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Saturday, September 24th, 2016, 7:00 AM
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"
In Deo Speramus
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(In God We Hope)
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Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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"Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his
finger in water and cool my tongue."
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Oremus pro invicem
(Let us pray for one another)
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And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man's table.
Oh Lord,
help us
to
look
for Lazarus
in our daily lives.
Don't let us step over him
or look the other way
in our busyness.
Stop us from rolling up
the window when they ask for money.
Rouse us to actions that change those habits
that leave your friends lying somewhere
eaten up by sores
and hunger.
Point out to us what needs fixing,
and move us with your love
to help mend the
things we
can.
Amen
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First Reading
Thus says the LORD the God of hosts:
Woe to the complacent in Zion!
Lying upon beds of ivory,
stretched comfortably on their couches,
they eat lambs taken from the flock,
and calves from the stall!
Improvising to the music of the harp,
like David, they devise their own accompaniment.
They drink wine from bowls
and anoint themselves with the best oils;
yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph!
Therefore, now they shall be the first to go into exile,
and their wanton revelry shall be done away with.
The Word of the Lord
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Discussion Questions
1.
Do wealth and self-indulgence always go together? How are they related to your ability to respond to the needs of others?
2. The people in this reading are complacent and comfortable. Would you choose them to be your best friends? Why? What is the missing thing in a person's life, if all possible time and effort is consumed with caring for his or her own needs and desires? With such people at one end of the spectrum and Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta at the other, where do you fall?
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Second Reading
But you, man of God, pursue righteousness,
devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.
Compete well for the faith.
Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called
when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.
I charge you before God, who gives life to all things,
and before Christ Jesus,
who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession,
to keep the commandment without stain or reproach
until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ
that the blessed and only ruler
will make manifest at the proper time,
the King of kings and Lord of lords,
who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,
and whom no human being has seen or can see.
To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.
The Word of the Lord
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Discussion Questions
1. Paul was appointed preacher and apostle to take the Good News to the Gentiles. How can you take Christ's message beyond the sphere of the Church?
2. Paul asks prayers for kings and authority. Do you think the Church today should address political, economic and social problems, or just stick to "religion"? Do you address these issues?
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Alleluia
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Cf. 2 Cor 8:9
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Though our Lord Jesus Christ was rich, he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.
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Alleluia, alleluia
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Gospel
Jesus said to the Pharisees:
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man's table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.'
Abraham replied,
'My child, remember that you received
what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go
from our side to yours or from your side to ours.'
He said, 'Then I beg you, father,
send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers,
so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.'
But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.'
He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'"
The Gospel of the Lord
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Discussion Questions
1. Where would you find Lazarus today? What would s/he look like? Do you recognize and care for him/her as God's beloved child, or do you try to get to the other side of the street when you see him/her coming?
2. Pope Francis says that "vast wealth and resources are in the hands of few." If it's not in your capability to change that unjust situation, what smaller things can you do to answer the "cry of the poor"?
This scene reminds us of the harsh words of the Son of man during the final last judgment: "I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was [...] naked and you did not clothe me" (
Mt 25: 42).
Lazarus represents the silent cry of the poor of all times and the contradictions of a world where vast wealth and resources are in the hands of few. ...
(Pope Francis concluded saying that) the Word of God can revive a withered heart and heal it of blindness, and that God's saving message overturns the situations of this world by the triumph of His justice and mercy
General Audience, May 18, 2016
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| For what are we born if not to aid one another? Ernest Hemingway "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then we'll have peace." By: Jimi Hendrix "My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right." Abraham Lincoln If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is brought to perfection in us.
1 John 4:12
Deus fit homo ut homo fieret Deus God became human so that humans might become God (Catholicism, Page 2 by Fr. Robert Barron) "The Glory of God is a human being fully alive." Meyers, Robin R. (2009-02-19). Saving Jesus from the Church: How to Stop Worshiping Christ and Start Following Jesus (Kindle Location 639). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
God "dwells in us."
God's love is not meant for us alone;
we must give it away.
Do small things today and for many tomorrows,
with a generous heart.
Give God Away Today!
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Help us then, Lord,
to be so united with the paschal mystery of Jesus,
that through Him the world can become a better place to dwell.
You promise us much for this life
and for our eternal presence with You;
may we live into that promise
each day.
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An interesting thought:
The birth of St. John is celebrated on June 24th, in the moment of the summer solstice. From that point onward, daylight begins to reduce. On the other hand, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated on December 25th, during the winter solstice. From that point onward, daylight begins to grow, to get longer.
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