SAINT CATHERINE OF RICCI
Psalter I | GREEN
She was an Italian Catholic nun, born in Florence, and later known as a mystic and saint. Her early life included a period at the Convent of Monticelli, where she was cared for by her aunt, a nun. She later entered the Dominican Order, taking the name Catherine and dedicating her life to religious service.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 94: 6-7
O come, let us worship God and bow low before the God who made us, for he is the Lord our God.
Collect
Keep your family safe, O Lord, with unfailing care, that, relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace, they may be defended always by your protection. 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 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19
Jeroboam left Jerusalem, and the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road. The two were alone in the area, and the prophet was wearing a new cloak. Ahijah took off his new cloak, tore it into twelve pieces, and said to Jeroboam: “Take ten pieces for yourself; the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will tear away the kingdom from Solomon’s grasp and will give you ten of the tribes. One tribe shall remain to him for the sake of David my servant, and of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.'” Israel went into rebellion against David’s house to this day.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 81:10-11ab, 12-13, 14-15
R/ I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
- There shall be no strange god among you nor shall you worship any alien god. I, the Lord, am your God who led you forth from the land of Egypt.”
- My people heard not my voice, and Israel obeyed me not; So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts; they walked according to their own counsels.”
- If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways, Quickly would I humble their enemies; against their foes I would turn my hand.”
Gospel Acclamation: Acts 16:14b
Alleluia, alleluia. Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 7:31-37
Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Prayer over the Offerings
O Lord, our God, who once established these created things to sustain us in our frailty, grant, we pray, that they may become for us now the Sacrament of eternal life. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 106: 8-9
Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, his wonders for the children of men, for he satisfies the thirsty soul, and the hungry he fills with good things.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who have willed that we be partakers in the one Bread and the one Chalice, grant us, we pray, so to live that, made one in Christ, we may joyfully bear fruit for the salvation of the world. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“I am the Lord your God; hear my voice.” A prominent theme in the Old Testament is idolatry. God is always warning the Israelites not to worship other gods, but to remain faithful to him and serve him alone. An idol must not be a carved statue to which we offer sacrifices; it is anything or anybody to which we attach more importance than to God. When television and social media leave us with no time to pray, when the love of wealth and positions makes us ready to oppress and destroy others, when our desire for alcohol and sex is so strong that we want to satisfy it at all costs, these things become idols; they make us turn away from God. Like the deaf and dumb man in the Gospel, we become closed; we are incapable of hearing God’s voice and doing his will. Let us turn back to God today and ask Jesus to open us to his grace. May he open our ears, that we may listen to his Word; may he open our hearts, that we may allow him to dwell in us and take the first place in our lives; may he open our mouths, that we may proclaim his Word and help others to turn away from their own idols.