Daily Mass readings and feast days

August 23, 2020
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time


the First Reading
Isaiah 22:19-23
Thus says the Lord to Shebna, master of the palace:
“I will thrust you from your office
and pull you down from your station.
On that day I will summon my servant
Eliakim, son of Hilkiah;
I will clothe him with your robe,
and gird him with your sash,
and give over to him your authority.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and to the house of Judah.
I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder;
when he opens, no one shall shut
when he shuts, no one shall open.
I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot,
to be a place of honor for his family.”

Psalm 138
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple. R.
I will give thanks to your name,
because of your kindness and your truth:
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me. R.
The Lord is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Your kindness, O Lord, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands. R.

Romans 11:33-36
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given the Lord anything
that he may be repaid?
For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. Mt 16:18
Alleluia, alleluia.

Matthew 16:13-20
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Feast day of Saint Rose of Lima, Patroness of South America
Isabel Flores de Olivia was born April 20, 1586, the seventh of ten children. Her mother was a descendant of Incas and her father was Spanish. The mother experienced no pain during her birth and although she was baptized with the name Isabel, when she was three months old, her mother was convinced she should be called Rose because her mother, maid and others noticed the baby’s face briefly changed into a rose.
As a young child, Rose had very strong spiritual inclinations to offer sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. Her parents wished her to marry according to her standing in society but Rose refused the thought because she had made a vow of chastity to the Lord. She loathed the attention given to her beauty as she sought to overcome the temptation to vanity. In doing so she cut her hair and before going out into society she was known to rub the peel and powder of Indian pepper on her face and hands to make them blister and appear blotchy. Her behavior frustrated her parents especially because they had ambitions for her to wed. Rose expressed her heart’s desire to become a cloistered Dominican nun. They adamantly refused. Up to this point, the family enjoyed wealth and privilege, however that changed when the mine that Rose's father had invested in suffered a physical and financial collapse. The family’s finances were in ruins. Rose worked day and night to help out the family. She sold flowers and herbs that she grew in the garden at the marketplace and works of embroidery and lace that she skillfully made. Additionally, Rose asked her mother for a room in their home to act as an infirmary for some sick and destitute children and elderly that needed care. She dressed the most dreadful wounds and made medicines with some of the herbs from her garden. She treated the sick with such love and was solicitous to provide for every possible comfort that news of Rose’s kindness spread throughout the Lima neighborhoods. After her death, the infirmary room was recognized by officials as “the beginning of social service in Lima.”
Finally, Rose’s parents relented to her desire to become a tertiary Dominican, so at age twenty she formally took the vow, received the habit and could serve Our Lord while working in the world. The extreme forms of sufferings Rose undertook caused derision from her family and friends. Rose’s brother Ferdinand helped her build a hut in which she could live in the family garden behind the family villa but have privacy to pray and undertake various mortifications as her confessor allowed. Rose contemplated the passion of Our Lord by wearing on her head a silver circlet studded with dozens of barbs that she concealed under her veil. She wore a hair shirt and tied a cincture tightly around her waist as penances. Rose experienced ongoing periods of spiritual desolation for fifteen years. She would begin to doubt and experience long periods of spiritual dryness. The voids would pass, however, and she was able to advance to even higher levels of mystical union with Christ.
During one Lent, Our Lord appeared to Rose and spoke, “Rose of My Heart, you shall be My Spouse.” For that divine proposal, Rose acquired a ring which she had placed in the tabernacle on Holy Thursday as a symbol of her consent. On Easter morning while Rose knelt in prayer, the ring flew out of the tabernacle to where Rose knelt and “adjusted itself on her finger.” She also experienced visions of the Virgin Mary and her guardian angel.
In the last years of her life, the wife of a government employee invited Rose to live in their home. Rose’s health was weakening and so she agreed. It was during those years that an inquiry panel of priests investigated Rose, her spirituality, and the surrounding graces she experienced. They concluded that Rose’s experiences were of supernatural origin and that she enjoyed God’s favor.
Rose foretold her death four months before it happened on August 16, 1617 at the age of thirty-one. She asked to be buried at Saint Dominic Church. It seemed as though all of Lima mourned her passing. Different groups of officials from the city took turns carrying Rose’s body in procession to where she would be laid to rest. The crowds of people who wanted to pay their respect were so big that the funeral had to be postponed for several days.
Even after Rose’s death, miraculous events were occurring with her intercession so much that Church authorities began to investigate a cause for her sainthood. Fifteen years after her burial, her body was exhumed. One chronicler describes the condition of her remains, “They found her bones entire, covered with dry flesh, which exhaled a delightful odor like that of roses.” When a delegation advancing Rose’s cause for sainthood approached Pope Clement X, he was heard to exclaim, “A saint from India (the Americas)? That is as likely as a rain of roses!” It was said, that after the Pope had said this, red and white roses began showering the Vatican floor. Subsequently, he read through the testimony of 180 witnesses and canonized Saint Rose as the first natural born saint of the Americas in 1671.

