German priest reminds congregation of Great Commission

Matthew 28

18 et accedens Iesus locutus est eis dicens data est mihi omnis potestas in caelo et in terra

And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.

19 euntes ergo docete omnes gentes baptizantes eos in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti

Going therefore, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

20 docentes eos servare omnia quaecumque mandavi vobis et ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus usque ad consummationem saeculi

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.

Cologne Cathedral Provost regrets empty Churches

"The mandate is that the church should grow."

Full churches are a thing of the past in many places. Cologne Cathedral Provost Guido Assmann regrets this and calls on the faithful to resist this trend. The mandate is that the church should grow.

In his sermon at Cologne Cathedral on Sunday, Cologne Cathedral Provost and Vicar General Msgr. Guido Hoffmann lamented that "the congregation of those who celebrate Holy Mass Sunday after Sunday and thus sanctify the Lord's Day is unfortunately becoming ever smaller, at least in our latitudes."

However, today's Sunday Gospel from Luke (Luke 12:32-48) can provide some comfort, courage, and hope, Assmann said at the fairly well-attended chapter Mass. It also deals with a small congregation "that formed a minority, in an environment of people who followed other gods or who had not yet found Christ."

Now, if God clothe in this manner the grass that is to-day in the field and to-morrow is cast into the oven: how much more you, O ye of little faith?

Cathedral Provost Assmann on the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The congregation received the words of comfort, "The Kingdom of God will be given to you" – despite its small size. But Christians should not rest on this hope, Assmann said: "No, the mission is that the Church should grow, that the Kingdom of God should grow and become great, because the good news should reach all people."

Live and share the Good News

The cathedral provost called on the faithful to be vigilant and compassionate, and to walk through society with open eyes and try to help others: "I am firmly convinced that the Good News for which we live, which has been entrusted to us, can lead to a need for its place in society, in the coexistence of different people, including those with different worldviews, and is therefore good for society and for people." If this Good News is lived, the community can grow again.

Chapter Service on the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Assmann concluded with the words: "A beautiful perspective that we all have when the Lord returns: At the end of time, or when we return our own personal lives to God's hands, things will be very good. Beautiful. The Lord Jesus Christ will prepare the table for us, invite us, and give us everything we need, so that He will serve us with His love. Let us comfort ourselves with this word of comfort. But let us not rest on our laurels. Let us be vigilant. Let us keep our eyes open and use our gifts where we can use them, where they are needed. And let us be vigilant, for the Lord will return with the beautiful perspective, and then the Kingdom of God will be complete."

Source

Luke 12
32 nolite timere pusillus grex quia conplacuit Patri vestro dare vobis regnum

Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom.

33 vendite quae possidetis et date elemosynam facite vobis sacculos qui non veterescunt thesaurum non deficientem in caelis quo fur non adpropiat neque tinea corrumpit

Sell what you possess and give alms. Make to yourselves bags which grow not old, a treasure in heaven which faileth not: where no thief approacheth, nor moth corrupteth.

34 ubi enim thesaurus vester est ibi et cor vestrum erit

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

35 sint lumbi vestri praecincti et lucernae ardentes

Let your loins be girt and lamps burning in your hands.

36 et vos similes hominibus expectantibus dominum suum quando revertatur a nuptiis ut cum venerit et pulsaverit confestim aperiant ei

And you yourselves like to men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately.

37 beati servi illi quos cum venerit dominus invenerit vigilantes amen dico vobis quod praecinget se et faciet illos discumbere et transiens ministrabit illis

Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Amen I say to you that he will gird himself and make them sit down to meat and passing will minister unto them.

38 et si venerit in secunda vigilia et si in tertia vigilia venerit et ita invenerit beati sunt servi illi

And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so, blessed are those servants.

39 hoc autem scitote quia si sciret pater familias qua hora fur veniret vigilaret utique et non sineret perfodiri domum suam

But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch and would not suffer his house to be broken open.

40 et vos estote parati quia qua hora non putatis Filius hominis venit

Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not the Son of man will come.

41 ait autem ei Petrus Domine ad nos dicis hanc parabolam an et ad omnes

And Peter said to him: Lord, dost thou speak this parable to us, or likewise to all?

42 dixit autem Dominus quis putas est fidelis dispensator et prudens quem constituet dominus super familiam suam ut det illis in tempore tritici mensuram

And the Lord said: Who thinkest thou is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord setteth over his family, to give them their measure of wheat in due season?

43 beatus ille servus quem cum venerit dominus invenerit ita facientem

Blessed is that servant whom, when his lord shall come, he shall find so doing.

44 vere dico vobis quia supra omnia quae possidet constituet illum

Verily I say to you, he will set him over all that he possesseth.

45 quod si dixerit servus ille in corde suo moram facit dominus meus venire et coeperit percutere pueros et ancillas et edere et bibere et inebriari

But if that servant shall say in his heart: My Lord is long a coming; and shall begin to strike the men-servants and maid-servants, and to eat and to drink and be drunk:

46 veniet dominus servi illius in die qua non sperat et hora qua nescit et dividet eum partemque eius cum infidelibus ponet

The lord of that servant will come in the day that he hopeth not, and at the hour that he knoweth not: and shall separate him and shall appoint him his portion with unbelievers.

47 ille autem servus qui cognovit voluntatem domini sui et non praeparavit et non fecit secundum voluntatem eius vapulabit multas

And that servant, who knew the will of his lord and prepared not himself and did not according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

48 qui autem non cognovit et fecit digna plagis vapulabit paucis omni autem cui multum datum est multum quaeretur ab eo et cui commendaverunt multum plus petent ab eo

But he that knew not and did things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes. And unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom they have committed much, of him they will demand the more.

The Latin Mass proper for today gives

Luke 19 41-47

In illo témpore: Cum appropinquáret Jesus Jerúsalem, videns civitátem, flevit super illam, dicens: Quia si cognovísses et tu, et quidem in hac die tua, quæ ad pacem tibi, nunc autem abscóndita sunt ab óculis tuis. quía vénient dies in te: et circúmdabunt te inimíci tui vallo, et circúmdabunt te: et coangustábunt te úndique: et ad terram prostérnent te, et fílios tuos, qui in te sunt, et non relínquent in te lápidem super lápidem: eo quod non cognóveris tempus visitatiónis tuæ. Et ingréssus in templum, cœpit ejícere vendéntes in illo, et eméntes, dicens illis: Scriptum est: Quia domus mea domus oratiónis est. Vos autem fecístis illam spelúncam Iatrónum. Et erat docens quotídie in templo.

At that time, when Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, seeing the city, He wept over it, saying: If thou also hadst known, and that in this thy day, the things that are to thy peace: but now they are hidden from thy eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, and thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee on every side, and beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children who are in thee; and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone, because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation. And entering into the temple, He began to cast out them that sold therein, and them, that bought, saying to them: It is written, “My house is the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” And He was teaching daily in the temple.