23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) - 4 September
4th September 2022
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) - 4 September
“Jesus does not want us to be attached to possessions, to human honours, to creatures. He asks humility. But His love and His generosity make this detachment less difficult and less cruel to our nature. Nothing else matters to me anymore, nothing has any value for me but Jesus, no place, no thing, no person, no idea, no feeling, no honour, no suffering, nothing that can turn me away from Jesus. For me, Jesus Himself is my honour, my delight, my heart, my spirit, He whom I love, what I love, my home, Heaven here on earth. Jesus is my treasure and my love, and Jesus crucified is my only happiness." - St Bernadette Soubirous
A reflection on today's readings by the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J Sheen:
"Religion is not an individual affair! A man can no more have an individual religion than he can have an individual government or an individual astronomy or mathematics. Religion is social - so social that it is not limited to the criminal class, nor to any class, race, nation, or colour.
"There is no Messianic race, no Messianic class, no Messianic colour. Our Lord died for all men, and thus set up a new series of relationships with God. And from out of this new set of relationships, slum clearance and social justice and all the rest follow – but not otherwise.
"Hence, Our Blessed Lord said nothing about slavery because He knew that slavery would never be eradicated until men saw themselves related to one another on the basis of equality as children of God.
"The classic example of the effect of the new relationship was the slave Onesimus, who ran away from his master, Philemon. The slave came to Paul, who made him a Christian. Paul then asked the slave to return to Philemon bearing a note in which Onesimus is called ‘my own son whom I have begotten in my bands…Receive him as my own…not now as a servant…but a most dear brother especially to me, but how much more to thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord.’ He was no longer a slave because he was a Christian.
"‘There is neither Jew nor Greek’ (that means, no race or political distinction); ‘there is neither bond nor free’ (no economic distinction); ‘there is neither male nor female’ (no sex distinction); ‘for you are all one in Jesus Christ.’" (The Cries of Jesus from the Cross)
"[During Mass] the separate consecration of the bread and wine is a symbolic representation of the separation of body and blood, and since the Crucifixion entailed that very mystery, Calvary is thus renewed on our altar. But Christ, as has been said, is not alone on our altar; we are with Him.
Hence, the words of consecration have a double sense; their primary signification is: ‘This is the Body of Christ; this is the Blood of Christ’; but their secondary signification is: ‘This is my body; this is my blood.’
"Some such sentiment as the following we should have in our heart at the moment of consecration: ‘I give myself to God. Here is my body. Take it. Here is my blood. Take it. Here is my soul, my will, my energy, my strength, my property, my wealth - all that I have. It is Thine. Take it! Consecrate it! Offer it!
"‘Offer it with Thyself to the heavenly Father in order that He, looking down on this great sacrifice, may see only Thee, His Beloved Son, in whom He is well pleased.
"‘Transmute the poor bread of my life into Thy divine life; thrill the wine of my wasted life into Thy divine Spirit; unite my broken heart with Thy Heart; change my cross into a crucifix. Let not my abandonment go to waste.
"‘Gather up the fragments, and as the drop of water is absorbed in wine, let my little cross be entwined with Thy great Cross so that I may purchase the joys of everlasting happiness in union with Thee.
"‘Consecrate these trials of my life, which would go unrewarded unless united with Thee; transubstantiate me so that like bread that is now Thy Body, and wine that is now Thy Blood, I, too, may be wholly Thine.
"‘I care not if the species remain, or that, like the bread and the wine, I seem to all earthly eyes the same as before.
"‘My station in life, my routine duties, my work, my family - all these are but the species of my life, which may remain unchanged; but the substance of my life, my soul, my mind, my will, my heart, transubstantiate, transform them wholly into Thy service, so that through me all may know how sweet is the love of Christ. Amen.’" (Fulton Sheen’s Wartime Prayer Book)
Prayer of St Thomas Aquinas
Sweetest Jesus, Body and Blood most holy, be the delight and pleasure of my soul, my strength and salvation in all temptations, my joy and peace in every trial, my light and guide in every word and deed, and my final protection in death. Amen. 💖🙏💐
The Prayer of Jesus (The Unity Prayer) by Elizabeth Kindelmann, T.OCarm
My adorable Jesus,
May our feet journey together.
May our hands gather in unity.
May our hearts beat in unison.
May our souls be in harmony.
May our thoughts be as one.
May our ears listen to the silence together.
May our glances profoundly penetrate each other.
May our lips pray together to gain mercy from the Eternal Father. Amen. 🙏💖💐
This Sunday we also wish all the fathers a very happy Father's Day. May God bless you all.
Prayer for Fathers
Heavenly Father, You entrusted Your Son Jesus, the child of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to the care of Joseph, an earthly father. Bless all fathers as they care for their families. Give them strength and wisdom, tenderness and patience; support them in the work they have to do, protecting those who look to them, as we look to You for love and salvation. We ask this through Jesus Christ our rock and defender. Amen. 🙏💖💐