by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Mar 3, 2023 | Evangelium
SATURday 04 MARCH
SAINT Casimir
He was the second son of King Casimir IV of Poland. He assiduously cultivated the Christian virtues, especially chastity and generosity to the poor. He died of tuberculosis on 4 March 1484. .
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 18: 8
The law of the Lord is perfect; it revives the soul. The decrees of the Lord are steadfast; they give wisdom to the simple.
Collect
Turn our hearts to you, eternal Father, and grant that, seeking always the one thing necessary and carrying out works of charity, we may be dedicated to your worship. 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 26: 16-19
Moses said to the people: “The Lord your God today commands you to observe these laws and customs; you must keep and observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have today made this declaration about the Lord: that he will be your God, but only if you follow his ways, keep his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and listen to his voice. And the Lord has today made this declaration about you: that you will be his very own people as he promised you, but only if you keep all his commandments; then for praise and renown and honour he will set you high above all the nations he has made, and you will be a people consecrated to the Lord, as he promised.”
Psalm 118: 1-2, 4-5, 7-8
R/They are happy who follow God’s law!
They are happy whose life is blameless, who follow God’s law! They are happy who do his will, seeking him with all their hearts.
You have laid down your precepts to be obeyed with care. May my footsteps be firm to obey your statutes.
I will thank you with an upright heart as I learn your decrees. I will obey your statutes; do not forsake me.
Gospel Acclamation: cf. Lk 8:15
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus! Blessed are those who, with a noble and generous heart, take the word of God to themselves and yield a harvest through their perseverance. Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Gospel: Matthew 5: 43-48
Jesus said to his disciples, “You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Prayer over the Offerings
May these blessed mysteries by which we are restored, O Lord, we pray, make us worthy of the gift they bestow. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 5: 48
Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect, says the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Show unceasing favour, O Lord, to those you refresh with this divine mystery, and accompany with salutary consolations those you have imbued with heavenly teaching. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
May the blessing for which they have longed strengthen your faithful, O God, so that, never straying from your will, they may always rejoice in your benefits. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Friends of God, today our Lord Jesus Christ invites us to perfection in the way we love. He calls us to practise love without colour or smell. This means having no difference and no preference in our relationships with the others. Our love for the other must not be conditioned, limited and held back by the weight of human judgement. We must practice love without borders. As God loves everyone and showers his graces on all, we must learn to turn our backs on every spirit that tarnishes the image and likeness of God in us. We must turn away from all that leads us to favouritism, selfishness and bigotry. May the Lord increase in us the grace of unreserved and boundless love that will truly enable us to strive for God’s perfection.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Mar 2, 2023 | Evangelium
FRIday 03 MARCH
SAINT Katharine Drexel
She was born in Philadelphia to a rich banking family. In 1889, at the age of 33, she founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, dedicated to mission work among Indians and black people.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 24: 17-18
Set me free from my distress, O Lord. See my lowliness and suffering, and take away all my sins.
Collect
Grant that your faithful, O Lord, we pray, may be so conformed to the paschal observances, that the bodily discipline now solemnly begun may bear fruit in the souls of all. 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: Ezekiel 18: 21-28
Thus says the Lord: “If the wicked man renounces all the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law-abiding and honest, he will certainly live; he will not die. All the sins he committed will be forgotten from then on; he shall live because of the integrity he has practised. What! Am I likely to take pleasure in the death of a wicked man – it is the Lord who speaks – and not prefer to see him renounce his wickedness and live? But if the upright man renounces his integrity, commits sin, copies the wicked man and practises every kind of filth, is he to live? All the integrity he has practised shall be forgotten from then on; but this is because he himself has broken faith and committed sin, and for this he shall die. But you object, ‘What the Lord does is unjust.’ Listen, you House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin and dies because of this, he dies because of the evil that he himself has committed. When the sinner renounces sin to become law-abiding and honest, he deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins; he shall certainly live; he shall not die.”
Psalm 129: 1-8
R/ If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive?
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord, Lord, hear my voice! O let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleading.
If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive? But with you is found forgiveness: for this we revere you.
My soul is waiting for the Lord. I count on his word. My soul is longing for the Lord more than watchman for daybreak. (Let the watchman count on daybreak and Israel on the Lord.)
Because with the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption, Israel indeed he will redeem from all its iniquity.
