23 August 2025

XXI Sunday of the Year

ENTRY FOR ALL…
… THROUGH THE NARROW GATE



INTRODUCTORY RITES

Gather as a family/ community; create an environment appropriate for prayer (dress appropriately - switch off your phones...). 
We are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own, we remain part of the Body of Christ.
Place lighted candles, a crucifix, and the Bible on a covered table. These remind us of the sacredness of our time of prayer and could help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.

You may sing or play an appropriate hymn. For instance:
The Sign of the Cross

Greeting and Introductory Words

L: The Lord invites us to the table of his Word: let us bless him for his goodness.
A: Blessed be God forever.

L: Everyone likes to go to a house where the doors are open in welcome. That is how Jesus wants the Church to be: a house of welcome open to anyone. But at the same time the door is narrow. Everyone is invited but entry is through the narrow gate!
We pray that we may welcome all people into our hearts and follow the discipline of the narrow gate. 

Penitential Rite

L: For the times we have excluded people from our lives and communities, we ask the Lord to forgive us.
        Pause

L: Lord Jesus, you caution us that it is not enough to enter through the narrow gate: 
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you caution us that it is not enough to eat and drink in your company: 
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you remind us that people will come from all nations
and will recline at table in your kingdom:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.

L: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.

Gloria
 
Opening Prayer

L: O God of the nations, you have invited people of every race to the banquet of your kingdom. May all who are called to your table come by the narrow way to the unending feast of life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. 
A: Amen.

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

Readings

The readings are those assigned for the day in the Lectionary.
Preferably use a Bible/ Lectionary for reading.


Reading 1    Isaiah 66:18-21
Psalm         Psalm 117:1, 2
Response Go out to all the world and tell the Good News!
                Option 1 or Option 2 or Option 3
Reading 2 Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
Acclamation
                        Alleluia, alleluia.
                        I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord;
                        no one comes to the Father, except through me.
                  Acclamation
Gospel         Luke 13:22-30
 
Reflection on the Readings
 
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.

Lectio Divina

Imagine you are with Jesus as he goes through towns and villages, making his way to Jerusalem. What are your thoughts and feelings when you hear the question “Lord, will only a few people be saved” and Jesus’ response?  

Sunday Snippets

Outside a place of worship in South India hangs a signboard that reads: “No entry for dogs and Christians.” There are some beaches and restaurants in India where no Indian is allowed! Shocking!
But there are places with equally shocking “no entry” signboards even if these are less obvious and perhaps invisible.  Some churches in India do not allow Dalit Christians to enter. In Anumanthanpatti in southern India, they have a separate cemetery and an exclusive hearse. 

Very little has changed from biblical times! The Jews, especially the Pharisees and the Scribes, had a “no-entry” sign for heaven: “no-entry” for non-Jews, for tax collectors and prostitutes, for those broke the smallest of the commandments. The Jews considered that they were the “chosen ones”; the kingdom of heaven was exclusively for them.

This attitude prompts the question we heard in today’s Gospel: “Will those who are saved be few?”
Jesus does not answer the question. He refuses to speculate on numbers; he looks forward to the time when people will come from all parts of the world and sit at table in the kingdom of God. He looks forward to the fulfilment of Isaiah’s vision in the first reading (Isaiah foretells a time when people from all nations, on all modes of transport, shall come to Jerusalem). 
The “no-entry” signs are off. Jesus’ signboard reads: entry for all; there are neither reserved places nor favoured people. But there is the fine print: entry is restricted to those who choose the “narrow gate”! Jesus changes the focus from general statistics to the individual and to individual responsibility. We must walk his way of the cross and keep his commandment of love.

All of us have no “no-entry” signboards. 
What are the “no-entry” signs in my life? Whom do I exclude from my circle of life and my circle of relationships? 
What is the meaning of the narrow gate for me? Am I ready to choose the discipline of the narrow gate? 

Let us ask Jesus who welcomed all and loved all to help us remove the “no-entry” signs from our lives and to give us the strength to walk through the narrow gate.

