by L'équipe de publication | Jun 2, 2024 | Evangelium
Psalter: Week 1
Saints Charles Lwanga
and his companions (1885/7)
Charles Lwanga and his twenty-one companions (the youngest, Kizito, was only 13) were executed for being Christians, for rebuking the king for his debauchery and his murder of an Anglican missionary, for “praying from a book,” and for refusing to allow themselves to be ritually sodomised by the king. They died between 1885 and 1887. Most of them were burned alive in a group after being tortured.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. 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 Peter 1:2-7
May you have more and more grace and peace as you come to know our Lord more and more. By his divine power, he has given us all the things that we need for life and for true devotion, bringing us to know God himself, who has called us by his own glory and goodness. In making these gifts, he has given us the guarantee of something very great and wonderful to come: through them you will be able to share the divine nature and to escape corruption in a world that is sunk in vice. But to attain this, you will have to do your utmost yourselves, adding goodness to the faith that you have, understanding to your goodness, self-control to your understanding, patience to your self-control, true devotion to your patience, kindness towards your fellow men to your devotion, and, to this kindness, love.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
90(91):1-2,14-16
R/ My God, in you I trust.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High and abides in the shade of the Almighty says to the Lord: ‘My refuge, my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!’
His love he set on me, so I will rescue him; protect him for he knows my name. When he calls I shall answer: ‘I am with you.’
I will save him in distress and give him glory. With length of life I will content him; I shall let him see my saving power.
Gospel Acclamation:
cf.Col3:16a,17
Alleluia, alleluia! Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you; through him give thanks to God the Father. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 12:1-12
Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes and the elders in parables: ‘A man planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug out a trough for the winepress and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce from the vineyard. But they seized the man, thrashed him and sent him away empty-handed. Next he sent another servant to them; him they beat about the head and treated shamefully. And he sent another and him they killed; then a number of others, and they thrashed some and killed the rest. He had still someone left: his beloved son. He sent him to them last of all. “They will respect my son” he said. But those tenants said to each other, “This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.” So they seized him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and make an end of the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this text of scripture: It was the stone rejected by the builders that became the keystone. This was the Lord’s doing and it is wonderful to see? And they would have liked to arrest him, because they realised that the parable was aimed at them, but they were afraid of the crowds. So they left him alone and went away.
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
Jesus uses the parable of the tenants to warn the Chief Priests, scribes and elders of the self-imposed destruction they will face if they continued in their unfaithfulness, violating God’s purpose, rejecting the prophets sent by God, and even killing the heir – Jesus. Jesus clarifies that since the leaders had not lived up to expectations, they would be stripped of the mantle of spiritual leadership given to them and be replaced with a new movement led by Jesus, the rejected cornerstone. We can remain in the vineyard and be part of this new movement by remaining faithful to God’s divine purpose and accountable for every responsibility.
by L'équipe de publication | Jun 1, 2024 | Evangelium
Psalter: Proper
Corpus Christi –
Solemnity
White
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 80: 17
He fed them with the finest wheat and satisfied them with honey from the rock.
Collect
O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament have left us a memorial of your Passion, grant us, we pray, so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood that we may always experience in ourselves the fruits of your redemption. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Exodus 24:3-8
Moses went and told the people all the commands of the Lord and all the ordinances. In answer, all the people said with one voice, ‘We will observe all the commands that the Lord has decreed.’ Moses put all the commands of the Lord into writing, and early next morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain, with twelve standing-stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he directed certain young Israelites to offer holocausts and to immolate bullocks to the Lord as communion sacrifices. Half of the blood Moses took up and put into basins, the other half he cast on the altar. And taking the Book of the Covenant he read it to the listening people, and they said, ‘We will observe all that the Lord has decreed; we will obey.’ Then Moses took the blood and cast it towards the people. This’ he said ‘is the blood of the Covenant that the Lord has made with you, containing all these rules.’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
115(116):12-13,15-18
R/ The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name.
How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me? The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the Lord’s name.
O precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his faithful. Your servant, Lord, your servant am I; you have loosened my bonds.
A thanksgiving sacrifice I make; I will call on the Lord’s name. My vows to the Lord I will fulfill before all his people.
