by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jun 6, 2020 | Evangelium
sunday 07 June 2020
The Most Holy Trinity
Solemnity
St Colman of Dromore
White
Entrance Antiphon
Blest be God the Father, and the Only Begotten Son of God, and also the Holy Spirit, for he has shown us his merciful love.
Collect
God our Father, who by sending into the world the Word of truth and the Spirit of sanctification made known to the human race your wondrous mystery, grant us, we pray, that in professing the true faith, we may acknowledge the Trinity of eternal glory and adore your Unity, powerful in 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: Exodus 34:4-6,8-9
With the two tablets of stone in his hands, Moses went up the mountain of Sinai in the early morning as the Lord had commanded him. And the Lord descended in the form of a cloud, and Moses stood with him there. He called on the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger rich in kindness and faithfulness.’ And Moses bowed down to the ground at once and worshipped. ‘If I have indeed won your favour, Lord,’ he said ‘let my Lord come with us, I beg. True, they are a headstrong people, but forgive us our faults and our sins, and adopt us as your heritage.’
Daniel 3:52-55
- You are blest, Lord God of our fathers.
R/ To you glory and praise for evermore.
- Blest your glorious holy name.
R/ To you glory and praise for evermore.
- You are blest in the temple of your glory.
R/ To you glory and praise for evermore.
- You are blest on the throne of your kingdom.
R/ To you glory and praise for evermore.
- You are blest who gaze into the depths.
R/ To you glory and praise for evermore.
- You are blest in the firmament of heaven.
R/ To you glory and praise for evermore.
Second reading: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Brothers, we wish you happiness; try to grow perfect; help one another. Be united; live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with the holy kiss. All the saints send you greetings. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Gospel Acclamation: Rv 1:8
Alleluia, alleluia! Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; the God who is, who was, and who is to come. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 3:16-18
Jesus said to Nicodemus: ‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved. No one who believes in him will be condemned; but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already, because he has refused to believe in the name of God’s only Son.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Sanctify by the invocation of your name, we pray, O Lord our God, this oblation of our service, and by it make of us an eternal offering to you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Gal 4: 6
Since you are children of God, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of his Son, the Spirit who cries out: Abba, Father.
Prayer after Communion
May receiving this Sacrament, O Lord our God, bring us health of body and soul, as we confess your eternal holy Trinity and undivided Unity. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity portrays God’s communion with humanity through Jesus Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit. We believe as Christians that God intervenes in our lives and has been involved in a special way in human history. He was present through the Old Testament from creation right through the prophets, but in the fullness of time, he came to us through his Son, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. We read today that “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son…” This extravagant love was shown by his incarnation and saw its fulfilment in his passion, death and resurrection, which bought for us our salvation. In this same chapter, we will read about the encounter with Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night and wanted to know more about this great teacher and learned of salvation through repentance and the need to be reborn. This could be shocking for the Pharisees who knew about repentance but still held on to the conception that they belonged to God through birthright as descendants of Abraham. Even in the First reading, Moses recognizes this need for repentance which goes all the way back to the Book of Exodus as he says, “True, they are a headstrong people, but forgive us our faults and our sins, and adopt us as your heritage.” We are baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit but then there is a need for continuous spiritual renewal in our lives.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jun 5, 2020 | Evangelium
saturday 06 June 2020
St Norbert (1080 – 1134)
BVM
He was born in Xanten, Germany.. After a period of worldly life, at the age of 35 he had a narrow escape from death and his life changed. He became a priest. He founded a religious Order after the rule of St. Augustine. He died in 1134.
Green/White
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 24: 16, 18
Turn to me and have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am alone and poor. See my lowliness and suffering and take away all my sins, my God.
