Tuesday 22 August
Our Lady, Mother and Queen Tuesday of week 20 in Ordinary Time First reading - Isaiah 9:1-7 “For there is a child born for us, a son given to us and dominion is laid on his shoulders;”. This child is Jesus Christ and is born from Mother Mary. He is the great light which the people that walked in darkness and those you live in a land of deep shadow have seen. He is the one who made the gladness of the people greater. He establishes the throne of David secure in justice and integrity. The prophet Isaiah is also telling how is going to happen. “From this time onwards and forever, the jealous love of the Lord of Hosts will do this”. It’s the love of the Lord that does all these. This jealous love of God is well received and experienced by Mother Mary in its fullness. So, each time we stand close to Mother Mary, it is to understand how rich is the love of God incarnated in her and to participate in that love by being docile to that love of God as she was. Let’s reflect: Is my devotion to Mother Mary, motivated to participate in the love of God in which she is immersed?
Monday 21 August
Saint Pius X, Pope Monday of week 20 in Ordinary Time First reading - Judges 2:11-19 In this reading we see the human nature. Again and again man goes away from God after when God had rescued them. When there are troubles in life, people turn to God. God rescues them. Once the troubles are over, we walk in our own ways and forget the way of the Lord. When we forget the Lord and walk in our owns, we welcome again troubles into our life. In the midst of troubles, we call again God for help. He patiently saves us from our troubles and allows us to keep our freedom. With our freedom we try again to walk in our own ways. We must break this circle by trying to walk in the ways of the Lord even when we are not in troubles. Let’s reflect: Am I falling into cycles of being close and being far from God?
Sunday 20 August
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 - 1153) First reading - Isaiah 56:1,6-7 “all who observe the sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant – these I will bring to my holy mountain”. Everyone without exception will be brought to the Holy Mountain of the Lord, if the sabbath is observed. The day of the Lord must be observed according to the covenant. This passage begins by admonishing to care for justice and to act with integrity. Our integrity depends on the fact that we acknowledge the presence and care of our Lord in our life. The observation of the day of the Lord is doing justice to what the Lord does in our life. And if we are doing this justice, the Lord says “I will make them joyful in my house of prayer”. We become joyful and we will become His house of prayer, a place God interacts. And we will become a house of prayer for all the peoples. All these start from our right celebration of the day of the Lord, by doing justice to the presence of the Lord in our life. Let’s reflect. Am I doing justice to the presence of the Lord in my life by observing the day of the Lord according to the covenant?
Saturday 19 August
Saturday of week 19 in Ordinary Time Saint John Eudes, Priest Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary First reading - Joshua 24:14-29 ‘It is the Lord our God we choose to serve; it is his voice that we will obey.’ They choose to serve the Lord. It’s not imposed on them. It is their decision to serve the Lord. Based on this decision they listen to His voice and then they will obey. This decision is based upon their gratitude for what the Lord has done to them. Recognition of the intervention of the Lord in their life prompted them to choose the same Lord and to cast away the alien gods among them. They gave their hearts to the Lord the God of Israel. This becomes the covenant which Joshua made for the people. “Then he took a great stone and set it up there, under the oak in the sanctuary of the Lord, and Joshua said to all the people, ‘See! This stone shall be a witness against us because it has heard all the words that the Lord has spoken to us:”. The Crosses in our houses, the Crosses which we wear, are the signs of the covenant of our choice to give our hearts to the Lord. Let’s reflect: Do the cross I wear or I have in my room, remind me of my covenant to the Lord?