by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | May 14, 2023 | Evangelium
MONDAY 15 MAY
SAINT ISIDORE THE FARMER
He was born near Madrid to very poor parents. He was a labourer and later a bailiff on the estates of a landowner called Juan de Vargas. He was noted for his piety. He died on 15 May 1130.
Entrance Antiphon: Rm 6: 9
Christ, having risen from the dead, dies now no more; death will no longer have dominion over him, alleluia.
Collect
Grant, O merciful God, that we may experience at all times the fruit produced by the paschal observances. 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: Acts 16:11-15
Sailing from Troas we made a straight run for Samothrace; the next day for Neapolis, and from there for Philippi, a Roman colony and the principal city of that particular district of Macedonia. After a few days in this city we went along the river outside the gates as it was the Sabbath and this was a customary place for prayer. We sat down and preached to the women who had come to the meeting. One of these women was called Lydia, a devout woman from the town of Thyatira who was in the purple-dye trade. She listened to us, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptised she sent us an invitation: ‘If you really think me a true believer in the Lord,’ she said ‘come and stay with us’; and she would take no refusal.
Psalm 149:1 – 6, 9
The Lord takes delight in his people.
Sing a new song to the Lord, his praise in the assembly of the faithful. Let Israel rejoice in its Maker, let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing and make music with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people. He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory, shout for joy and take their rest. Let the praise of God be on their lips: this honour is for all his faithful.
Gospel Acclamation: cf. Lk 24: 46, 26
Alleluia, alleluia! It was ordained that the Christ should suffer and rise from the dead, and so enter into his glory. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 15:26-16:4
Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Advocate comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father, he will be my witness. And you too will be witnesses, because you have been with me from the outset. I have told you all this that your faith may not be shaken. They will expel you from the synagogues, and indeed the hour is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is doing a holy duty for God. They will do these things because they have never known either the Father or myself. But I have told you all this, so that when the time for it comes you may remember that I told you.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive, O Lord, we pray, these offerings of your exultant Church, and, as you have given her cause for such great gladness, grant also that the gifts we bring may bear fruit in perpetual happiness. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Jn 20: 19
Jesus stood in the midst of his disciples and said to them: Peace be with you, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
Look with kindness upon your people, O Lord, and grant, we pray, that those you were pleased to renew by eternal mysteries may attain in their flesh the incorruptible glory of the resurrection. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The disciples were able to testify about Jesus because they had lived and worked with him. In this passage, Jesus promises to send them the Holy Spirit, the Protector, the “Advocate”, after he would have left. The work of the Holy Spirit affirms the life and love of Jesus, testifying to what is true. To witness and testify to something, I must have personal experience, so I can say, this is true, and I know it. Lord, I have not been with you from the beginning. I am one of those who have not seen, yet I have believed. Show me yourself, strengthen your Spirit in me, so that my life and my words may testify to you.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | May 13, 2023 | Evangelium
SUNDAY 14 MAY
6th Sunday of Easter
Psalter week II
SAINT MATHIAS
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Is 48: 20
Proclaim a joyful sound and let it be heard; proclaim to the ends of the earth: The Lord has freed his people, alleluia.
Collect
Grant, almighty God, that we may celebrate with heartfelt devotion, these days of joy which we keep in honour of the risen Lord, and that what we relive in remembrance, we may always hold to in what we do. 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: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17
Philip went to a Samaritan town and proclaimed the Christ to them. The people united in welcoming the message Philip preached, either because they had heard of the miracles he worked or because they saw them for themselves. There were, for example, unclean spirits that came shrieking out of many who were possessed, and several paralytics and cripples were cured. As a result there was great rejoicing in that town. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, and they went down there, and prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he had not come down on any of them: they had only been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 65(66):1-7,16,20
R/ Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
Cry out with joy to God all the earth, O sing to the glory of his name. O render him glorious praise. Say to God: How tremendous your deeds!
Before you all the earth shall bow; shall sing to you, sing to your name! Come and see the works of God, tremendous his deeds among men.
He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the river dry-shod. Let our joy then be in him; he rules for ever by his might.
Come and hear, all who fear God. I will tell what he did for my soul: Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer nor withhold his love from me.
Second reading: 1 Peter 3:15-18
Reverence the Lord Christ in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have. But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear conscience, so that those who slander you when you are living a good life in Christ may be proved wrong in the accusations that they bring. And if it is the will of God that you should suffer, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong. Why, Christ himself, innocent though he was, had died once for sins, died for the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn 14: 23
Alleluia, alleluia! Jesus said: “If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him.” Alleluia!
