Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 464



Reading 1 (Mal 3:13-20b)

You have defied me in word, says the LORD,
yet you ask, "What have we spoken against you?"
You have said, "It is vain to serve God,
and what do we profit by keeping his command,
And going about in penitential dress
in awe of the LORD of hosts?
Rather must we call the proud blessed;
for indeed evildoers prosper,
and even tempt God with impunity."
Then they who fear the LORD spoke with one another,
and the LORD listened attentively;
And a record book was written before him
of those who fear the LORD and trust in his name.
And they shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts,
my own special possession, on the day I take action.
And I will have compassion on them,
as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.
Then you will again see the distinction
between the just and the wicked;
Between the one who serves God,
and the one who does not serve him.
For lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven,
when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble,
And the day that is coming will set them on fire,
leaving them neither root nor branch,
says the LORD of hosts.
But for you who fear my name, there will arise
the sun of justice with its healing rays.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6)

R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Alleluia (See Acts 16:14b)

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

Gospel (Lk 11:5-13)

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,'
and he says in reply from within,
'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.'
I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask him?"



REFLECTION: WORD Today



Right after teaching His disciples the Lord's Prayer, (yesterday), Jesus continues today to deepen our understanding of praying. "Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you."

OH REALLY LORD? Why then do godless people get rich while I who do pray and obey God's commandments suffer? (First Reading)

Let us pause for a while and reflect on our own question... By asking such a question, are we really any different from those "godless people"? Could we be praying and asking God for the same kind of life they have? A life of indulgence and ease where God is not needed?

Jesus tells us to ask instead for the very best God can give: His own Holy Spirit. This is asking for a Spirit-guided life that hungers for Jesus the Word and the Bread of Life, rather than worldly toys ("snakes and scorpions") that poison the soul.

Lord Jesus, today I come to ask for Your wisdom, to seek ways to serve You, and to knock on the door to a life of purpose and peace with You.



Source: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicMassReflec...788400138124410

Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 465



Reading 1 (Jl 1:13-15; 2:1-2)

Gird yourselves and weep, O priests!
wail, O ministers of the altar!
Come, spend the night in sackcloth,
O ministers of my God!
The house of your God is deprived
of offering and libation.
Proclaim a fast,
call an assembly;
Gather the elders,
all who dwell in the land,
Into the house of the LORD, your God,
and cry to the LORD!

Alas, the day!
for near is the day of the LORD,
and it comes as ruin from the Almighty.

Blow the trumpet in Zion,
sound the alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all who dwell in the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming;
Yes, it is near, a day of darkness and of gloom,
a day of clouds and somberness!
Like dawn spreading over the mountains,
a people numerous and mighty!
Their like has not been from of old,
nor will it be after them,
even to the years of distant generations.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 9:2-3, 6 and 16, 8-9)

R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, Most High.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.

You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
their name you blotted out forever and ever.
The nations are sunk in the pit they have made;
in the snare they set, their foot is caught.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.

But the LORD sits enthroned forever;
he has set up his throne for judgment.
He judges the world with justice;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord will judge the world with justice.

Alleluia (Jn 12:31b-32)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The prince of this world will now be cast out,
and when I am lifted up from the earth
I will draw all to myself, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 11:15-26)

When Jesus had driven out a demon, some of the crowd said:
"By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons,
he drives out demons."
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.
But he knew their thoughts and said to them,
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
and house will fall against house.
And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?
For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.
If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul,
by whom do your own people drive them out?
Therefore they will be your judges.
But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons,
then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.
When a strong man fully armed guards his palace,
his possessions are safe.
But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him,
he takes away the armor on which he relied
and distributes the spoils.
Whoever is not with me is against me,
and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

"When an unclean spirit goes out of someone,
it roams through arid regions searching for rest
but, finding none, it says,
'I shall return to my home from which I came.'
But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.
Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits
more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there,
and the last condition of that man is worse than the first."



REFLECTION: WORD TOday



If you pour water out from a glass, is it now empty? No. Now it's full of air. Something else will always fill a vacuum. Astrophysicists even say there is no real vacuum, that even deep inter-galactic space is filled with invisible but very real "dark matter."

So it is in the spiritual world. When we truly repent our sins, God drives out Satan. But we cannot remain an empty vacuum. We must be filled with Jesus or else Satan returns to refill our heart (Luke 11:24-26).

