by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Apr 27, 2020 | Evangelium
tuesday 28 April 2020
St Peter Chanel (1803 – 1841)
Saint Louis Marie Grignion
de Montfort
Peter Chanel was born in France in 1803. He had been a priest for three years when he was accepted by the Marists and sent to evangelize the Pacific. There he was killed, becoming the first martyr of the South Seas.
White/Red
Entrance Antiphon: Rv 19: 5; 12: 10
Sing praise to our God, all you who fear God, both small and great, for now salvation and strength have come, and the power of his Christ, alleluia.
Collect
O God, who open wide the gates of the heavenly Kingdom to those reborn of water and the Holy Spirit, pour out on your servants an increase of the grace you have bestowed, that, having been purged of all sins, they may lack nothing that in your kindness you have promised. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Acts 7:51-8:1
Stephen said to the people, the elders and the scribes: ‘You stubborn people, with your pagan hearts and pagan ears. You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Can you name a single prophet your ancestors never persecuted? In the past they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, and now you have become his betrayers, his murderers. You who had the Law brought to you by angels are the very ones who have not kept it.’ They were infuriated when they heard this, and ground their teeth at him. But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. ‘I can see heaven thrown open’ he said ‘and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they all rushed at him, sent him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and said aloud, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’; and with these words he fell asleep. Saul entirely approved of the killing.
Psalm 30(31):3-4,6,8,17,21
R/ Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
- Be a rock of refuge for me, a mighty stronghold to save me, for you are my rock, my stronghold. For your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.
- Into your hands I commend my spirit. It is you who will redeem me, Lord. As for me, I trust in the Lord: let me be glad and rejoice in your love.
- Let your face shine on your servant. Save me in your love. You hide them in the shelter of your presence from the plotting of men.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn 10:14
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my own sheep and my own know me. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 6:30-35
The people said to Jesus, ‘What sign will you give to show us that we should believe in you? What work will you do? Our fathers had manna to eat in the desert; as scripture says: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Jesus answered: ‘I tell you most solemnly, it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven, it is my Father who gives you the bread from heaven, the true bread; for the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ ‘Sir,’ they said ‘give us that bread always.’ Jesus answered: ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive, O Lord, we pray, these offerings of your exultant Church, and, as you have given her cause for such great gladness, grant also that the gifts we bring may bear fruit in perpetual happiness. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Rm 6: 8
If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Christ, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
Look with kindness upon your people, O Lord, and grant, we pray, that those you were pleased to renew by eternal mysteries may attain in their flesh the incorruptible glory of the resurrection. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Dear friends, today the Church honours the memory of St Peter Channel, the first martyr from the Southern Sea. He eagerly went to proclaim the Good News in the same land where he would be killed. The Christian who wants to follow Jesus Christ must always remember his exhortation for each of us to deny himself, take up the cross daily and come after the Lord. Like it happened to the master so it is likely to happen to the servant. No servant is greater than his master. So, in the world we shall have difficulties as Christians but we should not despair. Christ has overcome the world. The first Reading today reminds us of the martyrdom of Stephen, underlining his firmness and conviction while suffering, as well as his magnanimity and readiness to forgive the very people who were killing him. Love shines through the suffering of each Christian. In and through persecutions for the Gospel, we share in the salvific mission of Christ. That is why Jesus assures us in the Gospel today that He is the eternal Bread that comes from heaven. Anyone who eats of this bread will have eternal life. This is our mission on earth – to gain that bread and to give it to others.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Apr 26, 2020 | Evangelium
monday 27 April 2020
St Asicus (c.490)
He was converted to Christianity by St Patrick, who made him bishop of Elphin. He is the patron saint of that diocese.
White
Entrance Antiphon
The Good Shepherd has risen, who laid down his life for his sheep and willingly died for his flock, alleluia.
