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Sacred Heart Cathedral,New Delhi, Delhi (2026)

23/08/2026

Daily Readings
August 24, 2026, Mon
Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

Reading 1
Revelation 21:9b–14

An angel spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed – on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 145:10–11, 12–13ab, 17–18

Response: Your saints, O Lord, make known the glory of your reign.

All your works shall thank you, O Lord,
and all your faithful ones bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign,
and declare your mighty deeds.

Response: Your saints, O Lord, make known the glory of your reign.

To make known your might
to the children of men,
and the glorious splendour of your reign.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;
your rule endures for all generations.

Response: Your saints, O Lord, make known the glory of your reign.

The Lord is just in all his ways,
and holy in all his deeds.
The Lord is close to all who call him,
who call on him in truth.

Response: Your saints, O Lord, make known the glory of your reign.

Alleluia
John 1:49b
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
John 1:45–51

At that time: Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree’, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Reflection

The encounter between Nathaniel and Jesus is inspiring and teaches us lessons about faith and discipleship. Philip’s personal invitation to Nathaniel to meet Jesus changes his life. This event reminds us of our responsibility to extend invitation to others, to experience the company of Jesus. Our words and actions can have a profound impact on the faith journey of another. Jesus recognised the authenticity in Nathaniel even before he had drawn physically to Jesus. Jesus knows who we are in spite of our doubts and fears. Calling us to be closer to Him, Jesus is exhorting us to be genuine and sincere in our relationship with Him, and allow Him to transform us, thus becoming envoys of His message to make known His kingdom.

St Bartholomew,Apostle and Martyr (1st Century)

St Bartholomew, whose name means “Son of Tolmei or Talmai”, is commonly identified with Nathanael, the “Israelite without guile” (Jn 1:47), whom St Philip introduced to our Lord. Though nothing concrete is known with certainty about this Apostle, he is believed to have come from Cana in Galilee. To him goes the credit of being the first to recognize Jesus for who he was, declaring: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel!” (Jn 1:49).

He preached the faith in Arabia. According to certain traditions he was martyred by being flayed alive in Armenia before being beheaded. When Pantaenus, the teacher of Origen, was a missionary in India in the second century, he was informed that Bartholomew had been there before him and had presented the Gospel of St Matthew in Hebrew, which the Indian Church treasured.

St Bartholomew, whose relics have, for the past 1,000 years, been enshrined in the church of St Bartholomew-on-the-Tiber, in Rome, is the Patron of plasterers, tanners and butchers, and is invoked against convulsions.

Reflection: “In the world you shall have distress; but have confidence, I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33).

22/08/2026

Daily Readings
August 23, 2026, Sun
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1
Isaiah 22:19–23

Thus says the Lord to Shebna, who is over the household: “I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your station. In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honour to his father’s house.
Shared from Daily Liturgy

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 138:1–2a, 2bcd–3, 6 and 8bc

Response: O Lord, your merciful love is eternal; discard not the work of your hands.

I thank you, Lord, with all my heart;
you have heard the words of my mouth.
In the presence of the angels I praise you.
I bow down toward your holy temple.

Response: O Lord, your merciful love is eternal; discard not the work of your hands.

I give thanks to your name
for your merciful love and your faithfulness.
You have exalted your name over all.
On the day I called, you answered me;
you increased the strength of my soul.

Response: O Lord, your merciful love is eternal; discard not the work of your hands.

The Lord is high, yet he looks on the lowly,
and the haughty he knows from afar.
O Lord, your merciful love is eternal;
discard not the work of your hands.

Response: O Lord, your merciful love is eternal; discard not the work of your hands.

Reading 2
Romans 11:33–36

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counsellor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen.

Alleluia
Matthew 16:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. .

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 16:13-20

At that time: When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Shared from Daily Liturgy

Reflection

In today’s Gospel, Jesus poses two pivotal questions to His disciples: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” and “But who do you say that I am?” These questions reveal varying perceptions of His identity, leading to Peter’s profound declaration, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” This moment is significant because Peter recognises Jesus’s true identity, not from human understanding, but through revelation from God. Jesus responds by naming Peter as the rock on which He will build His Church, entrusting him with authority and the keys to the kingdom. This passage invites each of us to consider who Jesus is in our own lives. Like Peter, we are called to see Jesus not only as a historical figure but as the living Son of God who shapes our lives today. When we acknowledge Jesus as our foundation, He can transform us, guiding us to live according to God’s purpose. Through faith, we become part of the “living stones” that build up His Church, grounded in His truth and love.

