by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 16, 2021 | Evangelium
17
December
O Sapientia!
Pope St. Leo the Great
(d. 461)
Violet
Leo 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 repelled the invasions of the barbarians or alleviated their effects, famously persuading Attila the Hun not to march on Rome in 452, and preventing the invading Vandals from massacring the population in 455.
Entrance Antiphon: Is 49:13
Rejoice, O heavens, and exult, O earth, for our Lord will come to show mercy to his poor
Collect
O God, Creator and Redeemer of human nature, who willed that your Word should take flesh in an ever-virgin womb, look with favour on our prayers, that your Only Begotten Son, having taken to himself our humanity, may be pleased to grant us a share in his divinity. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Genesis 49:2,8-10
Jacob called his sons and said, ‘Gather round, sons of Jacob, and listen; listen to Israel your father. Judah, your brothers shall praise you: you grip your enemies by the neck, your father’s sons shall do you homage, Judah is a lion cub, you climb back, my son, from your kill; like a lion he crouches and lies down, or a lioness: who dare rouse him? The sceptre shall not pass from Judah, nor the mace from between his feet, until he come to whom it belongs, to whom the peoples shall render obedience.’
Psalm 71(72):1-4,7-8,17
R/ In his days justice shall flourish and peace till the moon fails.
1. O God, give your judgement to the king, to a king’s son your justice, that he may judge your people in justice and your poor in right judgement.
2. May the mountains bring forth peace for the people and the hills, justice. May he defend the poor of the people and save the children of the needy.
3. In his days justice shall flourish and peace till the moon fails. He shall rule from sea to sea, from the Great River to earth’s bounds.
4. May his name be blessed for ever and endure like the sun. Every tribe shall be blessed in him, all nations bless his name.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Wisdom of the Most High, ordering all things with strength and gentleness, come and teach us the way of truth. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 1:1-17
A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother, Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother, Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother, Obed was the father of Jesse; and Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Azariah, Azariah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah; and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers. Then the deportation to Babylon took place. After the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob; and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ. The sum of generations is therefore: fourteen from Abraham to David; fourteen from David to the Babylonian deportation; and fourteen from the Babylonian deportation to Christ.
Prayer over the Offerings
Sanctify these gifts of your Church, O Lord, and grant that through these venerable mysteries we may be nourished with the bread of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon Hg 2: 7
Behold, the Desired of all the nations will come, and the house of the Lord will be filled with glory.
Prayer after Communion
Nourished by these divine gifts, almighty God, we ask you to grant our desire: that, aflame with your Spirit, we may shine like bright torches before your Christ when he comes. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
The genealogy of Jesus shows that Jesus is a descendant of Abraham. More importantly, it shows that Jesus belongs to the royal line of David, descended from Judah. In the first reading, Jacob prophesies to his son Judah that the line of kings who will rule Israel will come from his lineage, and the sceptre of authority will never leave his house. God remembered this promise and announced through the prophets that he would raise up a king from the house of David who would restore his kingdom. This king is Jesus, whose coming we are preparing for. But he is not coming to establish an earthly kingdom; he is coming as king to rule over our hearts and govern our lives. He is coming to implant his law of love and justice in our hearts, so that through us, he can transform the world. Will you accept him as your king, as your Lord and Saviour?
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 15, 2021 | Evangelium
16
December
Bl Mary of the Angels
(1661-1717)
Violet
Born in Turin, Italy, in 1661, she died, after spending her whole life there, in 1717. In 1675 she entered the Discalced Carmelite Convent of St. Christina, and several times filled the offices of Prioress and Novice Mistress. She underwent continual spiritual trials, but was constant in her ardent love of God. She was outstandingly faithful to prayer and particularly devoted to St. Joseph, in whose honour a convent was founded through her good offices at Moncalieri.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 118: 151-152
You, O Lord, are close, and all your ways are truth. From of old I have known of your decrees, for you are eternal.
