by | Nov 9, 2022 | Evangelium

Thursday 10 th november 2022

 

Pope St. Leo the Great

(- 461)

 

He was born in Etruria and became Pope in 440. He was a true shepherd and father of souls. He constantly strove to keep the faith whole and strenuously defended the unity of the Church. He left many doctrinal and spiritual writings behind and a number of them are included in the Office of Readings to this day. He died in 461.

 

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Sir 45: 30

The Lord established for him a covenant of peace, and made him the prince, that he might have the dignity of the priesthood for ever.

 

Collect

O God, who never allow the gates of hell to prevail against your Church, firmly founded on the apostolic rock, grant her, we pray, that through the intercession of Pope Saint Leo, she may stand firm in your truth and know the protection of lasting peace. 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 : Philemon 1:7-20

I am so delighted, and comforted, to know of your love; they tell me, brother, how you have put new heart into the saints. Now, although in Christ I can have no diffidence about telling you to do whatever is your duty, I am appealing to your love instead, reminding you that this is Paul writing, an old man now and, what is more, still a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for a child of mine, whose father I became while wearing these chains: I mean Onesimus. He was of no use to you before, but he will be useful to you now, as he has been to me. I am sending him back to you, and with him – I could say – a part of my own self. I should have liked to keep him with me; he could have been a substitute for you, to help me while I am in the chains that the Good News has brought me. However, I did not want to do anything without your consent; it would have been forcing your act of kindness, which should be spontaneous. I know you have been deprived of Onesimus for a time, but it was only so that you could have him back for ever, not as a slave any more, but something much better than a slave, a dear brother; especially dear to me, but how much more to you, as a blood-brother as well as a brother in the Lord. So if all that we have in common means anything to you, welcome him as you would me; but if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, then let me pay for it. I am writing this in my own handwriting: I, Paul, shall pay it back – I will not add any mention of your own debt to me, which is yourself. Well then, brother, I am counting on you, in the Lord; put new heart into me, in Christ.

 

Psalm 145:7-10

R/  He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God.

 

  1. It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever, who is just to those who are oppressed. It is he who gives bread to the hungry, the Lord, who sets prisoners free.
  2. It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind, who raises up those who are bowed down, the Lord, who protects the stranger and upholds the widow and orphan.
  3. It is the Lord who loves the just but thwarts the path of the wicked. The Lord will reign for ever, Zion’s God, from age to age.

 

Gospel Acclamation : 1P1:25

Alleluia, alleluia! The word of the Lord remains for ever: What is this word? It is the Good News that has been brought to you.  Alleluia!

 

Gospel : Luke 17:20-25

Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was to come, Jesus gave them this answer, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit of observation and there will be no one to say, “Look here! Look there!” For, you must know, the kingdom of God is among you.’ He said to the disciples, ‘A time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man and will not see it. They will say to you, “Look there!” or, “Look here!” Make no move; do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightning flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of Man when his day comes. But first he must suffer grievously and be rejected by this generation.’

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Through the offerings made here, we pray, O Lord, graciously shed light on your Church, so that your flock may everywhere prosper and that under your governance the shepherds may become pleasing to your name. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon : Mt 16: 16,18

Peter said to Jesus: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus replied: You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.

 

Prayer after Communion

Be pleased, O Lord, we pray, to govern the Church you have nourished by this holy meal, so that, firmly directed, she may enjoy ever greater freedom and persevere in integrity of religion. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Meditation

“The Kingdom of God is among you” (Lk 17:21). The Kingdom of God is not some geographical place with set boundaries. This is the truth which Jesus reveals to us in the gospel text. The kingdom of God is a state of being or existence. That is why Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is among us or within us. Jesus is the sacrament of God’s Kingdom, and wherever the lordship of Christ is manifested, there is the Kingdom of God. Wherever the gospel values of truth, justice, love and peace reign, there also is the Kingdom of God. We are already having a foretaste of the kingdom if our lives are shaped by these gospel values.

by | Nov 8, 2022 | Evangelium

Wednesday 09 th november 2022

Dedication of

the Lateran Basilica

(c.324)

 

The Lateran Basilica was built by the Emperor Constantine on the Lateran Hill in Rome in about 324. In honour of the basilica, “the mother and head of all the churches of the City and the World,” the feast has been extended to the whole Roman Rite as a sign of unity and love towards the See of Peter.

