by L'équipe de publication | Jul 13, 2023 | Evangelium
Saint Camillus of Lellis
He was born in Italy of a noble family. At the age of 25 he converted as the result of hearing a sermon. He was ordained priest in 1584. He founded a congregation of priests and lay brothers, the Servants of the Sick (later known as the Camillians) to serve the sick both spiritually and physically
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 47: 10-11
Your merciful love, O God, we have received in the midst of your temple. Your praise, O God, like your name, reaches the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with saving justice.
Collect
O God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. 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: Genesis 46:1-7,28-30
Israel left Canaan with his possessions, and reached Beersheba. There he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in a vision at night, “Jacob, Jacob”, he said. “I am here”, he replied. “I am God, the God of your father”, he continued. “Do not be afraid of going down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I myself will go down to Egypt with you. I myself will bring you back again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.” Then Jacob left Beersheba. Israel’s sons conveyed their father Jacob, their little children and their wives in the waggons Pharaoh had sent to fetch him. Taking their livestock and all that they had acquired in the land of Canaan, they went to Egypt, Jacob and all his family with him: his sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his grand-daughters, in a word, all his children he took with him to Egypt. Israel sent Judah ahead to Joseph, so that the latter might present himself to him in Goshen. When they arrived in the land of Goshen, Joseph had his chariot made ready and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as he appeared he threw his arms round his neck and for a long time wept on his shoulder. Israel said to Joseph, “Now I can die, now that I have seen you again, and seen you still alive.”
Psalm 36(37):3-4,18-19,27-28,39-40
R/ The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
If you trust in the Lord and do good, then you will live in the land and be secure. If you find your delight in the Lord, he will grant your heart’s desire.
He protects the lives of the upright, their heritage will last for ever. They shall not be put to shame in evil days, in time of famine their food shall not fail.
Then turn away from evil and do good and you shall have a home for ever; for the Lord loves justice and will never forsake his friends.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord, their stronghold in time of distress. The Lord helps them and delivers them and saves them: for their refuge is in him.
Gospel Acclamation: 1P1:25
Alleluia, alleluia! The word of the Lord remains for ever: What is this word? It is the Good News that has been brought to you. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 10:16-23
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: “Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves. “Beware of men: they will hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the pagans. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes; because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you. “Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved. If they persecute you in one town, take refuge in the next; and if they persecute you in that, take refuge in another. I tell you solemnly, you will not have gone the round of the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
Prayer over the Offerings
May this oblation dedicated to your name purify us, O Lord, and day by day bring our conduct closer to the life of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 33: 9
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed the man who seeks refuge in him.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that, having been replenished by such great gifts, we may gain the prize of salvation and never cease to praise you. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“Behold, I send you out like sheep in the midst of wolves. Indeed, mission is not without risk. The paths are not always smooth. Jesus is aware of this and warns the twelve: “Be careful”. In fact, the first wolf we face is our own ego, which we have to tame, because the message is addressed first of all to the missionary himself, a sinner among sinners. Then come the external wolves whose word pierces and provokes violence. “Brother will deliver his brother to death […] for my name’s sake”. But Christ always reassures us of his loyalty: “When you are handed over, do not be alarmed […] it is the Spirit of your Father who will speak in you”.
by L'équipe de publication | Jul 12, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Henri
He was born in Bavaria in 973. He became Holy Roman Emperor in 1014. He was noted for his support for the reform of the Church and for his encouragement of its missionary activity. He set up many bishoprics, and he and his wife Cunegunda founded many monasteries. He died in 1024.
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Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 47: 10-11
Your merciful love, O God, we have received in the midst of your temple. Your praise, O God, like your name, reaches the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with saving justice.
