January 8 - The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord: The Star of Wonder

First Reading  Isaiah 60:1-6 Jerusalem shall be a light to all nations.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 72:1-2,7-8,10-11,12-13 Every nation on earth shall worship the Lord.
Second Reading  Ephesians 3:2-3a,5-6 Gentiles are coheirs in the promise of Christ.
Gospel Reading Matthew 2:1-12
 
 
In Matthew 2: 9-11, the ageless story describes a Star in the East guiding three wise men, or magi, to the place of the divine birth of Christ. According to medieval legends, the three wise men were named Melchior, Balthazar and Gaspar. These three priest-kings and wisemen brought royal gifts to the divine infant: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Melchior brought a golden cup, which, according to legend, was preserved by the Blessed Virgin Mary and was the same cup used in the institution of the Holy Eucharist. Balthazar brought a gold box of frankincense. Gaspar brought a curiously chased flask of myrrh, a royal embalming oil. The gift of gold symbolizes the kingship of Christ, which represents our own true royal Self-hood and our giving of love and service as directed and commanded by that Self. The gift of frankincense symbolizes the Godhead of Christ and our own gifts of honour and reverence to our indwelling Divinity. The gift of myrrh is a prophecy of the death and burial of the earthly body of Christ, which represents our understanding and empathy for the suffering of humanity. Let us pray that just as the Magi were guided by a star we too be guided by the signs of the times to find God and worship Him.

January 1 – Solemnity of Mary the Holy Mother of God: The mind of Christ

First Reading  Numbers 6:22-27 God gives a blessing for the Israelites.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 67:2-3,5,6,8 All the people sing praises to God.
Second Reading  Galatians 4:4-7 God sent his Son to make us children of God.
Gospel ReadingLuke 2:16-21
The mystery of her divine motherhood that we celebrate today contains in superabundant measure the gift of grace that all human motherhood bears within it, so much so that the fruitfulness of the womb has always been associated with God’s blessing. Mary is the mother and model of the Church, who receives the divine Word in faith and offers herself to God as the “good soil” in which he can continue to accomplish his mystery of salvation. The spiritual meaning of Mary’s motherhood was made known by St. Augustine who said “Prium concepit in mente quam corpore” which means Mary conceived Jesus in her mind before conceiving Him in her womb. May was filled with Christ her son, she became the faithful disciple of the Lord. We are called upon to do the same: to put on and live with the mind of Christ. One of the instructions given to us in the Bible is to have the mind of Christ. We read in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” May the Virgin Mary, whom today we venerate with the title of Mother of God, help us to contemplate the face of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. May she sustain us and accompany us in this New Year: and may she obtain for us and for the whole world the gift of peace. Amen!

December 25 - Christmas Day: God had visited us

First Reading  Isaiah 9:1-6 To those in darkness, a child will be born who will have dominion over the earth.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 96:1-2,2-3,11-12,13 Sing a new song to the Lord.
Second Reading  Titus 2:11-14 God has appeared, bringing salvation to all.
Gospel ReadingLuke 2:1-14
 
Today we celebrate Christmas, the mystery of Incarnation, God becoming man, the astonishing entrance that God made into our broken world. Again and again the beauty of this Gospel astonishes us that God makes himself a child so that we may love him, so that we may dare to love him, and as a child trustingly lets himself be taken into our arms. It is as if God were saying: I know that my glory frightens you, and that you are trying to assert yourself in the face of my grandeur. So now I am coming to you as a child, so that you can accept me and love me. God is born for us but the question is whether we are ready to welcome him. The most unfortunate and the saddest sentence is found in the Gospel of Luke: “There was no place for them in the Inn” (Lk 2:7). Centuries have passed but this stark reality still continues in our lives. God wants to come in but we keep our doors closed. Why should we not also be moved by curiosity to see more closely and to know what God has said to us? At this hour, let us ask him to touch our hearts with the holy curiosity and the holy joy of the shepherds, and thus let us go over joyfully to Bethlehem, to the Lord who today once more comes to meet us. Amen

December 18 - Fourth Sunday in Advent: Joseph, the just man

 
First Reading  Isaiah 7:10-14 Ahaz proclaims the sign that the Lord will give: a virgin shall give birth to a son, Emmanuel.
 
