand
of the one who sat on the throne.
When he took it,
the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders
fell down before the Lamb.
Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense,
which are the prayers of the holy ones.
They sang a new hymn:

“Worthy are you to receive the scroll
and break open its seals,
for you were slain and with your Blood you purchased for God
those from every tribe and tongue, people and nation.
You made them a kingdom and priests for our God,
and they will reign on earth.”

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

R. The Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.

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 Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.

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 Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.

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 Lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.

Alleluia (Ps 95:8)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 19:41-44)

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

Kelley Mooney's spiritual lyrical adaptation of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"

Amen! Amen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Friday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 501

Reading 1 (Rv 10:8-11)

I, John, heard a voice from heaven speak to me.
Then the voice spoke to me and said:
“Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel
who is standing on the sea and on the land.”
So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll.
He said to me, “Take and swallow it.
It will turn your stomach sour,
but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.”
I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and swallowed it.
In my mouth it was like sweet honey,
but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
Then someone said to me, “You must prophesy again
about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131)

R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!

In the way of your decrees I rejoice,
as much as in all riches.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!

Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!

The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!

How sweet to my palate are your promises,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!

Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!

I gasp with open mouth
in my yearning for your commands.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!

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 19:45-48)

Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out
those who were selling things, saying to them,
“It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of thieves.”
And every day he was teaching in the temple area.
The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile,
were seeking to put him to death,
but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose
because all the people were hanging on his words.

Saturday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 502

Reading 1 (Rv 11:4-12)

I, John, heard a voice from heaven speak to me:
Here are my two witnesses:
These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands
that stand before the Lord of the earth.
If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths
and devours their enemies.
In this way, anyone wanting to harm them is sure to be slain.
They have the power to close up the sky
so that no rain can fall during the time of their prophesying.
They also have power to turn water into blood
and to afflict the earth with any plague as often as they wish.

When they have finished their testimony,
the beast that comes up from the abyss
will wage war against them and conquer them and kill them.
Their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city,
which has the symbolic names “Sodom” and “Egypt,”
where indeed their Lord was crucified.
Those from every people, tribe, tongue, and nation
will gaze on their corpses for three and a half days,
and they will not allow their corpses to be buried.
The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them
and be glad and exchange gifts
because these two prophets tormented the inhabitants of the earth.
But after the three and a half days,
a breath of life from God entered them.
When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them.
Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, “Come up here.”
So they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies looked on.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 144:1, 2, 9-10)

R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

My mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust,
who subdues my people under me.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

O God, I will sing a new song to you;
with a ten stringed lyre I will chant your praise,
You who give victory to kings,
and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Alleluia (2 Tm 1:10)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 20:27-40)

Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,
came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying,
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us,
If someone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child,
his brother must take the wife
and raise up descendants for his brother.
Now there were seven brothers;
the first married a woman but died childless.
Then the second and the third married her,
and likewise all the seven died childless.
Finally the woman also died.
Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?
For all seven had been married to her.”
Jesus said to them,
“The children of this age marry and remarry;
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God
because they are the ones who will rise.
That the dead will rise
even Moses made known in the passage about the bush,
when he called ‘Lord’
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
and he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive.”
Some of the scribes said in reply,
“Teacher, you have answered well.”
And they no longer dared to ask him anything.



Good morning & God Bless!


This post has been edited by khool: Nov 19 2016, 04:27 AM

Is your life earthbound or heavenbound?

The Sadducees had one big problem -- they could not conceive of heaven beyond what they could see with their naked eyes! Aren't we often like them? We don't recognize spiritual realities because we try to make heaven into an earthly image. The Sadducees came to Jesus with a test question to make the resurrection look ridiculous. The Sadducees, unlike the Pharisees, did not believe in immortality, nor in angels or evil spirits. Their religion was literally grounded in an earthly image of heaven. Jesus retorts by dealing with the fact of the resurrection. The scriptures give proof of it. In Exodus 3:6, when God manifests his presence to Moses in the burning bush, the Lord tells him that he is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He shows that the patriarchs who died hundreds of years previously were still alive in God. Jesus defeats their arguments by showing that God is a living God of a living people. God was the friend of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when they lived. That friendship could not cease with death. As Psalm 73:23-24 states: "I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory." The ultimate proof of the resurrection is the Lord Jesus and his victory over death when he rose from the tomb. Before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he exclaimed: I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:25). Jesus asks us the same question. Do you believe in the resurrection?