Collect
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, putting off our old self with all its ways, we may live as Christ did, for through the healing paschal remedies you have conformed us to his nature. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Acts 6:8-15
Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people. But then certain people came forward to debate with Stephen, some from Cyrene and Alexandria who were members of the synagogue called the Synagogue of Freedmen, and others from Cilicia and Asia. They found they could not get the better of him because of his wisdom, and because it was the Spirit that prompted what he said. So they procured some men to say, ‘We heard him using blasphemous language against Moses and against God.’ Having in this way turned the people against him as well as the elders and scribes, they took Stephen by surprise, and arrested him and brought him before the Sanhedrin. There they put up false witnesses to say, ‘This man is always making speeches against this Holy Place and the Law. We have heard him say that Jesus the Nazarene is going to destroy this Place and alter the traditions that Moses handed down to us.’ The members of the Sanhedrin all looked intently at Stephen, and his face appeared to them like the face of an angel.
Psalm 118(119):23-24,26-27,29-30
R/ They are happy whose life is blameless.
- Though princes sit plotting against me I ponder on your statutes. Your will is my delight; your statutes are my counsellors.
- I declared my ways and you answered; teach me your statutes. Make me grasp the way of your precepts and I will muse on your wonders.
- Keep me from the way of error and teach me your law. I have chosen the way of truth with your decrees before me.
Gospel Acclamation Jn20:29
Alleluia, alleluia! ‘You believe, Thomas, because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 6:22-29
After Jesus had fed the five thousand, his disciples saw him walking on the water. Next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side saw that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that the disciples had set off by themselves. Other boats, however, had put in from Tiberias, near the place where the bread had been eaten. When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into those boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered: ‘I tell you most solemnly, you are not looking for me because you have seen the signs but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat. Do not work for food that cannot last, but work for food that endures to eternal life, the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you, for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.’ Then they said to him, ‘What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?’ Jesus gave them this answer, ‘This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May our prayers rise up to you, O Lord, together with the sacrificial offerings, so that, purified by your graciousness, we may be conformed to the mysteries of your mighty love. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Jn 14: 27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you, says the Lord, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
Almighty ever-living God, who restore us to eternal life in the Resurrection of Christ, increase in us, we pray, the fruits of this paschal Sacrament and pour into our hearts the strength of this saving food. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
My dear brothers and sisters, we begin our third week of Easter with the story of the martyrdom of St Stephen, the first Christian martyr and a sign of what it means to bear witness to Christ Jesus. We must be ready for the ordeal but we must also be ready to forgive those who hurt and hate us because truly they do not know what they are doing. Christianity is the only religion which preaches love of enemy and the call to do good to those who hate us. Jesus Christ set the example of praying for those who were nailing him on the cross. As his followers, we do the same. But this is not the easiest of things to do. The natural human tendency is to want to retaliate. Today, the Church reminds us that vengeance is for God.
In the Gospel, the crowds follow Jesus to Capernaum all seeking his company; but he rebukes them telling them that they are looking for him not for the word of God but because of the food that they ate after the miracle of the multiplication. He then advices them to seek the kind of food that will last. Many people in our world today are overwhelmed by the greed for money, wealth and power. These elements have taken many captive; and they hardly understand that we shall leave behind all these very values that we treasure today. What is most important is to have God from whom we came.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Apr 25, 2020 | Evangelium
sunday 26 April 2020
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
Psalter III
St. Cletus
White
Entrance Antiphon Cf. Ps 65: 1-2
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth; O sing to the glory of his name. O render him glorious praise, alleluia.