Questions to Ponder

Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:

Reading 1: It is God’s plan to save all humankind. How can I help in the realization of this plan? Do I exclude people from my life? What could my parish or the Church as a whole do to be more inclusive?

Reading 2: The reading asks us to “strengthen our drooping hands and our weak knees.” Do I “work out” spiritually? How? What must I do to prevent become spiritually “flabby”? 

Gospel: For me, what does the image of the narrow door represent? What kind of strength does it take to enter the narrow door? How will I get the strength?
If God loves all people, why isn’t the door wider? Who, in my estimation, are the ones outside? Why isn’t “eating and drinking” with Jesus enough to enter the kingdom?

The Creed

Prayer of the Faithful

L: My sisters and brothers, we have responded to God’s invitation to come to his Kingdom. We therefore pray with confidence for all people: Lord, hear our prayer.

R: For the Church: that Christians from east and west, north and south may work together in confronting evil, poverty, and disease and thus proclaim the Gospel in deeds and words, we pray… 
R: For the world: that God may help us to heal division and mistrust in society, to speak respectfully of one another, and to pursue the common good, we pray…
R: For all who are facing difficult choices, particularly about health issues, relationships, or employment: that the Spirit may guide them to inner freedom, integrity, and wholeness, we pray…
R: For those working to promote racial and inter-religious harmony: that God may guide their efforts and help all to give witness to the dignity of each person, we pray…
R: For better stewardship: that the Lord grant us the wisdom to care for the earth and help us to act for the good of future generations and all his creatures, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that the Spirit may give us the grace we need to enter through the narrow gate by living lives of love, forgiveness, self-control, and service, we pray…

L: Lord God, you want all people to be saved. Help us to be open to every person and culture. Make us humbly recognize the good that is found everywhere, and to recreate and perfect it in the image of Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord for ever and ever.
A: Amen.

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

The Lord’s Prayer 

Spiritual Communion 

A: Jesus, I know and believe in your real presence in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is you I desire to love and receive above all things. As I am unable to receive your sacramental presence now, come and be with me in heart and soul. Let my entire self be united with you as I welcome you again and know your loving embrace. Amen.

Post Spiritual Communion Reflection

Lord, 
you gather every kind of people into your kingdom:
the shy and the noisy, 
the simple-hearted and the movers and shakers,
the common man/woman and presidents.
Give me the grace to be inclusive like you.

Lord, 
keep me from becoming complacent about entering your kingdom. 
Your gate is narrow, yet it opens easily.
Everyone has access to the key that opens it.
You gave it to us when you created us.
It’s the one with the sign on it that reads: love.
Teach me to love all people 
and thus to choose the narrow gate.

CONCLUDING RITE

Concluding Prayer

L: God our Father, you have given us Jesus, your Son, as the door through which we enter into your kingdom. Help us to listen to his voice and to follow him without reserve. May our authentic Christian living bring goodness and joy to this world and lead us to you, our saving God.
Through Christ our Lord.
A: Amen.

Blessing

L: The Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and lead us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.

L: Go in the peace of Christ.
A: Thanks be to God.

Conclude with a hymn. For instance:
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16 August 2025

XX Sunday of the Year

JESUS BRINGS DIVISION



INTRODUCTORY RITES

Gather as a family/ community; create an environment appropriate for prayer (dress appropriately - switch off your phones...). 
We are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own, we remain part of the Body of Christ.
Place lighted candles, a crucifix, and the Bible on a covered table. These remind us of the sacredness of our time of prayer and could help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.

You may sing or play an appropriate hymn. For instance:
The Sign of the Cross

Greeting and Introductory Words

L: The Lord invites us to the table of his Word: let us bless him for his goodness.
A: Blessed be God forever.

L: All of us want peace! But true peace comes from doing God’s will, from living according to kingdom values and our convictions, from becoming the people God wants us to become. Such living—strangely, paradoxically—brings us into conflict with others… who are not on the same page! The readings of today challenge us to live by the Gospel even when such living causes conflict and division. We pray for the grace to live according to God’s will and the values of the kingdom.

