26th Sunday of the Year (c)
This Week’s Liturgy Calendar.
Ordinary Season of the Year. (c)
Weekdays – Year 1
Sunday 29th September: 26th Sunday of the Year. (c)
The first reading today is again from the Prophet Amos who is sometimes referred to as the Prophet of Social Justice. He gives a very stark and blunt warning to those who are complacent and who pamper themselves at the expense of others.
The second reading is from the first Letter of St. Paul to Timothy. It is a call to those who love God to be loving and generous.
The Gospel passage, from St. Luke, presents the parable of the rich man and the beggar. It is there to highlight and warn against indifference towards those who are in need.
Monday 30th September: Memorial of St. Jerome
St. Jerome was born in 342 and died in 420. He devoted his life to translating and explaining the Scriptures. One of his best known sayings is that ‘to be ignorant of the Scriptures is to be ignorant of Christ.’ His greatest work was the translation of the Scriptures into Latin.
Tuesday 1st October: Memorial of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus.
Teresa was born in Alençon in France in 1873. She entered the convent in Lisieux when she was only fifteen years of age. From then until her death at the age of twenty-four she lived a very ordinary religious life. No miracles or great mystical experiences are recorded of her but in such a short space of time she attained a high degree of holiness, based on her faithfulness to her duties. She was always at the service of others. Her writings are full of great spiritual insights. She prayed especially for priests, the Church and the conversion of all people to Christ. Her way of living the Christian life is often referred to as ‘the little way.’ She is patron saint of the missions.
Wednesday 2nd October: Memorial of the Guardian Angels.
Like the Feast of the Archangels which would normally be celebrated on 29th September but is suppressed since this year that falls on a Sunday, this feast of the Guardian Angels is a reminder of God’s care for us. He is always looking after us. Traditionally we believe that each one of us has a guardian angel watching over us. This feast dates back to the Middle Ages and was first celebrated in Portugal.
Thursday 3rd October: Thursday of 26th week of the year.
Due to the Feast Days at the start of the week we missed the beginning of Book of Nehemiah. He was a taster for the Persian King. He had to taste the wine to make sure it was not poisoned. He used this position of trust to beg the King to allow him to return to Jerusalem and help rebuild it. The King agreed to his request and so he returns and immerses himself in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem as well as the community. He becomes the governor of Jerusalem and sets about rebuilding the walls of the city. Ezra proclaims the Law and a great feast takes place.
The numbers of people following Jesus had grown quite considerably. He had sent out the apostles and now he challenges the disciples about their commitment to him.
Friday 4th October: Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi.
Francis was born in 1181. He lived a very lavish life until he was about twenty. He was captured by soldiers from a neighbouring city and held prisoner for over a year. He then took on the Christian life despite severe opposition from his father. In 1208, while praying in the church of the Portiuncula, he felt called personally by God to leave all things and follow him. He put on the garment, which we now know as the Franciscan habit. Others joined him and so the Franciscan Order came into being, living vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. In 1224, Francis received the stigmata. He is also credited with building the first crib to help the people understand the story of the birth of Jesus. He was a man of generosity, simplicity and devotion to God. He died in 1226.
Saturday 5th October: Saturday of 26th week of the year.
We jump around again in chronological terms and hear a prayer from the Priophet Baruch. He seems to have been a contemporsry of Jeremiah and lived at the beginning of the exile into Babylon. He reminds the people of Israel that they are in exile because they rurned away from the God of Israel and offered sacrifices to false gods. However God would not neglect them forever. They have to seek forgiveness and repentance from him so that he will save them.
The disciples return from their first mission on their own and report on how they had been received. And how their efforts had worked out.
Lord,
Send us out into our world
To help bear one another’s crosses
And to share one another’s joys
So that we may not simply admire your Son
For having born his cross, suffered and died for us,
But follow him on the road that leads to life and glory
We ask this
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
