Tomorrow’s readings for the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, and the corresponding reflection:

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

INTROIT ¤ Ps. 83. 10, 11

COLLECT.–Keep, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy Church with Thy perpetual mercy: and because, without Thee the frailty of man is wont to fall, save it ever by Thine aid from all things hurtful, and lead it to all things profitable to salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity . . .

EPISTLE ¤ Galatians 5. 16-24
Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Galatians.

[Let us walk in the spirit and we shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. The flesh makes us commit all kind of sins.]

Brethren, Walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh: for the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary one to another: so that you do not the things that you would. But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest; which are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissensions, sects, envies, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I foretell you, as I have foretold to you, that they who do such things, shall not obtain the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity. Against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s, have crucified their flesh with the vices and concupiscences.

GRADUAL ¤ Ps. 117. 8, 9

GOSPEL ¤ Matthew 6. 24-33
† Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew.

["You cannot serve God and mammon." "Therefore be not solicitous for your life . . . nor for your body . . . For your father knoweth that you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first the Kingdom of God and His justice."]

At that time Jesus said to His disciples: No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will sustain the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon. Therefore I say to you, be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat, nor for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than the meat, and the body more than the raiment? Behold the birds of the air; for they neither sow nor do they reap, nor gather into barns, and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are you not of much more value than they? And which of you, by taking thought, can add to his stature one cubit? And for raiment why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they labor not, neither do they spin; but I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. Now if God so clothe the grass of the field, which is today, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more you, O ye of little faith! Be not solicitous therefore saying: What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? for after all there things do the heathen seek. For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and His justice; and all these things shall be added unto you.

OFFERTORY ¤ Ps. 33. 8, 9

PREFACE
Preface of the Most Holy Trinity

COMMUNION ¤ Matthew 6. 23

POSTCOMMUNION.–May Thy Sacraments, O God, ever cleanse and defend us: and lead us to the attainment of eternal salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity . . .

***********

One-Minute Reflection

We can behold that the readings for this Sunday mainly pertains on how we live our lives in accordance to a genuine Catholic-Christian perspective. The First Lesson (Paul’s Letter to the Galatians) started with the exhortation “Walk in the Spirit” as a meaningful manner by which we can ward off the tempations of the flesh; for who can be called a true Christian if not for the resolve to truly dispense of any dichotomies between his spiritual identity (i.e. that of being a Christian) with that of on his behaviour in the midst of a sinful world!

Thus in the Gospel, it is very much evident that such moral pointers must be understood by everyone who wishes to follow His teachings–that, if to serve two masters does not actually comply with tangible reality, then more so with offering ourselves in the service of both God and mammon (or the longings of the flesh). No one serves God while uniting himself with the devil, as this will automatically fall under hypocrisy and unfaithfulness: two main setbacks the ancient Israelites had fallen into while still sovereign over their own lands. The Prophet Isaiah had this to say of God’s people as they erred so wickedly:

Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips glorify me, but their heart is far from me, and they have feared me with the commandment and doctrines of men: Therefore behold I will proceed to cause an admiration in this people, by a great and wonderful miracle: for wisdom shall perish from their wise men, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

(Isaiah 29:13-14)

There had been no other reasons as to why Isaiah had to utter such strong condemnations of Israel and her children except for their laxities in sinning incessantly while feigning faithfulness to the Lord. This the Lord abhors; and so, inspite of perennial endowments of mercy and forgiveness upon the Chosen People, the Lord had then resolved to teach them a lesson, purifying them in exile such that they may be prepared for the coming of the Messiah.

As Christians, we are now privileged to be included in the Vineyard of God, the Kingdom of God. Just as Israel had been prepared that they may recognise God’s salvation through His Son, let us also make the necessary arrangements to honour God not only by our lips but also for what we are–a living sacrifice, holy & acceptable to Him. May we continuously ask for God’s grace in order for us to always walk in the Spirit, as we wholeheartedly minister unto Him with a holy love while rebuking any distractions towards holiness.

Readings for the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite today focus on virtue, and what our Lord teaches on the laudable characteristics of humility and the consequences of pride.

Tenth Sunday After Pentecost

Green, Semi-double

INTROIT ¤ Ps. 54. 17, 18, 20, 23

COLLECT.–O God, who dost manifest Thine almighty power most chiefly in sparing and showing mercy: multiply upon us Thy mercy: that as we hasten towards Thy promises, Thou mayest make us partakers of the heavenly treasures. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth . . .

EPISTLE ¤ I Cor. 12. 2-11 Lesson from the first Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians. [Our acts are not only supernatural if they proceed from the Holy Ghost; without His aid we are powerless and given to sin; we are not even able to pronounce the Name of Jesus, affirming His divinity, save by His inspiration.] Brethren, You know that, when you were heathens, you went to dumb idols, according as you were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man, speaking by the Spirit of God, saith Anathema to Jesus; and no man can say: The Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of graces, but the same Spirit; and there are diversities of ministries, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations, but the same God, who worketh all in all. And the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man unto profit. To one indeed, by the Spirit, is given the word of wisdom; and to another, the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; to another the grace of healing in the one Spirit; to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the discerning of spirits; to another, divers kinds of tongues; to another, interpretation of speeches. But all these things one and the same Spirit worketh, dividing to every one according as He will.

GRADUAL ¤ Ps. 16. 8, 2

GOSPEL ¤ Luke 18. 9-14 † Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Luke. [Our Lord stigmatizes the pride of the Pharisee which makes him put his trust in himself and which always shows itself in his contempt for others.] At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves as just, and despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one was a pharisee, and the other a publican. The pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give Thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers; as also is this publican. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican standing afar off would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven, but struck his breast saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner.² I say to you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: because every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

OFFERTORY ¤ Ps. 24. 1, 3

SECRET.–Let the appointed Sacrifices be offered to Thee, O Lord: which Thou hast granted so to be offered to the honor of Thy Name, that they may themselves become healing remedies unto us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost . . .

PREFACE Preface of the Most Holy Trinity

COMMUNION ¤ Ps. 50. 51, 21

POSTCOMMUNION.–We beseech Thee, O Lord, our God, that in Thy goodness Thou wilt not deprive of Thine aid those whom Thou dost not cease to renew with Thy divine Sacraments. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity . . .

*******

This parable of the Pharisee and his not-so-similar counterpart the Publican raises one question on our being Christians: is our piety just for show or does it constitute a clear disposition of total resignation to God’s will? Humility is the recognition of one’s weaknesses, and the acknowledgement that God is “all in all”: that He, in His infinite power, has the sole jurisdiction on the life of man as well in his drawing near to all things just.