Collect
O God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. 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: Genesis 44:18-21,23-29,45:1-5
Judah went up to Joseph and said, “May it please my lord, let your servant have a word privately with my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. My lord questioned his servants, “Have you father or brother?” And we said to my lord, “We have an old father, and a younger brother born of his old age. His brother is dead, so he is the only one left of his mother, and his father loves him.” Then you said to your servants, “Bring him down to me that my eyes may look on him.” But you said to your servants, “If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not be admitted to my presence again.” When we went back to your servant my father, we repeated to him what my lord had said. So when our father said, “Go back and buy us a little food,” we said, “We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, we will go down, for we cannot be admitted to the man’s presence unless our youngest brother is with us.” So your servant our father said to us, “You know that my wife bore me two children. When one left me, I said that he must have been torn to pieces. And I have not seen him to this day. If you take this one from me too and any harm comes to him, you will send me down to Sheol with my white head bowed in misery.” If I go to your servant my father now, and we have not the boy with us, he will die as soon as he sees the boy is not with us, for his heart is bound up with him. Then your servants will have sent your servant our father down to Sheol with his white head bowed in grief.” Then Joseph could not control his feelings in front of all his retainers, and he exclaimed, “Let everyone leave me.” No one therefore was present with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers, but he wept so loudly that all the Egyptians heard, and the news reached Pharaoh’s palace. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father really still alive?” His brothers could not answer him, they were so dismayed at the sight of him. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” When they had come closer to him he said, “I am your brother Joseph whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not grieve, do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here, since God sent me before you to preserve your lives.”
Psalm 104(105):16-21
R/ Remember the wonders the Lord has done.
The Lord called down a famine on the land; he broke the staff that supported them. He had sent a man before them, Joseph, sold as a slave.
His feet were put in chains, his neck was bound with iron, until what he said came to pass and the word of the Lord proved him true.
Then the king sent and released him the ruler of the people set him free, making him master of his house and ruler of all he possessed.
Gospel Acclamation: Ps94:8
Alleluia, alleluia! Harden not your hearts today, but listen to the voice of the Lord. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 10:7-15
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: “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. Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with a few coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the workman deserves his keep. “Whatever town or village you go into, ask for someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave. As you enter his house, salute it, and if the house deserves it, let your peace descend upon it; if it does not, let your peace come back to you. And if anyone does not welcome you or listen to what you have to say, as you walk out of the house or town shake the dust from your feet. I tell you solemnly, on the day of Judgement it will not go as hard with the land of Sodom and Gomorrah as with that town.”
Prayer over the Offerings
May this oblation dedicated to your name purify us, O Lord, and day by day bring our conduct closer to the life of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 33: 9
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed the man who seeks refuge in him.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that, having been replenished by such great gifts, we may gain the prize of salvation and never cease to praise you. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus sends the twelve on a mission with a three-fold articulation: 1. The MANDATE that grants legitimacy and authority to the missionary who goes in the name of the Master. The mission is God’s and the mandate is received, not improvised. 2. THE PURPOSE of the mission is clear: to proclaim the Gospel, to heal the sick, to expel demons, to cleanse lepers and to raise the dead. It is not to fulfil any parallel and obscure agenda. 3. The INSTRUCTIONS consist of the conduct to be followed during the mission. It may be advice or disciplinary restrictions. Stay wherever you are welcome, leave homes or cities where you are not. For a fruitful mission, just as for a successful Christian life, all we need to do is pay attention to these guidelines and live by Jesus’ words.
by L'équipe de publication | Jul 11, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Benedict
He was a novice at the Franciscan convent in Greenwich, but when this was dissolved in 1559 he had to move to France, where he took his final vows. Later he went on a mission to England. He was arrested on false charges in 1596 and severely tortured. In 1598 he was tried and convicted of being a priest and on 12 July he was executed
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Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 47: 10-11
Your merciful love, O God, we have received in the midst of your temple. Your praise, O God, like your name, reaches the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with saving justice.
