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Pray for safe return of kidnapped missionary, says Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly

Fr Pierluigi Maccalli SMA, working in Niger, is believed to have been kidnapped by jihadist militants.

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President Higgins calls for sustainable farms and communities in the face of climate change

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“In accordance with Article 46 of the Constitution, President Higgins today signed the Thirty-Sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2018, and it has accordingly become law.”

Thought for today Saint of the day Today's Readings Sunday's Readings

Thought for today

All at once

Have you ever said to someone who is experiencing a difficulty, “Let me know if I can do anything,” but secretly you hope that they will not call on you for anything? There are so many ways that we can say “Go and come again tomorrow” to someone in need. This can occur by either ignoring another’s situation, or by procrastinating in areas such as writing a letter, making a phone call, giving a donation, volunteering to help someone with a church programme or stopping to listen to someone talk about their miseries. We can sometimes think: “I’ll do it next time. I’ll help out another week. I’ll wait until I finish my project.” Then, life goes on, and we may find we are still saying, “Come tomorrow and I will give.” We may not have the chance to do so, so let us do what we can today.

Compiled by Deirdre Powell
Catholicireland.net

Source: Living Faith, Daily Catholic Devotions (adapted).

Saint of the day

Sep 21 - St Matthew, apostle and evangelist

There is an irony that Matthew, a Jew was a tax collector for the Romans and accused of being a traitor to his own people, should in his Gospel portray Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfilment of all God's promises to the Jews. Patrick Duffy gives the background.

Matthew "the tax collector"
In the list of the apostles (Matt 10:3) Matthew is called "the tax collector". Jesus saw him sitting by the customs house in Capernaum and said to him: "Follow me". And leaving everything, he got up and followed him (Mt 9:9). Mark (2:14) and Luke (5:27-32) call him Levi when they describe this event.

As a Roman tax collector, the people would have regarded Matthew as an exploiter and collaborator with the Romans, in that sense a traitor to his people. And so when Jesus and other disciples were at dinner at Matthew's house, the scribes and Pharisees taunt the disciples, "Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

Mercy, not sacrifice
matthew

Jesus uses that occasion to declare the core message of his mission and of the gospel:
"It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners."
Matthew and inspiration for his Gospel

Matthew's gospel
St. Matthew's gospel has pride of place in the canon of the New Testament. Its purpose was to convince Jews that the Messiah had come in the person of Jesus, our Lord, and that all the promises of the messianic kingdom, the promises God made to his people, the Jews, had been fulfilled in him. There is an irony in this for one who was accused of being a traitor to his people. His name means "gift of the Lord".

Later life
Little definite is known about Matthew's later life. Legend has it that he preached the gospel for a long time after the ascension and carried it to Ethiopia where he was killed.

Patronage
Matthew is the patron of bankers and those who work in finiancial institutions.

Today's Readings

English
Gaelige

FIRST READING

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians 4:1-7. 11-13
To some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some evangelists.

I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you therefore to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all.

Each one of us, however, has been given his own share of grace, given as Christ allotted it. And to some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. In this way we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself.

The Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 18
Response Their word goes forth through all the earth.

1. The heavens proclaim the glory of God
and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story
and night unto night makes known the message.   Response

2. No speech, no word, no voice is heard
yet their span extends through all the earth,
their words to the utmost bounds of the world.   Response

Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
We praise you, O God, we acknowledge you to be the Lord.
The glorious company of the apostles praise you, O Lord.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 9:9-13
Follow me. And he got up and followed him.

As Jesus was walking on from there he saw a man named Matthew sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, 'Follow me'. And he got up and followed him.

While he was at dinner in the house it happened that a number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, 'Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?' When he heard this he replied, 'It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.'

The Gospel of the Lord.

