Son of God - Catholic...
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Transcript of Son of God - Catholic...
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Son of God:
The Daily Gospel B-2
Published With Ecclesiastical Approval
Nihil Obstat:
Reverend Romuald Josko STD, PhC
Imprimatur:
Anthony Fisher OP, Bishop of Parramatta.
Date: 6th February, 2012
The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are a declaration that the
second volume of Son of God is free from moral and
doctrinal error.
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Copyright Fr. Edward J Tyler November 2011
ISBN 978-0-646-57242-0
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Son of God
The Daily Gospel B-2
-----------------------------------------
(Sundays B, Weekdays 2, Feast days)
Thoughts on the Daily Gospel
by
Father Edward J. Tyler
Priest of the Diocese of Parramatta,
Australia
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John 1: 1-4, 14, 16, 18
(together with the New Latin Vulgate and English translations)
In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat
Verbum.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God
Hoc erat in principio apud Deum.
He was in the beginning with God.
Omnia per ipsum facta sunt, et sine ipso factum est nihil, quod factum est;
All things were made through him, and without him was made nothing
that was made..
in ipso vita erat, et vita erat lux hominum,
in him was life, and the life was the light of men.
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Et caro factum est et habitavit in nobis; et vidimus gloriam eius, gloriam
quasi Unigeniti a Patre, plenum gratiae et veritatis.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory,
glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Et de plenitudine eius nos omnes accepimus, et gratiam pro gratia;
And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
Deum nemo vidit umquam; unigenitus Deus, qui est in sinum Patris,
ipse enarravit.
No one has ever seen God. It is God the only-begotten, who is in the
bosom of the Father – he has made him known.
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Son of God The Daily Gospel B – 2
Acknowledgements:
Technical support: Don Woodcroft
Proofreading: Larraine Woodcroft
Gospel: New International Version
Copyright
You are entitled to free and unlimited use of this e-book. Being
copyright, however, no part may be quoted or reproduced
incorrectly, nor without indicating the title of the e-book, and the
Internet URL source ( www.catholic-thoughts.info/ebook/ ).
The purpose of this copyright restriction is simply to ensure that
others who see the reference may easily access and download the
book for themselves.
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Preface
The following work ― written especially for the lay reader
― is meant as an aid to reflection on the Gospel passage of
each day of the liturgical year B-2 (Sundays: Cycle B,
Weekdays: Cycle 2). At times the comment is exegetical,
at times homiletic, at times more wide-ranging. It is hoped
that these thoughts on the daily Gospel may assist in
appreciating the living person of Jesus Christ, Son of God
and our brother, risen from the dead and Head of the
Church which is his creation. He is the Redeemer of man.
Father Edward Tyler
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Praise to the Holiest in the height,
And in the depth be praise;
In all His words most wonderful,
Most sure in all His ways.
O loving wisdom of our God!
When all was sin and shame,
A second Adam to the fight
And to the rescue came.
O wisest love! that flesh and blood,
Which did in Adam fail,
Should strive afresh against the foe,
Should strive and should prevail.
And that a higher gift than grace
Should flesh and blood refine,
God’s Presence and His very Self,
And Essence all divine.
O generous love! that He, who smote,
In Man for man the foe,
The double agony in Man
For man should undergo.
And in the garden secretly,
And on the Cross on high,
Should teach His brethren, and inspire
To suffer and to die.
Praise to the Holiest in the height,
And in the depth be praise;
In all His words most wonderful,
Most sure in all His ways.
Blessed John Henry Newman [1801-1890],
from The Dream of Gerontius, 1865
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Introduction
The Sunday Gospel passages of the Lectionary follow a three-
year cycle (A, B, C), in the second year (B) of which the Gospel
of St Mark is generally read. This semi-continuous reading of
Mark during the Sundays of Ordinary Time (Year B) is
interrupted by the reading of passages from the other Gospels
(such as John) during the special liturgical seasons of Advent,
Christmastide, Lent and Easter. Occasionally the Gospel of
John is read also during the Sundays of Ordinary Time Year B.
The weekday Gospel passages are so arranged that portions of
all four Gospels are read each year. Mark is read first (First to
Ninth Week), then Matthew (Tenth to Twenty-first Week), then
Luke (Twenty-second to Thirty-fourth Week). Mark 1-12 are
read in their entirety, with the exception only of the two
passages of Mark 6 that are read on weekdays in other seasons.
From Matthew and Luke the readings comprise all the matters
not contained in Mark. Christ’s eschatological discourse as
contained in Luke is read at the end of the liturgical year. This
continuous reading is often interrupted by the Gospels of
solemnities and feast days, and of course during the special
liturgical seasons. For instance, the Gospel of St John is read
throughout Easter, and is used during the special liturgical
seasons of Advent, Christmastide and Lent where appropriate.
The first reading and psalm of weekdays are arranged in a two-
year cycle (1 and 2). In this book the first readings and psalms
for Year 2 are cited in the Scripture references listed before the
Gospel passage. The thoughts on the Gospels in this book are
for Sundays Year B, and for the weekdays and feast days
throughout the year.