St Rose of Lima, Virgin (1586 -1617)

Isabella de Florez took the name Rose Marie when she was confirmed at the age of 11 by Archbishop St Turibio. Like her role model, St Catherine of Siena, she led a rather austere life of prayer, fasting and severe mortification within her family circle, even as she helped support it through her exquisite lace and embroidery work.

In spite of a decade of family opposition and ridicule, Rose finally attained her long-desired goal of becoming a religious. As a Dominican tertiary at 20, Sister Rose of St Mary redoubled her penance — she partook of almost no food, wore an iron chain around her waist and a spiked metal crown concealed in her hair.

Our Lord revealed himself to her on numerous occasions, leaving her for hours in an ecstasy of peace and joy after she had successfully overcome diabolical temptations against purity and constancy in faith. She in turn would offer him all her mortifications in expiation for the sins and evil she saw all about her, including idolatory, and for the suffering souls in Purgatory.

“I beheld great scales in our Lord’s hands,” she once wrote, “and with minute care he distributed among the souls as many blessings as he had loaded them with affliction. You must know that in the true scales of Paradise grace corresponds to tribulation! No one would complain about the weight of his cross, if he knew of the scales in which it has been weighed!”

Beatified in 1668, Clare was canonized in 1671—the first American-born saint!

Reflection: “Contradictions bring us to the foot of the Cross, and the Cross to the gate of heaven” (St John B.M. Vianney).

22/08/2026

MASS SCHEDULE FROM 23.08.2026 TO 29.08.2026.

21/08/2026

Daily Readings
August 22, 2026, Saturday
Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Reading 1
Isaiah 9:2–7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 113:1b–2, 3–8

Response: May the name of the Lord be blest forevermore.

Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord!
May the name of the Lord be blest
both now and forevermore!

Response: May the name of the Lord be blest forevermore.

From the rising of the sun to its setting,
praised be the name of the Lord!
High above all nations is the Lord,
above the heavens his glory.

Response: May the name of the Lord be blest forevermore.

Who is like the Lord, our God,
who dwells on high,
who lowers himself to look down
upon heaven and earth?

Response: May the name of the Lord be blest forevermore.

From the dust he lifts up the lowly,
from the ash heap he raises the poor,
to set them in the company of princes,
yes, with the princes of his people.

Response: May the name of the Lord be blest forevermore.

Alleluia
See Luke 1:28
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; Blessed are you among women.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Luke 1:26–38

At that time: The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Reflection

The Feast of the Queenship of Mary invites us to honour Mary as both the humble servant of the Lord and the Queen Mother who reigns with her Son in heaven. As Queen, Mary intercedes for us, guiding us closer to Jesus with a mother’s love. Her queenship isn’t one of power but of compassion, humility, and devotion to God’s will. She models for us a life of surrender and faithfulness, embodying what it means to live fully for God and others. In honouring her as Queen, we recognise the beauty of a life given to God and trust in her maternal care to lead us in our own journey of faith, hope, and love.

Queenship of Mary (1955)

From the earliest centuries of the Church, Christians have addressed fervent prayers and hymns of praise to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Because of her eminence, Christians have always acknowledged the royal excellence of the Mother of God whose Son “will reign in the house of Jacob forever” (Lk 1:32).

From the testimonies of the Fathers, theologians concluded that the Blessed Virgin is Queen of all creation, Sovereign Mistress of all humankind. “Since the great Virgin Mary was raised to the dignity of Mother of the King of Kings, the Church justly honours her, and wishes that she be honoured with the glorious title of Queen,” says Saint Alphonsus de Liguori.

Proposing the traditional doctrine on the Queenship of Mary, Pope Pius XII says in his encyclical Ad Coeli Reginam: “We commend that on the festival there be renewed the consecration of the human race to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Upon this there is founded a great hope that there may arise an era of happiness that will rejoice in the triumph of religion and in Christian peace.

“Therefore, let all approach with greater confidence more than before, the throne of mercy and grace of our Queen and Mother to beg help in difficulty, light in darkness and solace in trouble and sorrow; and let them strive to free themselves from the servitude of sin....”

Reflection: “Mary’s conformity to the will of God was total. Mary enjoys God. She ... has a very special place in paradise: more perfect than that of the other saints because she is the Queen” (Blessed James Alberione).