Gospel Acclamation: cf. Amos 5: 14
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory! Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and that the Lord God of hosts may really be with you. Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
Gospel: Matthew 5: 20-26
Jesus said to his disciples, “If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill, he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother ‘Fool’, he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him ‘Renegade’, he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept the sacrificial offerings, O Lord, by which, in your power and kindness, you willed us to be reconciled to yourself and our salvation to be restored. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ez 33: 11
As I live, says the Lord, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but rather that he turn back and live.
Prayer after Communion
May the holy refreshment of your Sacrament restore us anew, O Lord, and, cleansing us of old ways, take us up into the mystery of salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
Look with favour on your people, O Lord, that what their observance outwardly declares it may inwardly bring about. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Meditation
The prophet Ezekiel makes you understand your call to persevere on the path of goodness in today’s first reading. The path of life requires you to be vigilant so that you do not lose your way on the road to Heaven. Many people have begun their lives well and ended them badly because they have turned away from the right path. On the other hand, others have recovered after a bad start and have thus earned a ticket to Heaven. For this reason, Jesus asks you in today’s Gospel to take care of your relationship with your fellow human beings. Your practice of charity and justice must go beyond that of the Scribes and Pharisees because a bit of anger, a simple insult or contempt for others can cost you Heaven. Review the way you treat others today in order to gain Heaven.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Mar 1, 2023 | Evangelium
THURsday 02 MARCH
SAINT CHAD
Chad was born in Northumbria, one of four brothers, all of whom became priests. He was educated under St Aidan and partly in Ireland. Chad was outstanding for his humility and simplicity of life. He died of the plague on 2 March 672.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 5: 2-3
To my words give ear, O Lord; give heed to my sighs. Attend to the sound of my cry, my King and my God.
Collect
Bestow on us, we pray, O Lord, a spirit of always pondering on what is right and of hastening to carry it out, and, since without you we cannot exist, may we be enabled to live according to your will. 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: Esther 4:17
Queen Esther took refuge with the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her. She besought the Lord God of Israel in these words: “My Lord, our King, the only one, come to my help, for I am alone and have no helper but you and I am about to take my life in my hands. I have been taught from my earliest years, in the bosom of my family, that you, Lord, chose Israel out of all the nations and our ancestors out of all the people of old times to be your heritage for ever; and that you have treated them as you promised. Remember, Lord; reveal yourself in the time of our distress. As for me, give me courage, King of gods and master of all power. Put persuasive words into my mouth when I face the lion; change his feeling into hatred for our enemy, that the latter and all like him may be brought to their end. As for ourselves, save us by your hand, and come to my help, for I am alone and have no one but you, Lord.”
Psalm 137(138): 1-3, 7-8
R/ On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart: you have heard the words of my mouth. In the presence of the angels, I will bless you. I will adore before your holy temple.
I thank you for your faithfulness and love, which excel all we ever knew of you. On the day I called, you answered; you increased the strength of my soul.
You stretch out your hand and save me, your hand will do all things for me. Your love, O Lord, is eternal, discard not the work of your hands.
Gospel Acclamation: Joel 2: 12-13
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God! Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks –come back to me with all your heart, for I am all tenderness and compassion. Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Gospel: Matthew 7: 7-12
Jesus said to his disciples, “Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. Is there a man among you who would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or would hand him a snake when he asked for a fish? If you, then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Be merciful, O Lord, to those who approach you in supplication, and, accepting the oblations and prayers of your people, turn the hearts of us all towards you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 7: 8
Everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Prayer after Communion
We pray, O Lord our God, that, as you have given these most sacred mysteries to be the safeguard of our salvation, so you may make them a healing remedy for us, both now and in time to come. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
May the mercy they have hoped for, O Lord, come to those who make supplication to you, and may the riches of heaven be given them, that they may know what it is right to ask and receive what they have sought. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Today’s Gospel shows us how the prayer of the disciple of Jesus Christ should be. Three spiritual attitudes must always lead the inner process of the speaker: ask, search and knock, all verbs of action. These attitudes will only be possible with the help of three crucial virtues. “To Ask” implies recognizing our insufficiency. To ask requires humility, abasement, the death of the ego to free oneself from the dictatorship of the feeling of sufficiency. The second virtue that goes hand in hand with “seeking” is perseverance, despite the obstacles in the way of the request. The third virtue that accompanies “knocking” is trust. It must always be present in the disciple of Christ so that he is daring and never give in to discouragement.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Feb 28, 2023 | Evangelium
wednesday 01 MARCH
SAINT DAVID
The earliest life of St David dates from five centuries after his death in 589. He became abbot and bishop at Mynyw. He is credited with a monastic rule and also with a Penitentiary.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 24: 6, 2, 22
Remember your compassion, O Lord, and your merciful love, for they are from of old. Let not our enemies exult over us. Redeem us, O God of Israel, from all our distress.
