by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Oct 4, 2020 | Evangelium
monday 05 October 2020
St Faustina Kowalska
Sister Faustina was a young, uneducated, nun in a convent of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland during the 1930s. She received extraordinary revelations on God’s loving message of Divine Mercy. Saint Faustina’s revelations are a constant reminder of the message to trust in Jesus’ endless mercy, and to live life mercifully toward others.
Green
Entrance Antiphon: Est 4: 17
Within your will, O Lord, all things are established, and there is none that can resist your will. For you have made all things, the heaven and the earth, and all that is held within the circle of heaven; you are the Lord of all.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, who in the abundance of your kindness surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you, pour out your mercy upon us to pardon what conscience dreads and to give what prayer does not dare to ask. 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: Galatians 1:6-12
I am astonished at the promptness with which you have turned away from the one who called you and have decided to follow a different version of the Good News. Not that there can be more than one Good News; it is merely that some troublemakers among you want to change the Good News of Christ; and let me warn you that if anyone preaches a version of the Good News different from the one we have already preached to you, whether it be ourselves or an angel from heaven, he is to be condemned. I am only repeating what we told you before: if anyone preaches a version of the Good News different from the one you have already heard, he is to be condemned. So now whom am I trying to please – man, or God? Would you say it is men’s approval I am looking for? If I still wanted that, I should not be what I am – a servant of Christ. The fact is, brothers, and I want you to realise this, the Good News I preached is not a human message that I was given by men, it is something I learnt only through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 110(111):1-2, 7-10
R/ The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind.
- I will thank the Lord with all my heart in the meeting of the just and their assembly. Great are the works of the Lord, to be pondered by all who love them.
- His works are justice and truth, his precepts are all of them sure, standing firm for ever and ever; they are made in uprightness and truth.
- He has sent deliverance to his people and established his covenant for ever. Holy his name, to be feared. His praise shall last for ever!
Gospel Acclamation : Jn 6:63, 68
Alleluia, alleluia! Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life; you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 10:25-37
There was a lawyer who, to disconcert Jesus, stood up and said to him, ‘Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? What do you read there?’ He replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.’ ‘You have answered right,’ said Jesus ‘do this and life is yours.’ But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead. Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said “and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have.” Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’ ‘The one who took pity on him’ he replied. Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, O Lord, we pray, the sacrifices instituted by your commands and, through the sacred mysteries, which we celebrate with dutiful service, graciously complete the sanctifying work by which you are pleased to redeem us. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Lam 3: 25
The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to the soul that seeks him.
Prayer after Communion
Grant us, almighty God, that we may be refreshed and nourished by the Sacrament which we have received, so as to be transformed into what we consume. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The priest and the Levite in the parable were faced with an interpretation of the law. The law stated that no priest “shall make himself unclean for any dead person among his people” (Lev 21:1). This would probably also apply to the Levites because they served in the Temple. Since the person attacked by robbers in the parable was “half-dead”, may have looked dead, or may have been close to death, the priest and the Levite had to decide if the law of having mercy on the afflicted (Lev 19:16) took precedence over the law of ritual cleanness. They decided that ritual cleanness took precedence. Jesus points out they were wrong. As much as God desires sacrifice and the ritual cleanness that must accompany sacrifice, He desires mercy even more, mercy for all people no matter the background, tribe, race, religion, political affiliation, gender. This means everyone is our neighbour.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Oct 3, 2020 | Evangelium
sunday 04 October 2020
TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter III
St Francis of Assisi (1181 – 1226)
Green
Entrance Antiphon: Est 4: 17
Within your will, O Lord, all things are established, and there is none that can resist your will. For you have made all things, the heaven and the earth, and all that is held within the circle of heaven; you are the Lord of all.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, who in the abundance of your kindness surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you, pour out your mercy upon us to pardon what conscience dreads and to give what prayer does not dare to ask. Through our Lord Jesus Christ…..