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Son of God: Daily Gospel B-2
Contents
Season of Advent
First Sunday of Advent ..................................................................... 30
Monday of the first week of Advent ................................................. 36
Tuesday of the first week in Advent ................................................. 42
Wednesday of the first week of Advent ........................................... 48
Thursday of the first week of Advent ............................................... 54
Friday of the first week in Advent .................................................... 60
Saturday of the first week in Advent ................................................ 66
Second Sunday of Advent ................................................................ 72
Monday of the second week in Advent ............................................ 78
Tuesday of the second week of Advent ............................................ 84
Wednesday of the second week in Advent ....................................... 89
Thursday of the second week in Advent ........................................... 94
Friday of the second week in Advent ............................................. 100
Saturday in the second week of Advent ......................................... 106
Third Sunday of Advent ................................................................. 112
Monday of the third week in Advent .............................................. 119
Tuesday of the third week in Advent .............................................. 125
Wednesday of the third week in Advent ......................................... 132
Thursday of the third week in Advent ............................................ 137
Friday of the third week in Advent ................................................. 143
December 17 ................................................................................... 150
December 18 ................................................................................... 156
December 19 ................................................................................... 162
December 20 ................................................................................... 169
December 21 ................................................................................... 175
December 22 ................................................................................... 181
December 23 ................................................................................... 187
Fourth Sunday in Advent ................................................................ 193
December 24 (Mass in the morning) ............................................. 200
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Season of Christmastide
Nativity of the Lord (Vigil Mass) .................................................. 208
Nativity of the Lord (Mass During the Night) ............................... 214
Nativity of the Lord (Mass at Dawn) ............................................. 220
Nativity of the Lord (Mass During the Day) ................................. 226
Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas ............................................. 232
Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas ............................................ 238
Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas ........................................ 244
Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God (Jan 1) .............................. 251
Second Sunday after Christmas ...................................................... 257
January 2 before the Epiphany ....................................................... 263
January 3 before the Epiphany ....................................................... 269
January 4 before the Epiphany ....................................................... 275
January 5 before the Epiphany ....................................................... 281
January 6 before the Epiphany ....................................................... 288
January 7 before the Epiphany ....................................................... 294
Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord
(Sunday between January 2 and 8) ........................................ 301
Monday after the Epiphany ............................................................ 308
Tuesday after the Epiphany ............................................................ 314
Wednesday after the Epiphany ....................................................... 320
Thursday after the Epiphany ........................................................... 326
Friday after the Epiphany ............................................................... 332
Saturday after the Epiphany ............................................................ 338
The Baptism of the Lord ................................................................. 998
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Season of Lent
Ash Wednesday .............................................................................. 345
Thursday after Ash Wednesday ...................................................... 351
Friday after Ash Wednesday .......................................................... 357
Saturday after Ash Wednesday ....................................................... 363
First Sunday of Lent ....................................................................... 369
Monday of the first week of Lent ................................................... 374
Tuesday of the first week of Lent ................................................... 382
Wednesday of the first week of Lent .............................................. 388
Thursday of the first week of Lent ................................................. 394
Friday of the first week of Lent ...................................................... 400
Saturday of the first week of Lent .................................................. 406
Second Sunday of Lent ................................................................... 412
Monday of the second week of Lent ............................................... 419
Tuesday of the second week of Lent .............................................. 425
Wednesday of the second week of Lent ......................................... 431
Thursday of the second week of Lent ............................................. 438
Friday of the second week of Lent ................................................. 445
Saturday of the second week in Lent .............................................. 452
Third Sunday of Lent ...................................................................... 460
Monday of the third week in Lent .................................................. 467
Tuesday of the third week of Lent .................................................. 473
Wednesday of the third week of Lent ............................................. 479
Thursday of the third week in Lent ................................................. 485
Friday of the third week of Lent ..................................................... 491
Saturday of the third week of Lent ................................................. 497
Fourth Sunday of Lent .................................................................... 503
Monday of the fourth week of Lent ................................................ 509
Tuesday of the fourth week of Lent ................................................ 515
Wednesday of the fourth week of Lent ........................................... 522
Thursday of the fourth week of Lent .............................................. 529
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Friday of the fourth week of Lent ................................................... 536
Saturday of the fourth week in Lent ............................................... 542
Fifth Sunday of Lent ....................................................................... 548
Monday of the fifth week of Lent ................................................... 554
Tuesday of the fifth week of Lent ................................................... 561
Wednesday of the fifth week of Lent ............................................. 567
Thursday of the fifth week of Lent ................................................. 574
Friday of the fifth week of Lent ...................................................... 580
Saturday of the fifth week of Lent .................................................. 587
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion ................................................ 593
Monday of Holy Week ................................................................... 599
Tuesday of Holy Week ................................................................... 606
Wednesday of Holy Week .............................................................. 613
Thursday of Holy Week: (Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper) .... 620
Good Friday .................................................................................... 627
Holy Saturday Morning .................................................................. 633
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Season of Eastertide
Easter Sunday: The Resurrection of the Lord (Easter Vigil) ......... 640
Easter Sunday: The Resurrection of the Lord (Easter Day) .......... 646
Easter Monday ................................................................................ 653
Easter Tuesday ................................................................................ 659
Easter Wednesday ........................................................................... 665
Easter Thursday .............................................................................. 672
Easter Friday ................................................................................... 677
Easter Saturday ............................................................................... 684
Divine Mercy Sunday (Second Sunday of Eastertide) ................... 690
Monday of the second week of Eastertide ...................................... 698
Tuesday of the second week in Eastertide ...................................... 704
Wednesday of the second week in Eastertide ................................. 710
Thursday of the second week of Eastertide .................................... 716
Friday of the second week of Eastertide ......................................... 722
Saturday of the second week of Eastertide ..................................... 729
Third Sunday of Eastertide ............................................................. 736
Monday of the third week in Eastertide .......................................... 743
Tuesday of the third week of Eastertide ......................................... 749
Wednesday of the third week of Eastertide .................................... 755
Thursday of the third week in Eastertide ........................................ 761
Friday of the third week of Eastertide ............................................ 767
Saturday of the third week of Eastertide ......................................... 773
Fourth Sunday in Eastertide ............................................................ 779
Monday of the fourth week in Eastertide ....................................... 786
Tuesday of the fourth week of Eastertide ....................................... 792
Wednesday of the fourth week of Eastertide .................................. 798
Thursday of the fourth week of Eastertide ..................................... 804
Friday of the fourth week of Eastertide .......................................... 810
Saturday of the fourth week of Eastertide ...................................... 816