"Whoever is not with me is against me. Whoever does not gather with me scatters." (Lk 11:23) Jesus gives us only two choices, nothing in between. We can either belong to Him, reading, believing and living His Words, or we belong to the world, filled with dark matter and conflicting values and philosophies.

Even sitting between the fence and doing nothing is already being against Him since we are not with Him. If we desire a new life with Jesus, then we must be with Jesus. We must give Him the chance to fill us up. This means decreasing our worldly pastimes and pursuits, and making more time for spiritual inputs and activities. There's just no other way to do it. We cannot be half-filled with Jesus and half with Satan. A kingdom divided will eventually collapse (v. 17).

Let us check our status today:

Do the words that I speak reflect the message of the Gospel? Does the example of my life attract and gather people to the One Body of Christ? Or do I scatter His flock by echoing the thinking of the world, saying that I can do my own thing and you can do yours - that anything is okay? That there is no sin and no need for the authority of Christ and His Church?

Lord Jesus, save me! Be the ruler of my heart and master of my home. Fill me with love and desire only for You. Amen.



Source: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicMassReflec...788743248090099

Conversion Is Not for Convenience



I subscribe to email updates from a Jewish website, and one such update, advertising a recent article, caught my attention. The writer, a Jewish woman living in an area of the Midwest with few Jews and no synagogues, asked herself: “Wouldn’t it be easier to just accept Jesus as the son of God?”

This question occurred to the writer when she was working at a Catholic church as a musician during Holy Week. While playing the music for a Mass on Palm Sunday, she started reflecting on how difficult it could be to be a non-Christian in a small town filled with Christians:

She was strongly considering talking to the priest about conversion to Catholicism when a passage from the Gospel read that day at Mass stopped her cold. In Matthew’s account of the Passion, the crowd—incited by the chief priests and elders who wanted Jesus dead (Matt. 27:20)—demanded Jesus’ crucifixion and told Pontius Pilate, “His blood be on us and on our children!” (Matt. 27:25).

The writer shared her reaction:

We don’t have space here to address the question of whether this passage in Matthew’s Gospel actually is anti-Semitic or in any way justifies anti-Semitic acts. The short answer is that it isn’t and it doesn’t. Here instead I want to look at the question, “Wouldn’t it be easier to just accept Jesus as the son of God?”

Conversions happen for many reasons, and some of those reasons are better than others. My initial interest in Catholicism was sparked by a desire to rebel against my upbringing. My family was Seventh-day Adventist, although my branch of the family was mostly non-practicing, and Seventh-day Adventism is historically anti-Catholic. As this writer considered doing, I separated myself from my family’s religious tradition. In my case though, it wasn’t to assimilate into a larger society but to assert individuality.

I was under no illusion that following through on that flawed spark of interest would be easy. Again, as happened to this Jewish writer, my spark of interest happened around Holy Week, in 1995. I had to call a local parish three times over a period of a couple of months before I finally got in to see the pastor. It turned out that Holy Week is a really bad time to try to pigeonhole a priest with questions about conversion!

The need for persistence turned out to be an occasion of grace. Having to work hard to get a priest’s attention made me all the more determined to become Catholic. It sparked my desire to learn the Faith, not just through the RCIA program but through personal study. When confronted with questions about Catholic beliefs and practices that rubbed against the grain of my culturally Protestant background, I took those questions to Catholics for answers. By that time, I was disposed to accept the answers I was given.

But the questions don’t magically stop the moment the chrism dries on the new convert’s forehead. Many converts experience periods of difficulty, of doubt, following conversion. Acclimation to the Catholic Faith—as distinguished from assimilation—can take years. A few years ago I wrote:

The writer of the essay I read came to the conclusion that her experience at that Palm Sunday Mass had in fact been an epiphany that strengthened her identity as a Jew and her commitment to Judaism. Perhaps it was.

If that incident strengthened her to stand up to occasions on which she had been “shamed, and excluded, and judged” in her community because she was not Christian, if it kept her from becoming Christian for the wrong reasons (such as to make her life easier), then perhaps that was how God chose to act in her life at that moment. Perhaps it will be an important step on her journey to where God is leading her.

