by L'équipe de publication | Feb 29, 2024 | Evangelium
Psalter: Week 2
Saint David
(520 – 589)
Purple
The earliest life of St David dates from five centuries after his death in 589. He became abbot and bishop at Mynyw. He is credited with a monastic rule and also with a Penitentiary.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 30: 2, 5
In you, O Lord, I put my trust, let me never be put to shame; release me from the snare they have hidden for me, for you indeed are my refuge.
Collect
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, purifying us by the sacred practice of penance, You may lead us in sincerity of heart to attain the holy things to come. 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 : Genesis 37:3-4,12-13,17-28
Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, for he was the son of his old age, and he had a coat with long sleeves made for him. But his brothers, seeing how his father loved him more than all his other sons, came to hate him so much that they could not say a civil word to him. His brothers went to pasture their father’s flock at Shechem. Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘Are not your brothers with the flock at Shechem? Come, I am going to send you to them.’ So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. They saw him in the distance, and before he reached them they made a plot among themselves to put him to death. ‘Here comes the man of dreams’ they said to one another. ‘Come on, let us kill him and throw him into some well; we can say that a wild beast devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams.’ But Reuben heard, and he saved him from their violence. ‘We must not take his life’ he said. ‘Shed no blood,’ said Reuben to them ‘throw him into this well in the wilderness, but do not lay violent hands on him’ – intending to save him from them and to restore him to his father. So, when Joseph reached his brothers, they pulled off his coat, the coat with long sleeves that he was wearing, and catching hold of him they threw him into the well, an empty well with no water in it. They then sat down to eat. Looking up they saw a group of Ishmaelites who were coming from Gilead, their camels laden with gum, tragacanth, balsam and resin, which they were taking down into Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, ‘What do we gain by killing our brother and covering up his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let us not do any harm to him. After all, he is our brother, and our own flesh.’ His brothers agreed. Now some Midianite merchants were passing, and they drew Joseph up out of the well. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver pieces, and these men took Joseph to Egypt.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 104:16-21
R/ Remember the wonders the Lord has done.
The Lord called down a famine on the land. He broke the staff that supported them. He had sent man before them, Joseph, sold as a slave.
His feet were put in chains, his neck was bound with iron, until what he said came to pass and the word of the Lord proved him true.
Then the King sent and released him, the ruler of the people set him free, making him master of his house and ruler of all he possessed.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn3:16
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus! God loved the world so much that he gave His only Son: everyone who believes in him has eternal life. Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Gospel : Matthew 21:33-43,45-46
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, ‘Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third. Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt with them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son” he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his inheritance.” So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They answered, ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him when the season arrives.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: It was the stone rejected by the builders That became the keystone. This was the Lord’s doing and it is wonderful to see?’ I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.’ When they heard his parables, the chief priests and the Scribes realized he was speaking about them, but though they would have liked to arrest him they were afraid of the crowds, who looked on him as a prophet.
Prayer over the Offerings
May your merciful grace prepare your servants, O God, for the worthy celebration of these mysteries, and lead them to it by a devout way of life. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : 1 Jn 4: 10
God loved us, and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
Prayer after Communion
Having received this pledge of eternal salvation, we pray, O Lord, That we may set our course so well as to attain the redemption you promise. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
A young man came home after receiving an inferior grade on the final school day. When he saw his parents sitting at the table, he threw the report card at them and asked, «Now tell me, Dad, who is to blame, my teachers or heredity?» He did this as quickly as possible. Jesus is directing our focus today to the topic of the results. Because the tenant farmers could not achieve satisfactory results with the farm, they resorted to violent conflict and the taking of lives. Are you getting positive outcomes from your efforts, or are they turning you into a more nasty and aggressive person? It doesn’t matter how often you fail; you are not a failure until you start blaming others. Let us cling to the God of successful outcomes before he takes away our chance to try again.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 27, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Oswald
(-992)
Purple
In 972 he became Archbishop of York. He had a special love of the poor; in Lent he would wash the feet of twelve poor men every day. He died at Worcester on 28 February 992.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 37: 22-23
Forsake me not, O Lord! My God, be not far from me! Make haste and come to my help, O Lord, my strong salvation!
Collect
Keep your family, O Lord, schooled always in good works, and so comfort them with your protection here as to lead them graciously to gifts on high. 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 : Jeremiah 18:18-20
‘Come on,’ they said, ‘let us concoct a plot against Jeremiah; the priest will not run short of instruction without him, nor the sage of advice, nor the prophet of the word. Come on, let us hit at him with his own tongue; let us listen carefully to every word he says.’Listen to me, O Lord, Hear what my adversaries are saying. Should evil be returned for good? For they are digging a pit for me. Remember how I stood in your presence to plead on their behalf, to turn your wrath away from them.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30:5-6,14-16
R/ Save me in your love, O Lord.