Second reading: Hebrews 9:11-15
Now Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, which is better than the one made by men’s hands because it is not of this created order; and he has entered the sanctuary once and for all, taking with him not the blood of goats and bull calves, but his own blood, having won an eternal redemption for us. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer are sprinkled on those who have incurred defilement and they restore the holiness of their outward lives; how much more effectively the blood of Christ, who offered himself as the perfect sacrifice to God through the eternal Spirit, can purify our inner self from dead actions so that we do our service to the living God. He brings a new covenant, as the mediator, only so that the people who were called to an eternal inheritance may actually receive what was promised: his death took place to cancel the sins that infringed the earlier covenant.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn6:51
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the living bread which has come down from heaven, says the Lord. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 14:12-16,22-26
On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was sacrificed, his disciples said to Jesus, ‘Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the passover?’ So, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the city and you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him, and say to the owner of the house which he enters, “The Master says: Where is my dining room in which I can eat the passover with my disciples?” He will show you a large upper room furnished with couches, all prepared. Make the preparations for us there.’ The disciples set out and went to the city and found everything as he had told them, and prepared the Passover. And as they were eating he took some bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to them. ‘Take it,’ he said ‘this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had returned thanks he gave it to them, and all drank from it, and he said to them, ‘This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is to be poured out for many. I tell you solemnly, I shall not drink any more wine until the day I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.’ After psalms had been sung they left for the Mount of Olives.
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant your Church, O Lord, we pray, the gifts of unity and peace, whose signs are to be seen in mystery in the offerings we here present. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Jn 6: 57
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him, says the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, O Lord, we pray, that we may delight for all eternity in that share in your divine life, which is foreshadowed in the present age by our reception of your precious Body and Blood. Who live and reign for ever and ever.
Meditation By revealing to his disciples that he has become the paschal victim whose body will be broken and offered up and whose blood will be shed for many, Jesus enacts a new covenant. Each time we re-enact the last supper by celebrating the Holy Mass and receiving the precious Body and Blood of Christ, we participate in the new covenant, and our humanity is elevated to experience the divine life of Christ here on earth. This heavenly food and drink is our spiritual nutrition as we journey to the day when we shall drink the new wine with God and the saints in heaven forever.
by L'équipe de publication | May 31, 2024 | Evangelium
Psalter: Week 4
Saint Justin, Martyr (165)
Red
Justin was converted from a pagan philosopher to Christianity. He then became the most illustrious opponent of pagan philosophers. He died in 165.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 118: 85, 46
The wicked have told me lies, but not so is your law:I spoke of your decrees before kings, and was not confounded.
Collect
O God, who through the folly of the Cross wondrously taught Saint Justin the Martyr the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ, grant us, through his intercession, that, having rejected deception and error, we may become steadfast in the faith. 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: Jude 1:17,20-25
Remember, my dear friends, what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ told you to expect. But you, my dear friends, must use your most holy faith as your foundation and build on that, praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves within the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you eternal life. When there are some who have doubts reassure them; when there are some to be saved from the fire, pull them out; but there are others to whom you must be kind with great caution, keeping your distance even from outside clothing which is contaminated by vice. Glory be to him who can keep you from falling and bring you safe to his glorious presence, innocent and happy. To God, the only God, who saves us through Jesus Christ our Lord, be the glory, majesty, authority and power, which he had before time began, now and for ever. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm: 62(63):2-6
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.
Gospel Acclamation: 1P1:25
Alleluia, alleluia! The word of the Lord remains for ever: What is this word? It is the Good News that has been brought to you. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 11:27-33
Jesus and his disciples came to Jerusalem, and as Jesus was walking in the Temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, ‘What authority have you for acting like this? Or who gave you authority to do these things?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you a question, only one; answer me and I will tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism: did it come from heaven, or from man? Answer me that.’ And they argued it out this way among themselves: ‘If we say from heaven, he will say, “Then why did you refuse to believe him?” But dare we say from man?’ – they had the people to fear, for everyone held that John was a real prophet. So their reply to Jesus was, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant us, we pray, O Lord, that we may celebrate worthily these mysteries, which Saint Justin strenuously defended. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. 1 Cor 2: 2
I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
Prayer after Communion
Refreshed by heavenly food, we humbly implore you, O Lord, that, attentive to the teaching of Saint Justin the Martyr, we may abide at all times in thanksgiving for the gifts we have received. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Those in authority perceived Jesus as a threat to them because he chased the merchants from the temple courts, and how the crowds were becoming more attentive to Jesus’ teachings. They began looking for a way to embarrass Jesus and possibly eliminate him. They questioned Jesus’ authority publicly to undermine his ministry and turn the people away from him. Likewise, today, highly respected people like celebrities, politicians, or influencers on the mass media and social media often attack and deliberately misinterpret God’s ordained ministers, hoping to strike the shepherd so that the sheep can scatter. Jesus knows the best way to deal with them. Let us pray to Jesus for wisdom and trust that he will give us (and his ordained ministers) the words to say when faced with similar challenges.
by L'équipe de publication | May 30, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Luke Kirby
(c.1549-1582)
White
Today we are celebrating the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Come let us sing to the Lord.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 65: 16
Come and hear, all who fear God; I will tell what the Lord did for my soul.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, who, while the Blessed Virgin Mary was carrying your Son in her womb, inspired her to visit Elizabeth, grant us, we pray, that, faithful to the promptings of the Spirit, we may magnify your greatness with the Virgin Mary at all times. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Zephaniah 3:14-18
Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, Israel, shout aloud! Rejoice, exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has repealed your sentence; he has driven your enemies away. The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst; you have no more evil to fear. When that day comes, word will come to Jerusalem: Zion, have no fear, do not let your hands fall limp. The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult with joy over you, he will renew you by his love; he will dance with shouts of joy for you as on a day of festival.
