by L'équipe de publication | Oct 20, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT John of Bridlington
T John Twenge was born near Bridlington, in Yorkshire. In his lifetime he enjoyed a reputation for great holiness and for miraculous powers. After his death the fame of the miracles wrought by his intercession spread rapidly through the land, and he was canonized by Pope Boniface IX in 1404
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 129: 3-4
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But with you is found forgiveness, O God of Israel.
Collect
May your grace, O Lord, we pray, at all times go before us and follow after and make us always determined to carry out good works. 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: Romans 4:13,16-18
The promise of inheriting the world was not made to Abraham and his descendants on account of any law but on account of the righteousness which consists in faith. That is why what fulfils the promise depends on faith, so that it may be a free gift and be available to all of Abraham’s descendants, not only those who belong to the Law but also those who belong to the faith of Abraham who is the father of all of us. As scripture says: I have made you the ancestor of many nations – Abraham is our father in the eyes of God, in whom he put his faith, and who brings the dead to life and calls into being what does not exist. Though it seemed Abraham’s hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly as he had been promised: Your descendants will be as many as the stars.
Psalm 104(105):6-9,42-43
R/ The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
O children of Abraham, his servant, O sons of the Jacob he chose. He, the Lord, is our God: his judgements prevail in all the earth.
He remembers his covenant for ever, his promise for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.
For he remembered his holy word, which he gave to Abraham his servant. So he brought out his people with joy, his chosen ones with shouts of rejoicing.
Gospel Acclamation : 1S3:9,Jn6:68
Alleluia, alleluia! Speak, Lord, your servant is listening: you have the message of eternal life.
Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 12:8-12
Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of the angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels. Everyone who says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When they take you before synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say, because when the time comes, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, O Lord, the prayers of your faithful with the sacrificial offerings, that, through these acts of devotedness, we may pass over to the glory of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 33: 11
The rich suffer want and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.
Prayer after Communion
We entreat your majesty most humbly, O Lord, that, as you feed us with the nourishment which comes from the most holy Body and Blood of your Son, so you may make us sharers of his divine nature. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
Jesus teaches his disciples about what might happen to them in the future. In cases of persecution or non-acceptance of Christ, confessing Him will not be easy. And some will even deny Christ Jesus before men. On the other hand, some will allow themselves to be led by the Holy Spirit and will be able to maintain the confession of faith in Christ. So let us not hesitate to ask the Holy Spirit for all those who profess Christ in spite of the difficulties they must face for Christ’s sake. Moreover, we have the assurance that Christ also perseveres in the profession of faith for us.
by L'équipe de publication | Oct 19, 2023 | Evangelium
Blessed Daudi Okelo
and Jildo Irwa
These two catechists died for their faith on 20 October 1918 at Paimol in Northern Uganda. They were still very young – Daudi was 16, while Jildo was only 12. During the persecutions of Christians, they were dragged outside their hut and killed for the sole reason of teaching the Christian faith.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 129: 3-4
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But with you is found forgiveness, O God of Israel.
Collect
May your grace, O Lord, we pray, at all times go before us and follow after and make us always determined to carry out good works. 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: Romans 4:1-8
What shall we say about Abraham, the ancestor from whom we are all descended? If Abraham was justified as a reward for doing something, he would really have had something to boast about, though not in God’s sight because scripture says: Abraham put his faith in God, and this faith was considered as justifying him. If a man has work to show, his wages are not considered as a favour but as his due; but when a man has nothing to show except faith in the one who justifies sinners, then his faith is considered as justifying him. And David says the same: a man is happy if God considers him righteous, irrespective of good deeds: Happy those whose crimes are forgiven,
whose sins are blotted out; happy the man whom the Lord considers sinless.
Psalm 31(32):1-2,5,11
R/ You are my refuge, O Lord; you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Happy the man whose offence is forgiven, whose sin is remitted. O happy the man to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no guile.
But now I have acknowledged my sins; my guilt I did not hide. I said: ‘I will confess my offence to the Lord.’ And you, Lord, have forgiven the guilt of my sin.
Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord, exult, you just! O come, ring out your joy, all you upright of heart.
