by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Sep 17, 2022 | Evangelium

Sunday 18^th  September 2022

25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Psalter I

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Sir 36: 18

I am the salvation of the people, says the Lord. Should they cry to me in any distress, I will hear them, and I will be their Lord for ever.

Collect

O God, who founded all the commands of your sacred Law upon love of you and of our neighbour, grant that, by keeping your precepts, we may merit to attain eternal life. 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 : Amos 8:4-7

Listen to this, you who trample on the needy and try to suppress the poor people of the country, you who say, ‘When will New Moon be over so that we can sell our corn, and sabbath, so that we can market our wheat? Then by lowering the bushel, raising the shekel, by swindling and tampering with the scales, we can buy up the poor for money, and the needy for a pair of sandals, and get a price even for the sweepings of the wheat.’ The Lord swears it by the pride of Jacob, ‘Never will I forget a single thing you have done.’

Psalm 112(113):1-2,4-8

R/   Praise the Lord, who raises the poor.

1. Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! May the name of the Lord be blessed both now and for evermore!
2. High above all nations is the Lord, above the heavens his glory. Who is like the Lord, our God, who has risen on high to his throne yet stoops from the heights to look down, to look down upon heaven and earth?
3. From the dust he lifts up the lowly, from the dungheap he raises the poor to set him in the company of princes, yes, with the princes of his people.

Second reading : 1 Timothy 2:1-8

My advice is that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. To do this is right, and will please God our saviour: he wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth. For there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and mankind, himself a man, Christ Jesus, who sacrificed himself as a ransom for them all. He is the evidence of this, sent at the appointed time, and I have been named a herald and apostle of it and – I am telling the truth and no lie – a teacher of the faith and the truth to the pagans. In every place, then, I want the men to lift their hands up reverently in prayer, with no anger or argument.

Gospel Acclamation : cf.Ac16:14

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

Gospel : Luke 16:1-13

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There was a rich man and he had a steward denounced to him for being wasteful with his property. He called for the man and said, “What is this I hear about you? Draw me up an account of your stewardship because you are not to be my steward any longer.” Then the steward said to himself, “Now that my master is taking the stewardship from me, what am I to do? Dig? I am not strong enough. Go begging? I should be too ashamed. Ah, I know what I will do to make sure that when I am dismissed from office there will be some to welcome me into their homes.” Then he called his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, “How much do you owe my master?” “One hundred measures of oil” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond; sit down straight away and write fifty.” To another he said, “And you, sir, how much do you owe?” “One hundred measures of wheat” was the reply. The steward said, “Here, take your bond and write eighty.”  ‘The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light. ‘And so I tell you this: use money, tainted as it is, to win you 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.’

Prayer over the Offerings

Receive with favour, O Lord, we pray, the offerings of your people, that what they profess with devotion and faith may be theirs through these heavenly mysteries. Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon : Ps 118: 4-5

You have laid down your precepts to be carefully kept; may my ways be firm in keeping your statutes.

Prayer after Communion

Graciously raise up, O Lord, those you renew with this Sacrament, that we may come to possess your redemption both in mystery and in the manner of our life.Through Christ our Lord.

Meditation

You and I are all stewards. We do not own anything. Even the very life we live is only given to us to take care of. We are custodians of our very own lives, and not even owners. Whatever we have, we do not own: cars, shoes, houses, money, animals, farms we can go on and on. Whatever we work for and whatever we sweat for, is not ours. A higher power than us will hold us accountable for them. As long as this remains this way, we remain stewards. If we do not manage what is not our own (the things that have been placed in our charge, everything that God created to serve our needs), who then will give us what is our own (eternal life – since man was made to use his freewill to choose it)? Is it ` not this same basis that we judge some fit or unfit to handle certain responsibilities?

by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Sep 16, 2022 | Evangelium

Saturday 17^th  September 2022

St. Robert Bellarmine

(1542 – 1621)

He was born in Montepulciano, in Tuscany, and became a Jesuit. He wrote two catechisms and some devotional commentaries on the Psalms and on the Seven Last Words.

