he Mass today is a combination of joy and seriousness. The Gospel relates the story of the 10 lepers cured by Our Lord. So to speak they represent the baptised of the Church, cleansed as it were of the leprosy of Original Sin. The Holy Eucharist is portrayed in the one leper who returned to thank Christ for what does “Eucharist” mean but giving thanks?
 
We are like the leper as we come this Sunday to celebrate the Mass wherein we have the true Presence of Our Lord on the altar, and He heals us of the leprosy of sin. The sad side of the Gospel story concerns the 9 who did not return to thank Jesus and were regarded as ungrateful. They are like the lukewarm Catholics who were baptised and made spotless Children of God who now reject the teachings of Our Lord and practice birth control, abortion, even polygamy, while subjecting the Mass and Sacraments, the Holy Father and clergy to scorn.
 
The Gospel is then linked to Psalm 73, the Introit “O God, why hast Thou cast us off unto the end: why is Thy wrath enkindled against the sheep of Thy pasture?” It recalls Our Lord’s complaint against the 9 ungrateful. The psalm relates how the enemies of God had penetrated the temple environs to destroy and desecrate the House of God, the Holy Temple. In our own times, this psalm should have particular meaning for the Mystical Body of Christ is under severe siege at present.
 
The Offertory is especially apt as we place our problems of “my times...in Thy Hands.” The Collect entreats God to grant His children an increase of faith, hope and charity that “we may deserve to gain Thy promises.” The Epistle reminds us of the promise made by God to Abraham and that we are saved by God’s Graces. The Secret prepares us for the Sacrifice to come by pleading for His Mercy and requesting our prayers be answered, while the Communion is a prayer of joy for the Holy Eucharist. In the Postcommunion we request that the Sacraments bring us to Heaven, our true home.

The Mass of this Sunday recalls the great Commandment, “Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and thy neighbour as thyself.” The Jews of the time loved only other members of their race. Yet, the teachings of Christ emphasised that we must not only love our friends and family but our enemies! Without knowledge of the teachings of Jesus, how could we know that God required such a feat?

St. Paul reminds us that, with regard to God’s Law, “The letter kills , but the spirit quickens.” (Epistle). Thus, we should not pattern ourselves after those in our society who claim to be Christians but are filled with hate toward others with whom they disagree who are their enemies. In humility we should bring our “sacrifices, which we lay upon Thine altar; that they may obtain pardon for our sins.” (Penance and Holy Eucharist).

Today is Feast of St. Philip Benizi C., a Servite who later became Superior of the Order, a peacemaker, who tried to promote peace in XIII Century Italy, and was an unwilling candidate for Holy Father, who fled rather than being elected. Although not commemorated in the Mass today, under the newer rubrics, we ought to pray that the Saint intercede for peace in the world.

The theme of today’s Mass: Let your ears tune in on the Word of God speaking through His Church. Let your tongue broadcast the message of the Gospel in the “holy place” of your parish activities, in the “house” of your family, amongst the “people” of your acquaintance (Introit).

In the Epistle St. Paul relates how he received God’s Word through Divine mercy; how he then became Christ’s witness, testifying everywhere to Christ’s Resurrection which calls for our faith in His divinity. Before curing the man “deaf and dumb” Jesus took him apart. If we are to “hear”

His Voice at our Sunday Mass, we must go “apart” from the outside “multitude” of weekday distractions. Only then, like the cured deaf mute, shall we be able to return and “publish” the truth.

Realising our chronic indifference and frequenct defiance of His Word, let us cry, “O God, be not Thou silent” (Gradual) lest we shut out Thy Voice forever. The Prayer reveals how the Mercy of God is more willing to give than we are to ask or even deserve. This same Mercy will receive our offering of “His Sacrifice and ours” to “support our weakness” (Secret) and will bestow help for body and soul on receiving “His Sacrament and ours” (Postcommunion).

A commemoration of II Class Feast of St. Joachim, Father of the Most Pure Blessed Virgin Mary, is made
in the Mass and Office.

This Sunday might be regarded as “Mercy Sunday” as the liturgy shows us how humility and penitence on the part of man brings forgiveness from God.
 
Sin cuts off the flow of Divine Graces to the soul. Pride, the basis of all sin, turns us into devils. Humility makes us the friend of God again. The Introit reminds us that God hears our “voice” when we are humble.
 
The Collect reflects the sentiment that God shows “mercy and pity” in exercising His Power. It is a matter of serious reflection that the Epistle warns us that the Holy Ghost will enter only into the soul of the humble person. Rather than attempting to do things on our own, without the help of God we should implore Him to “Keep me, O Lord, as the apple of Thy eye; protect me under the shadow of Thy wings.” (Gradual).
 
The Gospel gives Our Lord’s own views on the subject of humility: “everyone who exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” With all the science of today, most people in the world live as atheists, having as Satan told Adam and Eve the attributes to “be like God, knowing good and evil,” which is only an arrogant manner of saying as Satan did “I will not serve” rather than humbling oneself and accepting the teachings of Our Lord.
 
The Offertory is our plea for God to intervene and keep our enemies at from following the teachings of Our Lord. The Secret reminds us that the gifts being offered first came from God, and that we are but returning them.
 
At Communion time we should remind ourselves of the humility of the publican so ashamed of his weakness and sinfulness. Rather than raise his eyes to Heaven he merely struck his breast and said: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” The Postcommunion reminds us that our strength comes from humble reception of the “
 
Holy Sacraments.” On the old calendar today Vigil of St. Lawrence M. was celebrated, honoring the Saint who was literally roasted for the Faith on a gridiron by his Roman captors. The Saint is a great example to Catholics today for this holy Deacon suffered and died as an inspiration for Christians.

This Sunday’s Mass emphasizes the theme that the great lesson of history is that men do not profit by its lessons.
 
The Epistle describes the history of the many evils that befell the ancient Jew after his rejection of the True God and his worship of the flesh. At the same time it comforts us that there is a distinction between temptation and sin, and that temptation is only the test of character, for “God is my helper” (Introit), Who will “save the humble people” (Offertory) that “ hopeth in Him” (Communion).
 
The Gospel depicts a pathetic picture of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. “If thou hadst known.” It tells of the Jewish defilement of God’s House, of their future destruction as a chosen race. As for me, I must learn from the Epistle, which was “written for our correction.”
 
If our prayers deserve to be heard, we must learn to “ask only for those things pleasing to God” (Prayer). We must be Christians of lively faith and learn to see “His Name in the whole earth” (Gradual), praying Him to defend us from enemies that would destroy His Name on earth or His Image in our soul. Finally, if we learn to “eat” His Flesh worthily now (Communion), we shall one day learn that His Judgments are sweet (Offertory).
 
Today is the Feast of the great St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori E. C. D., founder of the Redemptorists, who used to travel around the Church, particularly at Lent, to preach the Faith to filled churches. St. Stephen Pp. M. was Pope from 254 to 257 and fell under Emperor Valerian. He corresponded about validity of Baptism performed by heretical groups. Although not commemorated in Masses using the newer rubrics, pray to the Saints for devotion to the Faith and perseverance in the face of animosity.