Collect
Look kindly, Lord, we pray, on the devotion of your people, that those who by self-denial are restrained in body, may by the fruit of good works, be renewed in mind. 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 3: 1-10
The word of the Lord was addressed a second time to Jonah: “Up!” he said. “Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to them as I told you to.” Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was a city great beyond compare: it took three days to cross it. Jonah went on into the city, making a day’s journey. He preached in these words, “Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.” And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. The news reached the king of Nineveh, who rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes. A proclamation was then promulgated throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his ministers, as follows: “Men and beasts, herds and flocks, are to taste nothing; they must not eat, they must not drink water. All are to put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might; and let everyone renounce his evil behaviour and the wicked things he has done. Who knows if God will not change his mind and relent, if he will not renounce his burning wrath, so that we do not perish?” God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.
Psalm 50: 3-4, 12-13, 18-19
R/ A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.
Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offence. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.
A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, nor deprive me of your holy spirit.
For in sacrifice you take no delight, burnt offering from me you would refuse, my sacrifice, a contrite spirit. A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.
Gospel acclamation: Ezk 33: 11
Glory and praise to you, O Christ! I take pleasure, not in the death of a wicked man – it is the Lord who speaks – but in the turning back of a wicked man who changes his ways to win life. Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Gospel: Luke 11: 29-32
The crowds got even bigger and Jesus addressed them, “This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached, they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
Prayer over the Offerings
We offer to you, O Lord, what you have given to be dedicated to your name, that, just as for our benefit you make these gifts a Sacrament, so you may let them become for us an eternal remedy. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 5: 12
All who take refuge in you shall be glad, O Lord, and ever cry out their joy, and you shall dwell among them.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who never cease to nourish us by your Sacrament, grant that the refreshment you give us through it may bring us unending life. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
Watch over your people, Lord, and in your kindness cleanse them from all sins, for if evil has no dominion over them, no trial can do them harm. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Meditation
Beloved of God, do you still recognize the signs and calls of God in your life? God speaks to you every day. God invites you to open your heart to his word. God invites you to transform your life. Jonah was a sign for the conversion of the people of Nineveh. The Ninevites who listened to his preaching on repentance were converted. Today you do not lack Jonahs to convert you because Jesus makes you understand in today’s Gospel that there are greater prophets around you than Jonah. So, what are you waiting for to open your heart and turn your back on the evil life that exposes you to the wrath of God? How long will you continue to resist the voice of love and goodness? May the Lord grant you the grace of true conversion of heart and life on this day.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Feb 27, 2023 | Evangelium
MONDAY 28 febRuary
SAINT OSWALD
In 972 he became Archbishop of York. He had a special love of the poor; in Lent he would wash the feet of twelve poor men every day. He died at Worcester on 28 February 992.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 89: 1-2
O Lord, you have been our refuge, from generation to generation; from age to age, you are.
Collect
Look upon your family, Lord, that, through the chastening effects of bodily discipline, our minds may be radiant in your presence with the strength of our yearning for 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: Isaiah 55: 10-11
Thus says the Lord: “As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.”
Psalm 33: 4-7, 16-19
R/The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.
Glorify the Lord with me. Together let us praise his name. I sought the Lord and he answered me; from all my terrors he set me free.
Look towards him and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed. This poor man called, the Lord heard him and rescued him from all his distress.
The Lord turns his face against the wicked to destroy their remembrance from the earth. The Lord turns his eyes to the just and his ears to their appeal.
They call and the Lord hears and rescues them in all their distress. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; those whose spirit is crushed he will save.
Gospel Acclamation: Mt 4:4
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus! Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Gospel: Matthew 6: 7-15
Jesus said to his disciples, “In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us. And do not put us to the test, but save us from the evil one.’ Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive, O Creator, almighty God, what we bring from your bountiful goodness, and be pleased to transform this temporal sustenance you have given us, that it may bring us eternal life. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 4: 2
When I called, the God of justice gave me answer; from anguish you released me; have mercy, Lord, and hear my prayer!
