by L'équipe de publication | Aug 13, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Maximilian Kolbe
He was born on 8 January 1894 in occupied Poland: he joined the Franciscans in Lwów in 1910. In 1941 he was arrested and sent to Auschwitz. A prisoner escaped, and in reprisal the authorities were choosing ten people to die by starvation. One of the men had a family, and Maximilian Kolbe offered to take his place. He died in the man’s place.
Entrance Antiphon: Mt 25: 34, 40
Come, you blessed of my Father, says the Lord. Amen I say to you: Whatever you did for one of the least of my brethren, you did it for me.
Collect
O God, who filled the Priest and Martyr Saint Maximilian Kolbe with a burning love for the Immaculate Virgin Mary and with zeal for souls and love of neighbour, graciously grant, through his intercession, that, striving for your glory by eagerly serving others, we may be conformed, even until death, to your Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading Deuteronomy 10:12-22
Moses said to the people: “Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you? Only this: to fear the Lord your God, to follow all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and laws of the Lord that for your good I lay down for you today. To the Lord your God belong indeed heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth and all it contains; yet it was on your fathers that the Lord set his heart for love of them, and after them of all the nations chose their descendants, you yourselves, up to the present day. Circumcise your heart then and be obstinate no longer; for the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, triumphant and terrible, never partial, never to be bribed. It is he who sees justice done for the orphan and the widow, who loves the stranger and gives him food and clothing. Love the stranger then, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. It is the Lord your God you must fear and serve; you must cling to him; in his name take your oaths. He it is you must praise, he is your God: for you he has done these great and terrible things you have seen with your own eyes; and though your fathers numbered only seventy when they went down to Egypt, the Lord your God has made you as many as the stars of heaven.”
Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20
R/ O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem! Zion, praise your God! He has strengthened the bars of your gates he has blessed the children within you.
He established peace on your borders, he feeds you with finest wheat. He sends out his word to the earth and swiftly runs his command.
He makes his word known to Jacob, to Israel his laws and decrees. He has not dealt thus with other nations; he has not taught them his decrees.
Gospel Acclamation Ps 147:12, 15
Alleluia, alleluia! O praise the Lord,
Jerusalem! He sends out his word to the earth. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 17:22-27
One day when they were together in Galilee, Jesus said to his disciples, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men; they will put him to death, and on the third day he will be raised to life again.” And a great sadness came over them. When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel came to Peter and said, “Does your master not pay the half-shekel?” “Oh yes”, he replied, and went into the house. But before he could speak, Jesus said, “Simon, what is your opinion? From whom do the kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from foreigners?” And when he replied, “From foreigners”, Jesus said, “Well then, the sons are exempt. However, so as not to offend these people, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that bites, open its mouth and there you will find a shekel; take it and give it to them for me and for you.”
Prayer over the Offerings
We present our oblations to you, O Lord, humbly praying that we may learn from the example of Saint Maximilian to offer our very lives to you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Jn 15: 13
Greater love has no one than to lay down his life for his friends, says the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
We pray, O Lord, that, renewed by the Body and Blood of your Son, we may be inflamed with the same fire of charity that Saint Maximilian received from this holy banquet. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The disciples could not cope with the second announcement of Jesus” passion and death. Suffering also disturbs us. We can only fully understand this announcement if we stay close to Jesus, otherwise we will be lost. Jesus gives meaning to suffering; meaning that we cannot grasp except through faith. There can be
by L'équipe de publication | Aug 12, 2023 | Evangelium
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalter week III
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 73: 20, 19, 22, 23
Look to your covenant, O Lord, and forget not the life of your poor ones for ever. Arise, O God, and defend your cause, and forget not the cries of those who seek you.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, whom, taught by the Holy Spirit, we dare to call our Father, bring, we pray, to perfection in our hearts the spirit of adoption as your sons and daughters, that we may merit to enter into the inheritance which you have promised. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: 1 Kings 19:9,11-13
When Elijah reached Horeb, the mountain of God, he went into the cave and spent the night in it. Then he was told, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” Then the Lord himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
Psalm 84(85):9-14
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. 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: Romans 9:1-5
What I want to say now is no pretence; I say it in union with Christ – it is the truth – my conscience in union with the Holy Spirit assures me of it too. What I want to say is this: my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless, I would willingly be condemned and be cut off from Christ if it could help my brothers of Israel, my own flesh and blood. They were adopted as sons, they were given the glory and the covenants; the Law and the ritual were drawn up for them, and the promises were made to them. They are descended from the patriarchs and from their flesh and blood came Christ who is above all, God for ever blessed! Amen.