Penitential Rite

L: For the times we have made compromises to get a wishy-washy peace, we ask the Lord for his forgiveness.
        Pause

L: Lord Jesus, you came to set the earth on fire: 
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you give us peace but not as the world gives: 
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you endured the cross:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.

L: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.

Gloria
 
Opening Prayer

L: To set the earth ablaze, O God, your Son submitted to a baptism to death, and from his cup of suffering you call the Church to drink. Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and give us strength in time of trial to run the race that lies before us.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. 
A: Amen.

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

Readings

The readings are those assigned for the day in the Lectionary.
Preferably use a Bible/ Lectionary for reading.


Reading 1    Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
Psalm         Psalm 40:2, 3, 4, 18
Response Lord, come to my aid!
                Option 1 or Option 2 or Option 3
Reading 2 Hebrews 12:1-4
Acclamation
                        Alleluia, alleluia.
                        My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
                        I know them, and they follow me.
                  Acclamation
Gospel         Luke 12:49-53
 
Reflection on the Readings
 
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.

Lectio Divina

Imagine you are with the disciples. What are your thoughts and feelings when you hear Jesus announce that he has come not “to establish peace on the earth… but rather division”?  

Sunday Snippets

The Robe (the Lloyd C. Douglas’ novel, which Henry Koster directed as the epic film) explores the experiences of the Roman tribune Marcellus Gallio. Marcellus won Christ’s robe after the crucifixion. He set forth to find the truth about the robe, a quest that took him to the roots and heart of Christianity. He and his slave Demetrius became Christians. Eventually, Marcellus’ father disowned him as an enemy of Rome, and Demetrius’ physician denounced them to the authorities. 

The Robe captures the division that Jesus brings within families… a division that he experienced and predicted, a division that arises because of a conflict of values. 

To understand the “why” of this division, we look at the peace that Jesus gives: it is not a compromising, anything-for-a-quiet-life kind of peace; it is a peace that comes from living according to God’s will and kingdom values. 
Recall Jesus’ experience: each time he did the Father’s will, it divided him from those who would not take the step with him, and it moved him deeper into the peace that comes from being true to oneself. When we understand this meaning of “peace”, the talk of “division” is no longer strange! 
Further, we forget how unconventional and counter-cultural Jesus was! He befriended sinners and outcasts; a Samaritan was the hero of his story; he asked the disciples to love their enemies! His open-hearted approach divided him from those with closed and hard hearts. The second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews sums this up: “He endured such opposition”!
The first reading portrays the rejection and condemnation Jeremiah faces at the hands of his own people. For fearlessly speaking the word of God, he is left in a muddy cistern—without food and water—to die. The one who rescues him is a Cushite, a foreigner!

Living by kingdom values—love, justice, peace—will bring us into conflict those who do not accept such values… even when they are family. Promoting human dignity, rights, and freedom will inevitably bring us into conflict with those who want to subjugate and oppress the poor for their selfish ends.
 
Will I live by the values - lifestyle - choices of the kingdom (and my convictions) even at the risk of division in my family? Will I do God’s will and become the person he wants me to become even if it means going against my own?

Questions to Ponder

Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:

Reading 1: Jeremiah was a prophet thrown into a cistern to die for speaking out against the waging of war. Who are the people in the present time that were/are treated the same way for speaking out against injustice? Am ready to speak out against injustice and communalism or to stand up for climate change?

Reading 2: Jesus endured opposition from sinners in order that we may not grow weary and lose heart. What causes me to grow weary and lose heart when “running the race that lies before us”?

Gospel: Have I experienced the “division” about which Jesus speaks when I have lived by gospel values and by my convictions? If yes, how did I respond: by continuing to live by these values/ convictions or by making compromises?