Release me from the snares they have hidden for you are my refuge, Lord. Into your hands I commend my spirit. It is you who will redeem me, Lord.
I have heard the slander of the crowd, Fear is all around me, As they plot together against me, As they plan to take my life.
But as for me, I trust in you, Lord; I say: ‘You are my God. My life is in your hands, deliver me from the hands of those who hate me.
Gospel Acclamation : cf.Jn6:63,68
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God! Your words are spirit, Lord, and They are life; You have the message of eternal life. Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Gospel : Matthew 20:17-28
Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, and on the way he took the Twelve to one side and said to them, ‘Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the pagans to be mocked and scourged and crucified; and on the third day he will rise again.’ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came with her sons to make a request of him, and bowed low; and he said to her, ‘What is it you want?’ She said to him, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You do not know what you are asking’ Jesus answered. ‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ ‘Very well,’ he said ‘you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.’ When the other ten heard this they were indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Look with favour, Lord, on the sacrificial gifts we offer you, And by this holy exchange, undo the bonds of our sins. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Mt 20: 28
The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, And to give his life as a ransom for many.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, O Lord our God, that what you have given us as the pledge of immortality may work for our eternal salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Today, we meet a fascinating story of human interaction that could offer days of reflection. Mark reports this story with the two disciples asking on their behalf to hold special places of honour in Jesus’ kingdom. Matthew tells the story with a twist that the siblings’ mother asked. Jesus responds to the young men with an exciting challenge that many Catholics should listen to today: “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” The invitation to drink Jesus’ cup (not our own, by the way) is to participate in a particularly intimate and absolute way in his work of repairing the consequences of sin on others. It is a tangible way of taking the suffering of the human community into our bodies through the power of the Spirit and, through that same Spirit, alleviating that suffering, becoming a ‘for-others’ person. We are not particularly eager to deal with suffering caused for others by our sins, much less take on the work of healing the suffering caused by others’ sins; and yet, that, above all, is the mission of Jesus, and therefore the mission of his disciples.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 26, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Leander of Seville
Purple
Leander was born in the year 534 in Carthage. Leander became a Benedictine monk and in 579 was made Bishop of Seville. Leander is responsible for introducing the Nicene Creed at Mass. Leander died around the year 600 and was succeeded by his brother, Isidore.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 12: 4-5
Give light to my eyes lest I fall asleep in death, Lest my enemy say: I have overcome him.
Collect
Guard your Church, we pray, O Lord, in your unceasing mercy, and, since without you mortal humanity is sure to fall, may we be kept by your constant helps from all harm and directed to all that brings salvation. 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 : Isaiah 1:10,16-20
Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the command of our God, You people of Gomorrah. ‘Wash, make yourselves clean. Take your wrong-doing Out of my sight. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good, search for justice, help the oppressed, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow. ‘Come now, Let us talk this over, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they Shall be like wool. ‘If you are willing to obey, you shall eat the good things of the earth. But if you persist in rebellion, the sword shall eat you instead.’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 49:8-9,16-17, 21,23
R/ I will show God’s salvation to the upright.
I find no fault with your sacrifices, Your offerings are always before me. I do not ask more bullocks from your farms, Nor goats from among your herds.
‘But how can you recite my commandments And take my covenant on your lips, You who despise my law And throw my words to the winds,
‘You do this, and should I keep silence? Do you think that I am like you? A sacrifice of thanksgiving honours me And I will show God’s salvation to the upright.’
Gospel Acclamation : Mt 4:17
Glory and praise to you, O Christ! Repent, says the Lord, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Gospel : Matthew 23:1-12
Addressing the people and his disciples Jesus said, ‘The Scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi. ‘You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Be pleased to work your sanctification within us by means of these mysteries, O Lord, and by it, may we be cleansed of earthly faults and led to the gifts of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Ps 9: 2-3
I will recount all your wonders. I will rejoice in you and be glad, and sing psalms to your name, O Most High.
Prayer after Communion
May the refreshment of this sacred table, O Lord, we pray, bring us an increase In devoutness of life and the constant help of your work of conciliation. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus never grows tired of telling his disciples to be humble. On numerous instances, he reminds them of this. He provided an example of this when he washed the apostles’ feet. He contradicts popular perceptions of greatness by stating that the greatest should be the servant of everyone. However, the ego can be very cunning. It can infiltrate even humility. The expression «humility with a hook» refers to putting on a humble demeanour so that others can respect your humility. There is a false humility when we despise ourselves for others to oppose us and say the opposite. Being humble is something to be proud of. True humility may be founded on actual self-awareness and intentional self-acceptance. As a result, one does neither undervalue nor overstate oneself. One recognises one’s gifts and puts them to good use. However, one is also aware of one’s limitations and «does not bite off more than one can chew.» Lord, help us to truly know and accept ourselves, and grant us the grace to be authentically humble.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 25, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Alexander of Alexandria (250 – 328)
Purple
Alexander played an important role in the growth of the catechetical school at Alexandria. He fought against the heretical teachings of Arius. Alexander died in 328.