 

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Rev 21: 2

I saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

 

Collect

O God, who from living and chosen stones, prepare an eternal dwelling for your majesty, increase in your Church, the spirit of grace you have bestowed, so that by new growth, your faithful people may build up the heavenly Jerusalem. 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 47:1-2.8-9.12

The angel brought me to the entrance of the Temple, where a stream came out from under the Temple threshold and flowed eastwards, since the Temple faced east. The water flowed from under the right side of the Temple, south of the altar. He took me out by the north gate and led me right round outside as far as the outer east gate where the water flowed out on the right-hand side. The man went to the east holding his measuring-line and measured off a thousand cubits; he then made me wade across the stream; the water reached my ankles. He measured off another thousand and made me wade across the stream again; the water reached my knees. He measured off another thousand and made me wade across again; the water reached my waist. He measured off another thousand; it was now a river which I could not cross; the stream had swollen and was now deep water, a river impossible to cross. He then said, ‘Do you see, son of man?’ He took me further, then brought me back to the bank of the river. When I got back, there were many trees on each bank of the river. He said, ‘This water flows east down to the Arabah and to the sea; and flowing into the sea it makes its waters wholesome. Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows. Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.’

 

Psalm 45:2-3.5-6.8-9

R/  The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

 

  1. God is for us a refuge and strength, a helper close at hand, in time of distress: so we shall not fear though the earth should rock, though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea.
  2. The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within, it cannot be shaken; God will help it at the dawning of the day.
  3. The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our strong hold. Come, consider the works of the Lord, the redoubtable deeds he has done on the earth.

 

Gospel Acclamation : 2Ch 7:16

Alleluia, alleluia! I have chosen and consecrated this house, says the Lord, for my name to be there Alleluia!

 

Gospel : John 2:13-22

Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money-changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of Scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the words he had said.

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Accept, we pray, O Lord, the offering made here and grant that by it those who seek your favour may receive in this place the power of the Sacraments and the answer to their prayers. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon : Cf. 1 Pet 2: 5

Be built up like living stones, into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood.

 

 

Prayer after Communion

O God, who chose to foreshadow for us the heavenly Jerusalem through the sign of your Church on earth, grant, we pray, that, by our partaking of this Sacrament, we may be made the temple of your grace and may enter the dwelling place of your glory. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Meditation

Today the Church marks the feast of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica. This Basilica, which was erected by Emperor Constantine, is taken to be the mother of all the Churches as well as a symbol of unity of the Church. We have beautiful images of the temple presented in the three readings – the image of the water which flows out of the temple and gives life to all living beings (1st Reading); the faithful as the temple of the Holy Spirit (2nd Reading) and the cleansing of the temple by Jesus (Gospel). Through Baptism, you become a temple and dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. If the Spirit of God is in you, your life will be like a flowing river that nourishes the lives of all around you. Because God dwells in you, you are a source of blessing to people.

by | Nov 7, 2022 | Evangelium

Tuesday 08 th november 2022

 

Blessed George Napier

(1610)

 

He was born in Oxford and ordained priest in 1596. He worked secretly as a priest in 1603 in Oxfordshire. He was arrested in 1610: the possession of the holy oils and a breviary was considered sufficient evidence of priesthood and he was condemned to death. He was hanged, drawn and quartered at Oxford on 8 November 1610 and beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1929.

 

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 87: 3

Let my prayer come into your presence. Incline your ear to my cry for help, O Lord.

 

Collect

Almighty and merciful God, graciously keep from us all adversity, so that, unhindered in mind and body alike, we may pursue, in freedom of heart, the things that are yours. 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 : Titus 2:1-8,11-14

It is for you to preach the behaviour which goes with healthy doctrine. The older men should be reserved, dignified, moderate, sound in faith and love and constancy. Similarly, the older women should behave as though they were religious, with no scandal-mongering and no habitual wine-drinking – they are to be the teachers of the right behaviour and show the younger women how they should love their husbands and love their children, how they are to be sensible and chaste, and how to work in their homes, and be gentle, and do as their husbands tell them, so that the message of God is never disgraced. In the same way, you have got to persuade the younger men to be moderate and in everything you do make yourself an example to them of working for good: when you are teaching, be an example to them in your sincerity and earnestness and in keeping all that you say so wholesome that nobody can make objections to it; and then any opponent will be at a loss, with no accusation to make against us. You see, God’s grace has been revealed, and it has made salvation possible for the whole human race and taught us that what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God, and all our worldly ambitions; we must be self-restrained and live good and religious lives here in this present world, while we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the Appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Christ Jesus. He sacrificed himself for us in order to set us free from all wickedness and to purify a people so that it could be his very own and would have no ambition except to do good.

