Our Morning Offering – 3 October – Thursday of the Twenty Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Year C
Jesus, What a True Friend You are
By St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Jesus, what a true friend You are
and how powerful.
May You be blessed forever, Lord,
for offering Your hand of love
in my darkest,
most lonely moments,
for loving me
more than I love myself
and for putting up with
such a stubborn soul as mine.
Amen
One Minute Reflection – 2 October – Wednesday of the Twenty Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Matthew 18:1–5,10 and The Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. …Matthew 18:10
REFLECTION – “Ah, Jesus, prince of peace and angel of great counsel, may You Yourself always be the guide at my right and the guardian of my pilgrimage, lest I move away and stray from You. And deign to send from heaven Your holy angel who, under Your lovingly-kind care, will be solicitous for me and, according to Your gracious purpose, direct me and lead me, perfect, along Your way back to You. (Ex 23:20).” … St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302) Benedictine nun – Exercises I.60-63, 71-76, 78-86, 99-103.
PRAYER – Lord God of hosts, in Your all-wise providence, You send angels to guard and protect us. Surround us with their watchful care on earth and give us the joy of their company, forever in heaven. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord, with th Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 2 October – The Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels
O Most Holy Angel of God
By St Gertrude the Great (1256-1302)
O most holy Angel of God,
appointed by God to be my guardian,
I give you thanks for all the benefits
which you have ever bestowed on me
in body and soul.
I praise and glorify you,
that you condescended to assist me,
with such patient fidelity
and to defend me,
against all the assaults of my enemy.
Blessed be the hour
in which you were assigned me
for my guardian,
my defender and my patron.
In acknowledgement and return,
for all your loving ministries to me,
I offer you the infinitely precious
and noble Heart of Jesus
and firmly purpose
to obey you henceforward
and most faithfully, to serve my God.
Amen
One Minute Reflection – 1 October – Tuesday of the Twenty Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 9:51–56 and The Memorial of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus OCD (1873 – 1897) Doctor of the Church
“Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. … Luke 9:54-55
REFLECTION – “When someone has been made worthy to taste God’s love, he usually forgets everything else by reason of its sweetness. For once that person has tasted that love, anything visible seems of no interest. The soul joyfully draws near to the beautiful love of all people without distinction. It is never troubled by their weaknesses, which do not frighten it. Just like the blessed apostles who, in the midst of all the evils which they had to bear from their torturers were completely incapable of hating them and did not tire of loving them, this was shown by the fact that, in the end, they even bore death so as to meet them again one day in heaven.
And yet these were the very same people who, a little earlier, had begged Christ to make fire come down from heaven on the Samaritans, who had only refused to welcome them in their village. But once they had received the gift of tasting God’s love, they were made perfect even to the point of loving the wicked.” … St Isaac the Syrian (c 613-c 700) – Spiritual Discourses, 2nd Series, no. 10,36
PRAYER – God, our Father, Your promised Your Kingdom to the little ones and the humble of heart. May we love You and our neighbour, even those who hate us. Give us grace to walk confidently in the way of St Thérèse, so that helped by her prayers, we may see Your eternal glory. Through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen
Our Morning Offering – 1 October – The Memorial of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus OCD (1873 – 1897)
O Jesus, dear Holy Child
By St Thérèse of the Child Jesus
O Jesus,
dear Holy Child,
my only treasure,
I abandon myself
to Thy every whim.
I seek no other joy
than that of calling forth
Thy sweet Smile.
Vouchsafe to me the graces
and the virtues of
Thy Holy Childhood,
so that on the day
of my birth into Heaven
the Angels and Saints
may recognise in Thy Spouse:
Thérèse of the Child Jesus.
