by Norbert Doulanni | Oct 26, 2025 | Evangelium
Saint Otteran
Psalter: Week II
Green
He was abbot of Meath and later came to Iona. He died in 548 and his grave on Iona was greatly revered. As a result, the Vikings chose Otteran, the titular guardian of their ancestors’ ashes, as patron of the city of Waterford in 1096. He is now patron saint of the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore.
Entrance Antiphon : Ps 104: 3-4
Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice; turn to the Lord and his strength; constantly seek his face.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, increase our faith, hope and charity, and make us love what you command, so that we may merit what you promise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Romans 8:12-17
My brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives. If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live. Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.
Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 67(68):2,4,6-7,20-21
R/ This God of ours is a God who saves.
Let God arise, let his foes be scattered. Let those who hate him flee before him. But the just shall rejoice at the presence of God, they shall exult and dance for joy.
Father of the orphan, defender of the widow, such is God in his holy place. God gives the lonely a home to live in; he leads the prisoners forth into freedom.
May the Lord be blessed day after day. He bears our burdens, God our saviour. This God of ours is a God who saves. The Lord our God holds the keys of death.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn17:17
Alleluia, alleluia! Your word is truth, O Lord: consecrate us in the truth. Alleluia!
Gospel Luke 13:10-17
One sabbath day Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who for eighteen years had been possessed by a spirit that left her enfeebled; she was bent double and quite unable to stand upright. When Jesus saw her he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are rid of your infirmity’ and he laid his hands on her. And at once she straightened up, and she glorified God. But the synagogue official was indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, and he addressed the people present. ‘There are six days’ he said ‘when work is to be done. Come and be healed on one of those days and not on the sabbath.’ But the Lord answered him. ‘Hypocrites!’ he said ‘Is there one of you who does not untie his ox or his donkey from the manger on the sabbath and take it out for watering? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has held bound these eighteen years – was it not right to untie her bonds on the sabbath day?’ When he said this, all his adversaries were covered with confusion, and all the people were overjoyed at all the wonders he worked.
Prayer over the Offerings
Look, we pray, O Lord, on the offerings we make to your majesty, that whatever is done by us in your service may be directed above all to your glory. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Ps 19: 6
We will ring out our joy at your saving help and exult in the name of our God.
Prayer after Communion
May your Sacraments, O Lord, we pray, perfect in us what lies within them, that what we now celebrate in signs we may one day possess in truth. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus is doing God’s will by setting a woman free. He releases her from her bonds, freeing her from the obstacle that has been binding her. Jesus maintains that such life-giving work is consistently timely and significant, going beyond any particular day or time. He calls upon us to join Him in his redemptive work. Today’s liturgy invites us to foster friendship, kindness, and forgiveness towards one another, echoing God’s forgiveness in Christ, and exemplifying love as Christ loves us. By so doing, we actively participate in Jesus’ life-giving and liberating work, which is always timely. There is never an appropriate moment for God’s will to be done. Jesus’ compassionate intervention on behalf of the suffering woman makes her glorify God rather than Jesus Himself. The ultimate purpose of sharing in the Lord’s work is to bring others to glorify God, prioritising divine glory over personal glorification.
by Norbert Doulanni | Oct 25, 2025 | Evangelium
Saint Chad (672)
Psalter: Week II
Green
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 104: 3-4
Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice; turn to the Lord and his strength; constantly seek his face.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, increase our faith, hope and charity, and make us love what you command, so that we may merit what you promise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Ecclesiasticus 35:12-14, 16-19
The Lord is a judge who is no respecter of personages. He shows no respect of personages to the detriment of a poor man, he listens to the plea of the injured party. He does not ignore the orphan’s supplication, nor the widow’s as she pours out her story. The man who with his whole heart serves God will be accepted, his petitions will carry to the clouds. The humble man’s prayer pierces the clouds, until it arrives he is inconsolable, And the Lord will not be slow, nor will he be dilatory on their behalf.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33(34):2-3,17-19,23
R/ This poor man called; the Lord has heard him.