Saint Rose of Lima, please pray for us.

Te Deum prayer for the month of August
O, God, we praise You and acknowledge You
to be the supreme Lord.
Everlasting Father, all the earth worships You.
All the angels, the heavens and all angelic powers,
All the cherubim and seraphim, continually cry to you:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of Your glory.
The glorious choir of the apostles,
The wonderful company of prophets,
The white-robed army of martyrs, praise You.
Holy Church throughout the world acknowledges You:
The Father of infinite majesty;
Your adorable, true and only Son;
Also the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
O Christ, You are the King of glory!
You are the everlasting Son of the Father.
When You took it upon Yourself to deliver man,
You did not disdain the Virgin's womb.
Having overcome the sting of death,
You opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You sit at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father
We believe that You will come to be our Judge.
We, therefore, beg You to help Your servants
whom You have redeemed with Your Precious Blood.
Let them be numbered with Your saints in everlasting glory.
Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance!
Govern them, and raise them up forever.
Every day we thank You.
And we praise Your name forever; yes, forever and ever.
O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.
Let your mercy, O Lord be upon us, for we have hoped in You.
O Lord, in you I have put my trust; never let me be put to shame.

 

I love how the Church uses the highlighted verse from Ezekiel as the response for Psalm 51. Both selections are some of my favorite passages in Scripture. I first discovered the Ezekiel passage in 1977. The theme of cleansing and the renewing of my heart had a profound impact on my understanding the tender Love of the Father toward me! Alleluia!

Safe on the Father's Lap!

 

I find that when I hear the word of the LORD proclaimed in the Mass, it is much more profound and influential to me then reading it on my own. I reflect on the Gospels and on the first readings much more when I hear them versus reading them.

 

August 24, 2020
Saint Bartholomew, Apostle (Feast)
Entrance Antiphon
Proclaim the salvation of God day by day;
tell among the nations his glory. Cf. Ps 96 (95):2-3


Collect
Strengthen in us, O Lord, the faith,
by which the blessed Apostle Bartholomew
clung wholeheartedly to your Son,
and grant that through the help of his prayers
your Church may become for all the nations
the sacrament of salvation.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 21:9b-14
The angel spoke to me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west. The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

Psalm 145
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might. R.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations. R.
The Lord is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth. R.

Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
Rabbi, you are the Son of God;
you are the King of Israel. Jn 1:49b
Alleluia, alleluia.

John 1:45-51
Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Feast day of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle
from wikipedia:
Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. He has also been identified as Nathanael or Nathaniel, who appears in the Gospel of John when introduced to Jesus by Philip. Bartholomew is listed among the Twelve Apostles of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew 10:1-4, Mark 3:13-19 and Luke 6: 12-16 and also appears as one of the witnesses of the Ascension 1:4, 12, 13. In art Bartholomew is most commonly depicted with a beard and curly hair at the time of his martyrdom.
Two ancient testimonies exist about the mission of Saint Bartholomew in India. These are of Eusebius (early 4th century) and of Saint Jerome (late 4th century). The studies of Fr A.C. Perumalil SJ and Moraes hold that the Bombay was the field of Saint Bartholomew's missionary activities.

