SAINT REMI
Psalter I
GREEN
He was a prominent figure in early Christian asceticism, considered the first Christian hermit. Born around 227 AD in Thebaid, Egypt, he fled to the desert to escape persecution and lived a life of prayer, penance, and solitude. He lived in a cave in the desert for almost 90 years, spending his time in prayer, contemplation, and fasting. He sustained himself with the fruit of a palm tree and later, a raven brought him a daily loaf of bread. He was known for his humility and devotion to God.
Entrance Antiphon
Upon a lofty throne, I saw a man seated, whom a host of angels adore, singing in unison: Behold him, the name of whose empire is eternal.
Collect
Attend to the pleas of your people with heavenly care, O Lord, we pray, that they may see what must be done and gain strength to do what they have seen. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First Reading: 1 Samuel 4:1-11
The Philistines gathered for an attack on Israel. Israel went out to engage them in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek. The Philistines then drew up in battle formation against Israel. After a fierce struggle Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who slew about four thousand men on the battlefield. When the troops retired to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord permitted us to be defeated today by the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the Lord from Shiloh that it may go into battle among us and save us from the grasp of our enemies.” So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned upon the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of God. When the ark of the Lord arrived in the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth resounded. The Philistines, hearing the noise of shouting, asked, “What can this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” On learning that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, the Philistines were frightened. They said, “Gods have come to their camp.” They said also, “Woe to us! This has never happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with various plagues and with pestilence. Take courage and be manly, Philistines; otherwise you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they were your slaves. So fight manfully!” The Philistines fought and Israel was defeated; every man fled to his own tent. It was a disastrous defeat, in which Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were among the dead.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25
R/ Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.
- Yet now you have cast us off and put us in disgrace, and you go not forth with our armies. You have let us be driven back by our foes; those who hated us plundered us at will.
- You made us the reproach of our neighbors, the mockery and the scorn of those around us. You made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.
- Why do you hide your face, forgetting our woe and our oppression? For our souls are bowed down to the dust, our bodies are pressed to the earth.
Gospel Acclamation: Matthew 4:23
Alleluia, alleluia. Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 1:40-45
A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.
Prayer over the Offerings
May your people’s oblation, O Lord, find favour with you, we pray, that it may restore them to holiness and obtain what they devoutly entreat. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 35: 10
With you, O Lord, is the fountain of life, and in your light we see light.
Prayer after Communion
Humbly we ask you, almighty God, be graciously pleased to grant that those you renew with your Sacraments may also serve with lives pleasing to you. Through Christ our Lord.Meditation
“If you want to, you can cure me.” In the First Reading, the Israelites turned to God for help in their war against the Philistines, but they were defeated. In the Gospel, the leper came to Jesus for healing and he was healed. Why did God give different responses to these two requests? The answer lies in the disposition of those who came to him. The Israelites asked for the Ark of the Covenant to be brought to the battlefield, but their hearts were far away from God. Hosni and Phinehas, the priests who carried the Ark to the battlefield, led sinful lives in the eyes of God. For this reason, the Israelites went to war with the Ark but without God. On the other hand, the leper came to Jesus with faith. He said, “If you want to, you can cure me.” This statement was an acknowledgement of his complete confidence in the healing power of Jesus. The question then is: how do we pray? How do we approach God? We should learn to pray in faith, with absolute trust in Jesus, and our prayer should be accompanied by a real effort to live lives that are acceptable in God’s sight.