WEDNESDAY OF THE TWENTY SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Invocation to the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary

Queen of the Most Holy Rosary,

pray for us!

DAILY MASS READINGS

Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Reading

GAL 2:1-2, 7-14

Brothers and sisters:

After fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas,

taking Titus along also.

I went up in accord with a revelation,

and I presented to them the Gospel that I preach to the Gentiles–

but privately to those of repute–

so that I might not be running, or have run, in vain.

On the contrary,

when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Gospel to the uncircumcised,

just as Peter to the circumcised,

for the one who worked in Peter for an apostolate to the circumcised

worked also in me for the Gentiles,

and when they recognized the grace bestowed upon me,

James and Cephas and John,

who were reputed to be pillars,

gave me and Barnabas their right hands in partnership,

that we should go to the Gentiles

and they to the circumcised.

Only, we were to be mindful of the poor,

which is the very thing I was eager to do.

And when Cephas came to Antioch,

I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong.

For, until some people came from James,

he used to eat with the Gentiles;

but when they came, he began to draw back and separated himself,

because he was afraid of the circumcised.

And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him,

with the result that even Barnabas

was carried away by their hypocrisy.

But when I saw that they were not on the right road

in line with the truth of the Gospel,

I said to Cephas in front of all,

“If you, though a Jew,

are living like a Gentile and not like a Jew,

how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Responsorial Psalm

PS 117:1BC, 2

R. Go out to all the world,

and tell the Good News.

Praise the LORD, all you nations,

glorify him, all you peoples!

R. Go out to all the world,

and tell the Good News.

For steadfast is his kindness toward us,

and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.

R. Go out to all the world,

and tell the Good News.

Gospel

LK 11:1-4

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,

one of his disciples said to him,

“Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them,

“When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name,

your Kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread

and forgive us our sins

for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,

and do not subject us to the final test.”

SAINT OF THE DAY

October 8

St. Pelagia

Pelagia, more often called Margaret, on account of the magnificence of the pearls for which she had so often sold herself, 

was an actress of Antioch, equally celebrated for her beauty, her wealth and the disorder of her life.

During a synod at Antioch, she passed Bishop St. Nonnus of Edessa, who was struck with her beauty; the next day she went to hear him preach and was so moved by his sermon that she asked him to baptize her which he did. She gave her wealth to Nonnus to aid the poor and left Antioch dressed in men's clothing. She became a hermitess in a cave on Mount of Olivette in Jerusalem, where she lived in great austerity, performing penances and known as "the beardless monk" 

until her sex was discovered at her death.

Though a young girl of fifteen did exist and suffer martyrdom at Antioch in the fourth century, 

the story here told is a pious fiction, which gave rise to a whole set of similar stories under different names.

OFFICE OF READINGS

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will proclaim Your Praise!

Invitatory Psalm

Psalm 66 (67)

Let us adore the Lord,

for it is he who made us.

O God, take pity on us and bless us,

and let your face shine upon us,

so that your ways may be known across the world,

and all nations learn of your salvation.

Let us adore the Lord,

for it is he who made us.

Let the peoples praise you, O God,

let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and rejoice,

for you judge the peoples with fairness

and you guide the nations of the earth.

Let us adore the Lord,

for it is he who made us.

Let the peoples praise you, O God,

let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has produced its harvest:

may God, our God, bless us.

May God bless us,

may the whole world revere him.

Let us adore the Lord,

for it is he who made us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Let us adore the Lord,

for it is he who made us.

Hymn

Bright as fire in darkness,

Sharper than a sword,

Lives throughout the ages

God’s eternal word.

Father, Son and Spirit,

Trinity of might,

Compassed in your glory,

Give the world your light.

Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal

Psalm 88 (89)

The Lord's kindness to the house of David

Love and truth walk in your presence, Lord.

I will sing for ever of the kindnesses of the Lord:

to generation upon generation

my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.

For you have said

“My kindness shall be established for ever”;

your faithfulness will be established in the heavens.

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one.

I have sworn to David my servant:

To all eternity I will set your descendants firm;

I shall build your house to last for all generations.”

The heavens will proclaim your wonders, O Lord,

the assembly of your holy ones will proclaim your faithfulness.

For who in the sky can be compared to the Lord?

Who could resemble the Lord among all the sons of God?

God is to be feared in the council of his holy ones,

great and terrible above all who surround him.

Lord God of hosts, who is like you?

Yours is the power, and faithfulness surrounds you.

You subdue the pride of the sea:

when its waves rise high, you calm them.

You have trampled Rahab underfoot, like a wounded man;

through the strength of your arm you have scattered your enemies.

Yours are the heavens and yours is the earth,

you set firm the globe and all it contains.

You made the north and the south,

Tabor and Hermon will rejoice in your name.

Your arm it is that has the power,

your hand is strong, your right hand held high.

Your throne is founded on justice and right,

kindness and faithfulness are your attendants.

Happy the nation that knows the cry of praise!

They will walk in the light of your presence, Lord,

and rejoice in your name all the day –

for you are the splendour of their strength,

and by your good will our standard is held high.

For our shields belong to the Lord,

and our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Love and truth walk in your presence, Lord.

Psalm 88 (89)

The Son of God was born into the house of David

when he came into this world.

In a vision you spoke to your holy ones.

You said, “I have given strength to a warrior,

I have raised a chosen one from the people.

I have found David my servant,

I have anointed him with my holy oil.

For my hand will always give him support,

my right arm will give him strength.

The enemy shall make no headway against him,

the son of iniquity shall have no power over him.

I will crush his foes in his sight

and strike down those who hate him.

My faithfulness and kindness shall be with him

and his strength will be triumphant through my name.

I shall extend his power over the sea,

and his right hand over the rivers.