In Armenia
Along with his fellow apostle Jude "Thaddeus", Bartholomew is reputed to have brought Christianity to Armenia in the 1st century. Thus, both saints are considered the patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

One tradition has it that Apostle Bartholomew was executed in Armenia.
According to legends he was skinned alive and beheaded so is often depicted holding his flayed skin or the curved knife with which he was skinned.

Saint Bartholomew, please pray for us.

Te Deum prayer for the month of August
O, God, we praise You and acknowledge You
to be the supreme Lord.
Everlasting Father, all the earth worships You.
All the angels, the heavens and all angelic powers,
All the cherubim and seraphim, continually cry to you:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of Your glory.
The glorious choir of the apostles,
The wonderful company of prophets,
The white-robed army of martyrs, praise You.
Holy Church throughout the world acknowledges You:
The Father of infinite majesty;
Your adorable, true and only Son;
Also the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
O Christ, You are the King of glory!
You are the everlasting Son of the Father.
When You took it upon Yourself to deliver man,
You did not disdain the Virgin's womb.
Having overcome the sting of death,
You opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You sit at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father
We believe that You will come to be our Judge.
We, therefore, beg You to help Your servants
whom You have redeemed with Your Precious Blood.
Let them be numbered with Your saints in everlasting glory.
Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance!
Govern them, and raise them up forever.
Every day we thank You.
And we praise Your name forever; yes, forever and ever.
O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.
Let your mercy, O Lord be upon us, for we have hoped in You.
O Lord, in you I have put my trust; never let me be put to shame.

 

August 25, 2020
Saint Louis (Optional Memorial)
Entrance Antiphon
In your strength, O Lord, the just one rejoices;
how greatly your salvation makes him glad!
You have granted him his soul’s desire. Cf. Ps 21 (20):2-3

Collect
O God, who brought Saint Louis
from the cares of earthly rule
to the glory of a heavenly realm,
grant, we pray, through his intercession,
that, by fulfilling our duties on earth,
we may seek out your eternal Kingdom.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3a, 14-17
We ask you, brothers and sisters, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a “spirit,” or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand. Let no one deceive you in any way.

To this end he has also called you through our Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word.

Psalm 96
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Say among the nations: The Lord is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity. R.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult. R.
Before the Lord, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy. R.

Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. Heb 4:12
Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel of Saint Matthew 23:23-26
Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”

Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), commonly known as Saint Louis or Louis the Saint, is the only King of France to be canonized. Louis was crowned in Reims at the age of 12, following the death of his father Louis VIII; his mother, Blanche, ruled the kingdom as regent until he reached maturity. During Louis' childhood, Blanche dealt with the opposition of rebellious vassals and obtained a definitive victory in the Albigensian Crusade, which had started 20 years earlier.

As an adult, Louis IX faced recurring conflicts with some of his realm's most powerful noble. Simultaneously, the king of England attempted to restore the continental possessions, but was promptly routed at the Battle of Taillebourg. Louis annexed several provinces, notably parts Aquitaine, Maine, and Provence.

Louis IX is one of the most notable European monarchs. His reign is remembered as a medieval golden age in which the Kingdom of France reached an economic as well as political peak. His fellow European rulers esteemed him highly, not only for his military pre-eminence and the wealth of his kingdom, but for his reputation of fairness and moral integrity: he was often asked to arbitrate their disputes.

He was a reformer and developed French royal justice, in which the king was the supreme judge to whom anyone could appeal to seek the amendment of a judgment. He banned trials by ordeal (practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused was determined by subjecting them to a painful, or at least an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience. The test was one of life or death, and the proof of innocence was survival. In some cases, the accused was considered innocent if they escaped injury or if their injuries healed.) King Louis tried to prevent private wars that were plaguing the country, and introduced presumption of innocence in criminal procedure. To enforce the application of this new legal system, Louis IX created provosts and bailiffs.

After his unexpected recovery from a serious illness, and to honor a vow he made while ill, Louis IX led the Seventh and Eighth crusades against Sunni Muslims. He was captured in the first and ransomed. He died from dysentery during the latter, and was succeeded by his son, Philip III.

