by L'équipe de publication | Dec 12, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Lucy,
Virgin, Martyr
She was martyred in Syracuse, probably during the persecution of Diocletian (which started in 303). Devotion to her spread rapidly across practically the whole Church and her name is included 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 glorious intercession of the Virgin and Martyr Saint Lucy give us new heart, we pray, O Lord, so that we may celebrate her heavenly birthday in this present age and so behold things eternal. 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 40: 25-31
“To whom could you liken me and who could be my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look. Who made these stars if not he who drills them like an army, calling each one by name? So mighty is his power, so great his strength, that not one fails to answer. How can you say, Jacob, how can you insist, Israel, ‘My destiny is hidden from the Lord, my rights are ignored by my God’? Did you not know? Had you not heard? The Lord is an everlasting God, he created the boundaries of the earth. He does not grow tired or weary, his understanding is beyond fathoming. He gives strength to the wearied, he strengthens the powerless. Young men may grow tired and weary, youths may stumble, but those who hope in the Lord renew their strength, they put out wings like eagles. They run and do not grow weary, walk and never tire.
Psalm 102(103):1-4,8,10
R/ My soul, give thanks to the Lord.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord all my being, bless his holy name. My soul, give thanks to the Lord and never forget all his blessings.
It is he who forgives all your guilt, who heals every one of your ills, who redeems your life from the grave, who crowns you with love and compassion.
The Lord is compassion and love, slow to anger and rich in mercy. He does not treat us according to our sins nor repay us according to our faults.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Behold, our Lord will come with power and will enlighten the eyes of his servants. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.”
Prayer over the Offerings
May the offerings we bring in celebration of blessed N. 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 blessed N. 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
“Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest”. This is the call the Lord addresses to each and every one of us today. But do we know what we are going to tell him? What are my burdens? What am I labouring from? What is destroying and taking away my joy of living as a true child of God? These questions seem simple but their responses are not always clear-cut. The Lord’s call today invites us to do an introspection of our lives in order to recognize and precise our burdens. And after that, bring them to the feet of Jesus and exchange them for the salvation and liberation he brings to us. This is the simple meaning of “shoulder my yoke, and become my disciples…” the yoke of the Lord is faith in his promise of salvation.
by L'équipe de publication | Dec 10, 2023 | Evangelium
Saint Damasus I, Pope
A Spaniard, he was born about 305. Joining the Roman clergy, he was elected Pope in 366, in calamitous times. He held many synods against heretics and schismatics. He promoted the cult of the martyrs. He died in 384.
Entrance Antiphon: Jer 31: 10; Is 35: 4
Hear the word of the Lord, O nations; declare it to the distant lands: Behold, our Saviour will come; you need no longer fear.
Collect
May our prayer of petition rise before you, we pray, O Lord, that, with purity unblemished, we, your servants, may come, as we desire, to celebrate the great mystery of the Incarnation of your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Isaiah 35: 1-10
Let the wilderness and the dry-lands exult, let the wasteland rejoice and bloom, let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil, let it rejoice and sing for joy. The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it, the splendour of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, the splendour of our God. Strengthen all weary hands, steady all trembling knees and say to all faint hearts, “Courage! Do not be afraid. Look, your God is coming, vengeance is coming, the retribution of God; he is coming to save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed, then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy; for water gushes in the desert, streams in the wasteland, the scorched earth becomes a lake, the parched land springs of water. The lairs where the jackals used to live become thickets of reed and papyrus… And through it will run a highway undefiled which shall be called the Sacred Way; the unclean may not travel by it, nor fools stray along it. No lion will be there nor any fierce beast roam about it, but the redeemed will walk there, for those the Lord has ransomed shall return. They will come to Zion shouting for joy, everlasting joy on their faces; joy and gladness will go with them and sorrow and lament be ended.
Psalm 84(85): 9-14
R/ Look, our God is coming to save us.
I will hear what the Lord God has to say, a voice that speaks of peace, peace for his people. His help is near for those who fear him and his glory will dwell in our land.
Mercy and faithfulness have met; justice and peace have embraced. Faithfulness shall spring from the earth and justice look down from heaven.
The Lord will make us prosper and our earth shall yield its fruit. Justice shall march before him and peace shall follow his steps.