He will call upon me: ‘you are my father,

my God and my safe refuge.’

And I shall make him my first-born,

supreme over all the kings of the earth.

My kindness to him will continue for ever,

my covenant with him will remain firm.

For all ages I shall establish his descendants,

and for all the days of heaven his throne will stand.”

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

The Son of God was born into the house of David

when he came into this world.

Psalm 88 (89)

Once for all, I have sworn to David my servant:

his dynasty shall last forever.

“But if his children abandon my law

and walk no more in the paths of my decrees;

if they profane my judgements

and do not keep to my commandments,

I will punish their transgressions with a rod,

I will punish their wickedness with a beating.

Even so, I will not turn my kindness away from him,

nor will I be untrue to my word.

I will not profane my covenant,

I will not go against the word I have spoken.

I have sworn in my sanctuary, once and for all:

I will not lie to David.

His seed shall remain for ever,

his throne firm as the sun in my sight,

just as the moon stays firm for ever,

a faithful witness in the sky.”

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Once for all, I have sworn to David my servant:

his dynasty shall last forever.

The words that you utter give light

– and understanding to the simple.

First Reading

1 Timothy 4:1-5:2

The Spirit has explicitly said that during the last times there will be some who will desert the faith and choose to listen to deceitful spirits and doctrines that come from the devils; and the cause of this is the lies told by hypocrites whose consciences are branded as though with a red-hot iron: they will say marriage is forbidden, and lay down rules about abstaining from foods which God created to be accepted with thanksgiving by all who believe and who know the truth. Everything God has created is good, and no food is to be rejected, provided grace is said for it: the word of God and the prayer make it holy. If you put all this to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus and show that you have really digested the teaching of the faith and the good doctrine which you have always followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales. Train yourself spiritually. ‘Physical exercises are useful enough, but the usefulness of spirituality is unlimited, since it holds out the reward of life here and now and of the future life as well’; that is a saying that you can rely on and nobody should doubt it. I mean that the point of all our toiling and battling is that we have put our trust in the living God and he is the savior of the whole human race but particularly of all believers. This is what you are to enforce in your teaching.

Do not let people disregard you because you are young, but be an example to the believers in the way you speak and behave, and in your love, your faith and your purity. Make use of the time until I arrive by reading to the people, preaching and teaching. You have in you a spiritual gift which was given to you when the prophets spoke and the body of elders laid their hands on you; do not let it lie unused. Think hard about all this, and put it into practice, and everyone will be able to see how you are advancing. Take great care about what you do and what you teach; always do this, 

and in this way you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

Do not speak harshly to a man older than yourself, but advise him as you would your own father; treat the younger men as brothers and older women as you would your mother. Always treat young women with propriety, as if they were sisters.

Responsory

The usefulness of spirituality is unlimited,

since it holds out the reward of life.

The point of all our toiling and battling is that we have put our trust in the living God.

We have been persecuted,

but never deserted;

assaulted, but never killed.

The point of all our toiling and battling is that we have put our trust in the living God.

Second Reading

St Ignatius of Antioch's letter to the Trallians

Faith is the body of the Lord and love is his blood

Take on meekness. Be renewed in faith, which is the flesh of the Lord, and in love, which is the blood of Jesus Christ. Let none of you have a grudge against his neighbour. Give no occasion to the heathen: do not let the congregation of God be blasphemed because of the behaviour of a few foolish persons. For Woe to him who makes anyone blaspheme my name without a cause.

Be deaf therefore when anyone preaches to you without mentioning Jesus Christ, who was of the family of David, who was truly born of Mary, who truly ate and drank, was truly persecuted under Pontius Pilate, was truly crucified and died in the sight of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth; who was also truly raised from the dead, when his Father raised him up — 
just as his Father will raise us up, believers in Christ Jesus without whom we have no true life.

Flee from these preachers, these wicked offshoots that bear deadly fruit, one taste of which is fatal. These have not been planted by the Father; if they had been, they would grow as branches of the Cross and their fruit would be incorruptible. Through the Cross he calls you, who are parts of his own body, to himself. A head cannot come into being alone, without the rest of the body; for God promises unity, as he himself is unity.

I greet you from Smyrna together with the Churches of God that are present with me, men who in all things have given me solace in the flesh and in the spirit. I carry my chains for the sake of Jesus Christ, praying that I may attain to God; and these chains appeal to you to continue in your present harmony and in prayer with one another. For it is right that each of you, and especially the presbyters, should give the bishop peace of mind, to the honour of the Father, of Jesus Christ, and of the Apostles. I appeal to you to listen to me in love, so that this letter can never be used in evidence against you. And pray for me also, 
for I have need of your love in the mercy of God, that I may be granted the lot which I am set to obtain, 
and not be rejected.

The love of the Smyrnaeans and Ephesians greets you: remember in your prayers the Church in Syria, of which I am the most undeserving member. Farewell in Jesus Christ. Submit yourselves to the bishop as you would to God’s commandments, submit to the clergy likewise. Let each of you individually love one another with an undivided heart. My spirit is consecrated to you not only now, but also when I reach the presence of God. I am still in peril, 
but the Father can be trusted in Jesus Christ to fulfil both your prayers and mine. 
May you be found blameless in Christ.

Responsory

God called you through the gospel we brought,

so that you might possess as your own the splendor of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Stand firm, then,

and hold fast to the traditions which you have learned from us.

The Lord hates every kind of vice: you cannot love it,

and still fear him.

Stand firm, then,

and hold fast to the traditions which you have learned from us.

Let us pray.

Almighty, ever-living God,

whose love surpasses all that we ask or deserve,

open up for us the treasures of your mercy.

Forgive us all that weighs on our conscience,

and grant us more even than we dare to ask.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let us praise the Lord.

– Thanks be to God.