by L'équipe de publication | Feb 8, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Teilo
Green/White
Teilo lived in the sixth century as a monk, with St David at Mynyw. He founded his own monastery at Llandeilo Fawr where he died. At Llandaff he is venerated as founder of the See.
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, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : 1 Kings 11:29-32,12:19
One day when Jeroboam had gone out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh accosted him on the road. Ahijah was wearing a new cloak; the two of them were in the open country by themselves. Ahijah took the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve strips, saying to Jeroboam, ‘Take ten strips for yourself, for thus the Lord speaks, the God of Israel, “I am going to tear the kingdom from Solomon’s hand and give ten tribes to you. He shall keep one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.’ And Israel has been separated from the House of David until the present day.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 80(81): 10-15
R/ I am the Lord your God: listen to my warning.
Let there be no foreign god among you, no worship of an alien god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt.
But my people did not heed my voice and Israel would not obey, so I left them in their stubbornness of heart to follow their own designs.
O that my people would heed me, that Israel would walk in my ways! At once I would subdue their foes, turn my hand against their enemies.
Gospel Acclamation : cf.Jn6:63,68
Alleluia, alleluia! Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life; you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!
Gospel : Mark 7:31-37
Returning from the district of Tyre, Jesus went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, right through the Decapolis region. And they brought him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they asked him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then looking up to heaven he sighed; and he said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, and the ligament of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly. And Jesus ordered them to tell no one about it, but the more he insisted, the more widely they published it. Their admiration was unbounded. ‘He has done all things well,’ they said ‘he makes the deaf hear and the dumb 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
Jesus pulls a deaf and dumb man away, inserts his fingers into his ears, spits on his tongue, looks up to heaven, and prays; holy gestures. The man’s ears immediately open, his tongue loosens, and he can talk clearly. The adoration is limitless. «He has done all things well, » they remarked, «he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.» This is healing, or the recovery from a physical condition. We’re getting close to the end of this Gospel. What Jesus did to this guy is intended to happen to all his followers, even his closest disciples. We must have our ears expanded to hear and comprehend the complete message of Jesus. We must talk frankly about what we have heard and learned after we have heard and understood. For the disciple, hearing and speaking are inextricably linked.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 7, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Josephine Bakhita, Virgin
Green/White
She was born in Darfur (Sudan). She was kidnapped and sold as a slave. Rescued by an Italian family she became a Christian and joined the Canossian Daughters of Charity. She died in 1947.
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, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : 1 Kings 11:4-13
When Solomon grew old his wives swayed his heart to other gods; and his heart was not wholly with the Lord his God as his father David’s had been. Solomon became a follower of Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians, and of Milcom, the Ammonite abomination. He did what was displeasing to the Lord, and was not a wholehearted follower of the Lord, as his father David had been. Then it was that Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the god of Moab on the mountain to the east of Jerusalem, and to Milcom the god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who offered incense and sacrifice to their gods. The Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart had turned from the Lord the God of Israel who had twice appeared to him and who had then forbidden him to follow other gods; but he did not carry out the Lord’s order. The Lord therefore said to Solomon, ‘Since you behave like this and do not keep my covenant or the laws I laid down for you, I will most surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. For your father David’s sake, however, I will not do this during your lifetime, but will tear it out of your son’s hands. Even so, I will not tear the whole kingdom from him. For the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen, I will leave your son one tribe.’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 105(106): 3-4, 35-37, 40
R/ O Lord, remember me out of the love you have for your people.
They are happy who do what is right, who at all times do what is just. O Lord, remember me out of the love you have for your people.
But instead they mingled with the nations and learned to act as they did. They worshipped the idols of the nations and these became a snare to entrap them.
They even offered their own sons and their daughters in sacrifice to demons, till his anger blazed against his people; he was filled with horror at his chosen ones.
Gospel Acclamation : Ps144:13
Alleluia, alleluia! The Lord is faithful in all his words and loving in all his deeds. Alleluia!
Gospel : Mark 7:24-30
Jesus left Gennesaret and set out for the territory of Tyre. There he went into a house and did not want anyone to know he was there, but he could not pass unrecognised. A woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him straightaway and came and fell at his feet. Now the woman was a pagan, by birth a Syrophoenician, and she begged him to cast the devil out of her daughter. And he said to her, ‘The children should be fed first, because it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ But she spoke up: ‘Ah yes, sir,’ she replied ‘but the house-dogs under the table can eat the children’s scraps.’ And he said to her, ‘For saying this, you may go home happy: the devil has gone out of your daughter.’ So she went off to her home and found the child lying on the bed and the devil gone.
