Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 402



Reading 1 (Ex 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28)

The tent, which was called the meeting tent,
Moses used to pitch at some distance away, outside the camp.
Anyone who wished to consult the LORD
would go to this meeting tent outside the camp.
Whenever Moses went out to the tent, the people would all rise
and stand at the entrance of their own tents,
watching Moses until he entered the tent.
As Moses entered the tent, the column of cloud would come down
and stand at its entrance while the LORD spoke with Moses.
On seeing the column of cloud stand at the entrance of the tent,
all the people would rise and worship
at the entrance of their own tents.
The LORD used to speak to Moses face to face,
as one man speaks to another.
Moses would then return to the camp,
but his young assistant, Joshua, son of Nun,
would not move out of the tent.

Moses stood there with the LORD and proclaimed his name, "LORD."
Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out,
"The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God,
slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity,
continuing his kindness for a thousand generations,
and forgiving wickedness and crime and sin;
yet not declaring the guilty guiltless,
but punishing children and grandchildren
to the third and fourth generation for their fathers' wickedness!"
Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.
Then he said, "If I find favor with you, O LORD,
do come along in our company.
This is indeed a stiff-necked people;
yet pardon our wickedness and sins,
and receive us as your own."

So Moses stayed there with the LORD for forty days and forty nights,
without eating any food or drinking any water,
and he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant,
the ten commandments.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 103:6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13)

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

The LORD secures justice
and the rights of all the oppressed.
He has made known his ways to Moses,
and his deeds to the children of Israel.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
All who come to him will live for ever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Mt 13:36-43)

Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
"Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."
He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the Evil One,
and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his Kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the Kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear."



REFLECTION

Explain to us the Parables. The disciples ask Jesus for explanation. They know what the weeds are, but it is not clear how these and the other images are related to the Kingdom of God.

In the parable, Jesus explains, God sows good seed. God causes good people, represented by the good seed, to spread throughout the land. They are identified as God’s children. But the evil one comes to sow bad guys to spoil them, to frustrate God’s plan. The bad cause the good to trip, to sin, and even to lead them out of God’s fold.

There are also guys who want to eliminate the bad guys in God’s name. But God has a different plan. God will do it at harvest time or judgment. There is time for everything. Part of God’s plan is to eliminate evil in this world. It has already begun with Jesus.

We may be asking the same question and seeking clarification. For us Christians, the parable should mean: We are the good guys by virtue of our baptism. In the world, we should not allow ourselves to be corrupted by the bad guys.

The good guys will go to heaven, while the bad ones go somewhere else. Do you consider yourself a good guy? Explain.



SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2017,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.) http://www.ssp.ph/


This post has been edited by khool: Aug 1 2017, 09:50 AM

✝️ PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION



My JESUS, what has passed our lips as food, O Lord, may we possess in purity of heart, that what is given to us in time, be our healing for eternity. May Your Body, O Lord, which I have eaten, and Your Blood which I have drunk, cleave to my very soul, and grant that no trace of sin be found in me, whom these pure and holy mysteries have renewed.

We humbly beseech You, Almighty God, to grant that those whom You refresh with Your sacraments, may serve you worthily by a life well pleasing to You. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns, world without end. Amen.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/DailyRosary/photos...BsecIRrlrFyHzyA





This post has been edited by khool: Aug 1 2017, 02:22 PM

The Necessity of Regular Confession and Dependence on God's Mercy



Confession is something that boggles the minds of many. Often the question comes up, “If we can confess our sins directly to God, then what need have we for Confession, for the Sacrament of Reconciliation?” – the question is not only asked by Protestants, but Catholics also.

Let’s take a look at a few things. Firstly, what are the five names for Confession?

1. Confession (or the Sacrament of Confession)

2. The Sacrament of Reconciliation (probably the most often used name)

3. The Sacrament of Penance

4. The Sacrament of Forgiveness

5. The Sacrament of Conversion

Why do we have these five different names for the same thing? Here are some reasons, though they are not extensive.

1. We confess our sins to God. We name them and say how many times we committed each sin. In doing so, we acknowledge our human weaknesses and that we are in need of growing, learning, and correcting our faults, as well as our need for God’s mercy. In a sense, we confess that Jesus is Lord, and thus we must go through Him to receive forgiveness from the Father [God]. We confess that we are totally dependent on God and that we need His mercy.

2. We reconcile ourselves to God. Every Ash Wednesday, we here this line in the second reading – “Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20). By reconciling ourselves to God, we become one with Him again, ready to respond to His call for us – the Call of holiness, but also of LOVE.

3. We do penance. Many people see this as a punishment, when in fact, it is designed to help us reflect and learn from our sins, so as not to commit them again, by the help of God’s grace. Penance is part of the conversion process to obtain pardon and make satisfaction for the act against charity to which we have committed [the sin itself]. Thus, it reconciles us with the Church and God.

4. We are forgiven by God. When the priest, who comes in persona Christi [in the person of Christ] gives us absolution, we, the penitents, are granted forgiveness, pardon and peace of Christ.

