by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Aug 29, 2020 | Evangelium
sunday 30 August 2020
TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, PS III
St Margaret Clitherow, née Middleton (1556 – 1586)
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: Jeremiah 20:7-9
You have seduced me, Lord, and I have let myself be seduced; you have overpowered me: you were the stronger. I am a daily laughing-stock, everybody’s butt. Each time I speak the word, I have to howl and proclaim: ‘Violence and ruin!’ The word of the Lord has meant for me insult, derision, all day long. I used to say, ‘I will not think about him, I will not speak in his name any more.’ Then there seemed to be a fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones. The effort to restrain it wearied me, I could not bear it.
Psalm 62(63):2-6, 8-9
R/ For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.
- O God, you are my God, for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting. My body pines for you like a dry, weary land without water.
- So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory. For your love is better than life, my lips will speak your praise.
- So I will bless you all my life, in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul shall be filled as with a banquet, my mouth shall praise you with joy.
- For you have been my help; in the shadow of your wings I rejoice. My soul clings to you; your right hand holds me fast.
Second reading: Romans 12:1-2
Think of God’s mercy, my brothers, and worship him, I beg you, in a way that is worthy of thinking beings, by offering your living bodies as a holy sacrifice, truly pleasing to God. Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you, but let your behaviour change, modelled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do.
Gospel Acclamation: Ep 1:17, 18
Alleluia, alleluia! May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our mind, so that we can see what hope his call holds for us. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 16:21-27
Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. ‘Heaven preserve you, Lord;’ he said ‘this must not happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.’ Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life? ‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour.’
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
Jesus once more tells his disciples of his journey to Jerusalem and how he is to suffer and die. The disciples at this moment are naturally not happy because their Lord and master, their guide, is going to die and no longer be with them. They already have a projective feeling of insecurity and abandonment. Peter tries to stop Jesus but Jesus in his turn rebukes him: “get behind me Satan”. This is not an insult, rather Jesus is teaching us that everything that is worth it, comes at a higher price (death for our sins) and to such, we must not pose an obstacle (this must not happen to you). Peter was an obstacle but Jesus surmounted it. What are those things or even people who stand on our way to attainment of the kingdom? We must learn to remove all obstacles in our lives (greed, materialism, stealing, malice, all forms of corruption, our families and friends, etc.) for a higher gain (eternal life). This is part of the cross we must carry if we want to be followers of Jesus Christ.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Aug 28, 2020 | Evangelium
saturday 29 August 2020
The Beheading of St John the Baptist
John the Baptist is the only saint in the calendar (apart from St Joseph) who has two feasts to himself. One, in August, celebrates his death, and one, in June, celebrates his birth. And this is as it should be, for as Christ himself said, John was the greatest of the sons of men.
Red
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 118: 46-47
I spoke, O Lord, of your decrees before kings, and was not confounded; I pondered your commands and loved them greatly.
Collect
O God, who willed that Saint John the Baptist should go ahead of your Son both in his birth and in his death, grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and justice, we, too, may fight hard for the confession of what you teach. 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 1:26-31
Take yourselves for instance, brothers, at the time when you were called: how many of you were wise in the ordinary sense of the word, how many were influential people, or came from noble families? No, it was to shame the wise that God chose what is foolish by human reckoning, and to shame what is strong that he chose what is weak by human reckoning; those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen – those who are nothing at all to show up those who are everything. The human race has nothing to boast about to God, but you, God has made members of Christ Jesus and by God’s doing he has become our wisdom, and our virtue, and our holiness, and our freedom. As scripture says: if anyone wants to boast, let him boast about the Lord.
Psalm 32(33):12-13, 18-21
R/ Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.
- They are happy, whose God is the Lord, the people he has chosen as his own. From the heavens the Lord looks forth, he sees all the children of men.
- The Lord looks on those who revere him, on those who hope in his love, to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine.
- Our soul is waiting for the Lord. The Lord is our help and our shield. In him do our hearts find joy. We trust in his holy name.