The Holy Spirit reveals to us the eternal truths of God's unending love and the life he desires to share with us for all eternity. Paul the Apostle, quoting from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 64:4; 65:17) states: "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him," God has revealed to us through the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). The promise of paradise -- heavenly bliss and unending life with an all-loving God -- is beyond human reckoning. We have only begun to taste the first-fruits! Do you live now in the joy and hope of the life of the age to come?

"May the Lord Jesus put his hands on our eyes also, for then we too shall begin to look not at what is seen but at what is not seen. May he open the eyes that are concerned not with the present but with what is yet to come, may he unseal the heart's vision, that we may gaze on God in the Spirit, through the same Lord, Jesus Christ, whose glory and power will endure throughout the unending succession of ages." (Prayer of Origen, c. 185-254)

REFLECTION ON TODAY'S READINGS
Revelation 11:4-12
Psalms 144:1, 2, 9-10
Luke 20:27-40

As part of today’s ‘Alleluia,’ 2 Timithoy 1:10 is referenced. It is not a lengthy verse, tremendously poetic, or difficult to absorb. In fact, I find myself completely awestruck at the simplicity of the verse, “Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.” That one short sentence tells me so much about our God. Unlike any other, he defeated death. And unlike any other, He is still alive today through the Gospel. Through the death and resurrection, we have been shown the way to eternal life. The only way, is through Jesus Christ.

I used to think that if I was a “good person” that would be enough to earn a ticket to heaven. I reasoned with myself that my sin wasn’t all that bad. It was easy to point out others and say to myself, “at least I’m not doing that.” But now that I have read the word carefully and matured in my faith, I understand that no matter how many good deeds I do, that will never be enough to make me worthy of an eternity with the Creator. It is by the blood of Jesus that my sins have been forgiven, that my debt has been canceled and that I am a new creation. Because of His death, I now have life.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=144...hc_ref=NEWSFEED

GOD… OF THE LIVING.

Jesus ends his argument with these words to refute the doctrine of the Sadducees on the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection because it is not found in the Torah. They recognize only the Torah as source of teachings. In the story, the Sadducees laboriously invent an impossible story based on the Levirate marriage (Dt 25:5-10) to prove that resurrection is impossible. Imagine the one marrying the widow reaches up to the seventh son.

One of the important teachings of Jesus is the resurrection of the dead. This teaching encourages the disciples to take Jesus’ words to heart. There is a great reward for believing and living the words of Jesus. The disciples may be persecuted by other people because of him. This teaching must remind them that they will be vindicated on the last day. Their sacrifices will not forever end in their graves.

Jesus’ teaching is validated when he rises from the dead after his crucifixion and death. As he engages with the Sadducees and other groups, it is just a matter of time that he will soon die, but after three days the God of the living will raise him up.

Belief in the resurrection gives us courage to live our Christian faith in the midst of opposition and in the face of defeat and death.

SOURCE: “366 Days with the Lord 2016,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.)


This post has been edited by khool: Nov 19 2016, 04:45 AM

LET CHRIST, MY FOCUS BE.
by Norman Wagoner




LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE…

I rise each day to do my job.
Not to weep, complain or sob.
I'll not let satan my day rob.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

I begin each day in fervent prayer.
I take my sword and practice there.
When my turn comes, I will not err.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

I rise now and go toward the front.
I will not sit here on my rump,
While satan kills men with a thump.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

To the front, the battle nears.
Many fall, run through with fear.
satan's cries are in my ears.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

I pass the ones that sit aside.
I see those washed away by tide.
On Solid Rock I found each stride.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

Sometimes the water's deep and strong.
Sometimes the trials are tough and long.
But I know where my eyes belong.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

And now I feel I'm at the front.
I look around for friends to come.
There's none but Christ, ….
God's will be done.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

The trench's mud is drenched with blood.
The fallen saints withstood the flood.
The prayers of many at me tug.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

The mud is deep and slows my legs.
My forward progress slows instead.
All around me lay the dead.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

All around me bullets fly.
Sweat and blood they sting my eyes.
Smoke and death they fill the sky.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

The struggle here seems long and hard.
Hold tight my sword, God's Holy Word.
Rise up and fight with one accord.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

Blisters sting my hands and feet.
On head and shoulders; - battle's heat.
The ground I've gained, I'll not retreat.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