Collect
May your people exult for ever, O God, in renewed youthfulness of spirit, so that, rejoicing now in the restored glory of our adoption, we may look forward in confident hope to the rejoicing of the day of resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Acts 2:14,22-33
On the day of Pentecost Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed the crowd in a loud voice: ‘Men of Israel, listen to what I am going to say: Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God by the miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him when he was among you, as you all know. This man, who was put into your power by the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God, you took and had crucified by men outside the Law. You killed him, but God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades; for it was impossible for him to be held in its power since, as David says of him: I saw the Lord before me always, for with him at my right hand nothing can shake me. So my heart was glad and my tongue cried out with joy; my body, too, will rest in the hope that you will not abandon my soul to Hades nor allow your holy one to experience corruption. You have made known the way of life to me, you will fill me with gladness through your presence. ‘Brothers, no one can deny that the patriarch David himself is dead and buried: his tomb is still with us. But since he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn him an oath to make one of his descendants succeed him on the throne, what he foresaw and spoke about was the resurrection of the Christ: he is the one who was not abandoned to Hades, and whose body did not experience corruption. God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to that. Now raised to the heights by God’s right hand, he has received from the Father the Holy Spirit, who was promised, and what you see and hear is the outpouring of that Spirit.’
Psalm 15(16):1-2,5,7-11
R/ Show us, Lord, the path of life.
- Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you. I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God. O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup; it is you yourself who are my prize.’
- I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart. I keep the Lord ever in my sight: since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.
- And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad; even my body shall rest in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead, nor let your beloved know decay.
- You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right hand happiness for ever.
Second reading: 1 Peter 1:17-21
If you are acknowledging as your Father one who has no favourites and judges everyone according to what he has done, you must be scrupulously careful as long as you are living away from your home. Remember, the ransom that was paid to free you from the useless way of life your ancestors handed down was not paid in anything corruptible, neither in silver nor gold, but in the precious blood of a lamb without spot or stain, namely Christ; who, though known since before the world was made, has been revealed only in our time, the end of the ages, for your sake. Through him you now have faith in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory for that very reason – so that you would have faith and hope in God.
Gospel Acclamation: Lk24:32
Alleluia, alleluia! Lord Jesus, explain the Scriptures to us. Make our hearts burn within us as you talk to us. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 24:13-35
Two of the disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking together about all that had happened. Now as they talked this over, Jesus himself came up and walked by their side; but something prevented them from recognising him. He said to them, ‘What matters are you discussing as you walk along?’ They stopped short, their faces downcast. Then one of them, called Cleopas, answered him, ‘You must be the only person staying in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have been happening there these last few days.’ ‘What things?’ he asked. ‘All about Jesus of Nazareth’ they answered ‘who proved he was a great prophet by the things he said and did in the sight of God and of the whole people; and how our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified. Our own hope had been that he would be the one to set Israel free. And this is not all: two whole days have gone by since it all happened; and some women from our group have astounded us: they went to the tomb in the early morning, and when they did not find the body, they came back to tell us they had seen a vision of angels who declared he was alive. Some of our friends went to the tomb and found everything exactly as the women had reported, but of him they saw nothing.’ Then he said to them, ‘You foolish men! So slow to believe the full message of the prophets! Was it not ordained that the Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory?’ Then, starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself. When they drew near to the village to which they were going, he made as if to go on; but they pressed him to stay with them. ‘It is nearly evening’ they said ‘and the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. Now while he was with them at table, he took the bread and said the blessing; then he broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; but he had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?’ They set out that instant and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven assembled together with their companions, who said to them, ‘Yes, it is true. The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive, O Lord, we pray, these offerings of your exultant Church, and, as you have given her cause for such great gladness, grant also that the gifts we bring may bear fruit in perpetual happiness. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Lk 24: 35
The disciples recognized the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
Look with kindness upon your people, O Lord, and grant, we pray, that those you were pleased to renew by eternal mysteries may attain in their flesh the incorruptible glory of the resurrection. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Beloved brothers and sisters; today we celebrate the Third Sunday of Easter. The readings remind us of the miracle and significance of the Resurrection. It gives meaning to our Faith and belief in Jesus the Christ. That is why in the First Reading of today, Peter again reminds the Jewish leaders that commended this Jesus to them but they killed Him. The miracles he performed and the fact of the Resurrection should now convince them that the one they killed was indeed the Saviour of the world, descendant of David as was foretold by the prophets.