Gospel: John 14:15-21
Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me you will keep my commandments. I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you for ever, that Spirit of truth whom the world can never receive since it neither sees nor knows him; but you know him, because he is with you, he is in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come back to you. In a short time the world will no longer see me; but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will understand that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you. Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them will be one who loves me; and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I shall love him and show myself to him.”
Prayer over the Offerings
May our prayers rise up to you, O Lord, together with the sacrificial offerings, so that, purified by your graciousness, we may be conformed to the mysteries of your mighty love. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Jn 14: 15-16
If you love me, keep my commandments, says the Lord, and I will ask the Father and he will send you another Paraclete, to abide with you for ever, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
Almighty ever-living God, who restore us to eternal life in the Resurrection of Christ, increase in us, we pray, the fruits of this paschal Sacrament and pour into our hearts the strength of this saving food. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus is aware that the imminent loss of his physical presence will be a hard blow to his disciples. So he reassures them, “I will not leave you orphans”. His physical absence will be compensated by the coming of the Holy Spirit who will be with them always. In our changing and increasingly secularized society, it is easy to feel a sense of loss and abandonment, but the Holy Spirit continues to guide and inspire us in new and creative ways so that we can relevantly communicate the Good News to today’s world. We must therefore be open to the Holy Spirit. In this time of stillness, God teaches us to see our world differently; we do not act on our own; we are accompanied by the ever-present Spirit of God.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | May 12, 2023 | Evangelium
SATURDAY 13 MAY
Saint John the Silent
Our LADY OF FATIMA
Also known as St John the Hesychast he was a Christian saint known for living alone for seventy-six years. He was given the surname because he loved recollection and silence.
Entrance Antiphon: Col 2: 12
You have been buried with Christ in Baptism, through which you also rose again by faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead, alleluia.
Collect
Almighty and eternal God, who, through the regenerating power of Baptism, have been pleased to confer on us heavenly life, grant, we pray, that those you render capable of immortality by justifying them may by your guidance attain the fullness of glory. 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: Acts 16:1-10
From Cilicia Paul went to Derbe, and then on to Lystra. Here there was a disciple called Timothy, whose mother was a Jewess who had become a believer; but his father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy, and Paul, who wanted to have him as a travelling companion, had him circumcised. This was on account of the Jews in the locality where everyone knew his father was a Greek. As they visited one town after another, they passed on the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, with instructions to respect them. So the Churches grew strong in the faith, as well as growing daily in numbers. They travelled through Phrygia and the Galatian country, having been told by the Holy Spirit not to preach the word in Asia. When they reached the frontier of Mysia they thought to cross it into Bithynia, but as the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them, they went through Mysia and came down to Troas. One night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian appeared and appealed to him in these words, “Come across to Macedonia and help us.” Once he had seen this vision we lost no time in arranging a passage to Macedonia, convinced that God had called us to bring them the Good News.
Psalm 99:1-3, 5
R/ Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing for joy.
Know that he, the Lord, is God. He made us, we belong to him. We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, eternal his merciful love. He is faithful from age to age.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! The Lord, who hung for us upon the tree, has risen from the tomb. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 15:18-21
Jesus said to his disciples: “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me before you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you do not belong to the world, because my choice withdrew you from the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the words I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they kept my word, they will keep yours as well. But it will be on my account that they will do all this, because they do not know the one who sent me.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept in compassion, Lord, we pray, the offerings of your family, that under your protective care, they may never lose what they have received, but attain the gifts that are eternal. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Jn 17: 20-21
Father, I pray for them, that they may be one in us, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me, says the Lord, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
Keep safe, O Lord, we pray, those whom you have saved by your kindness, that, redeemed by the Passion of your Son, they may rejoice in his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
Being a follower of Jesus sometimes means making unpopular choices. Am I ready to stand up and be counted as a Christian? Maybe there is something I need to do or say now as a Christian, but I am afraid to do. So I ask Jesus now for courage. I remind myself that it is only human to refrain from taking a position that others may not like. Maybe I have failed to do this in the past. I speak honestly to Jesus about it, knowing that he loves me no matter how I have behaved, just as he continued to love his friend Peter even after Peter denied him.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | May 10, 2023 | Evangelium
THURSDAY 11 MAY
SAINT John Houghton and
Companions
He was one of the Carthusian martyrs under Henry VIII. He was recognized as a man of sanctity even before his martyrdom. His community was a model of observance and austerity
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ex 15: 1-2
Let us sing to the Lord, for he has gloriously triumphed. The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation, alleluia.