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 24:1-2,3-4,5-6 The Lord is the King of Glory who established the earth.
 
Second Reading  Romans 1:1-7 Paul greets the community at Rome and declares himself a servant of Christ Jesus.
 
Gospel Reading Matthew 1:18-24
 
Today is the fourth Sunday in Advent. Christmas will dawn in few days. Matthew’s story of the birth of Jesus centres on the person of Joseph. The mystery is so great that Joseph cannot understand what is happening. In his puzzlement, the Lord calls Joseph to a remarkable act of faith and obedience. Joseph, in wordless response to the word of God communicated by an angel, rose and ‘took his wife to his home’. A total and unquestioning acceptance of the word of God is Joseph’s first action in Matthew’s infancy story. St. Joseph shows us the value of grace under pressure. He always found himself in emergency situations during the brief period of his life on earth: having to accept a young wife who is pregnant before they are married, having to travel to faraway Bethlehem, having to flee as refugees into Egypt etc. He had to face a lot of pressure, a lot of crisis and a lot of emergency situations but God’s grace was sufficient for him. St. Bernard comments that God never gives us a challenge or a call or a duty without the sufficient grace to accomplish it. Joseph leads the way and shows us the quality of trust and commitment to the coming of God, which should mark the lives of each and every one of us this Christmas.

December 11 - Third Sunday of Advent: Rejoice

 
First Reading  Isaiah 35:1-6,10 In the day of the Lord, all sorrow and mourning will cease.
 
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 146:6-7,8-9,9-10 The Lord will save his people.
 
Second Reading  James 5:7-10 Be patient, and be ready; the coming of the Lord is near.
 
Gospel Reading Matthew 11:2-11
 
The third Sunday of Advent is called the "Gaudete Sunday" -- Rejoice Sunday, the Sunday of joy. The Liturgy speaks of Joy in order to give us courage since our hearts can easily become frightened and weighed down by the hardships we face. We can lose patience in our sufferings as we await the coming of the Lord. That’s what happened to John the Baptist as we hear in today’s Gospel. He is in a dungeon, the victim of a petty tyrant and his vengeful, immoral consort. It is just possible that, in the dark, vile hole of a prison John is having some doubts about Jesus as the Messiah. Therefore Jesus gives John the reassurance, echoing the words of the Prophet Isaiah, that He is truly the awaited messiah. All of us are searching for happiness, but why are so few truly happy and even those who are happy are only happy for such a short time? It is because our approach is wrong. We go up the wrong side and we decide to take the wrong way up. Revelation says: "God is love," but man has tried to reverse the phrase so that it says: "Love is God"! Thus, when we say, "Happiness is God," we divinize our little experiences; we make happiness into an idol. This explains why he who seeks God always finds joy while he who seeks joy does not always find God. Therefore let us pray that we will always ‘seek joy in the Lord’

November 4 - Second Sunday in Advent : A voice crying in the wilderness

First Reading  Isaiah 11:1-10 A descendent of Jesse will usher in a time of peace.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 72:1-2,7-8,12-13,17 The Messiah will bring justice and peace to the nations.
Second Reading  Romans 15:4-9 Both Jews and Gentiles glorify God for the salvation found in Christ Jesus.
Gospel ReadingMatthew 3:1-12
 
The Church’s use of John the Baptist over the Advent Season invites us to join John’s audience in these days of preparation. The kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the one who is able to separate the wheat from the chaff is coming. John never saw a superhighway, but he uses the image in order to prepare the way for the coming of the world’s most wonderful and most extraordinary traveller, the Messiah Jesus, into our lives. The highway John wishes to construct is within our hearts. It hasn't a number, but it does have a name-conversion. Conversion results when a person realizes profoundly that the message and the life of Jesus make sense and is infinitely desirable. Conversion takes place when Jesus and his message cut through the moments of pain, tears, worry, fear and uneasiness in our lives. Conversion means meeting Jesus in his word and allowing Him to become directly involved in our lives. Once this happens, life can never be the same for us.