What we can say for sure, though, is that no one should become Christian to make his life easier. Those who want to follow Christ will be called upon to do exactly as Christ did in the Palm Sunday Gospel. They will be called to take up their cross and follow him, all the way to Calvary (Matt. 16:24). Or, as C.S. Lewis wryly noted:

Source: https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-ed...for-convenience

This post has been edited by khool: Oct 13 2017, 03:47 PM

Monday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 467



Reading 1 (Rom 1:1-7)

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,
called to be an Apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God,
which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
the Gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh,
but established as Son of God in power
according to the Spirit of holiness
through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship,
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;
to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 98:1bcde, 2-3ab, 3cd-4)

R. The Lord has made known his salvation.

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. The Lord has made known his salvation.

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. The Lord has made known his salvation.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.

Alleluia (Ps 95:8)

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

Gospel (Lk 11:29-32)

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
"This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here."



REFLECTION: WORD Today



In the Gospel, Jesus is frustrated that crowds come to see His miracles but not to listen to His teachings. He refused to do more miracles except that of Jonah who was swallowed by a whale then came out alive 3 days later.

Jesus gave us the ultimate miracle of dying for our sins. He was swallowed by a tomb then came out alive 3 days later.Are you interested in miracle cures as much as Christ's teachings? The greatest miracle Jesus can do for us is our conversion from dead sinner to a live saint.

In prayer meetings we cheer when someone shares his medical miracle. A few months or years later, we shake our heads when he finally dies. Share your conversion story. Do not be ashamed to glorify Jesus with your past life that He put to death. You just might make your listener live forever.

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr
Lectionary: 468



Reading 1 (Rom 1:16-25)

Brothers and sisters:
I am not ashamed of the Gospel.
It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:
for Jew first, and then Greek.
For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith;
as it is written, "The one who is righteous by faith will live."

The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven
against every impiety and wickedness
of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
For what can be known about God is evident to them,
because God made it evident to them.
Ever since the creation of the world,
his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity
have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made.
As a result, they have no excuse;
for although they knew God
they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks.
Instead, they became vain in their reasoning,
and their senseless minds were darkened.
While claiming to be wise, they became fools
and exchanged the glory of the immortal God
for the likeness of an image of mortal man
or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.

Therefore, God handed them over to impurity
through the lusts of their hearts
for the mutual degradation of their bodies.
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie
and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator,
who is blessed forever. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 19:2-3, 4-5)

R. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

Alleluia (Heb 4:12)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 11:37-41)

After Jesus had spoken,
a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.
He entered and reclined at table to eat.
The Pharisee was amazed to see
that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.
The Lord said to him, "Oh you Pharisees!
Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.
You fools!
Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?
But as to what is within, give alms,
and behold, everything will be clean for you."



REFLECTION: WORD Today



During one dinner, Jesus told His host, "Although you cleanse the outside of the cup... inside you are filled with plunder and evil." (Gospel)

When we dine with Jesus at the Holy Mass, it's important to wear our Sunday's best and look good for the King. But MUCH more important is to be clean inside of filth that nauseates Him.

"Give alms and everything will be clean for you."

Jesus says the best way to clean our inside is Charity. It puts into action and gives proof to the love we say we have for God. Let us check ourselves:

Am I giving tithe (fixed monthly contribution) to help the works of my community or parish? Or do I cling to and put my trust on created treasures rather than the Creator of all treasures? (First Reading)

Tithing is concrete charity, the most solid evidence of our commitment to the cause of Jesus in building up His Kingdom through our community or parish.

It is not simply giving money. We can give without loving, but we cannot love without giving. It is the pouring one's heart to others, the way Jesus poured out all His blood for us from the cross. Charity flushes out greed, the root of all evil - making us clean inside and out, a home worthy for the King of kings to dine in.



Source: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicMassReflec...790079854623105

St. Ignatius of Antioch: Bishop and Martyr



St. Ignatius of Antioch ( c. 50 – c.107), whose feast we celebrate on October 17, was an early Church Father, bishop, and martyr. Tradition tells us that he was a convert and a disciple of the Apostle Saint John.

Ignatius was born in Syria during the 1st century and was surnamed Theophorus, which means “the God-Bearer.” When he became the Bishop of Antioch around the year 70, he assumed authority of a local church, which was first led by Saint Peter prior to his move to Rome. Antioch was known as “the place where the disciples of Jesus Christ were first called Christians” (St. Alphonsus Liguori in “Martyrs of the First Ages”). Ignatius served as the third Bishop of Antioch, where he led his flock for nearly forty years.

