September 6, 2020
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Life in community is a precious thing, but it easily breaks down if rumors and idle talk are given free rein. Nevertheless, conflict is part of relationships and life together. Jesus’ words in today’s gospel are often used in situations having to do with church discipline. The prophet Ezekiel tells of warning the wicked to turn from their ways, and Paul reminds us that love is the fulfilling of the law. We gather in the name of Christ, assured that He is present among us with gifts of peace and reconciliation.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Almighty and eternal God, You know our problems and our weaknesses better than we ourselves. In Your love and by Your power help us in our confusion and, in spite of our weakness, make us firm in faith; through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Ezekiel 33:7-11
Psalm 119:33-40
Romans 13:8-14
Matthew 18:15-20
Festivals and Commemorations this week
The faithful are remembered on the day of their death, the day they are born anew in heaven. The "c" indicates an approximate date.
September 9 Peter Claver, priest, missionary to Colombia, 1654
Peter Claver was born into Spanish nobility and was persuaded to become a Jesuit missionary. He served in Cartagena (in what is now Colombia) by teaching and caring for the slaves. The slaves arrived in ships, where they had been confined in dehumanizing conditions. Claver met and supplied them with medicine, food, clothing, and brandy. He learned their dialects and taught them Christianity. He called himself “the slave of the slaves forever.” Claver also ministered to the locals of Cartagena who were in prison and facing death.
Claver’s advocacy on behalf of the rights of slaves is a witness to a gospel that is for all people. Pray for contemporary ministries and for persons who offer care and compassion to people living in substandard living conditions.