Amen
One Minute Reflection – 30 September – Monday of the Twenty Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 9:46–50 and The Memorial of St Gregory the Illuminator (c 257 – c 331)
“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me and whoever receives me, receives him who sent me, for he who is least among you all, is the one who is great.” … Luke 9:48
REFLECTION – “The passion and lust of pride attacked some of the holy apostles. The mere argument about who of them was the greatest is the mark of an ambitious person, eager to stand at the head of the rest. Christ, who did not sleep, knows how to deliver. He saw this thought in the disciple’s mind, springing up, in the words of Scripture, like some bitter plant. He saw the weeds, the work of the wicked sower. Before it grew up tall, struck its root down deep, grew strong and took possession of the heart, He tears up the evil by the very root. In what way does the Physician of souls amputate pride’s passion? How does He deliver the beloved disciple from being the prey of the enemy and from a thing hateful to God and man? “He took a child,” it says, “and set it by him.” He made the event a means of benefiting both the holy apostles themselves and us their successors. This illness, as a rule, preys upon all those who are in any respect superior to other people.
What kind of type and representation did He make the child He had taken? He made the child a representation of an innocent and humble life. The mind of a child is empty of fraud and his heart is sincere. His thoughts are simple. He does not covet rank and does not know what is meant by one man being higher than another is. Christ brought forward the child as a pattern of simplicity and innocence and set him by Him. He showed him as in an object lesson, that He accepts and loves those who are like the child. He thinks they are worthy of standing at His side, as being like-minded with Him and anxious to walk in His steps.” … St Cyril of Alexandria (376-444) Father and Doctor of the Church – Commentary on Luke, Homily 54
PRAYER – Dear and Holy God, let us offer You all our daily struggles against sin and evil. Grant us the strength to resist all forms of idolatry, to seek only You and never to allow the honour of this world to seduce us. Sustain us ever more with Your word and help us to find in it, the source of life. May the Prayers of St Gregory the Illuminator, help us on the path of holiness. We ask this through Jesus our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 30 September – Monday of the Twenty Sixth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and The Memorial of St Jerome (347-419) Father and Doctor of the Church
O Lord, show Your mercy to me
By St Jerome (347-419)
O Lord, show Your mercy to me
and gladden my heart.
I am like the man on the way to Jericho
who was overtaken by robbers,
wounded and left for dead.
O Good Samaritan,
come to my aid.
I am like the sheep that went astray.
O Good Shepherd,
seek me out and bring me home
in accord with Your will.
Let me dwell in Your house
all the days of my life
and praise You for ever and ever
with those who are there.
Amen
Sunday Reflection – 29 September – Twenty Sixth in Ordinary Time, Year C
“When you go to Holy Communion, you must always have an intention and say, when you are on the point of receiving our Lord’s Body:
“O my good Father, who art in heaven,
I offer You, at this moment,
Thy dear Son, as He was taken down from the Cross
and laid in the arms of the Blessed Virgin
and offered by her to You, as a sacrifice for us.
I offer Him to You, by the hands of Mary
to obtain ‘such-and-such a grace – faith, charity, humilty….’My children, mark this well – whenever I obtained a grace, I asked it in this way and it has never failed!”
One Minute Reflection – 29 September – Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 16:19–31 and The Feast of Sts Michael, Gabriel and Raphael
The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. … Luke 16:22-23
REFLECTION – “Was that poor man welcomed by the angels solely on account of his poverty? And the rich man, was he delivered up to torment by fault of his wealth alone? No. Let us clearly understand that it was humility that was honoured in the poor man and pride condemned in the rich.
This is the proof, briefly, that it was not his wealth but his pride for which the rich man deserved his punishment. So then, the poor man was carried into the bosom of Abraham, yet Scripture says of Abraham that he had much gold and silver and was rich on earth (Gn 13:2). If every rich man is sent into torment, how is it that Abraham could precede the poor man so as to welcome him into his bosom? It was because, in the midst of his wealth, Abraham was poor, humble, respectful and obedient to all God’s commands. He held his riches in so little esteem that, when God asked it of him, he consented to offer in sacrifice the son for whom these riches were destined (Gn 22:4).
Learn to be poor and needy, then, whether you possess something in this world or whether you don’t possess anything. Because we find beggars full of pride and rich people who confess their sins. “God resists the proud” whether they are covered with silk or with rags but “he gives grace to the humble” (Jas 4:6) whether or not, they have possessions in this world. God looks at what is within, it is there He assesses, there He examines.” … Saint Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of the Church – Discourses on the psalms, Ps 85 [86]; CCL 39, 1178
PRAYER – Dear and Holy God, let us offer You all our daily struggles against sin and evil. Grant us the strength to resist all forms of idolatry, to seek only You and never to allow the material goods of this world to seduce us . Sustain us ever more with Your word and help us to find in it, the source of life. Grant that the angels who always minister to You in heaven may defend us during our life on earth and protect us from evil. Grant this, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 29 September – Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Anima Christi
By St Ignatius Loyola SJ (1491-1556)
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within Your wounds hide me.
