September 1
Monday

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: 1 Cor 2:1-5

When I came to reveal to you the mystery of God's plan I did not count on eloquence or on a show of learning. I was determined not to know anything among you but Jesus, the Messiah, and a crucified Messiah. I myself came weak, fearful and trembling; my words and preaching were not brilliant or clever to win listeners. It was, rather, a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might be a matter, not of human wisdom, but of God's power.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 119:97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102
Lord, I love your commands.

Gospel Reading: Lk 4:16-30

When Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Jesus then unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed and announce the Lord's year of mercy."
Jesus then rolled up the scroll, gave it to the attendant and sat down, while the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he said to them, "Today these prophetic words come true even as you listen."
All agreed with him and were lost in wonder, while he kept on speaking of the grace of God. Nevertheless they asked, "Who is this but Joseph's son?" So he said, "Doubtless you will quote me the saying: Doctor, heal yourself! Do here in your town what they say you did in Capernaum."
Jesus added, "No prophet is honored in his own country. Truly, I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens withheld rain for three years and six months and a great famine came over the whole land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow of Zarephath, in the country of Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha, the prophet, and no one was healed except Naaman, the Syrian."
On hearing these words, the whole assembly became indignant. They rose up and brought him out of the town, to the edge of the hill on which Nazareth is built, intending to throw him down the cliff. But he passed through their midst and went his way.

Commentary
Today we begin our reading of the Gospel of St. Luke, a gospel that was written with a gentile audience in mind. This passage shows Jesus being rejected by His own village, a foreshadowing of the lack of acceptance that He would find among His own people.
Though rejected by His own, the Lord would find acceptance throughout foreign lands, His Word extending even to the ends of the earth. As we read through St. Luke's Gospel, may our hearts be open to the Lord, and may we reject nothing of what He has to say to us.

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September 2
Tuesday

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: 1 Cor 2:10-16

God has revealed it to us, through his Spirit, because the Spirit probes everything, even the depth of God.
Who but his own spirit knows the secrets of a person? Similarly, no one but the Spirit of God knows the secrets of God. We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God and, through him, we understand what God in his goodness has given us.
So we speak of this, not in terms inspired by human wisdom, but in a language taught by the Spirit, explaining a spiritual wisdom to spiritual persons. The one who remains on the psychological level does not understand the things of the Spirit. They are foolishness for him and he does not understand because they require a spiritual experience. On the other hand, the spiritual person judges everything but no one judges him. Who has known the mind of God so as to teach him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13ab, 13cd-14
The Lord is just in all his ways.

Gospel Reading: Lk 4:31-37

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and began teaching the people at the Sabbath meetings. They were astonished at the way he taught them, for his word was spoken with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man possessed by an evil spirit who shouted in a loud voice, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I recognize you: you are the Holy One of God." Then Jesus said to him sharply, "Be silent and leave this man!" The evil spirit then threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him harm.
Amazement seized all these people and they said to one another, "What does this mean? He commands the evil spirits with authority and power. He orders, and you see how they come out!" And news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding area.

Commentary
Capernaum was a city built near the Sea of Galilee along trade route that was much trafficked by merchants and travelers from various countries. On a daily basis there would have been a cacophony of languages and a colorful mosaic of customs and dress from foreign lands.
What a perfect setting for Jesus to preach the message of hope to the nations! Because of His power to change lives the evil spirits would rail against the Lord Jesus and His message, yet compared with His their power is terribly insignificant. Nothing can stop the spread of the Gospel. His Word is irrepressible.

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September 3
Wednesday

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gregory the Great

First Reading: 1 Cor 3:1-9

I could not, friends, speak to you as spiritual persons but as fleshly people, for you are still infants in Christ. I gave you milk and not solid food, for you were not ready for it and up to now you cannot receive it for you are still of the flesh. As long as there is jealousy and strife, what can I say but that you are at the level of the flesh and behave like ordinary people.
While one says: "I follow Paul," and the other: "I follow Apollos," what are you but people still at a human level?
For what is Apollos? What is Paul? They are ministers and through them you believed, as it was given by the Lord to each of them. I planted, Apollos watered the plant, but God made it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who makes the plant grow.
The one who plants and the one who waters work to the same end, and the Lord will pay each according to their work. We are fellow-workers with God, but you are God's field and building.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 33:12-13, 14-15, 20-21
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Gospel Reading: Lk 4:38-44

