The Litany of the Saints

The Litany of the Saints

   One of my favorite times at mass is when we do the Litany of the Saints. I have always loved it. Even a child I did. Yes, as a child I loved it. Believe me I look back at that and realize that is not the normal life of a child, then again it makes sense with my discernment now. 

    I have looked for videos of the Litany and found this one below. I can listen to it over and over again and love that this one is in Latin. There is just something about the Litany that hits my soul. Knowing the tradition of the Church and all that have gone before us gives me the chills. I hope you like this version as well and below the video is the readings for the Holy Day. I hope that you were able to make mass today even though it was not a Holy Day of Obligation this year. I know I will be for sure. 

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and may all the Saints aid in our prayers. 

Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 483

Reading 1

PHIL 1:1-11

Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus,

to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,

with the bishops and deacons:

grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you,

praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,

because of your partnership for the Gospel

from the first day until now.

I am confident of this,

that the one who began a good work in you

will continue to complete it

until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right that I should think this way about all of you,

because I hold you in my heart,

you who are all partners with me in grace,

both in my imprisonment

and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel.

For God is my witness,

how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer:

that your love may increase ever more and more

in knowledge and every kind of perception,

to discern what is of value,

so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

filled with the fruit of righteousness

that comes through Jesus Christ

for the glory and praise of God.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 111:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (2) How great are the works of the Lord!

or:

R. Alleluia.

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart

in the company and assembly of the just.

Great are the works of the LORD,

exquisite in all their delights.

R. How great are the works of the Lord!

or:

R. Alleluia.

Majesty and glory are his work,

and his justice endures forever.

He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;

gracious and merciful is the LORD.

R. How great are the works of the Lord!

or:

R. Alleluia.

He has given food to those who fear him;

he will forever be mindful of his covenant.

He has made known to his people the power of his works,

giving them the inheritance of the nations.

R. How great are the works of the Lord!

or:

R. Alleluia.

Gospel

LK 14:1-6

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine

at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,

and the people there were observing him carefully.

In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.

Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,

“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”

But they kept silent; so he took the man and,

after he had healed him, dismissed him.

Then he said to them 

“Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,

would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?” 

But they were unable to answer his question.

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THE LAST WORDS OF 30 SAINTS

THE LAST WORDS OF 30 SAINTS

I came across this and figured with All Saints Day being this weekend, this was very fitting to share. 


BY JOSHUA BOWMAN
As we approach the end of the liturgical year, we draw our attention to the last things that await beyond the grave. The great feasts of All Saints and All Souls commemorate our beloved dead, but they also remind us of the impermanence of our worldly existence and the eternal judgment in the spiritual realm. In the Northern Hemisphere, we have a vivid expression of decay and corruption all around us in the glory of fall as the natural world sheds its colorful raiment, leaving the barren and stark naked monochrome landscape of winter.

Vanitas by Philippe de Champaigne, c. 1671
By contemplating death, we focus our minds on how better to live, so that when the moment comes–as it does for all of us–we need not be afraid or ashamed of our nakedness in the sight of God as our first parents were in the rebellion of original sin which brought death into the world. As the ancient saying commands us, memento mori, remember that you must die. How we live our lives will determine whether we will join with the saints in the victory of Christ over death. Indeed, the saints are excellent examples for us of how to live–and how to die–with grace.
In their last words, many of the saints quote scripture or favorite prayers, while others express defiance as they embrace their martyrdom. Still others provide advice to their followers. As Dr. Johnson once wrote, “Depend upon it, Sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” The same can be said for the saints in their final moments on earth.
In each of the aphorisms collected below, we have a distillation of a life devoted to Christ into one statement which summarizes what was most important to each of these saints in the hour of victory, as each passed through the veil into the presence of God. We would do well to profit from this wisdom so that we might also emulate it–before the bell tolls for our own passing.

The Martyrdom of St. Andrew by Bartolome Murillo, 1682
1. St. Andrew (Martyr)
Lord, eternal King of glory, receive me hanging from the wood of this sweet cross. Thou who art my God, whom I have seen, do not permit them to loosen me from the cross. Do this for me, O Lord, for I know the virtue of Thy Holy Cross.

2. St. Andrew Kim Taegon (Martyr)
This is my last hour of life, listen to me attentively: if I have held communication with foreigners, it has been for my religion and for my God. It is for Him that I die. My immortal life is on the point of beginning. Become Christians if you wish to be happy after death, because God has eternal chastisements in store for those who have refused to know Him.