Collect
Unworthy servants that we are, O Lord, grieved by the guilt of our deeds, we pray that you may gladden us by the saving advent of your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Isaiah 54:1-10
Shout for joy, you barren women who bore no children! Break into cries of joy and gladness, you who were never in labour! For the sons of the forsaken one are more in number than the sons of the wedded wife, says the Lord. Widen the space of your tent, stretch out your hangings freely, lengthen your ropes, make your pegs firm; for you will burst out to right and to left. Your race will take possession of the nations, and people the abandoned cities. Do not be afraid, you will not be put to shame, do not be dismayed, you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth and no longer remember the curse of your widowhood. For now your creator will be your husband, his name, the Lord of Hosts; your redeemer will be the Holy One of Israel, he is called the God of the whole earth. Yes, like a forsaken wife, distressed in spirit, the Lord calls you back. Does a man cast off the wife of his youth? says your God. I did forsake you for a brief moment, but with great love will I take you back. In excess of anger, for a moment I hid my face from you. But with everlasting love I have taken pity on you, says the Lord, your redeemer. I am now as I was in the days of Noah when I swore that Noah’s waters should never flood the world again. So now I swear concerning my anger with you and the threats I made against you; for the mountains may depart, the hills be shaken, but my love for you will never leave you and my covenant of peace with you will never be shaken, says the Lord who takes pity on you.
Psalm 29(30):2,4-6,11-13
R/ I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me.
1. I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. O Lord, you have raised my soul from the dead, restored me to life from those who sink into the grave.
2. Sing psalms to the Lord, you who love him, give thanks to his holy name. His anger lasts a moment; his favour all through life. At night there are tears, but joy comes with dawn.
3. The Lord listened and had pity. The Lord came to my help. For me you have changed my mourning into dancing: O Lord my God, I will thank you for ever.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! The day of the Lord is near; Look, he comes to save us. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 7:24-30
When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to talk to the people about John. ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? No? Then what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Oh no, those who go in for fine clothes and live luxuriously are to be found at court! Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet: he is the one of whom scripture says: See, I am going to send my messenger before you; he will prepare the way before you. ‘I tell you, of all the children born of women, there is no one greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he is. All the people who heard him, and the tax collectors too, acknowledged God’s plan by accepting baptism from John; but by refusing baptism from him the Pharisees and the lawyers had thwarted what God had in mind for them.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, we pray, O Lord, these offerings we make, gathered from among your gifts to us, and may what you grant us to celebrate devoutly here below gain for us the prize of eternal redemption. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ti 2: 12-13
Let us live justly and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of the glory of our great God.
Prayer after Communion
May these mysteries, O Lord, in which we have participated, profit us, we pray, for even now, as we walk amid passing things, you teach us by them to love the things of heaven and hold fast to what endures. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus asserts that all who listened to John the Baptist and accepted his baptism acknowledged God’s plan. What was this plan? The plan was to bring back to God all those who had gone astray because of sin. God announced this plan through his prophets. In the first reading, he calls Israel, he had banished because of her sin, back to him and promises that his love will never leave her again. Through John the Baptist, the last and greatest of the prophets, he called the people to confess their sins and be baptised. God wants us to be part of his plan. He is prepared to overlook our sins and give us a new life. All we need to do is repent and be baptised, and let him fill us with his Spirit. The tax collectors accepted his plan, but the Pharisees and lawyers rejected it. Which choice will you make?
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 14, 2021 | Evangelium
15
December
St. Maria
Violet
Foundress of the Handmaids of Charity of Brescia, also called the Servants of Charity. In the cholera epidemic of 1836, she became well-known as she directed a home for girls and began another residence for deaf and mute young ladies. Maria died at Brescia on December 15. She was canonized in 1954.
Entrance Antiphon: Hab 2: 3; 1 Cor 4: 5
The Lord will come and he will not delay. He will illumine what is hidden in darkness and reveal himself to all the nations..