First reading: Isaiah 5:1-7
Let me sing to my friend the song of his love for his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug the soil, cleared it of stones and planted choice vines in it. In the middle he built a tower, he dug a press there too. He expected it to yield grapes, but sour grapes were all that it gave. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, I ask you to judge between my vineyard and me. What could I have done for my vineyard that I have not done? I expected it to yield grapes. Why did it yield sour grapes instead? Very well, I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge for it to be grazed on, and knock down its wall for it to be trampled on. I will lay it waste, unpruned, undug; overgrown by the briar and the thorn. I will command the clouds to rain no rain on it. Yes, the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the House of Israel, and the men of Judah that chosen plant. He expected justice, but found bloodshed, integrity, but only a cry of distress.
Psalm 79(80):9, 12-16, 19-20
R/ The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
- You brought a vine out of Egypt; to plant it you drove out the nations. It stretched out its branches to the sea, to the Great River it stretched out its shoots.
- Then why have you broken down its walls? It is plucked by all who pass by. It is ravaged by the boar of the forest, devoured by the beasts of the field.
- God of hosts, turn again, we implore, look down from heaven and see. Visit this vine and protect it, the vine your right hand has planted.
- And we shall never forsake you again; give us life that we may call upon your name. God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
Second reading: Philippians 4:6-9
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. Finally, brothers, fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise. Keep doing all the things that you learnt from me and have been taught by me and have heard or seen that I do. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn15:15
Alleluia, alleluia! I call you friends, says the Lord, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, ‘Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third. Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt with them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son” he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his inheritance.” So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They answered, ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him when the season arrives.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures: It was the stone rejected by the builders that became the keystone. This was the Lord’s doing and it is wonderful to see? ‘I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, O Lord, we pray, the sacrifices instituted by your commands and, through the sacred mysteries, which we celebrate with dutiful service, graciously complete the sanctifying work by which you are pleased to redeem us. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Lam 3: 25
The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to the soul that seeks him.
Prayer after Communion
Grant us, almighty God, that we may be refreshed and nourished by the Sacrament which we have received, so as to be transformed into what we consume. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
In our Gospel today, Jesus is indeed addressing each of us as tenants of God’s vineyard. Through our sins we have rejected him and the prophets before him. We have neglected justice, we have been partial, we have not borne lasting fruits. We also act with violence against our fellow human beings, sons and daughters of God. As faithful tenants, we must care deeply about justice, to show mercy, and walk in humility and submission to God (Micah 6:6-8). As faithful tenants, we must be loving, joyful, peace-filled persons, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled (Galatians 5:21-22.). As faithful servants, we must take care of the flock God has handed to us. This can be our children, our family, our society and especially our Church. This parable can also have ecological overtones: we are bound to manage all resources God provides for His greater glory and the betterment of His creation. We are all tenants in this mother earth.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Oct 2, 2020 | Evangelium
saturday 03 October 2020
Saint Thomas Cantilupe (1218-1282)
BVM
Originally from a rich Anglo-Norman family, he was ordained priest in 1245 while taking part in the First Council of Lyons. In 1275 he became Bishop of Hereford, where his austerity and his zeal as a reforming bishop became well known. He died while on a journey to the papal court, and was canonised in 1320.
Green/White
Entrance Antiphon: Dn 3:31, 29, 30, 43, 42
All that you have done to us, O Lord, you have done with true judgement, for we have sinned against you and not obeyed your commandments. But give glory to your name and deal with us according to the bounty of your mercy.