21/08/2026

Daily Readings
August 21, 2026
Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope

Reading 1
Ezekiel 37:1–14

In those days: The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, “Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 107:2–3, 4–5, 6–7, 8–9

Response: O give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his mercy endures forever!

Let the redeemed of the Lord say this,
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
and gathered from far-off lands,
from east and west, north and south.

Response: O give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his mercy endures forever!

They wandered in a barren desert,
finding no way to a city they could dwell in.
Hungry they were and thirsty;
their soul was fainting within them.

Response: O give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his mercy endures forever!

Then they cried to the Lord in their need,
and he rescued them from their distress,
and he guided them along a straight path,
to reach a city they could dwell in.

Response: O give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his mercy endures forever!

Let them thank the Lord for his mercy,
his wonders for the children of men;
for he satisfies the thirsty soul,
and the hungry he fills with good things.

Response: O give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his mercy endures forever!

Alleluia
Psalm 25:4b, 5a
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Teach me your paths, O Lord. Guide me in your truth

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 22:34–40

At that time: When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Reflection

Jesus sums up all the commandments with two fundamental calls: to love God wholeheartedly and to love one’s neighbour as oneself. These commandments are the foundation of a life rooted in God. Loving God fully means prioritising Him in every action, while loving our neighbour reflects that love in practical ways. This dual commandment challenges us to move beyond superficial practices and live a life that embodies compassion, kindness, and humility. By loving in this way, we bring God’s kingdom into our lives and communities. St Pius X, whose feast we celebrate today, reminds us to “restore all things in Christ” because true restoration and peace are found only when we embrace love as the law that fulfils all others.

St Pius X, Pope, Confessor (1835-1914)

“To restore all things to Christ, in order that Christ may be all in all” was the motto of this 258th successor of Peter. And succeed in his endeavour he certainly did! For there was no aspect of the Church in which he did not enter, to discern, direct, determine, relaunch — the Liturgy, the Sacraments, catechesis, homiletics, Biblical study, Canon Law, sacred art and music, the social apostolate, priestly formation, matters ecclesiastical - whatever!

Born Giuseppe Melchiore Sarto in the diocese of Treviso, Italy, Pius X was the epitome of simplicity and humility, yet firm and decisive. His extraordinary intellectual endowments, high moral character, and solid piety evidenced from early youth, won him laurels during his seminary training at Padua—“in discipline second to none, of greatest ability, endowed with a very good memory and most promising”.

Ordained priest in 1858, he was consecrated Bishop of Mantua in 1884, created Cardinal in 1893 and made Patriarch of Venice three days later. Noted for his charity, he took the keenest interest in the fate of the working classes and was thus instrumental in drawing away many workers from the atheistic Socialist Trade Union.

Elected Pope 1903, his very first encyclical, E Supremi Apostolatus Cathedra, together with his allocution to the Sacred College of Cardinals set the tone for his pontificate.

The hostilities of World War I having saddened him to death in 1914, he was beatified in1951 and canonized in 1954.

Reflection: “Experience teaches that the man who exercises a frequent and rigid censorship over his thoughts, words and actions, is better capable of hating and avoiding evil and of cultivating earnestly what is good” (Pope St Pius X).

19/08/2026

Daily Readings
August 20, 2026
Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

Reading 1
Ezekiel 36:23–28

Thus says the Lord: I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 51:12–15, 18–19

Response: I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses.

Create a pure heart for me, O God;
renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence;
take not your holy spirit from me.

Response: I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses.

Restore in me the joy of your salvation;
sustain in me a willing spirit.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
that sinners may return to you.

Response: I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses.

For in sacrifice you take no delight;
burnt offering from me
would not please you.
My sacrifice to God, a broken spirit:
a broken and humbled heart,
O God, you will not spurn.

Response: I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses.

Alleluia
Psalm 95:8
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Today, harden not your hearts, but listen to the voice of the Lord.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 22:1–14

At that time: Again Jesus spoke to chief priests and elders of the people, in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Reflection

God invites everyone to the royal banquet of His Kingdom, seeking those deemed worthy to attend. The Lord finds them on the roadside – the outcasts, the marginalised, and the poor. In Jesus’ time, the Pharisees shunned tax collectors and sinners, yet these “sinners” accepted Jesus before the self-righteous Pharisees did. Today, the educated and financially secure often overlook the Gospel, while the humble embrace it eagerly. Let us accept the merciful Lord’s invitation by living according to His commands. May we be clothed in the righteousness of Christ, shining brightly in the world and inviting others to experience the joy of God’s Kingdom.

St Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot, Confessor, Doctor of the Church (1091-1153)

St Bernard came from one of the leading noble families of Burgundy (France). Raised in piety by his mother, he decided at 22 to give up his knightly career and become a monk. His great persuasive powers were already evident when, in 1113, seeking admission from St Stephen Harding to the Cistercian monastery of Citeaux, he brought along 30 like-minded companions, including his widower father, an uncle and four brothers!

Bernard’s spiritual progress in the monastery was rapid, and after barely three years he was placed at the head of a group of 12 monks who were to establish a new foundation at Clairvaux, whose name meant “Valley of light”. And at this place a new light emanated from his personal magnetism, enthusiastic love of God, mildness and purity, all of which, combined with courageous zeal, attracted large numbers of men from the most diverse walks of life, including a king’s son, to the austerity of monastic life.

Bernard, a man of outstanding erudition, was, on account of his intellectual and persuasive powers, naturally drawn into every ecclesiastical controversy, ably exposing the fallacies in Abelard’s teaching which exalted human reason and rationalism. He wrote his much esteemed “Book of Considerations” to stress the need of personal sanctity in the visible Head of the Church, all temporal matters being secondary.

Bernard was canonized in 1174 and declared Doctor of the Church in 1830.

Reflection: “A person who prays carelessly, and yet expects his prayers to be heard, is like a man who pours bad grains into a mill, but expects to receive good flour in return” (St Bernard).

18/08/2026

Daily Readings
August 19, 2026
Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1
Ezekiel 34:1–11

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, “Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them. Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them. For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.’”

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 23:1–3a, 3b–4, 5, 6

Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me; he revives my soul.

Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path,
for the sake of his name.
Though I should walk in the valley of the shadow of death,
no evil would I fear, for you are with me.
Your crook and your staff will give me comfort.

Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a table before me in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.

Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for length of days unending.

Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Alleluia
Hebrews 4:12
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The word of God is living and active, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Matthew 20:1–16a

At that time: Jesus told his disciples this parable: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market-place, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the labourers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first.

Reflection

In the parable of the workers in the vineyard, Jesus illustrates a divine perspective on fairness that challenges our human ideas of merit and reward. The master’s decision to pay all workers equally, regardless of when they began, reveals a truth about God’s love: it is not based on our achievements or the time we invest, but on His generosity and grace. Those who arrived early felt it was unfair, but Jesus invites us to see that God’s love and mercy are extended to all – early and latecomers alike. This parable teaches us that God’s kingdom operates on grace rather than human notions of fairness. Rather than comparing ourselves with others, we are called to rejoice in God’s boundless generosity, recognising that His love is a gift freely given to all who seek Him, regardless of when they come.

St John Eudes Confessor, Father, Doctor of the Church (1601-1680)

A native of Normandy (France), John Eudes took a vow of chastity at 14 and after a brilliant stint of studies under the Jesuits at Caen, entered the French Oratory of Cardinal Berulle. Ordained at 24, he proved to be the most prodigious missionary priest France had seen since the days of St Vincent Ferrer, “the prodigy of his age”.

In 1643, with the approval of Cardinal Richelieu, John Eudes left the Oratory and founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary for priests, to further their sanctification and to give popular missions. The seminaries conducted by his “Eudists” were a great aid in overcoming Jansenism, stressing as they did the true doctrine of God’s infinite compassion for humankind.

When, for a while, he was forbidden to preach and to hear confessions, he devoted his efforts to ascetical writing and to spreading devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, their feasts being first celebrated in 1672 and 1648 respectively, with a Mass and proper office specially composed by him. The Society of the Heart of the Most Admirable Mother founded by him is a kind of Third Order.

Born on 14 November 1601, John Eudes died on 19 August 1680. At his beatification in 1909, he was proclaimed “father, doctor, and apostle of the liturgical cults of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary” by Pope Pius X. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI on 31 May 1925.

Reflection: “Our wish, our object, our chief preoccupation must be to form Jesus in ourselves, to make his spirit, his devotion, his affections, his desires and his disposition live and reign there” (St John Eudes).

Sacred Heart Cathedral,New Delhi

23/08/2026

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