" O God, be merciful to me, a sinner." 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18

The Lord is judge and shows no partiality. He will not disadvantage the poor, he who hears the prayer of the oppressed. He does not disdain the plea of the orphan, nor the complaint of the widow.

The one who serves God whole­­­heartedly will be heard; his petition will reach the clouds. The prayer of the humble person pierces the clouds, and he is not consoled until he has been heard. His prayer will not cease until the Most High has looked down, until justice has been done in favor of the righteous.

Ps 34:2-3, 17-18,19-23

The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

 ＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

 As for me, I am already poured out as a libation, and the moment of my departure has come.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is laid up for me the crown of righteous­ness with which the Lord, the just judge, will reward me on that day; and not only me, but all those who have longed for his glorious coming.

At my first hearing in court no one supported me; all deserted me. May the Lord not hold it against them. But the Lord was at my side, giving me strength to proclaim the Word fully, and let all the pagans hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will save me from all evil, bringing me to his heavenly kingdom. Glory to him for ever and ever. Amen!

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊      

Luke 18:9-14

Jesus told another parable to some per­sons fully convinced of their own righteous­ness, who looked down on others, “Two men went up to the Temple to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by him­self and said: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people, grasping, crooked, adulterous, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give the tenth of all my income to the Temple.’

 In the meantime the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast saying: ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’

 I tell you, when this man went back to his house, he had been reconciled

with God, but not the other. For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised up.”

Gospel Reflection：

Prayer of the Humble

Read: The book of Sirach declares that whereas God is impartial, the prayers of the humble have a way of claiming God’s attention. Paul declares that he has fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith; and God will reward him. Through the parable on prayer, Jesus declares that God hears the prayer of the humble.

Reflect: The Pharisee’s prayer is one of comparative triumphalism. His prayer was not heard, because his was not a prayer; but a self-parading. In contrast, the tax collector presents himself before God with a sense of embarrassment. Beating his breast, he acknowledges his sinfulness and pleads for mercy. His was a true prayer and hence, was heard. Listening to Paul’s words (second reading), one might wonder if he isn’t doing a Pharisee, boasting of himself. Not so, because, Paul goes on to state that all of them was possible because “the Lord was at my side, giving me strength.” Thus, essentially, his boasting is a boasting in the Lord(cf. 1 Cor. 1:31). Delighting in God’s doing in us is an act of humility as well – as we see in Mary’s Magnificat.

Pray: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me” (‘Jesus Prayer’)

Act: Make a good confession this week.

                                                                                                                                          "  Increase our faith."

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊ 

Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4

Yahweh, how long will I cry for help

" Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. 

God is merciful and will hear your prayer. "

 ~~~   ST. PIO OF PIETRELCINA   ~~~

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊ 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

 There is a given time for everything

＊＊＊ 讀經一 ＊＊＊  

 格前 15:35-37, 42-49

弟兄們：有人會說：死人將怎樣復活呢？他們將帶著什麼樣的身體回來呢？糊塗人啊！你所播的種子若不先死了，決不得生出來；並且你所播種的，並不是那將要生出的形體，而是一顆赤裸的籽粒，譬如一顆麥粒，或者別的種粒。

死人的復活也是這樣：播種的是可朽壞的，復活起來的是不可朽壞的；播種的是可羞辱的，復活起來的是光榮的；播種的是軟弱的，復活起來的是強健的；播種的是屬生靈的身體，復活起來的是屬神的身體；既有屬生靈的身體，也就有屬神的身體。

經上也這樣記載說：「第一個人亞當成了生靈」，最後的亞當成了使人生活的神。但屬神的不是在先，而是屬生靈的，然後才是屬神的。第一個人出於地，屬於土，第二個人出於天。那屬於土的怎樣，凡屬於土的也怎樣；那屬於天上的怎樣，凡屬於天上的也怎樣。我們怎樣帶了那屬於土的肖像，也要怎樣帶那屬於天上的肖像。

詠 55 我要在天主面前，生活在光明的人世間。

＊＊＊ 福  音 ＊＊＊

路8:4-15

那時，有一大批群眾聚集起來，人們從各城來到耶穌那裡，祂便講比喻說：「有一個撒種的人出去撒他的種子，他撒的時候，有些落在石頭地上，一長大就枯了，因為沒有水分；有些落在荊棘裡，荊棘與它一同長大就把它窒息了；還有些落在好土地裡，成長起來，收穫一百倍。」祂說了這些話，就大聲說：「有耳能聽的，聽吧！」當祂的門徒問祂這個比喻的意思時，祂說：「天主國的奧秘已給了你們知道，但對於其他人只用比喻，使『他們看了卻看不見，聽了也不領悟。』這比喻的意思是：種子是天主的話，那些落在路旁的，是指人們聆聽了，邪魔就來把這話從他們心裡奪去，免得他們相信而得救。那在石地上的，是指人們聽了這話，就」高興的接受，但這些人没有根，只是暫時相信，在考驗的時刻便跌倒放棄。那落在荊棘裡的，是指人們聽了，卻在他們的路上被憂慮、錢財和生活的享樂所窒息，結不出成熟的果實來。至於那在好土地裡的，是指人們聆聽了這話，就用良善和美好的心持守這話，恆心堅忍，結出了果實。」

福音反省：

耶穌將撒種的比喻做了最後的詮釋，再次提醒我們，為了使天主聖言在我們心田中多結果實，我們必須要善加看管這塊田地，不讓任何負面因素影響收成。耶穌提到的影響因素，有外在因素，也有內在因素。我們更應該警惕的是內在因素，例如「沒有根」、「放棄」、「迷戀財富」等等。因為沒有「內因」的配合，「外因」所導致的結果無論好壞，總是有限的。我們每天的祈禱、默觀、內省、愛德等神功，就是培育「內因」必不可少的方法。這樣的培育過程絕不能流於形式，更不可避重就輕，必須像耶穌所說的那樣，「以美好和慷慨的心持守」、「恒心堅忍」。