by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Feb 25, 2023 | Evangelium
SUNDAY 26 febRuary
1st Sunday of Lent
Psalter week I
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 90: 15-16
When he calls on me, I will answer him; I will deliver him and give him glory, I will grant him length of days.
Collect
Grant, almighty God, through the yearly observances of holy Lent, that we may grow in understanding of the riches hidden in Christ and, by worthy conduct, pursue their effects. 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 2: 7-9, 3: 1-7
The Lord God fashioned man of dust from the soil. Then he breathed into his nostrils a breath of life, and thus man became a living being. The Lord God planted a garden in Eden which is in the east, and there he put the man he had fashioned. The Lord God caused to spring up from the soil every kind of tree, enticing to look at and good to eat, with the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden. Now the serpent was the most subtle of all the wild beasts that the Lord God had made. It asked the woman, “Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, ‘You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death.’” Then the serpent said to the woman, “No! You will not die! God knows in fact that on the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.” The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves loin-cloths.
Psalm 50(51): 3-6, 12-14, 17
R/ Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.
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.
My offences truly I know them; my sin is always before me Against you, you alone, have I sinned; what is evil in your sight I have done.
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.
Give me again the joy of your help; with a spirit of fervour sustain me, O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise.
Second reading: Romans 5: 12-19
Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned. Sin existed in the world long before the Law was given. There was no law and so no one could be accused of the sin of “law-breaking”, yet death reigned over all from Adam to Moses, even though their sin, unlike that of Adam, was not a matter of breaking a law. Adam prefigured the One to come, but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man, Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift. The results of the gift also outweigh the results of one man’s sin: for after one single fall came judgement with a verdict of condemnation, now after many falls comes grace with its verdict of acquittal. If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of one man’s fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous. Again, as one man’s fall brought condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and makes them justified. As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
Gospel Acclamation: Mt 4: 4
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory! Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
Gospel: Matthew 4: 1-11
Jesus was led by the Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, after which he was very hungry, and the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves.” But he replied, “Scripture says: Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” The devil then took him to the holy city and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down; for scripture says: He will put you in his angels’ charge, and they will support you on their hands in case you hurt your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him, “Scripture also says: You must not put the Lord your God to the test. Next, taking him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. “I will give you all these,” he said, “if you fall at my feet and worship me.” Then Jesus replied, “Be off, Satan! For scripture says: You must worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone.’ Then the devil left him, and angels appeared and looked after him.
Prayer over the Offerings
Give us the right dispositions, O Lord, we pray, to make these offerings, for with them we celebrate the beginning of this venerable and sacred time. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 4: 4
One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
Prayer after Communion
Renewed now with heavenly bread, by which faith is nourished, hope increased, and charity strengthened, we pray, O Lord, that we may learn to hunger for Christ, the true and living Bread, and strive to live by every word which proceeds from your mouth. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
May bountiful blessing, O Lord, we pray, come down upon your people, that hope may grow in tribulation, virtue be strengthened in temptation, and eternal redemption be assured. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Meditation
The Church is living through a time of grace; forty days during which the assembly of God renews itself through prayer, fasting and works of piety. The story of the temptations of Adam and Eve, and of Jesus are meant to help in making choices; our choices are either in favour of God or against Him. St. Paul, in his Letter to the Romans, considers and compares the two temptation events, and points out in what manner their results and consequences affect our lives today. Satan puts causes Eve to doubt, asking if God really instructed them not to eat of the fruit. The damage is done before her eyes open to perceive the truth. They are naked before each other, try to cover part of their nakedness and even to hide from God. Jesus, on the contrary, remains steadfast before the Devil who tempts him. The Devil tries to use Jesus’ hunger against him. He also provokes pride and the hunger for power, but Jesus triumphs, using scripture and the power of God. You have these same tools. Use them this Lent to stay close to Jesus in Prayer, Fasting and Active Charity.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Feb 24, 2023 | Evangelium
SATURDAY 25 febRuary
SAINT ETHELBERT
He was the first king in England to convert to Christianity. According to Bede, this happened shortly after St Augustine arrived on his mission to the English.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 68: 17
Answer us, Lord, for your mercy is kind; in the abundance of your mercies, look upon us.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, look with compassion on our weakness and ensure us your protection by stretching forth the right hand of your majesty. 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 58: 9-14
The Lord says this: If you do away with the yoke, the clenched fist, the wicked word, if you give your bread to the hungry, and relief to the oppressed, your light will rise in the darkness, and your shadows become like noon. The Lord will always guide you, giving you relief in desert places. He will give strength to your bones and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters never run dry. You will rebuild the ancient ruins, build up on the old foundations. You will be called “Breach-mender”, “Restorer of ruined houses?’ If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, and doing business on the holy day, if you call the Sabbath ‘Delightful’, and the day sacred to the Lord ‘Honourable’, if you honour it by abstaining from travel, from doing business and from gossip, then shall you find your happiness in the Lord and I will lead you triumphant over the heights of the land. I will feed you on the heritage of Jacob your father. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Psalm 85:1-6
R/ Show me, Lord, your way, so that I may walk in your truth.
Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am faithful; save the servant who trusts in you.
You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord, for I cry to you all the day long. Give joy to your servant, O Lord, for to you I lift up my soul.
O Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of love to all who call. Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer and attend to the sound of my voice.
Gospel Acclamation: cf Ps 94: 8
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God! Harden not your hearts today, but listen to the voice of the Lord. Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Gospel: Luke 5: 27-32
Jesus noticed a tax collector, Levi by name, sitting by the customs house, and said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything he got up and followed him. In his honour Levi held a great reception in his house, and with them at table was a large gathering of tax collectors and others. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples and said, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus said to them in reply, “It is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, we pray, O Lord, the sacrifice of conciliation and praise, and grant that, cleansed by its working, we may offer minds well pleasing to you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 9: 13
I desire mercy, not sacrifice, says the Lord, for I did not come to call the just but sinners.
Prayer after Communion
Nourished with the gift of heavenly life, we pray, O Lord, that what remains for us a mystery in this present life may be for us a help to reach eternity. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
Abide graciously, O Lord, with your people, who have touched the sacred mysteries, that no dangers may bring affliction to those who trust in you, their protector. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Meditation
Lent is that time during which we join to mortify ourselves with the one who continues to pay for our ransom with his blood. In the Gospel of today, Christ shows us God’s abundant and just favor and mercy for all: “It is not the healthy that are in need of a physician but the sick. I have come not to call the righteous but sinners.” He has come to restore sinners to good spiritual health. The call, conversion and mission of Levi (or Matthew) prove that God does not call us for who we are but rather for what he can use us for. The reading from Isaiah teaches us that if we are sympathetic like Levi, inviting other sinners to Christ and bringing relief to those who suffer, then God has a message addressed to each of us today: “your light will rise in the darkness, and your shadows become like noon. The Lord will always guide you, giving you relief in desert places. He will give strength to your bones and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters never run dry.” This is what we shall become at the end of Lent if we make the effort.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Feb 23, 2023 | Evangelium
FRIDAY 24 febRuary
SAINT JOHN THERISTUS
He was a Benedictine monk of Calabrian lineage, born in Sicily. At a young age he became a monk. He helped to miraculously harvest a large crop ahead of destructive weather, saving the locals from starvation. There he remained until his death of natural causes, in 1129.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 29: 11
The Lord heard and had mercy on me; the Lord became my helper.