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Sir 36: 18

Give peace, O Lord, to those who wait for you, that your prophets be found true. Hear the prayers of your servant, and of your people Israel.

Collect

Look upon us, O God, Creator and ruler of all things, and, that we may feel the working of your mercy, grant that we may serve you with all our heart. 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 : 1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49

Someone may ask, ‘How are dead people raised, and what sort of body do they have when they come back?’ They are stupid questions. Whatever you sow in the ground has to die before it is given new life and the thing that you sow is not what is going to come; you sow a bare grain, say of wheat or something like that, It is the same with the resurrection of the dead: the thing that is sown is perishable but what is raised is imperishable; the thing that is sown is contemptible but what is raised is glorious; the thing that is sown is weak but what is raised is powerful; when it is sown it embodies the soul, when it is raised it embodies the spirit. If the soul has its own embodiment, so does the spirit have its own embodiment. The first man, Adam, as Scripture says, became a living soul; but the last Adam has become a life-giving spirit. That is, first the one with the soul, not the spirit, and after that, the one with the spirit. The first man, being from the earth, is earthly by nature; the second man is from heaven. As this earthly man was, so are we on earth; and as the heavenly man is, so are we in heaven. And we, who have been modelled on the earthly man, will be modelled on the heavenly man.

Psalm 55:10-14

R/ I shall walk in the presence of God in the light of the living.

1. My foes will be put to flight on the day that I call to you. This I know, that God is on my side.
2. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not fear; what can mortal man do to me?
3. I am bound by the vows I have made you. O God, I will offer you praise for you have rescued my soul from death, you kept my feet from stumbling that I may walk in the presence of God and enjoy the light of the living.

Gospel Acclamation : Ps118:18

Alleluia, alleluia! Open my eyes, O Lord, that I may consider the wonders of your law. Alleluia!

Gospel : Luke 8:4-15

With a large crowd gathering and people from every town finding their way to him, Jesus used this parable: ‘A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell on the edge of the path and was trampled on; and the birds of the air ate it up. Some seed fell on rock, and when it came up it withered away, having no moisture. Some seed fell amongst thorns and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell into rich soil and grew and produced its crop a hundredfold.’ Saying this he cried, ‘Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!’ His disciples asked him what this parable might mean, and he said, ‘The mysteries of the kingdom of God are revealed to you; for the rest, they are only parables, so that they may see but not perceive, listen but not understand’. This, then, is what the parable means: the seed is the word of God. Those on the edge of the path are people who have heard it, and then the devil comes and carries away the word from their hearts in case they should believe and be saved. Those on the rock are people who, when they first hear it, welcome the word with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of trial they give up. As for the part that fell into thorns, this is people who have heard, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life and do not reach maturity. As for the part in the rich soil, this is people with a noble and generous heart who have heard the word and take it to themselves and yield a harvest through their perseverance.’

Prayer over the Offerings

Look with favour on our supplications, O Lord, and in your kindness, accept these, your servants’ offerings, that what each has offered to the honour of your name may serve the salvation of all. Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon : Cf. Ps 35: 8

How precious is your mercy, O God! The children of men seek shelter in the shadow of your wings.

Prayer after Communion

May the working of this heavenly gift, O Lord, we pray, take possession of our minds and bodies, so that its effects, and not our own desires, may always prevail in us. Through Christ our Lord.

Meditation

Many times, we listen neither to God nor to others; we are as hard as the first soil. At other times, we make our hearts impenetrable like the second soil, at other times, still,  we suffer from so many concerns and divided attention, like the seed that fell on the third soil. But very few are the times when we follow God’s voice or patiently listen to others like the fourth soil. God gives us talents or desires that we learn a new skill, so that it can be used for His Glory through service to everyone. But the devil does everything in his power to prevent us from doing it. He uses elements such as shame, fear, doubt, pride, and even false humility, just so that we do not even make an attempt to realise God’s plan in our lives. We are so blessed, talented, and endowed with many gifts like the fourth soil. Why then do we allow the devil to use us and bury these talents which we can use for the benefit of everyone?

by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Sep 15, 2022 | Evangelium

Friday 16^th  September 2022

Ss. Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

(-253)

Cornelius was made bishop of the church in Rome in the year 251. He fought against the Novatian schismatics, and established his authority with the aid of Cyprian. The emperor Gallus sent him into exile, and he died at Civitavecchia in June 253. He is buried in Rome.

