First Reading – Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18
The LORD is a God of justice,
who knows no favorites.
Though not unduly partial toward the weak,
yet he hears the cry of the oppressed.
The Lord is not deaf to the wail of the orphan,
nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint.
The one who serves God willingly is heard;
his petition reaches the heavens.
The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds;
it does not rest till it reaches its goal,
nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds,
judges justly and affirms the right,
and the Lord will not delay.
Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23
R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Second Reading – 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Beloved:
I am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.
At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf,
but everyone deserted me.
May it not be held against them!
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Alleluia – 2 Corinthians 5:19
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of salvation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel – Luke 18:9-14
Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
“Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity —
greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for whoever exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Continue reading:
Why the Rosary is the “Weapon”: My Reflection on Our Lady of the Rosary and the Battle of Lepanto
If you tell the godless and atheists of this world how Europe triumphed over the evils of the Islamic fleet through a small Catholic alliance, they’d chalk it up to strategy or luck. They can’t fathom how prayer, much less the Rosary, had anything to do with the victory. They dismiss it all as superstition.
But as Catholics, we don’t need God to appear before us and recount the miracle of Lepanto just to believe. What the godless and the atheists call “laughable” was exactly what won the Battle of Lepanto.
My Reflection Mustard See Faith: The Unprofitable Servant
Despite being faithful, we get disheartened. We ask why God allows all this evil. We grow tired of it all and long to hear comforting and assuring words from God — words that say He’s in control, that despite all the evil, He’s on our side, that He loves us, and that He will save us from all the darkness we endure.
Even the apostles, who walked with Jesus and saw Him face-to-face, asked Him to increase their faith.
And now, the question arises: how can we say that we are His family and children — when God calls us unprofitable servants? Isn’t that confusing?
I don’t know about non-Catholics—meaning members of Christian sects, followers of non-Christian religions, and even atheists—but one thing I’ve consistently noticed about the Catholics I have known, including me, particularly those who attend Mass and practice devotions, or are considered practicing Catholics, is that they seem to be spared from utter destruction, downfall, or ruin. Most of us Catholics are never completely overcome by misfortune.
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