by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Nov 27, 2022 | Evangelium
Monday 28 th november 2022
St. Catherine Laboure
St. Catherine Laboure, a virgin, was born on May 2, 1806. At an early age she entered the community of the Daughters of Charity in France. Three times in 1830 the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Catherine Laboure, who then was a twenty-four year old novice. She died in 1876.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Jer 31: 10; Is 35: 4
Hear the word of the Lord, O nations; declare it to the distant lands: Behold, our Saviour will come; you need no longer fear.
Collect
Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God, as we await the advent of Christ your Son, so that, when he comes and knocks, he may find us watchful in prayer and exultant in his praise. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Isaiah 4:2-6
That day, the branch of the Lord shall be beauty and glory, and the fruit of the earth shall be the pride and adornment of Israel’s survivors. Those who are left of Zion and remain of Jerusalem shall be called holy and those left in Jerusalem, noted down for survival. When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughter of Zion and cleansed Jerusalem of the blood shed in her with the blast of judgement and the blast of destruction, the Lord will come and rest on the whole stretch of Mount Zion and on those who are gathered there, a cloud by day, and smoke, and by night the brightness of a flaring fire. For, over all, the glory of the Lord will be a canopy and a tent to give shade by day from the heat, refuge and shelter from the storm and the rain.
Psalm 121(122):1-2,4-5,6-9
R/ I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
- I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’ And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
- It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. For Israel’s law it is, there to praise the Lord’s name. There were set the thrones of judgement of the house of David.
- For the peace of Jerusalem pray: ‘Peace be to your homes! May peace reign in your walls, in your palaces, peace!’
- For love of my brethren and friends I say: ‘Peace upon you!’ For love of the house of the Lord I will ask for your good.
Gospel Acclamation : cf.Ps79:4
Alleluia, alleluia! God of hosts, bring us back: let your face shine on us and we shall be saved. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 8:5-11
When Jesus went into Capernaum a centurion came up and pleaded with him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘my servant is lying at home paralysed, and in great pain.’ ‘I will come myself and cure him’ said Jesus. The centurion replied, ‘Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my servant will be cured. For I am under authority myself, and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man: Go, and he goes; to another: Come here, and he comes; to my servant: Do this, and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those following him, ‘I tell you solemnly, nowhere in Israel have I found faith like this. And I tell you that many will come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, we pray, O Lord, these offerings we make, gathered from among your gifts to us, and may what you grant us to celebrate devoutly here below gain for us the prize of eternal redemption. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Ps 105: 4-5; Is 38: 3
Come, O Lord, visit us in peace, that we may rejoice before you with a blameless heart.
Prayer after Communion
May these mysteries, O Lord, in which we have participated, profit us, we pray, for even now, as we walk amid passing things, you teach us by them to love the things of heaven and hold fast to what endures. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The vision of prophet Isaiah seems quite unreal; yet, it is a vision which is fulfilled in the person of the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah speaks of peace and reconciliation amongst nations. He uses powerful and beautiful imagery to depict it: “They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks.” The quest for world peace and reconciliation remains illusory even with the foundation of such world bodies as the United Nations and the Commonwealth. World peace becomes possible only when nations subject themselves to the teachings of God’s laws and walk in his paths. Jesus in the Gospel text extols the faith of the centurion, a non-Jew, from the pagan territory of Capernaum. It is faith in God that brings us lasting peace of mind and body.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Nov 26, 2022 | Evangelium
Sunday 27 th november 2022
1st Sunday of Advent ,
Psalter I
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 24: 1-3
To you, I lift up my soul, O my God. In you, I have trusted; let me not be put to shame. Nor let my enemies exult over me; and let none who hope in you be put to shame.
Collect
Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom. 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 2:1-5
The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In the days to come shall tower above the mountains and be lifted higher than the hills. All the nations will stream to it, peoples without number will come to it; and they will say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob that he may teach us his ways so that we may walk in his paths; since the Law will go out from Zion, and the oracle of the Lord from Jerusalem.’ He will wield authority over the nations and adjudicate between many peoples; these will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles. Nation will not lift sword against nation, there will be no more training for war. O House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Psalm 121(122):1-2,4-5,6-9
R/ I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
- I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’ And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
- It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. For Israel’s law it is, there to praise the Lord’s name. There were set the thrones of judgement of the house of David.
- For the peace of Jerusalem pray: ‘Peace be to your homes! May peace reign in your walls, in your palaces, peace!’ For love of my brethren and friends I say: ‘Peace upon you!’ For love of the house of the Lord I will ask for your good.