November 27 - First Sunday in Advent : Be awake and be Prepared

  
 First Reading  Isaiah 2:1-5 Isaiah describes his vision in which all nations are gathered together by God in peace. 
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 122:1-2,3-4,4-5,6-7,8-9 Rejoicing, let us enter the house of the Lord. 
 Second Reading  Romans 13:11-14 Be prepared, salvation is near. 
 Gospel ReadingMatthew 24:37-44  
 Today we begin a new season of Advent and it is its 1st Sunday. Now, in the general literal sense, the word 'advent' means 'coming of someone,' but in the Christian Liturgical sense it specifically implies to 'the coming of Christ.' So specifically therefore, with the start of Advent today, we begin the period of expectation and waiting for the coming of Christ, our Savior — his birth on the first Christmas day. But actually, the Lord comes to us in three ways: the first coming of Jesus about 2000 years ago when he came as our Savior (Coming in history), the second coming is the glorious return of Jesus in future at the end of time (Coming in Majesty) and the third coming is situated between the first two comings. It is Jesus' daily coming into our hearts here and now at every moment of every day in the sacraments – very specifically through the Eucharist, and therein lies a challenge for us as well as a comfort (Coming in Mystery). Thus in a general sense, the period of Advent encompasses all time viz. Past, Present & Future. So, a Christian in this sense is always a citizen of Advent. Therefore, it is not surprising that we begin the new Liturgical Year this Sunday, with the same theme of 'the coming of Christ', where we ended it last Sunday.

November 20 - The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time), Cycle C - Thy kingdom come!

 
First Reading  2 Samuel 5:1-3 David is anointed king.
 
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 122:1-2,3-4,4-5 Enter the house of the Lord rejoicing.
 
Second Reading  Colossians 1:12-20 Hymn to Jesus as the first-born of all creation.
 
Gospel Reading Luke 23:35-43 
 
Today, the last Sunday of ordinary time the Church in a special way invites us to celebrate Jesus Christ our anointed king who overcame suffering and death, and so brought us out of darkness into his kingdom of light. On 7th July 2009, during the funeral of Michael Jackson, the presiding pastor said: “Behold the king of pop ready to face the King of the world.” Today (34th Sunday), the entire world stands still and bows to the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Rev 17, 14), and the Holy Mother Church celebrates the feast of Christ the King and Sovereign ruler of the Universe (Dan 7, 14). Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King in 1925 in response to growing nationalism and secularism. In initiating this feast, the Church wanted to take our worship of Jesus from the privacy of our hearts and to proudly proclaim his public reign as well. The title of the feast was “Jesu Christi Regis” (Our Lord Jesus Christ the King). Again, in his 1969 motu proprio Mysterii Paschalis, Pope Paul VI gave the celebration a new title: “Iesu Christi universorum Regis” (Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the Universe). He also gave it a new date: the last Sunday in the liturgical year and assigned to it the highest rank, that of “Solemnity.” As we celebrate this feast let us ask ourselves: “Who reigns in my heart? Jesus or the evil one? Am I happy to be a subject of His kingdom? What are the values of his kingdom that I admire and try to inculcate into my life? 

November 13 - Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time: Jesus left the Temple and departed from it

First Reading  Malachi 3:19-20
The day of justice is coming, says the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 98:5-6,7-8,9
Sing praise to God, who rules with justice.
Second Reading  2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
Paul urges the community to follow his example and to earn their keep.
Gospel Reading
Luke 21:5-19
In today’s Gospel Jesusportrays for us, graphically, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. ForJews, the destruction of these two things was equivalent to the end of theworld. Precisely for this reason, the Church uses this gospel passage as one ofits readings for the end of the liturgical year. It wants us to reflect on theend of the world. But what’s the significant it has in our lives? What does itmean to us personally? We read the Gospel of Matthew that Jesus, before Hisprediction of the destruction of the Temple, ‘left the Temple and departed fromit’ (24:1). Jesus not only went out of the Temple, He also departed from it andnever returned to it. He did not depart on His own accord, they drove Him off;He did not reject them, rather they had rejected Him. When He departed from theTemple, its sanctity, glory and defense departed. The most beautiful and magnificentTemple in the world turned into the most ruinous heap. Three days after Hedeparted the veil of the Temple was rent – making everything in the Templecommon and unclean. Woe descends upon anyone from whom the Lord departs. If wedrive away His presence from our souls, it will become desolate, as desolate asthe Temple of Jerusalem. That will be the end of the world to us. When Jesusdeparts from my life, that is going to be my experience of the end of theworld.