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
Jesus’ reputation runs fast, and he had just made Pharisees think of their traditions in terms of mercy and love. Now he faces an even greater dilemma; a Gentile woman came looking for mercy. Jesus gives the desperate mother a response that would crush the hopes of any ordinary plea. His response seems so unnecessarily harsh that one wonders if Jesus’ compassion has faded into racism. Wild dogs were considered a nuisance and dangerous to life, particularly to unattended little children. So there appears to be no hope for this woman. But Jesus’ response wasn’t born out of hatred or racism. Jesus tests her to show her and us the fullness of God’s mercy and love. The determined woman gives an answer that rivals any wise saying in Scripture. She understands the heart of God better than those who were more than willing to let their sick people suffer for the sake of their traditions. The woman appealed to the heart of Jesus and found the mercy of God. Come to Jesus and be satisfied.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 6, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint MEL
Green
A Briton who came to Ireland with Saint Patrick, his uncle. He was ordained in Ardagh. He is one of the earliest Irish saints and gave the religious veil to Saint Brigid.
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, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : 1 Kings 10:1-10
The fame of Solomon having reached the queen of Sheba, she came to test him with difficult questions. She brought immense riches to Jerusalem with her, camels laden with spices, great quantities of gold, and precious stones. On coming to Solomon, she opened her mind freely to him; and Solomon had an answer for all her questions, not one of them was too obscure for the king to expound. When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built, the food at his table, the accommodation for his officials, the organisation of his staff and the way they were dressed, his cup-bearers, and the holocausts he offered in the Temple of the Lord, it left her breathless, and she said to the king, ‘What I heard in my own country about you and your wisdom was true, then! Until I came and saw it with my own eyes I could not believe what they told me, but clearly they told me less than half: for wisdom and prosperity you surpass the report I heard. How happy your wives are! How happy are these servants of yours who wait on you always and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God who has granted you his favour, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because of the Lord’s everlasting love for Israel, he has made you king to deal out law and justice.’ And she presented the king with a hundred and twenty talents of gold and great quantities of spices and precious stones; no such wealth of spices ever came again as those given to King Solomon by the queen of Sheba.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 36(37):5-6, 30-31, 39-40
R/ The just man’s mouth utters wisdom.
Commit your life to the Lord, trust in him and he will act, so that your justice breaks forth like the light, your cause like the noon-day sun.
The just man’s mouth utters wisdom and his lips speak what is right; the law of his God is in his heart, his steps shall be saved from stumbling.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord, their stronghold in time of distress. The Lord helps them and delivers them and saves them: for their refuge is in him.
Gospel Acclamation : cf.2Tim1:10
Alleluia, alleluia! Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death and he has proclaimed life through the Good News. Alleluia!
Gospel : Mark 7:14-23
Jesus called the people to him and said, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.’ When he had gone back into the house, away from the crowd, his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, ‘Do you not understand either? Can you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot make him unclean, because it does not go into his heart but through his stomach and passes out into the sewer?’ (Thus he pronounced all foods clean.) And he went on, ‘It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.’
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
In today’s Gospel reading, we hear Jesus overturning some commonly held understandings and traditions. His disciples even questioned him to make sure they understood his words correctly. Jesus reiterates that all food is clean and “nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean.” One way to approach this reading might be to examine a change in our understanding. Is there something in our lives that resonate with this Gospel passage? Perhaps we have had an experience lately where we discover that something that we have known to be true, wise and/or common practice is surprisingly turned upside down and proven false or irrelevant. It takes effort, energy (and grace) to handle change well, but it can be even more complicated when it goes against a long-standing tradition or hits us suddenly. Sometimes, we can even begin to question what is true among our other commonly held beliefs and practices. Jesus teaches us, “For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.” He seems to be warning us and highlighting the slippery slope of evil that can come from our hearts being in the wrong place.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 5, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Agatha,
Virgin and Martyr
Red
Born in Japan, he joined the Society of Jesus. When a persecution of the Catholics arose he was arrested together with twenty-five others, bound to crosses and speared in Nagasaki in 1597.
Entrance Antiphon
The souls of the Saints are rejoicing in heaven, the Saints who followed the footsteps of Christ, and since for love of him they shed their blood, they now exult with Christ for ever.
Collect
O God, strength of all the Saints, who through the Cross were pleased to call the Martyrs Saint Paul Miki and companions to life, grant, we pray, that by their intercession we may hold with courage even until death to the faith that we profess. 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 : 1 Kings 8:22-23,27-30
In the presence of the whole assembly of Israel, Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord and, stretching out his hands towards heaven, said, ‘O Lord, God of Israel, not in heaven above nor on earth beneath is there such a God as you, true to your covenant and your kindness towards your servants when they walk wholeheartedly in your way. Yet will God really live with men on the earth? Why, the heavens and their own heavens cannot contain you. How much less this house that I have built! Listen to the prayer and entreaty of your servant, O Lord my God; listen to the cry and to the prayer your servant makes to you today. Day and night let your eyes watch over this house, over this place of which you have said, “My name shall be there.” Listen to the prayer that your servant will offer in this place. ‘Hear the entreaty of your servant and of Israel your people as they pray in this place. From heaven where your dwelling is, hear; and, as you hear, forgive.’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 83(84): 3-5, 10-11
R/ How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord, God of hosts.