Entrance Antiphon : Ps 25: 11-12
Redeem me, O Lord, and have mercy on me. My foot stands on level ground; I will bless the Lord in the assembly.
Collect
O God, who have taught us to chasten our bodies for the healing of our souls, enable us, we pray, to abstain from all sins, and strengthen our hearts to carry out your loving commands. 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 : Daniel 9:4-10
O Lord, God great and to be feared, you keep the covenant and have kindness for those who love you and keep your commandments: we have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly, we have betrayed your commandments and your ordinances and turned away from them. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. Integrity, Lord, is yours; ours the look of shame we wear today, we, the people of Judah, the citizens of Jerusalem, the whole of Israel, near and far away, in every country to which you have dispersed us because of the treason we have committed against you. To us, Lord, the look of shame belongs, to our kings, our princes, our ancestors, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God mercy and pardon belong, because we have betrayed him, and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God nor followed the laws he has given us through his servants the prophets.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
78(79):8-9,11,13
R/ Do not treat us according to our sins, O Lord.
Do not hold the guilt of our fathers against us. Let your compassion hasten to meet us; we are left in the depths of distress.
O God our saviour, come to our help. Come for the sake of the glory of your name. O Lord our God, forgive us our sins; rescue us for the sake of your name.
Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; let your strong arm reprieve those condemned to die. But we, your people, the flock of your pasture, will give you thanks for ever and ever. We will tell your praise from age to age.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn 6:63,68
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus! The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower; whoever finds this seed will remain for ever. Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Gospel : Luke 6:36-38
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept in your goodness these our prayers, O Lord, and set free from worldly attractions those you allow to serve the heavenly mysteries. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Lk 6: 36
Be merciful, as your Father is merciful, says the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
May this Communion, O Lord, cleanse us of wrongdoing and make us heirs to the joy of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Today Jesus is giving us guidelines for living our faith. Be compassionate! In other words, be merciful! This merciful attitude is not only exclusive to those we love or are friends with. We must be compassionate to everyone, especially our enemies and those who hurt us. It is a practical Lenten teaching. Before you judge others for their iniquities, look closely at yourselves first. On forgiveness, Jesus says we have to forgive to be forgiven. Some of us are so heartless that we have no room for forgiveness. We swear on some people we can never forgive. Jesus tells us how we can liberate ourselves from hateful emotions. We always have to forgive, which is a liberating experience; we let go of the pent-up emotions that have enslaved us for so long. In his prayer, Jesus prescribed forgiveness as a condition for heaven. Try giving wholesale forgiveness to everyone who has hurt you; you will feel the enormous burden being taken off you.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 24, 2024 | Evangelium
2ND Sunday of Lent Year B
Psalter: Week 2
White
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 26: 8-9
Of you my heart has spoken, Seek his face. It is your face, O Lord, that I seek; hide not your face from me.
Collect
O God, who have commanded us to listen to your beloved Son, be pleased, we pray, to nourish us inwardly by your word, that, with spiritual sight made pure, we may rejoice to behold your glory.
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: Genesis 22:1-2,9-13,15-18
God put Abraham to the test. ‘Abraham, Abraham’ he called. ‘Here I am’ he replied. ‘Take your son,’ God said ‘your only child Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him as a burnt offering, on a mountain I will point out to you.’ When they arrived at the place God had pointed out to him, Abraham built an altar there, and arranged the wood. Then he bound his son Isaac and put him on the altar on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and seized the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven. ‘Abraham, Abraham’ he said. ‘I am here’ he replied. ‘Do not raise your hand against the boy’ the angel said. ‘Do not harm him, for now I know you fear God. You have not refused me your son, your only son.’ Then looking up, Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush. Abraham took the ram and offered it as a burnt-offering in place of his son. The angel of the Lord called Abraham a second time from heaven. ‘I swear by my own self – it is the Lord who speaks – because you have done this, because you have not refused me your son, your only son, I will shower blessings on you, I will make your descendants as many as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants shall gain possession of the gates of their enemies. All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, as a reward for your obedience.’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
115(116):10,15-19
R/ I will walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living.
I trusted, even when I said: ‘I am sorely afflicted,’ O precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful.
Your servant, Lord, your servant am I; you have loosened my bonds. A thanksgiving sacrifice I make; I will call on the Lord’s name.