Collect
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that the coming solemnity of your Son may bestow healing upon us in this present life and bring us the rewards of life eternal. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
First reading: Isaiah 45:6-8,18,21-25
Apart from me, all is nothing. I am the Lord, unrivalled, I form the light and create the dark. I make good fortune and create calamity, it is I, the Lord, who do all this. Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain it down. Let the earth open for salvation to spring up. Let deliverance, too, bud forth which I, the Lord, shall create. Yes, thus says the Lord, creator of the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it, who set it firm, created it no chaos, but a place to be lived in: ‘I am the Lord, unrivalled: there is no other god besides me. A God of integrity and a saviour: there is none apart from me. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God unrivalled. By my own self I swear it; what comes from my mouth is truth, a word irrevocable: before me every knee shall bend, by me every tongue shall swear, saying, “From the Lord alone come victory and strength.” To him shall come, ashamed, all who raged against him. Victorious and glorious through the Lord shall be all the descendants of Israel.’
Psalm 84(85):9-14
R/ Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain it down.
1. I will hear what the Lord God has to say, a voice that speaks of peace, peace for his people. His help is near for those who fear him and his glory will dwell in our land.
2. Mercy and faithfulness have met; justice and peace have embraced. Faithfulness shall spring from the earth and justice look down from heaven.
3. The Lord will make us prosper and our earth shall yield its fruit. Justice shall march before him and peace shall follow his steps.
Gospel Acclamation Is55:6
Alleluia, alleluia! Seek the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 7:19-23
John, summoning two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or must we wait for someone else?’ When the men reached Jesus they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to you, to ask, “Are you the one who is to come or have we to wait for someone else?”’ It was just then that he cured many people of diseases and afflictions and of evil spirits, and gave the gift of sight to many who were blind. Then he gave the messengers their answer, ‘Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind see again, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the Good News is proclaimed to the poor and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May the sacrifice of our worship, Lord, we pray, be offered to you unceasingly, to complete what was begun in sacred mystery and powerfully accomplish for us your saving work. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Is 40: 10; 35: 5
Behold, our Lord will come with power and will enlighten the eyes of his servants.
Prayer after Communion
We implore your mercy, Lord, that this divine sustenance may cleanse us of our faults and prepare us for the coming feasts. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
John the Baptist, who by this time was in prison, was beginning to lose faith in Jesus. He wondered whether Jesus was the one whose coming he had announced. Usually, when we are facing difficult times, we feel that God has abandoned us and we lose faith in him. But as Isaiah tells us in the first reading, “From the Lord alone come victory and strength.” In the same vein, Jesus asks John’s disciples to tell him about the signs that accompany him: the blind see again, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor. Jesus is Lord, and there is no other name by which we can be saved except the name of Jesus. Jesus is the answer to our questions and the solution to our worries and may we never lose faith in him.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 13, 2021 | Evangelium
14
December
St. John of the Cross
(1542 – 1591)
White
He was born in Spain in 1542. He spent some time as a Carmelite friar before, in 1568, Saint Teresa of Ávila persuaded him to pioneer the reform of the Carmelite order. He is considered one of the great mystics of the church. He was canonized in 1726 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1926.
Entrance Antiphon: Gal 6: 14
May I never boast, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Collect
O God, who gave the Priest Saint John an outstanding dedication to perfect self-denial and love of the Cross, grant that, by imitating him closely at all times, we may come to contemplate eternally your glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Zephaniah 3:1-2,9-13
Trouble is coming to the rebellious, the defiled, the tyrannical city! She would never listen to the call, would never learn the lesson; she has never trusted in the Lord, never drawn near to her God. Yes, I will then give the peoples lips that are clean, so that all may invoke the name of the Lord and serve him under the same yoke. From beyond the banks of the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants will bring me offerings. When that day comes you need feel no shame for all the misdeeds you have committed against me, for I will remove your proud boasters from your midst; and you will cease to strut on my holy mountain. In your midst I will leave a humble and lowly people, and those who are left in Israel will seek refuge in the name of the Lord. They will do no wrong, will tell no lies; and the perjured tongue will no longer be found in their mouths. But they will be able to graze and rest with no one to disturb them.
Psalm 33(34):2-3,6-7,16,18-19,23
R/ This poor man called; the Lord heard him.
1. I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise always on my lips; in the Lord my soul shall make its boast. The humble shall hear and be glad.
2. Look towards him and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed. This poor man called, the Lord heard him and rescued him from all his distress.
3. The Lord turns his face against the wicked to destroy their remembrance from the earth. They call and the Lord hears and rescues them in all their distress.
4. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; those whose spirit is crushed he will save. The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants. Those who hide in him shall not be condemned.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Look, the Lord will come to save his people. Blessed those who are ready to meet him. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people, ‘What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first, “My boy, you go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not go,” but afterwards thought better of it and went. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered, “Certainly, sir,” but did not go. Which of the two did the father’s will?’ ‘The first,’ they said. Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you, a pattern of true righteousness, but you did not believe him, and yet the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Even after seeing that, you refused to think better of it and believe in him.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Look upon the sacrificial gifts we offer, almighty God, in commemoration of Saint John of the Cross and grant that we, who celebrate the mysteries of the Lord’s Passion, may imitate what we now enact. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Mt 16: 24
Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me, says the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who in Saint John have wonderfully made known the mystery of the Cross, graciously grant that, drawing strength from this sacrifice, we may cling faithfully to Christ and labour in the Church for the salvation of all. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“Afterwards he thought better of it and went.” The good person is not the one who never sins, because we are all sinners; she is the one who acknowledges her sins and is prepared to change her life. The first son in Jesus’ story disobeyed his father, but later changed his mind and obeyed. Jesus presents him as an image of the tax collectors and prostitutes who listened to John the Baptist’s message and changed their lives, and thus became better than the Pharisees who refused to believe in him. Advent is a period of repentance and conversion. God is calling us to come to him and ask him to wash us clean and transform our lives. Let us not let his grace pass us by. Let us turn to him and allow him to change our bad habits and attitudes, and let him put his Spirit in us, so that we will live in accordance with his will.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 12, 2021 | Evangelium
13
December
St. Lucy, Virgin, Martyr
Red
She was martyred in Syracuse, probably during the persecution of Diocletian (which started in 303). Devotion to her spread rapidly across practically the whole Church and her name is included in the Roman Canon of the Mass.
Entrance Antiphon
Behold, now she follows the Lamb who was crucified for us, powerful in virginity, modesty her offering, a sacrifice on the altar of chastity.
Collect
May the glorious intercession of the Virgin and Martyr Saint Lucy give us new heart, we pray, O Lord, so that we may celebrate her heavenly birthday in this present age and so behold things eternal. 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 24:2-7,15-17
Raising his eyes Balaam saw Israel, encamped by tribes; the spirit of God came on him and he declaimed his poem. He said: ‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man with far-seeing eyes, the oracle of one who hears the word of God. He sees what Shaddai makes him see, receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened. How fair are your tents, O Jacob! How fair your dwellings, Israel! Like valleys that stretch afar, like gardens by the banks of a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters! A hero arises from their stock, he reigns over countless peoples. His king is greater than Agag, his majesty is exalted.’ Then Balaam declaimed his poem again. He said: ‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man with far-seeing eyes, the oracle of one who hears the word of God, of one who knows the knowledge of the Most High. He sees what Shaddai makes him see, receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened. I see him – but not in the present, I behold him – but not close at hand: a star from Jacob takes the leadership, a sceptre arises from Israel.’
Psalm 24(25):4-6,7a-9
R/ Lord, make me know your ways.
1. Lord, make me know your ways. Lord, teach me your paths. Make me walk in your truth, and teach me: for you are God my saviour.
2 In you I hope all day long because of your goodness, O Lord. Remember your mercy, Lord, and the love you have shown from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth. In your love remember me.
