by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 24, 2021 | Evangelium
St. Ethelbert (C.560 – 616)
He was the first king in England to convert to Christianity. According to Bede, this happened shortly after St. Augustine arrived on his mission to the English soil.
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Entrance Antiphon: Ps 5:2-3
To my words give ear, O Lord; give heed to my sighs. Attend to the sound of my cry, my King and my God.
Bestow on us, we pray, O Lord, a spirit of always pondering on what is right and of hastening to carry it out, and, since without you we cannot exist, may we be enabled to live according to your will. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Esther 4:17
Queen Esther took refuge with the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her. She besought the Lord God of Israel in these words: ‘My Lord, our King, the only one, come to my help, for I am alone and have no helper but you and am about to take my life in my hands. ‘I have been taught from my earliest years, in the bosom of my family, that you, Lord, chose Israel out of all the nations and our ancestors out of all the people of old times to be your heritage for ever; and that you have treated them as you promised. Remember, Lord; reveal yourself in the time of our distress. As for me, give me courage, King of gods and master of all power. Put persuasive words into my mouth when I face the lion; change his feeling into hatred for our enemy, that the latter and all like him may be brought to their end. As for ourselves, save us by your hand, and come to my help, for I am alone and have no one but you, Lord.’
R/ On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.
1. I thank you, Lord, with all my heart: you have heard the words of my mouth. In the presence of the angels I will bless you. I will adore before your holy temple.
2. I thank you for your faithfulness and love, which excel all we ever knew of you. On the day I called, you answered; you increased the strength of my soul.
3. You stretch out your hand and save me, your hand will do all things for me. Your love, O Lord, is eternal, discard not the work of your hands.
Gospel Acclamation : Joel 2:12-13
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God! Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks – come back to me with all your heart, for I am all tenderness and compassion. Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. Is there a man among you who would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or would hand him a snake when he asked for a fish? If you, then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Be merciful, O Lord, to those who approach you in supplication, and, accepting the oblations and prayers of your people, turn the hearts of us all towards you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt. 7: 8
Everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
We pray, O Lord our God, that, as you have given these most sacred mysteries to be the safeguard of our salvation, so you may make them a healing remedy for us, both now and in time to come. Through Christ our Lord.
May the mercy they have hoped for, O Lord, come to those who make supplication to you, and may the riches of heaven be given them, that they may know what it is right to ask and receive what they have sought. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Somewhere in scripture the Lord said that the Father already knows what we need even before we ask.So, why this saying? The truth is that: standing in one place takes you nowhere. In the instructions: ask, seek and knock, action is being carried out. Life is about moving, movement is also an act of faith. When we move we show we believe in something and we hope, too. It is this very thing the Lord seeks, and then he perfects it. He promises that: we will be answered, we shall find and be welcomed.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 23, 2021 | Evangelium
Aphraates or Aphrahat was a Syriac Christian writer of the early fourth century. He lived through the Persian persecutions which followed the adoption of Christianity by the Roman Empire. His “Demonstrations” are a collection of twenty-three sermons, each expounding an aspect of Christian life or doctrine.
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Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 24: 6, 2, 22
Remember your compassion, O Lord, and your merciful love, for they are from of old. Let not our enemies exult over us. Redeem us, O God of Israel, from all our distress.
Look kindly, Lord, we pray, on the devotion of your people, that those who by self-denial are restrained in body may by the fruit of good works be renewed in mind. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Jonah 3:1-10
The word of the Lord was addressed to Jonah: ‘Up!’ he said ‘Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to them as I told you to.’ Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was a city great beyond compare: it took three days to cross it. Jonah went on into the city, making a day’s journey. He preached in these words, ‘Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.’ And the people of Nineveh believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least. The news reached the king of Nineveh, who rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes. A proclamation was then promulgated throughout Nineveh, by decree of the king and his ministers, as follows: ‘Men and beasts, herds and flocks, are to taste nothing; they must not eat, they must not drink water. All are to put on sackcloth and call on God with all their might; and let everyone renounce his evil behaviour and the wicked things he has done. Who knows if God will not change his mind and relent, if he will not renounce his burning wrath, so that we do not perish?’ God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened.
Psalm 50 (51):3-4, 12-13, 18-19
R/ A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.
1. Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offence. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.
2. A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, nor deprive me of your holy spirit.
3. For in sacrifice you take no delight, burnt offering from me you would refuse, my sacrifice, a contrite spirit. A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.
Gospel Acclamation: Ezk 33:11
Glory and praise to you, O Christ! I take pleasure, not in the death of a wicked man – it is the Lord who speaks – but in the turning back of a wicked man who changes his ways to win life. Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them: ‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.’
Prayer over the Offerings
We offer to you, O Lord, what you have given to be dedicated to your name, that, just as for our benefit you make these gifts a Sacrament, so you may let them become for us an eternal remedy. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 5: 12
All who take refuge in you shall be glad, O Lord, and ever cry out their joy, and you shall dwell among them.