Collect
O God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. 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: Genesis 41:55-57,42:5-7,17-24
When the whole country of Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread. But Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.” There was famine all over the world. Then Joseph opened all the granaries and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine grew worse in the land of Egypt. People came to Egypt from all over the world to buy grain from Joseph, for the famine had grown severe throughout the world. Israel’s sons with others making the same journey went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan. It was Joseph, as the man in authority over the country, who sold the grain to all comers. So Joseph’s brothers went and bowed down before him, their faces touching the ground. When Joseph saw his brothers he recognised them. But he did not make himself known to them, and he spoke harshly to them. Then he kept them all in custody for three days. On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you shall keep your lives, for I am a man who fears God. If you are honest men let one of your brothers be kept in the place of your detention; as for you, go and take grain to relieve the famine of your families. You shall bring me your youngest brother; this way your words will be proved true, and you will not have to die!” This they did. They said to one another, “Truly we are being called to account for our brother. We saw his misery of soul when he begged our mercy, but we did not listen to him and now this misery has come home to us.” Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to wrong the boy? But you did not listen, and now we are brought to account for his blood.” They did not know that Joseph understood, because there was an interpreter between them. He left them and wept.
Psalm 32(33):2-3,10-11,18-19
R/ May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp, with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs. O sing him a song that is new, play loudly, with all your skill.
He frustrates the designs of the nations, he defeats the plans of the peoples. His own designs shall stand for ever, the plans of his heart from age to age.
The Lord looks on those who revere him, on those who hope in his love, to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine.
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 10:1-7
Jesus 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 are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows: “Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; 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.”
Prayer over the Offerings
May this oblation dedicated to your name purify us, O Lord, and day by day bring our conduct closer to the life of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 33: 9
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed the man who seeks refuge in him.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that, having been replenished by such great gifts, we may gain the prize of salvation and never cease to praise you. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Note the recurrence of the number 12 today. (The date of today, 12…) The 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 Apostles. 12 is made of 1 (symbol of primacy, divinity) and 2 (symbol of sinful humanity in its body-soul duality). 12 would symbolize the desire for unity of divinity with humanity through the redeeming Christ. Furthermore, 3 symbolizes perfection in time (past-present-future); and 4, perfection in space (4 cardinal points). 3+4=7 perfect number, just as 3×4=12 perfect number of the chosen ones in all times and places. Thus the 12 Apostles, like the 12 tribes of Israel, represent the fullness and completeness in the number of the elect. All of us are therefore on mission and called to personal conversion, while working for the conversion of all.
by L'équipe de publication | Jul 10, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Benedict
Benedict was born in Nursia and studied in Rome. Benedict organised various small communities of, drew up a set of rules to guide the communal life of monasteries, and, though not the first monastic rule ever, the Rule of St Benedict has proved so wise and balanced that it has served as the foundation of practically every attempt at communal living ever since.
Entrance Antiphon
There was a man of venerable life, Benedict, blessed by grace and by name, who, leaving home and patrimony and desiring to please God alone, sought out the habit of holy living.
Collect
O God, who made the Abbot Saint Benedict an outstanding master in the school of divine service, grant, we pray, that, putting nothing before love of you, we may hasten with a loving heart in the way of your commands. 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: Genesis 32:23-33
Jacob rose, and taking his two wives and his two slave-girls and his eleven children he crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream and sent all his possessions over too. And Jacob was left alone. And there was one that wrestled with him until daybreak who, seeing that he could not master him, struck him in the socket of his hip, and Jacob’s hip was dislocated as he wrestled with him. He said, “Let me go, for day is breaking.” But Jacob answered, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” He then asked, “What is your name?” “Jacob”, he replied. He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have been strong against God, you shall prevail against men.” Jacob then made this request, “I beg you, tell me your name”, but he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. Jacob named the place Peniel, “Because I have seen God face to face,” he said “and I have survived.” The sun rose as he left Peniel, limping because of his hip. That is the reason why to this day the Israelites do not eat the sciatic nerve which is in the socket of the hip; because he had struck Jacob in the socket of the hip on the sciatic nerve.
Psalm 16(17):1-3,6-8
R/ Lord, in my justice I shall see your face.