In the Second Reading we are told that Jesus the Christ paid a heavy price to free us from the slavery of sin and eternal death in the hands of the devil. So, we have every reason to be grateful. Often we are in doubt and do not easily recognize the presence of God in our lives. That is why in the Gospel of today, we are once more given the episode of the experience of the two Apostles on their way to Emmaus. Jesus travelled along with them but they did not recognize him until they reached the little village. However, when they recognized that it was indeed the risen Lord, they immediately made their way back to share the Good News with the rest. This is a typical experience that most people have; they hardly see the hand of God in their lives and in the daily events that they go through. But when they do at any one instant, they are so excited. We need to continuously announce the Good News to all humanity. God is good; all the time! He accompanies us on our journey of faith through life.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Apr 24, 2020 | Evangelium
saturday 25 April 2020
Feast
St Mark the Evangelist
He was a cousin of Barnabas and accompanied the apostle Paul on his first missionary journey; later he followed him to Rome. He is credited with founding the Church in Alexandria.
Red
Entrance Antiphon: Mk 16: 15
Go into all the world, and proclaim the Gospel to every creature, alleluia.
Collect
O God, who raised up Saint Mark, your Evangelist, and endowed him with the grace to preach the Gospel, grant, we pray, that we may so profit from his teaching as to follow faithfully in the footsteps of Christ. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : 1 Peter 5:5-14
All wrap yourselves in humility to be servants of each other, because God refuses the proud and will always favour the humble. Bow down, then, before the power of God now, and he will raise you up on the appointed day; unload all your worries on to him, since he is looking after you. Be calm but vigilant, because your enemy the devil is prowling round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to eat. Stand up to him, strong in faith and in the knowledge that your brothers all over the world are suffering the same things. You will have to suffer only for a little while: the God of all grace who called you to eternal glory in Christ will see that all is well again: he will confirm, strengthen and support you. His power lasts for ever and ever. Amen. I write these few words to you through Silvanus, who is a brother I know I can trust, to encourage you never to let go this true grace of God to which I bear witness. Your sister in Babylon, who is with you among the chosen, sends you greetings; so does my son, Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Psalm 88:2-3,6-7,16-17
R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.
- I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord; through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth. Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever, that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.
- The heavens proclaim your wonders, O Lord; the assembly of your holy ones proclaims your truth. For who in the skies can compare with the Lord or who is like the Lord among the sons of God?
- Happy the people who acclaim such a king, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, who find their joy every day in your name, who make your justice the source of their bliss.
Gospel Acclamation: 1 Co 1:23-24
Alleluia, alleluia! We are preaching a crucified Christ, who is the power and the wisdom of God. Alleluia!
Gospel : Mark 16:15-20
Jesus showed himself to the Eleven, and said to them: ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’ And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven: there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.
Prayer over the Offerings
As we venerate the glory of Saint Mark, we offer you, Lord, the sacrifice of praise and humbly beseech you, that your Church may always persevere in the preaching of the Gospel. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 28: 20
Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, says the Lord, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that what we have received from your holy altar may sanctify us and make us strong in the faith of the Gospel which Saint Mark proclaimed. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The universal Church celebrates the Feast of St Mark. He is usually identified with the Mark of Acts 12:12. When Saint Peter escaped from prison, he went to the home of Mark’s mother. Paul and Barnabas took him along on the first missionary journey, but for some reason Mark returned alone to Jerusalem. Paul’s refusal to let Mark accompany him on the second journey despite Barnabas’ insistence, is an indication that Mark may have displeased Paul. However, that Paul later asks Mark to visit him in prison, is an equal sign that the trouble did not last long. Mark wrote the first and shortest of the Synoptic Gospels likely for Jewish converts into Christianity. The Gospel emphasizes the gradual rejection of the Messiah by the Jews leading up to the scandal of the crucifixion. St Mark is credited with the foundation of the Church of Alexandria. Mark was not an apostle of Jesus Christ. However, Mark fulfilled in his life what every Christian is called to do: proclaim to all people the Good News that is the source of salvation.