Collect
O God, whose providence never fails in its design, keep from us, we humbly beseech you, all that might harm us and grant all that works for our good. 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 4:1-8
Before God and before Christ Jesus who is to be judge of the living and the dead, I put this duty to you, in the name of his Appearing and of his kingdom: proclaim the message and, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, call to obedience – but do all with patience and with the intention of teaching. The time is sure to come when, far from being content with sound teaching, people will be avid for the latest novelty and collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their own tastes; and then, instead of listening to the truth, they will turn to myths. Be careful always to choose the right course; be brave under trials; make the preaching of the Good News your life’s work, in thoroughgoing service. As for me, my life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.
Psalm 70(71):8-9, 14-17, 22
R/ My lips will tell of your justice, O Lord.
- My lips are filled with your praise, with your glory all the day long. Do not reject me now that I am old; when my strength fails do not forsake me.
- But as for me, I will always hope and praise you more and more. My lips will tell of your justice and day by day of your help (though I can never tell it all).
- I will declare the Lord’s mighty deeds proclaiming your justice, yours alone. O God, you have taught me from my youth and I proclaim your wonders still.
- So I will give you thanks on the lyre for your faithful love, my God. To you will I sing with the harp, to you, the Holy One of Israel.
Gospel Acclamation: Lk 8:15
Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed are those who, with a noble and generous heart, take the word of God to themselves and yield a harvest through their perseverance. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 12:38-44+
In his teaching Jesus said, ‘Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes, to be greeted obsequiously in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets; these are the men who swallow the property of widows, while making a show of lengthy prayers. The more severe will be the sentence they receive.’ He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the treasury, and many of the rich put in a great deal. A poor widow came and put in two small coins, the equivalent of a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have all put in money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Trusting in your compassion, O Lord, we come eagerly with our offerings to your sacred altar, that, through the purifying action of your grace, we may be cleansed by the very mysteries we serve. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 16: 6
To you I call, for you will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words.
Prayer after Communion
Govern by your Spirit, we pray, O Lord, those you feed with the Body and Blood of your Son, that, professing you not just in word or in speech, but also in works and in truth, we may merit to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
At the time of Jesus, the scribes played a very important role in the society as lawyers and theologians and were the professional interpreters of the religious Law. Jesus was not criticizing all the scribes but the ones who led an ostentatious lifestyle, seeking social privileges and defrauding the vulnerable members of society who were mainly the poor, the widows and orphans. They let the importance of their role to go into their heads. What initially was meant for the upkeep of the temple and Levites who owned no land became a show of riches and power. Thus ostentatious generosity quickly became a means to gain prestige. The poor widow drew Jesus’ attention and he contrasted her generosity with the disposition of the rich who gave “out of their abundance”. There was a form of religious oppression involved as well because pressure was put even on those who could not afford it. The biggest givers give from the heart just as the widow did. Her generosity was outstanding.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jun 4, 2020 | Evangelium
friday 05 June 2020
St Boniface (675- 754)
Born in England about 680, St. Boniface became a Benedictine monk. He was appointed the first bishop of Germany by Pope Gregory II. Together with thirty companions, he died a martyr’s death in 754.
Red
Entrance Antiphon: Gal 6: 14; 1 Cor 1: 18
May we never boast, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the word of the Cross is the power of God to us who have been saved.
Collect
May the Martyr Saint Boniface be our advocate, O Lord, that we may firmly hold the faith he taught with his lips and sealed in his blood and confidently profess it by our deeds. 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 3:10-17
You know what I have taught, how I have lived, what I have aimed at; you know my faith, my patience and my love; my constancy and the persecutions and hardships that came to me in places like Antioch, Iconium and Lystra – all the persecutions I have endured; and the Lord has rescued me from every one of them. You are well aware, then, that anybody who tries to live in devotion to Christ is certain to be attacked; while these wicked impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and deceived themselves. You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teachers were, and how, ever since you were a child, you have known the holy scriptures – from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people’s lives and teaching them to be holy. This is how the man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work.
Psalm 118(119):157, 160-161, 165-166, 168
R/ The lovers of your law have great peace.
- Though my foes and oppressors are countless I have not swerved from your will. Your word is founded on truth, your decrees are eternal.