November 6 – Thirty second Sunday in Ordinary Time : Heaven is our Home

First Reading  2 Maccabees 7:1-2,9-14
Jewish martyrs give witness to their faith, even unto death.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 17:1,5-6,8,15
The just person will live in God's presence.
Second Reading  2 Thessalonians 2:16—3:5
Paul encourages the Thessalonians and asks for their prayers.
Gospel Reading
Luke 20:27-38 
In today’s Gospel we find Jesus in reply rejecting the caricature thatthe Sadducees present of heaven, a caricature that suggests that it is a simplecontinuation of the earthly relationships of the spouses. Eternal beatitude isnot just an increase and prolongation of terrestrial joys, the maximization ofthe pleasures of the flesh and the table. The other life is truly another life,a life of a different quality. It is true that it is the fulfillment of allman's longings on earth, yet it is infinitely more, on a different level.Interpreting Jesus' answer to the Sadducees, in an erroneous way, some haveclaimed that marriage has no follow-up in heaven. He does not deny that theymight rediscover in God the bond that united them on earth. If God united themon earth, how could he divide them in heaven? According to this vision,matrimony does not entirely end with death but is transfigured, renewed andmade holy -- it loses those limits that mark life on earth -- in the same waythat the bonds between parents and children or between friends will not beforgotten. In the preface of the Mass for the dead, the liturgy says that withdeath "life is changed, not taken away"; the same must be said ofmarriage, which is an integral part of life. Let us look forward to a gloriouslife in heaven. 

October 30 – Thirty First Sunday in Ordinary Time : Zacchaeus’Transformation

First Reading  Wisdom 11:22—12:2
God is merciful because all things were created by God.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 145:1-2,8-9,10-11,13,14
Sing praise to God, who is faithful.
Second Reading  2 Thessalonians 1:11—2:2
Paul tells the Thessalonians to remain faithful to Christ until Christ comesagain.
Gospel Reading
Luke 19:1-10 
In the figure ofZacchaeus in today’s Gospel, we have a portrait of a lost soul. He is a chieftax collector, a rich man who has apparently gained his living by fraud byprofession and so a“sinner” excluded from Israel’s religious life. ButZacchaeus’ faith & humility bring salvation to his house. He expresses hisfaith in his fervent desire to “see” Jesus, even humbling himself to climb atree just to watch Him pass by. While those of loftier religious stature reactto Jesus with grumbling, Zacchaeus receives Him with joy. Beneath the loving gaze of Christ, the heart ofZacchaeus warms to love of neighbour. From a feeling of isolation, which hadled him to enrich himself without caring about what others had to suffer, hemoves to an attitude of sharing. In another passage of the Gospel Jesus statesthat it is very difficult for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven(cf. Matthew 19:23). In the case of Zacchaeus we see that precisely what seemsimpossible actually happens: "He," St. Jerome comments, "gaveaway his wealth and immediately replaced it with the wealth of the Kingdom ofHeaven" (Homily on Psalm 83:3). And Maximus of Turin adds: "Riches,for the foolish, feed dishonesty, but for the wise they are a help to virtue;for the latter they offer a chance of salvation, for the former they procure astumbling block and perdition" (Sermon 95). And it is only at this pointthat the love of God achieves its purpose, and salvation is accomplished:'Today salvation has come to this house' (v 9)."

October 23 -Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time : The Prayer of the Humble Man

First Reading  Sirach 35:12-14,16-18
God hears the prayer of the poor.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 34:2-3,17-18,19, 23
The Lord hears and answers the cry of the poor.
Second Reading  2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18
Paul perseveres in faith, confident that God will rescue him.
Gospel Reading
Luke 18:9-14
 