 

Psalm 36:3-4,18,23,27,29

R/ The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

 

  1. 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.
  2. He protects the lives of the upright, their heritage will last for ever. The Lord guides the steps of a man and makes safe the path of one he loves.
  3. Then turn away from evil and do good and you shall have a home for ever; The just shall inherit the land; there they shall live for ever.

 

Gospel Acclamation : Mt4:4

Alleluia, alleluia! Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.Alleluia!

 

Gospel : Luke 17:7-10

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Look with favour, we pray, O Lord, upon the sacrificial gifts offered here, that, celebrating in mystery the Passion of your Son, we may honour it with loving devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon : Cf. Ps 22: 1-2

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose, near restful waters he leads me.

 

 

Prayer after Communion

Nourished by this sacred gift, O Lord, we give you thanks and beseech your mercy, that, by the pouring forth of your Spirit, the grace of integrity may endure in those your heavenly power has entered. Through Christ our Lord

 

Meditation

The role of the servant is to do the will of his master. The master is not indebted to him for doing what he is supposed to do as a servant. Nonetheless, a faithful servant usually gains the approval and praise of his master. We are God’s servants and we must be content in doing God’s will. God is in no way indebted to us. The saints understood this very well by giving up their lives entirely to the service of God and humanity. Their reward of salvation is not a debt that God is paying to them; rather, the crowning of the saints is a manifestation of God’s glory.

by | Nov 6, 2022 | Evangelium

Monday 07 th november 2022

 

St. Willibrord

(658 – 739)

 

He was the first of the great Anglo-Saxon missionaries to Europe and is remembered not just for his devotion in preaching the Gospel but also for his joyfulness of character and his holiness of life. He died at Echternach in Luxembourg in 739.

 

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 87: 3

Let my prayer come into your presence. Incline your ear to my cry for help, O Lord.

 

Collect

Almighty and merciful God, graciously keep from us all adversity, so that, unhindered in mind and body alike, we may pursue, in freedom of heart, the things that are yours. 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 : Titus 1:1-9

From Paul, servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ to bring those whom God has chosen to faith and to the knowledge of the truth that leads to true religion; and to give them the hope of the eternal life that was promised so long ago by God. He does not lie and so, at the appointed time, he revealed his decision, and, by the command of God our Saviour, I have been commissioned to proclaim it. To Titus, true child of mine in the faith that we share, wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our saviour. The reason I left you behind in Crete was for you to get everything organised there and appoint elders in every town, in the way that I told you: that is, each of them must be a man of irreproachable character; he must not have been married more than once, and his children must be believers and not uncontrollable or liable to be charged with disorderly conduct. Since, as president, he will be God’s representative, he must be irreproachable: never an arrogant or hot-tempered man, nor a heavy drinker or violent, nor out to make money; but a man who is hospitable and a friend of all that is good; sensible, moral, devout and self-controlled; and he must have a firm grasp of the unchanging message of the tradition, so that he can be counted on for both expounding the sound doctrine and refuting those who argue against it.

 

Psalm 23:1-6

R/ Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

 

  1. The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, the world and all its peoples. It is he who set it on the seas; on the waters he made it firm.
  2. Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place? The man with clean hands and pure heart, who desires not worthless things.
  3. He shall receive blessings from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him. Such are the men who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob.

 

Gospel Acclamation : Ph2:15-16

Alleluia, alleluia! You will shine in the world like bright stars because you are offering it the word of life. Alleluia!