5. The Sacrament should bring about a firm resolve, by the help of God’s grace, not to sin again and to avoid the near occasion of sin, and hence, there should be an element of conversion. If the penitent is not truly sorry for their sins and won’t at least try to stop their bad habits or sins, then they have not made a true resolve and can be refused absolution, since there was not an element of the conversion of heart. By conversion, one must have a contrite heart, and trusting in God’s mercy, allow His mercy to overflow from head to heart – believing that they are really forgiven – as the Greeks used the term, metanoia.

So, what is the actual purpose of Confession? Why do we need to go to a priest instead of “directly to God”?

If God is everywhere, then why would we need the sacraments? Why do we need the real presence of the Eucharist, consecrated in the Mass? Why do we need physical signs in the sacraments when God is always with us? These are questions asked a lot by many who seem to think the Catholic Church man-made the sacraments. Since we are both body and soul, we need to experience God in both the physical dimension [body] and spiritual dimension [soul].

There’s a very Catholic saying that goes like this, “what the body does, the soul will follow”. Being human, we need to be able to experience things through our senses to truly allow them to seep through into our hearts. The reason we have confession is partly linked to this.

For the Eucharist, though we know God is everywhere, the sacrament allows us to see, touch, taste Jesus. It serves as an objective reminder that God is here and present in our lives. In the case of confession, our human nature means we struggle to believe we are truly loved and forgiven. My parish priest of my home parish once said to us that the greatest act we will ever do is to accept we are accepted and forgiven. As Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden hid from God, ashamed of having eaten the forbidden fruit, they showed that humans struggle with a very real battle in believing that God is loving and merciful, and so their reaction was one of fear and distrust in God’s mercy.

So, what does the Sacrament of Confession even do for us?

It allows us to experience, first hand, God’s mercy. When we approach the Sacrament of Confession, we are liberated by the ability to see the priest, hear him, allow the words of his giving of absolution under the authority of the Church to heal us, by letting them help us draw the line of the past in the sand and let the waves of the ocean of God’s mercy wash away our sin. We can hear the priest telling us, “you’re forgiven”. Just as Jesus said in the curing of the paralytic, “which of these is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven” or “Get up and walk”?” (Mt 9:5). By allowing ourselves to hear these very healing words, we can overcome our otherwise too weak human selves, that would otherwise just keep questioning whether God really loves us or has forgiven us.

Moreover, the practice of ritual is part of lives. For example, imagine a young man proposing to the girl of his dreams. What would make more of an impact? Walking up to her and saying, “I love you, marry me”, or getting down on one knee, with a bouquet of flowers, smiling and saying, “My dearly beloved girlfriend, I love you so much, will you be mine forever and marry me?”. Of course, the second one would make a much greater impact – it goes without saying. So, in the same way, confession is just God’s gesture to us, to hold us and embrace us as His beloved, and show us His love for us in a very physical and spiritual way, to appeal to the body and soul that we are. If we do not let ourselves be embraced in this way, we stuff away the negativity of our imaginations, that eventually manifests and transmits itself across to others, especially those closest to us, to whom we love the most. What is not transformed is transmitted. If our darkness can be transformed by God’s mercy in the Sacrament of Confession, we are in a much better position to radiate God’s light, joy and love to others. Therefore, confession is a gift from God, to touch us, heal us and liberate us. By going to confession, we admit that we need God’s grace and mercy, and we learn humility, since we recognize that we are totally dependent on God, and in need of His love, mercy and compassion.

A Personal Anecdote

I’m a convert to the Catholic faith and made my first Confession at the age of 18. By that time, sin was weighing heavy upon me, and the sins of my childhood, some great and many in number, were burdening me, and there was a part of me that doubted God’s love for me. I struggled even through the RCIA to accept that God could use me for His greater glory and bless me with all that I had. Everything I asked of him, I was given more than an abundance, more than my teenage imagination could possibly comprehend. But I found it difficult to accept God’s mercy, His forgiveness, because I couldn’t forgive myself. I couldn’t forgive myself for hurting people in the past, and for all the possible things I might do in the future (as the priest who later became my regular confessor later on said to me, “don’t be caught up with the Theology of the Possibles, which by the way, isn’t a Theology!!”). I struggled to believe that God could forgive me if I couldn’t even forgive myself, but how wrong I was. After 40 minutes, yes, it was 40 minutes, I came out of the confessional for the first time, having had my sins washed clean. Finally, I was free. Everything seemed brighter. I felt as it if someone took a screen away from my eyes. I could see things so clearly, and it was beautiful. After I did my penance, I just sat on a bench at the back of the church and I looked up at the stained glass window and sunbathed in the presence of God.

Ever since then, I have gone regularly to Confession. Although I’m naturally quite shy and reserved, and often find it incredibly difficult to reveal my deepest heart’s secrets, especially my sins, the sacrament has taught me a great amount of humility. Even though I can be very embarrassed to confess certain sins in particular, I have learned to trust in God’s mercy and compassion, knowing that, as long as I do my best to keep myself from sin, by the help of God’s grace, He will keep me ever close to Him and always forgive me and help me along this very difficult journey we call, “life”.

