by L'équipe de publication | May 21, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Rita of Cascia
(1377 – 1447)
Green/Red
She was born in Italy. She was married at the age of 12 but became a nun at the dead of her husband. She is widely honoured as a patron saint of impossible or lost causes.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 12: 6
O Lord, I trust in your merciful love. My heart will rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord who has been bountiful with me.
Collect
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, always pondering spiritual things, we may carry out in both word and deed that which is pleasing to you. 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: James 4:13-17
Here is the answer for those of you who talk like this: ‘Today or tomorrow, we are off to this or that town; we are going to spend a year there, trading, and make some money.’ You never know what will happen tomorrow: you are no more than a mist that is here for a little while and then disappears. The most you should ever say is: ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we shall still be alive to do this or that.’ But how proud and sure of yourselves you are now! Pride of this kind is always wicked. Everyone who knows what is the right thing to do and doesn’t do it commits a sin.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
48(49):2-3,6-11
R/ How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Hear this, all you peoples, give heed, all who dwell in the world, men both low and high, rich and poor alike!
Why should I fear in evil days the malice of the foes who surround me, men who trust in their wealth, and boast of the vastness of their riches?
For no man can buy his own ransom, or pay a price to God for his life. The ransom of his soul is beyond him. He cannot buy life without end, nor avoid coming to the grave.
He knows that wise men and fools must both perish and leave their wealth to others.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn14:6
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord; No one can come to the Father except through me. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 9:38-40
John said to Jesus, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.’
Prayer over the Offerings
As we celebrate your mysteries, O Lord, with the observance that is your due, we humbly ask you, that what we offer to the honour of your majesty may profit us for salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 9: 2-3
I will recount all your wonders, I will rejoice in you and be glad, and sing psalms to your name, O Most High.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we may experience the effects of the salvation which is pledged to us by these mysteries. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus tells us, everyone who performs miracles in his name, including demon exorcism, acknowledges Christ’s authority. In effect, Lumen Gentium teaches that «many elements of sanctification» unique to the Catholic Church operate «outside of its visible structure» and «towards Catholic unity». Such a person’s attitudes and beliefs may be flawed, yet his miracles are a testament to Christ and his message. Unlike the Scribes and Pharisees, who appeared implacable in their hostility, he joined forces with the disciples. As a result, we collaborate with other Christians and people of goodwill whenever feasible, and we hope that one day we shall all be one, as Jesus and the Father are (John 17:20-23). While the Church fosters ecumenism, we must seek the spirit of discernment and consult our spiritual leaders to help us clear any doubts. Therefore, membership in a specific community is not a criterion. There can be a strong temptation for exclusivity among us. Many Christian groups can lapse into this trap. The litmus test is whether the actions of others are consistent with our objectives of truth, love, justice, compassion, freedom, peace, nonviolence, etc.
by L'équipe de publication | May 20, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Christopher Magallanes
and his Companions, Martyrs
Green/Red
He was born in Mexico in 1869. He took a special interest in the evangelization of the local indigenous Huichol. Falsely accused, he was arrested and executed without a trial in 1927.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 12: 6
O Lord, I trust in your merciful love. My heart will rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord who has been bountiful with me.
Collect
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, always pondering spiritual things,
we may carry out in both word and deed that which is pleasing to you. 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: James 4:1-10
Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn’t it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves? You want something and you haven’t got it; so you are prepared to kill. You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy; so you fight to get your way by force. Why you don’t have what you want is because you don’t pray for it; when you do pray and don’t get it, it is because you have not prayed properly, you have prayed for something to indulge your own desires. You are as unfaithful as adulterous wives; don’t you realise that making the world your friend is making God your enemy? Anyone who chooses the world for his friend turns himself into God’s enemy. Surely you don’t think scripture is wrong when it says: the spirit which he sent to live in us wants us for himself alone? But he has been even more generous to us, as scripture says: God opposes the proud but he gives generously to the humble. Give in to God, then; resist the devil, and he will run away from you. The nearer you go to God, the nearer he will come to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and clear your minds, you waverers. Look at your wretched condition, and weep for it in misery; be miserable instead of laughing, gloomy instead of happy. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
54(55):7-11,23
R/ Entrust your cares to the Lord and he will support you.
O that I had wings like a dove to fly away and be at rest. So I would escape far away and take refuge in the desert.
I would hasten to find a shelter from the raging wind, from the destructive storm, O Lord, and from their plotting tongues.
For I can see nothing but violence and strife in the city. Night and day they patrol high on the city walls.