3. St. Augustine
Your will be done. Come, Lord Jesus!

4. Bl. Bartholomew Longo
My only desire is to see Mary who saved me and who will save me from the clutches of Satan.

5. St. Bernadette Sourbirous
Holy Mary, pray for me, a poor sinner.

The Death of Saint Catherine of Siena by Giovanni di Paolo, 15th century

6. St. Catherine of Siena
Blood! Blood! Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.

7. St. Clelia Barbieri
Be brave, because I am going to Paradise; but I shall always remain with you, too; I shall never abandon you!

8. St. David
Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed. Do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us.

9. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Be children of the Church.

10. St. Faustina Kowalska
Today, the Majesty of God is surrounding me. There is no way that I can help myself to prepare better. I am thoroughly enwrapped in God. My soul is being inflamed by His love. I only know that I love and am loved. That is enough for me. I am trying my best to be faithful throughout the day to the Holy Spirit and to fulfill His demands. I am trying my best for interior silence to be able to hear His voice …

11. St. Francis of Assisi
When you see that I am brought to my last moments, place me naked upon the ground just as you saw me the day before yesterday; and let me lie there after I am dead for the length of time it takes one to walk a mile unhurriedly.

12. St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle
In all things I adore the will of God in my regard.

13. St. Joan of Arc (Martyr)
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!

14, St. John Chrysostom
Glory to God for all things!

15. St. John Paul the Great
Let me go to the house of the Father.

16. St. Lawrence (Martyr)
O Christ, only God, O Splendour, O Power of the Father, O Maker of heaven and earth and builder of this city’s walls! Thou has placed Rome’s scepter high over all; Thou hast willed to subject the world to it, in order to unite under one law the nations which differ in manners, customs, language, genius, and sacrifice. Behold the whole human race has submitted to its empire, and all discord and dissensions disappear in its unity. Remember thy purpose: Thou didst will to bind the immense universe together into one Christian Kingdom. O Christ, for the sake of Thy Romans, make this city Christian; for to it Thou gavest the charge of leading all the rest to sacred unity. All its members in every place are united – a very type of Thy Kingdom; the conquered universe has bowed before it. Oh! may its royal head bowed in turn! Send Thy Gabriel and bid him heal the blindness of the sons of Iulus, that they may know the true God. I see a prince who is to come – an Emperor who is a servant of God. He will not suffer Rome to remain a slave; he will close the temples and fasten them with bolts forever.

17. St. Ignatius of Loyola
O, my God!

18. St. Kateri Tekakwitha
Jesus, I love you.

19. Bl. Miguel Pro, S.J. (Martyr)
Long live Christ the King! (Addressed to his executioners)

20. St. Perpetua (Martyr)
Stand fast in the faith and love one another. (Addressed to her brother)

21. St. Pio of Pietrelcina
Jesus. Maria.

22. St. Pius X
To restore all things in Christ.

23. St. Stephen (Martyr)
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. (Addressed to his executioners)

24. St. Teresa of Ávila
After all I die as a child of the Church. My Lord, it is time to move on. Well then, may Your will be done. O my Lord and my Spouse, the hour that I have longed for has come. It is time for us to meet one another.

25. Bl. Teresa of Calcutta
Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I love you.

26. St. Therese of Lisieux
I have reached the point of not being able to suffer any more, because all suffering is sweet to me. My God, I love You.

27. St. Thomas à Becket (Martyr)
If all the swords in England were pointed against my head, your threats would not move me. I am ready to die for my Lord, that in my blood the Church may obtain liberty and peace. (Addressed to his murderers)

28. St. Thomas Aquinas
Be assured that he who shall always walk faithfully in God’s presence, always ready to give him an account of all his actions, shall never be separated from him by consenting to sin.

29. St. Thomas More (Martyr)
I die the king’s good servant, but God’s first.

30. St. Wenceslaus (Martyr)

May God forgive you, brother. (Addressed to his murderer)

Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 483
Reading 1
PHIL 1:1-11
Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus,
to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,
with the bishops and deacons:
grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you,
praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,
because of your partnership for the Gospel
from the first day until now.
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work in you
will continue to complete it
until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right that I should think this way about all of you,
because I hold you in my heart,
you who are all partners with me in grace,
both in my imprisonment
and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel.
For God is my witness,
how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer:
that your love may increase ever more and more
in knowledge and every kind of perception,
to discern what is of value,
so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ
for the glory and praise of God.
Responsorial Psalm
PS 111:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (2) How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
LK 14:1-6

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.
Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,
“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”
But they kept silent; so he took the man and,
after he had healed him, dismissed him.
Then he said to them 
“Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?” 