Leaving the synagogue, Jesus went to the house of Simon. His mother-in-law was suffering from high fever and they asked him to do something for her. Bending over her, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and waited on them.
At sunset, people suffering from many kinds of sickness were brought to Jesus. Laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Demons were driven out, howling as they departed from their victims, "You are the Son of God!" He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, for they knew he was the Messiah.
Jesus left at daybreak and looked for a solitary place. People went out in search of him and, finding him, they tried to dissuade him from leaving. But he said, "I have to go to other towns to announce the good news of the kingdom of God. That is what I was sent to do." So Jesus continued to preach in the synagogues of the Jewish country.

Commentary
Jesus drew strength for His earthly mission by seeking the solitude that would allow Him to experience times of deep communion with His heavenly Father. His human nature would cause Him to experience fatigue as the crowds constantly sought His healing presence. His strength would be renewed and His focus sharpened by His experiences of solitude and prayer.
We need solitude and prayer much more than did the Lord. May we find time for quiet prayer every day so that we might know the Father's will for us, and so that we might find the strength that only He can give.

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September 4
Thursday

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: 1 Cor 3:18-23

Do not deceive yourselves. If anyone of you considers himself wise in the ways of the world, let him become a fool, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's eyes. To this, Scripture says: God catches the wise in their own wisdom. It also says: The Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that it is useless.
Because of this, let no one become an admirer of humans, for everything belongs to you, Paul, Apollos, Cephas-life, death, the present and the future. Everything is yours, and you, you belong to Christ, and Christ is of God.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.

Gospel Reading: Lk 5:1-11

One day, as Jesus stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, with a crowd gathered around him listening to the word of God, he caught sight of two boats left at the water's edge by the fishermen now washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to pull out a little from the shore. There he sat and continued to teach the crowd.
When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon replied, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I will lower the nets." This they did and caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. They signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats almost to the point of sinking.
Upon seeing this, Simon Peter fell at Jesus' knees, saying, "Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" For he and his companions were amazed at the catch they had made and so were Simon's partners, James and John, Zebedee's sons.
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. You will catch people from now on." So they brought their boats to land and followed him, leaving everything.

Commentary
Simon's nets reached their limit that day, and he knew that he was in the presence of a man much greater and much holier than he. What started that day as offering the Lord a simple ride in his boat would lead to a life-changing relationship that would, in turn, change the world.
Being with Jesus brings changes within us that are lasting and profound, personal changes that have the power to make a tremendous difference in the world. The Lord chooses to work through us for the upbuilding of the Kingdom. Like Peter, may we be wise enough to allow Him into our lives.

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September 5
Friday

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: 1 Cor 4:1-5

Let everyone see us as the servants of Christ and stewards of the secret works of God. Being stewards, faithfulness shall be demanded of us; but I do not mind if you or any human court judges me. I do not even judge myself; my conscience indeed does not accuse me of anything, but that is not enough for me to be set right with God: the Lord is the one who judges me.
Therefore, do not judge before the time, until the coming of the Lord. He will bring to light whatever was hidden in darkness and will disclose the secret intentions of the hearts. Then each one will receive praise from God.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 37:3-4, 5-6, 27-28, 39-40
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Gospel Reading: Lk 5:33-39

The scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus, "The disciples of John fast often and say long prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why is it that your disciples eat and drink?" Then Jesus said to them, "You can't make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them. But later the bridegroom will be taken from them and they will fast in those days."
Jesus also told them this parable, "No one tears a piece from a new coat to put it on an old one; otherwise the new will be torn and the piece taken from the new will not match the old. No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed as well. But new wine must be put into fresh skins. Yet no one who has tasted old wine is eager to get new wine, but says: The old is good."

Commentary
New wine requires new wineskins, and the Good News of Jesus requires a new heart. To be born again into the kingdom of God means being refashioned in the image of Christ. In this way we are rendered capable of receiving and keeping the Word of God.
St. Augustine said of the Gospel, "Ever ancient, ever new." May we keep close to our heart the timeless treasure that is the Word of God, and ever rejoice that whenever the Gospel is preached, it is preached for the very first time. One cannot exhaust the riches of the Gospel!

