20 Oct
Sat 		28th Week in Ordinary Time
Rom. 4:13, 16-18
Ps. 105:6-7, 8-9, 42-43
Lk. 12:8-12
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Paul, I think, would be horrified at the way in which his reflections on Abraham's faith were used to split Christendom. No one with faith has any difficulty in accepting that "all depends on faith, all is grace". Abraham put his trust in God and so was justified. But that trust did not relieve Abraham from all obligation. He has to gather his family and his possessions and set out on a journey. God made the journey with Abraham, but did not make the journey for him. The journey was Abraham's and in faith it was part of God's grace penetrating our human history. His faith in God did not exempt him from the need to travel, often weary and burdened by many worries, along roads that provided little comfort or encouragement for the traveller. It was his trust in God that made this journey special. His faith brought God's blessing and grace upon the journey, yet it was Abraham's journey to make.

Everything we do is important in God's eyes, especially all our actions for justice and peace, for the promotion of faith, hope and love. And doctrine which tends to despise what we do in union with Christ for the kingdom of God is hardly consonant with God's merciful and accepting love.


Lord, may all our good actions be done in a spirit of faith and humility.

DAILY OFFERING
Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
INTENTION
That we may recognise and revere the cultural and spiritual riches of the different ethnic groups and religious minorities present in every country.
Elaboration

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P R A Y I N G    W I T H    T H E    C H U R C H    

INTENTION : That we may recognise and revere the cultural and spiritual riches of the different ethnic groups and religious minorities present in every country.

This month we are invited to give thanks to God for the variety of gifts he has given to humankind. There is hardly a country in the world today which is not marked by the coming together of different cultural traditions. It ought to be recognised that religion has influenced cultures and is the soul of a particular culture. Vatican II also mentions the good that is to be found in the rites and customs of peoples, recognising this as having been sown by God's Word (LG 17). In fact, Christians belong to many different cultures which have been deeply marked by the Christian faith.

In order to appreciate these cultural and religious riches we are called to make an effort to understand and appreciate all that is good in another person and in that person's culture. We are invited to look upon our fellow human beings with the eyes of God who created man in his own image and likeness and who saw all that he had made and found it very good. We are therefore encouraged to consider prayerfully how God is at work in all peoples.

In this context our prayer will be that the ongoing dialogue between the Gospel message and cultures may produce fruits of true freedom, joy and peace for the whole of humanity.



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