Second reading : Romans 13:11-14
You know ‘the time’ has come: you must wake up now: our salvation is even nearer than it was when we were converted. The night is almost over, it will be daylight soon – let us give up all the things we prefer to do under cover of the dark; let us arm ourselves and appear in the light. Let us live decently as people do in the daytime: no drunken orgies, no promiscuity or licentiousness, and no wrangling or jealousy. Let your armour be the Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel Acclamation : Ps84:8
Alleluia, alleluia! Let us see, O Lord, your mercy and give us your saving help. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 24:37-44
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it be when the Son of Man comes. For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept all away. It will be like this when the Son of Man comes. Then of two men in the fields one is taken, one left; of two women at the millstone grinding, one is taken, one left. ‘So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, we pray, O Lord, these offerings we make, gathered from among your gifts to us, and may what you grant us to celebrate devoutly here below gain for us the prize of eternal redemption. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Ps 84: 13
The Lord will bestow his bounty, and our earth shall yield its increase.
Prayer after Communion
May these mysteries, O Lord, in which we have participated, profit us, we pray, for even now, as we walk amid passing things, you teach us by them to love the things of heaven and hold fast to what endures. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The English word “Advent” is a derivation from the Latin “adventus” which means “coming”. It is also a translation of the Greek Parousia, normally used in reference to the second coming of Christ. It is for us Christians a season of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas. The season of Advent serves us as a reminder of the original waiting of the Jews for the birth of their Messiah, as well as the Christian celebration of Jesus’ first coming and awaiting of his return. In between these two comings is also the encounter with the risen Jesus in the Word, in thet sacraments and in one another. The prophet Isaiah and the evangelist Matthew are our main guides through this period. They call us to a life of watchfulness.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Nov 26, 2022 | Agenda Biblique
Dimanche 27 novembre 2022
1ère Dimanche de l’Avent
Psautier I
Antienne d’ouverture : Ps 24, 1-3
Vers toi, Seigneur, j’élève mon âme. Mon Dieu, je compte sur toi; je n’aurai pas à en rougir. De ceux qui t’attendent, aucun n’est déçu.
Prière d’ouverture
Donne à tes fidèles, Dieu tout-puissant, d’aller avec courage sur les chemins de la justice à la rencontre du Seigneur, Pour qu’ils soient appelés, lors du jugement, à entrer en possession du royaume des cieux. Par Jésus Christ, ton Fils, notre Seigneur et notre Dieu, qui règne avec toi et le Saint-Esprit, maintenant et pour les siècles des siècles. Amen.
1ère lecture : Is 2, 1-5
Parole d’Isaïe, – ce qu’il a vu au sujet de Juda et de Jérusalem. Il arrivera dans les derniers jours que la montagne de la maison du Seigneur se tiendra plus haut que les monts, s’élèvera au-dessus des collines. Vers elle afflueront toutes les nations et viendront des peuples nombreux. Ils diront : « Venez ! montons à la montagne du Seigneur, à la maison du Dieu de Jacob ! Qu’il nous enseigne ses chemins, et nous irons par ses sentiers. » Oui, la loi sortira de Sion, et de Jérusalem, la parole du Seigneur. Il sera juge entre les nations et l’arbitre de peuples nombreux. De leurs épées, ils forgeront des socs, et de leurs lances, des faucilles. Jamais nation contre nation ne lèvera l’épée ; ils n’apprendront plus la guerre. Venez, maison de Jacob ! Marchons à la lumière du Seigneur.
Psaume : 121 (122), 1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9
R/ Dans la joie, nous irons à la maison du Seigneur. (cf. Ps 121, 1)
- Quelle joie quand on m’a dit: « Nous irons à la maison du Seigneur!» Maintenant notre marche prend fin devant tes portes, Jérusalem !
- Jérusalem, te voici dans tes murs : ville où tout ensemble ne fait qu’un! C’est là que montent les tribus, les tribus du Seigneur.
- C’est là qu’Israël doit rendre grâce au nom du Seigneur. C’est là le siège du droit, le siège de la maison de David.
- Appelez le bonheur sur Jérusalem: «Paix à ceux qui t’aiment ! Que la paix règne dans tes murs, le bonheur dans tes palais! »
- À cause de mes frères et de mes proches, je dirai : « Paix sur toi ! » À cause de la maison du Seigneur notre Dieu, je désire ton bien.
2ème lecture : Rm 13, 11-14a
Frères, vous le savez : c’est le moment, l’heure est déjà venue de sortir de votre sommeil. Car le salut est plus près de nous maintenant qu’à l’époque où nous sommes devenus croyants. La nuit est bientôt finie, le jour est tout proche. Rejetons les œuvres des ténèbres, revêtons-nous des armes de la lumière. Conduisons-nous honnêtement, comme on le fait en plein jour, sans orgies ni beuveries, sans luxure ni débauches, sans rivalité ni jalousie, mais revêtez-vous du Seigneur Jésus Christ.