I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise always on my lips; in the Lord my soul shall make its boast. The humble shall hear and be glad.
The Lord turns his face against the wicked to destroy their remembrance from the earth. The just call and the Lord hears and rescues them in all their distress.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; those whose spirit is crushed he will save. The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants. Those who hide in him shall not be condemned.
Second reading : 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18
My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing. The first time I had to present my defence, there was not a single witness to support me. Every one of them deserted me – may they not be held accountable for it. But the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Gospel Acclamation : Mt11:25
Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 18:9-14
Jesus spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else: ‘Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.” The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Look, we pray, O Lord, on the offerings we make to your majesty, that whatever is done by us in your service may be directed above all to your glory. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Ps 19: 6
We will ring out our joy at your saving help and exult in the name of our God.
Prayer after Communion
May your Sacraments, O Lord, we pray, perfect in us what lies within them, that what we now celebrate in signs, we may one day possess in truth. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Two individuals go to the Temple to pray, but their approaches to God are starkly different. The Pharisee expresses a self-satisfied gratitude, saying, “I thank you God that I’m not like all the rest.” On the other hand, the tax collector humbly implores, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Even though both use the traditional methods of prayer, only the tax collector’s prayer is well-directed. The crucial distinction lies in the attitude emanating from their hearts. As we reflect on this parable, let us consider which of the two characters we most resemble. The Pharisee’s attitude is tainted with arrogant judgment towards others, while the tax collector acknowledges his utter dependence on God. Both are spiritually poor before God, but only the tax collector recognises this truth. In our encounters with God, we often come before Him with empty hands. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses.” This prayer, which is similar to the tax-collector’s plea, can be recited in rhythm with our breathing. It serves as a prolonged version of the tax collector’s prayer. It is a prayer that preserves us in humility and reminds us of our nothingness before God. It is a prayer that will always receive an answer from God, who always awaits for and is ready to forgive a repented heart.
by Norbert Doulanni | Oct 24, 2025 | Evangelium
Saturday memorial of the Blessed
Virgin Mary
Saint Chrysanthus and Daria
Psalter: Week IGreen
They are Roman martyrs, buried on the Via Salaria Nova. The feast of these saints stands in the Roman martyrology on the 25th of October, dating from the seventh century.
Entrance Antiphon : Ps 16: 6, 8
To you I call; for you will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words. Guard me as the apple of your eye; in the shadow of your wings protect me.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, grant that we may always conform our will to yours and serve your majesty in sincerity of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Romans 8:1-11
The reason why those who are in Christ Jesus are not condemned is that the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. God has done what the Law, because of our unspiritual nature, was unable to do. God dealt with sin by sending his own Son in a body as physical as any sinful body, and in that body God condemned sin. He did this in order that the Law’s just demands might be satisfied in us, who behave not as our unspiritual nature but as the spirit dictates. The unspiritual are interested only in what is unspiritual, but the spiritual are interested in spiritual things. It is death to limit oneself to what is unspiritual; life and peace can only come with concern for the spiritual. That is because to limit oneself to what is unspiritual is to be at enmity with God: such a limitation never could and never does submit to God’s law. People who are interested only in unspiritual things can never be pleasing to God. Your interests, however, are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made his home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong to him. Though your body may be dead it is because of sin, but if Christ is in you then your spirit is life itself because you have been justified; and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.
Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 23(24):1-6
R/ Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, the world and all its peoples. It is he who set it on the seas; on the waters he made it firm.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place? The man with clean hands and pure heart, who desires not worthless things.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him. Such are the men who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Gospel Acclamation : Ps144:13
Alleluia, alleluia! The Lord is faithful in all his words and loving in all his deeds. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 13:1-9
Some people arrived and told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. At this he said to them, ‘Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen on whom the tower at Siloam fell and killed them? Do you suppose that they were more guilty than all the other people living in Jerusalem? They were not, I tell you. No; but unless you repent you will all perish as they did.’ He told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but found none. He said to the man who looked after the vineyard, “Look here, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?” “Sir,” the man replied “leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.”’