Gospel Acclamation: Lk 3: 4, 6
Alleluia, alleluia! Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight, and all mankind shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 5: 17-26
Jesus was teaching one day, and among the audience there were Pharisees and doctors of the Law who had come from every village in Galilee, from Judaea and from Jerusalem. And the Power of the Lord was behind his works of healing. Then some men appeared, carrying on a bed a paralysed man whom they were trying to bring in and lay down in front of him. But as the crowd made it impossible to find a way of getting him in, they went up on to the flat roof and lowered him and his stretcher down through the tiles into the middle of the gathering, in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith he said, “My friend, your sins are forgiven you.” The scribes and the Pharisees began to think this over. “Who is this man talking blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But Jesus, aware of their thoughts, made them this reply, “What are these thoughts you have in your hearts? Which of these is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” – he said to the paralysed man – “I order you: get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” And immediately before their very eyes he got up, picked up what he had been lying on and went home praising God. They were all astounded and praised God, and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, we pray, O Lord, these offerings we make, gathered from among your gifts to us, and may what you grant us to celebrate devoutly here below gain for us the prize of eternal redemption. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 105: 4-5; Is 38: 3
Come, O Lord, visit us in peace, that we may rejoice before you with a blameless heart.
Prayer after Communion
May these mysteries, O Lord, in which we have participated, profit us, we pray, for even now, as we walk amid passing things, you teach us by them to love the things of heaven and hold fast to what endures. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The prophecy of the first reading is accomplished in today’s Gospel. The prophet Isaiah announced: “Courage! Do not be afraid. Look, your God is coming (…) he is coming to save you”. In the Gospel, through the power of God, Jesus cures a paralytic: “I order you, get up, pick up your stretcher and go home. And immediately (…) he got up, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home …” The Gospel reassures us today of the promise of salvation from God, but the daily experience of our faith sometimes gives us the contrary view. Faced with diverse and multiple difficulties, this promise of salvation seems an illusion and far from us. Only a perseverant faith in the promise of God’s salvation can lead us through. Jesus himself said “…not even a hair on your head will be lost. It is by your perseverance that you will have life…” (Lk 21: 19).
by L'équipe de publication | Dec 9, 2023 | Evangelium
2nd Sunday of Advent
Psalter week II
Entrance Antiphon: Is 30: 19, 30
O people of Sion, behold, the Lord will come to save the nations, and the Lord will make the glory of his voice heard in the joy of your heart.
Collect
Almighty and merciful God, may no earthly undertaking hinder those who set out in haste to meet your Son, but may our learning of heavenly wisdom gain us admittance to his company. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Isaiah 40: 1-5, 9-11
“Console my people, console them,” says your God. “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her that her time of service is ended, that her sin is atoned for, that she has received from the hand of the Lord double punishment for all her crimes.” A voice cries, “Prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord. Make a straight highway for our God across the desert. Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low. Let every cliff become a plain, and the ridges a valley; then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all mankind shall see it; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Go up on a high mountain, joyful messenger to Zion. Shout with a loud voice, joyful messenger to Jerusalem. Shout without fear, say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God.” Here is the Lord coming with power, his arm subduing all things to him. The prize of his victory is with him, his trophies all go before him. He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes.
Psalm 84(85):9-14(Advent)
R/ Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and give us your saving help.
I will hear what the Lord God has to say, a voice that speaks of peace, peace for his people. His help is near for those who fear him and his glory will dwell in our land.
Mercy and faithfulness have met; justice and peace have embraced. Faithfulness shall spring from the earth and justice look down from heaven.
The Lord will make us prosper and our earth shall yield its fruit. Justice shall march before him and peace shall follow his steps.
Second reading: 2 Peter 3:8-14
There is one thing, my friends, that you must never forget: that with the Lord, “a day” can mean a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord is not being slow to carry out his promises, as anybody else might be called slow; but he is being patient with you all, wanting nobody to be lost and everybody to be brought to change his ways. The Day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then with a roar the sky will vanish, the elements will catch fire and fall apart, the earth and all that it contains will be burnt up. Since everything is coming to an end like this, you should be living holy and saintly lives while you wait and long for the Day of God to come, when the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat. What we are waiting for is what he promised: the new heavens and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home. So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace.
Gospel Acclamation: Lk 3: 6
Alleluia, alleluia! Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight, and all mankind shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 1: 1-8
The beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah: Look, I am going to send my messenger before you; he will prepare your way. A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight. And so it was that John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. All Judaea and all the people of Jerusalem made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. John wore a garment of camel-skin, and he lived on locusts and wild honey. In the course of his preaching he said, “Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Be pleased, O Lord, with our humble prayers and offerings, and, since we have no merits to plead our cause, come, we pray, to our rescue with the protection of your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Bar 5: 5; 4: 36
Jerusalem, arise and stand upon the heights, and behold the joy whic comes to you from God.
