SUNDAY 19 JANUARY 2020

by | Jan 18, 2020 | Evangelium

sunday 19 JANUARY 2020

 

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Psalter II

Green

 

 

Entrance Antiphon Ps 65: 4

All the earth shall bow down before you, O God, and shall sing to you, shall sing to your name, O Most High!

 

Collect

Almighty ever-living God, who govern all things, both in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the pleading of your people and bestow your peace in our times. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

 

First reading: Isaiah 49:3,5-6

The Lord said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, in whom I shall be glorified’; I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord, my God was my strength. And now the Lord has spoken, he who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, to gather Israel to him: ‘It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’

 

Psalm 39(40):2,4,7-10

R/  Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.

 

  1. I waited, I waited for the Lord and he stooped down to me; he heard my cry. He put a new song into my mouth, praise of our God.
  2. You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings, but an open ear. You do not ask for holocaust and victim. Instead, here am I.
  3. In the scroll of the book it stands written that I should do your will. My God, I delight in your law in the depth of my heart.
  4. Your justice I have proclaimed in the great assembly. My lips I have not sealed; you know it, O Lord.

 

Second reading: 1 Corinthians 1:1-3

I, Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle, together with brother Sosthenes, send greetings to the church of God in Corinth, to the holy people of Jesus Christ, who are called to take their place among all the saints everywhere who pray to our Lord Jesus Christ; for he is their Lord no less than ours. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send you grace and peace.

 

Gospel Acclamation: cf. Lk 19:38,2:14

Alleluia, alleluia! Blessings on the King who comes, in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heavens! Alleluia!

 

Gospel: John 1:29-34

Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.’ John also declared, ‘I saw the Spirit coming down on him from heaven like a dove and resting on him. I did not know him myself, but he who sent me to baptise with water had said to me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.” Yes, I have seen and I am the witness that he is the Chosen One of God.’

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Grant us, O Lord, we pray, that we may participate worthily in these mysteries, for whenever the memorial of this sacrifice is celebrated, the work of our redemption is accomplished. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon Cf. Ps 22: 5

You have prepared a table before me, and how precious is the chalice that quenches my thirst.

 

Prayer after Communion

Pour on us, O Lord, the Spirit of your love, and in your kindness, make those you have nourished by this one heavenly Bread, one in mind and heart. Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

 

Meditation

Pope Saint Paul VI is known for this powerful sentence: “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses”. (Evangelii Nuntiandae 41). Witness comes from the Greek word for martyr, (martus). Being a true disciple of Christ entails being a good witness. A witness sees, knows, stands up and speaks for others.  A witness will defend a person wrongly accused.  He speaks from his own experience of the person.  We too should be ready to speak for Christ.  In fact, a Christian is someone like John the Baptist:  he helps others to see who Jesus is.  How can we do this? By the kind of life we live.  Our life can become a light for others.  They can see Christ in us.  Our life will remind them of Christ.