O God, who never cease to nourish us by your Sacrament, grant that the refreshment you give us through it may bring us unending life. Through Christ our Lord.
Watch over your people, Lord, and in your kindness cleanse them from all sins, for if evil has no dominion over them, no trial can do them harm. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The queen of the south travelled to see the evidence of God’s wisdom. Ninevites heard the call to repentance and turned back to God; they had to wait for a preacher to come. We have these realities daily around us, yet many of us are stubborn to the things of God. We refuse to believe and to see. Yet we search for miracles and signs to satisfy our curiosity and not our faith. God has shown many people love and given them favours beyond their imagination, yet they do not see it: they crave for something else.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 22, 2021 | Evangelium
St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr (D. 155)
He was a disciple of the Apostles. He bears witness to the beliefs of the early Christians and the early stages of the development of doctrine. He was martyred in about 155.
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Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 89: 1-2
O Lord, you have been our refuge, from generation to generation; from age to age, you are.
Look upon your family, Lord, that, through the chastening effects of bodily discipline, our minds may be radiant in your presence with the strength of our yearning for you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Isaiah 55:10-11
Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’
R/ The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.
1. Glorify the Lord with me. Together let us praise his name. I sought the Lord and he answered me; from all my terrors he set me free.
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. The Lord turns his eyes to the just and his ears to their appeal.
4. They call and the Lord hears and rescues them in all their distress. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; those whose spirit is crushed he will save.
Gospel Acclamation : Mt 4:4
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus! Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us. And do not put us to the test, but save us from the evil one. Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive, O Creator, almighty God, what we bring from your bountiful goodness, and be pleased to transform this temporal sustenance you have given us, that it may bring us eternal life. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Ps 4: 2
When I called, the God of justice gave me answer; from anguish you released me; have mercy, O Lord, and hear my prayer!
Grant us through these mysteries, Lord, that by moderating earthly desires we may learn to love the things of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
May your faithful be strengthened, O God, by your blessing: in grief, may you be their consolation, in tribulation, their power to endure, and in peril, their protection. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord describes prayer as: (1) being simple especially in words, (2) being connected with forgiveness. Simplicity in words, especially when talking to someone, indicates that the one who listens already understands. This already tells us a lot about God. It also means you know what you want. Many Christians believe the multiplication of prayers and words give weight to prayers. What gives weight to prayer is how you relate with others: Our Father – do you see the other as a brother? Give us – is there a desire in you to uphold the common good? Forgive as we forgive – is there forgiveness or anger in your heart?
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 21, 2021 | Evangelium
The Chair of St. Peter the Apostle, Feast
This feast has been celebrated in Rome since at least the fourth century. It signifies the unity of the Church founded upon the Apostles.
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Entrance Antiphon: Lk 22: 32
The Lord says to Simon Peter: I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail, and, once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that no tempests may disturb us, for you have set us fast on the rock of the Apostle Peter’s confession of faith. 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 Peter 5:1-4
Now I have something to tell your elders: I am an elder myself, and a witness to the sufferings of Christ, and with you I have a share in the glory that is to be revealed. Be the shepherds of the flock of God that is entrusted to you: watch over it, not simply as a duty but gladly, because God wants it; not for sordid money, but because you are eager to do it. Never be a dictator over any group that is put in your charge, but be an example that the whole flock can follow. When the chief shepherd appears, you will be given the crown of unfading glory.
R/ The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
1. 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, to revive my drooping spirit.
2. He guides me along the right path; he is true to his name. If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear. You are there with your crook and your staff; with these you give me comfort.
3. You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing.
4. Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life. In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell forever and ever.
Gospel Acclamation: Mt 16:18
Alleluia, alleluia! You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. Alleluia.
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said, ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said, ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept with favour, O Lord, we pray, the prayers and offerings of your Church, that, with St. Peter as her shepherd, she may come to an eternal inheritance, for it is through his teaching that she holds the faith in its integrity. 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.
O God, who at our celebration of the feast day of the blessed Apostle Peter have nourished us by communion in the Body and Blood of Christ, grant, we pray, that this redeeming exchange may be for us a Sacrament of unity and peace. Through Christ our Lord.
Many people’s concept of who God is, is built on the stories of others or on conventional trends. Many people know phrases of titles given to God and have little or no knowledge of what they mean in a personal way. This is what the Lord seeks to find out: and you, who do you say I am? What is your personal story of God? Not a story told to you or a notion impressed upon you by your community (which is not bad in itself). What is your experience of God?
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 20, 2021 | Evangelium
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Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 90: 15-16
When he calls on me, I will answer him; I will deliver him and give him glory, I will grant him length of days.