Collect
O God, by whose grace, though sinners, we are made just and, though pitiable, made blessed, stand, we pray, by your works, stand by your gifts, that those justified by faith may not lack the courage of perseverance. 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: Acts 15:7-21
After the discussion had gone on a long time, Peter stood up and addressed the apostles and the elders. “My brothers,” he said “you know perfectly well that in the early days God made his choice among you: the pagans were to learn the Good News from me and so become believers. In fact God, who can read everyone’s heart, showed his approval of them by giving the Holy Spirit to them just as he had to us. God made no distinction between them and us, since he purified their hearts by faith. It would only provoke God’s anger now, surely, if you imposed on the disciples the very burden that neither we nor our ancestors were strong enough to support? Remember, we believe that we are saved in the same way as they are: through the grace of the Lord Jesus.” This silenced the entire assembly, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had worked through them among the pagans. When they had finished it was James who spoke. “My brothers,” he said, “Listen to me. Simeon has described how God first arranged to enlist a people for his name out of the pagans. This is entirely in harmony with the words of the prophets, since the scriptures say: After that I shall return and rebuild the fallen House of David; I shall rebuild it from its ruins and restore it. Then the rest of mankind, all the pagans who are consecrated to my name, will look for the Lord, says the Lord who made this known so long ago. I rule, then, that instead of making things more difficult for pagans who turn to God, we send them a letter telling them merely to abstain from anything polluted by idols, from fornication, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has always had his preachers in every town, and is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
Psalm 95(96):1-3,10
R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.
O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord all the earth. O sing to the Lord, bless his name.
Proclaim his help day by day, tell among the nations his glory and his wonders among all the peoples.
Proclaim to the nations: “God is king.” The world he made firm in its place; he will judge the peoples in fairness.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Christ has risen, he who created all things, and has granted his mercy to men. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 15:9-11
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.’
Prayer over the Offerings
O God, who by the wonderful exchange effected in this sacrifice have made us partakers of the one supreme Godhead, grant, we pray, that, as we have come to know your truth, we may make it ours by a worthy way of life. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: 2 Cor 5: 15
Christ died for all, that those who live may live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and is risen, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
Graciously be present to your people, we pray, O Lord, and lead those you have imbued with heavenly mysteries to pass from former ways to newness of life. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
If we could grasp God’s unconditional love for us, we would see life radically as a journey of joy. There can be joy amidst trials. The joy of Jesus is deep and profound, even in his Passion. It is the joy of being loved by the Father. Similarly, my joy must be born of the deep awareness that I am overwhelmingly loved by God. Lord, I do not know why you should care if my joy is complete. But you do, so let me now have time to savour this. Give me the awareness and the grace to always praise and thank You.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | May 9, 2023 | Evangelium
WEDNESDAY 10 MAY
SAINT Damien of Molokai
Joseph de Veuster was born in Belgium and took the name Damien on entering the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary at Leuven. At his own request, he took up residence at the leper colony at Kalaupapa and ministered to them until he caught leprosy himself and eventually died of it.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 70: 8, 23
Let my mouth be filled with your praise, that I may sing aloud; my lips shall shout for joy, when I sing to you, alleluia.
Collect
O God, restorer and lover of innocence, direct the hearts of your servants towards yourself, that those you have set free from the darkness of unbelief may never stray from the light of your 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: Acts 15:1-6
Some men came down from Judaea and taught the brothers, “Unless you have yourselves circumcised in the tradition of Moses you cannot be saved.” This led to disagreement, and after Paul and Barnabas had had a long argument with these men it was arranged that Paul and Barnabas and others of the Church should go up to Jerusalem and discuss the problem with the apostles and elders. All the members of the Church saw them off, and as they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria they told how the pagans had been converted, and this news was received with the greatest satisfaction by the brothers. When they arrived in Jerusalem they were welcomed by the Church and by the apostles and elders, and gave an account of all that God had done with them. But certain members of the Pharisees’ party who had become believers objected, insisting that the pagans should be circumcised and instructed to keep the Law of Moses. The apostles and elders met to look into the matter.
