My mom was a daily Mass goer since her youth. She would sleep with a rosary in her hand every night. And when I was 14, she took me to a Life in the Spirit Seminar that changed the course of my life. She was our intercessor who always prayed for all our concerns.

Today, I’m a daily Mass goer. I’ve been in full-time ministry for decades. I sleep with a rosary in my hand every night. I pray for my husband’s and daughters’ concerns every day. And while my daughters do not attend  prayer meetings or serve the Lord the way I did, I’m confident they will find their own way of living out a personal relationship with Him.

Is it because godly living is contagious? It’s not, but I’d like to believe otherwise. Because the lives we live every day teach our kids—rightly or wrongly—how to live their own lives. By pointing them to Jesus, we pass down a godly inheritance they can draw from when they face their own problems. 

Rissa Singson Kawpeng (rissakawpeng@gmail.com)

reflect

“The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.” (Billy Graham)

Lord, may all those who come behind us find us faithful.

Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops, pray for us.

First Reading | 2 Timothy 1:1-8 (or Titus 1:1-5 or 2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10) 

Saint Paul sent Timothy and Titus to lead the infant churches in Crete and Ephesus. Paul subsequently writes to Timothy twice concerning his role as the leader of a church community. He also probably wrote to Titus, but the letters were not preserved. Timothy and Titus willingly gave their lives in a challenging and difficult service. Let us pray for both our clerical and lay leaders in the church as they dedicate their lives to the service of God’s Church.

¹ Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God for the promise of life in Christ Jesus, ² to Timothy, my dear child: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. ³ I am grateful to God, whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day. ⁴ I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, ⁵ as I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and that I am confident lives also in you. ⁶ For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. ⁷ For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. ⁸ So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 10 (or Psalm89:20, 21-22, 25-26)

R: Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

¹ Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord all you lands. ² Sing to the Lord; bless his name. (R) Announce his salvation, day after day. ³ Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. (R) ⁷ Give to the Lord, you families of nations, give to the Lord glory and praise; ⁸ give to the Lord the glory due his name! (R) 10 Say among the nations: The Lord is king. He has made the world firm, not to be moved; he governs the peoples with equity. (R)

Gospel | Mark 3:22-30 (or Luke 10:1-9)

Jesus reminds us that we need to be on His side in the battle against Satan. We will prevail against the enemy of humanity by being prepared and remaining vigilant. Let us be humble and take hold of the victory Jesus offers us. Humility is a key trait in the life of a disciple. We can achieve very little without relying on God’s grace for our successes.

Gospel Acclamation

Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.

²² The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” ²³ Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? ²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. ²⁷ But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. ²⁸ Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. ²⁹ But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” ³⁰ For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Reflect

“We only have one story. All novels, all poetry are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil.” (John Steinbeck)

Read the Bible in one year! Read ACTS 13 - 16 today.

Prayer for Vocations

We may not always notice it, but the truth is that there are very few priests to meet the needs of the faithful. In our own diocese, there is only one priest for every 20,000 Catholics. Not only priests, but even the number of nuns and religious workers is decreasing. Priests care for parishes, but they also oversee schools, charitable homes, and other Church institutions. How can the Church’s mission continue if there are very few workers in the Lord’s vineyard?

Saints Timothy and Titus were chosen as leaders of the early Christian communities. Though not among the original Twelve Apostles, they were appointed by Saint Paul to carry on the apostolic mission as bishops. This shows the Catholic Church’s practice of apostolic succession—passing on leadership through the laying on of hands so that the care of God’s people never stops.

While we pray for more leaders and ministers, the Church also stresses the importance of quality over quantity. Saint Paul reminds Timothy that a leader must be blameless, faithful, self-controlled, respectful, able to teach, and a good example in family life. Although priests and bishops today do not have families of their own, these qualities remain essential before someone can be ordained.

The Gospel also reminds us that besides the Twelve Apostles, Jesus sent out 72 others to help with the mission. This means that every Christian shares in this work. We are all called to be coworkers in building up the Church. Laypeople, religious, and parents all have roles in nurturing the faith in their homes and communities. By living out our responsibilities faithfully, we help plant the seeds for future priests and religious. 

Fr. Franz Dizon

reflection questions

Do you pray for more Church workers, especially priests? Do you support vocations in your family and community? If not, now is the time to start. Together, let us help grow and sustain God’s mission.

Lord, we humbly ask that You inspire many more hearts to respond to Your call, dedicating their lives to serve Your Church with faith and love. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ____________________________________________