Prayer after Communion
Replenished by the food of spiritual nourishment, we humbly beseech you, O Lord, that, through our partaking in this mystery, you may teach us to judge wisely the things of earth and hold firm to the things of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Our Gospel of today tells us that it is God’s servant who brings salvation to the world through the forgiveness of sins. Jesus Christ is this king, the prophet, the priest, the sacrificial lamb in the prophecy of Isaiah. He is the shepherd who will lead his sheep to pasture and carry the lamb on his shoulders. John the Baptist is the messenger of the Lord. He comes to announce that the presence of the awaited Saviour. John the Baptist is not the way but he shows us the Way; he is not the Saviour but rather his witness; he doesn’t forgive sins but he prepares men for forgiveness: “I baptize you with water but He will baptize you with fire and the Holy Spirit”. John the Baptist fulfils the mission and plays the role that we are called to play – to be witnesses of the Good News of Jesus Christ. In this Advent season, this Gospel reminds us of the witnessing that we have to bear to Christ, and that we ought to live as those baptized in water and the Spirit. Let our lives reflect the graces of our baptism so that we may be signs in our time, leading others to Jesus.
by L'équipe de publication | Dec 8, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin
He was born in 1474 in Mexico. As an adult he embraced Christianity and he and his wife were baptized. In 1531 the Mother of God appeared to him. Through the purity of his faith, his humility and his fervour, a church was built, in honour of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He devoted himself to the care of the sanctuary and the reception of pilgrims until his death in 1548.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 79: 4, 2
Come and show us your face, O Lord, who are seated upon the Cherubim, and we will be saved.
Collect
O God, who sent your Only Begotten Son into this world to free the human race from its ancient enslavement, bestow on those who devoutly await him the grace of your compassion from on high, that we may attain the prize of true freedom. 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 30: 19-21, 23-26
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: People of Zion, you will live in Jerusalem and weep no more. He will be gracious to you when he hears your cry; when he hears he will answer. When the Lord has given you the bread of suffering and the water of distress, he who is your teacher will hide no longer, and you will see your teacher with your own eyes. Whether you turn to right or left, your ears will hear these words behind you, “This is the way, follow it.” He will send rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the bread that the ground provides will be rich and nourishing. Your cattle will graze, that day, in wide pastures. Oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat a salted fodder, winnowed with shovel and fork. On every lofty mountain, on every high hill there will be streams and watercourses, on the day of the great slaughter when the strongholds fall. Then moonlight will be bright as sunlight and sunlight itself be seven times brighter – like the light of seven days in one – on the day the Lord dresses the wound of his people and heals the bruises his blows have left.
Psalm 146(147):1-6
Happy are all who hope in the Lord.
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.
Gospel Acclamation: Is55:6
Alleluia, alleluia! Seek the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 9: 35-10: 1, 5, 6-8
Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness. And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.” He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows: “Go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.”
Prayer over the Offerings
May the sacrifice of our worship, Lord, we pray, be offered to you unceasingly, to complete what was begun in sacred mystery and powerfully accomplish for us your saving work. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Rv 22: 12
Behold, I am coming soon and my recompense is with me, says the Lord, to bestow a reward according to the deeds of each.
Prayer after Communion
We implore your mercy, Lord, that this divine sustenance may cleanse us of our faults and prepare us for the coming feasts. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Seeing the amplified nature of his mission, Jesus invites us to pray to the master of the harvest: “the harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.” Thus, continues the Gospel, Jesus summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and cure all kinds of diseases and sickness. Such came the help of his disciples. As Christians today, we do not necessarily have the power to cast out unclean spirits, but we have received charisms – spiritual gifts – that help us continue the work of Christ in our society. For some it is the gift of evangelism, for others prophecy, the gift of discernment, diaconate, etc. All these have only one goal: help my neighbour to overcome the difficulties of life and be attached to the Lord. Does today’s Gospel speak to me? What gift, talent or charism have I received from the Lord? How do I use it for others’ benefit?
by L'équipe de publication | Dec 7, 2023 | Evangelium
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception
The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin, a grace that enabled Mary to give a “Yes” to becoming mother of the incarnate God, Jesus. The doctrine was formally defined as a doctrine of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1854.
Entrance Antiphon: Is 61: 10
I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, like a bride adorned with her jewels.
Collect
O God, who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin prepared a worthy dwelling for your Son, grant, we pray, that, as you preserved her from every stain by virtue of the Death of your Son, which you foresaw, so, through her intercession, we, too, may be cleansed and admitted to your presence. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
First reading: Genesis 3: 9-15, 20
After Adam had eaten of the tree the Lord God called to him. “Where are you?” he asked. “I heard the sound of you in the garden.” He replied. “I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” “Who told you that you were naked?” He asked. “Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman replied, “The serpent tempted me and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Be accursed beyond all cattle, all wild beasts. You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust every day of your life. I will make you enemies of each other: you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. It will crush your head and you will strike its heel.” The man named his wife “Eve” because she was the mother of all those who live.
Psalm 97(98):1-4
R/ Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders.
Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation.
The Lord has made known his salvation; has shown his justice to the nations. He has remembered his truth and love for the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout to the Lord, all the earth, ring out your joy.