Psalm 121:1-5
R/ I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
I rejoiced when I heard them say: “Let us go to God’s house.” And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city strongly compact. It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord.
For Israel’s law it is, there to praise the Lord’s name. There were set the thrones of judgement of the house of David.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn10:14
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my own sheep and my own know me. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 15:1-8
Jesus said: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that bears no fruit he cuts away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes to make it bear even more. You are pruned already, by means of the word that I have spoken to you. Make your home in me, as I make mine in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is like a branch that has been thrown away – he withers; these branches are collected and thrown on the fire, and they are burnt. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you will and you shall get it. It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that we may always find delight in these paschal mysteries, so that the renewal constantly at work within us may be the cause of our unending joy. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon
The Lord has risen and shone his light upon us, whom he has redeemed by his Blood, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
Hear, O Lord, our prayers, that this most holy exchange, by which you have redeemed us, may bring your help in this present life and ensure for us eternal gladness. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The natural world speaks to Jesus about God’s work. Maybe I can take some time to look at a growing plant and ask God to let it speak to me about my life. Abide in me as I abide in you – Jesus speaks of mutual life. Taking Jesus at his word, consider with reverence and humility how the spirit of Jesus abides in you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Only Jesus can say these words, they sound so incredible: Jesus dwells in me, and I am invited to dwell in Him, so that I can produce abundant fruit. Pray with earnest desire for a deeper relationship with Jesus, and for a fruitful life.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | May 8, 2023 | Evangelium
TUESday 09 MAY
SAINT George Preca
He founded the Society for Christian Doctrine in 1907. He composed the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary in 1957. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on 3 June 2007, being described as “Malta’s second father in faith” after St Paul.
Entrance Antiphon: Rv 19: 5; 12: 10
Sing praise to our God, all you who fear God, both small and great, for now salvation and strength have come, and the power of his Christ, alleluia.
Collect
O God, who restore us to eternal life in the Resurrection of Christ, grant your people constancy in faith and hope, that we may never doubt the promises of which we have learned from 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 : Acts 14:19-28
Some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and turned the people against the apostles. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the town, thinking he was dead. The disciples came crowding round him but, as they did so, he stood up and went back to the town. The next day he and Barnabas went off to Derbe. Having preached the Good News in that town and made a considerable number of disciples, they went back through Lystra and Iconium to Antioch. They put fresh heart into the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith. “We all have to experience many hardships”, they said, “before we enter the kingdom of God.” In each of these Churches, they appointed elders, and with prayer and fasting they commended them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe. They passed through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. Then after proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia and from there sailed for Antioch, where they had originally been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. On their arrival they assembled the Church and gave an account of all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the pagans. They stayed there with the disciples for some time.
Psalm 144:10-13, 21
R/ Your friends, O Lord, shall make known the glorious splendour of your reign.
All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord, and your friends shall repeat their blessing. They shall speak of the glory of your reign and declare your might, O God, to make known to men your mighty deeds and the glorious splendour of your reign.
Yours is an everlasting kingdom; your rule lasts from age to age.
Let me speak the praise of the Lord, let all mankind bless his holy name for ever, for ages unending.
Gospel Acclamation: cf.Lk24:46
Alleluia, alleluia! It was ordained that the Christ should suffer and rise from the dead, and so enter into his glory.
Gospel: John 14:27-31
Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return. If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you this now before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe. I shall not talk with you any longer, because the prince of this world is on his way. He has no power over me, but the world must be brought to know that I love the Father and that I am doing exactly what the Father told me.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive, O Lord, we pray, these offerings of your exultant Church, and, as you have given her cause for such great gladness, grant also that the gifts we bring may bear fruit in perpetual happiness. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon Rm 6: 8
If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Christ, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
Look with kindness upon your people, O Lord, and grant, we pray, that those you were pleased to renew by eternal mysteries may attain in their flesh the incorruptible glory of the resurrection. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation.
Lord, I need your gift of peace! Very often I find myself unsure, anxious, worried, angry. Tell me about how you faced the Father when things were out of control in your life, especially at the end. What kept you going? You seem to have had such a firm conviction that your Father was with you and was asking you to reveal the limitless scope of divine love for the world. Jesus’ parting wish is ‘Peace!’ His gift of peace is not a state, but a relationship. It is the fruit of a deep abiding in him. This relationship will never fail. He offers you the same peace, but you alone can decide whether or not to establish this relationship with him.
