Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, September 6th, 2026 (EPISODE- 601)​

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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Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, August 30, 2026 (EPISODE- 600)

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, August 30, 2026  (EPISODE- 600)

Readings for Sunday, August 30, 2026 - Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A
FIRST READING: Jer 20:7-9
Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9. "My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God"
SECOND READING: Rom 12:1-2
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (cf. Eph 1:17-18). Alleluia, alleluia! May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our heart. That we might see how great is the hope to which we are called.
GOSPEL: Matt 16:21-27

Image Credit: https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/OAOyLp4nM89A2hnBeoTV/jesus-and-peter-get-behind-me?ru=Paul-Evangelion  

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Please listen to the audio recordings of the Mass (Readings, prayers, and homily) for the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, August 30, 2026, by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-600-the?ref=clipboard&p=i&c=1&si=09FF0AE9DAC641D58161DB2202C8C612&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing   (EPISODE- 600)
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GOSPEL THIS WEEKEND
["' gospel' values included in the readings: the way of God's Kingdom is the way of the Cross. Allow one's mind to be transformed by God's ways, not human ones" "Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you" / "Get behind me……(says the Lord) …. The way you think is human ways, not God's way!" ]
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Faith, Hope and Love, episode 600,

The 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, year A.

 

This weekend, the great Saint Peter goes from being praised by our Lord Jesus to being sharply criticised and told, "Get back behind me." Incredible! All because Saint Peter meant well. And he did mean well; he loved our Lord, he wanted to serve him, but he didn't understand and wasn't listening to what Jesus told him that our Lord had to endure to bring the kingdom to its fullness.

 

So, Peter had to be told, " Get back behind me; don't try to lead me. It was a humbling moment, but Peter, in his humility, took that lesson, got back behind Jesus, and followed him. This weekend, we celebrate 600 episodes of this podcast.

 

This podcast predates the pandemic by several years, yet it became especially handy during it. We send this recording to parishioners and people further afield who can't join us at Mass but would still love to be as much part of the community as possible, especially if they can receive communion from communion ministers sent out from the community. They can also listen to the readings and prayers, be spiritually part of our community, and receive the weekly message, just like everyone else.

 

So, our thoughts and prayers and best wishes are for all of those who are listening near and far, and for 600 blessed episodes of the beautiful Mass that's such an honour to celebrate.

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“Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you.” (Romans 12:1–2)

“Get behind me…! The way you think is human ways, not God’s way!” (Matthew 16:21–27)

St Peter has just declared that Jesus is the Messiah—the chosen one—and the Son of God. Jesus has rewarded this God-inspired declaration by saying Peter is the rock—on which he will build his church.

Our Lord’s church is founded on the rock-solid profession of faith, first uttered by Saint Peter.

But now—astoundingly—only moments later, Jesus rebukes Peter and calls him a stumbling block.

Peter has gone from “Rock” to “Stumbling block” in seconds. How easy it is for us to go, in the space of a moment, from supporting Jesus’ vision to being an unwitting stumbling block or obstacle to the project. It is very sobering.

Our Lord’s instinctive reaction—even to one of his closest disciples—makes sense. He had been sorely tempted in the desert by the “adversary”. The temptations were persistent, but he deflected them powerfully. Then, time and time again, he had to shrug off the “all too subtle temptations” to “sell out” or “take the easy path”.

If the easy path was not so attractive, and if the thorny path was not so shocking and awful, there would have been no problem. But the right way was something no one would be happy to follow unless necessary—and the easy path is so reassuring.

Jesus has time and time again fended off the adversary’s temptations:

“Give them bread. Give them the material things they desire, and then they will follow you.”

“Give them sensations. Give them wonders, and they will follow you.”

“Never challenge them. Give them what they ask for without questioning, without moving them forward, and they will follow you.”

“Compromise with the world. Reduce your standards. Sell out—and they will follow you.”

And now—here is his friend, his devoted disciple, his rock—Peter—saying similar things. No wonder Jesus shot back that retort like an arrow shot from its bow.

Jesus has been repeatedly fending off obstacles to his true mission throughout his ministry—and this would not be the last time.

Jesus is saying to Peter—and to each of us—“Yes, you know I am the Messiah, the Christ, the chosen one. Fine. That is only the beginning. Now you must listen and learn from me what the true meaning of the Messiah is.”

Peter and the disciples grew up with a very different image of what “messiah” or “Christ” meant. To them, the Messiah was a king, a warrior—in the mould of King David—who would come with revolution and power, cast down the regimes in control, and rule God’s chosen people in a Kingdom better than the days of Solomon.

Jesus had to teach them to let go of all that. He is the Messiah—but a Messiah like nothing they had expected. (Even though this gentle, peaceful King, this suffering servant, is indeed found in the ancient scriptures, the expectation of an overwhelming warrior-king had long ago drowned out this gentler message.)

Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world. His power is the cross; his sword is his word; his weapon is love—his persuasion, his inclusion, his forgiveness, and his justice.

