17 Sep
Sun
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Sir. 27:33-28:9
Ps. 103(102):1-2,3-4,9-10,11-12
Rom. 14:7-9
Mt. 18:21-35
(Ps Wk IV)
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In his First Letter to the Corinthians St Paul affirms: God chose "what is weak by human reckoning".... "those who are nothing at all" (1Cor 1:27-28). Here he affirms the other side of the picture by making what will appear to many an extraordinary claim: "the life and death of each of us has its influence on others". For most of us ordinary people, this will seem hard to believe: we do not have any great influence on this world. The apparent contradiction with the text of Corinthians, however, reveals a great truth, for in Scripture the deepest truth is often to be discovered in apparent contradictions. Without God and without Jesus we are indeed nothing, but then, to us who are redeemed in Christ, God says to us what he once said to Israel: "you are precious in my eyes, you are honoured and I love you" (Isaiah 43:4). It is this honour and love from God which gives our lives and deaths an importance beyond all our dreams.



Father in Heaven, grant us the consolation of experiencing that You have honoured us by choosing to create us, and have honoured us even more by redeeming us in Christ Jesus, Your Son, Our Lord.


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 our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.
Elaboration

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