Grant, almighty God, through the yearly observances of holy Lent, that we may grow in understanding of the riches hidden in Christ and by worthy conduct pursue their effects. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Genesis 9:8-15
God spoke to Noah and his sons, ‘See, I establish my Covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; also with every living creature to be found with you, birds, cattle and every wild beast with you: everything that came out of the ark, everything that lives on the earth. I establish my Covenant with you: no thing of flesh shall be swept away again by the waters of the flood. There shall be no flood to destroy the earth again.’ God said, ‘Here is the sign of the Covenant I make between myself and you and every living creature with you for all generations: I set my bow in the clouds and it shall be a sign of the Covenant between me and the earth. When I gather the clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, I will recall the Covenant between myself and you and every living creature of every kind. And so the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all things of flesh.’
R/ Your ways, Lord, are faithfulness and love for those who keep your covenant.
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. Remember your mercy, Lord, and the love you have shown from of old. In your love remember me, because of your goodness, O Lord.
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.
Second reading: 1 Peter 3:18-22
Christ himself, innocent though he was, died once for sins, died for the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life, and, in the spirit, he went to preach to the spirits in prison. Now it was long ago, when Noah was still building that ark which saved only a small group of eight people ‘by water’, and when God was still waiting patiently, that these spirits refused to believe. That water is a type of the baptism which saves you now, and which is not the washing off of physical dirt but a pledge made to God from a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has entered heaven and is at God’s right hand, now that he has made the angels and Dominations and Powers his subjects.
Gospel Acclamation : Mt4:4
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory! Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
The Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness and he remained there for forty days, and was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, and the angels looked after him. After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come,’ he said, ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Give us the right dispositions, O Lord, we pray, to make these offerings, for with them we celebrate the beginning of this venerable and sacred time. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt. 4: 4
One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
Renewed now with heavenly bread, by which faith is nourished, hope increased, and charity strengthened, we pray, O Lord, that we may learn to hunger for Christ, the true and living Bread, and strive to live by every word which proceeds from your mouth. Through Christ our Lord.
May bountiful blessing, O Lord, we pray, come down upon your people, that hope may grow in tribulation, virtue be strengthened in temptation, and eternal redemption be assured. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Quiet times are important especially at the start of a task. When we fast, we give ourselves the opportunity to have such quiet moments. However, for every fast, as was the case with the Lord, we must have to face our own temptations and wild beasts. We are assured of the guidance of angels. The fast of the Lord also reminds us of the
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 19, 2021 | Evangelium
Born in England, he became a priest and was excessively materialistic and worldly. After meeting with a beggar, he underwent a personal conversion and became a hermit at Haselbury; He then devoted himself to rigorous austerities and was known for his miracles and prophecies.
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Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 68: 17
Answer us, Lord, for your mercy is kind; in the abundance of your mercies, look upon us.
Almighty ever-living God, look with compassion on our weakness and ensure us your protection by stretching forth the right hand of your majesty. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Isaiah 58:9-14
The Lord says this: If you do away with the yoke, the clenched fist, the wicked word, if you give your bread to the hungry, and relief to the oppressed, your light will rise in the darkness, and your shadows become like noon. The Lord will always guide you, giving you relief in desert places. He will give strength to your bones and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters never run dry. You will rebuild the ancient ruins, build up on the old foundations. You will be called ‘Breach-mender’, ‘Restorer of ruined houses.’ If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, and doing business on the holy day, if you call the Sabbath ‘Delightful’, and the day sacred to the Lord ‘Honourable’, if you honour it by abstaining from travel, from doing business and from gossip, then shall you find your happiness in the Lord and I will lead you triumphant over the heights of the land. I will feed you on the heritage of Jacob your father. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
R/ Show me, Lord, your way so that I may walk in your truth.
1. Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am faithful; save the servant who trusts in you..
2. You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord, for I cry to you all the day long. Give joy to your servant, O Lord, for to you I lift up my soul.
3. Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of love to all who call. Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer and attend to the sound of my voice.
Gospel Acclamation : cf. Ps. 94:8
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God! Harden not your hearts today, but listen to the voice of the Lord. Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Jesus noticed a tax collector, Levi by name, sitting by the customs house, and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And leaving everything he got up and followed him. In his honour Levi held a great reception in his house, and with them at table was a large gathering of tax collectors and others. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples and said, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus said to them in reply, ‘It is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, we pray, O Lord, the sacrifice of conciliation and praise, and grant that, cleansed by its working, we may offer minds well pleasing to you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Mt 9: 13
I desire mercy, not sacrifice, says the Lord, for I did not come to call the just but sinners.
Nourished with the gift of heavenly life, we pray, O Lord, that what remains for us a mystery in this present life may be for us a help to reach eternity. Through Christ our Lord.
Abide graciously, O Lord, with your people, who have touched the sacred mysteries, that no dangers may bring affliction to those who trust in you, their protector. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
This gospel shows us God’s approach to sinners: he makes the move towards them. The sad reality is that religion over time is gradually losing this, and instead of reaching out to men to reconcile them to God, we tend to be judgmental. Like the Pharisees, we might focus on the sinful nature of people and naturally, and outrightly condemn them. The Lord reminds us to seek out the lost and help them find God as much as we condemn the sin. Like the African proverbs says, you do not throw the baby away with the bath water.