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September 6
Saturday

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: 1 Cor 4:6-15

Brothers and sisters, you forced me to apply these comparisons to Apollos and to myself. Learn by this example not to believe yourselves superior by siding with one against the other. How then are you more than the others? What have you that you have not received? And if you received it, why are you proud, as if you did not receive it?
So, then, you are already rich and satisfied, and feel like kings without us! I wish you really were kings, so that we might enjoy the kingship with you!
It seems to me that God has placed us, the apostles, in the last place, as if condemned to death, and as spectacles for the whole world, for the angels as well as for mortals.
We are fools for Christ, while you show forth the wisdom of Christ. We are weak, you are strong. You are honored, while we are despised. Until now we hunger and thirst, we are poorly clothed and badly treated, while moving from place to place. We labor, working with our hands. People insult us and we bless them, they persecute us and we endure everything; they speak evil against us, and ours are works of peace. We have become like the scum of the earth, like the garbage of humankind until now.
I do not write this to shame you, but to warn you as very dear children. Because even though you may have ten thousand guardians in the Christian life, you have only one father; and it was I who gave you life in Christ through the Gospel.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 145:17-18, 19-20, 21
The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

Gospel Reading: Lk 6:1-5

One Sabbath, Jesus was going through the corn fields and his disciples began to pick heads of grain crushing them in their hands for food. Some of the Pharisees asked them, "Why do you do what is forbidden on the sabbath?" Then Jesus spoke, "Have you never read what David did when he and his men were hungry? He entered the house of God, took and ate the bread of the offering and even gave some to his men, though only priests are allowed to eat that bread." And Jesus added, "The Son of Man is Lord and rules over the sabbath."

Commentary
On the seventh day God rested, and He asks us to do the same. Refraining from servile work and dedicating Sunday to the Lord is our way of showing gratitude to God for all of the blessings He has given to us. One day of the week lays fallow so that the other six might bear great fruit, all at the service of the Lord.
As important as the Sabbath day might be, the Lord rules over it. The Lord is more pleased by our actions of mercy, charity and justice on Sunday than by fastidious attention to legalities.

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September 7
Sunday

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Ezk 33:1, 7-9

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: For your part, son of man, I have set you as a watchman for Israel, and when you hear my word, you must give them my warning. When I say to the wicked: 'Wicked man, you shall die for sure,' if you do not warn the wicked man to turn from his ways, he will die because of his sin, but I will also call you to account for his blood. If you warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you yourself will be saved.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Second Reading: Rom 13:8-10

Brothers and sisters, do not be in debt to anyone. Let this be the only debt of one to another: Love. The one who loves his or her neighbor fulfilled the Law. For the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not covet and whatever else are summarized in this one: You will love your neighbor as yourself. Love cannot do the neighbor any harm; so love fulfills the whole Law.

Gospel Reading: Mt 18:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples, "If your brother or sister has sinned against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are in private, and if he listens to you, you have won your brother. If you are not listened to, take with you one or two others so that the case may be decided by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he still refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembled Church. But if he does not listen to the Church, then regard such a one as a pagan or a publican.
"I say to you: whatever you bind on earth, heaven will keep bound; and whatever you unbind on earth, heaven will keep unbound.
"In like manner, I say to you: if on earth two of you are united in asking for anything, it will be granted to you by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered in my Name, I am there among them."

Commentary
The Lord promises His presence wherever two or three are gathered in His name. There is great power in this promise, for it affirms the truth that we are called to follow Jesus not in isolation from one another but in solidarity. The bonds that hold believers together in the Body of Christ are substantial and profound, and have eternal consequences.
The Church is the Lord's gift to us, the very embodiment of His presence in our world today. May we always treasure our communion within the Body of Christ.

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September 8
Monday

Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary

First Reading: Mic 5:1-4

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, so small that you are hardly named among the clans of Judah, from you shall I raise the one who is to rule over Israel. For he comes forth from of old, from the ancient times.
Yahweh, therefore, will abandon Israel until such time as she who is to give birth has given birth. Then the rest of his deported brothers will return to the people of Israel.
He will stand and shepherd his flock with the strength of Yahweh, in the glorious Name of Yahweh, his God. They will live safely while he wins renown to the ends of the earth. He shall be peace.
When the Assyrian invades our land
and sets foot on our territory,
we will raise against him
not one but seven shepherds,
eight warlords.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 13:6ab, 6c
With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Gospel Reading: Mt 1:1-16, 18-23

