26th Week, Monday, Sept 28

Job 1:6-22 / Luke 9:46-50 

Suffering comes to Job: Job remained faithful to God. 

26th Sunday A: Words or Deeds?

Opening Story:

“A companion of Francis of Assisi, Brother Juniper is remembered as a “fool for Christ” and there are all sorts of wild stories about his antics. He was notorious for constantly giving his possessions away and living with a winsomeness that sometimes got him in trouble. At one point he was ordered by a superior not to give away his outer garment to the beggars anymore. But it wasn’t long before he met someone in need who asked him for some clothing. He said, “My superior has told me under obedience not to give my clothing to anyone. But if you pull it off my back, I certainly will not prevent you.” (Another version: "I can't give, but you can take.") 

25th Week: Sept 21-26:

 Sept 21 Monday (St. Mathew, Apostle and Evangelist) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-matthew/ : Mt 9:9-13: 9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.  10 And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.  11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  13 Go and learn what this means, `I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm

25 Sunday A - Liturgical Prayers

Greeting (See First Reading)

"Seek the Lord while he is still to be found,
call to him while he is still near," says the prophet.
God himself goes out to seek you,
says the message of today.
May the Lord find you and stay always with you.
R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. An Unbelievably Good God

25th Sunday A: The Labourers in the Vineyard and their Master

Gospel reading: Matthew 20:1-16

Michel DeVerteuil 
General Comments
We have another parable this Sunday, one that many people find particularly difficult to interpret.
As I said in last week’s meditation guidelines, method is always the root problem with interpreting parables, and to adopt the right method we must have a right understanding of what a parable is. It is not the kind of story where we identify “good guys” and “bad guys” and then draw the conclusion that we must imitate the good and avoid being like the bad.

24th Week - Sept 14-19

 Sept 14 Monday (The Exaltation of the Holy Cross) https://www.franciscanmedia.org/-Exaltation-of-the-Holy-Cross : John 3:13-17: The Feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross is one of twelve “Master feasts” celebrated in the Church to honor Jesus Christ, our Lord and Master.

24th Sunday A: Forgiveness

Gospel reading: Matthew 18:21-35

Michel DeVerteuil 
General Comments
Today’s passage deals with the crucial issue of forgiveness, surely the most pressing of all our human problems, as individuals, as communities and as a human family. The future of humanity is in the hands of those who can forgive.