September 29
Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels
First Reading
DN 7:9-10, 13-14
As I watched:
Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; His throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat; Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him.
The court was convened, and the books were opened.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw
One like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, He received dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and peoples of every language serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.
Responsorial Psalm
PS 138:1-2AB, 2CDE-3, 4-5
R. (1) In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Because of your kindness and your truth; for you have made great above all things your name and your promise. When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD when they hear the words of your mouth; And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD “Great is the glory of the LORD
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Gospel
JN 1:47-51
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Give a Mass Offering
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
“ In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.”
Readings & Reflection
When we think about the saints we may think of them as superheroes, like those that we may have idolized as children. You remember the ones… always strong, righteous, never weak, always winning and taking care of other people not to mention the unforgettable costumes!
Of course, we realize that God does not abandon us in the fight between sin and goodness. We have superheroes of our own in the Church. We call them saints, and they too are strong, righteous, and take care of those in need. Some of them even had some interesting garb!
In reality, our saintly superheroes were real flesh and blood people. They may not have possessed super human powers, but served God through their own weaknesses. Their weaknesses caused them to have compassion for those around them and their faith caused them to be strong. Their belief in a protecting, loving God helped them live as transformed people, turning from sin and temptation.
Today, our challenge is to try to live as a saint. It is important to remember that we are like the saints in the fact that we too have the opportunity to change the lives of those around us. Do we accept the challenge?
Peace,
Fr. John Kurgan
Would you like to receive Readings & Reflections, and a link to join us for Mass? Subscribe to The Daily Bread newsletter.