- Though princes oppress me without cause I stand in awe of your word. The lovers of your law have great peace; they never stumble.
- I await your saving help, O Lord, I fulfil your commands. I obey your precepts and your will; all that I do is before you.
Gospel Acclamation: Ps18:9
Alleluia, alleluia! Your words gladden the heart, O Lord, they give light to the eyes. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 12:35-37
At that time while teaching in the Temple, Jesus said, ‘How can the scribes maintain that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, moved by the Holy Spirit, said: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand and I will put your enemies under your feet. David himself calls him Lord, in what way then can he be his son?’ And the great majority of the people heard this with delight.
Prayer over the Offerings
As we venerate the passion of your Martyr Saint Boniface grant that through this sacrifice, O Lord, we may proclaim worthily the death of your Only Begotten Son, who, not content with encouraging the Martyrs by word, strengthened them likewise by example. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 5: 10
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Prayer after Communion
Having fed upon heavenly delights, we humbly ask you, O Lord, that by the example of Saint Boniface we may bear in our hearts the marks of your Son’s charity and suffering and ever enjoy the fruit of perpetual peace. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Throughout this week, there have been a number of encounters between Jesus and the authorities. The teaching and exhortation of Jesus today does not criticise the teachings of the doctors of the Law or the incoherence in their life, it is rather based on the teaching which has been transmitted to the people. The people looked forward to the coming of the Messiah who was going to be the Son of David. On Palm Sunday when we celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the people shouted: “Blessed is the Kingdom that is coming from our Father David!” Also, the blind man of Jericho also cried out in this same way: “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me!” Jesus seeks to correct this misconception where the people were being taught to expect a political figure, a powerful king who would subdue all his enemies and impose himself on them. David himself refers to the Messiah in the Psalm as “my Lord”. When he spoke of the Kingdom of God, he did not refer to an institutional monarchy. His Kingdom is built on peace, love, forgiveness and the poor have priority.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jun 3, 2020 | Evangelium
thursday 04 June 2020
St. Clotilde
(475-545)
She was the second wife of the Frankish King Clovis I, and a princess of the kingdom of Burgundy. She converted her husband to the Catholic faith. She was known for almsgiving and penitential works of mercy.
Green
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 24: 16, 18
Turn to me and have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am alone and poor. See my lowliness and suffering and take away all my sins, my God.
Collect
O God, whose providence never fails in its design, keep from us, we humbly beseech you, all that might harm us and grant all that works for our good. 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 2:8-15
Remember the Good News that I carry, ‘Jesus Christ risen from the dead, sprung from the race of David’; it is on account of this that I have my own hardships to bear, even to being chained like a criminal – but they cannot chain up God’s news. So I bear it all for the sake of those who are chosen, so that in the end they may have the salvation that is in Christ Jesus and the eternal glory that comes with it. Here is a saying that you can rely on: If we have died with him, then we shall live with him. If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him. If we disown him, then he will disown us. We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful, for he cannot disown his own self. Remind them of this; and tell them in the name of God that there is to be no wrangling about words: all that this ever achieves is the destruction of those who are listening. Do all you can to present yourself in front of God as a man who has come through his trials, and a man who has no cause to be ashamed of his life’s work and has kept a straight course with the message of the truth.
Psalm 24(25):4-5, 8-10, 14
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.
- In you I hope all day long 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.
- His ways are faithfulness and love for those who keep his covenant and law. The Lord’s friendship is for those who revere him; to them he reveals his covenant.
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: Mark 12:28-34
One of the scribes came up to Jesus and put a question to him, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’ Jesus replied, ‘This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’ The scribe said to him, ‘Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true: that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.’ Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And after that no one dared to question him anymore.
Prayer over the Offerings
Trusting in your compassion, O Lord, we come eagerly with our offerings to your sacred altar, that, through the purifying action of your grace, we may be cleansed by the very mysteries we serve. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 16: 6
To you I call, for you will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words.