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant us, Lord, we pray, a sincere respect for your gifts, that, through the purifying action of your grace, we may be cleansed by the very mysteries we serve. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Ps 32: 18-19
Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, who hope in his merciful love, to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, O Lord, we pray, that, benefiting from participation in heavenly things, we may be helped by what you give in this present age and prepared for the gifts that are eternal. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
True repentance involves reflecting on aspects of our lifestyle that are unproductive. When Jesus declares, “Repent, or you will perish,” His saying echoes Socrates’ words at his trial when he opted for death over exile: “The un-examined life is not worth living.” The parable of the unproductive fig tree is thought-provoking. It focuses not on wrongdoing but on the failure to engage in positive actions. The unproductive fig tree symbolises a Christian who fails to perform good works and is leading a self-centered existence. The gardener implores the vineyard owner to give the barren fig tree another chance to yield fruit. He pledges to cultivate and fertilise it, providing one last chance for it to prove its worth. This parable suggests that we, too, must nurture our faith and commit ourselves to helping others to live productive lives as well. Jesus offers us another chance to change our lives and be productive in our faith and relationships with one another and with God.
by Norbert Doulanni | Oct 23, 2025 | Evangelium
Saint Antony Mary Claret (1807 – 1870)
Psalter: Week I
White
He was born in 1807 and ordained priest in 1835. His uncompromising preaching raised hostility against him. In 1849 he founded a missionary institute of priests: Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Claretian Missionaries). He antagonized the slave owners, and attempts were made on his life. In 1868, revolution caused him to go into exile in France, where he died in 1870.
Entrance Antiphon : Ps 16: 6, 8
Behold a great priest, who in his days pleased God ; therefore, in accordance with his promise, the Lord gave him growth for the good of his people.
Collect
O God, who for evangelisation of peoples strethened the Bishop Saint Anthony Mary Claret with admirable charity and long-suffering, grant, through his intercession, that, seeking the things that are yours, we may earnestly devote ourselves to winning our brothers and sisters for christ. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Romans 7:18-25
I know of nothing good living in me – living, that is, in my unspiritual self – for though the will to do what is good is in me, the performance is not, with the result that instead of doing the good things I want to do, I carry out the sinful things I do not want. When I act against my will, then, it is not my true self doing it, but sin which lives in me. In fact, this seems to be the rule, that every single time I want to do good it is something evil that comes to hand. In my inmost self I dearly love God’s Law, but I can see that my body follows a different law that battles against the law which my reason dictates. This is what makes me a prisoner of that law of sin which lives inside my body. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body doomed to death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 118(119):66,68,76-77,93-94
R/ Lord, teach me your statutes.
Teach me discernment and knowledge for I trust in your commands. You are good and your deeds are good; teach me your statutes.
Let your love be ready to console me by your promise to your servant. Let your love come and I shall live for your law is my delight.
I will never forget your precepts for with them you give me life. Save me, for I am yours since I seek your precepts.
Gospel Acclamation : Ps94:8
Alleluia, alleluia! Harden not your hearts today, but listen to the voice of the Lord. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 12:54-59
Jesus said to the crowds: ‘When you see a cloud looming up in the west you say at once that rain is coming, and so it does. And when the wind is from the south you say it will be hot, and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the face of the earth and the sky. How is it you do not know how to interpret these times? ‘Why not judge for yourselves what is right? For example: when you go to court with your opponent, try to settle with him on the way, or he may drag you before the judge and the judge hand you over to the bailiff and the bailiff have you thrown into prison. I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the very last penny.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept this sacrifice from your people, we pray, O Lord, and make what is offered for your glory, in honour of Saint Anthony Mary Claret a means to our eternal salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Ps 32: 18-19
The Good Shepherd has laid down his life for his sheep.
