by | Mar 17, 2022 | Evangelium

Friday 18 March 2022

St. Cyril

of Jerusalem

(315 – 386)

 

He was born in 315 and became bishop of Jerusalem in 348. He was active in the Arian controversy. He is respected by both the Catholics and the Orthodox, and he was declared a Doctor of the Church by the Pope in 1883.

 

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 30: 2, 5

In you, O Lord, I put my trust, let me never be put to shame; release me from the snare  they have hidden for me, for you indeed are my refuge.

 

Collect

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, purifying us by the sacred practice of penance, You may lead us in sincerity of heart  to attain the holy things to come. 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 37:3-4,12-13,17-28

Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, for he was the son of his old age, and he had a coat with long sleeves made for him. But his brothers, seeing how his father loved him more than all his other sons, came to hate him so much that they could not say a civil word to him. His brothers went to pasture their father’s flock at Shechem. Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘Are not your brothers with the flock at Shechem? Come, I am going to send you to them.’ So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. They saw him in the distance, and before he reached them they made a plot among themselves to put him to death. ‘Here comes the man of dreams’ they said to one another. ‘Come on, let us kill him and throw him into some well; we can say that a wild beast devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams.’ But Reuben heard, and he saved him from their violence. ‘We must not take his life’ he said. ‘Shed no blood,’ said Reuben to them ‘throw him into this well in the wilderness, but do not lay violent hands on him’ – intending to save him from them and to restore him to his father. So, when Joseph reached his brothers, they pulled off his coat, the coat with long sleeves that he was wearing, and catching hold of him they threw him into the well, an empty well with no water in it. They then sat down to eat. Looking up they saw a group of Ishmaelites who were coming from Gilead, their camels laden with gum, tragacanth, balsam and resin, which they were taking down into Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, ‘What do we gain by killing our brother and covering up his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let us not do any harm to him. After all, he is our brother, and our own flesh.’ His brothers agreed. Now some Midianite merchants were passing, and they drew Joseph up out of the well. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver pieces, and these men took Joseph to Egypt.

 

Psalm 104:16-21

R/   Remember the wonders the Lord has done.

 

  1. The Lord called down a famine on the land. He broke the staff that supported them. He had sent man before them, Joseph, sold as a slave.
  2. His feet were put in chains, his neck was bound with iron, until what he said came to pass and the word of the Lord proved him true.
  3. Then the King sent and released him, the ruler of the people set him free, making him master of his house and ruler of all he possessed.

 

Gospel Acclamation : Jn3:16

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus! God loved the world so much that he gave  His only Son: everyone who believes in him has eternal life. Praise and honour  To you, Lord Jesus!

 

Gospel : Matthew 21:33-43,45-46

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, ‘Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When  vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his servants, thrashed one,  killed another and stoned a third. Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt with them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son” he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his inheritance.” So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They answered, ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him when the season arrives.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: It was the stone rejected by the builders That became the keystone. This was the Lord’s doing and it is wonderful to see?’ I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.’ When they heard his parables, the chief priests and the Scribes realized he was speaking about them, but though they would have liked to arrest him they were afraid of the crowds, who looked on him as a prophet.

 

Prayer over the Offerings

May your merciful grace prepare your servants, O God, for the worthy celebration of  these mysteries, and lead them to it by a devout way of life. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon : 1 Jn 4: 10

God loved us, and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

 

Prayer after Communion

Having received this pledge of eternal salvation, we pray, O Lord, That we may set our course so well as to attain the redemption you promise. Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

Meditation

In today’s Gospel, Jesus borrows the imagery of Isaiah (5:1-7), and adapts it so that the primary evildoers represent not Israel as a whole, but its leaders. Israel was unprepared for its Master because Israel’s leaders failed in their stewardship to acknowledge the true Lord. However, when the cat is gone, the mice will play, but a day of reckoning is coming. This threat from Jesus’ day also provides a warning for Christian leaders in Matthew’s day and in our time. The Church and many of her leaders have repeated Israel’s disobedience enough in history and, to a great extent, continue to do so today. Many ministers and leaders regard the Church as “our” field of ministry rather than keeping in mind who our Lord is. The Gospel has a repeated emphasis on the need to produce and offer the fruits God requires. Only people that perform deeds of justice and mercy expected by God will inherit the Kingdom.

by | Mar 16, 2022 | Evangelium

Thursday 17 March 2022

 

St. Patrick

(385 – 461)

He was born in Roman Britain around the end of the 4th century, and died in Ireland about the middle of the 5th century. He is remembered for his simplicity and pastoral care of people.

