October 15
Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
First Reading
EPH 1:1-10
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the holy ones who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved.
In Christ we have redemption by his Blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.
Responsorial Psalm
PS 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4, 5-6
R. (2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
Alleluia
JN 14:16
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
LK 11:47-54
The Lord said: “Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets whom your fathers killed. Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do the building. Therefore, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute’ in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood! Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.” When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things, for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.
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.
“The Lord has made known his salvation.”
Readings & Reflection
Are we responsible for building the Kingdom of God? Christ teaches that God provides the means for the Kingdom of God to be built on the earth. Of course, we mean by this that God gifts us with the teachings of Christ, as well as the Old Testament, which tells us how we are to live. We need to be sure that the way we go about building the Kingdom is according to God’s plan and not our own.
We must remember that we are not God. We are here to serve the savior, not be the savior. Yet, many of us act as though we are controlling God’s plan for those around us. This is not God’s intention. Only through prayer can we discern the work that God give us. Are we able to accomplish that work in joy, bringing his word to those in need, or are we tempted to point to ourselves as the origin of any good works we do? Christ calls us to participate in the work of God, not to create it ourselves.
May we always remain humble when we teach and when we preach. Let us always give honor to the teachings of Christ!
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.