by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jan 26, 2021 | Evangelium
St. Angela Merici (1470 – 1540)
She was born in Desenziano, in Lombardy, in about 1470. In 1535 she founded the Ursulines, an order of nuns devoted to giving a Christian education to girls from poor families. She died in 1540.
Green / White
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 95: 1, 6
O sing a new song to the Lord; sing to the Lord, all the earth. In his presence are majesty and splendour, strength and honour in his holy place.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, direct our actions according to your good pleasure, that in the name of your beloved Son, we may abound in good works. 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 : Hebrews 10:11-18
All the priests stand at their duties every day, offering over and over again the same sacrifices which are quite incapable of taking sins away. He, on the other hand, has offered one single sacrifice for sins, and then taken his place forever, at the right hand of God, where he is now waiting until his enemies are made into a footstool for him. By virtue of that one single offering, he has achieved the eternal perfection of all whom he is sanctifying. The Holy Spirit assures us of this; for he says, first: This is the covenant I will make with them when those days arrive; and the Lord then goes on to say:
I will put my laws into their hearts and write them on their minds. I will never call their sins to mind, or their offences. When all sins have been forgiven, there can be no more sin offerings.
Psalm 109 (110):1-4
R/ You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.
- The Lord’s revelation to my Master: ‘Sit on my right: your foes I will put beneath your feet.’
- The Lord will wield from Zion your sceptre of power: rule in the midst of all your foes.
- A prince from the day of your birth on the holy mountains; from the womb before the dawn I begot you.
- The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change. ‘You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.’
Gospel Acclamation : 1S 3:9, Jn 6:68
Alleluia, alleluia! Speak, Lord, your servant is listening: you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!
Gospel : Mark 4:1-20
Jesus began to teach by the lakeside, but such a huge crowd gathered round him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there. The people were all along the shore, at the water’s edge. He taught them many things in parables, and in the course of his teaching he said to them, ‘Listen!, Imagine a sower going out to sow. Now it happened that, as he sowed, some of the seed fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground where it found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; and when the sun came up it was scorched and, not having any roots, it withered away. Some seed fell into thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no crop. And some seeds fell into rich soil and, growing tall and strong, produced crop; and yielded thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!’ When he was alone, the Twelve, together with the others who formed his company, asked what the parables meant. He told them, ‘The secret of the kingdom of God is given to you, but to those who are outside everything comes in parables, so that they may see and see again, but not perceive; may hear and hear again, but not understand; otherwise they might be converted and be forgiven.’ He said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? What the sower is sowing is the word. Those on the edge of the path where the word is sown are people who have no sooner heard it than Satan comes and carries away the word that was sown in them. Similarly, those who receive the seed on patches of rock are people who, when first they hear the word, welcome it at once with joy. But they have no root in them, they do not last; should some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, they fall away at once. Then there are others who receive the seed in thorns. These have heard the word, but the worries of this world, the lure of riches and all the other passions come in to choke the word, and so it produces nothing. And there are those who have received the seed in rich soil: they hear the word and accept it and yield a harvest, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept our offerings, O Lord, we pray, and in sanctifying them grant that they may profit us for salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Ps 33: 6
Look toward the Lord and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, receiving the grace by which you bring us to new life, we may always glory in your gift. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
When we hear the word of God clearly, we seek to understand it and apply it to our lives so that it may bear fruit in us. Our hearts are, therefore, the soil on which the word of God is planted. What kind of soil is my heart – the edge of the path, rocky ground, thorns, or rich soil? An effective messenger of the word of God seeks to have a heart that corresponds to rich soil, so that the word of God may bear abundant fruit in his/her life.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jan 25, 2021 | Evangelium
SS Timothy and Titus
Timothy and Titus were converted to Christianity by St Paul, and became his companions and helpers. He wrote them the so-called “pastoral” epistles, giving advice for pastors and people alike.
White
Entrance Antiphon : Ps 95: 3-4
Tell among the nations his glory, and his wonders among all the peoples, for the Lord is great and highly to be praised.