Gospel Reflection   Sept. 21, Saint Matthew, apostle and evangelist     Matthew 9:9-13

We have all had some experience of doctors. Sooner or later we all need them, because we all fall ill at some time or other. Doctors will never be short of work; their profession is recession proof. In the gospel reading today, Jesus uses a popular saying which, in a sense, states the obvious. He declares, ‘it is not the healthy who need the doctor but the sick’. Jesus compares himself to the doctor whose interest is more in the sick than in the healthy. Jesus is declaring there that the real focus of his ministry is the broken rather than those who are whole. Who are the broken? They are all of us in one way or another. We all struggle with brokenness in one shape or form. Yet, there is a fundamental difference between the average doctor and Jesus. When we are sick, we take the initiative to seek out the doctor; the doctor does not come after us. Jesus, however, takes the initiative in our regard; he comes after us. He took the initiative to call Matthew, the tax collector, the public sinner. He declares that he came to call, not the virtuous, but sinners. The Lord seeks us out in our brokenness. He is seeking us out long before we ever think of seeking him out. Our calling is to respond to the Lord’s initiative towards us, as Matthew did in the gospel reading. The Lord always takes the first step; he enters our lives, as he entered the life of Matthew. Our role is to respond to the Lord’s initiative towards us, as generously as Matthew did.

__________________________________

The scripture readings are taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and used with the permission of the publishers.
The Gospel reflection comes from WEEKDAY REFLECTIONS: To know the love of Christ 2016/2017 by Martin Hogan published by The Messenger c/f www.messenger.ie
__________________

CÉAD LÉACHT

Sliocht as an céad Litir Naomh Pól chuig na hEifísigh 4:1-7. 11-13
Agus is eisean a thug do dhaoine áirithe bheith ina n-aspail, do dhaoine eile bheith ina soiscéalaithe.

A bhráithre,táim ag impí oraibh, dá bhrí sin, agus mé i mo ghéibheannach ag an Tiarna, bhur saola thabhairt go cuí de réir na gairme atá faighte agaibh agus sibh a bheith lán d’uirísle, de láchas agus d’fhoighne. Cuirigí suas go carthanach le chéile agus déanaigí bhur ndícheall chun an aontacht a thagann ón Spiorad a choimeád faoi cheangal na síochána. Aon chorp amháin agus aon Spiorad amháin atá ionaibh faoi mar nach bhfuil ach aon dóchas amháin agaibh ó fuair sibh bhur ngairm ó Dhia. Níl ann ach aon Tiarna amháin, aon chreideamh amháin agus aon bhaisteadh amháin. Níl ann ach aon Dia amháin atá ina Athair ag cách: é os cionn cách agus ag gníomhú i gcách agus istigh i gcách uile.

Ach tá a thabhartas féin faighte ag gach duine ar leith againn de réir mar a riar Críost orainn é, Agus is eisean a thug do dhaoine áirithe bheith ina n-aspail, do dhaoine eile bheith ina bhfáithe, do dhaoine eile bheith ina soiscéalaithe, agus do dhaoine eile fós bheith ina n-aoirí agus ina múinteoirí, d’fhonn na naoimh a chur in oiriúint dá ndualgas, mar atá, corp Chríost a thógáil mar theach; go dtí go mbeimid go léir tagtha chun aontacht chreidimh agus chun aontacht eolais ar Mhac Dé nó go mbeimid tagtha in inmhe, ar chomhchéim le Críost féin agus é i mbun a mhéide.

An Briathar Dé.

Psalm le Freagra Sm 18
Freagra Gabhann a bhfocail i ngach uile thír

1. Fógraíonn na spéartha glóir Dé
agus foilsíonn an fhirmimint saothar a lámh.
Insíonn na laethanta an scéal dá chéile
agus tugann na hoícheannta an t-eolas dá chéile.     Freagra

2. Ní chluintear caint ná canúint ná briathar
cé go ngabhann a nglór i ngach uile thír
agus a bhfocail go críocha imchiana na cruinne.       Freagra

SOISCÉAL

Sliocht as an Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Matha 9:9-13
Lean mise. D’éirigh seisean agus lean sé é.

San am sin bhí Íosa ag imeacht leis ón áit sin, agus chonaic sé duine darbh ainm Matha ina shuí I dteach an chustaim agus dúirt leis: “Lean mise.” D’éirigh seisean agus lean sé é.