Collect
O God, who manifest your almighty power above all by pardoning and showing mercy, bestow, we pray, your grace abundantly upon us, and make those hastening to attain your promises heirs to the treasures of 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: Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17
This was the answer Job gave to the Lord: I know that you are all-powerful: what you conceive, you can perform. I am the man who obscured your designs with my empty-headed words. I have been holding forth on matters I cannot understand, on marvels beyond me and my knowledge. I knew you then only by hearsay; but now, having seen you with my own eyes, I retract all I have said, and in dust and ashes I repent. The Lord blessed Job’s new fortune even more than his first one. He came to own fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand she-donkeys. He had seven sons and three daughters; his first daughter he called ‘Turtledove’, the second ‘Cassia’ and the third ‘Mascara.’ Throughout the land there were no women as beautiful as the daughters of Job. And their father gave them inheritance rights like their brothers. After his trials, Job lived on until he was a hundred and forty years old, and saw his children and his children’s children up to the fourth generation. Then Job died, an old man and full of days.
Psalm 118(119):66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130
R/ Let your face shine on your servant, O Lord.
- Teach me discernment and knowledge for I trust in your commands. It was good for me to be afflicted, to learn your statutes.
- Lord, I know that your decrees are right, that you afflicted me justly. By your decree it endures to this day; for all things serve you.
- I am your servant, give me knowledge; then I shall know your will. The unfolding of your word gives light and teaches the simple.
Gospel Acclamation : Mt 11:25
Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 10:17-24
The seventy-two came back rejoicing. ‘Lord,’ they said ‘even the devils submit to us when we use your name.’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.’ It was then that, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, he said: ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’ Then turning to his disciples he spoke to them in private, ‘Happy the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant us, O merciful God, that this our offering may find acceptance with you and that through it, the wellspring of all blessing may be laid open before us. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 118: 49-50
Remember your word to your servant, O Lord, by which you have given me hope. This is my comfort when I am brought low.
Prayer after Communion
May this heavenly mystery, O Lord, restore us in mind and body, that we may be coheirs in glory with Christ, to whose suffering we are united whenever we proclaim his Death. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
Job’s name has become synonymous with suffering, to the point that one tends to forget the happy ending of his story. A preacher once said we could summarise Jobs story in the words “And Job lived happily ever after”. Job is known for his patience, but he should be better known for his hope. If your ten children died in one day, would you have hope? If you went bankrupt and on the same day you lost the person dearest to you, would you let God give you the virtue of hope? If you were diseased and racked with pain, would you be hopeful? Some of us would be like Job’s wife and “curse God and die”. However, Job, with no help from his wife and his friends, had hope. Remember: “Hope will not leave us disappointed” (Rm 5:5). The the 72 Missionary Disciples in the Gospel never had an easy mission. However, with their patience and endurance they recounted their success: “Lord…even the devils submit to us when we use your name.” Their mission was successful, and a big reason why it was successful is that they, like Job, had learned to trust in and depend on the Lord.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Oct 1, 2020 | Evangelium
friday 02 October 2020
Holy Guardian Angels
The doctrine that every individual soul has a guardian angel is not an article of faith, but it is present in both the Old and New Testaments. As Jesus says, “see that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always gaze on the face of my Father in heaven” Matthew 18:10-14. This feast reminds us that God cares for each of us, individually.
White
Entrance Antiphon Cf. Dn 3: 58
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever.
Collect
O God, who in your unfathomable providence are pleased to send your holy Angels to guard us, hear our supplication as we cry to you, that we may always be defended by their protection and rejoice eternally in their company. 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: Job 38:1, 12-21, 40:3-5
From the heart of the tempest the Lord gave Job his answer. He said: Have you ever in your life given orders to the morning or sent the dawn to its post, telling it to grasp the earth by its edges and shake the wicked out of it, when it changes the earth to sealing clay and dyes it as a man dyes clothes; stealing the light from wicked men and breaking the arm raised to strike? Have you journeyed all the way to the sources of the sea, or walked where the Abyss is deepest? Have you been shown the gates of Death or met the janitors of Shadowland? Have you an inkling of the extent of the earth? Tell me all about it if you have! Which is the way to the home of the light, and where does darkness live? You could then show them the way to their proper places, or put them on the path to where they live! If you know all this, you must have been born with them, you must be very old by now! Job replied to the Lord: My words have been frivolous: what can I reply? I had better lay my finger on my lips. I have spoken once… I will not speak again; more than once… I will add nothing.
