Pope St Martin I (- 655)
He was born in Todi in Umbria and elected Pope in 649. He called a synod to combat the Monothelite heresy concerning the nature of Christ. One of the people whose teachings were condemned was supported by the Byzantine Emperor, who in 653 had Martin kidnapped from Rome, taken to Constantinople, imprisoned and eventually exiled to the Crimea, where he died on 1 September 655.
White / Red
Entrance Antiphon Rv 19: 7, 6
Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to God, for the Lord our God the Almighty reigns, alleluia.
Collect
Enable us, we pray, almighty God, to proclaim the power of the risen Lord, that we, who have received the pledge of his gift, may come to possess all he gives when it is fully revealed. 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: Acts 4:32-37
The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common. The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all given great respect. None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need. There was a Levite of Cypriot origin called Joseph whom the apostles surnamed Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). He owned a piece of land and he sold it and brought the money, and presented it to the apostles.
Psalm 92 (93):1-2, 5
R/ The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
1. The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed; the Lord has robed himself with might, he has girded himself with power.
2. The world you made firm, not to be moved; your throne has stood firm from of old. From all eternity, O Lord, you are.
3. Truly your decrees are to be trusted. Holiness is fitting to your house, O Lord, until the end of time.
Gospel Acclamation cf. Rv 1:5
Alleluia, alleluia! You, O Christ, are the faithful witness, the First-born from the dead, you have loved us and have washed away our sins with your blood Alleluia!
Gospel John 3:7-15
Jesus said to Nicodemus: ‘Do not be surprised when I say: You must be born from above. The wind blows wherever it pleases; you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.’ ‘How can that be possible?’ asked Nicodemus. ‘You, a teacher in Israel, and you do not know these things!’ replied Jesus. ‘I tell you most solemnly, we speak only about what we know and witness only to what we have seen and yet you people reject our evidence. If you do not believe me when I speak about things in this world, how are you going to believe me when I speak to you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven; and the Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that we may always find delight in these paschal mysteries, so that the renewal constantly at work within us may be the cause of our unending joy. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Lk 24: 46, 26
The Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead, and so enter into his glory, alleluia
Prayer after Communion
Hear, O Lord, our prayers, that this most holy exchange, by which you have redeemed us, may bring your help in this present life and ensure for us eternal gladness. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The first reading today tells us of the closeness and witness of the first Christian community. They had everything in common and no one was ever in want! This is awesome. What do we see in our world today? The rich get richer while the poor get poorer. We are called to a life of sharing so that no one is in need. In our comfort, we usually forget the needy. Let us imbibe the spirit of the first Christian community and become real witnesses of Christ, above all, in our actions