Gospel Acclamation: Lk19:38,2:14
Alleluia, alleluia! Blessings on the King who comes, in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heavens! Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33
Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head-wind. In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake, and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. “It is a ghost”, they said, and cried out in fear. But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, “Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.” It was Peter who answered. “Lord,” he said, “if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.” “Come”, said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. “Lord! Save me!” he cried. Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. “Man of little faith,” he said. “Why did you doubt?” And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Be pleased, O Lord, to accept the offerings of your Church, for in your mercy you have given them to be offered and by your power you transform them into the mystery of our salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 147: 12, 14
O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord, who gives you your fill of finest wheat.
Prayer after Communion
May the communion in your Sacrament that we have consumed, save us, O Lord, and confirm us in the light of your truth. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
This is a startling revelation of how God cares for us in difficult situations. Jesus spends a lot of time alone in prayer, and he surely mentions you by name. He knows where you are, what is happening to you, and when you need help, so he comes to you and says, “Trust me, don’t be afraid.” Can you hear him, despite the gusts of wind? Or are you obsessed by the waves that are breaking over your boat? In the coming trials, it is important that we remember how Jesus reached out and caught Peter as he was about to drown, how he got into their boat, and how he overcame the wind. Jesus does the same thing for us, but in a less dramatic way.
by L'équipe de publication | Aug 11, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Jane Frances de Chantal,
Blessed isidore bakanja
She was born in Dijon, in France, in 1572. She married a nobleman called de Chantal, by whom she had six children whom she brought up in the faith. She founded the Order of the Visitation and guided it wisely. She died in 1641
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 69: 2, 6
O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me! You are my rescuer, my help; O Lord, do not delay.
Collect
Draw near to your servants, O Lord, and answer their prayers with unceasing kindness, that, for those who glory in you as their Creator and guide, you may restore what you have created and keep safe what you have restored. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-13
Moses said to the people: “Listen, Israel: the Lord our God is the one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. Let these words I urge on you today be written on your heart. You shall repeat them to your children and say them over to them whether at rest in your house or walking abroad, at your lying down or at your rising; you shall fasten them on your hand as a sign and on your forehead as a circlet; you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. “When the Lord has brought you into the land which he swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that he would give you, with great and prosperous cities not of your building, houses full of good things not furnished by you, wells you did not dig, vineyards and olives you did not plant, when you have eaten these and had your fill, then take care you do not forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You must fear the Lord your God, you must serve him, by his name you must swear.”
Psalm 17(18):2-4,47,51
R/ I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, Lord, my strength, my rock, my fortress, my saviour.
My God is the rock where I take refuge; my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold. The Lord is worthy of all praise, when I call I am saved from my foes.
Long life to the Lord, my rock! Praised be the God who saves me, He has given great victories to his king and shown his love for his anointed.
Gospel Acclamation: Ep1:17,18
Alleluia, alleluia! May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our mind, so that we can see what hope his call holds for us. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 17:14-20
A man came up to Jesus and went down on his knees before him. “Lord,” he said, “take pity on my son: he is a lunatic and in a wretched state; he is always falling into the fire or into the water. I took him to your disciples and they were unable to cure him.” “Faithless and perverse generation!” Jesus said in reply, “How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” And when Jesus rebuked it the devil came out of the boy who was cured from that moment. Then the disciples came privately to Jesus. “Why were we unable to cast it out?” they asked. He answered, “Because you have little faith. I tell you solemnly, if your faith were the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it would move; nothing would be impossible for you.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Graciously sanctify these gifts, O Lord, we pray, and, accepting the oblation of this spiritual sacrifice, make of us an eternal offering to you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Wis 16: 20
You have given us, O Lord, bread from heaven, endowed with all delights and sweetness in every taste.
Prayer after Communion
Accompany with constant protection, O Lord, those you renew with these heavenly gifts and, in your never-failing care for them, make them worthy of eternal redemption. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus always looked for faith in people. With faith, anything is possible; faith is the confidence that God loves us. When we have a good relationship with someone, we spend a lot of time with that person, and trust is built and solidified. Let us look at the quality of our relationship with Jesus: do we really trust him? Do we spend much time with him? Lord, grant us the faith that moves mountains; mountains of inertia and apathy, fear and anxiety, selfishness and despair.
by L'équipe de publication | Aug 10, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Clare,
saint Philomena
She was born at Assisi and came under the influence of Saint Francis. She left home at the age of 18 and, under Francis”s guidance, began a community that grew to become the order of the Poor Clares. Clare was a noted contemplative and a caring mother to her nuns. She died at Assisi in 1253.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 148:12
Here is a wise virgin, from among the number of the prudent, who went forth with lighted lamp to
meet Christ.