My flesh beneath my armors worn.
I've let some rust; some straps are torn.
But my strength grows, each soul reborn.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

I feel the arrows as they strike.
I feel the blows against my might.
I press on forward with God's Light.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

I feel God's presence at my side.
Long down the trench, I see your eyes.
There'd be more here, if not for pride.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

My Savior Christ will watch my back.
This satan, I will cut no slack.
his demons each day I'll attack.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

My thoughts flash to those in the rear.
Who come not forward for their fear.
I see the gaps in battle near.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

The devil's arrows gouge at me.
he kills my friends and family.
I pray to God, his end I'll see.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

So to the front I will push on.
I pray 'God please help me be strong'.
The battle's end will not be long.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

At battle's end, His son I'll be.
Fresh new cloths He'll give to me.
Of battle's struggles, I'll not see.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

And then I'll lay my armor down,
Wash off the mud, receive my crown.
I'll rest in His eternal town.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

So, where are you when battles flare?
The price is high; - the cross to bare.
My Lords not in the rear,.. but there.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

I will not stay here, in the rear.
Though blood and sweat and pain and tear.
Christ Jesus paid a price too dear.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

What is it, keeps you where you stay?
The front is near; your price is paid.
It is Christ's blood that marks the way.
LET CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

So at the front I want to be.
For only there, is victory.
It's there, my Savior waits for me.
SO CHRIST MY FOCUS BE.

“It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” – Luke 19:46


This post has been edited by khool: Nov 19 2016, 04:36 AM

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Lectionary: 162



Reading 1 (2 Sm 5:1-3)

In those days, all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said:
“Here we are, your bone and your flesh.
In days past, when Saul was our king,
it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back.
And the LORD said to you,
‘You shall shepherd my people Israel
and shall be commander of Israel.’”
When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron,
King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD,
and they anointed him king of Israel.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 122:1-2, 3-4, 4-5)

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord..

I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Reading 2 (Col 1:12-20)

Brothers and sisters:
Let us give thanks to the Father,
who has made you fit to share
in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.
He delivered us from the power of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

Alleluia (Mk 11:9, 10)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 23:35-43)

The rulers sneered at Jesus and said,
“He saved others, let him save himself
if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God.”
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
“If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.”
Above him there was an inscription that read,
“This is the King of the Jews.”

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
“Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us.”
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
“Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal.”
Then he said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
He replied to him,
“Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.”

This post has been edited by khool: Nov 20 2016, 06:59 AM

REFLECTION: The Sovereign
Sunday 20th, November 2016

In 1925, after World War I, Pope Pius XI issued the encyclical Quas Primas, instituting the Solemnity of Christ the King. The encyclical declared Jesus Christ to be true King and Savior of the universe. Pius XI had spoken about the scourge and evil of war, how it was incapable of bringing about genuine peace to humanity. Enduring peace, the Pope wrote, could be found only in Jesus Christ who teaches us the law of love.

The apostle Paul refers to Jesus as God’s beloved Son, as “the firstborn of all creation” who made peace “by the blood of his cross” (Second Reading). The Kingship of Jesus Christ is unique in that his emphasis is not on displaying power but on making himself powerless so that others may live. He wears a crown of thorns. His hands are nailed to the cross and cannot hold any scepter. His throne is the cross, an instrument of punishment and cruelty, a stark symbol of an ignominious death for a criminal. Jesus wears no royal purple and is shamelessly stripped to his loincloth. Calvary Hill hisses and heckles like a venomous serpent, but the resplendent image of Jesus, forlorn on the cross, cuts across the sky as a gleam of glory.

Jesus Christ towers over everybody else in Calvary. He only has words of forgiveness for his tormentors. He assures one of the criminals, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Jesus surprises the small group of loyal people who dare stand at the foot of his cross. He gives Mary his mother and the beloved disciple to each other. In his final hour, Jesus creates a community between Mary and John, between Mary and every future believer. In a larger sense, Jesus gives Mary to the People of God, also known by another name: the Church.

We proclaim today that everything in this world originates, flourishes, and finds fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus is recognized by Nathanael as “the Son of God… the King of Israel” (Jn 1:49). At Calvary, where Jesus concludes his mission by offering his life on the cross, he is recognized by the centurion who exclaims, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” (Mt 27:54).