Lord, hear a cause that is just, pay heed to my cry. Turn your ear to my prayer: no deceit is on my lips.
From you may my judgement come forth. Your eyes discern the truth. You search my heart, you visit me by night. You test me and you find in me no wrong.
I am here and I call, you will hear me, O God. Turn your ear to me; hear my words. Display your great love, you whose right hand saves your friends from those who rebel against them.
Guard me as the apple of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings. In my justice I shall see your face and be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory.
Gospel Acclamation: cf.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 9:32-37
A man was brought to Jesus, a dumb demoniac. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke and the people were amazed. “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel” they said. But the Pharisees said, “It is through the prince of devils that he casts out devils.” 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.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Look kindly, Lord, upon these holy offerings, which we make in honour of Saint Benedict, and grant that, by following his example in seeking you, we may merit the gifts of unity in your service and of peace. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Lk 12: 42
This is the steward, faithful and prudent, whom the Lord set over his household to give them their allowance of food at the proper time.
Prayer after Communion
Having received this pledge of eternal life, we humbly beseech you, O Lord, that, attentive to the teaching of Saint Benedict, we may faithfully serve your designs and love one another with fervent charity. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus expels demons from a deaf and dumb man today. As is often the case, the crowds are in awe while the Pharisees see Jesus as a servant of Beelzebul. Chapter 9 of Matthew ends with the exhortation to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into his harvest, for as Jesus went through towns and villages, proclaiming the Gospel and healing the sick, he left crowds orphaned and helpless like sheep without shepherds. That is why chapter 10 opens with the call of the twelve. The harvest is abundant but the workers are few. Let us pray for more religious vocations. Let us also pray for our priests, deacons, religious and laity who are already devoting themselves to the service of the Gospel.
by L'équipe de publication | Jul 8, 2023 | Evangelium
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalter week II
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 47: 10-11
Your merciful love, O God, we have received in the midst of your temple. Your praise, O God, like your name, reaches the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with saving justice.
Collect
O God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. 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: Zechariah 9:9-10
The Lord says this: Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion! Shout with gladness, daughter of Jerusalem! See now, your king comes to you; he is victorious, he is triumphant, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will banish chariots from Ephraim and horses from Jerusalem; the bow of war will be banished. He will proclaim peace for the nations. His empire shall stretch from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.
Psalm 144(145):1-2,8-11,13b-14
R/ I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.
I will give you glory, O God my king, I will bless your name for ever. I will bless you day after day and praise your name for ever.
The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in love. How good is the Lord to all, compassionate to all his creatures.
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.
The Lord is faithful in all his words and loving in all his deeds. The Lord supports all who fall and raises all who are bowed down.
Second reading: Romans 8:9,11-13
Your interests are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made his home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong to him, and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you. So then, my brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives. If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live.
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: Matthew 11:25-30
Jesus exclaimed, “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 the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. ”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 this oblation dedicated to your name purify us, O Lord, and day by day bring our conduct closer to the life of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 33: 9
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed the man who seeks refuge in him.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that, having been replenished by such great gifts, we may gain the prize of salvation and never cease to praise you. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
In the first reading, the Lord sends the prince of peace. Although he rides on a donkey, he is righteous and victorious. Paul in the second reading proclaims that if the Spirit of him who raised Christ from the dead dwells in us, then that same Spirit will give life to our mortal bodies. This Gospel marks the end of chapter 11 of Matthew throughout which Jesus expresses his anger at the unbelief of this generation. “Woe to you… Sodom will be treated less severely than you on the day of judgment.” So let us open our hearts to the breath of the Spirit and discover Christ in our daily experiences. The mysteries of the kingdom are hidden from the wise and learned, but revealed to the humble of heart, who have rest in God alone.
by L'équipe de publication | Jul 7, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT Kilian
He was born in County Cavan, Ireland. He was a missionary bishop and preached the Gospel in Würzburg and converted the local Duke and much of the population. He was martyred by beheading, possibly at the behest of the Duke’s wife, possibly because she was the widow of the Duke’s brother and Kilian had declared her subsequent marriage to the Duke to be illegal.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 46: 2
All peoples, clap your hands. Cry to God with shouts of joy!