Mark is conscious of the temptation of the evil one. In fact in our First Reading, we are told to watch out for our enemy the devil is prowling round like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat. So we should stand up to him, strong in faith. Unfortunately many of us easily fall into his tricks. But Mark holds very strongly that we have a mission to go out to the whole world and make disciples of everyone, baptising those who believe and assuring them of the love of God. And as we read in the Gospel today, those who believe in Christ will receive both his blessing and protection.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Apr 23, 2020 | Evangelium
friday 24 April 2020
St Fidelis of Sigmaringen (1578 – 1622)
He was born in Sigmaringen in Germany. He joined the Capuchin Friars at the age of 35 and led a harsh life of prayer and vigils. He was murdered by a Calvinist mob at Seewis on 24 April 1622.
White/Red
Entrance Antiphon: Rv 5: 9-10
You have redeemed us, Lord, by your Blood, from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us into a kingdom, priests for our God, alleluia.
Collect
O God, hope and light of the sincere, we humbly entreat you to dispose our hearts to offer you worthy prayer and ever to extol you by dutiful proclamation of your praise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Acts 5:34-42
One member of the Sanhedrin, a Pharisee called Gamaliel, who was a doctor of the Law and respected by the whole people, stood up and asked to have the apostles taken outside for a time. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin, ‘Men of Israel, be careful how you deal with these people. There was Theudas who became notorious not so long ago. He claimed to be someone important, and he even collected about four hundred followers; but when he was killed, all his followers scattered and that was the end of them. And then there was Judas the Galilean, at the time of the census, who attracted crowds of supporters; but he got killed too, and all his followers dispersed. What I suggest, therefore, is that you leave these men alone and let them go. If this enterprise, this movement of theirs, is of human origin it will break up of its own accord; but if it does in fact come from God you will not only be unable to destroy them, but you might find yourselves fighting against God.’ His advice was accepted; and they had the apostles called in, gave orders for them to be flogged, warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. And so they left the presence of the Sanhedrin glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name. They preached every day both in the Temple and in private houses, and their proclamation of the Good News of Christ Jesus was never interrupted.
Psalm 26(27):1,4,13-14
R/ There is one thing I ask of the Lord, to live in the house of the Lord.
- The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; before whom shall I shrink?
- There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I long, to live in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to savour the sweetness of the Lord, to behold his temple.
- 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
Alleluia, alleluia! We know that Christ is truly risen from the dead: have mercy on us, triumphant King. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 6:1-15
Jesus went off to the other side of the Sea of Galilee – or of Tiberias – and a large crowd followed him, impressed by the signs he gave by curing the sick. Jesus climbed the hillside, and sat down there with his disciples. It was shortly before the Jewish feast of Passover. Looking up, Jesus saw the crowds approaching and said to Philip, ‘Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?’ He only said this to test Philip; he himself knew exactly what he was going to do. Philip answered, ‘Two hundred denarii would only buy enough to give them a small piece each.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, ‘There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Make the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass there, and as many as five thousand men sat down. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them out to all who were sitting ready; he then did the same with the fish, giving out as much as was wanted. When they had eaten enough he said to the disciples, ‘Pick up the pieces left over, so that nothing gets wasted.’ So they picked them up, and filled twelve hampers with scraps left over from the meal of five barley loaves. The people, seeing this sign that he had given, said, ‘This really is the prophet who is to come into the world.’ Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped back to the hills by himself.