Thus, I must encourage you to go to Confession with a contrite heart, sorry for your sins, and a sincere and firm purpose of amendment, with the help of God’s grace, to do better and sin no more. Most priests have recommended that once a month is healthy (even though Canon Law requires us to only go annually), and in some cases, especially if you know you’re in deep need of sacramental grace to overcome an “addicted sin” as some have called it (sins you commit over and over again, so deeply rooted that they’ve become bad habits, or worse, actual addictions), then go more often, or any time you commit mortal sin (grave, full knowledge and deliberate consent). For me, I go weekly, though this is not advised unless you have been specifically guided by a priest/your confessor to do so, since there is a risk of scruples (becoming overly obsessed with every little sin, including venial sins, until you fail to trust in God’s mercy, which is not healthy).

God bless you, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Know you have my prayers. May you always trust in God’s mercy and compassion, and be not afraid to approach the Sacrament of Confession. Remember, there’s probably nothing the priest hasn’t already heard before, and you probably won’t be the worst sinner he’s had to hear a confession for, so don’t worry. Trust God and depend on His mercy.

Source: http://www.catholic365.com/article/7128/th...gods-mercy.html

Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 403



Reading 1 (Ex 34:29-35)

As Moses came down from Mount Sinai
with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands,
he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant
while he conversed with the LORD.
When Aaron, then, and the other children of Israel saw Moses
and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become,
they were afraid to come near him.
Only after Moses called to them did Aaron
and all the rulers of the community come back to him.
Moses then spoke to them.
Later on, all the children of Israel came up to him,
and he enjoined on them all that the LORD
had told him on Mount Sinai.
When he finished speaking with them,
he put a veil over his face.
Whenever Moses entered the presence of the LORD to converse with him,
he removed the veil until he came out again.
On coming out, he would tell the children of Israel
all that had been commanded.
Then the children of Israel would see
that the skin of Moses' face was radiant;
so he would again put the veil over his face
until he went in to converse with the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 99:5, 6, 7, 9)

R. Holy is the Lord our God.

Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his footstool;
holy is he!
R. Holy is the Lord our God.

Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel, among those who called upon his name;
they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.

From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them;
they heard his decrees and the law he gave them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.

Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for holy is the LORD, our God.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.

Alleluia (Jn 15:15b)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Mt 13:44-46)

Jesus said to his disciples:
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."



REFLECTION

Like a Treasure buried in a Field. What a strange parable of the Kingdom! In Biblical times, when there is trouble or invasion, people put their treasures and precious belongings in a jar and bury the container. It may happen that in time the treasure is forgotten or the one who buried it has died. Here comes a farmer who accidentally plows the jar and discovers the treasure. He knows he has no rights to it; the owner of the field was its true owner. To get the treasure, therefore, he must buy the field.

At first, the parable seems strange, but it makes sense when we speak about the nature of God’s Kingdom. God’s Kingdom is like a buried treasure that we encounter or stumble upon. It is a gift, but to make it our own, we must pay a big price.

We do not possess God’s Kingdom by just accidentally discovering it. We have to work hard and make necessary sacrifices to make our possession of it right. God’s Kingdom is a pure gift; our efforts to possess it make it even more precious to us.

Have you found the treasure called God’s Kingdom?

SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2017,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.) http://www.ssp.ph/

Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 404



Reading 1 (Ex 40:16-21, 34-38)

Moses did exactly as the LORD had commanded him.
On the first day of the first month of the second year
the Dwelling was erected.
It was Moses who erected the Dwelling.
He placed its pedestals, set up its boards, put in its bars,
and set up its columns.
He spread the tent over the Dwelling
and put the covering on top of the tent,
as the LORD had commanded him.
He took the commandments and put them in the ark;
he placed poles alongside the ark and set the propitiatory upon it.
He brought the ark into the Dwelling and hung the curtain veil,
thus screening off the ark of the commandments,
as the LORD had commanded him.

Then the cloud covered the meeting tent,
and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling.
Moses could not enter the meeting tent,
because the cloud settled down upon it
and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling.
Whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling,
the children of Israel would set out on their journey.
But if the cloud did not lift, they would not go forward;
only when it lifted did they go forward.
In the daytime the cloud of the LORD was seen over the Dwelling;
whereas at night, fire was seen in the cloud
by the whole house of Israel
in all the stages of their journey.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11)

R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!

My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!

Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young–
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my king and my God!
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!

Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
They go from strength to strength.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!

I had rather one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!

Alleluia (Acts 16:14b)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Open our hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of your Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Mt 13:47-53)

Jesus said to the disciples:
"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,
which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore
and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age.
The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."

"Do you understand all these things?"
They answered, "Yes."
And he replied,
"Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven
is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom
both the new and the old."
When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there.



REFLECTION

Do you understand all these things? Jesus asks this when He has finished proclaiming the parables of the Kingdom. The disciples answer, “Yes.” It is as good sign.

Before concluding His teachings, Jesus likens the Kingdom of heaven to a net thrown into the sea. The sea refers to Lake Galilee, not the Mediterranean Sea. The Greek word for sea and lake is the same – thalassa. The dragnet catches good and bad fish. The parable is similar to the earlier weeds among the wheat. In both stories, the good and the bad are allowed to grow together. Only at the end will they be separated and treated accordingly, as when the dragnet is hauled ashore and when harvest comes.

Jesus ends His teaching with another saying, “Every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom…” (v 52). It is believed that this scribe refers to the author of the gospel who is familiar with the old and the new teachings. It can also be applied to His disciples who, like the scribes, have been instructed in the Kingdom and must be skillful enough to make sense out of what they have been taught.