The Creed

Prayer of the Faithful

L: My brothers and sisters, faith brings to Jesus’ disciples not an easy peace, but struggle and contradiction for the disciple must follow the master on the way of the cross. We ask the Lord to strengthen his disciples to stand for the truth, as we pray: Lord, hear our prayer.

R: For the Church: that we may be transformed by the fire of the Spirit into a dynamic community of faith and give witness to God’s abiding presence and action in the world, we pray… 
R: For world leaders: that they may work towards reconciliation and justice, and that violence and conflict may cease, we pray…
R: For all who stand for the truth: that they may faithfully witness to the truth without succumbing to pride, self-centredness, or being judgemental, we pray…
R: For families which are divided or in conflict: that God may help them to hear and understand one another and find ways to support each other on life’s journey, we pray…
R: For all who are suffering from illness, pain, or hardship: that they may experience healing and comfort, we pray…
R: For better stewardship: that God may guide us in understanding the interrelationships of our environment and help us be good stewards of creation, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that the Spirit may empower and sustain us even when living by gospel values yields division, we pray…

L: Lord God, may we never buy an easy peace that comes from self-contentment or the lack of involvement, but work for an interior peace which accepts the struggles of faith and which dares to live by the values of the gospel. Through Christ our Lord.
A: Amen.

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

The Lord’s Prayer 

Spiritual Communion 

A: Jesus, I know and believe in your real presence in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is you I desire to love and receive above all things. As I am unable to receive your sacramental presence now, come and be with me in heart and soul. Let my entire self be united with you as I welcome you again and know your loving embrace. Amen.

Post Spiritual Communion Reflection

Lord,
you headed into a “dark descending” 
when you journeyed to Jerusalem. 
You loved her and her people, 
and wanted to shower abundance upon them. 
But you knew that Jerusalem would place you
—not merely down a cistern as the soldiers did Jeremiah,
not just outside the gates and walls
—but on a cross. 
It would be a baptism and you yearned for it.

Lord,
when I stand for the truth and with the excluded,
when I live by your values and my convictions,
I too experience a dark descending 
when my own throw me into cisterns.
Strengthen me not to sink into the mud
but to continue to abide in the Truth, that is, you!

CONCLUDING RITE

Concluding Prayer

L: God our Father, by his life and death your Son showed us the stony road that leads us to life and love. Let the fire of his Spirit burn in us, that we may reject easy compromises with evil, and silent complicity in iniquity.
Through Christ our Lord.
A: Amen.

Blessing

L: The Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and lead us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.

L: Go in the peace of Christ.
A: Thanks be to God.

Conclude with a hymn. For instance:
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09 August 2025

XIX Sunday of the Year

BE PREPARED



INTRODUCTORY RITES

Gather as a family/ community; create an environment appropriate for prayer (dress appropriately - switch off your phones...). 
We are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own, we remain part of the Body of Christ.
Place lighted candles, a crucifix, and the Bible on a covered table. These remind us of the sacredness of our time of prayer and could help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.

You may sing or play an appropriate hymn. For instance:
The Sign of the Cross

Greeting and Introductory Words

L: The Lord invites us to the table of his Word: let us bless him for his goodness.
A: Blessed be God forever.

L: The liturgy today reminds us that we must ‘stand ready’ for the return of the Lord. We must be people who are ‘dressed for action’ and have our ‘lamps lit’ and be those who are ‘found awake’… prepared for the return of the Master.
We ask the Lord for the grace to be prepared for his coming.

Penitential Rite

L: And for our failure to be vigilant and diligent servants, we ask his pardon.
        Pause

L: Lord Jesus, you urge us to not be afraid and to trust in God: 
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you ask us to be vigilant and ready for your coming: 
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you call us to be faithful and prudent stewards:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.

L: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.

Gloria
 
Opening Prayer

L: O God, on whom our faith rests secure and whose kingdom we await, sustain us by word and sacrament and keep us alert for the coming of the Son of Man, that we may welcome him without delay.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. 
A: Amen.

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

Readings

The readings are those assigned for the day in the Lectionary.
Preferably use a Bible/ Lectionary for reading.