Prayer after Communion
Grant us through these mysteries, Lord, that by moderating earthly desires we may learn to love the things of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
May your faithful be strengthened, O God, by your blessing: in grief, may you be their consolation, in tribulation, their power to endure, and in peril, their protection. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Meditation
We can trust God’s word to be a fruitful seed that will achieve God’s will. God trusts you to sow that seed and to eat of its fruits. But for this to work, you must maintain a genuine relationship with God. Lent is the privileged time for God’s word to bear much fruit in you because of the mortification of your bodies, making them spiritually fit and fertile for the Word. Isaiah symbolically presents the cycle of life in the rain and snow that fall from the sky and moisten the earth, giving life to all plants and trees. Divine inspiration is like the rain and the snow, and the new life arising in the plants and trees represents our newly-inspired lives at the end of Lent. This message is laden with hopes and ideals, calling us to trust in God who has written our names on the palm of his hand (Is 49:16), because we are precious in his eyes and because he loves us (Is 43:4). God’s love offers unconditional forgiveness. It is the type of love that we long for as we pray in the Our Father, “Forgive us our trespasses…” But for our prayer to be fruitful, Jesus teaches us something essential today; to put God’s will above our personal preferences.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Feb 26, 2023 | Evangelium
SUNDAY 27 febRuary
SAINT LEANDER OF SEVILE
Leander was born in the year 534 in Carthage. Leander became a Benedictine monk and in 579 was made Bishop of Seville. Leander is responsible for introducing the Nicene Creed at Mass. Leander died around the year 600 and was succeeded by his brother, Isidore.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 122: 2-3
Like the eyes of slaves on the hand of their lords, so our eyes are on the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Collect
Convert us, O God our Saviour, and instruct our minds by heavenly teaching, that we may benefit from the works of Lent. 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: Leviticus 19: 1-2, 11-18
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said: “Speak to the whole community of the sons of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.’ You must not steal nor deal deceitfully or fraudulently with your neighbour. You must not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God. I am the Lord. You must not exploit or rob your neighbour. You must not keep back the labourer’s wage until next morning. You must not curse the dumb, nor put an obstacle in the blind man’s way, but you must fear your God. I am the Lord. You must not be guilty of unjust verdicts. You must neither be partial to the little man nor overawed by the great; you must pass judgement on your neighbour according to justice. You must not slander your own people, and you must not jeopardise your neighbour’s life. I am the Lord. You must not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. You must openly tell him, your neighbour, of his offence; this way you will not take a sin upon yourself. You must not exact vengeance, nor must you bear a grudge against the children of your people. You must love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord.’”
Psalm 18:8-10,15
R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.
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.
May the spoken words of my mouth, the thoughts of my heart, win favour in your sight, O Lord, my rescuer, my rock!
Gospel Acclamation: Ezk 18: 31
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory! Shake off all your sins – it is the Lord who speaks – and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
Gospel: Matthew 25: 31-46
Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand, ‘Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.’ Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?’ And the King will answer, ‘I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.’ Next he will say to those on his left hand, ‘Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.’ Then it will be their turn to ask, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?’ Then he will answer, ‘I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.’ ‘And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.”
Prayer over the Offerings
May this devout oblation be acceptable to you, O Lord, that by your power it may sanctify our manner of life and gain for us your conciliation and pardon. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 25: 40, 34
Amen, I say to you: Whatever you did for one of the least of my brethren, you did it for me, says the Lord. Come, you blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Prayer after Communion
We pray, O Lord, that, in receiving your Sacrament, we may experience help in mind and body so that, kept safe in both, we may glory in the fullness of heavenly healing. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
Enlighten the minds of your people, Lord, we pray, with the light of your glory, that they may see what must be done and have the strength to do what is right. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Meditation
The word “holy” has an important root meaning; “to be separate”. Used in a religious context, “holy” denotes divinity. It was used for the divinity of God, emphasizing the unbridgeable difference between God and his creatures. God tells his people: “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God am holy”. In effect, God is telling us to be like him, and rightly so, because we are made to be like him; we are made in his image and we belong to him. Hence to be holy is not about being pious or just being spiritual; it implies the moral obligations to keep the Commandments. Jesus equally states the moral obligation of holiness in very basic terms and very practical deeds. Sharing food and drink and helping those in need, welcoming strangers and respecting the dignity of others; caring for the sick and lonely. God became man in Jesus to show the real meaning of holiness. To be holy is as basic and practical as doing small acts with great love; bringing relief to those critically in need. In Jesus, the holy became human, so that we humans can become holy. Are you walking the paths of holiness?