Ignatius led the Christians of Antioch during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian, the first of the emperors to declare his divinity by assuming the title “Lord and God.” Citizens who refused to pay him homage under this title were subject to punishment by death. Bishop Ignatius protected his flock through preaching, prayer, and fasting. Thus, he modeled the virtue of fortitude and endeavored to encourage it in those entrusted to him.

Later, the Emperor Trajan convicted Ignatius for his Christian witness and sent him from Syria to Rome in chains to be put to death. A detailed description of the trip to Rome is given by Agathopus and a deacon named Philo, who were with him, and who also wrote down his dictation of the seven letters of instruction on the Church, marriage, the Trinity, the Incarnation, Redemption, and the Eucharist. The letters were directed to six local churches throughout the empire and to his fellow bishop Polycarp.

Ignatius’ letters emphasized: Church unity, the dangers of heresy, and the extraordinary value of the Eucharist as the “medicine of immortality.” These writings include the earliest surviving record of the Church described as “Catholic,” from the Greek word expressing both universality and fullness.

St. Ignatius of Antioch gave his final witness to Christ in the Roman Amphitheater, where he was devoured by lions. Prior to his death, he stated: “I am the wheat of the Lord. I must be ground by the teeth of these beasts to be made the pure bread of Christ.”

Source: http://www.jeanmheimann.com/2017/10/st-ign...-bishop-martyr/

Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs
Lectionary: 470



Reading 1 (Rom 3:21-30)

Brothers and sisters:
Now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law,
though testified to by the law and the prophets,
the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ
for all who believe.
For there is no distinction;
all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.
They are justified freely by his grace
through the redemption in Christ Jesus,
whom God set forth as an expiation,
through faith, by his Blood, to prove his righteousness
because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed,
through the forbearance of God–
to prove his righteousness in the present time,
that he might be righteous
and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

What occasion is there then for boasting? It is ruled out.
On what principle, that of works?
No, rather on the principle of faith.
For we consider that a person is justified by faith
apart from works of the law.
Does God belong to Jews alone?
Does he not belong to Gentiles, too?
Yes, also to Gentiles, for God is one
and will justify the circumcised on the basis of faith
and the uncircumcised through faith.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 130:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6ab)

R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to my voice in supplication.
R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

If you, O LORD, mark iniquities,
Lord, who can stand?
But with you is forgiveness,
that you may be revered.
R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

I trust in the LORD;
my soul trusts in his word.
My soul waits for the LORD
more than sentinels wait for the dawn.
R. With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

Alleluia (Jn 14:6)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 11:47-54)

The Lord said:
"Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets
whom your fathers killed.
Consequently, you bear witness and give consent
to the deeds of your ancestors,
for they killed them and you do the building.
Therefore, the wisdom of God said,
'I will send to them prophets and Apostles;
some of them they will kill and persecute'
in order that this generation might be charged
with the blood of all the prophets
shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah
who died between the altar and the temple building.
Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!
Woe to you, scholars of the law!
You have taken away the key of knowledge.
You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter."
When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees
began to act with hostility toward him
and to interrogate him about many things,
for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.



REFLECTIONS



YOU BUILD THE MEMORIALS OF THE PROPHETS.
Jesus issues a series of rebukes against the scribes and Pharisees that at bottom point to hypocrisy. The condemnation becomes even stronger when a historical tie to the past is made with a twist. Jesus notes their forefathers’ building of tombs for the prophets. He argues, using a rhetorical picture, that they approve of what their fathers did. The best prophet is a dead prophet! They are like their ancestors, who not only built the tombs but also helped to put the prophets there by denying their message! They killed the prophets, and the scribes honor the tombs they created. Jesus is confident that the pattern will continue with another set of prophets and apostles (cf Jer 7:25)

John the Baptist already revealed the potential for the pattern to emerge, and God knows they will persecute the messengers to come. So they will be held responsible both for their actions and for the actions of all who have rejected God since the days of Abel. Since Jesus is the one who reverses all sin, to deny him means culpability for the presence of all sin.

In the strongest remark of all, Jesus condemns the scribes for being the exact opposite of what they think. The woes he pronounces condemn pride and self-assurance in the pursuit of piety. Their hearts have become blind and hard.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/12526594414...02216266463131/

JUSTICE BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH



What is the purpose of the Law? The original intention of the Law and the prophets was to help the people to live the justice of God. The justice of God is revealed through the Law. From the Law, we come to understand what is right or wrong, true or false. The laws given by Moses were meant to help the people to live a just and compassionate life in harmony with the rest of the people by grounding their obedience first and foremost in God alone. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” (Dt 6:4-7) And Jesus, citing from Leviticus, joins the love of neighbor to the love of God, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Lev 19:18) These are the two greatest commandments that sum up the Law and the prophets. Indeed, the Ten Commandments could be simply divided into two segments, the first three laws command us to love God and the last seven laws command us to love our neighbours.