Gospel Acclamation: Ps 18: 9
Alleluia, alleluia! Your words gladden the heart, O Lord, they give light to the eyes. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 12:1-7
The people had gathered in their thousands so that they were treading on one another. And Jesus began to speak, first of all to his disciples. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees – that is, their hypocrisy. Everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. For this reason, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in hidden places will be proclaimed on the housetops. To you my friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Can you not buy five sparrows for two pennies? And yet not one is forgotten in God’s sight. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. There is no need to be afraid: you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, O Lord, the prayers of your faithful with the sacrificial offerings, that, through these acts of devotedness, we may pass over to the glory of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 33: 11
The rich suffer want and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.
Prayer after Communion
We entreat your majesty most humbly, O Lord, that, as you feed us with the nourishment which comes from the most holy Body and Blood of your Son, so you may make us sharers of his divine nature. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
To the disciples, Jesus recommends that they beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. Leaven is useful, as it causes fermentation, but is also a sign of corruption. Saint Paul gives us a good illustration in his first letter to the Corinthians: “Purify yourselves from the old leaven so that you may be a new dough, since you are unleavened. In other words: become, in deed, what you already are by faith in Christ: a new man, created holy and righteous, the image of God, without duplicity, without corruption… To friends, he advises not to fear bodily death, for life is more than the body. Jesus is a true Master who teaches what he knows because he has lived it: he who puts all his trust in God will live, even beyond the death of the body, with the life of God. This is the true life that Jesus wants to transmit to us.
by L'équipe de publication | Oct 18, 2023 | Evangelium
Saints John de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues and Companions
Between 1642 and 1649 these eight members of the Society of Jesus, who had travelled to North America to preach the true faith, were killed by the native Huron and Iroquois tribes after horrible tortures. Isaac Jogues died on 18 October 1647, and John de Brébeuf on 16 March 1648.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 129: 3-4
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But with you is found forgiveness, O God of Israel.
Collect
May your grace, O Lord, we pray, at all times go before us and follow after and make us always determined to carry out good works. 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: Romans 3:21-30
God’s justice that was made known through the Law and the Prophets has now been revealed outside the Law, since it is the same justice of God that comes through faith to everyone, Jew and pagan alike, who believes in Jesus Christ. Both Jew and pagan sinned and forfeited God’s glory, and both are justified through the free gift of his grace by being redeemed in Christ Jesus who was appointed by God to sacrifice his life so as to win reconciliation through faith. In this way God makes his justice known; first, for the past, when sins went unpunished because he held his hand, then, for the present age, by showing positively that he is just, and that he justifies everyone who believes in Jesus. So what becomes of our boasts? There is no room for them. What sort of law excludes them? The sort of law that tells us what to do? On the contrary, it is the law of faith, since, as we see it, a man is justified by faith and not by doing something the Law tells him to do. Is God the God of Jews alone and not of the pagans too? Of the pagans too, most certainly, since there is only one God.
Psalm 129(130):1-6
R/ With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord, Lord, hear my voice! O let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleading.
If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive? But with you is found forgiveness: for this we revere you.
My soul is waiting for the Lord. I count on his word. My soul is longing for the Lord more than watchman for daybreak.
Gospel Acclamation: Ps110:7,8
Alleluia, alleluia! Your precepts, O Lord, are all of them sure; they stand firm for ever and ever.
Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 11:47-54
Jesus said: “Alas for you who build the tombs of the prophets, the men your ancestors killed! In this way you both witness what your ancestors did and approve it; they did the killing, you do the building. And that is why the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles; some they will slaughter and persecute, so that this generation will have to answer for every prophet’s blood that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the sanctuary.’ Yes, I tell you, this generation will have to answer for it all. Alas for you lawyers who have taken away the key of knowledge! You have not gone in yourselves, and have prevented others going in who wanted to.” When he left the house, the scribes and the Pharisees began a furious attack on him and tried to force answers from him on innumerable questions, setting traps to catch him out in something he might say.
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, O Lord, the prayers of your faithful with the sacrificial offerings, that, through these acts of devotedness, we may pass over to the glory of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 33: 11
The rich suffer want and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.
