This Week
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
2/8/2026
August is the month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
‘And they all ate and were satisfied’
Dear Parishioners,
This holiday month of August gives us a little time to take stock and consider our lives in the light of the Holy Spirit. We might well ask for the grace to use our leisure time well, not merely in idleness but in contemplation, prayer and gratitude.
The Gospel reading for the first Sunday of August (Matthew 14:13-21) is the feeding of the five thousand. The context is vital. Jesus has compassion on the great crowd and heals their sick. The Eucharist (of which this banquet in the wilderness is a foreshadowing) is a gift which displays the divine compassion and which brings healing and salvation.
Each time we attend Mass, and receive the wonderful gift of Holy Communion, we are being asked to believe and trust in its healing and transformative power.
At the same time, notice how the Lord involves his disciples in the preparations for the miracle and in the distribution of its fruits.
This, again, is far from incidental. We are
active participants in the celebration of Mass.
Yes, many of us will read, serve, sing and act as Extraordinary Ministers, but for each one of us there is a role to play. The role is that of a faithful, believing disciple who witnesses the miracle once more—the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This leads me to remind each of us about due respect for, and devotion towards, the Blessed Sacrament. When we enter church what is our first action? Our attention is to be solely on the tabernacle and on the Lord who dwells in that place. And when we prepare for Mass, do we pray for the right and proper disposition?
When we receive Our Lord in Holy Communion, are we recollected and conscious of what we are about to be given? And the manner in which we receive indicates our attitude and mind set. Please say ’Amen’ when the minister presents the Body of Christ. Please consume with devotion, respect and in the sight of the minister. All of this indicates our great love for the Blessed Sacrament.
Father Daniel
Readings at Mass Today
First Reading
Psalm
Second Reading
Gospel
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