Acclamation
Alléluia. Alléluia Fais-nous voir, Seigneur, ton amour, et donne-nous ton salut. Alléluia. (Ps 84, 8)
Évangile : Mt 24, 37-44
En ce temps-là, Jésus disait à ses disciples: « Comme il en fut aux jours de Noé, ainsi en sera-t-il lors de la venue du Fils de l’homme. En ces jours-là, avant le déluge, on mangeait et on buvait, on prenait femme et on prenait mari, jusqu’au jour où Noé entra dans l’arche ; les gens ne se sont doutés de rien, jusqu’à ce que survienne le déluge qui les a tous engloutis : telle sera aussi la venue du Fils de l’homme. Alors deux hommes seront aux champs : l’un sera pris, l’autre laissé. Deux femmes seront au moulin en train de moudre : l’une sera prise, l’autre laissée. Veillez donc, car vous ne savez pas quel jour votre Seigneur vient. Comprenez-le bien : si le maître de maison avait su à quelle heure de la nuit le voleur viendrait, il aurait veillé et n’aurait pas laissé percer le mur de sa maison. Tenez-vous donc prêts, vous aussi: c’est à l’heure où vous n’y penserez pas que le Fils de l’homme viendra. »
Prière sur les offrandes
Seigneur, nous ne pourrons jamais t’offrir que les biens venus de toi: accepte ceux que nous t’apportons; Et puisque c’est toi qui nous donnes maintenant de célébrer l’eucharistie, fais qu’elle soit pour nous le gage du salut éternel. Par Jésus.
Antienne de la communion : Ps 84, 13
Le Seigneur donnera son bienfait et notre terre donnera son fruit.
Prière après la communion
Fais fructifier en nous, Seigneur, l’eucharistie qui nous a rassemblés : C’est par elle que tu formes dès maintenant, à travers la vie de ce monde, l’amour dont nous t’aimerons éternellement. Par Jésus.
Méditation
Nous commençons l’Avent, temps de préparation, à la fois, de la célébration de la venue de notre Seigneur Jésus et de son retour glorieux. La première lecture en donne le ton : le peuple attend le Seigneur qui viendra pour établir la justice, le droit et la paix. Jésus, parlant de son retour, nous demande de veiller pour ne pas être surpris. Saint Paul quant à lui nous invite à sortir de nos sommeils et de lutter contre les œuvres des ténèbres.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Nov 25, 2022 | Agenda Biblique
Samedi 26 novembre 2022
St. Innocent
Il devint l’apôtre de la Sibérie méridionale et premier évêque d’Irkoutsk après avoir été éconduit de la Chine après que le Christianisme y eût été interdit par l’empereur, suite à quelques conflits théologiques entre Jésuites et Dominicains.
Antienne d’ouverture
Le Seigneur annonce la paix pour son peuple et ses fidèles, et pour ceux qui reviennent vers lui.
Prière d’ouverture
Réveille, Seigneur, le courage de tes fidèles : Qu’ils soient plus ardents à profiter de tes grâces, pour obtenir de toi de plus puissants secours. Par Jésus.
1ère lecture : Ap 22, 1-7
Moi, Jean, l’ange me montra l’eau de la vie : un fleuve resplendissant comme du cristal, qui jaillit du trône de Dieu et de l’Agneau. Au milieu de la place de la ville, entre les deux bras du fleuve, il y a un arbre de vie qui donne des fruits douze fois : chaque mois il produit son fruit ; et les feuilles de cet arbre sont un remède pour les nations. Toute malédiction aura disparu. Le trône de Dieu et de l’Agneau sera dans la ville, et les serviteurs de Dieu lui rendront un culte ; ils verront sa face, et son nom sera sur leur front. La nuit aura disparu, ils n’auront plus besoin de la lumière d’une lampe ni de la lumière du soleil, parce que le Seigneur Dieu les illuminera ; ils régneront pour les siècles des siècles. Puis l’ange me dit : « Ces paroles sont dignes de foi et vraies : le Seigneur, le Dieu qui inspire les prophètes, a envoyé son ange pour montrer à ses serviteurs ce qui doit bientôt advenir. Voici que je viens sans tarder. Heureux celui qui garde les paroles de ce livre de prophétie. »
Psaume : 94 (95), 1-2, 3-5, 6-7
R/ Marana tha ! Viens, Seigneur Jésus!
- Venez, crions de joie pour le Seigneur, acclamons notre Rocher, notre salut ! Allons jusqu’à lui en rendant grâce, par nos hymnes de fête acclamons-le !
- Oui, le grand Dieu, c’est le Seigneur, le grand roi au-dessus de tous les dieux : il tient en main les profondeurs de la terre, et les sommets des montagnes sont à lui ; à lui la mer, c’est lui qui l’a faite, et les terres, car ses mains les ont pétries.