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Fifth Sunday of Eastertide .............................................................. 822
Monday of the fifth week in Eastertide .......................................... 829
Tuesday of the fifth week in Eastertide .......................................... 835
Wednesday of the fifth week of Eastertide ..................................... 841
Thursday of the fifth week of Eastertide ........................................ 848
Friday of the fifth week in Eastertide ............................................. 854
Saturday of the fifth week in Eastertide ......................................... 860
Sixth Sunday of Eastertide .............................................................. 866
Monday of the sixth week in Eastertide ......................................... 873
Tuesday of the sixth week of Eastertide ......................................... 879
Wednesday of the sixth week of Eastertide .................................... 885
Thursday of the sixth week in Eastertide ........................................ 891
Friday of the sixth week of Eastertide ............................................ 897
Saturday of the sixth week in Eastertide ......................................... 904
Seventh Sunday in Eastertide ......................................................... 910
The Ascension of the Lord (Mass During the Day) ....................... 916
Monday of the seventh week of Eastertide ..................................... 922
Wednesday of the seventh week of Eastertide ............................... 934
Thursday of the seventh week in Eastertide ................................... 940
Friday of the seventh week of Eastertide ........................................ 946
Saturday of the seventh week in Eastertide .................................... 951
Pentecost Sunday (Vigil Mass) ....................................................... 958
Pentecost Sunday (Mass of the Day) .............................................. 964
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Season of Ordinary Time
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
(Sunday after Pentecost) ........................................................ 973
Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
(Second Sunday After Pentecost) .......................................... 979
Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
(Friday After the Second Sunday After Pentecost) ............... 986
The Immaculate Heart of Mary
(Saturday after the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost) ................... 992
The Baptism of the Lord ................................................................. 998
Monday of the first week in Ordinary Time ................................. 1004
Tuesday of the first week in Ordinary Time ................................. 1010
Wednesday of the first week in Ordinary Time ............................ 1016
Thursday of the first week in Ordinary Time ............................... 1027
Friday of the first week in Ordinary Time .................................... 1033
Saturday of the first week in Ordinary Time ................................ 1039
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time................................................. 1045
Monday of the second week in Ordinary Time ............................ 1051
Tuesday of the second week in Ordinary Time ............................ 1057
Wednesday of the second week in Ordinary Time ....................... 1063
Thursday of the second week in Ordinary Time .......................... 1069
Friday of the second week of Ordinary Time ............................... 1075
Saturday of the second week of Ordinary Time ........................... 1081
The Third Sunday of Ordinary Time ............................................ 1086
Monday of the third week in Ordinary Time ................................ 1092
Tuesday of the third week of Ordinary Time ............................... 1098
Wednesday of the third week in Ordinary Time .......................... 1103
Thursday of the third week in Ordinary Time .............................. 1110
Friday of the third week in Ordinary Time ................................... 1116
Saturday of the third week in Ordinary Time ............................... 1122
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Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time ................................................. 1128
Monday of the fourth week in Ordinary Time .............................. 1134
Tuesday of the fourth week in Ordinary Time ............................. 1142
Wednesday of the fourth week in Ordinary Time ........................ 1149
Thursday of the fourth week in Ordinary Time ............................ 1155
Friday of the fourth week in Ordinary Time ................................ 1161
Saturday of the fourth week in Ordinary Time ............................. 1168
Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time .................................................... 1174
Monday of the fifth week in Ordinary Time ................................ 1180
Tuesday of the fifth week in Ordinary Time ................................ 1186
Wednesday of the fifth week in Ordinary Time ........................... 1192
Thursday of the fifth week in Ordinary Time ............................... 1198
Friday of the fifth week in Ordinary Time ................................... 1204
Saturday of the fifth week in Ordinary Time ................................ 1210
Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time .................................................... 1216
Monday of the sixth week in Ordinary Time ................................ 1222
Tuesday of the sixth week in Ordinary Time ............................... 1228
Wednesday of the sixth week in Ordinary Time .......................... 1234
Thursday of the sixth week in Ordinary Time .............................. 1240
Friday of the sixth week of Ordinary Time .................................. 1246
Saturday of the sixth week in Ordinary Time ............................... 1252
Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time ............................................... 1258
Monday of the seventh week in Ordinary Time ........................... 1265
Tuesday of the seventh week in Ordinary Time ........................... 1272
Wednesday of the seventh week in Ordinary Time ..................... 1278
Thursday of the seventh week in Ordinary Time ......................... 1284
Friday of the seventh week in Ordinary Time .............................. 1290
Saturday of the seventh week in Ordinary Time .......................... 1297
Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time ................................................. 1303
Monday of the eighth week in Ordinary Time ............................. 1310
Tuesday of the eighth week of Ordinary Time ............................. 1317
Wednesday of the eighth week in Ordinary Time ........................ 1323
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Thursday of the eighth week in Ordinary Time ............................ 1330
Friday of the eighth week in Ordinary Time ................................ 1336
Saturday of the eighth week in Ordinary Time ............................ 1343
Ninth Sunday ordinary Time ........................................................ 1349
Monday of the ninth week in Ordinary Time ............................... 1356
Tuesday of the ninth week in Ordinary Time ............................... 1363
Wednesday of the ninth week in Ordinary Time .......................... 1369
Thursday of the ninth week in Ordinary Time ............................. 1375
Friday of the ninth week of Ordinary Time .................................. 1381
Saturday of the ninth week in Ordinary Time .............................. 1387
Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ................................................... 1393
Monday of the tenth week in Ordinary Time ............................... 1400
Tuesday of the tenth week in Ordinary Time ............................... 1406
Wednesday of the tenth week in Ordinary Time .......................... 1411
Thursday of the tenth week of Ordinary Time ............................. 1417
Friday of the tenth week in Ordinary Time .................................. 1423
Saturday of the tenth week in Ordinary Time .............................. 1429
Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time .............................................. 1435
Monday of the eleventh week in Ordinary Time .......................... 1441
Tuesday of the eleventh week in Ordinary Time .......................... 1447
Wednesday of the eleventh week in Ordinary Time ................... 1453
Thursday of the eleventh week in Ordinary Time ........................ 1460
Friday of the eleventh week in Ordinary time .............................. 1466
Saturday of the eleventh week in Ordinary Time ......................... 1472
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time ................................................ 1479
Monday of the twelfth week in Ordinary Time ............................ 1486
Tuesday of the twelfth week in Ordinary Time ............................ 1492
Wednesday of the twelfth week in Ordinary Time ....................... 1497
Thursday of the twelfth week in Ordinary Time .......................... 1503
Friday of the twelfth week in Ordinary Time ............................... 1509
Saturday of the twelfth week in Ordinary Time ........................... 1515
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Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time ........................................... 1522
Monday of the thirteenth week in Ordinary Time ....................... 1529
Tuesday of the thirteenth week in Ordinary Time ....................... 1535
Wednesday of the thirteenth week in Ordinary Time .................. 1541
Thursday of the thirteenth week in Ordinary Time ..................... 1547
Friday of the thirteenth week in Ordinary time ............................ 1553
Saturday of the thirteenth week in Ordinary Time ...................... 1559
Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time ........................................... 1565
Monday of the fourteenth week in Ordinary Time ...................... 1571
Tuesday of the fourteenth week in Ordinary Time ...................... 1577
Wednesday of the fourteenth week in Ordinary Time .................. 1583
Thursday of the fourteenth week in Ordinary Time ..................... 1589
Friday of the fourteenth week in Ordinary Time .......................... 1595
Saturday of the fourteenth week in Ordinary Time ...................... 1601
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time .............................................. 1607
Monday of the fifteenth week in Ordinary Time .......................... 1613
Tuesday of the fifteenth week in Ordinary Time .......................... 1619
Wednesday of the fifteenth week in Ordinary Time .................... 1625
Thursday of the fifteenth week in Ordinary Time ....................... 1631
Friday of the fifteenth week in Ordinary Time ............................. 1636
Saturday of the fifteenth week in Ordinary Time ......................... 1642
Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time ............................................. 1648
Monday of the sixteenth week in Ordinary Time ......................... 1654
Tuesday of the sixteenth week in Ordinary Time ......................... 1660