Collect
O God, who in your mercy led Saint Clare to a love of poverty, grant, through her intercession, that, following Christ in poverty of spirit, we may merit to contemplate you one day in the heavenly Kingdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Deuteronomy 4:32-40
Moses said to the people: “Put this question to the ages that are past, that went before you, from the time God created man on earth: Was there ever a word so majestic, from one end of heaven to the other? Was anything ever heard? Did ever a people hear the voice of the living God speaking from the heart of the fire, as you heard it, and remain alive? Has any god ventured to take to himself one nation from the midst of another by ordeals, signs, wonders, war with mighty hand and outstretched arm, by fearsome terrors – all this that the Lord your God did for you before your eyes in Egypt? This, he showed you so that you might know that the Lord is God indeed and that there is no other. He let you hear his voice out of heaven for your instruction; on earth he let you see his great fire, and from the heart of the fire you heard his word. Because he loved your fathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out from Egypt, openly showing his presence and his great power, driving out in front of you nations greater and more powerful than yourself, and brought you into their land to give it you for your heritage, as it is still today. Understand this today, therefore, and take it to heart: the Lord is God indeed, in heaven above as on earth beneath, he and no other. Keep his laws and commandments as I give them to you today, so that you and your children may prosper and live long in the land that the Lord your God gives you for ever.”
Psalm 76(77):12-16,21
R/ I remember the deeds of the Lord.
I remember the deeds of the Lord, I remember your wonders of old, I muse on all your works and ponder your mighty deeds.
Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is great as our God? You are the God who works wonders. You showed your power among the peoples.
Your strong arm redeemed your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. You guided your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Gospel Acclamation: 1S3: 9
Alleluia, alleluia! Speak, Lord, your servant is listening: you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 16:24-28
Jesus said to his disciples: “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life? “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour. I tell you solemnly, there are some of these standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming with his kingdom.”
Prayer over the Offerings
As we proclaim your wonders, O Lord, in the Virgin blessed N., we humbly implore your majesty that, as her merits are pleasing to you, so, too, our dutiful service may find favour in your sight.
Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Mt 25: 10
Behold, the Bridegroom is coming; come out to meet Christ the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Renewed by partaking of this divine gift,we pray, O Lord our God,that by the example of the
blessed N.,in our body the Death of Jesus,we may strive to hold fast to you alone.
Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
We are invited to walk in the steps of Christ. We must be willing to take up our cross like him, whatever it may be, and carry it as he did. We notice that Jesus tells his disciples to carry their cross, not his. The cross will be different for each person; it takes the form of a difficulty. Something that is not chosen but is clear. Only by unifying the sufferings of our lives with those of Jesus can we carry our crosses.
by L'équipe de publication | Aug 9, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Laurence, Deacon and martyr
Laurence was one of the seven deacons of the Church of Rome and was executed on 10th August 258, four days after Sixtus II and his companions. He was probably a Spaniard from Toledo.
Entrance Antiphon
This is the blessed Lawrence who gave himself up for the treasure of the Church: for this he earned the suffering of martyrdom to ascend with joy to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Collect
O God, giver of that ardour of love for you by which Saint Lawrence was outstandingly faithful in service and glorious in martyrdom, grant that we may love what he loved and put into practice what he taught. 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 Corinthians 9:6-10
Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver. And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works. As scripture says: He was free in almsgiving, and gave to the poor: his good deeds will never be forgotten. The one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide you with all the seed you want and make the harvest of your good deeds a larger one.
Psalm 111(112):1-2,5-9
R/ Happy the man who takes pity and lends.
Happy the man who fears the Lord, who takes delight in all his commands. His sons will be powerful on earth; the children of the upright are blessed.
The good man takes pity and lends, he conducts his affairs with honour. The just man will never waver: he will be remembered for ever.
He has no fear of evil news; with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord. With a steadfast heart he will not fear; he will see the downfall of his foes.