You understand your faith when you integrate it in your life. Do you see the connections between your catechism and such new teachings as the care of creation and of the family?



SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2017,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.) http://www.ssp.ph/

This post has been edited by khool: Aug 3 2017, 09:38 AM

This post has been edited by khool: Aug 3 2017, 09:41 AM

Bro Yeeck, you managed to watch the movie yet? if yes, what do you think of it?

This post has been edited by khool: Aug 3 2017, 11:13 AM

How Old Was the Theotokos When She Reposed?

By Professor Dr. Spyridon Kontoyiannes,
Professor of Theology at the University of Athens



As the tradition of our Church teaches, the Falling Asleep of the Theotokos took place at the house of John the Evangelist, where the All Holy Virgin stayed, together with his brother James and their mother Salome who was related to the Theotokos, according to the known consignment of Christ from the Cross (John 19:26-27). The Theotokos was informed about her imminent falling asleep by an angel three days before the event, and so she was able to prepare herself and to give her two garments to two widowed neighbors.

When the All-holy Virgin fell asleep and her eyes were closed, the Apostles, who had been miraculously gathered together in Jerusalem from the “ends of the earth,” raised her bier and carried it to the garden of her family in Gethsemane, where her parents, Joachim and Anna, had been buried, and buried it there. During the transportation of the bier, fanatical Jews tried to overturn it, but they were miraculously blinded. Only one of them was able to touch the bier, but an invisible sword cut his two hands.

Many of the faithful, however, on many occasions have raised the question: how old was our All-holy Lady when she fell asleep? To find the age of the Theotokos at the time of her falling asleep we need to take the events of her life one by one, as they are delivered by the New Testament and the Tradition of our Church.

1. As regards the date of the birth of the Theotokos, the Menaia of the Church record according to the tradition the 8th of September of the year 16 BC.

2. Her betrothal by Zachariah her relative (Luke 1:36) to Joseph who was also her relative (Luke 1:27 3:23ff), occurred when the All-holy Virgin was 14 years old.

3. Her Annunciation that she would give birth to the Son and Word of God by the Archangel Gabriel occurred in the year 1 BC, i.e. when the All-holy Virgin had completed her 15th year.

4. Therefore, when she gave birth to our Lord Jesus Christ she was 16 years old.

5. At the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, in May of the year AD 33, the All-holy Virgin had completed her 48th year and was present together with the Apostles at the Upper Room in Jerusalem (Acts 1:14, 2:1ff).

All the above-mentioned pieces of information concerning the life of the All-holy Theotokos are supplied by Luke the Evangelist in his Gospel and in his book the Acts of the Apostles, in combination with the great and sacred events of the Church, because the All-holy Virgin was the most venerable person in the early Church as the Mother of our Savior and God.

So, when in the year AD 48/49, another great and sacred event took place in the Church, the Apostolic Synod, Luke does not say whether our All-holy Lady was present. He does so, not out of contempt or irreverence towards her holy person but simply because by his silence he indicates that she had fallen asleep a little earlier than the summoning of the Apostolic Synod in AD 47 or 48/49. It would have been unthinkable and irrational if the first historian of the Church willfully ignored the person who gave birth to the Redeemer of the world; the person to whom human beings for over two thousand years “have been turning, after God” and regard her as their “indissoluble fortress and protection.” The silence of Luke the Evangelist in this case means nothing else than that our All-holy Lady had fallen asleep. She fell asleep and was transported to heaven as the Mother of our God and our Mother to Life at the age of 62/63.

The only Apostle who was absent from the funeral of the Theotokos was Thomas. However, when he arrived three days later and went to grave of the Theotokos, he did not find her body there but only her sepulcher clothes. At the grave of the Theotokos a magnificent temple was erected which is attributed to St. Helen. After the destruction of this temple the Byzantine emperors Marcian (450-457) and Pulcheria erected the temple which still exists today.

It was at this temple in Gethsemane that Saint John Damascene delivered his celebrated Orations on the Falling Asleep of the Theotokos. It is with him that we too sing today: “Let us praise her today with sacred songs… Let us honor her with an all-night vigil… Let us thank her with purity of soul and body… Let us cry with Gabriel, the first leader of the angels… Rejoice, you through whom death is being pushed aside and life has been brought in” (Oration II on the Dormition of the Theotokos, 16).

Source: https://www.facebook.com/Greek-Orthodox-Dai...wiSYhwI&fref=nf

Memorial of Saint John Vianney, Priest
Lectionary: 405



Reading 1 (Lv 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34b-37)

The LORD said to Moses,
"These are the festivals of the LORD which you shall celebrate
at their proper time with a sacred assembly.
The Passover of the LORD falls on the fourteenth day of the first month,
at the evening twilight.
The fifteenth day of this month is the LORD's feast of Unleavened Bread.
For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
On the first of these days you shall hold a sacred assembly
and do no sort of work.
On each of the seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD.
Then on the seventh day you shall again hold a sacred assembly
and do no sort of work."

The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the children of Israel and tell them:
When you come into the land which I am giving you,
and reap your harvest,
you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest
to the priest, who shall wave the sheaf before the LORD
that it may be acceptable for you.
On the day after the sabbath the priest shall do this.