Entrust your cares to the Lord and he will support you. He will never allow the just man to stumble.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn14:23
Alleluia, alleluia! If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 9:30-37
Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, ‘The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him. They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.’ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’
Prayer over the Offerings
As we celebrate your mysteries, O Lord, with the observance that is your due, we humbly ask you, that what we offer to the honour of your majesty may profit us for salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 9: 2-3
I will recount all your wonders, I will rejoice in you and be glad, and sing psalms to your name, O Most High.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we may experience the effects of the salvation which is pledged to us by these mysteries. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The disciples argued about who was the greatest among them, demonstrating that they were full of foolish desire like the rest of the world. Such arrogant aim breeds unending squabbling and conflict. In effect, this not only distracts individuals from their primary job in life, which is to be helpful and supportive to one another, but it also defeats that objective because we are now pulling down our brothers and sisters who we are supposed to support. We don’t even get what we want when we fight. In humble prayer, we should ask for anything we require. We should ask for whatever is necessary for our salvation without jeopardising our neighbour’s growth. God only responds to those types of prayers. We discipline our lives and pay attention to the voice of Christ as he challenges us with the facts of life, just as he did the apostles. We must be courageous enough to face life’s challenges with faith, humility, and compassion toward others. This is the only way to be certain of the victory that Christ’s resurrection has in store for us.
by L'équipe de publication | May 19, 2024 | Evangelium
Mary, Mother
of the Church
Psalter: week 3
Saint Bernardino of Siena
(1380 – 1444)
White
Bernardino (“Little Bernard”) was born in Tuscany. Inspired by St Vincent Ferrer, he was an energetic and popular preacher. He denounced usury, promoted peace, worked hard for the reform and discipline of the Franciscan order, and for church unity.
Entrance Antiphon
The disciples devoted themselves with one accord to prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Collect
O God, Father of mercies, whose Only Begotten Son, as he hung upon the Cross, chose the Blessed Virgin Mary, his Mother, to be our Mother also; grant, we pray,
that with her loving help, your Church may be more fruitful day by day, and exulting in the holiness of her children, may draw to her embrace all the families of the peoples. 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: Genesis 3:9-15,20
After Adam had eaten of the tree the Lord God called to him. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’ Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, ‘Be accursed beyond all cattle, all wild beasts. You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust every day of your life. I will make you enemies of each other: you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. It will crush your head and you will strike its heel.’ The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 86(87)
R/ Of you are told glorious things, O city of God!
On the holy mountain is his city cherished by the Lord. The Lord prefers the gates of Zion to all Jacob’s dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things, O city of God! ‘Zion shall be called “Mother” for all shall be her children.’
It is he, the Lord Most High, who gives each his place. In his register of peoples he writes: These are her children,’ and while they dance they will sing: ‘In you all find their home.’
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Happy are you, holy Virgin Mary, and most worthy of all praise, for from you arose the sun of justice, Christ our God. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 19:25-34
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home. After this, Jesus knew that everything had now been completed, and to fulfil the scripture perfectly he said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar full of vinegar stood there, so putting a sponge soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick they held it up to his mouth. After Jesus had taken the vinegar he said, ‘It is accomplished’; and bowing his head he gave up his spirit. It was Preparation Day, and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the sabbath – since that sabbath was a day of special solemnity – the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and then of the other. When they came to Jesus, they found he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water.
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive our offerings, O Lord, and transform them into the mystery of salvation, so that by its power we may be set aflame with the charity of the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, and with her may be united more closely to the work of redemption. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Jn2:1,11
A wedding was held in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; then Jesus performed the first of his signs and manifested his glory and his disciples believed in him.
Prayer after Communion
Having received the pledge of redemption and of life we humbly pray, O Lord, that with the Blessed Virgin’s motherly help your Church may teach all nations by proclaiming the Gospel and, thanks to the outpouring of the Spirit, may fill the whole earth. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Mary was called the New Eve by the first-century Church Fathers. Saint Anselm addressed Mary thus: “You are the mother of justification and of the justified, the Mother of reconciliation and of the reconciled, the mother of salvation and of the saved.” As Eve was “the mother of all the living” (Gen. 3:20), Mary was the mother of all those living in Christ. St. John states that this Woman’s children are “those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus” in Revelation 12:17. Mary joined her Son’s sacrifice on Calvary and gave birth to the new humanity via labour pains. The Crucified One declares Mary’s maternity to the Apostle John and all disciples by saying, “Woman, behold your son.” Jesus tenderly entrusted Mary to John. Since Jesus is our brother and Mary is His mother, Mary is our mother also. Thus, the Church’s Tradition from the Apostles informs us that the Lord was committing all of His followers to Mary, in the figure of St. John. In effect, “Mary is mother wherever Jesus is Saviour and head of the Mystical Body.” (CCC 973)
by L'équipe de publication | May 18, 2024 | Evangelium
Pentecost – Mass of the Day
Psalter: Proper
Saint Dunstan
red
Entrance Antiphon : Wis 1: 7
The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world and that which contains all things understands what is said, alleluia.