 

 

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 138: 23-24

Test me, O God, and know my thoughts. See that my path is not wicked, and lead me in the way everlasting.

 

Collect

O God, who delight in innocence and restore it, direct the hearts of your servants to yourself, that, caught up in the fire of your Spirit, we may be found steadfast in faith and effective in works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

 

First reading : Jeremiah 17:5-10

The Lord says this: ‘A curse on the man who puts his trust in man, who relies on things of flesh, whose heart turns from the Lord. He is like dry scrub in the wastelands: if good comes, he has no eyes for it, he settles in the parched places of the wilderness, a salt land, uninhabited. ‘A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord, with the Lord for his hope. He is like a tree by the waterside that thrusts its roots to the stream: when the heat comes it feels no alarm, its foliage stays green; it has no worries in a year of drought, and never ceases to bear fruit. ‘The heart is more devious than any other thing, perverse too: who can pierce its secrets? I, the Lord, search to the heart, I probe the loins, to give each man what his conduct and his actions deserve.’

 

Psalm 1:1-4,6

R/  Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.

 

  1. Happy indeed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked; nor lingers in the way of sinners nor sits in the company of scorners, but whose delight is the law of the Lord and who ponders his law day and night.
  2. He is like a tree that is planted beside the flowing waters, that yields its fruit in due season and whose leaves shall never fade; and all that he does shall prosper.
  3. Not so are the wicked, not so! For they like winnowed chaff shall be driven away by the wind: for the Lord guards the way of the just but the way of the wicked leads to doom.

 

Gospel Acclamation : Lk4:17

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory! I will leave this place and go to my father and say: ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.’ Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

 

Gospel : Luke 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees: ‘There was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and feast magnificently every day. And at his gate there lay a poor man called Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even came and licked his sores. Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. ‘In his torment in Hades he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off with Lazarus in his bosom. So he cried out, “Father Abraham, pity me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.” “My son,” Abraham replied “remember that during your life good things came your way, just as bad things came the way of Lazarus. Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony. But that is not all: between us and you a great gulf has been fixed, to stop anyone, if he wanted to, crossing from our side to yours, and to stop any crossing from your side to ours.” ‘The rich man replied, “Father, I beg you then to send Lazarus to my father’s house, since I have five brothers, to give them warning so that they do not come to this place of torment too.” “They have Moses and the prophets,” said Abraham “let them listen to them.” “Ah no, father Abraham,” said the rich man “but if someone comes to them from the dead, they will repent.” Then Abraham said to him, “If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead.”’

 

Prayer over the Offerings

By this present sacrifice, we pray, O Lord, sanctify our observance, that what Lenten discipline outwardly declares it may inwardly bring about. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon : Ps 118: 1

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.

 

 

Prayer after Communion

May this sacrifice, O God, remain active in its effects and work ever more strongly within us. Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

Meditation

Reading through our Gospel today, one can be tempted to say that all rich people are condemned to hell and all poor people will go to heaven. That will be a very bad way to interpret the great story of the rich man and Lazarus. There is no harm in being rich. Dives was not condemned because of his riches. He might have gained his riches through honest means. Why then was he condemned? First of all he was overtaken by the disease of egocentricism which prevented him from seeing poor Lazarus. He was too much absorbed in himself and was unable to see the beggar at his doorstep. Secondly, Dives’ selfishness caused him to lose the capacity to sympathise with his poor neighbour. The moral of the story is that we must develop a “fraternal openness that allows us to acknowledge, appreciate and love each person, regardless of physical proximity, regardless of where he or she was born or lives” (Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, 1)

by | Mar 16, 2022 | Agenda Biblique

Jeudi 17 mars 2022

 

St. Patrice, évêque

 

Patrice ou Patrick, natif de Grande-Bretagne (vers 385-461), est vendu comme esclave en Irlande par les pirates qui l’ont enlevé alors qu’il avait quinze ans. Sept ans après, il s’évade, va se former au monastère de Lérins et à Auxerre près de Saint Germain, et reçoit l’épiscopat. Il part alors évangéliser l’Irlande encore païenne, dont il fait cette ‘’île des saints’’ où le zèle missionnaire demeure si ardent.