Permit me not to be separated from You.
From the wicked foe, defend me.
At the hour of my death, call me
and bid me come to You
That with Your saints, I may praise You
Forever and ever.
Amen
This prayer attracts an Indulgence of 300 days, or of 7 years, if recited after Holy Communion.
One Minute Reflection – 28 September – Saturday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 9:43–45 and the Memorial of St Lorenzo Ruiz (1600-1637) Martyr
“Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this saying and it was concealed from them ... Luke 9:44-45
REFLECTION – “Of all Christ’s miracles and mighty acts, it is this one that far exceeds the limits of human wonder. It goes far beyond the weak power of the human mind to perceive or comprehend, how it is supposed to believe, that the divine majesty, that very Word of the Father (Jn 1:1) and Wisdom of God in which “all things were created, visible and invisible” (cf. Col 1:15), was held within the confines of the man who appeared in Judaea and, even more, that the Wisdom of God entered into the womb of a woman and was born a baby, who cried and wailed just like all little babies. And it is further reported that He suffered the anguish of death, as He Himself admitted by saying: “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” (Mt 26:38 par) and in the end, He was led to that death which is reputed to be the most shameful among men, even though he did rise again on the third day…
To present this to human ears and explain it in words far surpasses our poor merits… Indeed the explanation of this mystery is probably beyond the grasp even of the whole creation of heavenly powers.” … Origen (c 185-253) Priest, Theologian, Father – Treatise on First Principles
PRAYER – Holy God, help me to amend my life constantly and be sincerely converted to You. Let me seek Your interests rather than my own and be ever more closely united with You. Send Your Spirit of understanding to enkindle our minds but most of all, fill us with Your grace of faith, that whether we understand or not, our love and obedience, is our only guide. St Lorenzo Ruiz, you obeyed to death for Christ, your beloved, please pray for us. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 28 September – Saturday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time, Year C – A Marian Saturday and nearly the end of the Month of The Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin
What Can I Say, Merciful Lady?
St Anselm (1033-1109)
Doctor of the Church
My most merciful Lady,
what can I say about the fountains
that flowed from your most pure eyes
when you saw your only Son before you,
bound, beaten and hurt?
What do I know of the flood
that drenched your matchless face,
when you beheld your Son, your Lord
and your God,
stretched on the cross without guilt,
when the flesh of your flesh
was cruelly butchered by wicked me?
How can I judge what sobs
troubled your most pure breast
when you heard,
“Woman, behold your son,”
and the disciple,
“Behold, your Mother,”
when you received as a son
the disciple in place of the Master,
the servant for the Lord?
Amen
One Minute Reflection – 27 September – Friday of the Twenty Fifth week in Ordinary Tim, Year C, Gospel: Luke 9:18–22 and the Memorial of St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)
“The Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised.”... Luke 9:22
REFLECTION – “The scene found n the Gospel reading forms a climax of the Synoptic Gospels. It constitutes the watershed in Jesus’ life. To this point, in accord with the mission given Him by the Father, He has acted messianically and has aroused a sense of who He is, especially in His disciples. Because the shift that takes place in this scene is so important, Luke places it in the context of a prayer of Jesus in solitude. By asking His disciples about His identity, He takes the opportunity to reveal the core of His mission.
Yet, the people’s perception of who He is, is so imperfect, that He cannot use it as a point of departure. Peter’s statement, “you are the Messiah of God” hits the target, yet Peter’s image of the Messiah remains an Old Testament and contemporary one – the Messiah as Israel’s liberator. That is why Jesus forbids them to use the title and, more profoundly, that is why He lays out clearly, what is the true task of the Messiah – to be rejected, to die, to rise again. So that this will not be received as some sort of incomprehensible, mythological event, He immediately explains it’s implications for anyone who wishes to be His disciple – “Take up your cross daily” and “follow” the Messiah in this way.