Prayer after Communion
We entreat your majesty most humbly, O Lord, that, as you feed us with the nourishment which comes from the most holy Body and Blood of your Son, so you may make us sharers of his divine nature. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
It is easier to build tombs for prophets when they are dead than to listen to them while they are still alive with us! And to show gratitude to the prophets without taking their teaching into account is to kill them a second time. This is what Jesus tells us today. Those who did not heed the word spoken to them, by not recognizing Jesus the Messiah, did as their fathers did?
by L'équipe de publication | Oct 17, 2023 | Evangelium
Saint Luke, Evangelist
Feast
He was a Greek doctor who converted to Christianity. He was a companion of the Apostle Paul, and wrote his Gospel in accordance with Paul’s teaching. He also wrote the Acts of the Apostles, which narrates the early history of the Church up to Paul’s first stay in Rome.
Entrance Antiphon: Is 52: 7
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings of peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation!
Collect
Lord God, who chose Saint Luke to reveal by his preaching and writings the mystery of your love for the poor, grant that those who already glory in your name may persevere as one heart and one soul and that all nations may merit to see your 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: 2 Timothy 4:10-17
Demas has deserted me for love of this life and gone to Thessalonika, Crescens has gone to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia; only Luke is with me. Get Mark to come and bring him with you; I find him a useful helper in my work. I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas, and the scrolls, especially the parchment ones. Alexander the coppersmith has done me a lot of harm; the Lord will repay him for what he has done. Be on your guard against him yourself, because he has been bitterly contesting everything that we say. The first time I had to present my defence, there was not a single witness to support me. Every one of them deserted me – may they not be held accountable for it. But the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
Psalm 144(145):10-13a,17-18
R/ Your friends, O Lord, make known the glorious splendour of your reign.
All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord, and your friends shall repeat their blessing. They shall speak of the glory of your reign and declare your might, O God.
They make known to men your mighty deeds and the glorious splendour of your reign. Yours is an everlasting kingdom; your rule lasts from age to age.
The Lord is just in all his ways and loving in all his deeds. He is close to all who call him, who call on him from their hearts.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn 15: 16
Alleluia, alleluia! I chose you from the world to go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last, says the Lord. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 10: 1-9
The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road. Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house. Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, ‘The kingdom of God is very near to you.’”
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant through your heavenly gifts that we may serve you in freedom of heart, we pray, O Lord, so that the offerings we make on the feast day of Saint Luke may bring us healing and give us glory. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Lk 10: 1, 9
The Lord sent out disciples to proclaim throughout the towns: The kingdom of God is at hand for you.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that what we have received from your holy altar may sanctify us and make us strong in the faith of the Gospel which Saint Luke proclaimed. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus does not send twelve apostles, but seventy-two missionaries with the same instructions. He sees that he does not have much time left, so perhaps he wants to reinforce his troops. But he leaves his missionaries with no other means of evangelization than the shining Good News: The Kingdom is at hand! It is very difficult to believe! To make themselves heard, the disciples must perform miracles, not to impress the crowds, but to attract them. The God who is close-by wants to heal them, and what better sign of his presence than his mercy? Mission is not a trap for missionaries either: “If you are not listened to, do not be afraid or ashamed, go your way without asking for anything for yourself…, not even the dust attached to your shoes! It is no less true that God is near, and his peace will return to you.
by L'équipe de publication | Oct 16, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Ignatius of Antioch
He was the second bishop of Antioch after St Peter. He was arrested, condemned to death and transported to Rome to be thrown to the wild beasts in the arena. He was martyred in 107 and his feast was already being celebrated on this day in fourth-century Antioch.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Gal 2: 19
I am crucified with Christ, yet I live; no longer I, but Christ lives in me. I live by faith in the Son of God, who has loved me and given himself up for me.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, who adorn the sacred body of your Church with the confessions of holy Martyrs, grant, we pray, that, just as the glorious passion of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, which we celebrate today, brought him eternal splendour, so it may be for us unending 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: Romans 1:16-25
I am not ashamed of the Good News: it is the power of God saving all who have faith – Jews first, but Greeks as well – since this is what reveals the justice of God to us: it shows how faith leads to faith, or as scripture says: The upright man finds life through faith. The anger of God is being revealed from heaven against all the impiety and depravity of men who keep truth imprisoned in their wickedness. For what can be known about God is perfectly plain to them since God himself has made it plain. Ever since God created the world his everlasting power and deity – however invisible – have been there for the mind to see in the things he has made. That is why such people are without excuse: they knew God and yet refused to honour him as God or to thank him; instead, they made nonsense out of logic and their empty minds were darkened. The more they called themselves philosophers, the more stupid they grew, until they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for a worthless imitation, for the image of mortal man, of birds, of quadrupeds and reptiles. That is why God left them to their filthy enjoyments and the practices with which they dishonour their own bodies, since they have given up divine truth for a lie and have worshipped and served creatures instead of the creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen!