Canticle : Isaiah 12
R/ The rejoicing of a redeemed people
Truly, God is my salvation, I trust, I shall not fear. For the Lord is my strength, my song, he became my saviour. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the Lord, give praise to his name! Make his mighty deeds known to the peoples! Declare the greatness of his name. Great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Sing a psalm to the Lord for he has done glorious deeds; make them known to all the earth! People of Zion, sing and shout for joy, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. Great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Gospel Acclamation : cf.Lk1:45
Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled. Alleluia!
Gospel : Luke 1:39-56
Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’ And Mary said: ‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid. Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him. He has shown the power of his arm, he has routed the proud of heart. He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away. He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy – according to the promise he made to our ancestors – of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’ Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.
Prayer over the Offerings
May our offering of this saving sacrifice be acceptable to your majesty, O Lord, as you were pleased to accept the charity of the most Blessed Mother of your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Communion Antiphon : Lk 1: 48-49
All generations will call me blessed, for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
Prayer after Communion
May your Church proclaim your greatness, O God, for you have done great things for your faithful, and, as Saint John the Baptist leapt with joy when he first sensed the hidden presence of Christ, so may your Church rejoice to receive in this Sacrament the same ever-living Lord. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
Visitation is a very interesting aspect of our daily life. We visit friends and relatives that we love and cherish. We like to tell nice stories when we visit them, share our meals together and even hang out with them. The time spent is such visits is quality time. Life would be very dull without such visits. Mary’s visit to Elizabeth was joyful. They surely told sweet stories and testimonies about what God did in their lives. Some people are so special and have much to offer that your visit to them or their visit to you does not just fill you with joy, but the joy of such visits lasts so long. Such was the joy that Mary’s visit brought to Elizabeth because she was the best of human beings. Let us remember to visit Mary often and to receive her in our home through strong devotion to her. Such a visit will always leave us with joy like that of Elizabeth. When we visit others, remember to carry the love and kindness of Jesus Christ with us as Mary carried him in her womb and expressed him in her service during her visit to Elizabeth. We can look up to Mary to learn the virtues of faith and charity. Through her powerful intercession, may God give us the unshakeable faith she had in him, as well as the spirit of charity that will make us always ready to go to the aid of our neighbour when he is in need.
by L'équipe de publication | May 29, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Luke Kirby
(c.1549-1582)
Green
He was born in England and was ordained priest at Cambrai. In June 1580, he came to England He was immediately arrested and committed to the Gatehouse, Westminster. He died on May 1582.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 17: 19-20
The Lord became my protector. He brought me out to a place of freedom; he saved me because he delighted in me.
Collect
Grant us, O Lord, we pray, that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and that your Church may rejoice, untroubled in her devotion. 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 Peter 2:2-5,9-12
You are new born, and, like babies, you should be hungry for nothing but milk – the spiritual honesty which will help you to grow up to salvation – now that you have tasted the goodness of the Lord. He is the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him so that you too, the holy priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices which Jesus Christ has made acceptable to God, may be living stones making a spiritual house. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of God who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people at all and now you are the People of God; once you were outside the mercy and now you have been given mercy. I urge you, my dear people, while you are visitors and pilgrims to keep yourselves free from the selfish passions that attack the soul. Always behave honourably among pagans so that they can see your good works for themselves and, when the day of reckoning comes, give thanks to God for the things which now make them denounce you as criminals.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 99(100):2-5
R/ Come before the Lord, singing for joy.
Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing for joy.
Know that he, the Lord, is God. He made us, we belong to him, we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Go within his gates, giving thanks. Enter his courts with songs of praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, eternal his merciful love. He is faithful from age to age.
Gospel Acclamation: cf.Ps129:5
Alleluia, alleluia! My soul is waiting for the Lord, I count on his word. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 10:46-52
As Jesus left Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and to say, ‘Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.’ And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, ‘Son of David, have pity on me.’ Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him here.’ So they called the blind man. ‘Courage,’ they said ‘get up; he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus spoke, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Rabbuni,’ the blind man said to him ‘Master, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has saved you.’ And immediately his sight returned and he followed him along the road.
Prayer over the Offerings
O God, who provide gifts to be offered to your name and count our oblations as signs
of our desire to serve you with devotion, we ask of your mercy that what you grant as the source of merit may also help us to attain merit’s reward. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 12: 6
I will sing to the Lord who has been bountiful with me, sing psalms to the name of the Lord Most High.