The required faith embraces the act it includes – discipleship – but not by scheming to gain something – rather, by unconditional loss: “Whoever loses his life for my sake … ” … Cardinal Han Urs von Bathasar (1905-1988)
PRAYER – Lord God, You hold out the Light of Your Word to those who do not know You. Strengthen in our hearts, the faith You have given us and the Credo we profess, so that no trials may quench the fire Your Spirit has kindled in us. May the intercession of St Vincent de Paul, grant us the grace of following the way of the Cross, to stand beneath it with our Mother, the Mother of God, Ave Maria! We make our prayer through Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 27 September – The Memorial of St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660)
Lord, Teach me How to Pray
By St Vincent de Paul
Oh Lord,
You selected the poor
and simple people to be Your Apostles.
Look upon Your poor servant
kneeling before You now.
I recognise that I am simple and poor too.
Dear Lord, please teach me how to pray
as You taught Your disciples
upon their humble request.
If it pleases You in Your goodness
to grant me that grace,
I shall be able to pray well
and much better
than I could ever could hope for
if left to my own efforts.
Lord, I trust that You will bless me
with the fulfilment of this request.
Amen
One Minute Reflection – 26 September – Thursday of the Twenty Fifth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 9:7–9 and The Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian (Died c 286) Martyrs
“Who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him. … Luke 9:9
REFLECTION – “You cannot know Jesus without having problems. You cannot know Jesus “by sitting in first class” or “in the calm”, much less “in the library.” We only come to know Jesus on the daily path of life. … knowing Him with the mind is a step in the right direction but in order to know Jesus, we need to enter into a dialogue with Him. By talking with Him, in prayer, on our knee s. If you don’t pray, if you don’t talk to Jesus, you don’t know Him. The third way to know Jesus is by following Him, by going with Him, by walking with Him, by travelling along the road of His ways. If you know Jesus with these three languages – of mind, heart and action, then you can say that you know Jesus. Therefore, in order truly to know Him, it is necessary to read what the Church tells us about Him, to speak with Him in prayer and to walk along the path of His ways with Him. This is the road and everyone has a decision to make.”
PRAYER – Holy God, through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son in union with the Holy Spirit, with Mary Mother of the Church, St Joseph her spouse, the communion of Saints, we pray, be with us, lead us, guide us, never leave us. May we learn the ways of Your Son, may we follow them and may we constantly seek His Face in prayer and the Sacraments. Grant we pray, that by the intercession of Sts Cosmas and Damian, we may be filled with courage and joy as we follow behind Him. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 26 September – Thursday of the Twenty Fifth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and The Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian (Died c 286) Martyrs
Lord, God, Your Light which Dims the Stars
Breviary Hymn
By the Benedictine Nuns of Stanbrook Abbey
Lord, God, Your light
which dims the stars
Awakes all things,
And all that springs to life in You
Your glory sings.
Your peaceful presence,
giving strength,
Is everywhere,
And fallen men may rise again
On wings of prayer.
You are the God whose mercy rests
On all You made.
You gave us Christ,
whose love through death
Our ransom paid.
We praise You, Father, with Your Son
And Spirit blest,
In whom creation lives and moves,
And finds its rest.
One Minute Reflection – 25 September – Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 9:1–6 and the Memorial of Blessed Herman of Reichenau/the Cripple OSB (1013–1054) “The Wonder of his Age’
And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal. … Luke 9:1-2
REFLECTION – “The other instruction that is very important in the Gospel passage is that the Twelve cannot simply preach conversion – along with preaching there must be, according to the orders and example of Jesus, curing of the sick. Cure of the physically and spiritually sick. He speaks of the concrete healings of illnesses and of the casting out of demons, that is, the purifying of the human mind, cleaning, cleaning the eyes of the soul that have been darkened by ideologies and so cannot see God, they cannot see truth and justice. This double physical and spiritual healing is always the mandate of Christ’s disciples. So, the apostolic mission must always carry these two aspects of preaching the word of God and manifesting His goodness with gestures of charity, service and dedication.” … Pope Benedict XVI 16 July 2012
PRAYER – O God of love, You sent Your beloved Son to the world to proclaim the Good News of Salvation, to heal every illness and to cure all infirmity of body and soul. Help us to continue the mission of the merciful Christ in the service towards our neighbour, preaching the Gospel and offering our help in whatever way we can. May the example of suffering of Blessed Herman the Cripple, teach us how to love and serve You. Through his intercession, grant us the grace to go forth in love. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 25 September – Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of Blessed Herman of Reichenau/the Cripple OSB (1013–1054) the Author of the Salve Regina
Salve Regina
Hail Holy Queen
By Blessed Herman the Cripple (1013–1054)
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy
Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
Poor banished children of Eve,
To thee do we send up our sighs,
Mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
Thine eyes of mercy toward us
And after this our exile,
Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus
This line by St Bernard (1090-1153) Doctor of the Church
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
℣ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
℟ that we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ.
