Sunday
September 22nd

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

1st Reading: Wis 2:12, 17-20:
The wicked say: Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training. Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him. For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes. With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him.

2nd Reading: Jas 3:16—4:3:
Beloved: Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace. Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not possess because you do not ask. You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Gospel: Mk 9:30-37:
Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”

But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

Reflection:
There are people who don’t want to understand especially if the truth is something that shakes their world. They would rather continue not knowing. Amidst this stubbornness, Jesus again patiently teaches His disciples on the true fate of the Messiah. But this time, by teaching them what true greatness means, that it is not all about position of power and authority but of humility and powerlessness, of meekness and gentleness as embodied by a child. Perhaps this is a gentler approach for the disciples to later on understand that saving others entails death to oneself, and ultimately giving oneself as a ransom for others even unto death. The path that Jesus lays upon us is difficult.

To enter the school of humility itself is already a great task. Perhaps it is worth noting my personal profile today and becoming aware of my own desires for power, authority and recognition and see whether its manifestations hamper my journey towards self-giving. A little mindfulness of how I behave when given power and authority will help a lot in my efforts to become like what Jesus wants me to be. Lord, break me and mend me back to the person that you want me to be today. Teach me Your way of humble service that I may cease to struggle trying to find a comfortable perch in the hierarchy of the world. May I be happy in my service and humble in my achievements. Amen.

Monday
September 23rd

St. Pio of Pietrelcina

1st Reading: Prv 3:27-34:
Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim when it is in your power to do it for him. Say not to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give,” when you can give at once. Plot no evil against your neighbor, against one who lives at peace with you. Quarrel not with a man without cause, with one who has done you no harm. Envy not the lawless man and choose none of his ways: To the Lord the perverse one is an abomination, but with the upright is his friendship. The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but the dwelling of the just he blesses; When dealing with the arrogant, he is stern, but to the humble he shows kindness.

Gospel: Lk 8:16-18:
Jesus said to the crowd: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.”

Reflection:
God’s good news of love that has been welcomed in the human heart through conversion and faith needs to be nurtured by perseverance in prayer and good works so that it continues to grow and bear fruit for oneself and others. When a lamp, or a candle, is covered, it will cease to give out light and no sooner it will be extinguished because it lacks air, particularly oxygen, needed to keep it burning. Once the good news takes its root, it would require “patient endurance” so that we can proceed with the demands of daily human affairs strong, withstanding and warding off the threats coming from various concerns, possessions and pleasures in life (Brendan Byrne).

Prayer, good works, endurance and patience are the elements of the air, so to speak, that keep the light of love in us shining. Without them, our conversion to a new life of faith in Christ will not last. In seeing this light, what others actually recognize is God’s love and mercy at work in our lives. The light of our transformation and its accompanying fruits of good work touch people’s lives because they reflect divine goodness. Having this light, then, shining in our life is to be a witness to the power and love of God.

Tuesday
September 24th

1st Reading: Prv 21:1-6, 10-13:
Like a stream is the king’s heart in the hand of the Lord; wherever it pleases him, he directs it. All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the Lord who proves hearts. To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Haughty eyes and a proud heart– the tillage of the wicked is sin. The plans of the diligent are sure of profit, but all rash haste leads certainly to poverty. Whoever makes a fortune by a lying tongue is chasing a bubble over deadly snares.

The soul of the wicked man desires evil; his neighbor finds no pity in his eyes. When the arrogant man is punished, the simple are the wiser; when the wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge. The just man appraises the house of the wicked: there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin. He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard.

Gospel: Lk 8:19-21:
The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

Reflection:
Our biological make-up determines the closeness of our relationship with our mother, father, sister(s) and brother(s). Other than a relationship with a friend, these are the closest possible relationships that one can have to another person. But in today’s short gospel reading, Jesus established a determinant that goes beyond biological relationship, that is, the hearing and the keeping of the word of God. This is the one thing that connects and brings us into close relationship with Christ.

Hearing and keeping God’s word means taking Jesus in our life, making him an integral part of us, without whom life fails. When this happens, Christ takes possession of us and assumes a central place. That is why we can now say: “I am sister/ brother to Christ, a sister and a brother to others because of Christ’s love for them. It needs to be noted that this relationship with Christ constitutes hearing and doing. Both are needed in building a relationship with him. Hearing the good news is not enough. It requires the addition of action.

Wednesday
September 25th

1st Reading: Prv 30:5-9:
Every word of God is tested; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Add nothing to his words, lest he reprove you, and you will be exposed as a deceiver. Two things I ask of you, deny them not to me before I die: Put falsehood and lying far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; provide me only with the food I need; Lest, being full, I deny you, saying, “Who is the Lord?” Or, being in want, I steal, and profane the name of my God.

Gospel: Lk 9:1-6:
Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.” Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the Good News and curing diseases everywhere.

Reflection:
Today’s gospel reading is highly revealing. It reveals both what kind of man Jesus was and what kind of Church he wants us to be. For he sends his disciples on a missionary tour yet does not tell them to perform religious activities! Their mission is not about teaching the Our Father, for example, or explaining new truths about God, or organizing prayer meetings. Their mission is to help people in their basic needs as human beings, above all, in curing their diseases.