But they were unable to answer his question.

All Souls 2014

All Souls

   Often overshadowed by the two days preceding it, Halloween (October 31) and All Saints Day (November 1), All Souls Day is a solemn feast in the Roman Catholic Church commemorating all of those who have died and now are in Purgatory, being cleansed of their venial sins and the temporal punishments for the mortal sins that they had confessed and atoning before entering fully into Heaven.

The importance of All Souls Day was made clear by Pope Benedict XV (1914-22), when he granted all priests the privilege of celebrating three Masses on All Souls Day: one, for the faithful departed; one for the priest's intentions; and one for the intentions of the Holy Father. Only on a handful of other very important feast days are priests allowed to celebrate more than two Masses.

While All Souls Day is now paired with All Saints Day, which celebrates all of the faithful who are in Heaven, it originally was celebrated in the Easter season, around Pentecost Sunday (and still is in the Eastern Catholic Churches). By the tenth century, the celebration had been moved to October; and sometime between 998 and 1030, St. Odilo of Cluny decreed that it should be celebrated on November 2 in all of the monasteries of his Benedictine congregation. Over the next two centuries, other Benedictines and the Carthusians began to celebrate it in their monasteries as well, and soon it spread to the entire Church.

On All Souls Day, we not only remember the dead, but we apply our efforts, through prayer, almsgiving, and the Mass, to their release from Purgatory. There are two plenary indulgences attached to All Souls Day, one for visiting a church and another for visiting a cemetery. (The plenary indulgence for visiting a cemetery can also be obtained every day from November 1-8, and, as a partial indulgence, on any day of the year.) While the actions are performed by the living, the merits of the indulgences are applicable only to the souls in Purgatory.

Praying for the dead is a Christian obligation. In the modern world, when many have come to doubt the Church's teaching on Purgatory, the need for such prayers has only increased. The Church devotes the month of November to prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, and participation in the Mass of All Souls Day is a good way to begin the month.

Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 482

Reading 1

EPH 6:10-20

Brothers and sisters:

Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.

Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm

against the tactics of the Devil.

For our struggle is not with flesh and blood

but with the principalities, with the powers,

with the world rulers of this present darkness,

with the evil spirits in the heavens.

Therefore, put on the armor of God,

that you may be able to resist on the evil day

and, having done everything, to hold your ground.

So stand fast with your loins girded in truth,

clothed with righteousness as a breastplate,

and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace.

In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield,

to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One.

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,

which is the word of God.

With all prayer and supplication,

pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.

To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication

for all the holy ones and also for me,

that speech may be given me to open my mouth,

to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel

for which I am an ambassador in chains,

so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 144:1B, 2, 9-10

R. (1b) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Blessed be the LORD, my rock,

who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.

R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

My mercy and my fortress,

my stronghold, my deliverer,

My shield, in whom I trust,

who subdues my people under me.

R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

O God, I will sing a new song to you;

with a ten stringed lyre I will chant your praise,

You who give victory to kings,

and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword.

R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

Gospel

LK 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,

“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”

He replied, “Go and tell that fox,

‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,

and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.

Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,

for it is impossible that a prophet should die

outside of Jerusalem.’

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,

you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,

how many times I yearned to gather your children together

as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,

but you were unwilling!

Behold, your house will be abandoned.

But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

AllSaints 2014

All Saints Day

This Saturday we honor the Saints of the Church, both canonized and not. Keeping with the day, I have posted a brief history of the day. This year All Saints Day is not  a Holy day of Obligation because it falls on a Saturday but we still should attend mass regardless of it not being an obligation. This is how we can honor the Saints by attending mass.  

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and remember we are all called to be Saints in the world.

All Saints Day, the day on which Catholics celebrate all the saints, known and unknown, is a surprisingly old feast. It arose out of the Christian tradition of celebrating the martyrdom of saints on the anniversary of their martyrdom. When martyrdoms increased during the persecutions of the late Roman Empire, local dioceses instituted a common feast day in order to ensure that all martyrs, known and unknown, were properly honored.