Wednesday of the sixteenth week in Ordinary Time ................... 1666
Thursday of the sixteenth week in Ordinary Time ....................... 1673
Friday of the sixteenth week in Ordinary Time ............................ 1679
Saturday of the sixteenth week in Ordinary Time ........................ 1686
Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time ......................................... 1692
Monday of the seventeenth week in Ordinary Time ................... 1699
Tuesday of the seventeenth week in Ordinary Time ................... 1705
Wednesday of the seventeenth week in Ordinary Time .............. 1711
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Thursday of the seventeenth week in Ordinary Time ................... 1717
Friday of the seventeenth week in Ordinary Time ....................... 1723
Saturday of the seventeenth week in Ordinary Time .................... 1729
Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time ........................................... 1735
Monday of the eighteenth week in Ordinary Time ...................... 1742
Tuesday of the eighteenth week in Ordinary Time ..................... 1748
Wednesday of the eighteenth week in Ordinary Time ................. 1755
Thursday of the eighteenth week in Ordinary Time .................... 1761
Friday of the eighteenth week in Ordinary Time .......................... 1767
Saturday of the eighteenth week in Ordinary Time ..................... 1773
Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time........................................... 1779
Monday of the nineteenth week in Ordinary Time ...................... 1785
Tuesday of the nineteenth week in Ordinary Time ..................... 1791
Wednesday of the nineteenth week in Ordinary Time ................. 1797
Thursday of the nineteenth week in Ordinary Time ..................... 1803
Friday of the nineteenth week in Ordinary Time .......................... 1810
Saturday of the nineteenth week in Ordinary Time ..................... 1816
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time ............................................ 1822
Monday of the twentieth week in Ordinary Time ........................ 1828
Tuesday of the twentieth week in Ordinary Time ........................ 1834
Wednesday of the twentieth week in Ordinary Time .................. 1840
Thursday of the twentieth week in Ordinary Time ....................... 1847
Friday of the twentieth week in Ordinary Time ........................... 1854
Saturday of the twentieth week in Ordinary Time ....................... 1860
Twenty first Sunday in Ordinary Time ......................................... 1866
Monday of the twenty-first week in Ordinary Time .................... 1872
Tuesday of the twenty-first week in Ordinary Time ................... 1878
Wednesday of the twenty-first week of Ordinary Time ............... 1884
Thursday of the twenty-first week in Ordinary Time ................... 1890
Friday of the twenty-first week in Ordinary Time ........................ 1896
Saturday of the twenty-first week in Ordinary Time ................... 1902
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Twenty-second Sunday of Ordinary Time ................................... 1910
Monday of the twenty-second week in Ordinary Time ............... 1917
Tuesday of the twenty-second week in Ordinary Time ............... 1924
Wednesday of the twenty-second week in Ordinary Time .......... 1930
Thursday of the twenty-second week in Ordinary Time ............. 1936
Friday of the twenty-second week in Ordinary Time .................. 1942
Saturday of the twenty-second week in Ordinary Time .............. 1948
Twenty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time ....................................... 1954
Monday of the twenty-third week in Ordinary Time ................... 1960
Tuesday of the twenty-third week in Ordinary Time .................. 1966
Wednesday of the twenty-third week in Ordinary Time ............. 1972
Thursday of the twenty-third week in Ordinary Time ................. 1978
Friday of the twenty-third week in Ordinary Time ..................... 1985
Saturday of the twenty-third week in Ordinary Time .................. 1991
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time ..................................... 1997
Monday of the twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time ................ 2004
Tuesday of the twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time ................ 2011
Wednesday of the twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time ........... 2017
Thursday of the twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time ............... 2023
Friday of the twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time ................... 2030
Saturday of the twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time ............... 2036
Twenty-fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time ........................................ 2043
Monday of the twenty-fifth week of Ordinary Time ................... 2049
Tuesday of the twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time ................... 2055
Wednesday of the twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time .............. 2061
Thursday of the twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time ................. 2067
Friday of the twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time ...................... 2073
Saturday of the twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time .................. 2079
Twenty-sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time ....................................... 2085
Monday of the twenty-sixth week in Ordinary Time .................. 2092
Tuesday of the twenty-sixth week in Ordinary Time .................. 2098
Wednesday of the twenty-sixth week in Ordinary Time ............. 2104
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Thursday of the twenty-sixth week in Ordinary Time ................. 2110
Friday of the twenty-sixth week in Ordinary Time ..................... 2116
Saturday of the twenty-sixth week in Ordinary Time ................. 2122
Twenty-seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time .................................. 2128
Monday of the twenty-seventh week in Ordinary Time .............. 2135
Tuesday of the twenty-seventh week in Ordinary Time .............. 2142
Wednesday of the twenty-seventh week in Ordinary Time ......... 2148
Thursday of the twenty-seventh week in Ordinary Time ............ 2154
Friday of the twenty-seventh week in Ordinary Time ................. 2160
Saturday of the twenty-seventh week in Ordinary Time ............. 2167
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time ..................................... 2172
Monday of the twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time ................ 2179
Tuesday of the twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time ................ 2185
Wednesday of the twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time ........... 2191
Thursday of the twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time .............. 2197
Friday of the twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time .................... 2203
Saturday of the twenty-eighth week in Ordinary Time ................ 2209
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time ....................................... 2215
Monday of the twenty-ninth week in Ordinary Time .................. 2222
Tuesday of the twenty-ninth week in Ordinary Time .................. 2228
Wednesday of the twenty-ninth week in Ordinary Time .............. 2234
Thursday of the twenty-ninth week in Ordinary Time ................ 2240
Friday of the twenty-ninth week in Ordinary Time ..................... 2246
Saturday of the twenty-ninth week in Ordinary Time ................. 2252
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time .............................................. 2258
Monday of the thirtieth week in Ordinary Time ........................... 2264
Tuesday of the thirtieth week in Ordinary Time .......................... 2270
Wednesday of the thirtieth week in Ordinary Time .................... 2276
Thursday of the thirtieth week in Ordinary Time ......................... 2283
Friday of the thirtieth week in Ordinary Time .............................. 2289
Saturday of the thirtieth week in Ordinary Time .......................... 2295
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Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time........................................... 2301
Monday of the thirty-first week in Ordinary Time ...................... 2308
Tuesday of the thirty-first week in Ordinary Time ...................... 2314
Wednesday of the thirty-first week in Ordinary Time ................. 2320
Thursday of the thirty-first week in Ordinary Time ..................... 2326
Friday of the thirty-first week in Ordinary Time .......................... 2333
Saturday of the thirty-first week in Ordinary Time ...................... 2339
Thirty-second Sunday of Ordinary Time ...................................... 2345
Monday of the thirty-second week in Ordinary Time .................. 2351
Tuesday of the thirty-second week in Ordinary Time ................. 2357
Wednesday of the thirty-second week in Ordinary Time ............. 2363
Thursday of the thirty-second week in Ordinary Time ............... 2369
Friday of the thirty-second week in Ordinary Time .................... 2375
Saturday of the thirty-second week in Ordinary Time ................ 2381
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time ......................................... 2387
Monday of the thirty-third week in Ordinary Time ..................... 2393
Tuesday of the thirty-third week in Ordinary Time ..................... 2399
Wednesday of the thirty-third week in Ordinary Time ............... 2405
Thursday of the thirty-third week in Ordinary Time .................... 2412
Friday of the thirty-third week in Ordinary Time ........................ 2418
Saturday of the thirty-third week in Ordinary Time .................... 2424
The Solemnity of Christ the King ................................................. 2431
Monday of the thirty fourth week in Ordinary Time ................... 2437
Tuesday of the thirty-fourth week in Ordinary Time .................. 2443
Wednesday of the thirty-fourth week in Ordinary Time ............. 2449
Thursday of the thirty-fourth week in Ordinary Time ................. 2455
Friday of the thirty-fourth week in Ordinary Time ..................... 2461
Saturday of the thirty-fourth week in Ordinary Time .................. 2467
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Solemnities & Feast Days
Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God (January 1) ..................... 2474
The Conversion of St Paul (January 25) ....................................... 2480
Feast of the Presentation (February 2) .......................................... 2486
Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle (February 22) ............. 2492
Feast of St Patrick (March 17) ...................................................... 2499
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(March 19) ........................................................................... 2506
The Annunciation (March 25) ...................................................... 2512
St Mark the Evangelist (April 25) ................................................ 2518
Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles (May 3) ..................... 2524
Feast of St Matthias the Apostle (May 14) ................................... 2531