Jesus draws a bluntpicture in today’s Gospel. The Pharisee’s prayer is almost a parody of thethanksgiving psalms (see for example Psalms 30,118). Instead of praising Godfor His mighty works, the Pharisee congratulates himself for his own deeds,which he presents to God in some detail. The tax collector stands at adistance, too ashamed even to raise his eyes to God (see Ezra 9:6). He prayswith a humble and contrite heart (see Psalm 51:19). He knows that before God noone is righteous, no one has cause to boast (see Roman 3:10; 4:2). We seein the Liturgy today one of Scripture’s abiding themes - that God “knows nofavorites,” as today’s First Reading tells us (see 2 Chronicles 19:7; Acts10:34-35; Romans 2:11). God cannot be bribed (see Deuteronomy 10:17). Wecannot curry favor with Him or impress Him - even with our good deeds or ourfaithful observance of religious duties such as tithing and fasting. If we tryto exalt ourselves before the Lord, as the Pharisee does, we will be broughtlow (see Luke 1:52). This should be a warning to us - not to take pride in ourpiety, not to slip into the self-righteousness of thinking that we’re betterthan others, that we’re “not like the rest of sinful humanity.” If weclothe ourselves with humility (see 1 Peter 5:5-6) - recognize that all of usare sinners in need of His mercy - we will be exalted (see Proverbs29:33). The prayer of the lowly, the humble, pierces the clouds. Paultestifies to this in today’s Epistle, as He thanks the Lord for giving himstrength during his imprisonment. Paul tells us what the Psalmist singstoday - that the Lord redeems the lives of His humble servants. We toomust serve Him willingly. And He will hear us in our distress, deliver us fromevil, and bring us safely to His heavenly kingdom.

October 16 - Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time : Persistent Widow

First Reading  Exodus 17:8-13
Joshua and the Israelites defeat Amalek with the help of God and his servant,Moses.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 121:1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8
The Lord is the Guardian of Israel.
Second Reading  2 Timothy 3:14—4:2
Paul exhorts Timothy to continue to preach the word Timothy received from histeachers.
Gospel Reading
Luke 18:1-8
The Lord is our guardian, beside us at our righthand, interceding for us in all our spiritual battles. In today’s Psalmwe’re told to lift our eyes to the mountains,  that our help will comefrom Mount Zion and the Temple - the dwelling of the Lord who made heaven andearth. Joshua and the Israelites, in today’s First Reading, are also told tolook to the hilltops. They are to find their help there - through theintercession of Moses - as they defend themselves against their mortal foes,the Amalekites. Notice the image: Aaron and Hur standing on each side of Moses,holding his weary arms so that he can raise the staff of God above his head.Moses is being shown here as a figure of Jesus, who also climbed a hilltop, andon Mount Calvary stretched out His hands between heaven and earth to intercedefor us against the final enemy - sin and death (see 1 Corinthians 15:26). Bythe staff of God, Moses bested Israel’s enemies (see Exodus 7:8-12;8:1-2),parted the Red Sea (see Exodus 14:16) and brought water from the Rock (seeExodus 17:6). The Cross of Jesus is the new staff of God, bringing about a newliberation from sin, bringing forth living waters from the body of Christ, thenew Temple of God (see John 2:19-21; 7:37-39; 19:34; 1 Corinthians 10:4). Likethe Israelites and the widow in today’s Gospel, we face opposition andinjustice - at times from godless and pitiless adversaries. We, too, must liftour eyes to the mountains - to Calvary and the God who will guard us from allevil. We must pray always (persevere in prayer) and not be wearied by ourtrials, Jesus tells us today. As Paul exhorts in today’s Epistle, we need toremain faithful, to turn to the inspired Scriptures - given by God to train usin righteousness. We must persist, so that when the Son of Man comes again inkingly power, He will indeed find faith on earth.

October 9 – Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time : Give thanks with a grateful heart

First Reading  2 Kings 5:14-17
Naaman is cleansed of his leprosy and chooses to serve the God of Israel.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 98:1,2-3,3-4
Rejoice! The salvation of God is made known to all.
Second Reading  2 Timothy 2:8-13
Those who remain faithful to Christ will share Christ's glory.
Gospel Reading
Luke 17:11-19
Today's readings are about remembering andthanksgiving, healing and salvation. In the Old Testament reading, (SecondKings 5:14-17) Naaman the Syrian remembers to thank Elisha for his cure, andone of the 10 lepers cured by Jesus remembered to turn up and thank his healer.It is the foreigner who returns, who praises God and who expresses gratitude toJesus. When Jesus says: “Your faith has made you well," the blessingcertainly refers to some benefit other than that which all, including the othernine, had received earlier. The verb “made well” is the same very oftentranslated “to be saved.” The stories of the lepers teach us some powerfullessons about remembrance, gratitude, healing and salvation. Grateful heartsare the hallmark of authentic Christians. Those who possess the virtue ofgratitude are truly rich. They not only know how richly they have been blessed,but they continuously remember that all good things come from God. There is anold saying: Justice is when you get what you deserve. Mercy is when youdon’t get what you deserve. Grace is when you get what you don’t deserve. I like you get asked a dozen times a day, “Howare you doing?” I have trained myself to often answer, “More blessed than Ideserve.” Yes, All is gift. Thankful people store up in their grateful memoryall the good experiences of the past, just as the French proverbstates:“Gratitude is the heart’s memory.”