One Minute Reflection – 24 September – Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 8:19-21
But he said to them, “My mother and my brethren, are those, who hear the word of God and do it.”…Luke 8:21
REFLECTION – “He who wishes for anything but Christ, does not know what he wishes; he who asks for anything but Christ, does not know what he is asking; he who works and not for Christ, does not know what he is doing.” … Saint Philip Neri (1515-1595)
PRAYER – Shepherd of Your Church and we, the sheep of Your flock, who follow You and hear and do Your Word. Support us with grace those who are constantly striving to do Your will, so that following the example of the humble fiat of Your blessed Mother and ours, we may devote all our powers and talents to love of You and our neighbour and finally arrive safely in our heavenly home. In God, our Father we pray through You who live in union with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ages and ages. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 24 September – Tuesday of the Twenty Fifth week in Ordinary Time, Year C
The Day is Filled with Splendour
Breviary Hymn
Benedictine Nuns of Stanbrook Abbey (First Published in 1616)
The day is filled with splendour
when God brings light from light,
and all renewed creation
rejoices in His sight.
The Father gives His children
the wonder of the world
in which His power and glory
like banners are unfurled
With every living creature,
awaking with the day,
we turn to God our Father,
lift up our hearts and pray.
O Father, Son and Spirit,
your grace and mercy send,
that we may live to praise you
today and to the end.
Amen
One Minute Reflection – 23 September – Monday of the Twenty Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 8:16–18 and the Memorial of St Padre Pio (1887-1968)
“Take heed then how you hear…” … Luke 8:18
REFLECTION – “The lamp on the lampstand is our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Father’s true light “who enlightens everyone coming into the world” (Jn 1:9), in other words, the Father’s Wisdom and Word. having accepted our flesh, He truly became and was called, the “light of the world”. By our faith and devotion He is honoured and exalted in the Church. In this way He is made visible to all nations and shines out for “all the people in the house”, namely the whole world, as He said: “They do not light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket, it is set on a lampstand , where it gives light to all in the house” (Mt 5:15).
As we have seen, Christ calls Himself a lamp. God by nature, He became flesh according to the plan of salvation, a light held within the flesh as if in a vase… This is what David was thinking when he said: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Ps 119[118]:105). Since He causes the darkness of ignorance and the evil of men to vanish, my Saviour and my God is called a lamp in Scripture. And since He is the only one able, to obliterate the darkness of ignorance and disperse the shadows of sin, He has become the way of salvation for all. He leads towards the Father all those who, through understanding and virtue, walk with Him along the path of the commandments as on a road of righteousness.
The lampstand is holy Church because the Word of God shines out through her preaching. This is how the beams of its truth can enlighten the whole world… On one condition, however – so long as it is not hidden under the letter of the Law. Anyone who clings to Scripture according to the letter only is living according to the flesh, he is placing the lamp under a bushel basket. But when, to the contrary, the Church is set on the lampstand, it enlightens everyone.” … Saint Maximus the Confessor (c 580-662) – Abbot and Theologian – Question 63 to Thalassius
PRAYER – Holy God, teach me gratitude for Your love, teach me faithfulness no matter what difficulties I face. Jesus, my Lord, Your Church is my guide and my understanding, help me to always be true to her, my holy mother. St Padre Pio, pray for the Church and all God’s people. We make our prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God for all eternity, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 23 September – Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C and the Memorial of St Padre Pio (1887-1968)
Prayer to St Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
by St Pope John Paul II (1920-2005)
Teach us, we pray, humility of heart,
so that we may be counted
among the little ones of the Gospel
to whom the Father promised
to reveal the mysteries of His Kingdom.