Collect
O God, who through the grace of adoption, chose us to be children of light; grant, we pray, that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth. 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: Genesis 27:1-5,15-29
Isaac had grown old, and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see. He summoned his elder son Esau, “My son!” he said to him, and the latter answered, “I am here.” Then he said, “See, I am old and do not know when I may die. Now take your weapons, your quiver and bow; go out into the country and hunt me some game. Make me the kind of savoury I like and bring it to me, so that I may eat, and give you my blessing before I die.” Rebekah happened to be listening while Isaac was talking to his son Esau. So when Esau went into the country to hunt game for his father, Rebekah took her elder son Esau’s best clothes, which she had in the house, and dressed her younger son Jacob in them, covering his arms and the smooth part of his neck with the skins of the kids. Then she handed the savoury and the bread she had made to her son Jacob. He presented himself before his father and said, “Father.” “I am here;” was the reply “who are you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your first-born; I have done as you told me. Please get up and take your place and eat the game I have brought and then give me your blessing.” Isaac said to his son, “How quickly you found it, my son!” “It was the Lord your God” he answered “who put it in my path.” Isaac said to Jacob, “Come here, then, and let me touch you, my son, to know if you are my son Esau or not.” Jacob came close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice but the arms are the arms of Esau!” He did not recognise him, for his arms were hairy like his brother Esau’s, and so he blessed him. He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he replied, “I am.” Isaac said, “Bring it here that I may eat the game my son has brought, and so may give you my blessing.” He brought it to him and he ate; he offered him wine, and he drank. His father Isaac said to him, “Come closer, and kiss me, my son.” He went closer and kissed his father, who smelled the smell of his clothes. He blessed him, saying: “Yes, the smell of my son is like the smell of a fertile field blessed by the Lord. May God give you dew from heaven, and the richness of the earth, abundance of grain and wine! May nations serve you and peoples bow down before you! Be master of your brothers; may the sons of your mother bow down before you! Cursed be he who curses you; blessed be he who blesses you!”
Psalm 134(135):1-6
R/ Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good.
Praise the name of the Lord, praise him, servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord in the courts of the house of our God.
Praise the Lord for the Lord is good. Sing a psalm to his name for he is loving. For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself and Israel for his own possession.
For I know the Lord is great, that our Lord is high above all gods. The Lord does whatever he wills, in heaven, on earth, in the seas.
Gospel Acclamation: Ps118:135
Alleluia, alleluia! Let your face shine on your servant, and teach me your decrees. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 9:14-17
John’s disciples came to him and said, “Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?” Jesus replied, “Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on to an old cloak, because the patch pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; if they do, the skins burst, the wine runs out, and the skins are lost. No; they put new wine into fresh skins and both are preserved.”
Prayer over the Offerings
O God, who graciously accomplish the effects of your mysteries, grant, we pray, that the deeds by which we serve you may be worthy of these sacred gifts. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 102: 1
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all within me, his holy name.
Prayer after Communion
May this divine sacrifice we have offered and received fill us with life, O Lord, we pray, so that, bound to you in lasting charity, we may bear fruit that lasts for ever. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“Could the wedding guests then be in mourning while the bridegroom is with them?” John the Baptist’s disciples are puzzled to see Jesus’ disciples blooming and unrestricted. This seems inappropriate because they are waiting for the Messiah and the waiting period involves fasting and mortification. Later, from the depths of his cell, John the Baptist will even send a question to Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come or must we wait for another”? But the Bridegroom is already among his disciples, so why fast? Let us bring the “Joy of the Gospel” to the world. Let us be new wineskins, receptacles and bearers of the living Christ in us. Mgr. Pirenne, Cicm. Says of that: “Christ is alive and he wants us alive”.