Psalm 138(139):1-3,7-10,13-14
R/ Lead me, O Lord, in the path of life eternal.
- O Lord, you search me and you know me, you know my resting and my rising, you discern my purpose from afar. You mark when I walk or lie down, all my ways lie open to you.
- O where can I go from your spirit, or where can I flee from your face? If I climb the heavens, you are there. If I lie in the grave, you are there.
- If I take the wings of the dawn and dwell at the sea’s furthest end, even there your hand would lead me, your right hand would hold me fast.
- For it was you who created my being, knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank you for the wonder of my being, for the wonders of all your creation.
Gospel Acclamation: Ps 144:13
Alleluia, alleluia! The Lord is faithful in all his words and loving in all his deeds. Alleluia!
Gospel Matthew 18:1-5, 10
The disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, ‘I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ‘Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive, O Lord, the offerings we bring before you as we venerate your holy Angels, and graciously grant that under their constant protection, we may be delivered from present dangers and brought happily to life eternal. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 137: 1
In the presence of the Angels I will praise you, my God.
Prayer after Communion
As you are pleased to nourish us for eternal life with so great a Sacrament, O Lord, direct us by the ministry of Angels into the way of salvation and peace. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
There is this very beautiful prayer we recited as in the morning at rising and in the night before sleeping: “Angel of God, my guardian dear, to Whom His love, commits me here, ever this day (night), be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen”. I continue reciting this prayer daily even as an adult. The prayer assures us of the role of the angels to watch over us. Pope Francis in his homily on the 2nd of October 2014 insists, “Guardian angels exist, they are not (the fruit of) imaginative doctrine, but companions that God has placed beside us on our life’s journey”. They are always beside us with a very soft voice, reminding us to do the will of the Father with humility. Our guardian angels help to remind us of the need for us to always have a childlike attitude and humble ourselves for as Jesus explains in our Gospel passage, the least among us is the one who is great.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Sep 30, 2020 | Evangelium
Thursday 01 October 2020
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873 – 1897)
She was born in France on January 2, 1873 and entered the Carmel of Lisieux in 1888. Though her faith was seriously tested by sickness she grew in sanctity. She died at the age of 24 in 1897 with the following words: “I am not dying, I am entering life”. Her example of holiness has been received with great enthusiasm by all the faithful and even outside Christianity.
White
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Deut 32: 10-12
The Lord led her and taught her, and kept her as the apple of his eye. Like an eagle spreading its wings he took her up and bore her on his shoulders. The Lord alone was her guide.
Collect
O God, who open your Kingdom to those who are humble and to little ones, lead us to follow trustingly in the little way of Saint Thérèse, so that through her intercession, we may see your eternal glory revealed. 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: Job 19:21-27
Job said: Pity me, pity me, you, my friends, for the hand of God has struck me. Why do you hound me down like God, will you never have enough of my flesh? Ah, would that these words of mine were written down, inscribed on some monument with iron chisel and engraving tool, cut into the rock for ever. This I know: that my Avenger lives, and he, the Last, will take his stand on earth. After my awaking, he will set me close to him, and from my flesh I shall look on God. He whom I shall see will take my part: these eyes will gaze on him and find him not aloof.
Psalm 26(27):7-9,13-14
R/ I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
- O Lord, hear my voice when I call; have mercy and answer. Of you my heart has spoken: ‘Seek his face.’
- It is your face, O Lord, that I seek; hide not your face. Dismiss not your servant in anger; you have been my help.
- I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Hope in him, hold firm and take heart. Hope in the Lord!
Gospel Acclamation : Mt4:4
Alleluia, alleluia! Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 10:1-12
The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road. Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house. Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.” But whenever you enter a town and they do not make you welcome, go out into its streets and say, “We wipe off the very dust of your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God is very near.” I tell you, on that day it will not go as hard with Sodom as with that town.’