Collect
Show gracious favour, O Lord, we pray, to the works of penance we have begun, that we may have strength to accomplish with sincerity, the bodily observances we undertake. 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 58: 1-9
Thus says the Lord: Shout for all you are worth, raise your voice like a trumpet. Proclaim their faults to my people, their sins to the House of Jacob. They seek me day after day, they long to know my ways, like a nation that wants to act with integrity and not ignore the law of its God. They ask me for laws that are just, they long for God to draw near: “Why should we fast if you never see it, why do penance if you never notice?” Look, you do business on your fast-days, you oppress all your workmen; look, you quarrel and squabble when you fast and strike the poor man with your fist. Fasting like yours today will never make your voice heard on high. Is that the sort of fast that pleases me, a truly penitential day for men? Hanging your head like a reed, lying down on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call fasting, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me – it is the Lord who speaks – to break unjust fetters and undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke, to share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor, to clothe the man you see to be naked and not turn from your own kin? Then will your light shine like the dawn and your wound be quickly healed over. Your integrity will go before you and the glory of the Lord behind you. Cry, and the Lord will answer; call, and he will say, “I am here.”
Psalm 50: 3-6, 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.
My offences truly I know them; my sin is always before me Against you, you alone, have I sinned; what is evil in your sight I have done.
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: cf. Ps 129: 5, 7
Glory and praise to you, O Christ! My soul is waiting for the Lord, I count on his word, because with the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption. Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Gospel: Matthew 9:14-15
John’s disciples came to Jesus 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.”
Prayer over the Offerings
We offer, O Lord, the sacrifice of our Lenten observance, praying that it may make our intentions acceptable to you and add to our powers of self-restraint. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 24: 4
O Lord, make me know your ways, teach me your paths.
Prayer after Communion
We pray, almighty God, that, through partaking of this mystery, we may be cleansed of all our misdeeds, and so be suited for the remedies of your compassion. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
For your mighty deeds, O God of mercy, may your people offer endless thanks, and, by observing the age-old disciplines along their pilgrim journey, may they merit to come and behold you for ever. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Meditation
We are three days into Lent, and today’s readings take us right into the very heart of what this penitential season is all about; Fasting. Isaiah tells us what God thinks of such religious works of sacrifice and/or penance! “…you call this a fast… you think this is acceptable to the Lord?” Do you think afflicting yourself, doing violent penance, bowing your heads in acknowledgement of your sinfulness, etc. are acts that please God and get God to answer your prayers? Not at all! That is letting your garments torn instead of your hearts being broken. Even a spiritual discipline like fasting can be manipulated. The prophet Isaiah speaks of people who ask God such questions like: “Why should we fast if you never see it, why do penance if you never notice.” Fasting helps us see clearly what is really important and necessary in our lives. It is a free action, performed joyfully in honour of the ONE we love. Fasting is a good spiritual discipline that leads us into a deeper relationship with God. It can be done for a variety of reasons: to gain freedom from some bad habit, addiction, or vice; to share in the sufferings of those who live in lack, or to grow in our hunger for God and for the things of heaven. Whatever the motivation, may our fast be genuine.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Feb 22, 2023 | Evangelium
THURSDAY 23 febRuary
SAINT Polycarp
He was a disciple of the Apostles. He bears witness to the beliefs of the early Christians and the early stages of the development of doctrine. He was martyred in about 155.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 54: 17-20, 23
When I cried to the Lord, he heard my voice; he rescued me from those who attack me. Entrust your cares to the Lord, and he will support you.
Collect
Prompt our actions with your inspiration, we pray, O Lord, and further them with your constant help, that all we do may always begin from you and by you be brought to completion. 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 30: 15-20
Moses said to the people: “See, today I set before you life and prosperity, death and disaster. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I enjoin on you today, if you love the Lord your God and follow his ways, if you keep his commandments, his laws, his customs, you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you are entering to make your own. But if your heart strays, if you refuse to listen, if you let yourself be drawn into worshipping other gods and serving them, I tell you today, you will most certainly perish; you will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today: I set before you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live, in the love of the Lord your God, obeying his voice, clinging to him; for in this your life consists, and on this depends your long stay in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob he would give them.”
Psalm 1: 1-4, 6
R/Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
Happy indeed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked; nor lingers in the way of sinners nor sits in the company of scorners, but whose delight is the law of the Lord and who ponders his law, day and night.
He is like a tree that is planted beside the flowing waters, that yields its fruit in due season and whose leaves shall never fade; and all that he does shall prosper.