Prayer after Communion
Nourished by your saving gifts, we beseech your mercy, Lord, that by this same Sacrament with which you feed us in the present age, you may make us partakers of life eternal. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
A relationship with Jesus gives us the confidence to trust in times of need and moments of fulfilment. Bartimaeus is a blind man who longs to see again. He trusts Jesus to make that happen. He demonstrates his faith by walking forward and asking Jesus to heal him. He demonstrates bravery in approaching and asking for something so magnificent. He demonstrates his faith in a higher power and with confidence that Jesus will care for him. This text teaches us the value of having enough courage to seek help. It takes courage and risk to ask for help when you are in need. In this text, Bartimaeus might have remained silent and let the presence of Jesus pass him by; he could have passed up his opportunity to seek aid. At the end of the narrative, Jesus tells him that his faith has rescued him. Having faith and believing in getting or asking for aid is critical. This does not make you weak, nor does it make you appear selfish. It enables you to believe in something and be receptive to your faith.
by L'équipe de publication | May 28, 2024 | Evangelium
Blessed Joseph Gerard
(1831 – 1914)
Green/White
Born in France in 1831, Joseph Gerard joined the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and later was sent to South Africa. He worked among the Zulu in Natal for ten years before being sent to the Basuto, in today’s Lesotho: he was known as “the Apostle of the Basuto”.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 17: 19-20
The Lord became my protector. He brought me out to a place of freedom; he saved me because he delighted in me.
Collect
Grant us, O Lord, we pray, that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and that your Church may rejoice, untroubled in her devotion. 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 Peter 1:18-25
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. You have been obedient to the truth and purified your souls until you can love like brothers, in sincerity; let your love for each other be real and from the heart – your new birth was not from any mortal seed but from the everlasting word of the living and eternal God. All flesh is grass and its glory like the wild flower’s. The grass withers, the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains for ever. What is this word? It is the Good News that has been brought to you.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 147:12-15,19-20
R/ O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! Zion, praise your God! He has strengthened the bars of your gates he has blessed the children within you.
He established peace on your borders, he feeds you with finest wheat. He sends out his word to the earth and swiftly runs his command.
He makes his word known to Jacob, to Israel his laws and decrees. He has not dealt thus with other nations; he has not taught them his decrees.
Gospel Acclamation: 1Jn2:5
Alleluia, alleluia! Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said, God’s love comes to perfection in him. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 10:32-45
The disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem; Jesus was walking on ahead of them; they were in a daze, and those who followed were apprehensive. Once more taking the Twelve aside he began to tell them what was going to happen to him: ‘Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the pagans, who will mock him and spit at him and scourge him and put him to death; and after three days he will rise again.’ James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached him. ‘Master,’ they said to him ‘we want you to do us a favour.’ He said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ They said to him, ‘Allow us to sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory.’ ‘You do not know what you are asking’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup that I must drink, or be baptised with the baptism with which I must be baptised?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I must drink you shall drink, and with the baptism with which I must be baptised you shall be baptised, but as for seats at my right hand or my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted.’ When the other ten heard this they began to feel indignant with James and John, so Jesus called them to him and said to them, ‘You know that among the pagans their so-called rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all. For the Son of Man himself did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’
Prayer over the Offerings
O God, who provide gifts to be offered to your name and count our oblations as signs of our desire to serve you with devotion, we ask of your mercy that what you grant as the source of merit may also help us to attain merit’s reward. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 12: 6
I will sing to the Lord who has been bountiful with me, sing psalms to the name of the Lord Most High.
Prayer after Communion
Nourished by your saving gifts, we beseech your mercy, Lord, that by this same Sacrament with which you feed us in the present age, you may make us partakers of life eternal. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The narrative in our Gospel follows the disappointing meeting with the rich young man, the warning about riches, and the blessings of renunciation. No surprise, the followers were terrified. They were beginning to ponder what Dietrich Bonhöffer would later term «the cost of discipleship,» and Jesus offers the third prediction of his suffering and death. Against this ominous background comes the almost unthinkable request in the context of that prediction: when you become President, could we be your two vice presidents? It is not just a matter of ambition, of being great; it has to do with being better than the others. But like the rest of the followers, these two were good. They left everything for Jesus. After accepting the Lord’s offer to follow him, we still bear the self, which causes such conflicting attitudes. Jesus gently corrects them: you do not know what you are asking for. Can you pay «the cost of discipleship»? Of course, we can, the brothers say. At times of solace, we all risk cockiness. Jesus corrects them: You will pay «the cost of discipleship,» not for power but for integrity. James, one of the apostles, was the first to drink the chalice in martyrdom, gaining credibility.