Prayer after Communion
May the Sacrament we have received, O Lord our God, stir up in us that fire of charity with which Saint Anthony Mary Claret burned ardently as he gave himself unceasingly for your Church. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The Galileans are skillful at observing changing weather conditions. They can interpret the weather conditions based on the direction of the wind and read the face of the earth and the sky. Despite their meteorological skils, they still struggle to read signs of the times they are living in. They fail to grasp from what Jesus was saying and doing that God is moving among them in a unique way. Similarly, we may excel in weather forecasting, and horoscope interpretation but remain unaware of the Lord’s presence in our lives. Jesus promised to be with us always until the end of time. The signs of His presence may not always be dramatic, but are undeniably real. Let us pray for a heightened awareness of grace in our lives, seeking a deeper u derstanding of the subtle yet sign ficant manfetations of Jesus’ presence.
by Norbert Doulanni | Oct 22, 2025 | Evangelium
Saint John of Capistrano (1386 – 1456)
Psalter: Week I
Green
He was born in Capistrano in the Abruzzi in 1386. He joined the Friars Minor and was ordained. John preached a crusade against the invading Turks in 1456 and took part in the battles that kept Christian Europe safe from Turkish invasion. He died of the Plague in 1456. He is the patron saint of military chaplains.
Entrance Antiphon : Ps 16: 6, 8
To you I call; for you will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words. Guard me as the apple of your eye; in the shadow of your wings protect me.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, grant that we may always conform our will to yours and serve your majesty in sincerity of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
First reading : Romans 6:19-23
If I may use human terms to help your natural weakness: as once you put your bodies at the service of vice and immorality, so now you must put them at the service of righteousness for your sanctification. When you were slaves of sin, you felt no obligation to righteousness, and what did you get from this? Nothing but experiences that now make you blush, since that sort of behaviour ends in death. Now, however, you have been set free from sin, you have been made slaves of God, and you get a reward leading to your sanctification and ending in eternal life. For the wage paid by sin is death; the present given by God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 1:1-4,6
R/ Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
Happy indeed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked; nor lingers in the way of sinners nor sits in the company of scorners, but whose delight is the law of the Lord and who ponders his law day and night.
He is like a tree that is planted beside the flowing waters, that yields its fruit in due season and whose leaves shall never fade; and all that he does shall prosper.
Not so are the wicked, not so! For they like winnowed chaff shall be driven away by the wind: for the Lord guards the way of the just but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn8:12
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the light of the world, says the Lord; anyone who follows me will have the light of life. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 12:49-53
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were blazing already! There is a baptism I must still receive, and how great is my distress till it is over! ‘Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on a household of five will be divided: three against two and two against three; the father divided against the son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant us, Lord, we pray, a sincere respect for your gifts, that, through the purifying action of your grace, we may be cleansed by the very mysteries we serve. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Ps 32: 18-19
Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, who hope in his merciful love, to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, O Lord, we pray, that, benefiting from participation in heavenly things, we may be helped by what you give in this present age and prepared for the gifts that are eternal. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus comes to bring fire to the earth and wishes it was already ablaze. This proclamation refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit. However, He acknowledges that He cannot send the Holy Spirit until He has endured His passion and death, what He calls a “baptism I must receive.” Aware of the impending suffering, He confesses to feeling great anguish until it is over. His earnest desire is to endure the tribulation so that the fire of the Holy Spirit can begin to burn. This suffering will not be exclusive to Jesus but will be shared by many of his disciples as well. Because of Jesus, some families will face division as members respond differently to the gospel — some welcoming it, while others will reject it. The Lord’s arrival and presence penetrate the depths of our humanity in ways that can cause deep divisions. Despite potential consequences, our vocation is to let the fire that Jesus ignites burn within us. We trust in the Holy Spirit to enkindle in us the fire of his love.