Gospel Acclamation: Mt 5
Alleluia, alleluia! Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 6:17-29
Herod sent to have John arrested, and had him chained up in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife whom he had married. For John had told Herod, ‘It is against the law for you to have your brother’s wife.’ As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him; but she was not able to, because Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him. An opportunity came on Herod’s birthday when he gave a banquet for the nobles of his court, for his army officers and for the leading figures in Galilee. When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me anything you like and I will give it you.’ And he swore her an oath, ‘I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the Baptist.’ The girl hurried straight back to the king and made her request, ‘I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head, here and now, on a dish.’ The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her. So the king at once sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John’s head. The man went off and beheaded him in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Prayer over the Offerings
Through these offerings which we bring you, O Lord, grant that we may make straight your paths, as taught by that voice crying in the desert, Saint John the Baptist, who powerfully sealed his teaching by the shedding of his blood. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Jn 3: 27, 30
John answered and said: He must increase; but I must decrease.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, O Lord, as we celebrate the heavenly birth of Saint John the Baptist, that we may revere, for what it signifies, the saving Sacrament we have received and, even more, may rejoice at its clear effects in us. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
We gain inspiration from the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, the Messiah’s Precursor. All his life moves around Jesus, to the extent that without Him, the very existence and aim of the Messiah’s Precursor would have been meaningless. Towards the end of his life, when preaching the messianic freedom, John is thrown into prison: «For John had told Herod, ‘It is not right for you to live with your brother’s wife’». Herod was hard-hearted to the point of wasting precious life to satisfy a common promise. We have to be careful what kind of promises we make and at what expense. It could simply veil our eyes to the sanctity of life which we cannot create. May we always gain zeal for the truth.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Aug 27, 2020 | Evangelium
friday 28 August 2020
St Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430)
He was born in Thagaste in Africa of a Berber family. He had a brilliant legal and academic career. At length, through the prayers of his mother, and the teaching of St Ambrose of Milan, he was converted back to Christianity. He wrote an enormous number of works. He was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Boniface VIII in 1308.
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White
Entrance Antiphon: Sir 15: 5
In the midst of the Church he opened his mouth, and the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding and clothed him in a robe of glory.
Collect
Renew in your Church, we pray, O Lord, the spirit with which you endowed your Bishop Saint Augustine that, filled with the same spirit, we may thirst for you, the sole fount of true wisdom, and seek you, the author of heavenly love. 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 1:17-25
Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the Good News, and not to preach that in the terms of philosophy in which the crucifixion of Christ cannot be expressed. The language of the cross may be illogical to those who are not on the way to salvation, but those of us who are on the way see it as God’s power to save. As scripture says: I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing all the learning of the learned. Where are the philosophers now? Where are the scribes? Where are any of our thinkers today? Do you see now how God has shown up the foolishness of human wisdom? If it was God’s wisdom that human wisdom should not know God, it was because God wanted to save those who have faith through the foolishness of the message that we preach. And so, while the Jews demand miracles and the Greeks look for wisdom, here are we preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle that they cannot get over, to the pagans madness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greeks, a Christ who is the power and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
Psalm 32(33):1-2, 4-5, 10-11
R/ The Lord fills the earth with his love.
- Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just; for praise is fitting for loyal hearts. Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp, with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.
- For the word of the Lord is faithful and all his works to be trusted. The Lord loves justice and right and fills the earth with his love.
- He frustrates the designs of the nations, he defeats the plans of the peoples. His own designs shall stand for ever, the plans of his heart from age to age.
Gospel Acclamation: Ps 129:5
Alleluia, alleluia! My soul is waiting for the Lord, I count on his word. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus told this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all those bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Celebrating the memorial of our salvation, we humbly beseech your mercy, O Lord, that this Sacrament of your loving kindness may be for us the sign of unity and the bond of charity. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 23: 10, 8
Thus says the Lord: You have but one teacher, the Christ, and you are all brothers.
Prayer after Communion
May partaking of Christ’s table sanctify us, we pray, O Lord, that, being made members of his Body, we may become what we have received. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Wedding ceremonies in the days of Jesus, took a longer period of celebration. It could even last for several days. It was also customary that the brides-maids waited for the groom. Sometimes too he would keep them waiting for longer hours, all in a bid to take the brides-maids by surprise. And so, Jesus uses this parable to tell us the shortness of our lives and how ready we should always be. Jesus’ coming will be in like manner. If the foolish virgins had known, they would have prepared whatever they needed for the groom’s coming and entered to enjoy the wedding with him. But see how they were taken unawares. Are we ready to meet the Christ now? What are we waiting to get prepared? Keep your ways and heats pure, so that death will not take us unawares and be not ready to enter the kingdom of God.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Aug 26, 2020 | Evangelium
thursday 27 August 2020
St Monica (331 – 387)
She was born at Thagaste in Africa of a Christian family. She was the mother of St. Augustine of Hippo, who when young was intelligent but weak in morals. With many tears she prayed unceasingly to God for his conversion and her prayers were answered shortly before she died.