 

 

Antienne d’ouverture : Ps 138, 23-24

Scrute-moi, mon Dieu, et tu connaîtras mon cœur. Vois si le mal ne fait pas en moi son chemin et conduis-moi sur le chemin d’éternité.

 

Prière d’ouverture

Dieu qui aimes l’innocence et la fais recouvrer, oriente vers toi le cœur de tes fidèles, pour que, dociles à ton Esprit, ils soient fermes dans la foi et vraiment efficaces. Par Jésus Christ.

 

1ère lecture : Jr 17, 5-10

Ainsi parle le Seigneur : Maudit soit l’homme qui met sa foi dans un mortel, qui s’appuie sur un être de chair, tandis que son cœur se détourne du Seigneur. Il sera comme un buisson sur une terre désolée, il ne verra pas venir le bonheur. Il aura pour demeure les lieux arides du désert, une terre salée, inhabitable. Béni soit l’homme qui met sa foi dans le Seigneur, dont le Seigneur est la confiance. Il sera comme un arbre, planté près des eaux, qui pousse, vers le courant, ses racines. Il ne craint pas quand vient la chaleur: son feuillage reste vert. L’année de la sécheresse, il est sans inquiétude : il ne manque pas de porter du fruit. Rien n’est plus faux que le cœur de l’homme, il est incurable. Qui peut le connaître ? Moi, le Seigneur, qui pénètre les cœurs et qui scrute les reins, afin de rendre à chacun selon sa conduite, selon le fruit de ses actes.

 

Psaume : 1, 1-2, 3, 4.6

R/   Heureux est l’homme qui met sa foi dans le Seigneur.

 

  1. Heureux est l’homme qui n’entre pas au conseil des méchants, qui ne suit pas le chemin des pécheurs, ne siège pas avec ceux qui ricanent, mais se plaît dans la loi du Seigneur et murmure sa loi jour et nuit !
  2. Il est comme un arbre planté près d’un ruisseau, qui donne du fruit en son temps, et jamais son feuillage ne meurt ; tout ce qu’il entreprend réussira, tel n’est pas le sort des méchants.
  3. Mais ils sont comme la paille balayée par le vent : au jugement, les méchants ne se lèveront pas, ni les pécheurs au rassemblement des justes. Le Seigneur connaît le chemin des justes, mais le chemin des méchants se perdra.

 

Acclamation : Lc 8,15

Ta parole, Seigneur, est vérité, et ta loi, délivrance. Heureux ceux qui ont entendu la Parole dans un cœur bon et généreux, qui la retiennent et portent du fruit par leur persévérance. Ta parole, Seigneur, est vérité, et ta loi, délivrance.

 

Évangile : Lc 16, 19-31

En ce temps-là, Jésus disait aux pharisiens : « Il y avait un homme riche, vêtu de pourpre et de lin fin, qui faisait chaque jour des festins somptueux. Devant son portail gisait un pauvre nommé Lazare, qui était couvert d’ulcères. Il aurait bien voulu se rassasier de ce qui tombait de la table du riche ; mais les chiens, eux, venaient lécher ses ulcères. Or le pauvre mourut, et les anges l’emportèrent auprès  d’Abraham. Le riche mourut aussi, et on l’enterra. Au séjour des morts, il était en proie à la torture ; levant les yeux, il vit Abraham de loin et Lazare tout près de lui. Alors il cria : “Père Abraham, prends pitié de moi et envoie Lazare tremper le bout de son doigt dans l’eau pour me rafraîchir la langue, car je souffre terriblement dans cette fournaise. – Mon enfant, répondit Abraham, rappelle- toi : tu as reçu le bonheur pendant ta vie, et Lazare, le malheur pendant la sienne. Maintenant, lui, il trouve ici la  consolation, et toi, la souffrance. Et en plus de tout cela, un grand abîme a été établi entre vous et nous, pour que ceux qui voudraient passer vers vous ne le puissent pas, et que, de là- bas non plus, on ne traverse pas vers nous.” Le riche répliqua : “Eh bien ! père, je te prie d’envoyer Lazare dans la maison de mon père. En effet, j’ai cinq frères : qu’il leur porte son témoignage, de peur qu’eux aussi ne viennent dans ce lieu de torture !” Abraham lui dit: “Ils ont Moïse et les Prophètes: qu’ils les écoutent! – Non, père Abraham, dit- il, mais si quelqu’un de chez les morts vient les trouver, ils se convertiront.” Abraham répondit : “S’ils n’écoutent pas Moïse ni les Prophètes, quelqu’un pourra bien ressusciter d’entre les morts : ils ne seront pas convaincus.” »