October 2 - TwentySeventh Sunday in Ordinary Time : Faith as a mustered seed

First Reading  Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4
The patience of the just man shall be rewarded when he sees the visionfulfilled.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 95:1-2,6-7,8-9
Sing joyfully to God, our salvation.
Second Reading  2 Timothy 1:6-8,13-14
Paul urges Timothy to remain strong in the Spirit of faith Timothy received.
Gospel Reading
Luke 17:5-10 
The power of our faith doesn't depend on its quantity but its quality;It seems to me that this is why, when the apostles said increase our faith,Jesus took them immediately out of the area of quantity, and broughtthem to the smallest seed he could think of, the mustard seed. Jesus could havesaid, for example: If your faith were the size of a grain of sand, or aspeck of dust, but the point of the comparison with the mustard seed isthat it is living; it has a living power which a grain ofsand does not. Just as a small weed can split a slab of concrete, or a mustardseed can produce a huge tree in which the birds of the air find shelter, so theliving power of faith can move mountains. The secret of the living power whichfaith has is that it is built on the living word of God. Faith, trust and deepcommitment to the wonderful things that God does through the strangeness ofhis ways, are the basis of the Christian life. Through a deep and trustingacceptance of the goodness, yet strangeness of God’s ways, revealed to usthrough the loving gift of His Son, we can make sense of our lives. We, whohave received this gift of living faith in God’s Word, have a responsibility forits growth in us, or more precisely, we have a responsibility to grow inthis gift of faith.

September 25 – Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time : Who is the Lazarus in my life?

First Reading  Amos 6:1,4-7
God will judge the complacency of the people and their leaders.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 146:7-10
Happy are those who find solace in God, the help of the poor.
Second Reading  1 Timothy 6:11-16
Paul exhorts Timothy to stay faithful to God in all things.
Gospel Reading
Luke 16:19-31
 
The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarushas left Bible readers wondering why the rich man had to go to hell. We are nottold he acquired his wealth by foul means or that he was responsible for thepoverty and misery of Lazarus or that he committed any crime or evil deed. Hewent to hell not for the things he did but for the things he didn't do. Weoften think that we sin by doing what we are not supposed to do -by thought,word and deed (i.e. the sin of commission). Today’s parable reminds us that thesin of omission can land someone in hell. The poor man Lazarus waslying at his gate. And the rich man simply couldn't care less. Of course he didnothing against Lazarus. But he has failed to do a good deed, failed to reachout and share a little of his blessings with someone in need. His sin is thatof omission, and for that he was going to roast in hell.
 
Another problem we have with this parableis why Lazarus went to heaven. This is the only parable of Jesus where thecharacter in the story has a name. So the name must be significant forinterpreting the parable. The name “Lazarus” means “God is my help.”Lazarus, therefore, is not just a poor man, but a poor man who believes andtrusts in God, which opens the gates of heaven to him.
The good news of this parable is this: Ifyou feel like a Lazarus right now, battered by sickness, poverty and pain,forgotten by society and by those whom God has blessed in this life, continuebelieving and trusting in God knowing that it will be well with your soul inthe end. If you see yourself as one of those blessed by God with the goodthings of life, open your door and see. Probably there is a Lazarus lying atyour gates and you have not taken notice.
 
These readings remind us that the law oflove (see John 15:12; Romans 13:8) means that each of us in some way will bejudged by the mercy we show to the poor. As the rich man learns in the parableof Lazarus - the distance between ourselves and God in the next life may be thedistance we put between ourselves and the poor in this life (see Matthew25:31-46; James 2:8,14-17).

