Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, September 6th, 2026 (EPISODE- 601)
Readings for Sunday, September 6th, 2026 - Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A
FIRST READING: Ezek 33:7-9
Ps 95:1-2, 6-7b, 7c-9. "O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts."
SECOND READING: Rom 13:8-10
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (2 Cor 5:19). Alleluia, alleluia! God was in Christ to reconcile the world to himself; And the Good News of reconciliation he has entrusted to us.
GOSPEL: Matt 18:15-20
Image Credit: https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/sap6bC1YoBSG145fbdON?ru=Paul-Evangelion
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Please listen to the audio recordings of the Mass (Readings, prayers, and homily), for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, September 6th, 2026, by clicking this link here: https://on.soundcloud.com/ndslVyihzcrTMFemD0 (EPISODE- 601 )
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In Australia, it's Father's Day this weekend, the first Sunday of September. We give thanks today for all fathers, for their love, their care, their generosity. We pray that God grants them joy in their family and friends, and health and strength.
For all fathers who have passed into eternal life, may God give them a permanent place at the heavenly feast that never ends, for all their goodness and kindness.
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The Lord be with you.
Happy Father's Day to all our Dads in the community. May God bless you and grant you peace and joy. We also pray for all Dads who have gone before us, that they now are enjoying the peace, joy and mercy of God's Kingdom.
We come together as brothers and sisters in Christ, so let us prepare ourselves to celebrate the Sacred Mysteries by first recalling our sins and remembering Christ's greater mercy.
GOSPEL THIS WEEKEND
["'gospel' values included in the readings: "the essence of discipleship and faithfulness to God is love, that is formed from within by God's grace. It fosters loving watchfulness inside and out, and it softens the heart and saves us from ourselves, it turns us back towards each other, and facilitates understanding, healing and reconciliation. Love, not righteousness, is the key to this all]
{ Prologue -
In the letter to the Romans, this weekend we are reminded that love takes many forms. Love is faithful to its commitments and promises. It respects other people’s responsibilities. It respects life absolutely. It respects other people’s property. It loves honesty. Love respects other people’s rights and upholds them.
In fact, Saint Paul says that love lies at the heart of all the commandments—just as Our Lord first taught us.
Love is also open to resolving misunderstandings, hurt and harm. Reconciliation, understanding and forgiveness are at the very core of the Gospel—allowing God to soften our hearts.
When there is conflict or misunderstanding, things that often make the situation worse include talking to everyone except the person with whom we have the issue. There can be gossip, and a culture of festering resentment or complaint. But the Gospel teaches that there is no better way than to meet face to face. Not—Heaven forbid—by sending angry, flaming texts or emails.
Even if meeting in openness does not resolve the misunderstanding, this still must be centred in charity and love. And if things have become so tense that progress seems impossible, perhaps some independent, wise and loving hearts can help melt the impasse.
Inspired by these readings, I have a favourite saying: “If you cannot say something with love and charity, don’t say it at all, because it will do no good.”
There is a delightful twist at the end of this Gospel. All is not as it seems. If all sincere attempts to resolve the situation fail, we are told to treat the other person as a tax collector or a Gentile. But here is the catch: Our Lord shows us this does not mean we have lost the other. Tax collectors and Gentiles were among the many people Jesus reached out to—people he kept searching for to bring them into the fold. Many tax collectors and Gentiles responded positively to God’s word and became disciples of Jesus. So there is always hope: they are by no means lost to us, and we never give up on someone. Love and charity always prevail.
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All of the readings this weekend are, in fact, about the primacy of love in Christ’s vision for the Kingdom of God. Love—the way Saint Paul describes it—is the fulfilment of the law. It is the motivation behind the prophet’s words, and the driving force for the Christian community and for each member of that community to resolve misunderstandings and conflict.
In the first reading, the Lord speaks to the great prophet Ezekiel: “I have made you a sentinel… a watchman.” This is the true key to the prophet’s role. Yes, it can sound terrible that the prophet will be punished with death if they do not fulfil God’s law. But if the prophet is a sentinel and a watchman, then the vital role is actually one of love, protection and concern for the welfare of everyone.
