by L'équipe de publication | Oct 8, 2023 | Evangelium
Blessed John Henry Newman
Born in London in 1801, he was for over twenty years an Anglican clergyman. His studies of the early Church led him progressively towards Catholicism, and in 1845 he embraced “the one true fold of the Redeemer”. He was a prolific and influential writer on a variety of subjects. In 1879 he was created Cardinal by Pope Leo XIII. He died in Birmingham on 11 August 1890.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Est 4: 17
Within your will, O Lord, all things are established, and there is none that can resist your will. For you have made all things, the heaven and the earth, and all that is held within the circle of heaven; you are the Lord of all.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, who in the abundance of your kindness surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you, pour out your mercy upon us to pardon what conscience dreads and to give what prayer does not dare to ask. 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: Jonah 1:1-2:1,11
The word of the Lord was addressed to Jonah son of Amittai: “Up!” he said. “Go to Nineveh, the great city, and inform them that their wickedness has become known to me.” Jonah decided to run away from the Lord, and to go to Tarshish. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish; he paid his fare and went aboard, to go with them to Tarshish, to get away from the Lord. But the Lord unleashed a violent wind on the sea, and there was such a great storm at sea that the ship threatened to break up. The sailors took fright, and each of them called on his own god, and to lighten the ship they threw the cargo overboard. Jonah, however, had gone below and lain down in the hold and fallen fast asleep. The boatswain came upon him and said, “What do you mean by sleeping? Get up! Call on your god! Perhaps he will spare us a thought, and not leave us to die.” Then they said to each other, “Come on, let us draw lots to find out who is responsible for bringing this evil on us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell to Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us, what is your business? Where do you come from? What is your country? What is your nationality?” He replied, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” The sailors were seized with terror at this and said, “What have you done?” They knew that he was trying to escape from the Lord, because he had told them so. They then said, “What are we to do with you, to make the sea grow calm for us?” For the sea was growing rougher and rougher. He replied, “Take me and throw me into the sea, and then it will grow calm for you. For I can see it is my fault this violent storm has happened to you.” The sailors rowed hard in an effort to reach the shore, but in vain, since the sea grew still rougher for them. They then called on the Lord and said, “O Lord, do not let us perish for taking this man’s life; do not hold us guilty of innocent blood; for you, the Lord, have acted as you have thought right.” And taking hold of Jonah they threw him into the sea; and the sea grew calm again. At this the men were seized with dread of the Lord; they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. The Lord had arranged that a great fish should be there to swallow Jonah; and Jonah remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. The Lord spoke to the fish, which then vomited Jonah on to the shore.
Canticle: Jonah 2:3-5,8
R/ You lifted my life from the pit, O Lord.
Out of my distress I cried to the Lord and he answered me; from the belly of Sheol I cried,
and you have heard my voice.
You cast me into the abyss, into the heart of the sea, and the flood surrounded me. All your waves, your billows, washed over me.
And I said: I am cast out from your sight. How shall I ever look again on your holy Temple?
While my soul was fainting within me, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came before you
into your holy Temple.
Gospel Acclamation: cf. Jn 6: 63, 68
Alleluia, alleluia! Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life; you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 10:25-37
There was a lawyer who, to disconcert Jesus, stood up and said to him, “Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? What do you read there?” He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.” “You have answered right,” said Jesus. “Do this and life is yours.” But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” Jesus replied, “A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead. Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said, “and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have.” Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands’ hands?” “The one who took pity on him”, he replied. Jesus said to him, “Go, and do the same yourself.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, O Lord, we pray, the sacrifices instituted by your commands and, through the sacred mysteries, which we celebrate with dutiful service, graciously complete the sanctifying work by which you are pleased to redeem us. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Lam 3: 25
The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to the soul that seeks him.