Collect
O God, who adorned Saints Timothy and Titus with apostolic virtues, grant, through the intercession of them both, that, living justly and devoutly in this present age, we may merit to reach our heavenly homeland. 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 Timothy 1:1-8
From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus in his design to promise life in Christ Jesus; to Timothy, dear child of mine, wishing you grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord. Night and day I thank God, keeping my conscience clear and remembering my duty to him as my ancestors did, and always I remember you in my prayers; I remember your tears and long to see you again to complete my happiness. Then I am reminded of the sincere faith which you have; it came first to live in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I have no doubt that it is the same faith in you as well. That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord, or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but with me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy.
Psalm 95 (96):1-3, 7-8, 10
R/ Proclaim the wonders of the Lord among all the peoples.
- O sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord all the earth. O sing to the Lord, bless his name.
- Proclaim his help day by day, tell among the nations his glory andhis wonders among all the peoples.
- Give the Lord, you families of peoples, give the Lord glory and power; give the Lord the glory of his name.
- Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’ The world he made firm in its place; he will judge the peoples in fairness.
Gospel Acclamation : Ps118:135
Alleluia, alleluia! Let your face shine on your servant, and teach me your decrees. Alleluia!
Gospel : Mark 3:31-35
The mother and brothers of Jesus arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, ‘Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you.’ He replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive, O Lord, we pray, the offerings of your people, which we bring in celebration of Saints Timothy and Titus, and, in your kindness, render us fully acceptable by giving us sincerity of heart.Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Mk 16: 15; Mt 28: 20
Go into all the world, and proclaim the Gospel. I am with you always, says the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
May the Sacrament we have received, O Lord our God, nourish in us that faith taught by the preaching of the Apostles and kept safe by the labours of Saints Timothy and Titus. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus knows his family and accepts every family member. Yet, at the same time, he wants his family and everyone else to know it does not suffice to belong to a blood family. This is why he says: “Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.” We need to belong to the large family of God’s children and the only qualification we need to belong to that family is knowing the will of God and doing it. Do I seek to know God’s will and to do it?
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jan 24, 2021 | Evangelium
The Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle
Feast
Saul, the young man who looked after the cloaks of the men who were stoning St. Stephen, grew into a dedicated and efficient persecutor of Christians. Today’s feast celebrates the day Christ appeared to him in a vision as he was on the way to Damascus, reproached him for his persecutions and converted him to the true faith.
White
Entrance Antiphon : 2 Tim 1: 12; 4: 8
I know the one in whom I have believed and I am sure that he, the just judge, the mighty, will keep safe what is my due until that day.
Collect
O God, who taught the whole world through the preaching of the blessed Apostle Paul, draw us, we pray, nearer to you through the example of him whose conversion we celebrate today, and so make us witnesses to your truth in the world. 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 : Acts 22:3-16
Paul said to the people, ‘I am a Jew and was born at Tarsus in Cilicia. I was brought up here in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was taught the exact observance of the Law of our ancestors. In fact, I was as full of duty towards God as you are today. I even persecuted this Way to the death, and sent women as well as men to prison in chains as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify, since they even sent me with letters to their brothers in Damascus. When I set off, it was with the intention of bringing prisoners back from there to Jerusalem for punishment. ‘I was on that journey and nearly at Damascus when about midday a bright light from heaven suddenly shone round me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” I answered: Who are you, Lord? and he said to me, “I am Jesus the Nazarene, and you are persecuting me.” The people with me saw the light but did not hear his voice as he spoke to me. I said: What am I to do, Lord? The Lord answered, “Stand up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told what you have been appointed to do.” The light had been so dazzling that I was blind and my companions had to take me by the hand; and so I came to Damascus. Someone called Ananias, a devout follower of the Law and highly thought of by all the Jews living there, came to see me; he stood beside me and said, “Brother Saul, receive your sight.” Instantly my sight came back and I was able to see him. Then he said, “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Just One and hear his own voice speaking, because you are to be his witness before all mankind, testifying to what you have seen and heard. And now, why delay? It is time you were baptised and had your sins washed away while invoking his name.”’
Psalm 116:1-2
R/ Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.
- O praise the Lord, all you nations, acclaim him all you peoples!
- Strong is his love for us; he is faithful for ever.
Gospel Acclamation : cf. Jn 15:16
Alleluia, alleluia! I chose you from the world to go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last, says the Lord. Alleluia!