By the late fourth century, this common feast was celebrated in Antioch, and Saint Ephrem the Syrian mentioned it in a sermon in 373. In the early centuries, this feast was celebrated in the Easter season, and the Eastern Churches, both Catholic and Orthodox, still celebrate it then.

The current date of November 1 was instituted by Pope Gregory III (731-741), when he consecrated a chapel to all the martyrs in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and ordered an annual celebration. This celebration was originally confined to the diocese of Rome, but Pope Gregory IV (827-844) extended the feast to the entire Church and ordered it to be celebrated on November 1.

The vigil or eve of the feast, October 31, is commonly known as All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. Despite concerns among some Christians (including some Catholics) in recent years about the "pagan origins" of Halloween (see Halloween, Jack Chick, and Anti-Catholicism), the vigil was celebrated from the beginning—long before Irish practices, stripped of their pagan origins (just as the Christmas tree was stripped of similar connotations), were incorporated into popular celebrations of the feast.

Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 481
Reading 1
EPH 6:1-9

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Honor your father and mother.

This is the first commandment with a promise,

that it may go well with you

and that you may have a long life on earth.

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,

but bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves, be obedient to your human masters with fear and trembling,

in sincerity of heart, as to Christ,

not only when being watched, as currying favor,

but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

willingly serving the Lord and not men,

knowing that each will be requited from the Lord

for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. 

Masters, act in the same way towards them, and stop bullying,

knowing that both they and you have a Master in heaven

and that with him there is no partiality.

Responsorial Psalm
PS 145:10-11, 12-13AB, 13CD-14

R. (13c) The Lord is faithful in all his words.

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,

and let your faithful ones bless you.

Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom

and speak of your might.

R. The Lord is faithful in all his words.

Making known to men your might

and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,

and your dominion endures through all generations.

R. The Lord is faithful in all his words.

The LORD is faithful in all his words

and holy in all his works.

The LORD lifts up all who are falling

and raises up all who are bowed down.

R. The Lord is faithful in all his words.
Gospel
LK 13:22-30

Jesus passed through towns and villages,

teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.

Someone asked him,

“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”

He answered them, 

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,

for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter

but will not be strong enough.

After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,

then will you stand outside knocking and saying,

‘Lord, open the door for us.’

He will say to you in reply,

‘I do not know where you are from.’

And you will say,

‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’

Then he will say to you,

‘I do not know where you are from.

Depart from me, all you evildoers!’

And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth

when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God

and you yourselves cast out.

And people will come from the east and the west

and from the north and the south

and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God.

For behold, some are last who will be first,

and some are first who will be last.”

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Not Giving Up...

Not Giving Up...

 This weekend, November 1st to be exact, a women by the name of Brittany Maynard will end her life "on her terms" because she has stage 4 tumor in her brain. She is 29 years old and it is a very sad story. She was given 6 months to live and she decided instead of allow the disease to take her life, she wants to decide when she dies and has chosen November 1st as the day. 

    I was not going to add my personal opinion on this and just ask for prayers for her to change her mind but I came across this video today about a man who was diagnosed with cancer and was told to start planning his funeral. Please watch the video below and my comments will follow right under the video. 

    I know this is not a normal situation and this does not happen often but it does happen. Brittany says she is not committing suicide but aiding her dying. Some states allow this and it is called Death with Dignity Act. Since it has been in affect since 1997 in Oregon 1,173 people got the prescription for the drugs and 752 people have used them.  Here we have a man who faced death and decided to help and live his life. He prayed and yes it seems his prayers have been answered. So, why him and not others or not her? I can not answer that. No one here on earth can. It is not fair to others who's prayers are not answered the way they want. I know and speak from experience when it comes to unanswered prayers and losing people who you love to illness and disease, while others seem to get miracles. There are no answers. 

   Yet, there is something I do know, and that is, if we do not give God the time and give God the chance and rather take it into our own hands then we are playing god. We limit the chance of that miracle. We decide that if God does not act in the time we want then it is not worth waiting and He lost His chance. Who really looses that chance? It is us that looses that chance, not God. We are saying to God "You can not do anything".. "I do not believe You can change this"... Is that the God we know? A God that does not perform miracles? That is not the God I know nor is it the God the Catholic Church speaks of either. 

   Some people do not like the Catholic Church's stance of "death" and when life ends or starts but it is what God has ordered. From conception to natural death. The church does not want suffering or pain and fully supports palliative care. What the church does not support is us, humans, deciding when we want life to start and when we feel a life is not worth living or to painful. 