Prayer after Communion
Grant us, almighty God, that we may be refreshed and nourished by the Sacrament which we have received, so as to be transformed into what we consume. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“Master, what must I do to share in eternal life?” The question is focused on life; the answer rather focused on love: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart… and your neighbour as yourself.” Life and love are intimately linked. Love is more than a commandment: it is a source of life for the one who loves and is loved, it transforms the life of both. Love can certainly be expressed in feelings, however beautiful and noble they may be. But true love is first and foremost translated into action, into practice. “Do this and you will have life.” This is what Jesus teaches in the parable of the Good Samaritan: the Good Samaritan saved the man’s life and his own life was transformed. Let us ask for the grace to love God through our neighbour.
by L'équipe de publication | Oct 7, 2023 | Evangelium
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalter week III
Entrance Antiphon: Est 4: 17
Within your will, O Lord, all things are established, and there is none that can resist your will. For you have made all things, the heaven and the earth, and all that is held within the circle of heaven; you are the Lord of all.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, who in the abundance of your kindness surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you, pour out your mercy upon us to pardon what conscience dreads and to give what prayer does not dare to ask. 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 5: 1-7
Let me sing to my friend the song of his love for his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug the soil, cleared it of stones and planted choice vines in it. In the middle he built a tower, he dug a press there too. He expected it to yield grapes, but sour grapes were all that it gave. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, I ask you to judge between my vineyard and me. What could I have done for my vineyard that I have not done? I expected it to yield grapes. Why did it yield sour grapes instead? Very well, I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge for it to be grazed on, and knock down its wall for it to be trampled on. I will lay it waste, unpruned, undug; overgrown by the briar and the thorn. I will command the clouds to rain no rain on it. Yes, the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the House of Israel, and the men of Judah that chosen plant. He expected justice, but found bloodshed, integrity, but only a cry of distress.
Psalm 79 (80): 9, 12-16, 19-20
R/ The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
You brought a vine out of Egypt; to plant it you drove out the nations. It stretched out its branches to the sea, to the Great River it stretched out its shoots.
Then why have you broken down its walls? It is plucked by all who pass by. It is ravaged by the boar of the forest, devoured by the beasts of the field.
God of hosts, turn again, we implore, look down from heaven and see. Visit this vine and protect it, the vine your right hand has planted.
And we shall never forsake you again; give us life that we may call upon your name. God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
Second reading: Philippians 4:6-9
There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise. Keep doing all the things that you learnt from me and have been taught by me and have heard or seen that I do. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn15:15
Alleluia, alleluia! I call you friends, says the Lord, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43
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.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, O Lord, we pray, the sacrifices instituted by your commands and, through the sacred mysteries, which we celebrate with dutiful service, graciously complete the sanctifying work by which you are pleased to redeem us. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Lam 3: 25
The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to the soul that seeks him.
Prayer after Communion
Grant us, almighty God, that we may be refreshed and nourished by the Sacrament which we have received, so as to be transformed into what we consume. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The parable of the homicidal vinedressers is a moving summary of the whole history of salvation, from the point of view of God the Father, owner of the vineyard of Israel, who desires at all costs to save humanity, even at the cost of the life of his beloved Son. Jesus reproaches his Pharisee interlocutors for thinking of themselves as the owners of the promise, of the Covenant, just as the bad vinedressers seek to monopolize the fruit of the vineyard, without wanting to account for it to the master of the vineyard. The servants whom the master sends, representing the different prophets of Israel, are despised and put to death. But God, in his infinite goodness, cannot bend men against their freedom to pay him homage and respect his envoys. From then on, the kingdom of God will be entrusted to another people who will make it produce its fruit.
by L'équipe de publication | Oct 6, 2023 | Evangelium
Our Lady of the Rosary
The feast of the Holy Rosary was instituted by Pope Pius V to celebrate the anniversary of the defeat of the Turkish fleet at the battle of Lepanto which ended the threat of Muslim domination of the Mediterranean and was ascribed in part to the prayers and processions of the Rosary confraternity in Rome.
Entrance Antiphon: 1: 28, 42
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
Collect
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Baruch 4: 5-12, 27-29
Take courage, my people, constant reminder of Israel. You were sold to the nations, but not for extermination. You provoked God; and so were delivered to your enemies, since you had angered your creator by offering sacrifices to demons, not to God. You had forgotten the eternal God who reared you. You had also grieved Jerusalem who nursed you, for when she saw the anger fall on you from God, she said: Listen, you neighbours of Zion: God has sent me great sorrow. I have seen my sons and daughters taken into captivity, to which they have been sentenced by the Eternal. I had reared them joyfully; in tears, in sorrow, I watched them go away. Do not, any of you, exult over me, a widow, deserted by so many; I suffer loneliness because of the sins of my own children, who turned away from the Law of God. Take courage, my children, call on God: he who brought disaster on you will remember you. As by your will you first strayed away from God, so now turn back and search for him ten times as hard; for as he brought down those disasters on you, so will he rescue you and give you eternal joy.