Prayer after Communion
Govern by your Spirit, we pray, O Lord, those you feed with the Body and Blood of your Son, that, professing you not just in word or in speech, but also in works and in truth, we may merit to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
After the different encounters between Jesus and the authorities who were often full of hypocrisy and bad will, the Gospel today presents a scribe who seems to be more honest in his approach. Actually, not all the Pharisees and Scribes were hostile to Jesus. As we can recall, Nicodemus in the Gospel according to John serves as a good example. The scribe had seen how well Jesus had dealt with the challenges put to him by various groups. His comes up with a question which was highly debated among the scholars. Apart from the Ten Commandments, the Jewish authorities had come up with 613 laws and the debate was determining which ones were more important. Jesus sums them up in two: Love of God from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Love of neighbour from Leviticus 19:18. The two are inseparable for we cannot say we love God if we do not love our neighbour. In the Gospel according to Luke 10:30-37 Jesus would extend the meaning of neighbour to include every human person from every tribe, race and religion. Jesus exemplified that love by dying for our sins. He affirms that the scribe is not far from the kingdom of God.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jun 2, 2020 | Evangelium
wednesday 03 June 2020
Sts Charles Lwanga and his companions (1885/7)
Sts Charles Lwanga and his companions became the first martyrs of black Africa under Ugandan king Mwanga. They were executed for being Christians, for rebuking the king for his debauchery and for murdering an Anglican missionary and for “praying from a book,”. They died between 1885 and 1887
Red
Entrance Antiphon: Wis 3: 6-7, 9
As gold in the furnace, the Lord put his chosen to the test; as sacrificial offerings, he took them to himself; and in due time they will be honoured, and grace and peace will be with the elect of God.
Collect
O God, who have made the blood of Martyrs the seed of Christians, mercifully grant that the field which is your Church, watered by the blood shed by Saints Charles Lwanga and his companions, may be fertile and always yield you an abundant harvest. 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 1:1-3,6-12
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. 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 – not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace. This grace had already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus, before the beginning of time, but it has only been revealed by the Appearing of our saviour Christ Jesus. He abolished death, and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News; and I have been named its herald, its apostle and its teacher. It is only on account of this that I am experiencing fresh hardships here now; but I have not lost confidence, because I know who it is that I have put my trust in, and I have no doubt at all that he is able to take care of all that I have entrusted to him until that Day.
Psalm 122(123):1-2
R/ To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes.
- To you have I lifted up my eyes, you who dwell in the heavens; my eyes, like the eyes of slaves on the hand of their lords.
- Like the eyes of a servant on the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the Lord our God till he show us his mercy.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn 17:17
Alleluia, alleluia! Your word is truth, O Lord: consecrate us in the truth. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 12:18-27
Some Sadducees – who deny that there is a resurrection – came to him and they put this question to him, ‘Master, we have it from Moses in writing, if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child, the man must marry the widow to raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first married a wife and then died leaving no children. The second married the widow, and he too died leaving no children; with the third it was the same, and none of the seven left any children. Last of all the woman herself died. Now at the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be, since she had been married to all seven?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Is not the reason why you go wrong, that you understand neither the scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, men and women do not marry; no, they are like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising again, have you never read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the Bush, how God spoke to him and said: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? He is God, not of the dead, but of the living. You are very much mistaken.’
Prayer over the Offerings
We offer you sacrifice, O Lord, humbly praying that, as you granted the blessed Martyrs grace to die rather than sin, so you may bring us to minister at your altar in dedication to you alone. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 115: 15
How precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his holy ones..