Not so are the wicked, not so! For they like winnowed chaff shall be driven away by the wind. For the Lord guards the way of the just but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
Gospel Acclamation: Ps 50: 12, 14
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus! A pure heart create for me, O God, and give me again the joy of your help. Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Gospel: Luke 9: 22-25
Jesus said to his disciples: “The Son of Man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.” Then to all he said, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, that man will save it. What gain, then, is it for a man to have won the whole world and to have lost or ruined his very self?”
Prayer over the Offerings
Regard with favour, O Lord, we pray, the offerings we set upon this sacred altar, that, bestowing on us your pardon, our oblations may give honour to your name. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 50: 12
Create a pure heart for me, O God; renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Prayer after Communion
Having received the blessing of your heavenly gifts, we humbly beseech you, almighty God, that they may always be for us a source, both of pardon and of salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
Almighty God, who have made known to your people the ways of eternal life, lead them by that path, we pray to you, the unfading light. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Meditation
Deuteronomy sees fidelity as the key to the future of God’s people. “By walking in his ways, you shall live” Moses says, “but if your heart turns away and you do not hear, you shall perish!” In his final address to the people whom he has led out of slavery into the Promised Land, Moses makes the heartfelt appeal: “Choose life!” As we enter Lent, we are called upon to choose life. Jesus tells his disciples that he will be rejected, suffer greatly and ultimately, be killed by the chief priests and scribes. The reaction of his friends to these words is shock, fear, sadness, confusion. One who had told them that his purpose was “that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10) was now saying that his friends must share in his death and carry their cross with him. We ought to see that there is paradox between these two statements, but not contradiction. If we want to be followers of Jesus, we must be ready for some measure of self-sacrifice. Lent is traditionally a time for self-denial. If there is some misguided attachment holding us back, or some habit that is not for our good, this is the favourable time for us to meditate on it and make a change.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Feb 21, 2023 | Evangelium
WEDNESDAY 22 febRuary
Ash Wednesday
SAINT PETER’S CHAIR
This feast has been celebrated in Rome since at least the fourth century. It signifies the unity of the Church founded upon the Apostles.
Entrance Antiphon: Wis 11: 24, 25, 27
You are merciful to all, O Lord, and despise nothing that you have made. You overlook people’s sins, to bring them to repentance, and you spare them, for you are the Lord our God.
Collect
Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting, this campaign of Christian service, so that as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint. 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: Joel 2: 12-18
“Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks – come back to me with all your heart, fasting, weeping, mourning. Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn, turn to the Lord your God again, for he is all tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness, and ready to relent. Who knows if he will not turn again, will not relent, will not leave a blessing as he passes, oblation and libation for the Lord your God? Sound the trumpet in Zion! Order a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, call the people together, summon the community, assemble the elders, gather the children, even the infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his bedroom and the bride her alcove. Between vestibule and altar, let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, lament. Let them say, ‘Spare your people, Lord! Do not make your heritage a thing of shame, a byword for the nations.’ Why should it be said among the nations, Where is their God?’’ Then the Lord, jealous on behalf of his land, took pity on his people.
Psalm 50: 3-6, 12-14, 17
R/Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.
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.
My offences truly I know them; my sin is always before me Against you, you alone, have I sinned; what is evil in your sight I have done.
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.
Give me again the joy of your help; with a spirit of fervour sustain me, O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise.
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5: 20- 6: 2
We are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ’s name is: be reconciled to God. For our sake God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God. As his fellow workers, we beg you once again not to neglect the grace of God that you have received. For he says: At the favourable time, I have listened to you; on the day of salvation, I came to your help. Well, now is the favourable time; this is the day of salvation.
Gospel Acclamation: Ps 50: 12, 14
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory! A pure heart create for me, O God, and give me again the joy of your help. Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
Gospel Matthew: 6: 1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples: “Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you. When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.”