Reading 1    Wisdom 18:6-9
Psalm         Psalm 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22
Response Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
                Option 1 or Option 2 or Option 3
Reading 2 Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19
Acclamation
                        Alleluia, alleluia.
                        Stay awake and be ready!
                        For you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
                  Acclamation
Gospel         Luke 12:32-48
 
Reflection on the Readings
 
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.

Lectio Divina

Imagine you are with the disciples. What are your thoughts and feelings when you hear the parables of the vigilant servants and of the faithful-prudent steward? 

Sunday Snippets

It was exam time during my second year of theology. There was a knock on my door after dinner. It was my scripture teacher! 
He said: “I know your exam is day after tomorrow. I have a blood test in the morning, and I will reach late for your timeslot. I am out tomorrow. Can you come for your exam earlier?” I asked: “Earlier? When?” He said: “Now.” 
Now! I wanted some time to dress appropriately, to glance through my notes. My teacher said: “Come as you are!” I had no choice but to close my door… and go for the test! 

All of us will have to face a much more important—and dead-cert—test at the end of our lives. 
We do not know when Jesus—the “teacher”—will call us for the test; it will be “on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour.” Through the parables of the vigilant servants and of the faithful steward, Jesus exhorts his “little flock” to be prepared for this final test. 

An attitude that will help us be prepared is commitment to the task/ mission God has entrusted to us. Jesus calls his disciples to be “vigilant servants” (prepared for vigorous activity and do whatever their master has asked them to do) and “faithful and prudent stewards” (loyally and responsibly administer their owner’s assets and care for those who are in their charge). When we do this, we are always ready for the teacher, and we need not fear the final test.
There is another—more important—reason for being unafraid: Jesus tells us that we are a flock loved by the Father, chosen and intended for the kingdom. 

Like Abraham—our father in faith—we must trust God’s providence which sustains us always and in unexpected ways. Abraham believed that God would fulfil the promise of land and the promise of progeny. In faith, he looked beyond the present moment to a future that is held in God’s hands. 

Am I prepared for the final test? Am I a “faithful-prudent-vigilant steward” committed to my God-entrusted mission? Do I trust in divine providence?

Questions to Ponder

Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:

Reading 1: Am I certain enough of God’s covenant with us that I could carry out what scripture calls a “leap of faith”? Do I make small leaps of faith in my everyday life?

Reading 2: God called Abraham to an unknown country. Do I feel I am on uncharted faith territory? Who/what helps me in these unmapped areas of faith? What do I make of God’s promises to Abraham?

Gospel: Jesus says to be “vigilant” and “like servants who await their master’s return, be ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks”? Do I “watch” for God in my everyday life? Where do I find him?

The Creed

Prayer of the Faithful

L: My brothers and sisters, God has entrusted us with the riches of the kingdom. Let us pray to him for the mission of the Church and all the baptized, that all may be trustworthy stewards of the mysteries of faith: Lord, hear our prayer.

R: For the Church: that God may renew and deepen our faith so that we may be confident that God is always present and accompanies us along each step of our journey, we pray… 
R: For world leaders: that they may be just and attentive to the needs of God’s household and may ensure a just sharing of the world’s resources, we pray…
R: For all whose faith is tested, particularly those being persecuted or leaving home for the first time: that they may rely upon God for strength and draw upon the values that they have learned in making decisions, we pray…
R: For all who are in need: that God may give strength to all who have lost homes or possessions in storms and flooding, give healing to the sick, and sustain them as they rebuild their lives, we pray…
R: For better stewardship: that we may fulfil our responsibilities with love and diligence so that our efforts may glorify God, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that we may faithfully and diligently use the time that God has given us so that we may be found faithful and bearing much fruit, we pray…

L: Lord God, on whom our faith rests secure and whose kingdom we await, keep us alert for the coming of the Son of Man, that we may welcome him without delay as faithful and diligent servants. Through Christ our Lord.
A: Amen.