 

Prière sur les offrandes

Par cette Eucharistie, Seigneur, sanctifie nos œuvres de pénitence, pour que l’entraînement du carême aboutisse à la vraie conversion du cœur. Par Jésus.

 

Antienne de la communion : Ps 118,1

Heureux, les hommes d’une conduite irréprochable qui suivent la loi du Seigneur.

 

Prière après la communion

Que cette communion, Seigneur, demeure agissante en nous et prolonge son effet dans notre vie. Par Jésus.

 

 

Méditation

Dans cette parabole trois éléments caractérisent le riche : le luxe, l’indifférence et l’égoïsme. Il vit préoccupé par son ventre et le paraître, au point qu’il ne peut baisser les yeux pour voir le pauvre Lazare qui ne cherche qu’à se nourrir. Même après sa mort, il veut que Dieu envoie quelqu’un de chez les morts pour avertir ses cinq frères. La leçon que Jésus nous enseigne est que nous devons vivre non pas seulement pour nous-mêmes et nos proches ; vivre en étant une aide véritable pour tous ceux et celles qui sont dans le besoin. “Amen, je vous le dis : chaque fois que vous l’avez fait à l’un de ces plus petits de mes frères, c’est à moi que vous l’avez fait.” (Mt 25, 40). C’est en mettant en pratique l’évangile et le commandement de la charité que nous prendrons part au festin du Royaume. Que ce temps de carême nous aide à y parvenir.

by | Mar 15, 2022 | Evangelium

Wednesday 16 March 2022

 

St. Abban

Born in Ireland, Abban resided in Abingdon, England before the era of St. Patrick. Abban is part of the great panorama of early Irish Christians who served as models for European monasticism and faith.

 

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 37: 22-23

Forsake me not, O Lord! My God, be not far from me! Make haste and come to my help, O Lord, my strong salvation!

 

Collect

Keep your family, O Lord, schooled always in good works, and so comfort them with your protection here as to lead them graciously to gifts on high. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

 

First reading : Jeremiah 18:18-20

‘Come on,’ they said, ‘let us concoct a plot against Jeremiah; the priest will not run short of instruction without him, nor the sage of advice, nor the prophet of the word. Come on, let us hit at him with his own tongue; let us listen carefully to every word he says.’Listen to me, O Lord, Hear what my adversaries are saying. Should evil be returned for good? For they are digging a pit for me. Remember how I stood in your presence to plead on their behalf,  to turn your wrath away from them.

 

Psalm 30:5-6,14-16

R/  Save me in your love, O Lord.

 

  1. Release me from the snares they have hidden for you are my refuge, Lord. Into your hands I commend my spirit. It is you who will redeem me, Lord.
  2. I have heard the slander of the crowd, Fear is all around me, As they plot together against me, As they plan to take my life.
  3. But as for me, I trust in you, Lord; I say: ‘You are my God. My life is in your hands, deliver me From the hands of those who hate me.

 

Gospel Acclamation : cf.Jn6:63,68

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God! Your words are spirit, Lord, and They are life; You have the message of eternal life. Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

 

Gospel : Matthew 20:17-28

Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, and on the way he took the Twelve to one side and said to them, ‘Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the pagans to be mocked and scourged and crucified; and on the third day he will rise again.’ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came with her sons to make a request of him, and bowed low; and he said to her, ‘What is it you want?’ She said to him, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You do not know what you are asking’ Jesus answered. ‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ ‘Very well,’ he said ‘you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.’ When the other ten heard this they were indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that among the pagans the 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 be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Look with favour, Lord, on the sacrificial gifts we offer you, And by this holy exchange, undo the bonds of our sins. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon : Mt 20: 28

The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, And to give his life as a ransom for many.