Second reading: Ephesians 1: 3-6, 11-12
Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ. Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ, to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence, determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ for his own kind purposes, to make us praise the glory of his grace, his free gift to us in the Beloved, And it is in him that we were claimed as God’s own, chosen from the beginning, under the predetermined plan of the one who guides all things as he decides by his own will; chosen to be, for his greater glory, the people who would put their hopes in Christ before he came.
Gospel Acclamation: cf. Lk1:28
Alleluia, alleluia! Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee! Blessed art thou among women.
Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 1: 26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, “Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, “Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?” “The Holy Spirit will come upon you” the angel answered, “and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.” “I am the handmaid of the Lord,” said Mary, “let what you have said be done to me.” And the angel left her.
Prayer over the Offerings
Graciously accept the saving sacrifice which we offer you, O Lord, on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and grant that, as we profess her, on account of your prevenient grace, to be untouched by any stain of sin, so, through her intercession, we may be delivered from all our faults. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon
Glorious things are spoken of you, O Mary, for from you arose the sun of justice, Christ our God.
Prayer after Communion
May the Sacrament we have received, O Lord our God, heal in us the wounds of that fault from which in a singular way you preserved Blessed Mary in her Immaculate Conception. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
We have often listened to the annunciation narrative; but on this solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, it takes a different dimension. The mystery of the “choice” of God had matured already in the faith of Christians before it became a “dogma” in the Church on the 8th of December 1854. Before giving his son Jesus Christ to the world; for the Word to become flesh and be born amongst us by a woman, the Blessed Virgin Mary, God had preserved her from the stain of original sin, common to all men. Meditating upon this mystery helps the children of God to discover Mary’s “divine election” and to imitate her holiness. The expression “full of grace” includes the grace of the Immaculate Conception. Mary was so Immaculate at her conception that she portrayed a beauty unmatched by any specie in creation. Thus does she make us desire her holiness and communicate to us the joy of serving God. We are called today to embrace the purity of Mary in our lives and make ourselves instruments in the hands of God.
by L'équipe de publication | Dec 6, 2023 | Evangelium
Saint Ambrose,
Bishop, Doctor
He was born in Trier, Germany, between 337 and 340. Coerced by the people and by the emperor, he was baptized, ordained, and installed as bishop in 374. Ambrose was a key figure in the conversion of St Augustine to Catholicism, impressing Augustine by his intelligence and scholarship. He died on Holy Saturday, 4 April 397.
Entrance Antiphon: Sir 15: 5
In the midst of the Church he opened his mouth, and the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding and clothed him in a robe of glory.
Collect
O God, who made the Bishop Saint Ambrose a teacher of the Catholic faith and a model of apostolic courage, raise up in your Church men after your own heart to govern her with courage and wisdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
First reading: Isaiah 26: 1-6
That day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; to guard us he has set wall and rampart about us. Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in, she, the faithful one whose mind is steadfast, who keeps the peace, because she trusts in you. Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord is the everlasting Rock; he has brought low those who lived high up in the steep citadel; he brings it down, brings it down to the ground, flings it down in the dust: the feet of the lowly, the footsteps of the poor trample on it.
Psalm 117(118): 1, 8-9, 19-21, 27
R/ Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in men; it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. Blessed in
Open to me the gates of holiness: I will enter and give thanks. This is the Lord’s own gate where the just may enter. I will thank you for you have answered and you are my saviour.
O Lord, grant us salvation; O Lord, grant success. Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes. We bless you from the house of the Lord; the Lord God is our light.
Gospel Acclamation: Is 40: 9-10
Alleluia, alleluia! Shout with a loud voice, joyful messenger to Jerusalem. Here is the Lord God coming with power. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 7:21, 24-27
Jesus said to his disciples: “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!”
Prayer over the Offerings
As we celebrate the divine mysteries, O Lord, we pray, may the Holy Spirit fill us with that light of faith by which he constantly enlightened Saint Ambrose for the spreading of your glory. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 1: 2, 3
He who ponders the law of the Lord day and night will yield fruit in due season.
Prayer after Communion
Lead us, who have been strengthened by the power of this Sacrament, O Lord, so to profit from the teaching of Saint Ambrose that, hastening fearlessly along your paths, we may be prepared for the delights of the eternal banquet. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Today, two images of Christ’s disciples are presented to us: the wise and the foolish. In common, they listen to the word of God but differ in putting it into practice. The wise one listens to the Word of God and puts it into practice while the foolish one stops at listening. In the face of adversity and tribulation, the wise remains confident and calm while the foolish panics, feels lost and crushed. These adjectives (wise and foolish) are not respectively praise or insult. They are images of recurrent situations in our Christian life, and the Gospel invites us to conform ourselves to wisdom; that is, putting into practice the Word of God. This fortifies the foundation of our faith, hope and charity. Without this experience, our faith is empty, our hope has no object and our charity is inactive.