Louis' actions were inspired by Catholic zeal and devotion. He was a just king: although he exacted what was due him, he had no wish to wrong anyone, from the lowest peasant to the richest vassal. Renowned for his moderate lifestyle, reason, bravery and chivalrous politeness, he was a splendid knight whose kindness and engaging manner made him popular. He was therefore regarded as the ideal Christian ruler even if he was also occasionally rebuked by contemporaries as a "monk king". He decided to severely punish blasphemy (for which he set the punishment to mutilation of the tongue and lips). He is the only canonized king of France, and there are consequently many places named for him.

Saint Louis, please pray for us and for the school, staff, and children

Te Deum prayer for the month of August
O, God, we praise You and acknowledge You
to be the supreme Lord.
Everlasting Father, all the earth worships You.
All the angels, the heavens and all angelic powers,
All the cherubim and seraphim, continually cry to you:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of Your glory.
The glorious choir of the apostles,
The wonderful company of prophets,
The white-robed army of martyrs, praise You.
Holy Church throughout the world acknowledges You:
The Father of infinite majesty;
Your adorable, true and only Son;
Also the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
O Christ, You are the King of glory!
You are the everlasting Son of the Father.
When You took it upon Yourself to deliver man,
You did not disdain the Virgin's womb.
Having overcome the sting of death,
You opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You sit at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father
We believe that You will come to be our Judge.
We, therefore, beg You to help Your servants
whom You have redeemed with Your Precious Blood.
Let them be numbered with Your saints in everlasting glory.
Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance!
Govern them, and raise them up forever.
Every day we thank You.
And we praise Your name forever; yes, forever and ever.
O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.
Let your mercy, O Lord be upon us, for we have hoped in You.
O Lord, in you I have put my trust; never let me be put to shame.

 

I couldn't help but notice today, the 18th of October which is connected to Our Lady of Garabandal (the date of the first message which was to be made known to the world), that the first reading may be pointing to President Trump (our current Cyrus?).
In addition, counting today and the day after the election which will hopefully be the day that we all know who our next president is there are exactly 18 days.

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 145

Reading 1
IS 45:1, 4-6
Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus,
whose right hand I grasp,
subduing nations before him,
and making kings run in his service,
opening doors before him
and leaving the gates unbarred:
For the sake of Jacob, my servant,
of Israel, my chosen one,
I have called you by your name,
giving you a title, though you knew me not.
I am the LORD and there is no other,
there is no God besides me.
It is I who arm you, though you know me not,
so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun
people may know that there is none besides me.
I am the LORD, there is no other.

Responsorial Psalm
PS 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10
R. (7b) Give the Lord glory and honor.
Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Give the Lord glory and honor.
For great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
awesome is he, beyond all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are things of nought,
but the LORD made the heavens.
R. Give the Lord glory and honor.
Give to the LORD, you families of nations,
give to the LORD glory and praise;
give to the LORD the glory due his name!
Bring gifts, and enter his courts.
R. Give the Lord glory and honor.
Worship the LORD, in holy attire;
tremble before him, all the earth;
say among the nations: The LORD is king,
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. Give the Lord glory and honor.

Reading 2
1 THES 1:1-5B
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians
in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
grace to you and peace.
We give thanks to God always for all of you,
remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,
before our God and Father,
knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God,
how you were chosen.
For our gospel did not come to you in word alone,
but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction.
Alleluia
PHIL 2:15D, 16A
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Shine like lights in the world
as you hold on to the word of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia

Gospel
MT 22:15-21
The Pharisees went off
and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,
"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion,
for you do not regard a person's status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax."
Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's."
At that he said to them,
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."​

 

"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion,
for you do not regard a person's status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax."
Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's."
At that he said to them,
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."0

This , essentially, is a political question framed in terms of religion which is why Jesus kicked it into touch.

I hope you are well Carol ? I have been praying for you with concern?

 

Padraig, Thank you so much.

I'm doing ok, thank you. I hope that you are doing well also.