Prayer over the Offerings
As we solemnly offer the annual sacrifice for the beginning of Lent, we entreat you, O Lord, that, through works of penance and charity, we may turn away from harmful pleasures and, cleansed from our sins, may become worthy to celebrate devoutly the Passion of your Son. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 1: 2-3
He who ponders the law of the Lord, day and night, will yield fruit in due season.
Prayer after Communion
May the Sacrament we have received sustain us, O Lord, that our Lenten fast may be pleasing to you and be for us a healing remedy. Through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the People
Pour out a spirit of compunction, O God, on those who bow before your majesty, and by your mercy, may they merit the rewards you promise to those who do penance. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Meditation
Today we begin Lent by accepting to carry ashes on our foreheads as an external sign of our humble acceptance to repent from our sins as we prepare to return to the dust from which we came. Jewish teachers often used language similar to that which Jesus employs in the Gospel today, to condemn those who made public show of their piety. The Gospel therefore reminds us of how indebted Jesus was to Jewish ideas and teachings. Far from being a criticism of Judaism and its practices, the sermon reiterates the thoroughly Jewish identity of Jesus and his message. If your actions are designed to secure the notice of others, your deeds of “righteousness” yield no reward. Jesus warns against perverted piety; that is, piety that serves for public self- aggrandizement. Those who do this are hypocrites. Hypocrite is a Greek term for stage actors. They wore masks, literally hiding their true selves behind a false identity. This is what we are when we practice rather good deeds to gain public approval. But divine reward is evoked in Matthew 6:4, 6 and 18. Begin Lent today by showing your true selves. God’s reward will certainly come at the resurrection.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Feb 20, 2023 | Evangelium
TUESDAY 21 febRuary
SAINT WULFRIC
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 12: 6
O Lord, I trust in your merciful love. My heart will rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord who has been bountiful with me.
Collect
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, always pondering spiritual things, we may carry out in both word and deed that which is pleasing to 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; Ecclesiasticus 2: 1-11
My son, if you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal. Be sincere of heart, be steadfast, and do not be alarmed when disaster comes. Cling to him and do not leave him, so that you may be honoured at the end of your days. Whatever happens to you, accept it, and in the uncertainties of your humble state, be patient, since gold is tested in the fire, and chosen men in the furnace of humiliation. Trust him and he will uphold you, follow a straight path and hope in him. You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; do not turn aside in case you fall. You who fear the Lord, trust him, and you will not be baulked of your reward. You who fear the Lord hope for good things, for everlasting happiness and mercy. Look at the generations of old and see: whoever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame? Or whoever feared him steadfastly and was left forsaken? Or whoever called out to him, and was ignored? For the Lord is compassionate and merciful, he forgives sins, and saves in days of distress.
Psalm 36(37): 3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40
R/ Commit your life to the Lord, trust him and he will act.
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: Jn 14: 23
Alleluia, alleluia! If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him. Alleluia!
Gospel
Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him. They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.” He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, “Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
Prayer over the Offerings
As we celebrate your mysteries, O Lord, with the observance that is your due, we humbly ask you, that what we offer to the honour of your majesty may profit us for salvation.
Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 9: 2-3
I will recount all your wonders, I will rejoice in you and be glad, and sing psalms to your name, O Most High.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we may experience the effects of the salvation which is pledged to us by these mysteries. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
It should be noted that those who desire to serve God must be ready to face trials and contradictions of every type. We demonstrate authentic trust when things do not turn out well for us and we still go on. Along with faith and perseverance, trust is a basic quality of the disciple of Christ. It may be about two years that the apostles follow Jesus; yet the Gospel presents how self-centred they still were. They don’t understand the meaning of Jesus suffering and dying, but go ahead to argue about inheritance and fame on succession. Jesus consecrates time to training those who will continue his work; they have done marvellous things in his name, preaching and casting out demons; but still lack humility. The example Jesus makes of a child is thus a necessary symbol of purity, humility, trust, obedience, helplessness, dependence, forgiveness, innocence and these are the qualities of God’s Kingdom. These are the qualities that the disciples of Jesus, as well as every Christian, ought to possess.