Entrance Antiphon

The souls of the Saints are rejoicing in heaven, the Saints who followed the footsteps of Christ, and since for love of him they shed their blood, they now exult with Christ for ever.

Collect

O God, who gave Saints Cornelius and Cyprian to your people as diligent shepherds and valiant Martyrs, grant that through their intercession we may be strengthened in faith and constancy and spend ourselves without reserve for the unity of the Church. 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 : 1 Corinthians 15:12-20

Now if Christ raised from the dead is what has been preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ himself cannot have been raised, and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is useless and your believing it is useless; indeed, we are shown up as witnesses who have committed perjury before God, because we swore in evidence before God that he had raised Christ to life. For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins. And what is more serious, all who have died in Christ have perished. If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people. But Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep.

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

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 am here and I call, you will hear me, O God. Turn your ear to me; hear my words Display your great love, you whose right hand saves your friends from those who rebel against them.
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.

Gospel Acclamation : Ps94:8

Alleluia, alleluia! Harden not your hearts today, but listen to the voice of the Lord. Alleluia!

Gospel : Luke 8:1-3

Jesus made his way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. With him went the Twelve, as well as certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and ailments: Mary surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and several others who provided for them out of their own resources.

Prayer over the Offerings

Receive, we pray, O Lord, the offerings of your people in honour of the passion of your holy Martyrs Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, and may the gifts that gave them courage under persecution make us, too, steadfast in all trials. Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon : Lk 22: 28-30

It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer a kingdom on you, says the Lord, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom.

Prayer after Communion

Through these mysteries which we have received, we humbly beseech you, O Lord, that by the example of the Martyrs  Saints Cornelius and Cyprian we may be strengthened with the fortitude of your Spirit to bear witness to the truth of the Gospel. Through Christ our Lord.

Meditation

We have the tendency to exclude others from certain important issues. Everyone should have a chance to show their talents.  Everyone can make a significant contribution to our survival or even our salvation. We must ask ourselves if we are treating anyone like an object, as less human, without dignity or respect, or as one who is not made in the image and likeness of God like us. The Gospel indicates Jesus’ inclusive spirit, and we must follow his example in order to counteract the exclusive nature of man, which is root cause of much of the world’s turmoil today. Just as Jesus used women in His ministry, let us all, men and women, be part of that ministry by taking the bull by the horns and standing up to the challenges which we have, supporting the Church in her ministry according to our means and circumstances, and accompanying Jesus daily when we meet him in our brothers and sisters.

by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Sep 14, 2022 | Evangelium

Thursday 15^th  September 2022

Our Lady of Sorrows

The Seven Sorrows (or Dolors) are events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary which are a popular devotion .The Mass today focuses on Mary’s compassion and what she suffered during the first Passiontide.

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Lk 2: 34-35

Simeon said to Mary: Behold, this child is destined for the ruin and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign of contradiction; and your own soul, a sword will pierce.

Collect

O God, who willed that, when your Son was lifted high on the Cross, his Mother should stand close by and share his suffering, grant that your Church, participating with the Virgin Mary in the Passion of Christ, may merit a share in his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

First reading : 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Brothers, I want to remind you of the Gospel I preached to you, the Gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the Gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything. Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures; that he appeared first to Cephas and secondly to the Twelve. Next he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all he appeared to me too; it was as though I was born when no one expected it. I am the least of the apostles; in fact, since I persecuted the Church of God, I hardly deserve the name apostle; but by God’s grace that is what I am, and the grace that he gave me has not been fruitless. On the contrary, I, or rather the grace of God that is with me, have worked harder than any of the others; but what matters is that I preach what they preach, and this is what you all believed.