World leaders rise to power then fall to oblivion or suffer disgrace. Jesus is not just another leader who assumes power but dies afterwards. Paul identifies him as “the firstborn from the dead,” and by God’s grace we are all his siblings. He shows to us that the royal road to life is one of selfless, loving, and dedicated service to our needy brethren. He teaches this by sincerely caring for the sick and the sinners. Jesus is our King who welcomes to his circle those who are in most need of his mercy until his last breath on the cross.

SOURCE: “366 Days with the Lord 2016,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.)

Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 503

Reading 1 (Zec 2:14-17)

Sing and rejoice, daughter Zion!
Now, I am coming to dwell in your midst—oracle of the Lord.
Many nations will bind themselves to the Lord on that day.
They will be my people, and I will dwell in your midst.
Then you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.
The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion of the holy land, and the Lord will again choose Jerusalem.
Silence, all people, in the presence of the Lord, who stirs forth from his holy dwelling.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6)

R. 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 (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 (Matt 12:46-50)

While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him.
Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!
For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr
Lectionary: 504

Reading 1 (Rv 14:14-19)

I, John, looked and there was a white cloud,
and sitting on the cloud one who looked like a son of man,
with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
Another angel came out of the temple,
crying out in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud,
“Use your sickle and reap the harvest,
for the time to reap has come,
because the earth’s harvest is fully ripe.”
So the one who was sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth,
and the earth was harvested.

Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven
who also had a sharp sickle.
Then another angel came from the altar, who was in charge of the fire,
and cried out in a loud voice
to the one who had the sharp sickle,
“Use your sharp sickle and cut the clusters from the earth’s vines,
for its grapes are ripe.”
So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and cut the earth’s vintage.
He threw it into the great wine press of God’s fury.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 96:10, 11-12, 13)

R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
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 (Rv 2:10c)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 21:5-11)

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”
He answered,
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.”
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”

Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 505

Reading 1 (Rv 15:1-4)

I, John, saw in heaven another sign, great and awe-inspiring:
seven angels with the seven last plagues,
for through them God’s fury is accomplished.

Then I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire.
On the sea of glass were standing those
who had won the victory over the beast
and its image and the number that signified its name.
They were holding God’s harps,
and they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God,
and the song of the Lamb:

“Great and wonderful are your works,
Lord God almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
O king of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
or glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All the nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 7-8, 9)

R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!

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. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!

The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!

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. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!

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. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!

Alleluia (Rv 2:10c)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 21:12-19)

Jesus said to the crowd:
“They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, today marks the anniversary of the death of C. S. Lewis, one of twentieth century's greatest Christian apologists. Please offer a prayer for the repose of his soul ... Amen!

Mark 9:37

“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

Monday of the First Week in Advent
Lectionary: 175



Reading 1 (Is 4:2-6)

On that day,
The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory,
and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor
for the survivors of Israel.
He who remains in Zion
and he who is left in Jerusalem
Will be called holy:
every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.
When the LORD washes away
the filth of the daughters of Zion,
And purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midst
with a blast of searing judgment,
Then will the LORD create,
over the whole site of Mount Zion
and over her place of assembly,
A smoking cloud by day
and a light of flaming fire by night.
For over all, the LORD’s glory will be shelter and protection:
shade from the parching heat of day,
refuge and cover from storm and rain.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9)

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Alleluia (Ps 80:4)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come and save us, LORD our God;
let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Mt 8:5-11)

When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.”



REFLECTION

"Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed".

At every Mass we are invited to Communion with our Lord, to share in the Body and Blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. In today's Gospel. why was the centurion reluctant to accept an offer to have the Lord come to his home, especially if it was to heal his paralyzed servant? Maybe, it was because he felt himself or his home unworthy. Are we, too, like the centurion, feeling that we are unworthy to have Christ enter under our roof and into our lives.Well, its not an issue. But the answer lies within the Holy Communion. I always get a surreal experience when the Eucharist reaches my mouth, and I hope you have that feeling too. He's living in you and I.

We were born sinners, and sinners we will die, but therein lies the beauty, for the Lord knows full well of our imperfections. He asks only that we believe in the power of his love and his willingness to forgive our transgressions. Today we ask ourselves how willing we are to let Jesus under our roofs. What are we afraid of? That our life is not in perfect order? Don’t worry! The Lord knows that our lives are messy and occasionally full of turmoil, but He is there, ready to enter. God bless.

This post has been edited by khool: Nov 28 2016, 08:45 AM