In this connection, it is remarkable that according to Jesus’ solemn teaching (cf. Mt 25:31-46), when they appear before the glorious Christ for the Last Judgment, people will be judged neither on the basis of their religious beliefs nor of their religious practices nor of their degree of faith. They will be judged on whether or not they have fed, housed, clothed, healed or consoled their neighbor in need. In the other words of James, “In the sight of God, pure and blameless religion lies in helping the orphans and widows in need and keeping oneself from the world’s corruption” (Jas 1:27). In other words, Christianity is not just limited to piety and prayer but has a lot to do with service and help given to anybody in need.

Thursday
September 26th

Sts. Cosmas and Damian

1st Reading: Eccl 1:2-11:
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity! What profit has man from all the labor which he toils at under the sun? One generation passes and another comes, but the world forever stays. The sun rises and the sun goes down; then it presses on to the place where it rises. Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north, the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds. All rivers go to the sea, yet never does the sea become full.

To the place where they go, the rivers keep on going. All speech is labored; there is nothing one can say. The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor is the ear satisfied with hearing. What has been, that will be; what has been done, that will be done. Nothing is new under the sun. Even the thing of which we say, “See, this is new!” has already existed in the ages that preceded us. There is no remembrance of the men of old; nor of those to come will there be any remembrance among those who come after them.

Gospel: Lk 9:7-9:
Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, “John has been raised from the dead”; others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”; still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.” But Herod said, “John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see him.

Reflection:
It is said in today’s gospel reading that King Herod “was very curious to see him (Jesus).” Now exactly the same words are applied to another man, to Zaccheus, the chief tax collector of Jericho. Yet, in the actual unfolding of subsequent events, the fate of these two men turns out to be quite different. Let us first consider Herod. When he comes face to face with Jesus, he rejoices. Finally, his curiosity will be satisfied! Curiosity about what? Luke tells us plainly what Herod was curious about: “He had been hoping to see Jesus perform some miracle” (Lk 23:8).

In other words, Herod was in no way seeking God. He was hoping to be entertained by some religious fireworks. Now let us consider Zaccheus. When he comes face to face with Jesus, he undergoes a deep conversion. Zaccheus, it seems, was already tempted to change his ways, but did not know how to go about it. He was not seeking to be entertained; he was seeking God. We can become interested in religion because of its pageantry, colorful rituals, quaint customs. Such curiosity is worthless. The only worthwhile curiosity is the desire to find God—at all costs. That curiosity is always satisfied sooner or later.

Friday
September 27th

St. Vincent de Paul

1st Reading: Eccl 3:1-11:
There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every thing under the heavens. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak.

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. What advantage has the worker from his toil? I have considered the task that God has appointed for the sons of men to be busied about. He has made everything appropriate to its time, and has put the timeless into their hearts, without man’s ever discovering, from beginning to end, the work which God has done.

Gospel: Lk 9:18-22:
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone. He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Reflection:
When Peter tells Jesus that he is the Christ, Peter is stating in other words that apart from Jesus no other Messiah is to be expected. Does our own faith sufficiently say to the world that Christ has come, that we should no longer expect another one? Without being aware of it, are we not often expecting the coming of someone (political or religious leader) who will usher in a golden age for the whole world, who will abolish taxes, double salaries, rebuild everything new, make religion easy, eliminate all suffering?

But such dreams are dangerous, for they make ordinary life heavier instead of giving us the courage to transform it. The Messiah did not want to transform the world in a moment, like a magician, letting us play the role of passive spectators looking on agape. He has wanted to enter completely in the suffering of the world, bear our sicknesses, our sorrows, our crimes. And he invites us to actively become other Messiahs like him, by giving our lives for our brothers and sisters. This is for us the only way by which we can transform the world around us.

Saturday
September 28th

St. Wenceslaus
St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions

1st Reading: Eccl 11:9—12:8:
Rejoice, O young man, while you are young and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart, the vision of your eyes; Yet understand that as regards all this God will bring you to judgment. Ward off grief from your heart and put away trouble from your presence, though the dawn of youth is fleeting. Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come And the years approach of which you will say, I have no pleasure in them; Before the sun is darkened, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, while the clouds return after the rain; When the guardians of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, And the grinders are idle because they are few, and they who look through the windows grow blind;

When the doors to the street are shut, and the sound of the mill is low; When one waits for the chirp of a bird, but all the daughters of song are suppressed; And one fears heights, and perils in the street; When the almond tree blooms, and the locust grows sluggish and the caper berry is without effect, Because man goes to his lasting home, and mourners go about the streets; Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken, And the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the broken pulley falls into the well, And the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the life breath returns to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, all things are vanity!

Gospel: Lk 9:43b-45:
While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Reflection:
Someone said that there are two things we cannot stare at: the sun and death. In today’s gospel episode, we seem to have something in that line. Jesus announces openly his impending death. But his disciples understand nothing of what he is talking about and, more significantly, “were afraid,” in the words of the text, “to ask him about it.” One has the impression, upon reading this account of the incident, that the disciples did not want to hear anything more on the topic of death.

Looking at death was too painful for them. In this connection it is interesting (almost amusing) how people studiously avoid the direct mention of death and have recourse to a panoply of euphemisms: “he passed away,” “my late husband,” “our deceased daughter,” “our departed ones,” “he left us three years ago,” etc. When suffering comes to us, either for our loved ones or for ourselves, shall we look the other way, as the disciples were doing, or shall we have the courage to look suffering straight in the eye? The contemplation of the crucifix and of our crucified Lord should help us find that courage.