My vows to the Lord I will fulfill before all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Second reading: Romans 8:31-34
With God on our side who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give. Could anyone accuse those that God has chosen? When God acquits, could anyone condemn? Could Christ Jesus? No! He not only died for us – he rose from the dead, and there at God’s right hand he stands and pleads for us.
Gospel Acclamation:
Mt17:5
Glory and praise to you, O Christ! From the bright cloud the Father’s voice was heard: ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’ Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Gospel: Mark 9:2-10
Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter spoke to Jesus: ‘Rabbi,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say; they were so frightened. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and there came a voice from the cloud, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’ Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus. As they came down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what ‘rising from the dead’ could mean.
Prayer over the Offerings
May this sacrifice, O Lord, we pray, cleanse us of our faults and sanctify your faithful in body and mind for the celebration of the paschal festivities. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 17: 5
This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.
Prayer after Communion
As we receive these glorious mysteries, we make thanksgiving to you, O Lord, for allowing us while still on earth to be partakers even now of the things of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
Bless your faithful, we pray, O Lord, with a blessing that endures for ever, and keep them faithful to the Gospel of your Only Begotten Son, so that they may always desire and at last attain that glory whose beauty he showed in his own Body, to the amazement of his Apostles. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The Transfiguration is one of the most important manifestations of God in the New Testament. Some scholars call it the “summary of all revelation”. In effect, Moses and Elijah, the spokespeople of the Law and the Prophets (in a word, all of the Old Testament), present the Christ of the Gospel to Peter, James and John, those who will be responsible for the preaching of the Gospel. Beyond mere vision, today’s gospel reading is an excellent example of the ingredients that constitute prayer – intercession, praise, or thanksgiving. It tells us that prayer is a response to Christ’s invitation to come up the mountain, that is, to leave behind our ordinary, everyday concerns and place ourselves quietly in the presence of God. It is an invitation to be alone with Christ. The climax of the story is the command from the cloud: “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him”. Prayer consists, above all, in listening and in hearing the word of Jesus.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 23, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint John Theristus
White
He was a Benedictine monk of Calabrian lineage, born in Sicily. At a young age he became a monk. He helped to miraculously harvest a large crop ahead of destructive weather, saving the locals from starvation. There he remained until his death of natural causes, in 1129.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 18: 8
The law of the Lord is perfect; it revives the soul. The decrees of the Lord are steadfast; they give wisdom to the simple.
Collect
Turn our hearts to you, eternal Father, and grant that, seeking always the one thing necessary and carrying out works of charity, we may be dedicated to your worship. 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 : Deuteronomy 26:16-19
Moses said to the people: ‘The Lord your God today commands you to observe these laws and customs; you must keep and observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. ‘You have today made this declaration about the Lord: that he will be your God, but only if you follow his ways, keep his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and listen to his voice. And the Lord has today made this declaration about you: that you will be his very own people as he promised you, but only if you keep all his commandments; then for praise and renown and honour he will set you high above all the nations he has made, and you will be a people consecrated to the Lord, as he promised.’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2,4-5,7-8
R/ They are happy who follow God’s law!
They are happy whose life is blameless, who follow God’s law! They are happy who do his will, seeking him with all their hearts.
You have laid down your precepts to be obeyed with care. May my footsteps be firm to obey your statutes.
I will thank you with an upright heart as I learn your decrees. I will obey your statutes; do not forsake me.
Gospel Acclamation : cf.Lk8:15
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus! Blessed are those who, with a noble and generous heart, take the word of God to themselves and yield a harvest through their perseverance. Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
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
May these blessed mysteries by which we are restored, O Lord, we pray, make us worthy of the gift they bestow. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Mt 5: 48
Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect, says the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Show unceasing favour, O Lord, to those you refresh with this divine mystery, and accompany with salutary consolations those you have imbued with heavenly teaching. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus challenges us today to strive for the perfection of the children of God, which is to love as God loves; to love all, even our enemies. As we pray with this scripture, we may find ourselves thinking, “But, I don’t have any enemies. I am not a diplomat, nor have I been in a gang and I have escaped any family feuds.” But, we must realize that in many ways, we create enemies by the barriers we place between others and myself. Sometimes these barriers represent our insecurities about our abilities, our fear of rejection, or our desire to safeguard our reputation. Although we are all created in God’s image and likeness, a people peculiarly made God’s own, very early in life we begin to make distinctions between “us” and “them.” We often judge ourselves to be more enlightened, more civilized and more deserving than “those” other people who may be of a different opinion or political leaning, a different background or identity, different language and culture. In so doing, we dehumanize them by building barriers between “us” and “them” to the point where “they” simply become the “enemy.” Lent is a time to think otherwise.
