Saint Hervé
Psalter: Week III
Green
He was born blind. With his disciple Guiharan, He lived as a hermit and bard. His legend states that he had the power to cure animals and was accompanied by a domesticated wolf.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 26: 7, 9
O Lord, hear my voice, for I have called to you; be my help. Do not abandon or forsake me, O God, my Saviour!
Collect
O God, strength of those who hope in you, graciously hear our pleas, and, since without you mortal frailty can do nothing, grant us always the help of your grace, that in following your commands we may please you by our resolve and 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: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9
Now here, brothers, is the news of the grace of God which was given in the churches in Macedonia; and of how, throughout great trials by suffering, their constant cheerfulness and their intense poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity. I can swear that they gave not only as much as they could afford, but far more, and quite spontaneously, begging and begging us for the favour of sharing in this service to the saints and, what was quite unexpected, they offered their own selves first to God and, under God, to us.
Because of this, we have asked Titus, since he has already made a beginning, to bring this work of mercy to the same point of success among you. You always have the most of everything – of faith, of eloquence, of understanding, of keenness for any cause, and the biggest share of our affection – so we expect you to put the most into this work of mercy too. It is not an order that I am giving you; I am just testing the genuineness of your love against the keenness of others. Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was: he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145(146):2,5-9
R/ My soul, give praise to the Lord.
I will praise the Lord all my days, make music to my God while I live.
He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who alone made heaven and earth, the seas and all they contain.
It is he who keeps faith for ever, who is just to those who are oppressed. It is he who gives bread to the hungry, the Lord, who sets prisoners free.
It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind, who raises up those who are bowed down the Lord, who protects the stranger and upholds the widow and orphan.
Gospel Acclamation: 2Co5:19
Alleluia, alleluia! God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 5:43-48
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’
Prayer over the Offerings
O God, who in the offerings presented here provide for the twofold needs of human nature, nourishing us with food and renewing us with your Sacrament, grant, we pray, that the sustenance they provide may not fail us in body or in spirit. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 26: 4
There is one thing I ask of the Lord, only this do I seek: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
Prayer after Communion
As this reception of your Holy Communion, O Lord, foreshadows the union of the faithful in you, so may it bring about unity in your Church. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“You must be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’ Jesus, in his divine nature, became incarnate to enable us partake in divinity. Thus, He urges us to strive for perfection, mirroring God’s perfection. As God is love, our path to perfection involves learning to love as God loves. Today’s Scriptures show us two ways to achieve this perfection. Firstly, through works of charity. Saint Paul invites the Corinthians to make sacrifices to aid the Christians of Jerusalem, echoing Jesus’ example of making Himself poor to make us rich. Secondly, we should extend love to even our enemies. Jesus emphasises that God blesses both the good and the bad, prompting us to go beyond our circle of friends, family, and acquaintances to show kindness to those we may not consider our friends. Let us be eager to offer assistance to those around us who are in need, even to those we perceive as our enemies. In so doing, we embark on a journey towards the perfection that mirrors the divine love of our heavenly Father.