Psalm 68(69):33-37
R/ The Lord listens to the needy.
The poor when they see it will be glad and God-seeking hearts will revive; for the Lord listens to the needy and does not spurn his servants in their chains. Let the heavens and the earth give him praise, the sea and all its living creatures.
For God will bring help to Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah and men shall dwell there in possession. The sons of his servants shall inherit it; those who love his name shall dwell there.
Gospel Acclamation: Mt 11: 25
Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 10: 17-24
The seventy-two came back rejoicing. “Lord,” they said, “even the devils submit to us when we use your name.” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.” It was then that, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, he said: “I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then turning to his disciples he spoke to them in private, “Happy the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that we may be rightly conformed to these offerings we bring and so honour the mysteries of your Only Begotten Son, as to be made worthy of his promises. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Communion Antiphon : Lk 1: 31
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
Prayer after Communion
We pray, O Lord our God, that, just as we proclaim in this Sacrament the Death and Resurrection of your Son, so, being made partakers in his suffering, we may also merit a share in his consolation and his glory. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
The seventy-two disciples had good reason to rejoice when they returned from their first successful mission. Jesus, does not contradict them. He reveals to them an even greater reason to rejoice: their names are written in heaven! In other words, it is not our good works, even if they are brilliant apostolic successes, that should make us rejoice, for it is by God’s grace that we do good. But his grace is without measure, his promises without sharing, and the Kingdom of heaven that awaits us brings us full happiness. What joy and gladness to know that Jesus himself has prepared a place for us up there in the Father’s house! We can praise him for having hidden this from the wise and learned and revealed it to the little ones.
by L'équipe de publication | Oct 5, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Bruno
He was born at Cologne and educated partly at Reims. Bruno pioneered the “mixed” form of religious life, of hermits who live together in a community. He did not plan to found an Order, but his work grew into the Carthusian Order, which continues to this day, with some 24 houses spread across the world.
Entrance Antiphon: Dn 3: 31, 29, 30, 43, 42
All that you have done to us, O Lord, you have done with true judgement, for we have sinned against you and not obeyed your commandments. But give glory to your name and deal with us according to the bounty of your mercy.
Collect
O God, who manifest your almighty power above all by pardoning and showing mercy, bestow, we pray, your grace abundantly upon us and make those hastening to attain your promises heirs to the treasures of heaven. 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: Baruch 1:15-22
Integrity belongs to the Lord our God; to us the look of shame we wear today, to us, the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem, to our kings and princes, our priests, our prophets, as to our ancestors, because we have sinned in the sight of the Lord, have disobeyed him, and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God telling us to follow the commandments which the Lord had ordained for us. From the day when the Lord brought our ancestors out of the land of Egypt until today we have been disobedient to the Lord our God, we have been disloyal, refusing to listen to his voice. And so the disasters, and the curse which the Lord pronounced through his servant Moses the day he brought our fathers out of Egypt to give us a land where milk and honey flow, have seized on us, disasters we experience today. Despite all the words of those prophets whom he sent us, we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God, but, each following the dictates of his evil heart, we have taken to serving alien gods, and doing what is displeasing to the Lord our God.
Psalm 78(79):1-5,8-9
R/ Rescue us, O Lord, for the glory of your name.
O God, the nations have invaded your land, they have profaned your holy temple. They have made Jerusalem a heap of ruins. They have handed over the bodies of your servants as food to feed the birds of heaven and the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.
They have poured out blood like water in Jerusalem; no one is left to bury the dead. We have become the taunt of our neighbours, the mockery and scorn of those who surround us. How long, O Lord? Will you be angry for ever; how long will your anger burn like fire?
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.