Psalm 117:1-2,15-17,28

R/  Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.

1. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end. Let the sons of Israel say: ‘His love has no end. ’
2. The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; his right hand raised me up. I shall not die, I shall live and recount his deeds.
3. You are my God, I thank you. My God, I praise you. I will thank you for you have given answer and you are my Saviour.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia! Happy is the Virgin Mary, who, without dying, won the palm of martyrdom beneath the cross of the Lord. Alleluia!

Gospel : John 19:25-27

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.

Prayer over the Offerings

Receive, O merciful God, to the praise of your name, the prayers and sacrificial offerings which we bring to you as we venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom you graciously gave to us as a most devoted Mother when she stood by the Cross of Jesus. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Communion Antiphon : Cf. 1 Pet 4: 13

Rejoice when you share in the sufferings of Christ, that you may also rejoice exultantly when his glory is revealed.

Prayer after Communion

Having received the Sacrament of eternal redemption, we humbly ask, O Lord, that, honouring how the Blessed Virgin Mary suffered with her Son, we may complete in ourselves for the Church’s sake what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Meditation

This is one of the many titles of the Blessed Virgin Mary, “Our Lady of Sorrows”. It recalls the intense and excruciating pain and grief she endured during the passion and death of Jesus. It was eventually extended to comprise “the seven dolours” or “seven sorrows” of Mary, as foretold by the old prophet Simeon, during Jesus’ presentation in the temple at Jerusalem:

1. Simeon’s prophecy about the sword of sorrow (Lk 2:34-35);
2. The Flight of Joseph, Mary and Jesus into Egypt (Mt 2:13);
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple (Lk 2:43-45);
4. Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary (Lk 23:26);
5. Jesus Dies on the Cross (John 19:25);
6. Mary Receives the Body of Jesus in Her Arms (Mt 27:57);
7. The Body of Jesus is Placed in the Tomb (John 19:40). We ask for the intercession of Our Lady of Sorrows, who knows how to blend suffering and love for others to make it a bearable struggle as we seek salvation.

by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Sep 13, 2022 | Evangelium

Wednessday 14^th  September 2022

The Exaltation

of the Holy Cross – Feast

In the exaltation of the cross, we rejoice that something so terrible should have been transformed into a means of redemption for the whole human race. We remind ourselves of our history. Take away that history – take away the Cross – and Christianity is nonsense.

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Gal 6: 14

We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection, through whom we are saved and delivered.

Collect

O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son should undergo the Cross to save the human race, grant, we pray, that we, who have known his mystery on earth, may merit the grace of his redemption in heaven. 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 : Numbers 21:4-9

On the way the people lost patience. They spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is neither bread nor water here: we are sick of this unsatisfying food.’ At this God sent fiery serpents among the people; their bite brought death to many in Israel. The people came and said to Moses, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede for us with the Lord to save us from these serpents.’ Moses interceded for the people, and the Lord answered him, ‘Make a fiery serpent and put it on a standard. If anyone is bitten and looks at it, he shall live.’ So Moses fashioned a bronze serpent which he put on a standard, and if anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked at the bronze serpent and lived.

Psalm 77: 1-2.34-38

R/  Never forget the deeds of the Lord

1. Give heed, my people, to my teaching; turn your ear to the words of my mouth I will open my mouth in a parable and reveal hidden lessons of the past.
2. When he slew them then they would seek his return and seek him in earnesty. They would remember that God was their rock God the Most High their redeemer.
3. But the words they spoke were mere flattery they lied to him with their lips For their hearts were not truly with him they were not faithful to his covenant.
4. Yet he who is full of compassion forgave their sin and spared them So often he held back his ange when he might have stirred up his rage.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia! We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you; because by your cross you have redeemed the world. Alleluia!

Gospel : John 3:13-17

Jesus said to Nicodemus ‘No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven the Son of Man who is in heaven and the Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that through him the world might be saved.’