This is the account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham.
Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar), Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron of Aram. Aram was the father of Aminadab, Aminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon.
Salmon was the father of Boaz. His mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed. His mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse.
Jesse was the father of David, the king. David was the father of Solomon. His mother had been Uriah's wife.
Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Then came the kings: Abijah, Asaph, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah.
Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
After the deportation to Babylon Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel and Salathiel of Zerubbabel.
Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud, Abiud of Eliakim, and Eliakim of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, and Akim the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar of Matthan, and Matthan of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus who is called the Christ-the Messiah.
This is how Jesus Christ was born. Mary his mother had been given to Joseph in marriage but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her.
While he was pondering over this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a son. You shall call him 'Jesus' for he will save his people from their sins."
All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel, which means: God-with-us.

Commentary
The liturgical year marks the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a reminder of God's plan for the salvation of the human race. By sending the prophets of old and by guiding and directing the course of the history of the people of Israel, God's plan would unfold according to His wisdom and love.
The child whose birth we celebrate today will mature and develop into the young virgin who would bring the Lord Jesus into the world to be our savior. May we continue to grow and develop in faith, so that we, too, might bring the presence of the Lord to others.

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September 9
Tuesday

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Peter Claver

First Reading: 1 Cor 6:1-11

When you have a complaint against a brother, how dare you bring it before pagan judges instead of bringing it before God's people? Do you not know that you shall one day judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you incapable of judging such simple problems?
Do you not know that we will even judge the angels? And could you not decide every day affairs? But when you have ordinary cases to be judged, you bring them before those who are of no account in the Church! Shame on you! Is there not even one among you wise enough to be the arbiter among believers?
But no. One of you brings a suit against another one, and files that suit before unbelievers. It is already a failure that you have suits against each other. Why do you not rather suffer wrong and receive some damage? But no. You wrong and injure others, and those are your brothers and sisters. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the Kingdom of God?
Make no mistake about it: those who lead sexually immoral lives, or worship idols, or who are adulterers, perverts, sodomites, or thieves, exploiters, drunkards, gossips or embezzlers will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Some of you were like that, but you have been cleansed and consecrated to God and have been set right with God by the Name of the Lord Jesus and the Spirit of our God.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
The Lord takes delight in his people.

Gospel Reading: Lk 6:12-19

Jesus went out into the hills to pray, spending the whole night in prayer with God. When day came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them whom he called apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James son of Alpheus and Simon called the Zealot; Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who would be the traitor.
Coming down the hill with them, Jesus stood on a level place. Many of his disciples were there and a large crowd of people who had come from all parts of Judea and Jerusalem and from the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon. They gathered to hear him and be healed of their diseases; likewise people troubled by evil spirits were healed. All the crowd tried to touch him because of the power which went out from him and healed them all.

Commentary
The careful reader will notice that the apostles are listed in pairs. The apostles do not stand in isolation, but in solidarity with one another. They will be sent out into the world in pairs to proclaim the Kingdom and establish the Church.
We live out our faith in communion with the Church. Often we find that we can do so much more to serve the Lord when we have a partner or are part of a group. "Many hands make light work," both in the secular world and in the building up of the Kingdom of God.

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September 10
Wednesday

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: 1 Cor 7:25-31

With regard to those who remain virgins, I have no special commandment from the Lord, but I give some advice, hoping that I am worthy of trust by the mercy of the Lord.
I think this is good in these hard times in which we live. It is good for someone to remain as he is. If you are married, do not try to divorce your wife; if you are not married, do not marry. He who marries does not sin, nor does the young girl sin who marries. Yet they will face disturbing experiences, and I would like to spare you.
I say this, brothers and sisters: time is running out, and those who are married must live as if not married; those who weep as if not weeping; those who are happy as if they were not happy; those buying something as if they had not bought it, and those enjoying the present life as if they were not enjoying it. For the order of this world is vanishing.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 45:11-12, 14-15, 16-17
Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear.

Gospel Reading: Lk 6:20-26

Lifting up his eyes to his disciples, Jesus said,

"Fortunate are you who are poor, the kingdom of God is yours.
Fortunate are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
"Fortunate are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
"Fortunate are you when people hate you, when they reject you and insult you and number you among criminals, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. Remember that is how the ancestors of this people treated the prophets.
"But alas for you who have wealth, for you have been comforted now.
"Alas for you who are full, for you will go hungry.
"Alas for you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
"Alas for you when people speak well of you, for that is how the ancestors of these people treated the false prophets."