Gospel Acclamation: Ps144:13
Alleluia, alleluia! The Lord is faithful in all his words and loving in all his deeds. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 10:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples: “Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. And still, it will not go as hard with Tyre and Sidon at the Judgement as with you. And as for you, Capernaum, did you want to be exalted high as heaven? You shall be thrown down to hell. Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me, and those who reject me reject the one who sent me.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant us, O merciful God, that this our offering may find acceptance with you and that through it the wellspring of all blessing may be laid open before us. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 118: 49-50
Remember your word to your servant, O Lord, by which you have given me hope. This is my comfort when I am brought low.
Prayer after Communion
May this heavenly mystery, O Lord, restore us in mind and body, that we may be coheirs in glory with Christ, to whose suffering we are united whenever we proclaim his Death. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
The remains of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum have been found: three fields of ruins. The first, among the thorny paths of the heights overlooking the lake; the second, amidst the reeds at the mouth of the Jordan; the third, on the crumbling shores of the Sea of Galilee. Christ’s prophecy was no lie! In speaking like this, however, Jesus is not uttering utter a curse. He warns with overwhelming vehemence, with burning charity: “Woe to you!” And the warning applies to us all. What risks do we not run if, through misfortune, yes, through misfortune, we abandon the Source of living water which is Jesus, to go and dig for ourselves wells of polluted water! How can we be fully happy when separated from the One who alone can give us the opportunity to triumph over death and to share a life of eternity?
by L'équipe de publication | Oct 4, 2023 | Evangelium
Sister Faustina
Sister Faustina was a young, uneducated, nun in a convent of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland during the 1930’s. She received extraordinary revelations on God’s loving message of Divine Mercy. Saint Faustina’s revelations are a constant reminder of the message to trust in Jesus’ endless mercy, and to live life mercifully toward others.
Entrance Antiphon: Dn 3: 31, 29, 30, 43,
All that you have done to us, O Lord, you have done with true judgement, for we have sinned against you and not obeyed your commandments. But give glory to your name and deal with us according to the bounty of your mercy.
Collect
O God, who manifest your almighty power above all by pardoning and showing mercy, bestow, we pray, your grace abundantly upon us and make those hastening to attain your promises heirs to the treasures of heaven. 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: Nehemiah 8:1-12
When the seventh month came, all the people gathered as one man on the square before the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses which the Lord had prescribed for Israel. Accordingly Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, consisting of men, women, and children old enough to understand. This was the first day of the seventh month. On the square before the Water Gate, in the presence of the men and women, and children old enough to understand, he read from the book from early morning till noon; all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden dais erected for the purpose. In full view of all the people – since he stood higher than all the people – Ezra opened the book; and when he opened it all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people raised their hands and answered, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and, face to the ground, prostrated themselves before the Lord. And Ezra read from the Law of God, translating and giving the sense, so that the people understood what was read. Then Nehemiah – His Excellency – and Ezra, priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people, said to all the people, “This day is sacred to the Lord your God. Do not be mournful, do not weep.” For the people were all in tears as they listened to the words of the Law. He then said, “Go, eat the fat, drink the sweet wine, and send a portion to the man who has nothing prepared ready. For this day is sacred to our Lord. Do not be sad: the joy of the Lord is your stronghold.” And the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be at ease; this is a sacred day. Do not be sad.” And all the people went off to eat and drink and give shares away and begin to enjoy themselves since they had understood the meaning of what had been proclaimed to them.
Psalm 18(19):8-11
R/ The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
The law of the Lord is perfect, it revives the soul. The rule of the Lord is to be trusted, it gives wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, they gladden the heart. The command of the Lord is clear, it gives light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is holy, abiding for ever. The decrees of the Lord are truth and all of them just.
They are more to be desired than gold, than the purest of gold and sweeter are they than honey, than honey from the comb.
Gospel Acclamation : Mt 4: 4
Alleluia, alleluia! Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 10:1-12
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.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not make you welcome, go out into its streets and say, ‘We wipe off the very dust of your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God is very near.’ I tell you, on that day it will not go as hard with Sodom as with that town.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant us, O merciful God, that this our offering may find acceptance with you and that through it the wellspring of all blessing may be laid open before us. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 118: 49-50
Remember your word to your servant, O Lord, by which you have given me hope. This is my comfort when I am brought low.
