Lord, help me to be open to your Word proclaimed in the Bible25th Week in Ordinary Time : Monday 25th September 2023Ezr. 1:1-6; Ps. 125:1-3,4-5,6; Lk. 8:16-18 (Ps. Wk. I) The setting in the Book of Ezra is the two hundred periods in which God’s people were citizens of the Persian empire. The Persian period…
World Day of Migrants & Refugees25th Week in Ordinary Time : Sunday 24th September 2023Is. 55:6-9; Ps. 144:2-3,8-9,17-18; Phil. 1:20-24,27a; Mt. 20:1-16a (Ps. Wk. I) We can be very grateful that God’s ways and thoughts are not like ours. God sees the ‘big picture’ and is not motivated by resentment, fear, greed, or anger, as…
St Pius of Pietrelcina, priest, pray for us24th Week in Ordinary Time : Saturday 23rd September 20231 Tim. 6:13-16; Ps. 99:2-5; Lk. 8:4-15 (Ps. Wk. IV) Today’s parable in the Gospel centres on the seed and the soil, rather than on the sower. The seed is the Word of God (v. 11), and we can…
Lord, help us to be faithful to our Christian calling and gain eternal life24th Week in Ordinary Time : Friday 22nd September 20231 Tim. 6:2-12; Ps. 48:6-10,17-20; Lk. 8:1-3 (Ps. Wk. IV) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” To truly follow Jesus means to be poor in spirit. We…
St Matthew, apostle of Jesus, pray for usST MATTHEW, APOSTLE & EVANGELIST : Thursday 21st September 2023Eph. 4:1-7,11-13; Ps. 18:2-3,4-5; Mt. 9:9-13 (Ps. Wk. IV) Today as we celebrate the feast of St Matthew, an Apostle and evangelist, we recall the amazing way God calls Matthew to discipleship and gives him the apostolate tasks of…
SS Laurent Imbert, bishop, Jaques Chastan, priest (of College General), SS. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, priest, & Paul Chong Ha sang, & Comps. martyrs; pray for us 24th Week in Ordinary Time : Wednesday 20th September 20231 Tim. 3:14-16; Ps. 110:1-2,3-4,5-6; Lk. 7:31-35 (Ps. Wk. IV) Paul emphasised how absolutely real Jesus is – much more…
St Januarius, Bishop & martyr24th Week in Ordinary Time : Tuesday 19th September 20231 Tim. 3:1-13; Ps. 100:1-3,5-6; Lk. 7:11-17 (Ps. Wk. IV) These instructions to bishops from the First Letter to Timothy were written at a time long before celibacy became obligatory for priests in the Church. The writer naturally thinks of a parallel…
Lord, help me to be more prayerful 24th Week in Ordinary Time : Monday 18th September 20231 Tim. 2:1-8; Ps. 27:2,7-9; Lk. 7:1-10 (Ps. Wk. IV) The passage from the first reading in the letter to Timothy is a long exhortation by Paul on “household duties”. If, in his earlier letters, Paul references the “duties”…
Forgiveness is freedom and is a sign of spiritual maturity and strength24th Week in Ordinary Time : Sunday 17th September 2023Sir. 27:30—28:9; Ps. 102:1-4,9-12; Rom. 14:7-9; Mt. 18:21-35 (Ps. Wk. IV) Anger and unforgiveness can poison the heart, soul, and whole societies. Sooner or later, it can result in hatred and violence – just look…
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us23rd Week in Ordinary Time : Saturday 16th September 20231 Tim. 1:15-17; Ps. 112:1-2,3-4,5a & 6-7; Lk. 6:43-49 (Ps. Wk. III) What makes us “good” or “bad”? It is what we “store” in our hearts. Jesus says, “A good person draws what is good from the store of goodness…