Gospel : Mark 16:15-18
Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’
Prayer over the Offerings
As we celebrate the divine mysteries, O Lord, we pray, may the Spirit fill us with that light of faith with which he constantly enlightened the blessed Apostle Paul for the spreading of your glory. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Gal 2: 20
I live by faith in the Son of God, who has loved me and given himself up for me.
Prayer after Communion
May the Sacrament we have received, O Lord our God, stir up in us that fire of charity with which the blessed Apostle Paul burned ardently as he bore his concern for all the Churches. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Paul, whose conversion we celebrate today, was a Jewish believer, and a fierce persecutor of the followers of Jesus. After his conversion, he used the same zeal with which he persecuted the Church to preach the message of the Good News to the Gentiles, even to the point of dying for the sake of Christ Jesus. Today, we pray that our own conversion may lead us to participate in the zeal of Saint Paul and bear witness to the message of the Good News in our thought, speech and action.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jan 23, 2021 | Evangelium
Third Sunday In Ordinary Time
Psalter III
Green
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 95: 1, 6
O sing a new song to the Lord; sing to the Lord, all the earth. In his presence are majesty and splendour, strength and honour in his holy place.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, direct our actions according to your good pleasure, that in the name of your beloved Son we may abound in good works. 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 3:1-5,10
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. 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 24(25):4-6,7b-9
R/ Lord, make me know your ways.
- 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.
- Remember your mercy, Lord, and the love you have shown from of old. In your love remember me, because of your goodness, O Lord.
- 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 Corinthians 7:29-31
Brothers: our time is growing short. Those who have wives should live as though they had none, and those who mourn should live as though they had nothing to mourn for; those who are enjoying life should live as though there were nothing to laugh about; those whose life is buying things should live as though they had nothing of their own; and those who have to deal with the world should not become engrossed in it. I say this because the world as we know it is passing away.
Gospel Acclamation : Mk1:15
Alleluia, alleluia! The kingdom of God is close at hand: repent, and believe the Good News. Alleluia!
Gospel : Mark 1:14-20
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.’ As he was walking along by the Sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men.’ And at once they left their nets and followed him. Going on a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending their nets. He called them at once and, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the men he employed, they went after him.
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept our offerings, O Lord, we pray, and in sanctifying them grant that they may profit us for salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Ps 33: 6
Look toward the Lord and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, receiving the grace by which you bring us to new life, we may always glory in your gift. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The First Reading and the Gospel present us with a similar preaching: repent for the end is nigh. The response presented in both readings by the people who hear the message is different. In Jonah’s case, the community turns back Jesus’ listeners make a personal turn-back. This personal response is seen in the actions of Andrew and Simon, James and John. Whether in the case of the Ninevites or in the case of the two pairs of brothers, the response is prompt and genuine. Each one of us is invited to sacrifice something for the sake of Jesus, be it comfort, luxury, belongings, or sinful ways.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jan 22, 2021 | Evangelium
St. Marianne Cope (1838 – 1918)
B.V.M
Maria Anna Barbara Koob was born in Heppenheim, in Grand Duchy of Hesse, which is now part of Germany, on 23 January 1838. Her family emigrated the following year to Utica, in New York State. The family’s surname was anglicized to Cope.
Green / White
Entrance Antiphon : Ps 65: 4
All the earth shall bow down before you, O God, and shall sing to you, shall sing to your name, O Most High!
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, who govern all things, both in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the pleading of your people and bestow your peace in our times. 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 : Hebrews 9:2-3,11-14
There was a tent which comprised two compartments: the first, in which the lamp stand, the table and the presentation loaves were kept, was called the Holy Place; then beyond the second veil, an innermost part which was called the Holy of Holies. But now Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, which is better than the one made by men’s hands because it is not of this created order; and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves, but his own blood, having won an eternal redemption for us. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer are sprinkled on those who have incurred defilement and they restore the holiness of their outward lives; how much more effectively the blood of Christ, who offered himself as the perfect sacrifice to God through the eternal Spirit, can purify our inner self from dead actions so that we do our service to the living God.
Psalm 46(47):2-3,6-9
R/ God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
- All peoples, clap your hands, cry to God with shouts of joy! For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear, great king over all the earth.