"Beginning with the day after the sabbath,
the day on which you bring the wave-offering sheaf,
you shall count seven full weeks,
and then on the day after the seventh week, the fiftieth day,
you shall present the new cereal offering to the LORD.

"The tenth of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement,
when you shall hold a sacred assembly and mortify yourselves
and offer an oblation to the LORD.

"The fifteenth day of this seventh month is the LORD's feast of Booths,
which shall continue for seven days.
On the first day there shall be a sacred assembly,
and you shall do no sort of work.
For seven days you shall offer an oblation to the LORD,
and on the eighth day you shall again hold a sacred assembly
and offer an oblation to the LORD.
On that solemn closing you shall do no sort of work.

"These, therefore, are the festivals of the LORD
on which you shall proclaim a sacred assembly,
and offer as an oblation to the LORD burnt offerings and cereal offerings,
sacrifices and libations, as prescribed for each day."

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 81:3-4, 5-6, 10-11ab)

R. Sing with joy to God our help.

Take up a melody, and sound the timbrel,
the pleasant harp and the lyre.
Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our solemn feast.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.

For it is a statute in Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob,
Who made it a decree for Joseph
when he came forth from the land of Egypt.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.

There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt.
R. Sing with joy to God our help.

Alleluia (1 Pt 1:25)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of the Lord remains forever;
this is the word that has been proclaimed to you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Mt 13:54-58)

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.
They were astonished and said,
"Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?
Is he not the carpenter's son?
Is not his mother named Mary
and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
Are not his sisters all with us?
Where did this man get all this?"
And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them,
"A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house."
And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.



REFLECTION

He not the Carpenter’s Son? Jesus’ town mates are amazed at His teachings and His mighty deeds. They all have the same lowly background. They know everything about Him, including His family and relatives.

On the natural plane, they overlook that, at His age, Jesus may have learned a lot. He has accumulated wisdom and skills through His regular attendance of Sabbath services and His participation at Jewish religious festivals, as the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. In the Temple, He will be seen discussing and debating with the experts on the usual questions of the day, like paying tax and how to keep the Sabbath.

What the people cannot accept is that Jesus comes from God. Jesus has revealed His identity, but they do not believe Him. As a result of their disbelief, Jesus does not perform many miracles in Nazareth. Faith in Him is necessary to benefit from His power and experience His mighty deeds.

Do you believe in Jesus – not just believe in His miracles but also in His teachings? Put aside your own beliefs and learn His paradigms. Grow in faith through the teachings of His Church.

SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2017,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.) http://www.ssp.ph/

Please take note ...



August 15th is a day of obligation ... please remember to go to church!

Amen! And have a blessed weekend!



This post has been edited by khool: Aug 4 2017, 09:40 AM

Saint of the Day: Saint John-Baptist Marie Vianney.

Born in the fanatically anti-clerical and irreligious age of the French Revolution, Jean-Baptiste Marie grew up an unlettered farmhand and made his First Communion at 13. As such, he encountered great difficulties in his studies for the priesthood and only his sterling character and spiritual depth, backed by the special intervention of his Pastor, finally procured for him his ordination in 1815.

Assigning him to the obscure village of Ars near Lyons, the Vicar General told him: “There is not much love of God in that parish. You will enkindle it!” In fact, the villagers and farmers were living in a state of acute spiritual and moral neglect. Vianney set about working quietly among them, particularly the poor and sick, spending many hours daily before the Blessed Sacrament, pleading for the conversion of his flock.

His chiefest and most successful labor involved spending 14 to 18 hours daily in the Confessional. So many were miraculously healed, Ars itself being morally and spiritually transformed within a few years that the people, consisting of the well and the sick, among them Cardinals and Bishops (usually incognito), besides priests, religious and lay people from every conceivable walk of life from all parts of Europe and even America with their problems, in 20 years, totalled over 2 million! To care for them all, the Cure was dispensed by his Bishop from attending the annual Priests’ retreat.

Toward the end of his life, he was made honorary Canon of Lyons, and the French government knighted him with the Légion d'honneur, though of course he cared nothing for such accolades.He was canonized in 1925.

Reflection: “Anything we do without offering it to God, is wasted” (Saint John Baptist Marie Vianney).



Source: https://www.facebook.com/stpaulspubindia/po...422322091179323

Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 406



Reading 1 (Lv 25:1, 8-17)

The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai,
"Seven weeks of years shall you count–seven times seven years–
so that the seven cycles amount to forty-nine years.
Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month, let the trumpet resound;
on this, the Day of Atonement, the trumpet blast shall re-echo
throughout your land.
This fiftieth year you shall make sacred
by proclaiming liberty in the land for all its inhabitants.
It shall be a jubilee for you,
when every one of you shall return to his own property,
every one to his own family estate.
In this fiftieth year, your year of jubilee,
you shall not sow, nor shall you reap the aftergrowth
or pick the grapes from the untrimmed vines.
Since this is the jubilee, which shall be sacred for you,
you may not eat of its produce,
except as taken directly from the field.