I'm continuing to try and go deeper into prayer, some days are easier than others but I remain very thankful for you and this forum to help get where I should be.+

 

It's still Oct. 29th where I live and I just wanted to post the daily readings because the first reading is the very powerful exhortation that exorcists tell us to pray
October 29, 2020
Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1, Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians 6:10-20
Brothers and sisters:
Draw your strength from the Lord
and from his mighty power.
Put on the armor of God

so that you may be able to stand

firm against the tactics of the Devil.
For our struggle is not with flesh

and blood but with the principalities,

with the powers, with the world rulers

of this present darkness,
with the evil spirits in the heavens.
Therefore, put on the armor of God,
that you may be able to resist

on the evil day and,

having done everything,

to hold your ground.
So stand fast with your loins girded

in truth, clothed with righteousness

as a breastplate, and your feet shod

in readiness for the Gospel of peace.
In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield,
to quench all the flaming arrows

of the Evil One.
And take the helmet of salvation

and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.

With all prayer and supplication,
pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.
To that end, be watchful with all
perseverance and supplication
for all the holy ones and also for me,
that speech may be given me
to open my mouth, to make known
with boldness the mystery of the Gospel
for which I am an ambassador in chains,
so that I may have the courage
to speak as I must.
Responsorial Psalm, Ps 144:1b, 2, 9-10
R. (1b) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle,
my fingers for war.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
My mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust,
who subdues my people under me.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
O God, I will sing a new song to you;
with a ten-stringed lyre
I will chant your praise,
You who give victory to kings,
and deliver David,
your servant from the evil sword.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those
on whom his favor rests.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel, Luke 13:31-35
Some Pharisees came to Jesus
and said,
“Go away, leave this area
because Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied,
“Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast
out demons and I perform healings
today and tomorrow, and on the third
day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today,
tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet
should die outside of Jerusalem.’
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets
and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned
to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under
her wings, but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me
until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.”

 

Yes these words were powerful last night at Mass. Thankyou for posting. All three readings are powerful but last night i was struck by Jesus's words. "Tell Herod that fox..." The contempt in His words. Herod is a representation of wordly power. Yesterday in front of the Blessed Sacrament I was inspired to meditate on Psalm 2. "Why do the nations rage ....." God laughs at them says King David. So connected to "that fox" but I only just now see it. These worldly minions who plot and hide and trick and scheme. God laughs. We must put on the full armor of God as St Paul says because we ARE in the evil day right now. We must stand fast. And bless the Lord Our God who trains our hands for war...

 

Great minds think alike ..i also posted yesterday's reading in my prayer group. They spoke directly to us.

 

Saint Martin de Porres
Reading 1, Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians 2:5-11
Brothers and sisters:
Have among yourselves the same
attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and, found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this,
God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth

and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Responsorial Psalm, Ps 22:26b-27, 28-30ab, 30e, 31-32
R. (26a) I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
I will fulfill my vows before those
who fear him.
The lowly shall eat their fill;
they who seek the LORD
shall praise him:
“May your hearts be ever merry!”
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn
to the LORD;
All the families of the nations
shall bow down before him.
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
For dominion is the LORD’s,
and he rules the nations.
To him alone shall bow down
all who sleep in the earth.
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
To him my soul shall live;
my descendants shall serve him.
Let the coming generation
be told of the LORD
that they may proclaim to a people
yet to be born
the justice he has shown.
R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me,
all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel, Luke 14:15-24
One of those at table with Jesus
said to him,
“Blessed is the one who will dine
in the Kingdom of God.”
He replied to him,
“A man gave a great dinner to which
he invited many.
When the time for the dinner came,
he dispatched his servant
to say to those invited,
‘Come, everything is now ready.’
But one by one,
they all began to excuse themselves.
The first said to him,
‘I have purchased a field
and must go to examine it;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said,
‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen
and am on my way to evaluate them;
I ask you, consider me excused.’
And another said,
‘I have just married a woman,
and therefore I cannot come.’
The servant went and reported
this to his master.
Then the master of the house
in a rage commanded his servant,
‘Go out quickly into the streets
and alleys of the town and bring
in here the poor and the crippled,
the blind and the lame.’
The servant reported,
‘Sir, your orders have been
carried out and still there is room.’
The master then ordered the servant,
‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows
and make people come in
that my home may be filled.
For, I tell you, none of those men
who were invited will taste my dinner.’”