- Entrez,inclinez-vous, prosternez vous, adorons le Seigneur qui nous a faits. Oui, il est notre Dieu; nous sommes le peuple qu’il conduit, le troupeau guidé par sa main.
Acclamation
Alléluia. Alléluia Restez éveillés et priez en tout temps : ainsi vous pourrez vous tenir debout devant le Fils de l’homme. Alléluia. (cf. Lc 21, 36)
Évangile : Lc 21, 34-36
En ce temps-là, Jésus disait à ses disciples : « Tenez-vous sur vos gardes, de crainte que votre cœur ne s’alourdisse dans les beuveries, l’ivresse et les soucis de la vie, et que ce jour-là ne tombe sur vous à l’improviste comme un filet ; il s’abattra, en effet, sur tous les habitants de la terre entière. Restez éveillés et priez en tout temps : ainsi vous aurez la force d’échapper à tout ce qui doit arriver, et de vous tenir debout devant le Fils de l’homme. »
Prière sur les offrandes
Tu nous as demandé, Seigneur, de te consacrer ces présents : accepte-les ; et pour qu’ils nous disposent à te plaire, fais-nous garder tes commandements. Par Jésus.
Antienne de la communion
Louez le Seigneur, tous les peuples. Fort est son amour pour nous, pour toujours sa vérité.
Prière après la communion
Nous t’en supplions, Dieu tout-puissant : ne permets pas que soient jamais séparés de toi ceux que tu fais communier à la joie du ciel. Par Jésus.
Méditation
« Oui, le grand Dieu, c’est le Seigneur, le grand roi au-dessus de tous les dieux » nous martèle le psaume de ce jour en son deuxième verset. Et à Jésus de nous prévenir sur l’impact de ce qui nous écrase et nous éloigne de Dieu : beuveries, ivresse et soucis de la vie. Dans un monde en perte de valeurs, de repères et de critères, nous sommes appelés à nous attacher à Celui qui est au-dessus de tous les dieux pour demeurer sur le bon et droit chemin.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Nov 25, 2022 | Evangelium
Saturday 26 th november 2022
St. Leonard
of Porto Maurizio
(1676 – 1751)
Leonard was born in Porto Maurizio in 1676. He joined the Franciscan order and for forty-seven years preached, wrote letters and sermons, and travelled the whole length of Italy. The popularity of the Stations of the Cross is much due to the impetus he gave to the devotion. He died in Rome in 1751.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 84: 9
The Lord speaks of peace to his people and his holy ones and to those who turn to him.
Collect
Stir up the will of your faithful, we pray, O Lord, that, striving more eagerly to bring your divine work to fruitful completion, they may receive in greater measure the healing remedies your kindness bestows. 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 : Apocalypse 22:1-7
The angel showed me, John, the river of life, rising from the throne of God and of the Lamb and flowing crystal-clear down the middle of the city street. On either side of the river were the trees of life, which bear twelve crops of fruit in a year, one in each month, and the leaves of which are the cure for the pagans. The ban will be lifted. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in its place in the city; his servants will worship him, they will see him face to face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. It will never be night again and they will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will be shining on them. They will reign for ever and ever. The angel said to me, ‘All that you have written is sure and will come true: the Lord God who gives the spirit to the prophets has sent his angel to reveal to his servants what is soon to take place. Very soon now, I shall be with you again.’ Happy are those who treasure the prophetic message of this book.
Psalm 94:1-7
R/ Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
- Come, ring out our joy to the Lord; hail the rock who saves us. Let us come before him, giving thanks, with songs let us hail the Lord.
- A mighty God is the Lord, a great king above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his. To him belongs the sea, for he made it and the dry land shaped by his hands.
- Come in; let us bow and bend low; let us kneel before the God who made us: for he is our God and we the people who belong to his pasture, the flock that is led by his hand.
Gospel Acclamation : Mt24:42,44
Alleluia, alleluia! Stay awake and stand ready, because you do not know the hour when the Son of Man is coming. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 21:34-36
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, O Lord, the sacred offerings which at your bidding we dedicate to your name and, in order that through these gifts we may become worthy of your love, grant us unfailing obedience to your commands. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Ps 116: 1, 2
O praise the Lord, all you nations, for his merciful love towards us is great.
Prayer after Communion
We pray, almighty God, that those to whom you give the joy of participating in divine mysteries may never be parted from you. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
On this last day of the church’s year, the Lord recaps for his disciples the central message of the past two weeks: ‘Stay awake and be always ready, for you do not know when that day will come.’ John, the visioner, also concludes his visions with a recap. Just as an angel attested to the veracity of John’s visions when he began, an angel now attests to their authenticity when they are concluded. The basic message is that these are trying times and only the vigilant and the steadfast will join the Lamb in his victory lap. May God grant that we be among these!
