TUESDAY 21  febRuary

SAINT WULFRIC

Entrance Antiphon: Ps 12: 6

O Lord, I trust in your merciful love. My heart will rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord who has been bountiful with me.

Collect          

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, always pondering spiritual things, we may carry out in both word and deed that which is pleasing to you. 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; Ecclesiasticus 2: 1-11

My son, if you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal. Be sincere of heart, be steadfast, and do not be alarmed when disaster comes. Cling to him and do not leave him, so that you may be honoured at the end of your days. Whatever happens to you, accept it, and in the uncertainties of your humble state, be patient, since gold is tested in the fire, and chosen men in the furnace of humiliation. Trust him and he will uphold you, follow a straight path and hope in him. You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; do not turn aside in case you fall. You who fear the Lord, trust him, and you will not be baulked of your reward. You who fear the Lord hope for good things, for everlasting happiness and mercy. Look at the generations of old and see: whoever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame? Or whoever feared him steadfastly and was left forsaken? Or whoever called out to him, and was ignored? For the Lord is compassionate and merciful, he forgives sins, and saves in days of distress.

Psalm 36(37): 3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40

R/ Commit your life to the Lord, trust him and he will act.

If you trust in the Lord and do good, then you will live in the land and be secure. If you find your delight in the Lord, he will grant your heart’s desire.

He protects the lives of the upright, their heritage will last for ever. They shall not be put to shame in evil days, in time of famine their food shall not fail.

Then turn away from evil and do good and you shall have a home for ever; for the Lord loves justice and will never forsake his friends.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord, their stronghold in time of distress. The Lord helps them and delivers them and saves them: for their refuge is in him.

Gospel Acclamation: Jn 14: 23     

Alleluia, alleluia! If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him. Alleluia!

Gospel        

Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him. They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.” He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, “Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

Prayer over the Offerings    

As we celebrate your mysteries, O Lord, with the observance that is your due, we humbly ask you, that what we offer to the honour of your majesty may profit us for salvation.

Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon: Ps 9: 2-3    

I will recount all your wonders, I will rejoice in you and be glad, and sing psalms to your name, O Most High.

Prayer after Communion    

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we may experience the effects of the salvation which is pledged to us by these mysteries. Through Christ our Lord.

Meditation

It should be noted that those who desire to serve God must be ready to face trials and contradictions of every type. We demonstrate authentic trust when things do not turn out well for us and we still go on. Along with faith and perseverance, trust is a basic quality of the disciple of Christ. It may be about two years that the apostles follow Jesus; yet the Gospel presents how self-centred they still were. They don’t understand the meaning of Jesus suffering and dying, but go ahead to argue about inheritance and fame on succession. Jesus consecrates time to training those who will continue his work; they have done marvellous things in his name, preaching and casting out demons; but still lack humility. The example Jesus makes of a child is thus a necessary symbol of purity, humility, trust, obedience, helplessness, dependence, forgiveness, innocence and these are the qualities of God’s Kingdom. These are the qualities that the disciples of Jesus, as well as every Christian, ought to possess.