Help us to pray without ceasing,
certain that God knows what we need,
even before we ask Him.
Obtain for us the eyes of faith
that will help us recognise in the poor and suffering,
the very face of Jesus.
Sustain us in the hour of trouble and trial
and, if we fall, let us experience the joy
of the sacrament of forgiveness.
Grant us your tender devotion to Mary,
mother of Jesus and our Mother.
Accompany us on our earthly pilgrimage
toward the blessed Homeland,
where we too, hope to arrive
to contemplate forever the
Glory of the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit.
Amen
One Minute Reflection – 22 September – Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 16:1–13 and the Memorial of St Ignatius of Santhia OFM Cap (1686-1770)
“You cannot serve God and mammon.” … Luke 16:13
REFLECTION – “A servant cannot serve two masters.” Not that there are two, there is only one Master. For even if there are some people who serve money, it has no inherent right to be a master, they themselves are the ones, who assume the yoke of this slavery. In fact, money has no rightful authority but constitutes an unjust bondage. That is why Jesus says: “Make friends for yourselves with deceitful money” so that by generosity to the poor we will win the favour of angels and saints.
The steward is not blamed. By this we learn that we are not masters but rather stewards of other people’s wealth. He was praised even though he was in the wrong because, in paying out to others in his master’s name he won support for himself. And how rightly Jesus spoke of “deceitful wealth” because love of money so tempts our desires with its various seductions that we consent to become its slaves. That is why He said: “If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?” Riches are alien to us because they exist outside of our nature, they are not born with us, they do not follow us in death. But Christ, to the contrary, belongs to us because He is life… So don’t let us become slaves of exterior goods because Christ is the only one we should acknowledge as our Lord.” … Saint Ambrose (340-397) – Bishop of Milan, Father and Doctor of the Church – Commentary on Saint Luke’s Gospel, 7, 244s SC 52
PRAYER – All-powerful, eternal God, splendour of true light and never-ending day, turn our ears and hearts to Your Word, that we may hear and live by the seed You have sown. May all that grows in us, be of Your good seed and yield fruit a hundredfold. Grant Lord, we pray, that by the prayers of St Ignatius of Santhia, we may be filled with courage and love and spread Your Word by our lives. We make our prayer through Jesus, our Lord and Word, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You, forever, amen.
Our Morning Offering – 22 September – Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Stay With Me, O Lord
St Padre Pio (1887-1968)
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life
and without You I am without fervour.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light
and without You I am in darkness.
Stay with me, Lord,
so that I hear Your voice and follow You.
Stay with me, Lord,
for I desire to love You very much
and always be in Your company.
Stay with me, Lord,
if You wish me to be faithful to You.
Stay with me, Lord, as poor as my soul is,
I want it to be a place of consolation for You,
a nest of Love.
Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late
and the day is coming to a close
and life passes, death, judgement
and eternity approach.
It is necessary to renew my strength,
so that I will not stop
along the way and for that, I need You.
It is getting late and death approaches,
I fear the darkness, the temptations,
the dryness, the cross, the sorrows.
O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!
Stay with me tonight, Jesus,
in life with all its dangers, I need You.
Let me recognise You as Your disciples did,
at the breaking of the bread,
so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light
which disperses the darkness,
the force which sustains me,
the unique joy of my heart.
Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death,
I want to remain united to You,
if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.
Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for,
Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will,
Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You
and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.
With a firm love, I will love You
with all my heart while on earth
and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity.
Amen
One Minute Reflection – 21 September – The Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist- Today’s Gospel: Matthew 9:9–13
“Follow me”.. Matthew 9:9
REFLECTIONS – “Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office and he said to him: “Follow me.” He looked at him not with the eyes of the body but rather with the eye of interior pity. He saw a tax collector, and since He looked at him in pity and choosing him as a disciple, He said: “Follow me.” ‘Follow’ meant ‘imitate’ – not by the movement of his feet but rather by a change of life. For whoever says he is following Christ “ought himself to walk as Christ walked” (cf 1Jn ).