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept in compassion, Lord, we pray, the offerings of your family, that under your protective care they may never lose what they have received, but attain the gifts that are eternal. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Rm 4: 25
Christ our Lord was handed over for our transgressions and was raised again for our justification, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
Keep safe, O Lord, we pray, those whom you have saved by your kindness, that, redeemed by the Passion of your Son, they may rejoice in his Resurrection. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
The Jewish Sahedrin was not prepared to accept the truth from the apostles. However, one of them, Gamaliel, tried to let them know that they cannot fight God. So, he called on the Sanhedrin to let the apostles be; if what they were saying and doing came from God, it would stay’; if not it would bubble off. In our Gospel, Jesus fed so many thousands with just five loaves and two fish. This miracle shows the power of God over natural laws and his concern for others. If we therefore open our hearts to him, he will come into our lives and he will act. For God nothing is impossible!
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Apr 22, 2020 | Evangelium
thursday 23 April 2020
St George (- c.303)
St Adalbert of Prague
He was martyred at Lydda (now in Israel) in about 303, during the persecution of Diocletian. His cult spread quickly through both the East and the West.
White/Red
Entrance Antiphon; Ps 67: 8-9, 20
O God, when you went forth before your people, marching with them and living among them, the earth trembled, heavens poured down rain, alleluia.
Collect
O God, who for the salvation of the world brought about the paschal sacrifice, be favourable to the supplications of your people, so that Christ our High Priest, interceding on our behalf, may by his likeness to ourselves bring us reconciliation, and by his equality with you free us from our sins. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Acts 5:27-33
When the officials had brought the apostles in to face the Sanhedrin, the high priest demanded an explanation. ‘We gave you a formal warning’ he said ‘not to preach in this name, and what have you done? You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and seem determined to fix the guilt of this man’s death on us.’ In reply Peter and the apostles said, ‘Obedience to God comes before obedience to men; it was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree. By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel. We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’ This so infuriated them that they wanted to put them to death.
Psalm 33(34):2,9,17-20
R/ This poor man called and the Lord heard him.
1) I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise always on my lips; Taste and see that the Lord is good. He is happy who seeks refuge in him.
2) The Lord turns his eyes to the just and his ears to their appeal. They call and the Lord hears and rescues them in all their distress.
3) The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; those whose spirit is crushed he will save. Many are the trials of the just man but from them all the Lord will rescue him.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Christ has risen, he who created all things, and has granted his mercy to men. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 3:31-36
John the Baptist said to his disciples: ‘He who comes from above is above all others; he who is born of the earth is earthly himself and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven bears witness to the things he has seen and heard, even if his testimony is not accepted; though all who do accept his testimony are attesting the truthfulness of God, since he whom God has sent speaks God’s own words: God gives him the Spirit without reserve. The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything to him. Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life, but anyone who refuses to believe in the Son will never see life: the anger of God stays on him.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May our prayers rise up to you, O Lord, together with the sacrificial offerings, so that, purified by your graciousness, we may be conformed to the mysteries of your mighty love. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 28: 20
Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
Almighty ever-living God, who restore us to eternal life in the Resurrection of Christ, increase in us, we pray, the fruits of this paschal Sacrament and pour into our hearts the strength of this saving food. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Dear brothers and sisters, both St George and St Adalbert showed great courage and trust in God. They witnessed to their faith and stood their grounds against heretics and those who taught the wrong doctrine. Today, in the midst of a cacophony of various religious movements in our society, each of us must be ready to set the record straight and teach the right doctrine as we received from the Church. Unfortunately we have some Christians, especially our youth, who leave the Catholic church and go into some deleterious sects and cults. Many come back to their senses when the harm has already been done; but some never ever get it straight again.
In our First Reading, the Apostles make it clear to the Jewish leaders that obedience to God comes before obedience to man. The will of God must always be done even if this will set us against the best of our friends. There is a price to pay for being a good disciple of Jesus Christ. John the Baptist tells his disciples that there is someone coming after him, the Lamb of God , who is greater and more important. Anyone who believes in this Lamb of God will have eternal life. We admire the humility of John who gave the right place to Jesus. He, John is only the harbinger, the forerunner, not the Messiah himself. Many of us lack the humility of readily accepting to play second fiddle. But John teaches us that there is greatness in sincere humility.