Mary Help of Christians (May 24) ............................................... 2538
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (May 31) ...... 2545
Vigil of the birth of St John the Baptist (June 23) ........................ 2552
Solemnity of the birth of John the Baptist (June 24) .................... 2559
Vigil of St Peter and St Paul (June 28) ......................................... 2566
Solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul (June 29) ..................... 2572
Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle (July 3) .................................. 2580
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene (July 22) ....................................... 2586
Feast of Saint James the Apostle (July 25) .................................. 2593
Memorial of Saint Martha (July 29) ............................................. 2599
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 6) ..................... 2605
Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop (In Australia, August 8) ....... 2611
Feast of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr (August 10) ............ 2618
Vigil of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (August 14) ............ 2624
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary (August 15) ........................ 2631
Saint Bartholomew, Apostle (August 24) ..................................... 2639
The Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist (August 29) ................ 2645
Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Sept 8) ........... 2652
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14) ........... 2658
The Sorrows of Mary (September 15) .......................................... 2664
Feast of St Matthew, apostle and evangelist (September 21) ....... 2670
Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels
(September 29) .................................................................... 2676
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The Guardian Angels (October 2) ................................................ 2684
St. Luke the Evangelist (October 18) ........................................... 2691
Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles (October 28) ........................... 2698
Feast of All Saints (November 1) ................................................. 2704
The commemoration of the Faithful Departed (November 2) ...... 2711
Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
(November 9) ...................................................................... 2718
Feast of St Andrew (November 30) .............................................. 2725
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(December 8) ....................................................................... 2731
Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12) ...................................... 2739
Feast of St Stephen, the first martyr (December 26) .................... 2747
Feast of St John, Apostle and Evangelist (December 27) ............ 2753
The Holy Innocents (December 28) ............................................ 2760
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, Joseph
(Sunday in the Octave of Christmas) .................................. 2766
Special Occasions
Day of the Nation (eg., Australia Day — January 26) ................. 2773
Day of the Fallen
(for example, ANZAC Day, Australia — April 25) ........... 2780
World Day of Prayer for Vocations (4th Sunday in Eastertide) ... 2787
Sunday for Indigenous Peoples
(First Sunday in July in Australia) ...................................... 2794
Refugee and Migrant Sunday
(On or near the last Sunday in August) ............................... 2800
World Mission Sunday (Second-last Sunday in October) ............ 2807
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References to
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
in this book
Part 1: The Profession of Faith
Paragraphs Topic Page
27-43 Desire for God ........................................................ 1056
101-108 Christ, the unique word, the inspiration and truth
of Scripture ............................................................. 424
131-133 Scripture in the life of the church ............................. 424
144-165 Obedience of Faith .................................................. 1097
153-165 Characteristics of faith ............................................ 1576
172-175 Only one faith through the centuries ....................... 1877
232-248 The revelation of God as Trinity ............................... 984
369-373 Male and Female equality and difference
willed by God ..................................................... 2140
391-395 Fall of the angels ..................................................... 1139
430-435 Jesus (the meaning and significance of the name) .. 2269
464-469 Jesus, true God and true human person .................... 199
528 The Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord ..................... 313
529 Presentation of the Child Jesus in the temple ......... 2771
535-537 The Baptism of Jesus .............................................. 1009
583-586 Jesus and the temple ................................................. 472
595-605 The authorities and the death of Jesus ...................... 514
599-605 Christ’s redemptive death in the
divine plan of salvation ........................................ 2009
606-618 Jesus offers himself to the Father for our sins .......... 559
645-646 The risen humanity of Jesus ...................................... 748
651-655 The meaning and salvific import
of the resurrection ................................................ 703
731-732 The Holy Spirit and the “Last” times ........................ 976
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737-741 The Holy Spirit and the church ................................. 920
759-769 The role of John the Baptist ...................................... 120
771-801 The church as visible and spiritual; the universal
sacrament of salvation; charisms ......................... 834
797-798 The church - temple of the Holy Spirit ..................... 472
830-856 The church is catholic; mission is a consequence ... 1618
857-896 The Church is apostolic ............................................ 791
946-959 The communion of saints ........................................ 2710
1038-1041 The Last Judgement ................................................ 2398
1042-1050 The Hope of the New Heaven & the New Earth .... 2532
Part 2: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery
1113-1130 Sacraments of Christ; sacraments of faith;
sacraments of salvation ........................................ 1534
1223-1225 The baptism of Jesus in the economy of salvation . 1009
1226-1228 Baptism in the church ............................................. 1009
1324-1327 Eucharist as source and summit
of the church’s life ................................................ 1833
1333-1336 The signs of bread and wine and the new meaning
given them .............................................................. 991
1382-1390 The Eucharist as paschal meal ................................ 1704
1391-1401 The Fruits of Holy Communion.............................. 1747
1402-1405 Eucharist as pledge of eternal life ........................... 1790
1424-1425 Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation .............. 1747
1450-1460 Acts of the penitent and the forgiveness of sins
(sacrament of reconciliation) ................................ 1270
1499-1523 Prayer and healing in the anointing of the sick ....... 1185
1643-1654 The Goods and Requirements of Conjugal love ..... 2140
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Part 3: Life in Christ
1731-1738 Responsibility and imputability .................................. 35
1739-1742 Human freedom in salvation ....................................... 77
1750-1756 The morality of human acts .................................... 1659
1762-1770 The passion; the passions and moral life ................ 1491
1776-1778 The Judgment of Moral Conscience ....................... 1833
1816 Professing Faith in Christ ....................................... 2442
1822-1829 Charity .................................................................... 2313
1846-1848 Mercy and sin .......................................................... 1405
1877-1889 The communitarian character of the human vocation,
Conversion and society .......................................... 878
1897-1904 Authority ................................................................. 1227
1905-1917 The Common Good ................................................ 2227
1929-1938 Respect for the Human Person ................................ 2054
1939-1942 Human solidarity ..................................................... 2097
2084-2094 Thou shalt adore the Lord thy God ......................... 1315
2110-2141 “No other gods before me”; the name Christian ....... 380
2150-2155 Taking the Name of the Lord in Vain ..................... 1440
2168-2188 The Sabbath ............................................................ 1361
2181 The Sunday Eucharist ............................................. 1361
2214-2233 Duties of the members of the family;
the family and the Kingdom ................................. 2771
2443-2449 Love for the poor .................................................... 2356
2464-2474 To live in the truth; to bear witness to the truth ...... 1965
2471-2492 Bearing witness to the truth .................................... 2442
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The Season of
Advent
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First Sunday of Advent
Entrance Antiphon Cf. Ps 25 (24):1-3 To you, I lift up
my soul, O my God. In you, I have trusted; let me not be
put to shame. Nor let my enemies exult over me; and let
none who hope in you be put to shame.
Collect Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the
resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous
deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand,
they may be worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and
reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for
ever and ever.
Scripture today: Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7; Psalm
80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-
37
Jesus said to his disciples, “Be on guard! Be alert!
You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man
going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in
charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the
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door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do
not know when the owner of the house will come back —
whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the cock
crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him
find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone:
‘Watch!’“ (Mark 13:33-37)
Watch! I remember some time back a journalist,
covering a trouble spot where Islamic extremists were
active, was captured by the Islamists. He disappeared and
subsequently a ransom was demanded for his release. A
video was also released in which he pleaded that the
ransom be met. As I remember it, the ransom was
provided and so he was set free. The interesting thing was
that he told the public subsequently that he was forced to
convert to Islam. By that he meant that he was threatened
with death if he did not convert, so he converted. Of
course, he would have abandoned Islam as soon as he
gained his freedom, but his being forced to convert not
only said things about the Islamists but also about himself.