 

Prayer after Communion

Grant, we pray, O Lord our God, that what you have given us as the pledge of immortality may work for our eternal salvation. Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

Meditation

The request made on behalf of James and John reflects the depth of fallen human state, wherein the greatest good appears to be that which serves the self, that is, honour, position, glory, and prestige. It is the perception that dominates the pagan world and its powerful rulers and seems to be dominating our Christian community today. The kingdom brought by Jesus defines greatness in an entirely opposite way, in terms of servanthood. This way is foreign to the world and to our human nature. Yet it is the way of Jesus, and it is, thus, the way of His disciples. The disciples are to be marked by the humility, servanthood, and obedience to death that characterised Jesus, in the knowledge that to suffer with Him may mean to drink the cup that He drank before ultimately reigning with Him. Proper Christian ethics is summarised by “to serve is to reign” (servire est regnare).

 

 

 

by | Mar 15, 2022 | Agenda Biblique

Mercredi 16 mars 2022

 

Ste. Bénédicte

 

Elle rejoignit sainte Claire au couvent de saint Damien à Assise. Elle lui succéda, en donnant l’exemple d’une constante régularité et d’une stricte pauvreté.

 

Antienne d’ouverture : Ps 37, 22-23

Ne m’abandonne pas, Seigneur, mon Dieu, ne reste pas si loin ! Viens vite, à mon aide, Seigneur, mon salut.

 

Prière d’ouverture

Donne à ta famille, Seigneur, de progresser en faisant toujours ce qui est bon ; assure-lui le nécessaire en cette vie pour la conduire aux biens du Royaume. Par Jésus Christ.

 

1ère lecture : Jr 18, 18-20

Mes ennemis ont dit : « Allons, montons un complot contre Jérémie. La loi ne va pas disparaître par manque de prêtre, ni le conseil, par manque de sage, ni la parole, par manque de prophète. Allons, attaquons-le par notre langue, ne faisons pas attention à toutes ses paroles. » Mais toi, Seigneur, fais attention à moi, écoute ce que disent mes adversaires. Comment peut-on rendre le mal pour le bien ? Ils ont creusé une fosse pour me perdre. Souviens-toi que je me suis tenu en ta présence pour te parler en leur faveur, pour détourner d’eux ta colère.

 

Psaume : 30 (31), 5-6, 14, 15-16

R/ Sauve- moi, mon Dieu, par ton amour.

 

  1. Tu m’arraches au filet qu’ils m’ont tendu ; oui, c’est toi mon abri. En tes mains je remets mon esprit tu me rachètes, Seigneur, Dieu de vérité.
  2. J’entends les calomnies de la foule : de tous côtés c’est l’épouvante. Ils ont tenu conseil contre moi, ils s’accordent pour m’ôter la vie.
  3. Moi, je suis sûr de toi, Seigneur, je dis : « Tu es mon Dieu ! » Mes jours sont dans ta main : délivre-moi des mains hostiles qui s’acharnent.

 

Acclamation : Ez 18,31

Gloire  et  louange à toi, Seigneur Jésus ! Moi, je suis la lumière du monde, dit le Seigneur. Celui qui me suit aura la lumière de la vie. Gloire et louange à toi, Seigneur Jésus !

 

Évangile : Mt 20, 17-28

En ce temps-là, Jésus, montant à Jérusalem, prit à part les Douze disciples et, en chemin, il leur dit : « Voici que nous montons à Jérusalem. Le Fils de l’homme sera livré aux grands prêtres et aux scribes, ils le condamneront à mort et le livreront aux nations païennes pour qu’elles se moquent de lui, le flagellent et le crucifient ; le troisième jour, il ressuscitera. » Alors la mère des fils de Zébédée s’approcha de Jésus avec ses fils Jacques et Jean, et elle se prosterna pour lui faire une demande. Jésus lui dit : « Que veux-tu ? » Elle répondit : « Ordonne que mes deux fils que voici siègent, l’un à ta droite et l’autre à ta gauche, dans ton Royaume. » Jésus répondit : « Vous ne savez pas ce que vous demandez. Pouvez-vous boire la coupe que je vais boire ? » Ils lui disent : « Nous le pouvons. » Il leur dit : « Ma coupe, vous la boirez ; quant à siéger à ma droite et à ma gauche, ce n’est pas à moi de l’accorder ; il y a ceux pour qui cela est préparé par mon Père. » Les dix autres, qui avaient entendu, s’indignèrent contre les deux frères. Jésus les appela et dit : « Vous le savez : les chefs des nations les commandent en maîtres, et les grands font sentir leur pouvoir. Parmi vous, il ne devra pas en être ainsi : celui qui veut devenir grand parmi vous sera votre serviteur ; et celui qui veut être parmi vous le premier sera votre esclave. Ainsi, le Fils de l’homme n’est pas venu pour être servi, mais pour servir, et donner sa vie en rançon pour la multitude. »