by Norbert Doulanni | Oct 21, 2025 | Evangelium
Saint John Paul II (1920-2005)
Psalter: Week I
Green
He became in 1964, Archbishop of Kraków and took part in the Second Vatican Council. On 16 October 1978 he was elected pope and took the name John Paul II. He is remembered for his exceptional apostolic zeal, particularly for families, young people and the sick. He departed peacefully in the Lord in 2005. He was canonized by Pope Francis on 27 April, the Second Sunday of Easter 2014.
Entrance Antiphon : Ps 16: 6, 8
To you I call; for you will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words. Guard me as the apple of your eye; in the shadow of your wings protect me.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, grant that we may always conform our will to yours and serve your majesty in sincerity of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
First reading : Romans 6:12-18
You must not let sin reign in your mortal bodies or command your obedience to bodily passions, you must not let any part of your body turn into an unholy weapon fighting on the side of sin; you should, instead, offer yourselves to God, and consider yourselves dead men brought back to life; you should make every part of your body into a weapon fighting on the side of God; and then sin will no longer dominate your life, since you are living by grace and not by law. Does the fact that we are living by grace and not by law mean that we are free to sin? Of course not. You know that if you agree to serve and obey a master you become his slaves. You cannot be slaves of sin that leads to death and at the same time slaves of obedience that leads to righteousness. You were once slaves of sin, but thank God you submitted without reservation to the creed you were taught. You may have been freed from the slavery of sin, but only to become ‘slaves’ of righteousness.
Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 123(124)
R/ Our help is in the name of the Lord.
‘If the Lord had not been on our side,’ this is Israel’s song. ‘If the Lord had not been on our side
when men rose up against us, then would they have swallowed us alive when their anger was kindled.
‘Then would the waters have engulfed us, the torrent gone over us; over our head would have swept the raging waters.’ Blessed be the Lord who did not give us a prey to their teeth!
Our life, like a bird, has escaped from the snare of the fowler. Indeed the snare has been broken and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn10:27
Alleluia, alleluia! The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, says the Lord, I know them and they follow me. Alleluia!
Gospel Luke 12:39-48
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’ Peter said, ‘Lord, do you mean this parable for us, or for everyone?’ The Lord replied, ‘What sort of steward, then, is faithful and wise enough for the master to place him over his household to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment. I tell you truly, he will place him over everything he owns. But as for the servant who says to himself, “My master is taking his time coming,” and sets about beating the menservants and the maids, and eating and drinking and getting drunk, his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful. The servant who knows what his master wants, but has not even started to carry out those wishes, will receive very many strokes of the lash. The one who did not know, but deserves to be beaten for what he has done, will receive fewer strokes. When a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant us, Lord, we pray, a sincere respect for your gifts, that, through the purifying action of your grace, we may be cleansed by the very mysteries we serve. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Ps 32: 18-19
Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, who hope in his merciful love, to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, O Lord, we pray, that, benefiting from participation in heavenly things, we may be helped by what you give in this present age and prepared for the gifts that are eternal. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
We may not always appreciate surprises. Often, we prefer to have a clear idea of what to expect and when to expect it. However, life is marked by the unexpected, a theme central to today’s gospel. It compares the sudden arrival of a burglar in the night to the unexpected return of the master that catches his lazy servant off guard. Jesus invites us to be prepared at all times, for the Son of Man will arrive when least expected. While this could refer to the unpredictable nature of death, as it can come suddenly and unexpectedly, it also shows the various ways Jesus comes into our lives throughout our earthly journey. God can manifest Himself through unexpected people, whom we might not consider as worthy messengers of grace. His word may resonate with us in ways we have not heard before. The gospel encourages us to embrace the unexpected. As Isaiah says, God’s ways are not our ways. What is important is to be open and receptive to his grace at all times.