Commentary
St. Luke's version of the beatitudes includes four tidings of woe for those who are wealthy, satiated, laughing and spoken well of. Earthly success does not mean eternal happiness. On the contrary, those who possess in abundance in this life can find themselves with no place in their hearts for the riches of the Lord. Wanting for nothing can mean having no place for Jesus.
Jesus challenges us to think of ourselves as being fortunate only when we have need of His love, grace and presence in our lives. It is when we desire nothing more than the Lord that we have found true and lasting riches.

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September 11
Thursday

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: 1 Cor 8:1-7, 11-13

Regarding meat from the offerings to idols, we know that all of us have knowledge but knowledge puffs up, while love builds. If anyone thinks that he has knowledge, he does not yet know as he should know, but if someone loves (God), he has been known (by God).
Can we, then, eat meat from offerings to the idols? We know that an idol is without existence and that there is no God but one. People speak indeed of other gods in heaven and on earth and, in this sense, there are many gods and lords. Yet for us, there is but one God, the Father, from whom everything comes, and to whom we go. And there is one Lord, Christ Jesus, through whom everything exists and through him we exist.
Not everyone, however, has that knowledge. For some persons, who until recently took the idols seriously, that food remains linked to the idol and eating of it stains their conscience which is unformed.
Then with your knowledge you would have caused your weak brother or sister to perish, the one for whom Christ died. When you disturb the weak conscience of your brother or sister and sin against them, you sin against Christ himself. Therefore, if any food will bring my brother to sin, I shall never eat this food lest my brother or sister fall.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 23-24
Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Gospel Reading: Lk 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples, "But I say to you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you and pray for those who treat you badly. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, turn the other cheek; from the one who takes your coat, do not keep back your shirt. Give to the one who asks and if anyone has taken something from you, do not demand it back.
"Do to others as you would have others do to you. If you love only those who love you, what kind of graciousness is yours? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do favors to those who are good to you, what kind of graciousness is yours? Even sinners do the same. If you lend only when you expect to receive, what kind of graciousness is yours? For sinners also lend to sinners, expecting to receive something in return.
"But love your enemies and do good to them, and lend when there is nothing to expect in return. Then will your reward be great and you will be sons and daughters of the Most High. For he is kind towards the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
"Don't be a judge of others and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you, and you will receive in your sack good measure, pressed down, full and running over. For the measure you give will be the measure you receive back."

Commentary
Our God is so very good to us, as St. Paul would say, "bestowing upon us in Christ every spiritual blessing in the heavens." God lavishes us with gifts, and with the respon-sibility to use those gifts wisely and to share them generously with others. Stinginess is no sign of the Kingdom!
Every day affords us another opportunity to practice good stewardship of the many gifts God has given us. In fact, we are called to pattern our lives after Jesus, He who gave everything He had to give so that we might have life to the full.

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September 12
Friday

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Holy Name of Mary

First Reading: 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22b-27

Because I cannot boast of announcing the Gospel: I am bound to do it. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel! If I preached voluntarily, I could expect my reward, but I have been trusted this office against my will. How can I, then, deserve a reward? In announcing the Gospel, I will do it freely without making use of the rights given to me by the Gospel.
So, feeling free with everybody, I have become everybody's slave in order to gain a greater number. To the weak I made myself weak, to win the weak. So I made myself all things to all people in order to save, by all possible means, some of them. This I do for the Gospel, so that I too have a share of it.
Have you not learned anything from the stadium? Many run, but only one gets the prize. Run, therefore, intending to win it, as athletes who impose upon themselves a rigorous discipline. Yet for them the wreath is of laurels which wither, while for us, it does not wither.
So, then, I run knowing where I go. I box but not aimlessly in the air. I punish my body and control it, lest after preaching to others, I myself should be rejected.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 84:3, 4, 5-6, 12
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Gospel Reading: Lk 6:39-42

And Jesus offered this example, "Can a blind person lead another blind person? Surely both will fall into a ditch. A disciple is not above the master; but when fully trained, he will be like the master. So why do you pay attention to the speck in your brother's eye while you have a log in your eye and are not conscious of it? How can you say to your neighbor: 'Friend, let me take this speck out of your eye,' when you can't remove the log in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the log from your own eye and when you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your neighbor's eye.