“Matthew rose and followed him.” It is not to be wondered at that the tax collector should leave the earthly gains he was looking after at the first command of the Lord and that, abandoning riches, he should join the company of Him who, he saw, had no wealth. For the Lord, who outwardly called him with words, through a hidden instinct secretly taught him to follow Him. By the gift of divine grace the Lord enlightened his mind to understand that He who on earth called him away from temporal interests, could in heaven give incorruptible treasures (cf Mt 6,20).
“And as Jesus sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.” The conversion of one tax collector provided an example of penance and forgiveness to many tax collectors and sinners. In a wonderful and true sign of the future, he who was to become the apostle and teacher of the gentiles, brought with him to salvation, a multitude of sinners in the first moments of his conversion!” ... Saint Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father & Doctor of the Church – Homilies on the gospels I, 21 ; CCL 122, 149
PRAYER – Lord, You showed Your great mercy to Matthew the tax-gatherer by calling him to become Your Apostle. Supported by his prayer and example, may we always answer Your call and live in close union with You. We make our prayer, in union with God our Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. St Matthew, Apostle of Christ, pray for us, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 20 September – Friday of the Twenty Fourth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 8:1–3 and the Memorial of Saint Jose Maria de Yermo y Parres (1851–1904)
And the twelve were with him and also some women … Luke 8:1-2
REFLECTION – “If you knew the gift of God” (Jn 4:10), Jesus says to the Samaritan woman during one of those remarkable conversations which show His great esteem for the dignity of women and for the vocation which enables them to share in His messianic mission… The Church desires to give thanks to the Most Holy Trinity for the “mystery of woman” and for every woman – for that which constitutes the eternal measure of her feminine dignity, for the “great works of God”, which throughout human history have been accomplished in and through her. After all, was it not in and through her that the greatest event in human history – the incarnation of God Himself – was accomplished?
Therefore, the Church, gives thanks for each and every woman – for mothers, for sisters, for wives, for women consecrated to God in virginity, for women dedicated to the many human beings who await the gratuitous love of another person, for women who watch over the human persons in the family, which is the fundamental sign of the human community, for women who work professionally and who at times are burdened by a great social responsibility…
The Church gives thanks for all the manifestations of the feminine “genius” which have appeared in the course of history, in the midst of all peoples and nations, she gives thanks for all the charisms which the Holy Spirit distributes to women in the history of the People of God… The Church asks at the same time that these invaluable “manifestations of the Spirit” (cf. 1 Cor 12:4ff)… may be attentively recognised and appreciated so that they may return, for the common good of the Church and of humanity.” … St John Paul II (1920-2005) – Apostolic Letter « Mulieris dignitatem /The Dignity of women» # 31
PRAYER – Lord God, bestow a full measure of Your grace upon Your children, all Your men and women who gather together to thank you and bless you. As Your work within us to keep us in the path of Your commandments, may we receive consolation in this present life and eternal joy in the next. You gave us Saint Jose Maria Parres to protect and assist all in need of help, grant that by his prayer, all may be comforted in their need and may our precious Holy Mother, the icon of all womanhood, accompany us on our journey. Through Christ our Lord, with the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen
Our Morning Offering – 20 September – Friday of the Twenty Fourth week in Ordinary Time, Year C
O Sweet Name of Jesus
By Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)
O sweet Name of Jesus,
holy above all names
in heaven and on earth
and to which every knee,
both of men
and of angels in heaven,
on earth and in hell bends.
You are the Way of the just,
the Glory of the saints,
the Hope of those in need,
the Balm of the sick,
the Love of the devout
and the Consolation
of those that suffer.
O, Jesus be to me a help
and a protector
so that Your Name
may be blessed for all times.
Amen
Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) CRSA …(Manualis Parvulorum XIII)
Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) CRSA …(Manualis Parvulorum XIII)
One Minute Reflection – 19 September – Thursday of the Twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time, Year C, Gospel: Luke 7:36–50 and The Feast of Our Lady of La Salette
“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much”….Luke 7:47
REFLECTION – “At this point, an even greater amazement falls on all those at table: “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” (v.49). Jesus does not give an explicit answer but the conversion of the sinful women stands before everyone’s eyes and shows that in Him shines forth the power of God’s mercy, capable of transforming hearts.