Ina shuí chun boird dó sa teach, tháinig mórán de na poibleacánaigh agus de na peacaigh agus shuigh siad isteach le hÍosa agus lena dheisceabail. Nuair a chonaic na Fairisínigh é sin, dúirt siad lena dheisceabail: “Cén fáth a mbíonn bhur máistir ag ithe leis na poibleacánaigh agus na peacaigh?” Chuala sé iad agus dúirt: “Ní ag na daoine slána a bhíonn gá le lia ach ag na daoine tinne. Ní miste daoibh a chiall siúd a fhoghlaim: ‘Trócaire is áil liom agus ní íobairt.’ Ní hiad na fíréin ach na peacaigh a tháinig mé a ghlaoch.”

An Soiscéal Dé

AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart

Sunday's Readings

English
Gaelige

Scripture theme
The followers of Jesus must also share in his Passion. The very way of life of the Christian will be seen as a reproach to others and therefore to be opposed. The Christian will also be accused for not conforming to the world’s values and standards. In all this we must look to Jesus, the model of the suffering servant.

FIRST READING Wisdom 2:12.17-20
Let us condemn him to a shameful death.

The godless say to themselves,
'Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man, since he annoys us and opposes our way of life,
reproaches us for our breaches of the law
and accuses us of playing false to our upbringing.
spying on others

Let us see if what he says is true,
let us observe what kind of end he himself will have.
If the virtuous man is God's son,
God will take his part and rescue him from the clutches of his enemies:
Let us test him with cruelty and with torture,
and thus explore this gentleness of his
and put his endurance to the proof.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death
since he will be looked after - we have his word for it.'

RESPONSORIAL PSALM: Ps 53:3-6. 8
Response The Lord upholds my life.

1. O God, save me by your name;
by your power, uphold my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
listen to the words of my mouth. Response

2. For proud men have risen against me,
ruthless men seek my life.
They have no regard for God. Response

3. But I have God for my help.
The Lord upholds my life.
I will sacrifice to you with willing heart
and praise your name for it is good. Response

SECOND READING          James 3:16 - 4:3
Peacemakers, when they work for peace, sow the seeds which will bear fruit in holiness.

Wherever you find jealousy and ambition, you find disharmony, and wicked things of every kind being done; whereas the wisdom that comes down from above is essentially something pure; it also makes for peace, and is kindly and considerate; it is full of compassion and shows itself by doing good; nor is there any trace of partiality or hypocrisy in it. Peacemakers, when they work for peace, sow the seeds which will bear fruit in holiness.

Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn't it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves? You want something and you haven't got it; so you are prepared to kill. You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy; so you fight to get your way by force. Why you don't have what you want is because you don't pray for it; when you do pray and don't get it, it is because you have not prayed properly, you have prayed for something to indulge your own desires.

Gospel Acclamation       Jn 8:12

Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the light of the world,
says the Lord,
anyone who follows me
will have the light of life.
Alleluia!

or                                                 2 Thes 2: 14

Alleluia, alleluia!
Through the Good News that we brought he called you to this
so that you should share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia!

GOSPEL                                Mark 9: 30-37
'The Son of Man will be delivered. If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.

After leaving the mountain Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, 'The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.' But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him.

They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, 'What were you arguing about on the road?' They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, 'If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.' He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, 'Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.'

Servant-of-All

AN CHÉAD LÉACHT hEagna 2:12. 17-20
Daoraimis chun báis náirigh é.

Deir na héagráifigh leo féin:
Déanaimis luíochán roimh an bhfíréan
mar cuireann sé as dúinn,
agus ní áil leis ár ngníomhartha;
casann sé linn ár gcionta in aghaidh an dlí spying on others

agus cuireann sé cúl le cine inár leith.
Feicimis mar sin an fíor a ndeir sé:
faighimis amach cén chríoch a bheidh air féin.
Más é fíormhac Dé é, déanfaidh Dia é a chosaint
agus a shaoradh ó lámha a naimhde.
Cuirimis promhadh air le cruatan agus le céasadh
go bhfeicfimid an cheansacht atá ann
agus go mbainfimid triail as a fhoighne.
Daoraimis chun báis náirigh é
mar beidh cabhair le fáil aige – is é féin a dúirt linn é.”
SALM LE FREAGRA.           Sm 53
Freagra :                                       Tá an Tiarna ag cosaint mo bheatha.