He was ”forced” only in a certain sense. More exactly, he
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was threatened with consequences if he did not do as his
captors demanded. He remained free to refuse and to
suffer the results of bearing witness to the Christian Faith.
He chose to save his life by avoiding to stand for what the
Christian knows to be the truth. In our Gospel passage
today our Lord solemnly warns his disciples to be on
guard, to be alert, and, as we read, what he says to them he
says to everyone: Watch! One application of our Lord’s
directive is that we are to watch and be on guard lest in the
face of difficulty we be found unready and not disposed to
choose what is right. I remember hearing of a teenage girl
in the United States some years ago. She found herself in a
situation threatened by a crazed young man with a gun. He
asked her if she was a Christian. She said that she was. He
then said to her that if she did not renounce her faith he
would shoot her dead. She said she would not renounce it,
and he shot her. The young man was crazed, and perhaps
scarcely responsible for what he was doing. But she chose
to exercise her freedom in a supreme way when the
moment suddenly came. Somehow she was on guard
against the temptation not to make this noble and heroic act
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of personal choice. She was ready to choose the supreme
good. She had true freedom and she exercised it.
Freedom is the power given by God to perform
deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. It is this
which is distinctive to human acts, and freedom grows the
more one does what is good. A high school student sees
that the majority of pupils in her religious studies class are
raising harsh objections against the religious stand of the
teacher. She agrees with the teacher but fears to take a
stand with her teacher against her peers. Out of human
respect she keeps silent. She is not vigilant against the
temptation of bowing to peer pressure and is ensnared into
a sad and safe inactivity. The gift of freedom is the most
precious gift we have and because of it we have a
conscience, or a sense of duty. An animal has no freedom.
It acts by instinct, an instinctive sense of what is best for
itself. It will and must act by that instinct. It has no power
to know and choose the objective good and so it has no
sense of duty. It cannot be held responsible for its actions.
If an animal kills a person it is put to death but its killing is
not an execution. Its killing is simply the elimination of a
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danger to human life. But man has freedom, and by his
freedom he can choose not only what is good, but the
highest of all goods, namely God. Indeed, our freedom
attains its proper perfection when it is directed towards
God, and that is why our freedom is our greatest natural
resource in the attainment of sanctity. A saint is the freest
of persons, and the one with the greatest power of freedom
in all of history was Jesus Christ. Of course, we who are
fallen need the grace of God to attain union with God, but
the natural foundation of our attaining God is our own
freedom to choose God and to persevere in this free choice.
For this to happen, we must be on guard against all
temptation to sin. We must be vigilant (Mark 13:33-37).
Temptations come from within our fallen natures and from
the enticements of the world and from the devil. We abuse
our freedom when we choose to sin and this choice leads to
the deepest slavery of all. We must be on constant guard
against temptation. In warning us to watch, our Lord is
warning us against sin.
One of the greatest values of the West is that of
freedom. In many other parts of the world freedom is not
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highly valued. It is seriously restricted, including and
especially religious freedom. But the West tends to equate
freedom with licence to do as one pleases. True freedom is
the power to choose the good, and the more the good is
chosen, the more freedom grows. This applies to
individuals and to societies. The good is what is true, and
the Christian knows that it is Christ who has revealed what
is true and therefore what is good. Christ himself is the
supreme good. The Christian exercises his freedom in
choosing Christ and what Christ has revealed to be true,
and in being on guard against anything that could tempt
him to fail to exercise his freedom in this way.
Further reading: The Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.
1731-1738 (Responsibility and imputability)
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Monday of the first week of Advent
Entrance Antiphon Cf. Jer 31: 10; Is 35: 4 Hear the word
of the Lord, O nations; declare it to the distant lands:
Behold, our Saviour will come; you need no longer fear.
Collect Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God, as we
await the advent of Christ your Son, so that, when he
comes and knocks, he may find us watchful in prayer and
exultant in his praise. Who lives and reigns with you in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Scripture today: Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122:1-9; Matthew
8:5-11
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion
came to him, asking for help. Lord, he said, my servant
lies at home paralysed and in terrible suffering. Jesus said
to him, I will go and heal him. The centurion replied,
Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.
But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I
myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.
I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’
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and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does
it. When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to
those following him, I tell you the truth, I have not found
anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that
many will come from the east and the west, and will take
their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in
the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 8:5-11)
Good in nature There is one feature of our Lord’s
preaching and instruction which those who follow him
ought bear in mind. It is the praise which at various times
he accords those who are not of the faith. On one occasion
he was asked by a scribe what the greatest commandment
of the Law is, and having answered that (by getting the
scribe himself to answer it), he was asked by that scribe
who one’s neighbour is. Our Lord proceeded to tell the
parable of the Good Samaritan. In the parable, the man
attacked by robbers on the way to Jericho was left by the
side of the road half dead. A priest and then a Levite
passed by on the other side and did nothing. But a
Samaritan — a foreigner and a religious heretic — came by
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and was filled with compassion for the man on the road.
He took him up, carried him to shelter and paid for
expenses till he returned. Our Lord took his example of
what it means to be a real neighbour from a person who
was despised for his religious errors. He then told his
enquirer to imitate the compassion of that heretic. On
another occasion ten lepers appeared, appealing to our
Lord for pity. Our Lord sent them off and on the way to
the priests they were cured. Only one returned to give
thanks, and our Lord observed that he was a Samaritan, a
“foreigner.” His being a Samaritan must have been obvious
from his dress, or his features, or his accent. He was
acknowledged by our Lord for having given thanks and
praise to God for his healing. The others, our Lord
observed, did not. We remember that occasion when our
Lord had left the regions of Galilee and Judea and had
gone into pagan territory to be with his disciples alone.
Out came a Canaanite woman appealing to him on behalf
of her daughter. Her importunity won from him the praise
that she had “great faith.” So too in our Gospel passage
today. The profound respect of the centurion is manifest.
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He approaches our Lord on behalf of his servant and our
Lord immediately offers to go and heal him. But the
centurion feels unworthy of having Jesus in his home and
asks him merely to say the word and his servant will be
healed. His faith evokes high praise from our Lord, who
says he had not seen its like in Israel.
These incidents in the Gospels ought remind the
Christian of the respect and deep charity with which we
ought regard and refer to those outside the Faith. In ways
that may not be evident to us, the implicit faith of some of
them and the dispositions contained therein may even place
them ahead of our own. The faith of the centurion in
today’s Gospel was greater than very many of the children
of Israel (Matthew 8:5-11), despite his undoubted religious
errors. Charity and compassion for those in need — so
decisive before the judgment seat of God — may be greater
in many outside the Faith than in many of the Faith.
Certainly the charity of the Good Samaritan was greater
than that of the priest and the scribe on the way to Jericho.