The sinful woman teaches us the link between faith, love and gratitude. Her “many sins” were forgive her and therefore she loves much, “but he who is forgiven little, loves little” (v. 47). Even Simon has to admit that the one who has been forgiven more, loves more. God has enclosed everyone in the mystery of mercy and from this love, which always goes before us, all of us learn to love. As St Paul reminds us: “In Christ, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he has lavished upon us” (Eph. 1:7-8). In this text, the word “grace” is practically synonymous with mercy and is called “lavish,” that is, beyond our expectations, for it carries out God’s saving plan for each of us. … Salvation enters the heart, only when we open the heart, in the truth of our sins.” … Pope Francis 18 September 2014 (“Pope Francis” painting by Natalia Tsarkova)
PRAYER – Grant us Lord, a true knowledge of salvation, so that, freed from fear and from the power of our foes, we may serve You faithfully in love and sorrow for our sins. May we, through the love You grant us, extend our love to all we meet and may the tears of the Holy Virgin of Reconciliation, not reject our prayers but intercede for us, obtain for us the grace to love our Lord Jesus above all else. May we console you by a holy life and so come to share the eternal life Christ gained by His Cross. Our Lady of La Salette, pray for us, through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, God forever,amen.
Our Morning Offering – 19 September 2019– Thursday of the Twenty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, Year C
Excerpt from Jesus, My Friend
By St Claude de la Colombiere SJ(1641-1682)
O Jesus!
You are my true Friend,
my only Friend.
You take a part in all my misfortunes,
You take them on Yourself,
You know how to change them into blessings.
You listen to me with the greatest kindness
when I relate my troubles to You,
and You have always balm to pour on my wounds.
I find You at all times,
I find You everywhere,
You never go away,
if I have to change my dwelling,
I find You wherever I go.
You are never weary of listening to me,
You are never tired of doing me good.
O Jesus!
Grant that I may die praising You,
that I may die loving You,
that I may die for the love of You.
Amen
One Minute Reflection – 18 September – Wednesday of the Twenty Fourth week in Ordinary Tim, Year C, Gospel: Luke 7:31–35 and the Memorial of St Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663)
“To what then shall I compare the men of this generation and what are they like? “…Luke 7:31
REFLECTION – “How long are we going to put off obeying Christ, who calls us into His heavenly Kingdom? Aren’t we going to purify ourselves? Won’t we resolve to forsake our customary way of life to follow the Gospel radically?… We claim to want the Kingdom of God yet without bothering to concern ourselves with the means of obtaining it.
What is more, in the conceitedness of our souls, without taking the least trouble to obey the Lord’s commandments, we think ourselves worthy to receive the same reward as those who have resisted sin to the death! But how could anyone sit and sleep at home during the time of sowing and then gather sheaves by the armful at harvest? Who has ever brought in the grapes without having planted and tended the vine? Fruit is for those who have toil, rewards and crowns for those who have conquered. Has anyone ever crowned an athlete who did not even strip to fight his opponent? And yet, not only must we win but we must also “fight according to the rules”, as the apostle Paul says, that is to say according to the commandments we have been given…
God is good but He is also just… “The Lord loves justice and right” (Ps 32:5), that is why, “of kindness and judgement I will sing” (Ps 100:1)… See how wisely the Lord exercises kindness. He is not gracious without consideration, nor does He judge without mercy for, “gracious is the Lord and just” (Ps 115:5). So don’t underestimate God – His love for men should not become a pretext for negligence on our part.” … St Basil the Great (329-379) Father & Doctor of the Church – Longer monastic Rules, prologue
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, help me to be holy in the way that You have laid out for me. Let me carry out my duties of my state of life to the full and grant me the grace to carry my crosses in honour of You. Only in You may I attain holiness, learning to give myself, my will, my heart and my soul only to You. St Joseph of Cupertino, you who were so disadvantaged, achieved by the grace of God, sanctity in this life and now behold His Face through all eternity. We ask for your intercession, through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
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