Psalm 18(19):2-5
R/ The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God, and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story and night unto night makes known the message.
No speech, no word, no voice is heard yet their span extends through all the earth, their words to the utmost bounds of the world.
Gospel Acclamation: Ps118:135
Alleluia, alleluia! Let your face shine on your servant, and teach me your decrees. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 11:37-41
Jesus had just finished speaking when a Pharisee invited him to dine at his house. He went in and sat down at the table. The Pharisee saw this and was surprised that he had not first washed before the meal. But the Lord said to him, “Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness. Fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside too? Instead, give alms from what you have and then indeed everything will be clean for you.”
Prayer over the Offerings
May this oblation and our homage be pleasing to you, O Lord, just as you accepted Saint Ignatius, the wheat of Christ, made pure bread through his martyrdom and passion. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon
I am the wheat of Christ to be ground by the teeth of beasts, that I may be found to be pure bread.
Prayer after Communion
May the heavenly Bread we have received, O Lord, on the feast day of Saint Ignatius renew us, we pray, and make us Christians in name and in deed. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The end of the Gospel can also be translated as: “Give what is inside as alms.” This is curious. What is inside? In the dish? In the heart? Is it enough to share one’s food with the hungry? To be pure and to be able to approach God? “If I distribute all my goods in alms, if I have no charity, it is of no use to me.” So, can one give the heart full of greed and wickedness in alms? Yes, for the sacrifice that pleases God is a broken spirit, he does not repel a heart that regrets evil, but cleanses it of all sin, fills it with charity and comes to dwell in it. Then all will be pure for us.
by L'équipe de publication | Oct 15, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Margaret Mary Alacoque
She joined the Visitation Sisters at Paray-le-Monial. She made rapid progress along the way of perfection and was given mystical visions as a result of which she worked hard to institute devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Church.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 129: 3-4
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But with you is found forgiveness,
O God of Israel.
Collect
May your grace, O Lord, we pray, at all times go before us and follow after and make us always determined to carry out good works. 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: Romans 1:1-7
From Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus who has been called to be an apostle, and specially chosen to preach the Good News that God promised long ago through his prophets in the scriptures. This news is about the Son of God who, according to the human nature he took was a descendant of David: it is about Jesus Christ our Lord who, in the order of the spirit, the spirit of holiness that was in him, was proclaimed Son of God in all his power through his resurrection from the dead. Through him we received grace and our apostolic mission to preach the obedience of faith to all pagan nations in honour of his name. You are one of these nations, and by his call belong to Jesus Christ. To you all, then, who are God’s beloved in Rome, called to be saints, may God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send grace and peace.
Psalm 97(98):1-4
R/ The Lord has made known his salvation.
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.
Gospel Acclamation: Ps118:88
Alleluia, alleluia! Because of your love give me life, and I will do your will. Alleluia!
Gospel Luke 11:29-32
The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them: “This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, O Lord, the prayers of your faithful with the sacrificial offerings, that, through these acts of devotedness, we may pass over to the glory of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 33: 11
The rich suffer want and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.
Prayer after Communion
We entreat your majesty most humbly, O Lord, that, as you feed us with the nourishment which comes from the most holy Body and Blood of your Son, so you may make us sharers of his divine nature. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
Jesus’ rebuke is severe. What more does this generation need from him? He, the Son of God, is there in their midst, and they want more. In fact, it is not a sign that they want, but proof, which is quite different. Proof leaves no room for freedom, not even for trust, it is imposed and cannot be discussed. To be effective, a sign requires recognition, a responsible act of faith. What use is an indication on a path if we refuse to follow it? God does not impose himself in our lives, he gives us discreet signs of his presence, signs that we must recognise and welcome. Signs that show us a path, that of conversion of the eyes and the heart. It is up to us to set out freely.