My soul is longing and yearning, is yearning for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my soul ring out their joy to God, the living God.
The sparrow herself finds a home and the swallow a nest for her brood; she lays her young by your altars, Lord of hosts, my king and my God.
They are happy, who dwell in your house, for ever singing your praise. Turn your eyes, O God, our shield, look on the face of your anointed.
One day within your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. The threshold of the house of God I prefer to the dwellings of the wicked.
Gospel Acclamation : Ps118:24
Alleluia, alleluia! Train me, Lord, to observe your law, to keep it with my heart.Alleluia!
Gospel : Mark 7:1-13
The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. For the Pharisees, and the Jews in general, follow the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing their arms as far as the elbow; and on returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves. There are also many other observances which have been handed down to them concerning the washing of cups and pots and bronze dishes. So these Pharisees and scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?’ He answered, ‘It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture: This people honours me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless, the doctrines they teach are only human regulations. You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.’ And he said to them, ‘How ingeniously you get round the commandment of God in order to preserve your own tradition! For Moses said: Do your duty to your father and your mother, and, Anyone who curses father or mother must be put to death. But you say, “If a man says to his father or mother: Anything I have that I might have used to help you is Corban (that is, dedicated to God), then he is forbidden from that moment to do anything for his father or mother.” In this way you make God’s word null and void for the sake of your tradition which you have handed down. And you do many other things like this.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive, holy Father, the offerings we bring in commemoration of the holy Martyrs, and grant that we, your servants, may be found steadfast in confessing your name. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Lk 22: 28-30
It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer a kingdom on you, says the Lord, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who in your holy Martyrs have wonderfully made known the mystery of the Cross, graciously grant that, drawing strength from this sacrifice, we may cling faithfully to Christ and labour in the Church for the salvation of all. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Sometimes, we judge the merits of a tradition based on outward appearances. If it appears holy, then it must be. The Pharisees took part in a religious tradition of the washing of hands. This was not a matter of personal hygiene but an elaborate religious ritual full of symbolism. It consisted of thoroughly and vigorously washing hands up to the elbows while offering prayers and blessings as a religious ritual. This tradition made the Pharisees think themselves pure and others not. “Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders …?” I want us to note that apart from the authority and teaching of Jesus, any kind of religious practice cannot be acceptable to God, no matter how beautiful or popular. (Mt 28:18-20; Jn 14:6; Eph 1:22, 23). Worship in God’s eyes is not those acts which appeal to the eyes or flesh with glitter and pomp. It is simple, trusting hearts, yielding to his Son and expressing the soul’s adoration for him.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 4, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Agatha,
Virgin and Martyr
Red
She was martyred at Catania in Sicily, probably during the persecution of Decius (250-253). Devotion to her was widespread in the Church in the earliest times and she is mentioned in the Roman Canon of the Mass.
Entrance Antiphon
Behold, now she follows the Lamb who was crucified for us, powerful in virginity, modesty her offering, a sacrifice on the altar of chastity.
Collect
May the Virgin Martyr Saint Agatha implore your compassion for us, O Lord, we pray, for she found favour with you by the courage of her martyrdom and the merit of her chastity. 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 : 1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13
Solomon called the elders of Israel together in Jerusalem to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up from the Citadel of David, which is Zion. All the men of Israel assembled round King Solomon in the month of Ethanim, at the time of the feast (that is, the seventh month), and the priests took up the ark and the Tent of Meeting with all the sacred vessels that were in it. In the presence of the ark, King Solomon and all Israel sacrificed sheep and oxen, countless, innumerable. The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, in the Debir of the Temple, that is, in the Holy of Holies, under the cherubs’ wings. For there where the ark was placed the cherubs spread out their wings and sheltered the ark and its shafts. There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets Moses had placed in it at Horeb, the tablets of the covenant which the Lord had made with the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt; they are still there today. Now when the priests came out of the sanctuary, the cloud filled the Temple of the Lord, and because of the cloud the priests could no longer perform their duties: the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s Temple. Then Solomon said: ‘The Lord has chosen to dwell in the thick cloud. Yes, I have built you a dwelling, a place for you to live in forever.’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
131(132): 6-10
R/ Go up, Lord, to the place of your rest!
At Ephrata we heard of the ark; we found it in the plains of Yearim. ‘Let us go to the place of his dwelling; let us go to kneel at his footstool.’