September 18: Twenty Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time -The parable of the Unjust Steward

First Reading  Amos 8:4-7
Unfair business practices and injustice to the poor will be judged by God.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 113: 1-2,4-6,7-8
Praise be to God, who raises up the poor.
Second Reading
1 Timothy 2:1-8
In today’s Gospel, Jesus relates the parable of the Unjust Steward. It’s a verytricky parable. The steward was a rogue, who dishonestly reduced the quantum ofdebts of his master’s tenants, but the master praised his cleverness. Themaster praised not his dishonesty, but his foresight, prudence and astuteness.We can learn a lot of lessons for our spiritual life from the way men behaveand organize their worldly affairs. We should not adopt their goals, but we canprofitably use their methods for our spiritual well being. We should hate theirends, but we must love to adopt their methods. The children of this world maybe wise but their wisdom pertains only to this passing world. Though thisworldly wealth is not to be trusted for our happiness, it could be used assubservient to our pursuit of our happiness in the other world. Now is the onlytime we have got to make good use of our gifts, talents and possession to gainheaven. 

September 11 – Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time : Joyful Finding

First Reading  Exodus 32:7-11,13-14
Moses stands up to God, recalling all of God's great promises. 
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 51:3-4,12-13,17,19
Once we are forgiven, we can hope for a new heart and a fresh start.
Second Reading  1 Timothy 1:12-17
Paul proves it's never too late to repent and serve God. 
Gospel Reading
Luke 15:1-32   
The words of the father
in the story, to the sulking elder brother, are filled with the pathos of
Jesus’ appeal: ‘My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours’.
The‘best robe’, the ‘ring’, the ‘sandals’ and the ‘feast’, all marks of special
regard, point to a mercy and generosity that have no limits. We are left to
imagine the aftermath. Surely, the son’s life is transformed, as he comes, at
last, to share in the love in the heart of his father. The future the Saviour
promises to the world, in fact, will be a sharing in the love of his Father
(cf. John 14:25 etc). The merciful, loving heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd,
is the merciful, loving heart of God our heavenly Father. His mercy tirelessly
seeks out each sinner and should the sinner respond there is delirious
happiness and rejoicing in the whole court of heaven. To every sinner in the
state of mortal sin I say as simply as I can, ‘Your sin is not the big deal you
think it is; the big deal is your return to the merciful love of God. Trust in
his mercy, not in your sin. And if you continue to sin, continue to trust and
to return to his mercy.’
 

September 4 - Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time : Hating our own life

First Reading  Sirach 3:17-18,20,28-29
Humble yourself and you will find favor with God
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm68:4-7,10-11
The just rejoice and exult before God.
Second Reading  Hebrews 12:18-19,22-24
You have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.
Gospel Reading
Luke 14:1,7-14
We have yet to comment on the phrase “hating our own life”. This is justan extension of the earlier part. Jesus wants our lives to be lived in totaltruth and love. Our lives are not to be determined and manipulated byattachments, desires, ambitions or fears and anxieties which can become verymuch part of ourselves. We are to live in total freedom. “None of you can be mydisciples unless he gives up all his possessions.” It is the ability to let go,even of health and life itself. Any aspect of a person or anything that lessensthat freedom to follow truth and love is to be “hated” and transcended. Today'steachings are addressed to people who have not yet made the option fordiscipleship but are considering it. It reminds Luke's Christian readers of thechoice they have already undertaken.

August 27 - Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time : Take the Lower Place

First Reading  Isaiah 66:18-21
Nations of every language shall come to see my glory.
Responsorial Psalm  Psalm 117:1-2
Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Second Reading  Hebrews 12:5-7,11-13
Whom the Lord loves, he disciplines. 
Gospel Reading
Luke 13:22-30 
In the Gospel of Luketoday we also hear Jesus talking about humility. Our Gospel acclamation todaysays “I am meek and gentle of heart.” Indeed this quality of humility is onefor which Jesus is very much a role model. We often talk about how Jesuslowered himself to become like us – a God becoming a man! How much more humblecould he be? So when Jesus talks about humility we know that he is “walking thetalk”! This idea is actually a theme in Luke, and it is the same theme that weread in the first reading: The greater you are, the more you must humbleyourself; so you will find favor in the sight of the Lord. Luke startedthis theme in the first chapter with the beautiful Magnificat of Mary we heardtwo weeks ago: He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hassent away empty. He will end it with Jesus at the Last supper taking on therole of servant.