What was the work of the Prophets? They were sent by God to remind the people to be faithful to the laws given by Moses. God gave the people a set of laws so that they could live as the Covenanted People of God. But the people, including the leaders, political and religious, did not observe the laws. They continually turned away from the Lord, worshipped idols and foreign gods, adopted pagan culture and behavior and, most of all, engaged in immoral activities like child sacrifice, prostitution and cheating. So the prophets were messengers of God to call the people back to fidelity to the Law. They warned the people of the consequences of their sins. Their message was always on the love of God, His wrath against sins, the call to repentance for salvation, and the punishment of God for those who chose to follow their evil and wicked ways.

Yet, the truth is that in spite of the Law and the Prophets, the people did not change although they knew the justice, that is, the truth of God. They remained unrepentant in spite of the prophecies of destruction by the prophets. They were deaf to the message of the prophets. Instead of being moved to repentance, they were enraged and angry at the apparent negative message of the prophets. They wanted to have things their way, and if the prophets did not support them, they were condemned and some were killed.

In other words, knowledge of the truth through the Law and the prophets alone does not mean that people will observe the Law. Indeed, knowledge of the Law only tells us what is good or bad. It helps us to be aware of the truth of God. But man remains a sinner and is powerless to overcome his sinful tendency and his folly. He continues to sin again and again, and to go against the Law. St Paul spoke about this inner conflict in us, “I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” (Rom 7:18bf) This, according to the diagnosis of St Paul, is because of sin dwelling in us. “Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me.” (Rom 7:20)

Hence, St Paul writes, “God’s justice that was made known through the Law and the Prophets has now been revealed outside the Law.” Since the Law and the Prophets, although good, could not change the hearts of man. God chose to justify us through grace and not through the Law. This is to say that God makes us worthy by forgiving us our sins and liberating us from the power of sin through the mercy shown in Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. “It is the same justice of God that comes through faith to everyone, Jew and pagan alike, who believes in Jesus Christ. Both Jew and pagan sinned and forfeited God’s glory, and both are justified through the free gift of his grace by being redeemed in Christ Jesus who was appointed by God to sacrifice his life so as to win reconciliation through faith. In this way God makes his justice known; first, for the past, when sins went unpunished because he held his hand, then, for the present age, by showing positively that he is just, and that he justifies everyone who believes in Jesus.”

How is this grace given to us? Through Christ’s death and resurrection. In His death, we see the mercy and love of God in person. If anyone doubts the love and mercy of God, he only needs to contemplate on the face of the Crucified Christ. His death on the cross reveals to us the depth of God’s mercy. We can no longer accuse God of not knowing our suffering, our fears and our anxieties. Jesus emptied Himself to become not just a man but a slave unto death. He suffered the injustices, the pain of an innocent suffering, betrayal, rejection, humiliation, abandonment and the darkness of sin and pain. No one can appreciate the pain and tragedy of sin more than Jesus because He took upon our sins in His body and suffered the punishment of sin even though he was sinless.

In His resurrection, we see the power of God’s love triumph over death brought about by sin. By rising from the dead, Jesus showed that sin and death is the not the last word. Love is stronger than death. Once the fear of death is conquered, then the sting of sin is removed for as St Paul says, “Death is swallowed up in victory. ‘O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 15:55-57)

But more than just conquering death through His resurrection, the Lord bestows upon us the same Spirit that raised Him from the dead. We are now made His adopted sons and daughters. “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship.” (Rom 8:14f) Indeed, it is the Spirit of God living in us that empowers us to live according to the Spirit of Christ. “But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God really dwells in you. Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although your bodies are dead because of sin, your spirits are alive because of righteousness.” (Rom 8:9f) Hence, St Paul concludes, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Rom 8:1-5)

Unless, we come to faith in Jesus, we will prevent ourselves from entering the Kingdom of God and others who follow us. This was what the Lord said of the religious leaders. He scolded them bluntly, “Alas for you who build the tombs of the prophets, the men your ancestors killed! In this way you both witness what your ancestors did and approve it; they did the killing, you do the building. Alas for you lawyers who have taken away the key of knowledge! You have not gone in yourselves, and have prevented others going in who wanted to.” In truth, they could not observe the Law perfectly and they were hypocritical in their behavior. Instead of welcoming the prophets of God as in John the Baptist and our Lord, they killed them. Thus, by not entering through Jesus, they also prevent others from going in.