White
Entrance Antiphon: Prov 31: 30, 28
The woman who fears the Lord will herself be praised. Her children have called her most blessed, her husband has sung her praises.
Collect
O God, who console the sorrowful and who mercifully accepted the motherly tears of Saint Monica for the conversion of her son Augustine, grant us, through the intercession of them both, that we may bitterly regret our sins and find the grace of your pardon. 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 1:1-9
I, Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle, together with brother Sosthenes, send greetings to the church of God in Corinth, to the holy people of Jesus Christ, who are called to take their place among all the saints everywhere who pray to our Lord Jesus Christ; for he is their Lord no less than ours. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send you grace and peace. I never stop thanking God for all the graces you have received through Jesus Christ. I thank him that you have been enriched in so many ways, especially in your teachers and preachers; the witness to Christ has indeed been strong among you so that you will not be without any of the gifts of the Spirit while you are waiting for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed; and he will keep you steady and without blame until the last day, the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, because God by calling you has joined you to his Son, Jesus Christ; and God is faithful.
Psalm 144(145):2-7
R/ I will bless your name for ever, O Lord.
- I will bless you day after day and praise your name for ever. The Lord is great, highly to be praised, his greatness cannot be measured.
- Age to age shall proclaim your works, shall declare your mighty deeds, shall speak of your splendour and glory, tell the tale of your wonderful works.
- They will speak of your terrible deeds, recount your greatness and might. They will recall your abundant goodness; age to age shall ring out your justice.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn 15:15
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 24:42-51
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. ‘What sort of servant, then, is faithful and wise enough for the master to place him over his household to give them their food at the proper time? Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment. I tell you solemnly, he will place him over everything he owns. But as for the dishonest servant who says to himself, “My master is taking his time,” and sets about beating his fellow servants and eating and drinking with drunkards, his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.’
Prayer over the Offerings
We bring you these sacrificial gifts, O Lord, to commemorate Saint Monica humbly entreating that they may bestow on us both pardon and salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 13: 45-46
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant who travels in search of fine pearls and who, on finding one of great price, sold everything and bought it.
Prayer after Communion
May the working of this divine Sacrament enlighten and inflame us, almighty God, on this feast day of Saint Monica that we may be ever fervent with holy desires and abound in good works. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Let us be certain about which coming Christ is talking about. Is He referring to our death or about the end of the world? Both are most certainly comings of the Lord which he has left out in order to provoke a constant attention on us. But perhaps none in our generation or even those yet to come will witness the end of human life in this planet. We will all come and go in turns. And, insofar as death is concerned, it will be only once and that will be the end of our sojourn here on earth. But, while this moment is yet to come, what things are we putting in place to be on our guard? We pray that God give us the wisdom to know what to do, the skill to know how to do it and the virtue to do them. We must be on guard always.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Aug 25, 2020 | Evangelium
wednesday 26 August 2020
Blessed Dominic Barberi (1792 – 1849)
Dominic Barberi was born near Viterbo, Italy, in 1792 and joined the Passionist Order. He worked as a missionary in England. Blessed Dominic was noted for the personal warmth of his approach to non-Catholics and for his zeal in preaching; he drew crowds in spite of his strong Italian accent. Blessed Dominic died at Reading in 1849.
Green
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 85: 1-3
Turn your ear, O Lord, and answer me; save the servant who trusts in you, my God. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all the day long.
Collect
O God, who cause the minds of the faithful to unite in a single purpose, grant your people to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, amid the uncertainties of this world, our hearts may be fixed on that place where true gladness is found. 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 Thes 3:6-10,16-18
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we urge you, brothers, to keep away from any of the brothers who refuses to work or to live according to the tradition we passed on to you. You know how you are supposed to imitate us: now we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we ever have our meals at anyone’s table without paying for them; no, we worked night and day, slaving and straining, so as not to be a burden on any of you. This was not because we had no right to be, but in order to make ourselves an example for you to follow. We gave you a rule when we were with you: do not let anyone have any food if he refuses to do any work. May the Lord of peace himself give you peace all the time and in every way. The Lord be with you all. From me, PAUL, these greetings in my own handwriting, which is the mark of genuineness in every letter; this is my own writing. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Psalm 127(128):1-2, 4-5
R/ O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
- O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways! By the labour of your hands you shall eat. You will be happy and prosper.
- Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life!
