The Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 25:6-10; Psalm 22; Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22:1-14

In the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah we are told that those who hope in the Lord will be raised up and will receive salvation. In this all their shame and troubles will be taken from their and happiness will be theirs. Our gospel text contains the parable of the king who held a banquet for his son’s wedding but whose guests did not turn up. The banquet is the kingdom of heaven and the guests are men and women of every age and time. Those who do not heed the call of God and who ignore him will be left out in the dark when their time on earth comes to an end. It is a reminder that the message of God and places in the kingdom are offered to all but only those who are worthy will be allowed entry to the kingdom when the time comes.

In the second reading, St Paul tells his readers that he can master anything that may come his way because he has the Lord to give him strength. We are challenged today to live lives worthy of the invitation which the Father extends to us, knowing that he is with us to strengthen us just as he did St Paul.

The Twenty-eighth Monday in Ordinary Time

Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1; Psalm 112; Luke 11:29-32

In our first reading from the letter to the Galatians we continue St Paul’s explanation of how we have been freed from the Jewish Laws and given the path of faith by Christ. Paul talks about Abraham’s slave wife, Hagar and her child, Ishmael, who – for Paul’s purposes – represent the Jewish people, and Abraham’s free wife, Sarah and her child, Isaac, who represent Christians. Paul says that we have been born free in the waters of baptism because our slavery to sin has been broken by Christ. In the Gospel the people are asking Jesus for a sign to prove that he is the Messiah. He doesn’t give them a sign but reminds them of Jonah, telling them that they have something greater than Jonah in their midst.

The Twenty-eighth Tuesday in Ordinary Time

Galatians 5:1-6; Psalm 118; Luke 11:37-41

Some of the Galatians believed they had to be circumcised and live under the Law in order to be saved. But St Paul tells them in the first reading that the Law cannot save them – faith is what they need in order to be saved and they should not worry about signs such as circumcision. Paul reminds them that true faith proves itself through charitable works and not through external sings on the body. In the Gospel, Jesus admonishes a Pharisee for wanting to wash before meals when on the inside he was unclean. The heart is what God looks at – not the outside. We too are called by both readings to look into ourselves and to make ourselves inwardly pure. One way of doing this is by giving alms to the poor.

The Twenty-eighth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

Galatians 5:18-25; Psalm 1; Luke 11:42-46

In our last section from his letter to the Gentile Christians in Galatia, St Paul tells us that we should always live with the Holy Spirit guiding our lives. If we live by our own will then we only fall into sin. Paul tells us of the vices found in living by the flesh and the contrasting virtues found in living a life in the Spirit. Jesus, in the Gospel, admonishes Pharisees and lawyers for putting obstacles before the people so that they cannot truly worship the Lord, especially when those things place the Pharisees themselves in elevated positions before the people.

Feast of St Teresa of Avila, Virgin & Doctor of the Church

Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada was born in Avila, Spain, in 1515. She entered the Carmelites and made great progress in the way of perfection and was granted mystical revelations. At this time religious life in Spain, and across Europe, was in much need of reform and Teresa began this work with the monastery in which she was living. She also founded other monasteries under her strict reform and enlisted John of the Cross to reform the male branch of the Order of Carmelites. After her death, the reform she began eventually separated from the Carmelite Order to become the Order of Discalced Carmelites. She wrote a number of books which brought her to the attention of the Inquisition but which she persevered in writing and which demonstrate her profound insight into prayer. For Teresa, prayer was a conversation with a close friend, and this can be seen in her many references to Christ. Her letters also show a tremendous humanity while gently bringing people back into line. Her best-known works are The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle. She died at Alba in 1582 and was canonized in 1622. Her writings have earned her the title of Doctor of the Church. 

Readings:

Wisdom 7:7-14 or Romans 8:14-17, 26-27; Psalm 83; John 7:14-18, 37-39a or John 4:5-15a

There are two possible first readings for today and both speak about prayer. The reading from the Book of Wisdom speaks about praying for and receiving understanding, and about the importance of wisdom and the goodness which wisdom brings. St Teresa of Jesus had a very close relationship with the Lord which she developed through an incredible life of prayer with him. Through that she gained an insight into the life of prayer for each of us and taught us that prayer is simply a conversation with a close friend – a phrase which makes prayer easier for so many people.

The alternative text from the letter to the Romans speaks about the Holy Spirit being there to help us in our weakness, a Spirit which has been given to each of us by God. At times prayer is difficult for us but with the Spirit moving in us we are able to pray and to speak personally with God.

In the gospel text, Jesus tells us that the words which he speaks and uses to teach are not his own words as a human but come from God in heaven and can therefore be trusted. The Jews had expressed astonishment that Jesus could say such things given his apparent lack of education. Many said the same of St Teresa in her day, and yet she is a Doctor of the Church and the teaching she has left us was inspired by God. The key teaching for us is to listen to God in the silence of our hearts and the words of scripture, and to live out the life of faith at every moment.

In the alternative gospel text, we see the encounter between Jesus and the woman at the well. She listens to Jesus despite the obstacles which society had placed between a Jewish man and a Samaritan woman, and through that listening she came to believe in Jesus.

The Twenty-eighth Friday in Ordinary Time

Ephesians 1:11-14; Psalm 32; Luke 12:1-7

St Paul tells his readers in the letter to the Ephesians that they have already been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is at work in them and brings them freedom as sons and daughters of God. Paul reminds them that the message was first preached to the Jewish people as the ‘Chosen People’ and then to all peoples and so they too have a right to share in the salvation promised through Christ. Jesus tells us in the Gospel that what we do is known to God who knows us intimately and cares for every fibre of our being. Knowing this, and with the Holy Spirit working in us, we should do everything to ensure that we live as God wants us to live.

The Twenty-eighth Saturday in Ordinary Time

Ephesians 1:15-23; Psalm 8; Luke 12:8-12

In our first reading St Paul speaks to us today of the glories which lie in wait for the faithful. All of this is in Christ who has been made head of the Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that if we reject him in the presence of others then he will reject us in the presence of the Father. To help us to stand faithful he has given us the Holy Spirit to be our strength and protection. To deny Jesus is not simply done in word but also by failing to act as Christians in the sight of others. The rejection of Christ is also the rejection of our hope.