Consequently, what is required of us is to have faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. “So what becomes of our boasts? There is no room for them. What sort of law excludes them? The sort of law that tells us what to do? On the contrary, it is the law of faith, since, as we see it, a man is justified by faith and not by doing something the Law tells him to do.” We cannot overcome sin by our own merits but through the merits Christ gained for us. His death and resurrection won for us our victory over sin and death and brought about the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, the power of God at work in us, helping us to overcome sin and live the life of the Spirit.

Source: http://empoweringgoans.com/2017/10/19/just...-through-faith/

Friday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 471



Reading 1 (Rom 4:1-8)

Brothers and sisters:
What can we say that Abraham found,
our ancestor according to the flesh?
Indeed, if Abraham was justified on the basis of his works,
he has reason to boast;
but this was not so in the sight of God.
For what does the Scripture say?
Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
A worker's wage is credited not as a gift, but as something due.
But when one does not work,
yet believes in the one who justifies the ungodly,
his faith is credited as righteousness.
So also David declares the blessedness of the person
to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven
and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not record.

Responsorial Psalm (Ps 32:1b-2, 5, 11)

R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

Alleluia (Ps 33:22)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us;
who have put our hope in you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 12:1-7)

At that time:
So many people were crowding together
that they were trampling one another underfoot.
Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,
"Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.

"There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows."



REFLECTION: WORD Today



In today's Gospel, Jesus assures us once more, "Do not be afraid."

All over the Bible, God repeats this assurance 365 times.

But Satan also keeps whispering to us, "Only idiots do not fear!"

Life is like a wide and very busy street full of speeding cars across which we God's little children must traverse. Our Father of course does not just watch and wait at the other side and reward us if we cross using our own ability (First Reading). God knows we will never make it on our own. So He sends us Jesus our Big Brother to hold our hand and guide as across.

But all throughout the crossing, Satan tempts us to be afraid, not to trust Jesus, and to let go of Him and save ourselves. Satan tells us that cheating in business and accepting bribe is necessary for my family, that extra-judicial killing is necessary for my country. Satan tells us to do things "my way" not God's Way, Now THAT is what's idiotic and will surely end in tragedy.

A peaceful life is holding tight to Jesus amidst the scary heavy traffic of life, trusting in His divine providence and protection. Our Mama Mary lovingly calls after us, "Do whatever your Brother tells you!" (John 2:5)

Let us learn to listen, to trust, and to be faithful to Jesus at the Mass, in the Bible and in prayer.



Source: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicMassReflec...791147544516336

Monday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 473



Reading 1 (Rom 4:20-25)

Brothers and sisters:
Abraham did not doubt God's promise in unbelief;
rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God
and was fully convinced that what God had promised
he was also able to do.
That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
But it was not for him alone that it was written
that it was credited to him;
it was also for us, to whom it will be credited,
who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
who was handed over for our transgressions
and was raised for our justification.

Responsorial Psalm (Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75)

R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

He has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

Alleluia (Mt 5:3)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel (Lk 12:13-21)

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,
"Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me."
He replied to him,
"Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?"
Then he said to the crowd,
"Take care to guard against all greed,
for though one may be rich,
one's life does not consist of possessions."

Then he told them a parable.
"There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, 'What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?'
And he said, 'This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!"'
But God said to him,
'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?'
Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself
but is not rich in what matters to God."



REFLECTION: WORD Today



In the Parable of the Rich Fool (today's Gospel), a man kept building ever bigger barns for his farm produce, saving for the future but never having enough. Then one night he died.

God told him, "You fool!" Fear of death - and all other fears that springs from it - leads us to build ever thicker walls of wealth to keep sickness and poverty away. Only to discover that what the walls really kept away was God.

Consider instead Abraham. The First Reading reminds us that "No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God." Because of his complete faith and trust, God has made him the spiritual father of more the than 4 billion Jews, Christians and Muslims today. He lived to be 175 years old and God blessed him abundantly in all things.

Let us pray:
"Lord, let me be neither rich nor poor. Provide me only with the food I need, lest being full, I deny you, or being in want, I steal and curse Your Name." (Prov 30:8-9)



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