Prayer over the Offerings
As we proclaim your wonders in Saint Thérèse, O Lord, we humbly implore your majesty, that, as her merits were pleasing to you, so, too, our dutiful service may find favour in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 18: 3
Thus says the Lord: Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Prayer after Communion
May the Sacrament we have received, O Lord, kindle in us the force of that love with which Saint Thérèse dedicated herself to you and longed to obtain your mercy for all. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
In the Gospel today Jesus calls us to discipleship so that we can work in his harvest. In order to achieve this, we have to be courageous in our bid to call people to live a new life, to be a new creation. The call to discipleship is not easy at all. Disciples need endurance and they must be passionate in announcing the faith. Job’s suffering serves as a model for us, not just in his endurance and its rewards, but in the quality of his passion for the presence of God in his life. Job longed to see God, not just for an end to his suffering. He had a passionate faith that consumed him. The Psalmist also calls the people of God to passionate and courageous faith. God is always there to strengthen us. What is most needed to carry out mission is not carrying purses, haversack or sandals. Christ sends us forth not without aid but with the strength of humility and poverty.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Aug 30, 2020 | Evangelium
monday 31 August 2020
St Aidan (651)
He was born in Ireland and became a monk of Iona. He preached the Gospel, founded churches and monasteries, and freed slaves throughout the kingdom. He died at Bamburgh in Northumberland in 651.
Green
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 85: 3, 5
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all the day long. O Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of mercy to all who call to you.
Collect
God of might, giver of every good gift, put into our hearts the love of your name, so that, by deepening our sense of reverence, you may nurture in us what is good and, by your watchful care, keep safe what you have nurtured. 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 2:1-5
When I came to you, brothers, it was not with any show of oratory or philosophy, but simply to tell you what God had guaranteed. During my stay with you, the only knowledge I claimed to have was about Jesus, and only about him as the crucified Christ. Far from relying on any power of my own, I came among you in great ‘fear and trembling’ and in my speeches and the sermons that I gave, there were none of the arguments that belong to philosophy; only a demonstration of the power of the Spirit. And I did this so that your faith should not depend on human philosophy but on the power of God.
Psalm 118(119):97-102
R/ Lord, how I love your law!
- Lord, how I love your law! It is ever in my mind. Your command makes me wiser than my foes; for it is mine for ever.
- I have more insight than all who teach me for I ponder your will. I have more understanding than the old for I keep your precepts.
- I turn my feet from evil paths to obey your word. I have not turned from your decrees; you yourself have taught me.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn 8:12
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the light of the world, says the Lord; anyone who follows me will have the light of life. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 4:16-30
Jesus came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written: The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord’s year of favourn He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips. They said, ‘This is Joseph’s son, surely?’ But he replied, ‘No doubt you will quote me the saying, “Physician, heal yourself” and tell me, “We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own countryside.”’ And he went on, ‘I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country. ‘There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah’s day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town. And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.’ When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.
Prayer over the Offerings
May this sacred offering, O Lord, confer on us always the blessing of salvation, that what it celebrates in mystery it may accomplish in power. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 30: 20
How great is the goodness, Lord, that you keep for those who fear you.
Prayer after Communion
Renewed by this bread from the heavenly table, we beseech you, Lord, that, being the food of charity, it may confirm our hearts and stir us to serve you in our neighbour. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
When we use the word of God in appropriate ways, to edify our neighbours and help them grow in knowledge of Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit works through us. We are nourished and guided by the Spirit. St. Paul teaches us that we should not rely on the power of our philosophical minds, for they will fail us. Rather the power of God should be our reference. The rejection which Jesus meets today is a foretaste of what he will meet in the coming days. But what is important is how well do we imbibe the teachings of Christ? It could really be very challenging to our pattern of life sometimes but we have to do all in our power to abide by the word that changes our lives for the better.
