Sunday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time
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Mass Readings
First Reading – Ex 17:8-13
In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel. Moses, therefore, said to Joshua, “Pick out certain men, and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle. I will be standing on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him: he engaged Amalek in battle after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur. As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight. Moses’ hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset. And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Responsorial Psalm – Ps 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 (R. cf. 2)
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth. R.
May He not suffer your foot to slip;
may He slumber not Who guards you:
indeed He neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the guardian of Israel. R.
The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade;
He is beside you at your right hand.
The sun shall not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night. R.
The LORD will guard you from all evil;
He will guard your life.
The LORD will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever R.
Second Reading – 2 Tm 3:14-4:2
Beloved: Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, Who will judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.
Gospel – Lk 18:1-8
Jesus told His disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'” The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of His chosen ones who call out to Him day and night? Will He be slow to answer them? I tell you, He will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”
Featured Saints
Sunday has precedence over the Optional Memorials Of: Sts. Jean de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, priests, and companions, martyrs. Eight Jesuit missionaries from France who evangelized among the native peoples of North America, particularly of the Huron tribe, and were captured, tortured and killed by the Iroquois on various dates over a seven-year period. (Memorial in US; Feast in Canada on Sept. 26) Optional Memorial of St. Paul of the Cross, priest (†1775, Rome). Mystic and founder of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ, or the Passionists. (USA: transferred to Oct. 20.)
St. Luke Alonso Gorda, priest, and Mathhew Kohioye, religious, martyrs (†1634). Intrepid Dominican preachers of the Gospel in the Philippines and in Japan, where they suffered martyrdom.
St. Varus, martyr (†307). Egyptian soldier who embraced the Faith while guarding six holy Christian monks awaiting execution, was imprisoned along with them and put to death amidst terrible tortures, in Alexandria.
St. Frideswide, virgin (†735). She left court life and founded a Convent dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Oxford, England, of which she became abbess. She is the patroness of the city of Oxford and of its university.
Blessed Thomas Helye, priest (†1257). He exercised his priestly ministry during the day and dedicated himself to prayer and penance at night, in the Diocese of Coutances, France.
Blessed George Popieluszko, priest and martyr (†1984). Priest of the Diocese of Warsaw who was killed at the age of 37 by communist agents who apprehended him on the road, beat, bound and threw him into a water reservoir to drown.
Blessed Agnes of Jesus Galand, virgin (†1634). Prioress of the Dominican Monastery of Langeac, France, she offered Christ her prayers and sufferings for the intention of the good formation of priests.
