22nd Week of the Year (a)

This Week’s Liturgy Calendar.

 Ordinary Season of the Year. (a)

Weekdays – Year 2

Sunday 31^st August:     Twenty-Second Sunday of the Year. (a)

In the first reading, Jeremiah describes the difficulties preaching the word brought to him. He was mocked and ridiculed. His faith in God and his word gave him strength to carry on.

Paul talks of his belief that we must offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. He stresses that we should not follow the crowd and its ideologies but follow the teaching of Jesus.

Jesus himself warns of the suffering discipleship will demand if we are true disciples. He foretells his own suffering and death and stresses his disciples will need to follow his example.

Monday 1^st September:        Monday of the 22^nd week of the year.

We have moved on to another of Paul’s letters, this time to the Corinthians. It is a response to a letter he had received from some Christians there asking for guidance especially against the false doctrine which was being peddled in the city. It comes from a section on faith and he reminds the Corinthians that they can never know God if they depend on human reasoning alone. The follower of Christ has to have the mind of Christ.

The Gospel also changes to St. Luke until the end of the year. We begin with the section near the beginning of Jesus public life. He reflects on the lack of faith in his own town and how this saddens him.

Tuesday 2^nd September :        Tuesday of the 22^nd week of the year.

St. Paul continues his reflection on the need for faith and how it must depend on the power of God and not human philosophy. They must be spiritual people.

Following on Jesus reflections on his sadness at the lack of faith in his own neighbourhood but he then talks about how amazed he is at what he finds when he moves away. The people listen and are drawn to his teaching

Wednesday 3^rd September:   Memorial of St. Gregory the Great.

          Gregory was born in 540 and came from an educated family in Rome. He lived in the sixth century and died in 604. Rome was under attack by barbarians. There were plagues and earthquakes. When his father died, Gregory distributed his estate among the poor of Rome and turned the family home into a monastery. He became a deacon, serving the Pope and became his emissary. When he became Pope he made sure everyone was treated with Justice. He took as one of his titles ‘the servant of the servants of God.’ Gregorian chant dates back to him, as does the calendar we use today. He is regarded as the Apostle of the English and sent St. Augustine of Canterbury to England to bring about its conversion.

Thursday 4^th September:       Feast of St. Cuthbert.

          Today is the Feast of St. Cuthbert, the patron saint of our parish. He was born in 635 and entered the monastery in Melrose when he was 17. He became known as a preacher and teacher and travelled around the borders and northeast England. He settled in Lindisfarne (Holy Island) but spent time on Inner Farne, living as a hermit. He became Bishop if Hexham but was unhappy in this role and returned to Lindisfarne where he died. Initially he was buried there but because of the fear of his grave being vandalised, the monks moved his body. His final resting place is Durham cathedral.

Friday 5^th September:            Friday of the 22^nd week of the year.

          St Paul continues to try and encourage and inspire the Corinthians in their faith and in witnessing to Christ. He reminds them that they are entrusted, as stewards, with the mysteries of God to be passed on through what they say and what they do. He prays that they will be found worthy of that trust.

The Pharisees and the Scribes continue their campaign to trap Jesus and bring him down. Jesus is aware of their scheming and challenges them by drawing the parallel between what is old and what is new and how they can be mixed or not.

Saturday 6^th September :       Saturday of 22^nd week of the year.

Paul again critics the Corinthians for abandoning the teachings he had passed on to them. He reminds them to be wary of the false prophets. They are to be fools for Christ. This may bring hardship.

In the Gospel Jesus continues his attack on the Pharisees who were abusing the Law and the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for people, not the other way round.

In this week of the Feast of St. Cuthbert (4^th September)

Let us ask God’s blessing on the people of our Parish that they continue to grow in love of God and each other.

Let us also remember the priests and people of the Parish who served the parish so faithfully and have died and gone to their eternal reward.

May they rest in peace.

St. Cuthbert, pray for us and them.