It is interesting, though: Jesus does not speak to Peter in the same way as he dismissed Satan in the desert. There is a big difference here.

In the desert, Jesus says to the Adversary, “Begone.” “Depart.” (The Adversary will never follow God; his pride is too overwhelming.) But to Peter, he says, “Begone, adversary. Get behind me.”

Those are two separate ideas—two different things. To the adversary he says, “Begone from me.” But to his trustworthy, loyal Peter, he says, “Get back behind me. Follow me. Learn from me. Don’t try to lead me. Don’t tell me how to do this. Become my follower again. Learn the ways of the Messiah from the Messiah—not from your own preconceptions.”

And of course, Peter does. He had got out of his place and tried to drag Jesus into a false vision of his mission. But Jesus would have none of that. Peter is a quick learner. After this rebuke, he gets back to following Jesus—walking behind him, not in front of him (not as an adversary or an obstacle).

This matters for all of us.

So often, we might do something for a good motive, but sometimes that motive may be misguided. St Peter meant well, too. He pulled Jesus aside and said, out of the sincerest concern and affection for his master: “No way! His Lord and Master—the Messiah—cannot go off and be executed in Jerusalem. This must not happen.”

Peter loved and respected his master and wanted to protect and preserve his life. He was trying to be a good friend, but he unwittingly became an obstacle to Jesus because he did not understand that Jesus’ whole mission was to sacrifice his life for the salvation of all. Our Lord had to go to Jerusalem and be handed over and sacrificed.

If anything must not happen, it is that no one is allowed to try to stop our Lord—or become an obstacle to his road to Calvary (not even Peter or any of his disciples). Anyone who promotes an easy way out or waters down the Gospel message will be nothing but a stumbling block to be gotten around.

It is helpful to remember that good intentions are not the be-all and end-all. Sometimes meaning well can defeat the purpose of what we are here for.

Any “overly helpful” disciple can fall into St Peter’s trap of thinking they are helping, when they are not really listening and learning God’s ways—unlike the ways of the world. We have a task from our Lord: to understand his mission as fully as we can. The “overly helpful” end up doing the opposite of what God is trying to achieve, despite meaning well—which is nevertheless misguided.

We must regularly read the scriptures to prevent this mistake and deepen our spiritual and scriptural understanding. And these readings we hear each weekend are so rich and full of meaning. It would be wonderful if we read over the coming weekend’s readings at least once or twice during the preceding week—and perhaps just before coming to Mass—reading the texts reflectively again before hearing them proclaimed at Mass, so as to deepen our understanding of the wonderful message and challenge of God’s Word.

Jesus puts the icing on the cake at the end of this Gospel: “Anyone who wants to follow me must ‘deny themselves’.” Jesus knows that human pride and human ego are enormous obstacles to his mission. Jesus wants to guide all his followers into a mindset that leaves behind ego, pride, and self-interest.

If we are to be always true to Jesus’ message, then we must accept a heavy—but liberating—truth: this is not about me; this is not about my needs; this is about the good news; this is about what is best for others, and for all. My comfort, my needs, my pride—me, me, me—must be left behind, so that we can follow where Jesus leads us and respond generously and compassionately to what happens.

Today’s Gospel demands deep and regular prayer, contemplation, and reflection, so that we can be a rock and not a block—and not only “mean well”, but also “achieve well”, when we act according to the Lord’s vision.

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References: 

FR. PAUL W. KELLY;  

THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE. GOSPEL OF MATTHEW. (REVISED EDITION). BY WILLIAM BARCLAY. Concepts from William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible – Matthew vol 2).

Image Credit- https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/OAOyLp4nM89A2hnBeoTV/jesus-and-peter-get-behind-me?ru=Paul-Evangelion 

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A  (Sunday, August 30, 2026) (EPISODE- 600)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (or/ The Lord be with You)
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{{gentleness and peace to you}}

Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
Lord Jesus, you have revealed yourself as the way to the Father: Lord, have mercy//You have poured out on your people the Spirit of truth: Christ, have mercy//You are the Good Shepherd, leading us to eternal life: 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 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9. "My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God"

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (cf. Eph 1:17-18). Alleluia, alleluia! Let your face shine on your servant. And teach me your laws

Memorial Acclamation
2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
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PREFACE: Sundays Ordinary V
Euch Prayer III
Communion side:

(theme variation:  1)

(Welcome cycle-   Good evening/morning.
A special Gold Coast welcome to everyone, especially visitors to this part of the world. We hope you enjoy your stay and are blessed.
Please check that your mobile devices are switched off or set to silent.
Our Presider tonight/today is Fr…………………………
Please stand as we sing our entrance hymn: "__________" *)

(pre+post variation: v1-long)
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{Thanks, everyone, and have a grace-filled and compassion-filled week.}

Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.

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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 10 Audio Editor

[Production -  KER -  2026]
May God bless and keep you.
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