Author name: sanjose

Revelation 1:8

Verse:

“ ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” - Revelation 1:8

Prayer For Admiration

Loving Father, Creator God, thank you for all you have given us. Thank you for your creation. Thank you for being there for me. Thank you for being truthful and dependable. Thank you for providing a way through your Son, Jesus, so I can have eternal worship with you in heaven.

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Saint Vincent de Paul

The deathbed confession of a dying servant opened Vincent de Paul’s eyes to the crying spiritual needs of the peasantry of France. This seems to have been a crucial moment in the life of the man from a small farm in Gascony, France, who had become a priest with little more ambition than to have a comfortable life. Vincent established confraternities of charity for the spiritual and physical relief of the poor and sick of each parish. From these, with the help of Saint Louise de Marillac, came the Daughters of Charity, “whose convent is the sickroom, whose chapel is the parish church, whose cloister is the streets of the city.” He organized the rich women of Paris to collect funds for his missionary projects, founded several hospitals, collected relief funds for the victims of war, and ransomed over 1,200 galley slaves from North Africa. Pope Leo XIII made him the patron of all charitable societies. Outstanding among these, of course, is the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, founded in 1833 by his admirer Blessed Frédéric Ozanam.

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Jeremiah 29:12

Verse:

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you” - Jeremiah 29:12

Prayer To Seek God

Instil in my heart a desire to seek You more and search for You with my whole heart, and I pray that I will discover a depth of Your perfect character that I have never seen before. Let me reflect You in thought, word, and deed, as Christ is being formed in me. In His name I pray, Amen.

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Saints Cosmas & Damian

Sts. Cosmas and Damian were brothers, born in Arabia, who had become eminent for their skill in the science of medicine. Being Christians, they were filled with the spirit of charity and never took money for their services. At Egaea in Cilicia, where they lived, they enjoyed the highest esteem of the people.

When the persecution under Diocletian broke out, their very prominence rendered them marked objects of persecution. Being apprehended by order of Lysias, governor of Cilicia, they underwent various torments about the year 283. Their feast day is September 26th. They are patron saints of pharmacists.

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26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Amos 6:1a,4-7

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Amos

 

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.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10

Response– Praise the Lord, my soul!

Blessed is he who keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
Response– Praise the Lord, my soul!

The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
Response– Praise the Lord, my soul!

The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
Response– Praise the Lord, my soul!

Second Reading: 1 Tm 6:11-16

A reading from the First Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy

 

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.

 

Alleluia: 2 Cor 8:9

 

Alleluia, alleluia.Though our Lord Jesus Christ was rich, he became poor,
so that by his poverty you might become rich. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel: Luke 16: 19-31

 

 

 

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 Readings and Gospel were sourced from:

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Psalm 115:1

Verse:

“Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” - Psalm 115:1

Prayer To Glimpse God’s Glory

Lord, allow me to enter that sacred fellowship with You. Give me a “glimpse, however fleeting,” of Your glory. I’m willing to never be the same again, and I want to be permeated with that sweet fragrance that comes from being in Your Presence. Amen.

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Saint Albert of Jerusalem

Patriarch of Jerusalem and patron of the Carmelite Order. He was an outstanding ecclesiastical figure in the era in which the Holy See faced opposition from Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. Serving as a mediator in the dispute between the emperor and Pope Clement III, Albert was made an imperial prince, a sign of favor from Barbarossa. Albert was born in Parma, Italy, about 1149, probably to a noble family. He became a canon at the Holy Cross Abbey in Mortoba. In 1184 he was appointed as the bishop of Bobbio, Italy, and soon after he was named to the see of Vercelli. It was during this period of service as the bishop of Vereelli that he served as mediator between the pope and emperor. He was called to the general council of the Lateran in 1215 but was assassinated before leaving Palestine. A madman that he had discharged from a local hospital stabbed him during the procession on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

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Matthew 26:41

Verse:

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” - Matthew 26:41

Prayer Against Temptation

By Your grace, Father, empower me to reject sin. Fill me with Your Spirit and remind me that I am a new creation in Christ. Although I once walked in sin and darkness, by the salvation I now possess, I no longer am bound to walk in those former ways. To You, who gives the power to be witnesses in our lives, and by Your Son’s name, I pray. Amen.

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Feast of Our Lady of Ransom

The Mercedarians in Barcelona once commemorated this apparition on the first Sunday after September 24. Our Lady of Ransom is the principal Patroness of Barcelona. In 1696, the feast of Our Lady of Ransom was placed on the calendar for the entire Latin Church at September 24. The name for the Marian commemoration on September 24 was changed to ‘Our Lady of Mercy’ after Vatican II.

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Psalm 138:8

Verse:

“The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever– do not abandon the works of your hands.” - Psalm 138:8

Prayer To Follow God’s Ways

Gracious Heavenly Father, your word says that you will always guide me. You do not leave me wandering through life, but you are with me during every moment of every day. You will satisfy my needs when I feel frustrated and you will strengthen me when life makes me weary. Help me to follow your ways as you lead me into a life of fruitfulness and joy. May I be like the well-watered garden which thrives because the roots are firmly planted in your love. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

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