Saint Boniface (675- 754)
Psalter: Week III
Red
Born in England about 680, St. Boniface became a Benedictine monk. He was appointed the first bishop of Germany by Pope Gregory II. Together with thirty companions, he died a martyrs dead in 754.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Phil 2: 30
This Saint went as far as death, handing over his life to destruction for the work of Christ, alleluia.
Collect
May the Martyr Saint Boniface be our advocate, O Lord, that we may firmly hold the faith he taught with his lips and sealed in his blood and confidently profess it by our deeds. 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 22:30,23:6-11
Since the tribune wanted to know what precise charge the Jews were bringing, he freed Paul and gave orders for a meeting of the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin; then he brought Paul down and stood him in front of them. Now Paul was well aware that one section was made up of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, so he called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees. It is for our hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.’ As soon as he said this a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was split between the two parties. For the Sadducees say there is neither resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, while the Pharisees accept all three. The shouting grew louder, and some of the Scribes from the Pharisees’ party stood up and protested strongly, ‘We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel?’ Feeling was running high, and the tribune, afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered his troops to go down and haul him out and bring him into the fortress. Next night, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘Courage! You have borne witness for me in Jerusalem, now you must do the same in Rome.’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 15:1-2,5,7-11
R/ Preserve me, Lord, I take refuge in you.
Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you. I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God. O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup; it is you yourself who are my prize.’
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart. I keep the Lord ever in my sight: since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.
And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad; even my body shall rest in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead, nor let your beloved know decay.
You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right hand happiness for ever.
Gospel Acclamation : cf.Jn16:7,13
Alleluia, alleluia! I will send you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord; he will lead you to the complete truth. Alleluia!
Gospel : John 17:20-26
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: ‘Holy Father, I pray not only for these, but for those also who through their words will believe in me. May they all be one. Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me. I have given them the glory you gave to me, that they may be one as we are one. With me in them and you in me, may they be so completely one that the world will realise that it was you who sent me and that I have loved them as much as you loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may always see the glory you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Father, Righteous One, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me. I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and so that I may be in them.’
Prayer over the Offerings
As we commemorate the martyrdom of blessed N., O Lord, we make our offerings at your altar, praying that we, who celebrate the mysteries of our Lord’s Passion, may imitate what we now do. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mk 8: 35
Whoever loses his life for the sake of the Gospel will save it, says the Lord, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
As we celebrate the heavenly banquet, we beseech you, Lord, that, in following such a great example of faith, we may be encouraged by the remembrance of the blessed Martyr N. and led on by his (her) gracious intercession. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
As the Easter season, drawing to a close, revolves around the resurrection, which is the foundation of our Christian faith, we, as Christians, affirm our belief in Christ’s resurrection from the dead, and anticipate our own life after death. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul states that if Jesus has not risen from the dead, then our faith is vain (1Cor 15:14). In today’s First Reading, he reveals that his imprisonment is a consequence of proclaiming the reality of the resurrection. This theme resonates in today’s Psalm, where the Psalmist expresses confidence in God saying, “For you will not leave my soul among the dead, nor let your beloved know decay.” This indicates that centuries before Christ’s birth, the Holy Spirit had already revealed to the Psalmist the truth of the resurrection. Belief in the resurrection is an act of faith in Jesus that leads us to seek communion with Him, because it is only by believing in Him and obeying His will that we can hope to share in His victory over death. The closer we grow to Jesus, the easier it will be for us to attain the union with him and the heavenly Father that He prays to in today’s Gospel. May Jesus strengthen our belief in the resurrection, and may this belief unite us more strongly to Him and to one another.