 

Prière sur les offrandes

Regarde  avec  bonté,  Seigneur,  les  dons  que  nous  te présentons; et par ceux que tu nous feras en échange, dégage-nous de nos péchés pour nous rendre libres en toi. Par Jésus.

 

Antienne de la communion : Mt 20, 28

Le Fils de l’homme n’est pas venu pour être servi, mais pour servir, et donner sa vie en rançon pour la multitude.

 

Prière après la communion

Dans cette communion, Seigneur, tu as voulu nous donner un gage de notre immortalité : permets donc qu’elle   nous   ouvre   les   portes   de   ton   Royaume. Par Jésus.

 

 

Méditation

Les honneurs et les premières places, voilà ce que Jésus reproche aux scribes et aux pharisiens. Toutefois, la famille Zébédée est lente à comprendre ces observations et veut la première place dans son Royaume. Certes, elle est prête à porter sa croix ; mais Jésus l’invite à éviter les premières places et à se centrer sur l’essentiel. Imiter ce que dans quelques jours lui-même va poser comme acte nouveau et essentiel qui montre la voie qui fera de nous des fils de Dieu et ses disciples. Dans ce sens, Il invite tout chrétien à se laisser séduire par la marque du Disciple : la croix. C’est par elle que le chrétien arrivera à vivre une relation sincère et véritable avec les autres ; non pas comme les chefs des nations, mais dans l’humilité, le service et le don de sa vie pour les autres. Que jamais la Croix du Christ ne s’éloigne de nous et de notre vie !

by | Mar 15, 2022 | Evangelium

Wednesday 16 March 2022

 

St. Abban

Born in Ireland, Abban resided in Abingdon, England before the era of St. Patrick. Abban is part of the great panorama of early Irish Christians who served as models for European monasticism and faith.

 

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 37: 22-23

Forsake me not, O Lord! My God, be not far from me! Make haste and come to my help, O Lord, my strong salvation!

 

Collect

Keep your family, O Lord, schooled always in good works, and so comfort them with your protection here as to lead them graciously to gifts on high. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

 

First reading : Jeremiah 18:18-20

‘Come on,’ they said, ‘let us concoct a plot against Jeremiah; the priest will not run short of instruction without him, nor the sage of advice, nor the prophet of the word. Come on, let us hit at him with his own tongue; let us listen carefully to every word he says.’Listen to me, O Lord, Hear what my adversaries are saying. Should evil be returned for good? For they are digging a pit for me. Remember how I stood in your presence to plead on their behalf,  to turn your wrath away from them.

 

Psalm 30:5-6,14-16

R/  Save me in your love, O Lord.

 

  1. Release me from the snares they have hidden for you are my refuge, Lord. Into your hands I commend my spirit. It is you who will redeem me, Lord.
  2. I have heard the slander of the crowd, Fear is all around me, As they plot together against me, As they plan to take my life.
  3. But as for me, I trust in you, Lord; I say: ‘You are my God. My life is in your hands, deliver me From the hands of those who hate me.

 

Gospel Acclamation : cf.Jn6:63,68

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God! Your words are spirit, Lord, and They are life; You have the message of eternal life. Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

 

Gospel : Matthew 20:17-28

Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, and on the way he took the Twelve to one side and said to them, ‘Now we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the pagans to be mocked and scourged and crucified; and on the third day he will rise again.’ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came with her sons to make a request of him, and bowed low; and he said to her, ‘What is it you want?’ She said to him, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You do not know what you are asking’ Jesus answered. ‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ ‘Very well,’ he said ‘you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.’ When the other ten heard this they were indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that among the pagans the 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 be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Look with favour, Lord, on the sacrificial gifts we offer you, And by this holy exchange, undo the bonds of our sins. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon : Mt 20: 28

The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, And to give his life as a ransom for many.