 

Gospel : Luke 17:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Obstacles are sure to come, but alas for the one who provides them! It would be better for him to be thrown into the Sea with a millstone put round his neck than that he should lead astray a single one of these little ones. Watch yourselves! If your brother does something wrong, reprove him and, if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, “I am sorry,” you must forgive him.’ The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Look with favour, we pray, O Lord, upon the sacrificial gifts offered here, that, celebrating in mystery the Passion of your Son, we may honour it with loving devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon : Cf. Ps 22: 1-2

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose, near restful waters he leads me.

 

Prayer after Communion

Nourished by this sacred gift, O Lord, we give you thanks and beseech your mercy, that, by the pouring forth of your Spirit, the grace of integrity may endure in those your heavenly power has entered. Through Christ our Lord

 

Meditation

In an age marked by multiplicity of conflicting religious doctrines and ideas, our responsibility for the gospel and fot the faith of one another is of utmost importance. We should defend the gospel from other teachings at variance with it, preserve the tradition legitimated by the gospel, correct errors and preach the gospel in a way that inspires true religion. A true religion is one that is nurtured by the knowledge of the truth of what God has revealed about himself in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the embodiment of true religion. Let us live a life of mutual building up, trusting in the Lord who assists us always and bears our failings.

by | Nov 5, 2022 | Evangelium

Sunday 06 th november 2022

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Psalter IV

 

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 87: 3

Let my prayer come into your presence. Incline your ear to my cry for help, O Lord.

 

Collect

Almighty and merciful God, graciously keep from us all adversity, so that, unhindered in mind and body alike, we may pursue, in freedom of heart, the things that are yours. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

 

First reading : 2 Maccabees 7:1-2,9-14

There were seven brothers who were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them to taste pig’s flesh, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges. One of them, acting as spokesman for the others, said, ‘What are you trying to find out from us? We are prepared to die rather than break the laws of our ancestors.’ With his last breath the second brother exclaimed, ‘Inhuman fiend, you may discharge us from this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up, since it is for his laws that we die, to live again for ever.’ After him, they amused themselves with the third, who on being asked for his tongue promptly thrust it out and boldly held out his hands, with these honourable words, ‘It was heaven that gave me these limbs; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again.’ The king and his attendants were astounded at the young man’s courage and his utter indifference to suffering. When this one was dead they subjected the fourth to the same savage torture. When he neared his end he cried, ‘Ours is the better choice, to meet death at men’s hands, yet relying on God’s promise that we shall be raised up by him; whereas for you there can be no resurrection, no new life.’

 

Psalm 16(17):1,5-6,8,15

R/   I shall be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory, O Lord.

 

  1. Lord, hear a cause that is just, pay heed to my cry. Turn your ear to my prayer: no deceit is on my lips.
  2. I kept my feet firmly in your paths; there was no faltering in my steps. I am here and I call, you will hear me, O God. Turn your ear to me; hear my words.
  3. Guard me as the apple of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings As for me, in my justice I shall see your face and be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory.

 

Second reading : 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who has given us his love and, through his grace, such inexhaustible comfort and such sure hope, comfort you and strengthen you in everything good that you do or say. Finally, brothers, pray for us; pray that the Lord’s message may spread quickly, and be received with honour as it was among you; and pray that we may be preserved from the interference of bigoted and evil people, for faith is not given to everyone. But the Lord is faithful, and he will give you strength and guard you from the evil one, and we, in the Lord, have every confidence that you are doing and will go on doing all that we tell you. May the Lord turn your hearts towards the love of God and the fortitude of Christ.

 

Gospel Acclamation : Lk21:36

Alleluia, alleluia! Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to stand with confidence before the Son of Man. Alleluia!

 

Gospel : Luke 20:27-38

Some Sadducees – those who say that there is no resurrection – approached Jesus and they put this question to him, ‘Master, we have it from Moses in writing, that if a man’s married brother dies childless, the man must marry the widow to raise up children for his brother. Well then, there were seven brothers. The first, having married a wife, died childless. The second and then the third married the widow. And the same with all seven, they died leaving no children. Finally the woman herself died. Now, at the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife since she had been married to all seven?’ Jesus replied, ‘The children of this world take wives and husbands, but those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world and in the resurrection from the dead do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels, and being children of the resurrection they are sons of God. And Moses himself implies that the dead rise again, in the passage about the bush where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all men are in fact alive.’