Collect
O God, who by the mystery of today’s great feast, sanctify your whole Church in every people and nation, pour out, we pray, the gifts of the Holy Spirit across the face of the earth, and, with the divine grace that was at work when the Gospel was first proclaimed, fill now, once more the hearts of believers. 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 2:1-11
When Pentecost day came round, they had all met in one room, when suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech. Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled, each one bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language. They were amazed and astonished. ‘Surely’ they said ‘all these men speaking are Galileans? How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya round Cyrene; as well as visitors from Rome – Jews and proselytes alike – Cretans and Arabs; we hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God.’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:1,24,29-31,34
R/ Send forth your spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.
Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are, How many are your works, O Lord! The earth is full of your riches.
You take back your spirit, they die, returning to the dust from which they came. You send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the Lord last for ever! May the Lord rejoice in his works! May my thoughts be pleasing to him. I find my joy in the Lord.
Second reading : 1 Cor. 12:3-7,12-13
No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit. There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose. Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Alleluia!
Gospel : John 20:19-23
In the evening of the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. ‘As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.’ After saying this he breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that, as promised by your Son, the Holy Spirit may reveal to us more abundantly the hidden mystery of this sacrifice and graciously lead us into all truth. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Acts 2: 4, 11
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke of the marvels of God, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who bestow heavenly gifts upon your Church, safeguard, we pray, the grace you have given, that the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out upon her may retain all its force and that this spiritual food may gain her abundance of eternal redemption. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The Baptism of Fire should not be confused with the sacrament of Baptism. An intrinsic connection remains between the sacrament of Baptism and the Holy Spirit. The best relationship between the Holy Spirit and Baptism is done by Saint John Paul II in his General Audience, September 6, 1989: “In the light of Pentecost, we can also understand better the significance of Baptism as a first sacrament, insofar as it is a work of the Holy Spirit…. The Baptismal walk in newness of life began on Pentecost day at Jerusalem” The Baptism of Fire experienced in the Acts of the Apostles 2, 1-11 marks the “Birthday of the Church” because on this day, with the Descent of the Holy Spirit, Christ’s mission is completed, and the New Covenant is inaugurated. Today, the Church celebrates the day God sends the Spirit of His Son into the world. The Holy Spirit gives us the Church, and she, in turn, gives us the sacraments. Saint Augustine in his Sermo, no. 267 teaches us that “what the soul is to man’s body, the Holy Spirit is to the Body of Christ, which is the Church. The Holy Spirit does in the whole church what the soul does in the members of the one body”. Cardinal Newman (PPSIII, sermon 19) opines that “The Holy Spirit came to finish in us, what Christ had finished in Himself, but left unfinished as regards us” “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love.”
by L'équipe de publication | May 17, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint John I, Pope, Martyr
(- 526)
White
He was born in Tuscany and elected pope in 523. It was a time of high political and religious tension. He was a key figure in resolving the tensions provoked by the Arian heresy.
Entrance Antiphon : Acts 1: 14
O The disciples devoted themselves with one accord to prayer with the women, and Mary the Mother of Jesus, and his brethren, alleluia
Collect
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who have celebrated the paschal festivities, may by your gift hold fast to them in the way that we live our lives. 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 28:16-20,30-31
On our arrival in Rome Paul was allowed to stay in lodgings of his own with the soldier who guarded him. After three days he called together the leading Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them, ‘Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They examined me and would have set me free, since they found me guilty of nothing involving the death penalty; but the Jews lodged an objection, and I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation to make against my own nation. That is why I have asked to see you and talk to you, for it is on account of the hope of Israel that I wear this chain.’ Paul spent the whole of the two years in his own rented lodging. He welcomed all who came to visit him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete freedom and without hindrance from anyone.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 10(11):4-5,7
R/ The upright shall see your face, O Lord.
The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord, whose throne is in heaven. His eyes look down on the world; his gaze tests mortal men.