1. Slánaigh mé, a Dhia, le d'ainm;
déan mo chúis a agairt le do neart.
Éist, a Dhia, le m'urnaí;
tabhair cluas do bhriathra mo bhéil.                 Freagra

2. Óir d'éirigh lucht an díomais i m'éadan;
ta daoine gan trua ar thóir m'anama;
níl aird ar bith acu ar Dhia.                                     Freagra

3. Tá Dia ag teacht i gcabhair orm;
tá an Tiarna ag cosaint mo bheatha.
Déanfaidh mé íobairt duit, a Thiarna, go fonnmhar,
agus molfaidh mé d'ainm toisc gur maith é.    Freagra

AN DARA LÉACHT              Séamus 3:16-4:3
Síolann lucht déanta na síochána an síol a thabharfaidh fómhar na fíréantachta, go síochánta.

A clann ionúin, mar a mbíonn éad agus uaillmhian dhoicheallach, bíonn corrthónacht agus gach sort drochbhirt. Ach an eagna ó lastuas tá sí ar dtús íon, ansin síochánta, cineálta, sochomhairlithe, lán de thrócaire agus de dhea-thorthaí, gan leathchuma, gan cur i gcéill. Síolann lucht déanta na síochána an síol a thabharfaidh fómhar na fíréantachta, go síochánta.

Cad faoi deara cogaí agus cathanna a bheith in bhur measc? Nach é seo, go bhfuil bhur n-ainmhianta ag troid le chéile in bhur mbaill bheatha? Santaíonn sibh rud éigin agus níl sé agaibh; maraíonn sibh agus lorgann sibh, ach ní féidir daoibh teacht air; fearann sibh cath agus cogadh, ach ní fhaigheann sibh seilbh mar nach n-iarrann sibh. Iarrann sibh rud, ach ní fhaigheann sibh mar nach n-iarrann sibh go cuí, ach lena chaitheamh ar bhur n-ainmhianta.

Alleluia Véarsa             Eo 8:12

Alleluia, alleluia!
Is mise solas an tsaoil, a deir an Tiarna;
an té a leanfaidh mise beidh solas na beatha aige.
Alleluia!

AN SOISCÉAL                  Marcas 9:30-37
Tabharfar Mac an Duine. Más mian le haon duine a bheith ar tosach, ní foláir dó bheith ar deireadh cách agus ina sheirbhíseach ag cách.

San am sin ag imeacht as an áit sin dóibh, ghabh Íosa agus dá deisceabail tríd an nGailíl agus níorbh áil leis go mbeadh fios ag aon duine, mar bhí sé ag teagasc a dheisceabal, a rá leo: “Tabharfar Mac an Duine ar lámh do dhaoine agus cuirfidh siad chun báis é, agus tar éis a mharaithe, éireoidh sé tar éis trí lá.” Ach níor thuig siad an focal, agus bhí eagla orthu ceist a churair.

Tháinig siad go dtí Cafarnáum, agus sa teach do d’fhiafraigh sé díobh: “Cad a bhí áchur trí chéile agaibh sa tslí?” Ach ní raibh focal astu, óir bhí siad ag díospóireacht le chéile, ar an tslí, féachaint cé acu ba mhó. Shuigh sé agus ghlaoigh chuige an dáréag agus dúirt leo: “Más mian le haon duine a bheith ar tosach, ní foláir dó bheith ar deireadh cách agus ina sheirbhíseach ag cách.” Agus ag breith ar leanbh dó, chuir sé é ina sheasamh i lár baill eatarthu, agus, ag tabhairt barróige dó, dúirt sé leo: “Cibé duine a ghlacfaidh a leithéid seo de leanbh ar son m’ainm, glacann sé mise, agus cibé a ghlacfaidh mise, ní mise, ach an té a chuir uaidh mé, a ghlacann sé.”

Servant-of-All