Prayer after Communion
May this heavenly mystery, O Lord, restore us in mind and body, that we may be coheirs in glory with Christ, to whose suffering we are united whenever we proclaim his Death. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
“The labourers are few…” One would expect this to lead to: “Roll up your sleeves and go and help out a bit”. Not at all! It leads to: “Pray!” Yet it is really a matter of urgency: a ripe harvest cannot wait more than a few days. It would appear Jesus want to put this urgency into perspective. But above all, he wants the eyes of his envoys not to be hypnotized exclusively by the task and not to forget the master of the harvest. For it is indeed the master’s harvest, and we must never lose sight of the fact that it is up to him to send workers to it. They cannot integrate themselves to the work on their own initiative. Dialogue, even if it is only implied, must be constant between the sender and the sent. It is by being rooted in prayer that every mission becomes effective and fruitful. Prayer therefore remains one of the great prerequisites of all evangelization.
by L'équipe de publication | Oct 3, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Francis of Assisi
He was the son of a wealthy 12th-century Italian merchant, and early in his life was devoted to partying and his enjoying his social status. After an illness his life changed: He began a life of evangelical poverty, living by begging. His followers are called the Franciscans. Francis died in 1226, having started a revolution. The Franciscans endure to this day.
Entrance Antiphon
Francis, the man of God, left his home behind, abandoned his inheritance and became poor and penniless, but the Lord raised him up.
Collect
O God, by whose gift Saint Francis was conformed to Christ in poverty and humility, grant that, by walking in Francis’ footsteps, we may follow your Son, and, through joyful charity, come to be united with you. 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: Nehemiah 2:1-8
In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, the wine being my concern, I took up the wine and offered it to the king. Now I had never been downcast before. So the king said, “Why is your face so sad? You are not sick, surely? This must be a sadness of the heart.” A great fear came over me and I said to the king, “May the king live for ever! How could my face be other than sad when the city where the tombs of my ancestors are lies in ruins, and its gates have been burnt down?” “What,” the king asked. “is your request?” I called on the God of heaven and made this reply to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if you are satisfied with your servant, give me leave to go to Judah, to the city of my ancestors” tombs, and rebuild it.” The king, with the queen sitting there beside him, said, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So I named a date that seemed acceptable to the king and he gave me leave to go. I spoke to the king once more, “If it please the king, could letters be given me for the governors of Transeuphrates to allow me to pass through to Judah? And also a letter for Asaph, keeper of the king’s park, to supply me with timber for the gates of the citadel of the Temple, for the city walls and for the house I am to occupy?” This the king granted me, for the kindly favour of my God was with me.
Psalm 136 (137):1-6
R/ O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not!
By the rivers of Babylon there we sat and wept, remembering Zion; on the poplars that grew there we hung up our harps.
For it was there that they asked us, our captors, for songs, our oppressors, for joy. ‘Sing to us,’ they said, ‘one of Zion’s songs.’
O how could we sing the song of the Lord on alien soil? If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand wither!
O let my tongue cleave to my mouth if I remember you not, if I prize not Jerusalem above all my joys!
Gospel Acclamation: Ps118:105
Alleluia, alleluia! Your word is a lamp for my steps and a light for my path. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 9:57-62
As Jesus and his disciples travelled along they met a man on the road who said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another to whom he said, “Follow me”, replied, “Let me go and bury my father first.” But he answered, “Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say goodbye to my people at home.” Jesus said to him, “Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Prayer over the Offerings
As we bring you these offerings, O Lord, we pray that we may be rightly disposed for the celebration of the mystery of the Cross, which Saint Francis so ardently embraced. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 5: 3
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Prayer after Communion
Grant us, we pray, O Lord, through these holy gifts which we have received, that, imitating the charity and apostolic zeal of Saint Francis, we may experience the effects of your love and spread them everywhere for the salvation of all. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Less than the foxes, less than the birds of the air. That is, no shelter, no support, nothing! Should we understand these words of Jesus as an expression of distress similar to that of a homeless person, a wanderer? Jesus was not a homeless person; the Gospel notes several points where he could get some rest. Rather, it would seem that he wanted to dot the “I”s for the enthusiastic person who declares, somewhat emphatically, that he wants to follow him anywhere. Following Christ is not fulfilment of the dream of an ideal or comfortable life. No, we must expect a radical stripping, with no turning back, as the end of this passage becomes clear. It is a vigorous warning, but can it discourage a generous heart truly captivated by Christ?