Go up, Lord, to the place of your rest, you and the ark of your strength. Your priests shall be clothed with holiness; your faithful shall ring out their joy. For the sake of David your servant do not reject your anointed.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn8:12
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the light of the world, says the Lord; anyone who follows me will have the light of life. Alleluia!
Gospel : Mark 6:53-56
Having made the crossing, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up. No sooner had they stepped out of the boat than people recognised him, and started hurrying all through the countryside and brought the sick on stretchers to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, to village, or town, or farm, they laid down the sick in the open spaces, begging him to let them touch even the fringe of his cloak. And all those who touched him were cured.
Prayer over the Offerings
May the offerings we bring in celebration of St. Agatha win your gracious acceptance, O Lord, we pray, just as the struggle of her suffering and passion was pleasing to you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Rv 7: 17
The Lamb who is at the centre of the throne will lead them to the springs of the waters of life.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who bestowed on St. Agatha a crown among the Saints for her twofold triumph of virginity and martyrdom, grant, we pray, through the power of this Sacrament, that, bravely overcoming every evil, we may attain the glory of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Today we have a beautiful passage summarising what Jesus came to do for the people. It indicates the tremendous hunger of the people to be healed and made whole by Jesus. The people recognise him immediately and go everywhere, bringing along those needing healing. Jesus, in turn, was visiting towns and villages. The sick, strong in their faith, only asked to be allowed to touch the edges of his garment, and everyone who touched him was well again. Come then to Jesus and be satisfied.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 3, 2024 | Evangelium
5th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 1
World Cancer Day
Year B
Green
Saint Blaise was bishop of Sebaste and was martyred in the fourth century. Devotion to him spread throughout the Church during the middle Ages. He is invoked for disorders of the throat.
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, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Job 7:1-4,6-7
Job began to speak: Is not man’s life on earth nothing more than pressed service, his time no better than hired drudgery? Like the slave, sighing for the shade, or the workman with no thought but his wages, months of delusion I have assigned to me, nothing for my own but nights of grief. Lying in bed I wonder, ‘When will it be day?’ Risen I think, ‘How slowly evening comes!’ Restlessly I fret till twilight falls. Swifter than a weaver’s shuttle my days have passed, and vanished, leaving no hope behind. Remember that my life is but a breath, and that my eyes will never again see joy.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146(147):1-6
R/ Praise the Lord who heals the broken-hearted.
Praise the Lord for he is good; sing to our God for he is loving: to him our praise is due.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem and brings back Israel’s exiles, he heals the broken-hearted, he binds up all their wounds. He fixes the number of the stars; he calls each one by its name.
Our Lord is great and almighty; his wisdom can never be measured. The Lord raises the lowly;he humbles the wicked to the dust.
Second reading: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19,22-23
I do not boast of preaching the gospel, since it is a duty which has been laid on me; I should be punished if I did not preach it! If I had chosen this work myself, I might have been paid for it, but as I have not, it is a responsibility which has been put into my hands. Do you know what my reward is? It is this: in my preaching, to be able to offer the Good News free, and not insist on the rights which the gospel gives me. So though I am not a slave of any man I have made myself the slave of everyone so as to win as many as I could. For the weak I made myself weak. I made myself all things to all men in order to save some at any cost; and I still do this, for the sake of the gospel, to have a share in its blessings.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn8:12
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the light of the world, says the Lord; anyone who follows me will have the light of life. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39
On leaving the synagogue, Jesus went with James and John straight to the house of Simon and Andrew. Now Simon’s mother-in-law had gone to bed with fever, and they told him about her straightaway. He went to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to wait on them. That evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by devils. The whole town came crowding round the door, and he cured many who were suffering from diseases of one kind or another; he also cast out many devils, but he would not allow them to speak, because they knew who he was. In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house, and went off to a lonely place and prayed there. Simon and his companions set out in search of him, and when they found him they said, ‘Everybody is looking for you.’ He answered, ‘Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns, so that I can preach there too, because that is why I came.’ And he went all through Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out devils.
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
The Gospel teaches us that God has not abandoned us. Peter is one of Jesus’ closest friends. His mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever while her son-in-law was preaching with Jesus the Lord. When Jesus knew of her sickness, the Gospel tells us, “He went to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her, and she began to wait on them”. Jesus deliberately takes time to go to Peter’s house; it is time to send the sickness away; it is time to lift this burden off the shoulder of Peter and his family. Jesus does not visit our home only to leave us the same way He met us. Jesus feels our pain and is eager to bring us respite. The Lord needs another Peter who would bring Him not only into an individual’s home but to the community as well. Peter could not help his people until he brought the Lord home; when we too feel helpless and hopeless in the face of all the trouble pressing hard on us, let us do one thing; invite the Lord into our personal life and home, that is the magical little change that brings healing to the community and the world.