Not only could the faith and the charity of many outside
the faith be greater than many who are blessed with the
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faith, but in their own way they can be models for those
who have the faith. That is to say, we can learn from
various ones among them. Who could not learn from
Mahatma Ghandi and his insistence on not being violent in
protesting against injustice? Who could not learn from
Nelson Mandela in his willingness to put aside his past
injuries and deal in a spirit of forgiveness with those who
had incarcerated him? Ultimately what is involved is a
recognition of the good which is to be found in human
nature, limited and wounded though this nature may be.
Man is not radically and overwhelmingly corrupt, though
he is greatly wounded because of the Fall and is in need of
God’s grace if he is to be redeemed and sanctified. Good
is present in human nature and our Lord’s words in today’s
Gospel bear witness to this. It also means that because of
the goodness that is there — even if it is wounded — the
disciple of Christ ought with optimism bear witness to
Jesus before natural man. There is goodness in the heart of
natural man, and the Spirit of God continues to hover — as
he did at the beginning — over the waters of the world. He
comes to the aid of natural man, helping him to recognize
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in Jesus his Saviour and to place his faith in him, as did the
centurion of today’s passage.
In short, the world can be looked at in two ways, both
of which are true. The world is, from one point of view,
the source of opposition to our Lord and his teachings.
From this point of view it has a Prince. The Prince of this
world hates Christ and the world follows suit. But there is
another aspect of the world. It is the world which cries out
for salvation and can recognize its Saviour. This yearning
for Jesus involves the recognition of and aspiration for the
Good. There is good and bad in the world, and our Lord
spoke of both. In today’s Gospel we are presented with an
instance of the good in the world, a goodness that seeks
Christ and places its faith in him. Let us be Christ-like in
all respects in our attitude to the world and all those outside
the Faith.
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Tuesday of the first week in Advent
Entrance Antiphon Cf. Zec 14: 5, 7 Behold, the Lord will
come, and all his holy ones with him; and on that day there
will be a great light.
Collect Look with favour, Lord God, on our petitions, and
in our trials grant us your compassionate help, that,
consoled by the presence of your Son, whose coming we
now await, we may be tainted no longer by the corruption
of former ways. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Scripture today: Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-
13, 17; Luke 10:21-24
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit,
said, I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
because you have hidden these things from the wise and
learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father,
for this was your good pleasure. All things have been
committed to me by my Father. No-one knows who the Son
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is except the Father, and no-one knows who the Father is
except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to
reveal him. Then he turned to his disciples and said
privately, Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I
tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what
you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but
did not hear it. (Luke 10:21-24)
True light One of the most interesting and
significant of historical developments has been the rise of
democracy. It has had a long history and a gradual
development, with its origins mainly in classical Greece.
Indeed, a principal legacy of Greek society and culture is
the democratic method of reaching decisions that affect the
society, the polity. It has been a great boon for the world
and we easily see what can sadly happen when a great
society is in the hands of a single person or small clique.
History has seen its results in the Roman Empire and in so
many regimes since. At the same time, this has to be said.
There have been extremely worthy monarchs who have led
their people wisely, such as Saint Louis king of France in
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the thirteenth century, and others in other eras. By the
same token, democratic institutions have led to the worst of
leaders being elected by the populace because of a skilful
use of propaganda and a poor moral perception of the
issues by the people. A great country can democratically
elect a president who is deeply committed to abortion and
who, true to form, proceeds to promote abortion when
elected. So whatever about the merits of this or that
institutional structure the critical issue is, what is the light
by which people are living and being guided? The most
educated can be blind to what is right and the least
educated and influential can have true moral perception.
What is the light by which we are to be guided? We
shall be led to life or to death according to the light by
which we are travelling. On one occasion our Lord warned
lest the light within us be darkness. Each person, no matter
how obscure, has the duty to attain the true light. It is
about this which our Lord prays to his Father with such
feeling in today’s Gospel passage. We read, “At that time
Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, I praise you,
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden
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these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them
to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good
pleasure.”
There is a light available to the world, a light that
leads to life. That light is the person and the teaching of
Christ. Our Lord said, “I am the Light of the world”. He
said that the one who follows him is walking in the light,
whereas the one who does not follow him is in the dark.
He is the light that has come from God, and how great is
the need of mankind for this light! Whether or not a
country is democratic, it needs this light, otherwise it will
proceed in the darkness. The most educated and persuasive
of persons will be in the darkness if he or she refuses to
accept and follow the light of Christ. And so our Lord
continues in today’s Gospel, “All things have been
committed to me by my Father. No-one knows who the
Son is except the Father, and no-one knows who the Father
is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to
reveal him. Then he turned to his disciples and said
privately, Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I
tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what
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you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did
not hear it” (Luke 10:21-24). The Christian has an
inestimable treasure in possessing Christ. The light of
Christ’s person and teaching not only lights up his own
life, but he has the means of lighting up the life of society
around him. This is why he has an immense responsibility
to bring that light to the world around him. There is an old
saying that evil flourishes when good people do nothing. It
is especially the lay Christian living in the world who has
the responsibility to bring the light of Christ to all levels of
society. How government needs this light! How business
and commerce need this light! How educational
institutions, primary, secondary, and tertiary, need this
light! How youth need this light! How all the world needs
this light! If there is the opportunity, the responsibility of
the Christian is great to bear witness to this light and assist
others to receive it. As St Paul writes, woe betide me if I
do not preach the Gospel!
As we look out on the world and see its numerous
problems, we ought do so with the grand teaching of Christ
in mind. Man has fallen. He needs the light and salvation
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of God. That light and salvation is present in the person
and teaching of Christ. We who are baptized possess that
light. We must resolutely live by it and bear witness to it
before others. The world needs this light, so let us not let
the world down by hiding it under a bushel, the bushel of
our own fear.
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Wednesday of the first week of Advent
Entrance Antiphon Cf. Hb 2: 3; 1 Cor 4: 5 The Lord will
come and he will not delay. He will illumine what is
hidden in darkness and reveal himself to all the nations.
Collect Prepare our hearts, we pray, O Lord our God, by
your divine power, so that at the coming of Christ your Son
we may be found worthy of the banquet of eternal life and
merit to receive heavenly nourishment from his hands.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Scripture today: Isaiah 25:6-10a; Psalm 23:1-6; Matthew
15:29-37
Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee.
Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great
crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the
crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his
feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when
they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the
lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the
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God of Israel. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, I
have compassion for these people; they have already been
with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want
to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the
way. His disciples answered, Where could we get enough
bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd? How
many loaves do you have? Jesus asked. Seven, they
replied, and a few small fish. He told the crowd to sit
down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and
the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and
gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.
They all ate and were satisfied. Afterwards the disciples
picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left
over. (Matthew 15: 29-37)
Christ’s power There have been numerous persons
in history who have gained great power over others by
winning public office, by commanding the military, by
capturing the means of mass media, and so forth. Their
power has largely derived from the positions they were
able to occupy. What would Hitler have been had he not
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won (by dubious means) political power enabling him to
impose his wishes on others? Deprived of his position he
would have been nothing. He had no power of himself. Or
again, what command over nature did Napoleon possess?