- God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast. Sing praise for God, sing praise, sing praise to our king, sing praise.
- God is king of all the earth, sing praise with all your skill. God is king over the nations; God reigns on his holy throne.
Gospel Acclamation : 2Co5:19
Alleluia, alleluia! God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled. Alleluia!
Gospel : Mark 3:20-21
Jesus went home, and once more such a crowd collected that they could not even have a meal. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind.
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant us, O Lord, we pray, that we may participate worthily in these mysteries, for whenever the memorial of this sacrifice is celebrated, the work of our redemption is accomplished. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Ps 22: 5
You have prepared a table before me, and how precious is the chalice that quenches my thirst.
Prayer after Communion
Pour on us, O Lord, the Spirit of your love, and in your kindness, make those you have nourished by this one heavenly Bread, one in mind and heart. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus is presented in the gospel of Mark as one who really has no time for himself or time to waste, moving from one activity to another. The readings today tell of how Jesus attends to a large crowd of people and he and his disciples have no time even to eat. How concerned are we about our own mission and the happiness of those who need our services? What is my attitude towards a service I am called upon to render to others, to my community, to my society?
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jan 21, 2021 | Evangelium
St. Vincent (- 304)
USA: Day of prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
He was born in Huesca and became a deacon of the church of Saragossa (Zaragoza). He was tortured to death in Valencia, in the persecution of Diocletian. After his death, his cult spread rapidly through the Roman Empire.
Green / Red
Entrance Antiphon : Ps 65: 4
All the earth shall bow down before you, O God, and shall sing to you, shall sing to your name, O Most High!
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, who govern all things, both in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the pleading of your people and bestow your peace in our times. 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 : Hebrews 8:6-13
We have seen that Christ has been given a ministry of a far higher order, and to the same degree it is a better covenant of which he is the mediator, founded on better promises. If that first covenant had been without a fault, there would have been no need for a second one to replace it. And in fact God does find fault with them; he says: See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks – when I will establish a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah, but not a covenant like the one I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. They abandoned that covenant of mine, and so I on my side deserted them. It is the Lord who speaks. No, this is the covenant I will make with the House of Israel when those days arrive – it is the Lord who speaks. I will put my laws into their minds and write them on their hearts. Then I will be their God and they shall be my people. There will be no further need for neighbour to try to teach neighbour, or brother to say to brother, ‘Learn to know the Lord.’ No, they will all know me, the least no less than the greatest, since I will forgive their iniquities and never call their sins to mind. By speaking of a new covenant, he implies that the first one is already old. Now anything old only gets more antiquated until in the end it disappears.
Psalm 84(85):8,10-14
R/ Mercy and faithfulness have met.
- Let us see, O Lord, your mercy and give us your saving help. His help is near for those who fear him and his glory will dwell in our land.
- Mercy and faithfulness have met; justice and peace have embraced. Faithfulness shall spring from the earth and justice look down from heaven.
- 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 : cf.2Th2:14
Alleluia, alleluia! Through the Good News God called us to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!
Gospel : Mark 3:13-19
Jesus went up into the hills and summoned those he wanted. So they came to him and he appointed twelve; they were to be his companions and to be sent out to preach, with power to cast out devils. And so he appointed the Twelve: Simon to whom he gave the name Peter, James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges or ‘Sons of Thunder’; then Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the man who was to betray him.
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant us, O Lord, we pray, that we may participate worthily in these mysteries, for whenever the memorial of this sacrifice is celebrated, the work of our redemption is accomplished. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Ps 22: 5
You have prepared a table before me, and how precious is the chalice that quenches my thirst.
Prayer after Communion
Pour on us, O Lord, the Spirit of your love, and in your kindness, make those you have nourished by this one heavenly Bread, one in mind and heart. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Sometimes in street football, two team captains are asked to pick their players from a whole lot of friends. Each would seek to get the players that would work together to bring him victory. In today’s Gospel passage, we see Jesus choosing his close collaborators. He makes a personal choice of those he knows will work with him to realise his mission of spreading the Good News. With the same love that Jesus had for the Twelve, he chooses you and me to be his disciples