Gospel Acclamation : Mt 4:4
Alleluia, alleluia! Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 23:27-32
Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who are like whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of corruption. In the same way you appear to people from the outside like good honest men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who build the sepulchres of the prophets and decorate the tombs of holy men, saying, “We would never have joined in shedding the blood of the prophets, had we lived in our fathers’ day.” So! Your own evidence tells against you! You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets! Very well then, finish off the work that your fathers began.’
Prayer over the Offerings
O Lord, who gained for yourself a people by adoption through the one sacrifice offered once for all, bestow graciously on us, we pray, the gifts of unity and peace in your Church. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 103: 13-15
The earth is replete with the fruits of your work, O Lord; you bring forth bread from the earth and wine to cheer the heart.
Prayer after Communion
Complete within us, O Lord, we pray, the healing work of your mercy and graciously perfect and sustain us, so that in all things we may please you. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus charges the Pharisees with hypocrisy. If we want to avoid being hypocrites, we must employ a three-step action. Firstly, with God, since He wants me pure in heart and hates lies, as He is totally pure, the true Truth Himself. Secondly, with myself, so that I may not be deceived, exposed to sin against the Holy Spirit (not admitting my own sins especially in the Sacrament of confession, or for not trusting God enough. Thirdly, with others, to avoid lies, deception, insincerity, dishonesty, disloyalty and low-mindedness, etc. but if we apply the principle: “do to others what you want them to do unto you”, we would be true to ourselves and shun hypocrisy.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Aug 24, 2020 | Evangelium
tuesday 25 August 2020
St Joseph of Calasanz (1557 – 1648)
He was born in Aragón, received an excellent education and was ordained priest. After working in his own country for some time he went to Rome, where he worked for the education of the poor and founded a religious congregation for that purpose. His idea was that every child should receive an education. He died in Rome in 1648.
Green
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 85: 1-3
Turn your ear, O Lord, and answer me; save the servant who trusts in you, my God. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all the day long.
Collect
O God, who cause the minds of the faithful to unite in a single purpose, grant your people to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, amid the uncertainties of this world, our hearts may be fixed on that place where true gladness is found. 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 Thes 2:1-3,14-17
To turn, brothers, to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we shall all be gathered round him: please do not get excited too soon or alarmed by any prediction or rumour or any letter claiming to come from us, implying that the Day of the Lord has already arrived. Never let anyone deceive you in this way. It cannot happen until the Great Revolt has taken place and the Rebel, the Lost One, has appeared. Through the Good News that we brought he called you to this so that you should share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Stand firm, then, brothers, and keep the traditions that we taught you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who has given us his love and, through his grace, such inexhaustible comfort and such sure hope, comfort you and strengthen you in everything good that you do or say.
Psalm 95(96):10-13
R/ The Lord comes to rule the earth.
- Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’ The world he made firm in its place; he will judge the peoples in fairness.
- Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad, let the sea and all within it thunder praise, let the land and all it bears rejoice, all the trees of the wood shout for joy at the presence of the Lord for he comes, he comes to rule the earth.
- With justice he will rule the world, he will judge the peoples with his truth.
Gospel Acclamation : Ac 16:14
Alleluia, alleluia! Open our heart, O Lord, to accept the words of your Son. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 23:23-26
Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who pay your tithe of mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law – justice, mercy, good faith! These you should have practised, without neglecting the others. You blind guides! Straining out gnats and swallowing camels! ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who clean the outside of cup and dish and leave the inside full of extortion and intemperance. Blind Pharisee! Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that the outside may become clean as well.’
Prayer over the Offerings
O Lord, who gained for yourself a people by adoption through the one sacrifice offered once for all, bestow graciously on us, we pray, the gifts of unity and peace in your Church. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 103: 13-15
The earth is replete with the fruits of your work, O Lord; you bring forth bread from the earth and wine to cheer the heart.
Prayer after Communion
Complete within us, O Lord, we pray, the healing work of your mercy and graciously perfect and sustain us, so that in all things we may please you. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus says: «Purify the inside first, then the outside too will be purified» (Mt 23:26). This could be true of each and everyone of us! We know how personal hygiene/cleanliness makes us feel fresh and comfortable within and without. Even more so in the spiritual and moral matters, our inner life, will shine forth in good deeds and speak for themselves, if we are clean and pure that will give God fitting worship. “Cleanliness, they say is next to Godliness”. May we continue to aspire for what will make us clean in and out and let our religious acts be born out of true love for God and not pretence.