"In this year of jubilee, then,
every one of you shall return to his own property.
Therefore, when you sell any land to your neighbor
or buy any from him, do not deal unfairly.
On the basis of the number of years since the last jubilee
shall you purchase the land from your neighbor;
and so also, on the basis of the number of years for crops,
shall he sell it to you.
When the years are many, the price shall be so much the more;
when the years are few, the price shall be so much the less.
For it is really the number of crops that he sells you.
Do not deal unfairly, then; but stand in fear of your God.
I, the LORD, am your God."

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 67:2-3, 5, 7-8)

R. O God, let all the nations praise you!

May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!

May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!

The earth has yielded its fruits;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!

Alleluia (Mt 5:10)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Mt 14:1-12)





REFLECTION

It is not lawful for you to have her. John the Baptist loses his head for saying this. He is meddling in the affairs of Herod, the most powerful man in the province of Galilee. Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, has long begrudged John for declaring his objection to their unlawful relationship and waited for the right time.

John the Baptist is just doing his job as a prophet. He boldly points out their mistake, a violation of God’s sixth commandment.

Now Herod makes another big mistake. In his birthday party, after the daughter of Herodias performs a dance to entertain the distinguished visitors, he makes a promise that he cannot take back. The birthday celebration thus turns into a horror story.

Mistake after mistake happens when we do not listen to God. Our lives, both private and public, are endangered when we heed our pride, hurt, and desire for vengeance. We commit the same mistakes when we have no time to reflect and pray, when we are more concerned about entertaining and gratifying people than about pleasing God.

We are here to please God by obeying his commands and by being more prudent.

SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2017,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.) http://www.ssp.ph/

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Lectionary: 614



Reading 1 (Dn 7:9-10, 13-14)

As I watched:

Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was bright as snow,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
his throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.
The court was convened and the books were opened.

As the visions during the night continued, I saw:

One like a Son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
The one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;
all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 9)

R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

Reading 2 (2 Pt 1:16-19)

Beloved:
We did not follow cleverly devised myths
when we made known to you
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.
For he received honor and glory from God the Father
when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory,
"This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven
while we were with him on the holy mountain.
Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable.
You will do well to be attentive to it,
as to a lamp shining in a dark place,
until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Alleluia (Mt 17:5c)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Mt 17:1-9)

Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them;
his face shone like the sun
and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
"Lord, it is good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,
then from the cloud came a voice that said,
"This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him."
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
"Rise, and do not be afraid."
And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them,
"Do not tell the vision to anyone
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."



REFLECTION

A Flicker in the Dark. Married couples are often advised to go on honeymoon when misunderstandings and difficulties threaten their blissful life together. “Relive the happy moments of your honeymoon,” they are told, “so that you will have the strength to cope with the problems you face today.”

In the same manner, Fr. Luigi Zanoni, former superior general of the Society of St. Paul, would tell the novices to look back on their first taste of religious life in the novitiate when they would later be beset by problems threatening their vocation. He often pointed to the novitiate as the religious “honeymoon” with the Lord. There, one who wishes to follow Jesus experiences the sweetness of the intimate moments with the Lord in prayer.

In the Gospel, Jesus allows Peter, James, and John to have a taste of His glory. He shows them that in him the prophecy of Elijah and the Law of Moses are fulfilled. He does this not to attract more followers but to reveal the meaning of His life. He wants to prepare His disciples for His suffering, crucifixion, and death. He knows that they will find the experience very painful and that His crucifixion will weaken their faith. And yet all these have to take place.

Jesus’ transfiguration is akin to a honeymoon. It is a glimpse of the glory that awaits the disciples. It is the moment that would give them the courage to face suffering, persecution, and death. It is a promise that Jesus’ suffering and theirs will end in glory.

In The Letter from Taizé, Bro. Roger writes, “For those who are marked by suffering and by the cross of Christ, the day will come when they will be able to burn with the flame that is fed with all their past life. They will know that in God nothing is lost… When darkness gathers, His love is a fire.”

Indeed, surrounded by the darkness of sorrow and suffering, a Christian has little difficulty seeing the light beyond.

SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2017,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.) http://www.ssp.ph/

A Feast of Beauty
Feast of the Transfiguration 2017 (Sunday)



Living in today's world, it's hard to find beauty in anything, especially in yourself. It is no wonder, that the classic fairy tale story of the ugly duckling resonates with so many of us. In the story of the ugly duckling, the true beauty of the swan is only revealed in the end. Until the beautiful swan is recognised for whom he truly is, he is mocked and ridiculed by the ducks. The ugly duckling is considered unattractive and out of place. When you find a cocoon, you do not see the beauty of the butterfly. Until it emerges, its beauty and majesty are hidden within the cocoon. Unfortunately, for so many of us, in our own eyes, we remain tarnished ugly ducklings as we remain sealed in our dull coloured cocoons. We can only see the ugliness of our pain and tormented souls.

In today’s Gospel, we have our Lord’s Transfiguration where Christ’s Hidden Glory Is Revealed. The Greek word for Transfiguration has given us the scientific word for the transformation of an ugly worm-like caterpillar into a gloriously beautiful butterfly – Metamorphosis. The Transfiguration peeled away the cocoon of people’s perceptions, to reveal the wonder of the true identity of Jesus. By many, He was mocked and ridiculed. His enemies saw Him as a disturber of Israel, a simple carpenter’s son, a person of questionable parentage, a self-thought preacher without any academic qualifications or professional scholarly training. He was not numbered with the rich, the famous, or the powerful, but He was numbered among the poor, the ordinary, and the weak. He was numbered with sinners and transgressors.