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Look with favour, we pray, O Lord, upon the sacrificial gifts offered here, that, celebrating in mystery the Passion of your Son, we may honour it with loving devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon : Cf. Ps 22: 1-2

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose, near restful waters he leads me.

 

Prayer after Communion

Nourished by this sacred gift, O Lord, we give you thanks and beseech your mercy, that, by the pouring forth of your Spirit, the grace of integrity may endure in those your heavenly power has entered. Through Christ our Lord

 

Meditation

The first reading presents a moving story of the martyrdom of the seven brothers whose names are unknown but who are popularly called “The Maccabees.” One is fascinated by the courage of the seven brothers as presented in the first reading from 2 Maccabees who suffered martyrdom because they did not want to contravene the custom which forbade them to eat pork. It is faith in the resurrection that motivated them to lay down their lives. Jesus assures us in the gospel that the dead will be raised again because God is a God of the living and not of the dead. And where God is, life abounds in all its forms. We pray with St. Paul for courage to be steadfast in every good work and word.

 

by | Nov 4, 2022 | Evangelium

Saturday 05 th november 2022

 

St. Elizabeth

 

St Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, was the mother of John the Baptist. She has the distinction of being one of the first to know about Mary’s great blessing as the Mother of God.

 

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 37: 22-23

Forsake me not, O Lord, my God; be not far from me! Make haste and come to my help, O Lord, my strong salvation!

 

Collect

Almighty and merciful God, by whose gift your faithful offer you right and praiseworthy service, grant, we pray, that we may hasten without stumbling to receive the things you have promised. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

 

First reading : Philippians 4:10-19

It is a great joy to me, in the Lord, that at last you have shown some concern for me again; though of course you were concerned before, and only lacked an opportunity. I am not talking about shortage of money: I have learnt to manage on whatever I have, I know how to be poor and I know how to be rich too. I have been through my initiation and now I am ready for anything anywhere: full stomach or empty stomach, poverty or plenty. There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength. All the same, it was good of you to share with me in my hardships. In the early days of the Good News, as you people of Philippi well know, when I left Macedonia, no other Church helped me with gifts of money. You were the only ones; and twice since my stay in Thessalonika you have sent me what I needed. It is not your gift that I value; what is valuable to me is the interest that is mounting up in your account. Now for the time being I have everything that I need and more: I am fully provided now that I have received from Epaphroditus the offering that you sent, a sweet fragrance – the sacrifice that God accepts and finds pleasing. In return my God will fulfil all your needs, in Christ Jesus, as lavishly as only God can.

 

Psalm 111:1-2,5-6,8,9

R/ Happy the man who fears the Lord.

 

  1. Happy the man who fears the Lord, who takes delight in all his commands. His sons will be powerful on earth; the children of the upright are blessed.
  2. The good man takes pity and lends, he conducts his affairs with honour. The just man will never waver: he will be remembered for ever.
  3. With a steadfast heart he will not fear. Open-handed, he gives to the poor; his justice stands firm for ever. His head will be raised in glory.

 

Gospel Acclamation : cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia! Open our heart, O Lord, to accept the words of your Son. Alleluia!

 

Gospel : Luke 16:9-15

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win your friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you into the tents of eternity. The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own? ‘No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’ The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and laughed at him. He said to them, ‘You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as virtuous in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is thought highly of by men is loathsome in the sight of God.’

 

Prayer over the Offerings

May these sacrificial offerings, O Lord, become for you a pure oblation, and for us a holy outpouring of your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon : Cf. Ps 15: 11

You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, O Lord.

 

Prayer after Communion

May the working of your power, O Lord, increase in us, we pray, so that, renewed by these heavenly Sacraments, we may be prepared by your gift for receiving what they promise. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Meditation

St. Paul, the dynamic itinerant preacher of the Gospel, had been confined to a Roman jail, and not being able to go and come as he wanted, he was in need of financial support.  Paul adds a note of gratitude to his Letter to the Philippians who rose to the occasion to ease his difficulty. He makes them aware of the fact that they have shared in the hardships occasioned by his preaching the Gospel and for that reason qualify to share in the rewards the good news brings. Although Paul could well manage without the Philippians’ assistance, their generosity had become for them a seed of blessing. We should consider ourselves fortunate to put our resources at the disposal of those in need.