_*MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD 2024.*__*TWENTY-FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B.*__*MEMORIAL OF SAINT PIO OF PIETRELCINA(PADRE PIO), Priest.*__*FIRST READING*__“The perverse man is an abomination to the Lord.”__*PROVERBS 3: 27 – 34*_My son, do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbour, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it” — when you have it with you. Do not plan evil against your neighbour who dwells trustingly beside you. Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm. Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways; for the perverse man is an abomination to the Lord, but the upright are in his confidence. The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the abode of the righteous. Towards the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he shows favour._*The Word of the Lord.*__*RESPONSORIAL PSALM*_ _Psalm 15: 2 – 3a, 3bc – 4ab, 5 (R.) 1b.__*R/. Who shall dwell on your holy mountain, O Lord?*_Whoever walks without fault; who does what is just,and speaks the truth from his heart.Who does not slander with his tongue. *R/.*Who does no wrong to a neighbour,who casts no slur on a friend,who looks with scorn on the wicked,but honours those who fear the Lord. *R/.*Who lends no money at interest,and accepts no bribes against the innocent.Such a one shall never be shaken. *R/.*_*GOSPEL ACCLAMATION*_ Matthew 5: 16Alleluia. _Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father._Alleluia._*GOSPEL*_        _Place your light on a stand that those who enter may see the light.__*LUKE 8: 16 – 18*_At that time: Jesus said to the crowds, “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light. Take heed then how you hear; for to  him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”_*The Gospel of the Lord.

*Muvhuro 23 Gunyana – September;**Kurangarira Padhire Piyo wePietieruchina Mupristi -* *Chiverengo chokutanga:* _Tsumo 3,27-34__Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mubhuku reTsumo_Mwanangu,27 Usarege kuitira munhu anokodzera kuitirwa zvakanaka kana uchizvikwanisa.28 Usati kuno mumwe wako enda zvako uzouyazve,mangwana ndozokupa, asi iwe uinacho.29 Usaronge kuitira mumwe wako zvakaipa anogara pamwechete newe achivimba newe.30 Rega kumutsana nomunhu pasina chiripo, asina chaakutadzira.31 Usaitire shanje munhu weganyavhu, usasarudze kana imwe yenzira dzake32 nokuti Tenzi anosema munhu ano mwoyo wakaipa asi munhu ari pachokwadi munhu wake wapamwoyo.33 Tenzi anoita kuti imba yomunhu wakaipa iwirwe norushambwaasi dzimba dzavakarurama anodzikomborera.34 Vanoshora, anovashorawo asi vanozvidukupisa anovaitira mwoyochena.*Shoko raTenzi.**Rwiyo rwokutsinhira:* _Nziyo 15,2-3.4.5. (D – 1)_*(D) – TENZI ndiani, angagare mutendhe renyu?*2 Munogarwa nomunhu ano upenyu huri pachokwadi, anoita zvakarurama,uye anotaura chokwadi chake chaicho chinobva mumwoyo;3 munhu asingatauri makuhwa norurimi rwake;asingaitiri mumwe wake zvakaipa; asingatauri zvakaipa zvavamwe.*(D) – TENZI ndiani, angagare mutendhe renyu?*4 Munhu anozvidza munhu akashata;asi anoremekedza vanoremekedza TENZI,anochengeta zvaanenge apika kuita, kunyange zvichirwadza.*(D) – TENZI ndiani, angagare mutendhe renyu?*5 Anokweretesa asingati akwereta ngaaise imwe mari pamusoro payo,kana kutambira chioko muhomwe chokurwisa munhu asina mhosva.Munhu anoita zvakadai haatsukunyiki.*(D) – TENZI ndiani, angagare mutendhe renyu?**Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka:* _Mateu 5,16_*Areruya, Areruya.* Chiedza chenyu ngachivhenekere vanhukuti vaone mabasa enyu akanaka,varumbidze Baba venyu vari kudenga. *Areruya.**Shoko Rakanaka:* _Ruka 8,16-18__Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa naRuka_16 Jesu akati, “Hakuna munhu anoti kana atungidza mwenje anoukwidibira nomudziyo, kana kuisa pasi pomubhedha, asi anotouisa pachidzimikiro chomwenje kuti vanopinda vaone chiedza. 17 Hapana chakavigwa chisingazoburitswa pachena, kana chii zvacho chakavanzika chisingazozivikanwa chichiiswa pachena.18 Naizvozvo chenjererai manzwiro amunoita, nokuti uyo anazvo achawedzerwa zvimwe, uye asina achatorerwa kunyange chaanofunga kuti anacho.”*Shoko Rakanaka raTenzi.

*GOSPEL REFLECTION: Growth in Understanding*_Monday, September 23, 2024__“Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.” (Luke 8:18)_Do you have much? Or little? According to Jesus’ words, if you have much, then you will receive much more; but if you have little, then you will lose even what you have. Does this seem fair?Of course, our Lord is not speaking in worldly terms. He’s not saying that if you have much money, then you will gain more, or if you are poor, then you will become poorer. Instead, Jesus is speaking about the grace that comes from understanding His holy Word. Notice that the passage above begins by saying, “Take care, then, how you hear.”To “hear” the Word of God implies that you truly receive what Jesus teaches. Hearing is not just hearing the words spoken with your ears. One early Church Father, Saint Bede, explains that truly hearing the Word of God with our minds leads us to love that Word, and loving the Word leads to understanding. This is not accomplished by an intellectual exercise alone, as if our natural gifts are the primary means by which we comprehend all that Jesus teaches. Rather, it comes through spiritual insight gained by the supernatural gift of the Spirit Who teaches us all things.If you want “more” understanding of the mysteries of God, then commit yourself to engaging the holy Scriptures with your mind. Read the Scriptures, ponder them and pray with them. It’s easy to forget that the Word of God is a Living Word. This means that when we prayerfully immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, we are prayerfully encountering God Himself. God is alive in His holy Word. We meet Him, personally, and this happens only by a special grace that we must be open to receive.The beautiful aspect of this teaching of Jesus is that the more we understand His Word by this grace, the more we will immerse ourselves in it, and it will continue to grow within us. If, however, we devote little time to engaging the Word of God in prayer, we will begin to “forget,” so to speak, the spiritual depths of the wisdom of God. We will lose the little understanding we have and when this happens, we will be prone to engaging and accepting the many confusions and deceptions alive in our world.https://youtu.be/otqLgxRUtIE?si=-Ty0yRAIUxE3t6OX*Reflect,* today, upon your practice of prayerfully meditating upon the Scriptures. If this is not your current practice, resolve to make it so. Perhaps start with one of the Gospels and commit yourself to prayerfully reading it little by little every day. The goal is not to get through the books of the Bible. The goal is to enter into each book. Every chapter and every line provides us with a depth of spiritual insight and understanding just waiting to be given and received. Commit yourself to this holy practice, and you will be amazed at the spiritual riches our Lord bestows upon you.*PRAYER:*_Living Word of God, my Lord and my King, I thank You for the way in which You come to me and all Your children through Your written Word. Fill me with a love for that Word so that I will daily engage my mind in the deep truths revealed within it. May I meet You, dear Lord, and grow in an understanding of Who You are and what You wish to reveal to me. Jesus, I trust in You.