3. The Lord is good and upright. He shows the path to those who stray, He guides the humble in the right path, He teaches his way to the poor.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, Alleluia! The Lord will come, go out to meet him. Great is his beginning and his reign will have no end. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 21:23-27
Jesus had gone into the Temple and was teaching, when the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him and said, ‘What authority have you for acting like this? And who gave you this authority?’ ‘And I,’ replied Jesus, ‘will ask you a question, only one; if you tell me the answer to it, I will then tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism: where did it come from: heaven or man?’ And they argued it out this way among themselves, ‘If we say from heaven, he will retort, “Then why did you refuse to believe him?”; but if we say from man, we have the people to fear, for they all hold that John was a prophet.’ So their reply to Jesus was, ‘We do not know.’ And he retorted, ‘Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May the offerings we bring in celebration of Saint Lucy win your gracious acceptance, O Lord, we pray, just as the struggle of her suffering and passion was pleasing to you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Rv 7: 17
The Lamb who is at the centre of the throne will lead them to the springs of the waters of life.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who bestowed on Saint Lucy a crown among the Saints for her twofold triumph of virginity and martyrdom, grant, we pray, through the power of this Sacrament, that, bravely overcoming every evil, we may attain the glory of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The Pharisees could not openly admit that John’s baptism came from God because they had rejected him just as they rejected Jesus, and they could not say came from men because everybody else believed John was a prophet. In fact, Jesus wanted to make them see that his authority to teach and perform miracles had the same origin as John’s baptism – God the Father in heaven. The words and actions of Jesus come from God. Jesus is the hero, the star, the sceptre that was to arise from Israel according to the prophecy of Balaam, recorded in the Book of Numbers. The light which Jesus brings is meant to shine in the whole world, and his sceptre of command gives him authority over all mankind. He stands at the door of your heart, knocking and waiting for you to respond. Do not be hard-hearted like the Pharisees. Open the door of your heart and let him in.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 11, 2021 | Evangelium
12
December
Third Sunday of Advent
Psalter III
St. Finian of Clonard (470 – 549)
Violet
Entrance Antiphon: Phil 4: 4-5
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.
Collect
O God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s Nativity, enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing. 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: Zephaniah 3:14-18
Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, Israel, shout aloud! Rejoice, exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has repealed your sentence; he has driven your enemies away. The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst; you have no more evil to fear. When that day comes, word will come to Jerusalem: Zion, have no fear, do not let your hands fall limp. The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult with joy over you, he will renew you by his love; he will dance with shouts of joy for you as on a day of festival.
Psalm : Isaiah 12
R/ Sing and shout for joy for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
1. Truly, God is my salvation, I trust, I shall not fear. For the Lord is my strength, my song, he became my saviour. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
2. Give thanks to the Lord, give praise to his name! Make his mighty deeds known to the peoples! Declare the greatness of his name.
3. Sing a psalm to the Lord for he has done glorious deeds; make them known to all the earth! People of Zion, sing and shout for joy, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Second reading : Philippians 4:4-7
I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness. Let your tolerance be evident to everyone: the Lord is very near. There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus.
Gospel Acclamation: Is61:1(Lk4:18)
Alleluia, alleluia! The spirit of the Lord has been given to me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor.Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 3:10-18
When all the people asked John, ‘What must we do?’ he answered, ‘If anyone has two tunics he must share with the man who has none, and the one with something to eat must do the same.’ There were tax collectors too who came for baptism, and these said to him, ‘Master, what must we do?’ He said to them, ‘Exact no more than your rate.’ Some soldiers asked him in their turn, ‘What about us? What must we do?’ He said to them, ‘No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay!’ A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to think that John might be the Christ, so John declared before them all, ‘I baptise you with water, but someone is coming, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.’ As well as this, there were many other things he said to exhort the people and to announce the Good News to them.
Prayer over the Offerings
May the sacrifice of our worship, Lord, we pray, be offered to you unceasingly, to complete what was begun in sacred mystery and powerfully accomplish for us your saving work. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Is 35: 4
Say to the faint of heart: Be strong and do not fear. Behold, our God will come, and he will save us.
Prayer after Communion
We implore your mercy, Lord, that this divine sustenance may cleanse us of our faults and prepare us for the coming feasts. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, Israel, shout aloud!” Today is Gaudete Sunday or the Sunday of Joy. The first and second readings and the psalm are an invitation to rejoice in the Lord and to shout for joy. We should be joyful today because we are loved with an unconditional love by our God. God’s love for us is greater than all our faults and weaknesses; it is great enough to pardon all our sins; it is patient enough to give us another chance whenever we sincerely ask for it; it is faithful enough to accompany us in all our struggles and free us from all anxiety. Today let us thank God for loving us with an everlasting and infinite love. Let us ask God for the grace to love him back by following the teaching of John the Baptist and making charity, justice, integrity, honesty and every other virtue a part of our lives.