   This is not an easy topic and many people feel very strong on this issue. I hope and pray that Brittany changes her mind this week and decides to live. I ask that we all keep her and her family in prayer. As we watched in the video, prayers do get answered and miracles can happen. Also on a side note tomorrow (October 28) is the feast day of St. Jude the patron saint of desperate cases. Please offer a prayer to St. Jude for her. 

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and may people come to know the sanctity of life. 

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Lectionary: 666

Reading 1

EPH 2:19-22

Brothers and sisters:

You are no longer strangers and sojourners,

but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones

and members of the household of God, 

built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,

with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.

Through him the whole structure is held together

and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;

in him you also are being built together

into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 19:2-3, 4-5

R. (5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.

The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day pours out the word to day,

and night to night imparts knowledge.

R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

Not a word nor a discourse

whose voice is not heard;

Through all the earth their voice resounds,

and to the ends of the world, their message.

R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

Gospel

LK 6:12-16

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,

and he spent the night in prayer to God.

When day came, he called his disciples to himself,

and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:

Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,

James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,

Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,

Simon who was called a Zealot,

and Judas the son of James,

and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 479

Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 479

Reading 1

EPH 4:32-5:8

Brothers and sisters:

Be kind to one another, compassionate,

forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.

Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,

as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us

as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.

Immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you,

as is fitting among holy ones,

no obscenity or silly or suggestive talk, which is out of place,

but instead, thanksgiving.

Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person,

that is, an idolater,

has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no one deceive you with empty arguments,

for because of these things

the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.

So do not be associated with them.

For you were once darkness,

but now you are light in the Lord.

Live as children of light. 

Responsorial Psalm

PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6

R. (see Eph. 5:1) Behave like God as his very dear children.

Blessed the man who follows not

the counsel of the wicked

Nor walks in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the company of the insolent,

But delights in the law of the LORD

and meditates on his law day and night.

R. Behave like God as his very dear children.

He is like a tree

planted near running water,

That yields its fruit in due season,

and whose leaves never fade.

Whatever he does, prospers.

R. Behave like God as his very dear children.

Not so the wicked, not so;

they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

For the LORD watches over the way of the just,

but the way of the wicked vanishes.

R. Behave like God as his very dear children.

Gospel

LK 13:10-17

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.

And a woman was there who for eighteen years

had been crippled by a spirit;

she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.

When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,

“Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.”

He laid his hands on her,

and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.

But the leader of the synagogue,

indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,

said to the crowd in reply,

“There are six days when work should be done.

Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.”

The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites!

Does not each one of you on the sabbath

untie his ox or his ass from the manger

and lead it out for watering?

This daughter of Abraham,

whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,

ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day

from this bondage?”

When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;

and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 478

Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary TimeLectionary: 478

Reading 1

EPH 4:7-16

Brothers and sisters:

Grace was given to each of us

according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Therefore, it says:

He ascended on high and took prisoners captive;

he gave gifts to men.

What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended

into the lower regions of the earth?

The one who descended is also the one who ascended

far above all the heavens,

that he might fill all things.

And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,

others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,

to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,

for building up the Body of Christ,

until we all attain to the unity of faith

and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood

to the extent of the full stature of Christ,

so that we may no longer be infants,

tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching

arising from human trickery,

from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming.

Rather, living the truth in love,

we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ,

from whom the whole Body,

joined and held together by every supporting ligament,

with the proper functioning of each part,

brings about the Body’s growth and builds itself up in love.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 122:1-2, 3-4AB, 4CD-5

R. (1) Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I rejoiced because they said to me,

“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”

And now we have set foot

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Jerusalem, built as a city

with compact unity.

To it the tribes go up,

the tribes of the LORD.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

According to the decree for Israel,

to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

In it are set up judgment seats,

seats for the house of David.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Gospel

LK 13:1-9

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans

whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.

He said to them in reply, 

“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way 

they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?

By no means!

But I tell you, if you do not repent,

you will all perish as they did!

Or those eighteen people who were killed 

when the tower at Siloam fell on them–

do you think they were more guilty 

than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?

By no means!

But I tell you, if you do not repent,

you will all perish as they did!”

And he told them this parable: 

“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, 

and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,

he said to the gardener,

‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree 

but have found none.

So cut it down.

Why should it exhaust the soil?’

He said to him in reply,

‘Sir, leave it for this year also, 

and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; 

it may bear fruit in the future.

If not you can cut it down.’”