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

The Lord’s Prayer 

Spiritual Communion 

A: Jesus, I know and believe in your real presence in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is you I desire to love and receive above all things. As I am unable to receive your sacramental presence now, come and be with me in heart and soul. Let my entire self be united with you as I welcome you again and know your loving embrace. Amen.

Post Spiritual Communion Reflection

Lord,
you tell us to be vigilant and watch for your coming.
Help us find you 
in the Eucharist,
in those we love,
in strangers we meet, in the poor and needy;
in our sleep, in our work and in our play,
Let us watch for you 
in our laughter and in our tears,
in the deep souls of everyone we meet
every day in the dusk and in the dark of night.
Give us courage to stand against injustice and oppression.
Let us trust and know you are with us,
as we walk in the dry deserts of our lives.

CONCLUDING RITE

Concluding Prayer

L: Lord God, we seek security and certainty, something we can see and hold on to. It is fearful for us to walk in the dark, and not to know where the road leads. Help us to serve you in the present and to be ready to follow you in the future.
Through Christ our Lord.
A: Amen.

Blessing

L: The Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and lead us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.

L: Go in the peace of Christ.
A: Thanks be to God.

Conclude with a hymn. For instance:
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02 August 2025

XVIII Sunday of the Year

THE DOLLARS ARE IN THE WAY



INTRODUCTORY RITES

Gather as a family/ community; create an environment appropriate for prayer (dress appropriately - switch off your phones...). 
We are conscious that Christ is present not only in the Blessed Sacrament but also in the Scriptures and in our hearts. Even when we are on our own, we remain part of the Body of Christ.
Place lighted candles, a crucifix, and the Bible on a covered table. These remind us of the sacredness of our time of prayer and could help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.

You may sing or play an appropriate hymn. For instance:
The Sign of the Cross

Greeting and Introductory Words

L: The Lord invites us to the table of his Word: let us bless him for his goodness.
A: Blessed be God forever.

L: Experience reminds us that accumulating riches does not bring happiness! The joy of living does not depend on full granaries or fat bank accounts but on how much we love the Lord and one another and on how much we share what we have. This is how we become rich in the sight of God. We pray that we may get our priorities right.

Penitential Rite

L: For the moments we have focused exclusively on ourselves, and we have put our happiness and life in what is perishable, we ask the Lord for forgiveness.
        Pause

L: Lord Jesus, you are our life 
and you want us to live for values that last: 
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you are rich in mercy
and you want us to be rich in forgiveness and love: 
Christ, have mercy.
A: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord Jesus, you brought us freedom
and you want us to be free from greed, free for God and people:
Lord, have mercy.
A: Lord, have mercy.

L: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.

Gloria
 
Opening Prayer

L: O God, the giver of every gift that endures, only by your grace can we understand the wonder of life and why it is given. By the word of your Son challenge our foolishness, confront our greed, and shape our lives to the wisdom of the gospel .
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. 
A: Amen.

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

Readings

The readings are those assigned for the day in the Lectionary.
Preferably use a Bible/ Lectionary for reading.


Reading 1    Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23
Psalm         Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
Response If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
                Option 1 or Option 2 or Option 3
Reading 2 Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
Acclamation
                        Alleluia, alleluia.
                        Blessed are the poor in spirit,
                        for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
                  Acclamation
Gospel         Luke 12:13-21
 
Reflection on the Readings
 
Use one of the following ways to reflect on the readings.

Lectio Divina

Imagine you are in the crowd when someone asks Jesus: “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” What are your thoughts and feelings when you hear the question and when you hear Jesus’ response and the parable of the rich fool?

Sunday Snippets

Henry Ford asked an associate about his life goals. The man replied his goal was to make a million dollars. A few days later Ford gave him a pair of specs with dollar coins instead of lenses. He told the man to put them on and asked what he could see. “Nothing,” the man said, “the dollars are in the way.”

Money is important. It is necessary! But it is only a means to higher ends. When the “dollars” get in the way of our seeing God, others, and the world, it’s time to change/remove our specs! 

