Saint Kilian (689)
Green
He was born in County Cavan, Ireland. He was a missionary bishop and preached the Gospel in Würzburg and converted the local Duke and much of the population. He was martyred by beheading, possibly at the behest of the Duke’s wife, possibly because she was the widow of the Duke’s brother and Kilian had declared her subsequent marriage to the Duke to be illegal.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 47: 10-11
Your merciful love, O God, we have received in the midst of your temple. Your praise, O God, like your name, reaches the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with saving justice.
Collect
O God, who in the abasement of your Son, have raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin, you bestow eternal gladness. 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 : Hosea 2:16,17-18,21-22
It is the Lord who speaks: I am going to lure her and lead her out into the wilderness and speak to her heart. I am going to give her back her vineyards, and make the Valley of Achor a gateway of hope. There she will respond to me as she did when she was young, as she did when she came out of the land of Egypt. When that day comes – it is the Lord who speaks – she will call me, ‘My husband’, no longer will she call me, ‘My Baal.’ I will betroth you to myself for ever, betroth you with integrity and justice, with tenderness and love; I will betroth you to myself with faithfulness, and you will come to know the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 144:2-9
R/ The Lord is kind and full of compassion.
I will bless you day after day and praise your name for ever. The Lord is great, highly to be praised, his greatness cannot be measured.
Age to age shall proclaim your works, shall declare your mighty deeds, shall speak of your splendour and glory, tell the tale of your wonderful works.
They will speak of your terrible deeds, recount your greatness and might. They will recall your abundant goodness; age to age shall ring out your justice.
The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in love. How good is the Lord to all, compassionate to all his creatures.
Gospel Acclamation : cf.Jn6:63,68
Alleluia, alleluia! Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life; you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 9:18-26
While Jesus was speaking, up came one of the officials, who bowed low in front of him and said, ‘My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and her life will be saved.’ Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him. Then from behind him came a woman, who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years, and she touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I can only touch his cloak I shall be well again.’ Jesus turned round and saw her; and he said to her, ‘Courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health.’ And from that moment the woman was well again. When Jesus reached the official’s house and saw the flute-players, with the crowd making a commotion he said, ‘Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep.’ And they laughed at him. But when the people had been turned out he went inside and took the little girl by the hand; and she stood up. And the news spread all round the countryside.
Prayer over the Offerings
May this oblation dedicated to your name purify us, O Lord, and day by day bring our conduct closer to the life of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Ps 33: 9
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed the man who seeks refuge in him.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that, having been replenished by such great gifts, we may gain the prize of salvation and never cease to praise you. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
he unnamed official and the woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years exhibit great faith. The official’s daughter has died but he believes that if Jesus comes to his home and lays his hands on her, she will live. The woman suffering hemorrhages too believes that even if she touches the tassel on his cloak she shall be cured. Ritual purity laws prohibited contact with a corpse or a woman who is bleeding but Jesus overcomes the law through healing the woman and resuscitating the dead girl. In both the cases, instead of becoming ritually unclean his divine power transform them. The woman is restored socially and made ritually clean. The girl returns to life and so becomes clean. Faith can move the mountains and do we have enough faith to overcome the barriers that prevent us from helping the marginalized in the society?