Prayer after Communion
We have received this divine Sacrament, O Lord, as we celebrate the victory of your holy Martyrs; may what helped them to endure torment, we pray, make us, in the face of trials, steadfast in faith and in charity. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The confrontation between Jesus and the authorities continues and today it is the turn of the Sadducees who come forward with a question about the resurrection. It is a controversial theme since the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, whereas the Pharisees did. The Sadducees were of the aristocratic elite of land owners and traders who only believed in written law, not oral law and did not accept faith in the Resurrection. For the Sadducees, the Messianic Kingdom was already present in the situation of wellbeing and comfort in which they were already living. In their views, God rewarded the good people with riches and punished the poor with suffering and pain. Thus, they try to ridicule faith in the Resurrection. The so-called law of the levirate obliged the widow who had no children to marry the brother of the deceased husband in order to have descendants for their late brother. Jesus’ reply shows that they did not understand either the Scriptures or the power of God. The condition of persons after death will be totally different from the present condition. The Sadducees imagined life in Heaven as life on earth.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jun 1, 2020 | Evangelium
tuesday 02 June 2020
Sts Marcellinus and Peter (304), Martyrs
The exorcist Peter succeeded in converting his jailer and his family. All were baptized by St. Marcellinus. Both were beheaded in 304.
Green/Red
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 24: 16, 18
Turn to me and have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am alone and poor. See my lowliness and suffering and take away all my sins, my God.
Collect
O God, whose providence never fails in its design, keep from us, we humbly beseech you, all that might harm us and grant all that works for our good. 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 Peter 3:11-15,17-18
You should be living holy and saintly lives while you wait and long for the Day of God to come, when the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat. What we are waiting for is what he promised: the new heavens and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home. So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace. Think of our Lord’s patience as your opportunity to be saved. You have been warned about this, my friends; be careful not to get carried away by the errors of unprincipled people, from the firm ground that you are standing on. Instead, go on growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory, in time and in eternity. Amen.
Psalm 89(90):2-4, 10, 14, 16
R/ O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
- Before the mountains were born or the earth or the world brought forth, you are God, without beginning or end.
- You turn men back to dust and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’ To your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday, come and gone, no more than a watch in the night.
- Our span is seventy years, or eighty for those who are strong. And most of these are emptiness and pain. They pass swiftly and we are gone.
- In the morning, fill us with your love; we shall exult and rejoice all our days. Show forth your work to your servants; let your glory shine on their children.
Gospel Acclamation: Heb 4:12
Alleluia, alleluia! The word of God is something alive and active: it can judge secret emotions and thoughts. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 12:13-17
The chief priests and the scribes and the elders sent to Jesus some Pharisees and some Herodians to catch him out in what he said. These came and said to him, ‘Master, we know you are an honest man, that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you, and that you teach the way of God in all honesty. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay, yes or no?’ Seeing through their hypocrisy he said to them, ‘Why do you set this trap for me? Hand me a denarius and let me see it.’ They handed him one and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they told him. Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’ This reply took them completely by surprise.
Prayer over the Offerings
Trusting in your compassion, O Lord, we come eagerly with our offerings to your sacred altar, that, through the purifying action of your grace, we may be cleansed by the very mysteries we serve. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 16: 6
To you I call, for you will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words.
Prayer after Communion
Govern by your Spirit, we pray, O Lord, those you feed with the Body and Blood of your Son, that, professing you not just in word or in speech, but also in works and in truth, we may merit to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The confrontation between Jesus and the authorities continues in today’s Gospel. They are determined to do everything in their power to discredit Jesus and set a trap for him. In the passage which we read yesterday, Jesus denounced priests and scribes in the parable of the vineyard. Two groups which have been enemies, the Pharisees and Herodians, get together to set a trap for Jesus in order to condemn him. The question concerning the paying of taxes was a tricky one and it was a topic that divided public opinion. A “Yes” would mean complicity with the Romans, and by saying “NO” he could be accused of being subversive to the authority of the Romans. This looked more like a dead end, but Jesus saw their hypocrisy. Jesus gives a direct and simple answer; they already did business using Caesar’s coin but what was lacking was the second part, “give to God what belongs to God”. To God belongs all honour and glory. In God there is justice and peace and no room for hypocrisy.