Absolutely none. Had he been transporting troops across
the Mediterranean or across the British Channel in the
midst of a hurricane he would have been helpless in the
face of it. Had his armies been struck with a terrible
plague, he would have been helpless before the plague. He
had no power of himself. But now, look at the power
which Jesus Christ had of himself. In our Gospel today we
read that “Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame,
the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid
them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were
amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled
made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And
they praised the God of Israel.” We tend to take Christ’s
miracles for granted and forget the understandable
amazement they evoked. Indeed, Christ showed that there
was nothing he could not do. In himself he was almighty.
He calmed a raging storm at sea with a mere word. In
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1953 a famous British movie was produced, The Cruel Sea,
portraying with accuracy and realism the war between the
Royal Navy and Germany’s U-Boats during World War II.
In that movie there were unforgettable images of the
turbulent sea. The sea was vast and had enormous power.
Christ showed he had far greater power than the sea and
could pacify it at a word. Frequently on the news,
advances in medical science are reported and disease is
shown to be a powerful enemy to man. But as we read in
our Gospel today, at a word Christ could heal a person of
the greatest of physical disabilities. What is more
definitive than death? But Christ raised people from the
very dead. He was almighty but he used his power strictly
for the purposes of his redeeming mission.
The purpose of Christ’s miracles was not to win
political and social power but to win disciples. That is to
say, he wanted to reveal who he was and to draw all to
himself that they might become his true friends. He
wanted people to enter into his company and to come after
him. We ought contemplate the miracles of Christ as
revealing his person, and contemplating his person, we
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ought choose to be his loyal friend. In Christ, the power of
God was showing itself in loving mercy. This is especially
evident in the miracle of the loaves and fish in our Gospel
today. We read that “Jesus called his disciples to him and
said, I have compassion for these people; they have already
been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not
want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on
the way. His disciples answered, Where could we get
enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?
How many loaves do you have? Jesus asked. Seven, they
replied, and a few small fish. He told the crowd to sit
down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and
the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and
gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.
They all ate and were satisfied” (Matthew 15: 29-37). In
placing ourselves in the scene of the miracle and observing
the astonishing feeding of thousands with just a handful of
food, we are led to think of Jesus himself. He is full of
power, yes, but that power is at the service of human need.
It reveals itself in compassion and mercy. The miracles of
Christ show his sacred heart and invite us to trust him
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completely. The sight of the hungry crowds, the sight of
the blind, the lame and the dumb ought also remind us of
our own need for him. Most of all, we need Christ because
of the greatest affliction of all, the affliction of sin of which
physical debility is a kind of sign. We ought approach
Christ presenting to him our sinful condition, knowing he
has the power to heal.
Let us read the Gospels with the intention of coming
to know and love Jesus Christ. He, the risen and glorious
Jesus, is with us still and he abides in his body the Church
of which he is the head. The Gospels enable us to know
and love him. St Jerome once wrote that he who does not
know the Scriptures does not know Christ. Christ showed
by his miracles that he is almighty. At the Last Supper our
Lord invited his disciples to consider the works he had
done and to believe in him. Let us believe in him and
nourish our belief by the contemplation of his works for
man.
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Thursday of the first week of Advent
Entrance Antiphon Cf. Ps 119 (118): 151-152 You, O
Lord, are close, and all your ways are truth. From of old I
have known of your decrees, for you are eternal.
Collect Stir up your power, O Lord, and come to our help
with mighty strength, that what our sins impede the grace
of your mercy may hasten. Through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Scripture today: Isaiah 26:1-6; Psalm 118:1 and 8-9, 19-
21, 25-27a; Matthew 7:21, 24-27
Jesus said to his disciples, Not everyone who says to
me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and
puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his
house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose,
and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did
not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But
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everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put
them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house
on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the
winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a
great crash. (Matthew 7:21, 24-27)
Obedience During the Last Supper our Lord said to
his disciples that they called him Master and Lord, and that
they were right to do so. He went on to observe that if he,
their Master and Lord, washed their feet, they then ought
do the same to one another. Let us consider this, that our
Lord told his disciples that they were right to address him
as Master and Lord, for he is just that. Soon after his
baptism in the Jordan our Lord was pointed out by John the
Baptist as the Lamb of God. Two of his disciples followed
our Lord and our Lord turned to them and asked what they
wanted. They addressed him as Master (Rabbi, Teacher)
— and asked him where he lived (John 1:38). Throughout
the Gospels we see the disciples addressing Jesus as Master
or Teacher, and as Lord. After his resurrection the
disciples were fishing on the Lake, and Jesus was on the
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shore. John, seeing him, said to Peter, it is the Lord. We
might say that the climax of St John’s Gospel was when
Thomas said to the risen Jesus, my Lord and my God. He
addressed him as Lord, meaning that he was Yahweh God
of the Old Testament. St Paul taught in his Letters that
Jesus is Lord. However — and this is the point of what I
have just been saying — in our Gospel today our Lord says
to his disciples that it is not everyone who says to him,
“Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven. To
address our Lord as the Master and the Lord is not
sufficient to be regarded as his true disciple. The Pharisees
themselves addressed Jesus as Rabbi, Master. Presumably
many of those disciples who left him following his
proclamation of the doctrine of the Eucharist at Capernaum
also had addressed him as Master. Judas did too, even just
before betraying him (Matthew 26:25). Our Lord is saying
in our passage today that while it is natural to consider him
as Master and Lord, more is needed. “Not everyone who
says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only he who does the will of my Father who is in
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heaven” (Matthew 7:21, 24-27). The critical thing for his
disciple is obedience to the will of God.
Obedience is the rock-like foundation of a secure
religious and human life. It is the key to entry into the
kingdom of heaven. Without it all is insecure, all is weak.
With it, everything is safe. This one key can be taken up
by anyone, be he well-endowed or poorly endowed, be he
famous or unknown, be he anyone at all. Obedience is the
way to God and his kingdom. Nothing else matters so
much in life. So it is that there is such a variety of
canonized saints. There is St Augustine, an intellectual
giant of the first millennium. There is St Thomas Aquinas,
an intellectual giant of the second millennium. Both are
doctors of the Church. Both made knowing and doing the
will of God the foundation of their lives. At the same time
there is St Therese of Lisieux, a hidden Carmelite nun in
France at the end of the nineteenth century who, were it not
for her autobiography, would probably have been scarcely
known. She is a canonised saint and a doctor of the
Church for the spiritual teaching expressed in her
autobiography. The will of God was the foundation of her
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life. In October 2008 both her parents were beatified in
Lisieux, France. The foundation of their lives together was
the will of God. This is the key to the life of Jesus Christ
himself. He did the will of his heavenly Father. My food,
he told his disciples, is to do the will of the one who sent
me. He challenged his enemies, Can any of you convict
me of sin? I always do what pleases Him, he said on
another occasion. So then, if every day in our prayers we
address Jesus as our Master and our Lord (as we certainly
should), what our Lord above all expects of us is that
we hear his word and put it into practice. St Thomas
Aquinas said that sanctity consists in the complete
readiness to do the will of God. This is translated into
fulfilling one’s daily duties as well as possible for love of
and obedience to God. If we wish to build our house on
rock, obedience is the foundation we must lay. Otherwise
all is sand.
The wind will blow and the floods will rise. What
then will happen to the house? The