On the mount of transfiguration something changed. No name is given to this mountain but traditionally it has been identified as Mount Tabor, a name which is a mystery in itself. It's not clear where the name Tabor comes from or what it means. No Hebrew word comes close to it. But some say that it is an imperfect of a verb, ‘barar,’ which means purify or to make shiny, which seems obvious in the description of this event. The face of our Lord became illuminated, ‘shining’ like the sun. The veil was drawn back. It was no longer the face of a servant which the disciples saw, but the face of God. St. Paul speaks of Moses, the only man to have seen the face of God and lived to tell the tale, hiding his face from the people because the reflected glory of God was fading from his face. In contrast, Peter, James, and John did not see a fading reflected glory of God, but they saw the very face of God, the enduring glory of God, and they too survived, to tell the tale to all generations, thereafter. On this mountain, the veil was removed and Christ’s glory, once hidden is now revealed.

Peter, James, and John quickly recognised the magnitude of this experience. They immediately cast themselves down with their faces to the ground. If God’s glory was not hidden from them, they would have to hide themselves from it. They offered to raise up tabernacles (that is, dwelling places) for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. At this time, they did not understand that God had already chosen His own tabernacle – the flesh of man. St. John would later confess this truth in the opening chapter of his Gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God….And the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacle) among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:1,14). John knew later what he had seen, but not at that moment.

Today, you may not be on the Mount of Transfiguration, yet Christ is among you revealing His glory to you. He is revealed to you in the water of your Baptism – where you were brought forth from the bondage of sin, death, and darkness and brought into the freedom of forgiveness, life, and light. Christ’s glory is revealed to you in the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper – where your hunger and thirst for righteousness were satisfied with the very body and blood of Jesus. Christ’s glory is revealed to you in the voice of the absolution – where Christ speaks to you those comforting words of forgiveness of sins and peace with God.

As the three disciples witnessed the unveiling of Christ’s glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, even more, the veil which separates God and man was completely torn apart and removed on another mount, the Mount of Crucifixion. From Mount Calvary the glory of the Gospel of Christ shines out to the whole world. Into the darkness of sin and death, the glory of God’s forgiveness enlightens your minds and enlivens your hearts.

In one sense, the Mount of Transfiguration and the Mount of Crucifixion might be considered opposing images – glory versus suffering. But in truth, these two mountains must be seen as together. Even as Christ’s appearance changed on the Mount of Transfiguration to a greater glory from that which was seen before, so also Christ’s appearance changed on the Mount of Crucifixion to a greater glory than even that of His transfiguration. In Christ’s death, the love of God was revealed to the dark world – the darkness is gone, the light has come. In Christ’s death, the Transfiguration to recognise the beauty of God revealed primarily in the wounds of the cross where all that is ugly is transfigured by a profundity of beauty; His sacrificial love for us. No wonder, one of the 19th century’s greatest Russian writers and thinkers, Fyodor Dostoevsky, famously reminds us that if ugliness has the capacity to destroy life, “beauty will save the world.”

Today is indeed the Feast of Beauty, Christ’s Beauty. To speak most responsibly of beauty in its deepest reality is, to speak not just of any beauty, but of a specific beauty. Indeed, it is beauty so specific that it goes by a particular name, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ – who He is and what God does in Him – is the very beauty of God. He is the centrepiece, the compass of every Christian vocation. Dostoevsky tells us: “Man can live without science, he can live without bread, but without beauty he could no longer live, because there would no longer be anything to do to the world. The whole secret is here, the whole of history is here.” (novel, Demons). Yes, man cannot live without Christ, Beauty ever Ancient and ever New. It is a beauty that shakes us to the core, which illuminates us, and ultimately is the beauty that will save the world.

Yes, beauty is all around. It is the language of the divine. Let him see who has eyes to see, and be changed by the sight. Let him who has ears to hear do likewise. But those trapped in the ugliness of sin and the darkness of their own self-centred lives, they only see ugliness, not only in others but also in themselves.

That is why we need to be reminded of the glory of Christ’s transfiguration that continues to shine from the glory of His cross. His glory continues to shine on His bride, the Church. With the filth of sin removed in Baptism, the veil is drawn back so that the light of Christ shines upon you. We are not meant to be ugly worms but glorious butterflies. And this beauty of ours continues to be enhanced by His own Body and Blood in the Eucharist and our interior countenance transfigured through the Sacrament of Penance. All of this, Christ has done for you and to you. The darkness has passed away. Death has been vanquished. And through Christ’s holy, precious blood and innocent suffering and death, the veil of sin which separates you from God is removed. The light has come! Life in Christ is yours, and your sins are forgiven. You are no longer ugly, but beautiful!



Source: http://michaelckw.blogspot.my/2017/08/a-feast-of-beauty.html

Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 407



Reading 1 (Nm 11:4b-15)

The children of Israel lamented,
"Would that we had meat for food!
We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt,
and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks,
the onions, and the garlic.
But now we are famished;
we see nothing before us but this manna."