That image reminds me of something I noticed when I visited Rome quite a few years ago. The firefighters in Rome had a wonderful name: “Vigili del Fuoco”, which in English is rather poorly translated as “firefighters” just as we use here. But that is not what the word actually means. A “firefighter” suggests someone who responds once a fire has already broken out—responding to the threat of fire after it occurs. “Vigili del Fuoco” literally means “watcher for fire”: a watchman, a sentinel—actively looking out for danger of fire, caring for the community by watching for risks and hazards, alerting people as soon as danger is seen, and acting immediately to put out the fire. Of course, firefighters do this everywhere, and they also take part in community involvement to identify risks and hazards and minimise the danger of fire.
So too with the prophets of old. They were not self-righteous, superior know-it-alls. They were sentinels—watch-persons—showing God’s love by watching for danger, alerting God’s beloved people so they could respond immediately and end the threat. They lovingly and caringly watched for dangers so they could alert people and help them get to safety swiftly.
It is an act of love and care. No wonder God was so strict with his prophets, saying: if you fail to warn them, you will suffer the same fate. In that sense, their role is like a security guard or a military watchman. If they fail to be alert, if they do not warn people when danger is near, they show a lack of concern for the people they are meant to protect. They are guilty not only of failing to warn, but also of failing to protect.
Seen in that light, we can understand God’s absolute love for his people—God’s desire that people have every opportunity to live in the light of his care and protection, and to walk in God’s ways.
God’s law of love asks all of us to be vigilant. Not only for external dangers, but also to keep watch within. Keep guard over our heart, ensuring that we love as God loves, and that our hearts do not harden into legalism, lack of compassion or mercy, or apathy. We are all sentinels—watch-persons—vigilant for any discord, hatred or inconsistency with the Gospel. And we must be vigilant within ourselves, where resentment, jealousy and desire begin—in the heart.
The essence of discipleship and faithfulness to God is love. It is a love formed from within by God’s grace. It fosters loving watchfulness inside and out, softens the heart, and saves us from ourselves. It turns us back towards one another, creating understanding, healing and reconciliation.
Love—not righteousness—is the key to all of this.
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
Bergant, D. and Fragomeni, R. (2001). Preaching the new lectionary. Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press. P. 340
Barclay, W. (2009). The gospel of Matthew. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew.
Image Credit- https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/sap6bC1YoBSG145fbdON?ru=Paul-Evangelion
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Thanks everyone and happy Father's Day again to all Fathers. I pray you have a grace-filled and compassion-filled week. The Lord be with you.
Let's bow our heads and pray for God's blessing, especially on all Fathers. God our Father, in your wisdom and love you made all things. We give thanks for and ask you to bless all Fathers.
Grant them wisdom and love to always be good Fathers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth. Grant that we, their sons and daughters, may honour them always with a spirit of profound respect.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen. And may Almighty God bless you all, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A (Sunday, September 6th, 2026) (EPISODE- 601)
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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{{peace and compassion to you}}
My brothers and sisters, to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, let us call to mind our sins.
Lord Jesus, you are the image of the unseen God: Lord, have mercy.
You are the firstborn of all creation: Christ, have mercy.
You are the head of the body, the Church: Lord, have mercy
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Ps 95:1-2, 6-7b, 7c-9. "O that today you would listen to his voice! Harden not your hearts."
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (2 Cor 5:19). Alleluia, alleluia! Let your face shine on your servant. And teach me your laws
Memorial Acclamation
3. Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free.
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PREFACE: Sundays Ordinary VI
Eucharistic Prayer III
(theme variation: 2)
(pre+post variation: v2-short)
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{Thanks for joining us for this time of prayer and reflection}
Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to the weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993) . (Sydney Australia).
Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.
- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of William John Kelly - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.
- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly.
Microphones: - Shure MV5 Digital Condenser (USB)
Editing equipment: NCH software - MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software
NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 12.44
Sound Processing: iZotope RX 7 Audio Editor
[Production - KER - 2026]
May God bless and keep you.
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