The Lord tests the just and the wicked; the lover of violence he hates. The Lord is just and loves justice; the upright shall see his face.
Gospel Acclamation : Col3:1
Alleluia, alleluia! Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Alleluia!
Gospel : John 21:20-25
Peter turned and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them – the one who had leaned on his breast at the supper and had said to him, ‘Lord, who is it that will betray you?’ Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘What about him, Lord?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to stay behind till I come, what does it matter to you? You are to follow me.’ The rumour then went out among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus had not said to Peter, ‘He will not die’, but, ‘If I want him to stay behind till I come.’ This disciple is the one who vouches for these things and has written them down, and we know that his testimony is true. There were many other things that Jesus did; if all were written down, the world itself, I suppose, would not hold all the books that would have to be written.
Prayer over the Offerings
May the Holy Spirit coming near, we pray, O Lord, prepare our minds for the divine Sacrament, since the Spirit himself is the remission of all sins. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Jn 16: 14
The Holy Spirit will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine and declare it to you, says the Lord, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
Hear in your compassion our prayers, O Lord, that, as we have been brought from things of the past to new mysteries, so, with former ways left behind, we may be made new in holiness of mind. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
If I want him to stay behind until I come, what does it matter to you? You are to follow me.” With these words, Jesus encourages Peter to focus on his mission and not to bother about what will happen to some other person. Each of us has a particular destiny and has received a particular mission from God. The details of what God has in store for others should not be our main preoccupation; our focus should be on our mission, which is to follow Jesus. We should not be distracted by unnecessary worries and concerns like what others do or do not do; we should seek to follow Christ and help others do the same.
by L'équipe de publication | May 16, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Paschal Baylon
White
In 1564, Paschal joined the Friars Minor. He served as porter, cook, gardener and official beggar. Paschal spent his spare moments praying before the Blessed Sacrament. People attributed miracles to his intercession. He is the patron of Eucharistic congresses and societies.
Antiphon: Rv 1: 5-6
Christ loved us and washed us clean of our sins by his Blood, and made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, alleluia.
Collect
O God, who by the glorification of your Christ and the light of the Holy Spirit
have unlocked for us the gates of eternity, grant, we pray, that, partaking of so great a gift, our devotion may grow deeper and our faith be strengthened. 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 25:13-21
King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. Their visit lasted several days, and Festus put Paul’s case before the king. ‘There is a man here’ he said ‘whom Felix left behind in custody, and while I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and elders of the Jews laid information against him, demanding his condemnation. But I told them that Romans are not in the habit of surrendering any man, until the accused confronts his accusers and is given an opportunity to defend himself against the charge. So they came here with me, and I wasted no time but took my seat on the tribunal the very next day and had the man brought in. When confronted with him, his accusers did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected; but they had some argument or other with him about their own religion and about a dead man called Jesus whom Paul alleged to be alive. Not feeling qualified to deal with questions of this sort, I asked him if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to be tried there on this issue. But Paul put in an appeal for his case to be reserved for the judgement of the august emperor, so I ordered him to be remanded until I could send him to Caesar.’
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 102:1-2,11-12,19-20
R/ The Lord has set his sway in heaven.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord all my being, bless his holy name. My soul, give thanks to the Lord and never forget all his blessings.
For as the heavens are high above the earth so strong is his love for those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west so far does he remove our sins.
The Lord has set his sway in heaven and his kingdom is ruling over all. Give thanks to the Lord, all his angels, mighty in power, fulfilling his word.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn14:26
Alleluia, alleluia! The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you. Alleluia!
Gospel : John 21:15-19
After Jesus had shown himself to his disciples and eaten with them, he said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. ‘I tell you most solemnly, when you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go.’ In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Look mercifully, O Lord, we pray, upon the sacrificial gifts of your people, and, that they may become acceptable to you, let the coming of the Holy Spirit cleanse our consciences. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Jn 16: 13
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will teach you all truth, says the Lord, alleluia.
Prayer after Communion
O God, by whose mysteries we are cleansed and nourished,
grant, we pray, that this banquet which you give us may bring everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditaion
Do you love me?” Jesus asks you today. Do not be in a hurry to answer this question; first, take a moment to consider what it implies. Loving Jesus means feeding his lambs and sheep and paying attention to those around you. It is giving them a listening ear and sharing their joys and sorrows. Loving Jesus means accepting to go where you would rather not go, that is, saying no to your desires, pleasures and even your will for the good of others. Loving Jesus means giving your life to others, just as he gave his life for you. Now, give him an answer to his question, “Do you love me?”