Open-handed, he gives to the poor; his justice stands firm for ever. His head will be raised in glory.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn8:12bc
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the light of the world, says the Lord; anyone who follows me will have the light of life. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 12:24-26
Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, most solemnly, unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest. Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for the eternal life. If a man serves me, he must follow me, wherever I am, my servant will be there too. If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive with favour, O Lord, the offerings we joyfully make on the feast day of Saint Lawrence and grant that they become a help to our salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Jn 12
Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am there also will my servant be, says the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Nourished by these sacred gifts, we humbly implore you, Lord, that the homage of dutiful service, which we render on the feast of Saint Lawrence, may bring us an increase of your saving grace. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus can only be seen or understood if we understand the purpose and meaning of his death and resurrection. For, in order to bear fruit, a grain of wheat must fall into the ground and “die”. Only then can it be transformed into a new plant that, in time, will reproduce itself many times over. This is exactly what Jesus is going to do: he is going to give up his life through suffering and death on the cross, in order to rise again in a new life. It is up to us to be the good soil that welcomes the dying seed, lets it germinate and grow to produce much and good fruit.
by L'équipe de publication | Aug 8, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
She was born into a Jewish family. She had a distinguished career as a philosopher and received a doctorate at Freiburg. She entered a Carmelite monastery in Cologne and took the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Teresa Benedicta was taken to Auschwitz and killed on 9 August 1942.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 69: 2, 6
O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me! You are my rescuer, my help; O Lord, do not delay.
Collect
Draw near to your servants, O Lord, and answer their prayers with unceasing kindness, that, for those who glory in you as their Creator and guide, you may restore what you have created and keep safe what you have restored. 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: Numbers 13:1-2,25-14:1,26-29,34-35
The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Paran and said, “Send out men, one from each tribe, to make a reconnaissance of this land of Canaan which I am giving to the sons of Israel. Send the leader of each tribe.” At the end of forty days, they came back from their reconnaissance of the land. They sought out Moses, Aaron and the whole community of Israel, in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They made their report to them, and to the whole community, and showed them the produce of the country. They told them this story, “We went into the land to which you sent us. It does indeed flow with milk and honey; this is its produce. At the same time, its inhabitants are a powerful people; the towns are fortified and very big; yes, and we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekite holds the Negeb area, the Hittite, Amorite and Jebusite the highlands, and the Canaanite the sea coast and the banks of the Jordan.” Caleb harangued the people gathered about Moses: “We must march in,” he said, “and conquer this land: we are well able to do it.” But the men who had gone up with him answered, “We are not able to march against this people; they are stronger than we are.” And they began to disparage the country they had reconnoitred to the sons of Israel, “The country we went to reconnoitre is a country that devours its inhabitants. Every man we saw there was of enormous size. Yes, and we saw giants there (the sons of Anak, descendants of the Giants). We felt like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.” At this, the whole community raised their voices and cried aloud, and the people wailed all that night. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said: “I have heard the complaints which the sons of Israel make against me. Say to them, ‘As I live – it is the Lord who speaks – I will deal with you according to the very words you have used in my hearing. In this wilderness your dead bodies will fall, all you men of the census, all you who were numbered from the age of twenty years and over, you who have complained against me. For forty days you reconnoitred the land. Each day shall count for a year: for forty years you shall bear the burden of your sins, and you shall learn what it means to reject me.’ I, the Lord, have spoken: this is how I will deal with this perverse community that has conspired against me. Here in this wilderness, to the last man, they shall die.”
Psalm 105(106):6-7,13-14,21-23
R/ O Lord, remember me out of the love you have for your people.
Our sin is the sin of our fathers; we have done wrong, our deeds have been evil. Our fathers when they were in Egypt paid no heed to your wonderful deeds.
They soon forgot his deeds and would not wait upon his will. They yielded to their cravings in the desert and put God to the test in the wilderness.
They forgot the God who was their saviour, who had done such great things in Egypt, such portents in the land of Ham, such marvels at the Red Sea.
For this he said he would destroy them, but Moses, the man he had chosen, stood in the breach before him, to turn back his anger from destruction.
Gospel Acclamation: James1:18
Alleluia, alleluia! By his own choice the Father made us his children by the message of the truth, so that we should be a sort of first-fruits of all that he created. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28
Jesus left Gennesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, “Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.” But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. “Give her what she wants,” they said, “because she is shouting after us.” He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.” But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. “Lord,” she said, “help me.” He replied, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.” She retorted, “Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.” And from that moment her daughter was well again.
Prayer over the Offerings
Graciously sanctify these gifts, O Lord, we pray, and, accepting the oblation of this spiritual sacrifice, make of us an eternal offering to you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Wis 16: 20
You have given us, O Lord, bread from heaven, endowed with all delights and sweetness in every taste.
Prayer after Communion
Accompany with constant protection, O Lord, those you renew with these heavenly gifts and, in your never-failing care for them, make them worthy of eternal redemption. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The woman in the Gospel shows great obstinacy. She does not accept the disciples’ irritation or Jesus’ remark to dismiss her. She knows what she wants and trusts that Jesus will help her. Like her, I come to Jesus bringing along others in my prayer of intercession. As I pray for those I love, I develop an appreciation for their goodness and ask for them to be blessed. I think about how they are examples for me and give thanks to God for them.