In the gospel, when called to arbitrate a property dispute, Jesus warns his listeners—through the parable of the rich fool—not to focus on possessions. The rich man of the parable is a “fool” not because he is rich; but because 
a) he trusts inordinately in his riches: he cannot see beyond himself; in his barns, there is room only for grain, not for God.
b) he is totally self-centred: when he has a problem, he talks it over with himself; all his planning is for his benefit and comfort only.
The man has riches but is extremely poor in his relationships. This is why St Paul, in the second reading, cautions the Colossians: “put to death… the greed that is idolatry.” The first reading, from the Book of Ecclesiastes, sums up Jesus’ teaching!

This text appears in the section on discipleship. Having spoken of the central place of love and prayer in the life of the disciple, Jesus now stresses the need to be rich in our relationship with God and others.

Few of us are as rich as the man in the story; but each of us has riches: talents, time, resources, families…
Do my “riches” isolate me from others or do I share my riches with others and use these to build relationships? Where does my security lie: in the bank or in God? On what do I focus: grain/ green/ God? Are the “dollars” in the way?

Questions to Ponder

Reflect on some (or all) of the following questions:

Reading 1: Is there more of “toil and anxiety” than I want in my life?
This reading is about priorities. Do mine occasionally need to be checked and rearranged?

Reading 2: “Here there is no Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision.” Could St Paul give the same speech today? How would acting as if “Christ is all and in all” solve today’s problems like racism?

Gospel: Many would determine their worth as a person by the greatness of their house or portfolio or the make of their car. What about me? How do I estimate my/a person’s worth? 
What are some qualities that “matter to God”?

The Creed

Prayer of the Faithful

L: God is the origin and end of our riches, peace, and joy. To him we pray: Lord, hear our prayer.

R: For the Church: that we may recognize our dependence upon God and let go of our attempts to control our lives, we pray… 
R: For leaders of nations: that they work for effective reforms that allow people to enjoy the fruits of their labour and the treasures of education and culture, we pray…
R: For families that are divided by inheritance and financial issues: that God may help them recognize the value and dignity of each other and guide them to a resolution of their conflicts, we pray…
R: For a greater sense of the common good: that we may recognize that God’s gifts are for the benefit of the whole human family and never allow them to become idols that control us, we pray…
R: For all who are ill: that God’s healing spirit may bring them through their illness and restore them to wholeness, we pray…
R: For ourselves: that we may appreciate all the gifts that God has given us and become rich through words of faith, attitudes of hope, and deeds of love, we pray…

L: Lord our God, keep us attentive to the brittleness of all things to which we attach ourselves. Make us share our goods and talents and keep us trusting in you, our true wealth and our hope. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
A: Amen.

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

The Lord’s Prayer 

Spiritual Communion 

A: Jesus, I know and believe in your real presence in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. It is you I desire to love and receive above all things. As I am unable to receive your sacramental presence now, come and be with me in heart and soul. Let my entire self be united with you as I welcome you again and know your loving embrace. Amen.

Post Spiritual Communion Reflection

If I owned all the clothes in the mall
but I did not clothe the naked;
if I sipped tasty wines
but did not give a glass of cold water;
if I took time to rake in money
but did not spread love;
then, what would I have?

Lord, 
What would you want me to have?
Make me want that more than anything else.
Through your Holy Spirit,
help me take off the old self
and put on what is new
so I can better seek what is above.

CONCLUDING RITE

Concluding Prayer

L: Father, you care, and so in you we trust. Our hearts are divided, yet we must provide care and security to those we love. Do not allow greed to blind us so as to pile up goods we do not need and things that do not really matter. Make us generous sharers of what we have that we may become rich in your sight.
Through Christ our Lord.
A: Amen.

Blessing

L: The Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and lead us to everlasting life.
A: Amen.

L: Go in the peace of Christ.
A: Thanks be to God.

Conclude with a hymn. For instance:
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