Manna was like coriander seed and had the color of resin.
When they had gone about and gathered it up,
the people would grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar,
then cook it in a pot and make it into loaves,
which tasted like cakes made with oil.
At night, when the dew fell upon the camp, the manna also fell.

When Moses heard the people, family after family,
crying at the entrance of their tents,
so that the LORD became very angry, he was grieved.
"Why do you treat your servant so badly?" Moses asked the LORD.
"Why are you so displeased with me
that you burden me with all this people?
Was it I who conceived all this people?
Or was it I who gave them birth,
that you tell me to carry them at my bosom,
like a foster father carrying an infant,
to the land you have promised under oath to their fathers?
Where can I get meat to give to all this people?
For they are crying to me,
'Give us meat for our food.'
I cannot carry all this people by myself,
for they are too heavy for me.
If this is the way you will deal with me,
then please do me the favor of killing me at once,
so that I need no longer face this distress."

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 81:12-13, 14-15, 16-17)

R. Sing with joy to God our help.

"My people heard not my voice,
and Israel obeyed me not;
So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts;
they walked according to their own counsels."
R. Sing with joy to God our help.

"If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
Quickly would I humble their enemies;
against their foes I would turn my hand."
R. Sing with joy to God our help.

"Those who hated the LORD would seek to flatter me,
but their fate would endure forever,
While Israel I would feed with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would fill them."
R. Sing with joy to God our help.

Alleluia (Mt 4:4)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Mt 14:13-21)

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
"This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves."
He said to them, "There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves."
But they said to him,
"Five loaves and two fish are all we have here."
Then he said, "Bring them here to me,"
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over–
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.



REFLECTION

Give them Some food yourselves. Jesus puts His disciples into a crisis when He asks them to feed the hungry crowds. He is not willing to send them away hungry; they have listened to Him; He has cured their sick. Now it is the disciples’ turn to do something for the crowds. They, too, must show compassion to them. The disciples argue that they have nothing except five loaves of bread and a couple of fish.

Jesus asks for the bread and the fish, prays over them, says the blessing, and breaks the bread. Then He gives the bread to His disciples for distribution.

We cannot imagine how the bread is multiplied. We do not know what happens to the fish. But the disciples are able to give food to the crowds. They, too, show compassion for the people. They are not just Jesus’ disciples or his companions to protect him. They are empowered to do more.

Discipleship is not a matter of just listening to Jesus. It is also distributing the graces and blessings from Jesus to those whom he intends to give.

If you are a compassionate disciple, Jesus will give you something to distribute. You will not run out of supply. Trust God and use your creativity.

SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2017,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.) http://www.ssp.ph/

Seven priests walk into a bar...and are asked to leave when they're mistaken for a stag do

Seven priests walked into a bar... and were asked to leave because landlord thought they were on a stag do. The seminarians were initially barred from the City Arms in Cardiff on Saturday despite insisting their clothes were not fancy dress. But they managed to get their celebratory pints on the house after the bar manager realised they were the real thing.

Father Michael Doyle said the seven went to the pub in Quay Street to celebrate the ordination of Father Peter McLaren at Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral of St David near Queen Street. He said it was a double celebration because Fr McLaren was the second to be ordained to the priesthood in a week.

He added that the City Arms was a favourite of his colleagues including the Archbishop of Cardiff, George Stack.

Fr Doyle said: "They arrived at the City Arms and they were dressed wearing the clerical collar. "The doorman basically said something along the lines of, 'sorry gents, we have a policy of no fancy dress and no stag dos'."

The doorman was good-natured but firm, and the students had started to leave when they were approached by the bar manager. "He basically said, 'you're real, aren't you?'," said Fr Doyle.

"He invited them back in and when they walked back in the entire pub burst into a round of applause, and they had a free round off the City Arms."

Fr Doyle said the group stayed in the pub most of the afternoon chatting to locals, and also discovered that one of them shares the name of one of Brains brewery's most popular ales.

He said: "Reverent Rob James decided to buy the barman a drink and, of course, one of the Brains beers in Wales is the Reverend James, so the Reverend Robert James bought a Rev James for the barman."

City Arms assistant manager Matt Morgan said: "At first one of our staff members thought the group were a stag party in fancy dress and suggested they might want to try another pub, as we generally have a quieter crowd of drinkers than others nearby.

"When we realised our mistake we quickly apologised to the priests and thankfully they were all great sports and saw the funny side of the situation.

"It's not every day you have a group of priests drinking in the pub and they would be welcome back any time."

Fr Doyle said such mix-ups were not uncommon and a drinker in another Cardiff bar had asked the group whether they were a stag do the previous weekend.

He added that the incident was "funny" and "just gold" and that the seminarians had not been put off returning to the pub.

Archbishop Stack said: "It is wonderful to hear that the seminarians were celebrating their own path to priesthood by having a good time in Cardiff, which of course they are allowed to have.

"The diocese is celebrating the ordination of two seminarians in a week despite rumours about the shortage of men presenting themselves for priesthood.

"Priests are part of the community and for the community they serve.

"I would like to add that the Rev Robert James does not have any shares in the brand of beer which shares his name."



Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/01...d=tmgoff_fb_tmg

Slightly late, but still a good reflection for the Transfiguration. God Bless!