Prayer over the Offerings

May this oblation, O Lord, which on the altar of the Cross, cancelled the offence of the whole world, cleanse us, we pray, of all our sins. Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon : Jn 12: 32

When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself, says the Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Having been nourished by your holy banquet, we beseech you, Lord Jesus Christ, to bring those you have redeemed by the wood of your life-giving Cross to the glory of the resurrection. Who live and reign for ever and ever.

Meditation

The cross without the Redeemer is sheer cynicism; but with the Son of man the Cross is the new tree of Wisdom. There is hope, there is meaning, and there is life in the cross. Jesus’ being on the cross shows how great God’s love is and how far He would go just for our sake. We raise up the cross today so that we can look at it, so that we can see clearly what we have done by our sin, and what God has done to redeem us. The triumph of the cross is not simply about Christ and what he has done for us. We also have a share in the cross. We are not only recipients; we are also participants. The “cross” extends far beyond Calvary; it is the way of understanding all our human sufferings. It probably alright to associate the cross with suffering, difficulties, trial, pain, etc. But remember, God does not give us a cross which we cannot carry.

by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Sep 12, 2022 | Evangelium

Tuedday 13^th  September 2022

St. John Chrysostom

(349 – 407)

He was born in Antioch. After a thorough education, he took up the ascetic life. He was ordained to the priesthood, and became a fruitful and effective preacher. The term Chrysostom meaning “golden-mouthed” was given to him because of his great eloquence.

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Dn 12: 3

Those who are wise will shine brightly like the splendour of the firmament and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars for ever.

Collect

O God, strength of those who hope in you, who willed that the Bishop Saint John Chrysostom should be illustrious by his wonderful eloquence and his experience of suffering, grant us, we pray, that, instructed by his teachings, we may be strengthened through the example of his invincible patience. 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 : 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31

Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink. Nor is the body to be identified with any one of its many parts. Now you together are Christ’s body; but each of you is a different part of it. In the Church, God has given the first place to apostles, the second to prophets, the third to teachers; after them, miracles, and after them the gift of healing; helpers, good leaders, those with many languages. Are all of them apostles, or all of them prophets, or all of them teachers? Do they all have the gift of miracles, or all have the gift of healing? Do all speak strange languages, and all interpret them? Be ambitious for the higher gifts.

Psalm 99:1-5

R/  We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

1. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing for joy.
2. Know that he, the Lord, is God. He made us, we belong to him, we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
3. Go within his gates, giving thanks. Enter his courts with songs of praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.
4. Indeed, how good is the Lord, eternal his merciful love. He is faithful from age to age.

Gospel Acclamation : cf.2Tim1:10

Alleluia, alleluia! Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death and he has proclaimed life through the Good News. Alleluia!

Gospel : Luke 7:11-17

Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. When he was near the gate of the town it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry’ he said. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up.’ And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe and praised God saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people.’ And this opinion of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside.

Prayer over the Offerings

May the sacrifice which we gladly present in commemoration of Saint John Chrysostom be pleasing to you, O God, for, taught by him, we, too, give ourselves entirely to you in praise. Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon : Cf. 1 Cor 1: 23-24

We proclaim Christ crucified; Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Prayer after Communion

Grant, O merciful God, that these mysteries we have received as we commemorate Saint John Chrysostom, may confirm us in your love and enable us to be faithful in confessing your truth. Through Christ our Lord.

Meditation

Different situations of suffering in life call for pity. It is the case with widows, especially in the days of Jesus. A widow was an object of pity, since women had status in the society because they were married and even more so because they had a child or children. Here is one who neither had a husband nor a son. What Jesus did was to wipe her tears away. This is what we are called to do to one another. There was no miracle Jesus worked to entertain or to show some superior power and thus be acclaimed by onlookers. He did miracles to wipe the tears of the sufferers and to send a strong message to those around. At the sixth station, Veronica wiped Jesus’ face. We too can wipe the faces and tears of all those suffering among us, especially those found at the periphery of society. This will be a miracle they may have been awaiting for a long time.