 

Prayer after Communion

Grant, we pray, O Lord our God, that what you have given us as the pledge of immortality may work for our eternal salvation. Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

Meditation

The request made on behalf of James and John reflects the depth of fallen human state, wherein the greatest good appears to be that which serves the self, that is, honour, position, glory, and prestige. It is the perception that dominates the pagan world and its powerful rulers and seems to be dominating our Christian community today. The kingdom brought by Jesus defines greatness in an entirely opposite way, in terms of servanthood. This way is foreign to the world and to our human nature. Yet it is the way of Jesus, and it is, thus, the way of His disciples. The disciples are to be marked by the humility, servanthood, and obedience to death that characterised Jesus, in the knowledge that to suffer with Him may mean to drink the cup that He drank before ultimately reigning with Him. Proper Christian ethics is summarised by “to serve is to reign” (servire est regnare).

by | Mar 14, 2022 | Evangelium

 

Tuesday 15 March 2022

 

Blessed John Anne

(- 1589)

He was born at Wakefield in Yorkshire, where he married and had a family: on his wife’s death he divided his property among his children and left for the Continent to become a priest.

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 12: 4-5

Give light to my eyes lest I fall asleep in death, Lest my enemy say: I have overcome him.

 

Collect

Guard your Church, we pray, O Lord, in your unceasing mercy, and, since without you mortal humanity is sure to fall, may we be kept by your constant helps from all harm and directed to all that brings salvation. 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 : Isaiah 1:10,16-20

Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the command of our God, You people of Gomorrah. ‘Wash, make yourselves clean. Take your wrong-doing Out of my sight. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good, search for justice, help the oppressed, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow. ‘Come now, Let us talk this over, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they Shall be like wool. ‘If you are willing to obey, you shall eat the good things of the earth. But if you persist in rebellion, the sword shall eat you instead.’

 

Psalm 49:8-9,16-17, 21,23

R/  I will show God’s salvation to the upright.

 

  1. I find no fault with your sacrifices, Your offerings are always before me. I do not ask more bullocks from your farms, Nor goats from among your herds.
  2. ‘But how can you recite my commandments And take my covenant on your lips, You who despise my law And throw my words to the winds,
  3. ‘You do this, and should I keep silence? Do you think that I am like you? A sacrifice of thanksgiving honours me And I will show God’s salvation to the upright.’

 

Gospel Acclamation : Mt 4:17

Glory and praise to you, O Christ! Repent, says the Lord, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

 

Gospel : Matthew 23:1-12

Addressing the people and his disciples Jesus said, ‘The Scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi. ‘You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.’

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Be pleased to work your sanctification within us by means of these mysteries, O Lord, and by it, may we be cleansed of earthly faults and led to the gifts of heaven. 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

May the refreshment of this sacred table, O Lord, we pray, bring us an increase  In devoutness of life and the constant help of your work of conciliation. Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

Meditation

Jesus faults the scribes and Pharisees particularly for their desire to impress others and their love of prestige and position. Such dangers also threaten Christians and Jesus warns us. Christians are to avoid titles that set them apart from, and above, others in the community of faith, not because the titles are unacceptable, but because of the assumption of superiority and elitism that so often go with them. The conduct of a Christian is to be characterised by the virtues of service and humility. Christians of every era and circumstance, especially those in leadership, must learn that true greatness consists in service and that self-humbling is the path to exaltation. Only by such a radical departure from the values and priorities of the world will Christians in authority be the disciples of the one Teacher and Lord.

 

by | Mar 11, 2022 | Agenda Biblique

VENDREDI 11 MARS 2022

STE. ROSINE
Très vénérée dans le diocèse d’Augsbourg, son nom vient du latin « Rosa », la Rose.

Antienne d’ouverture : PS 24, 17-18
Dégage-moi de mes tourments, Seigneur. Vois ma misère et ma peine, enlève tous mes péchés.

Prière d’ouverture
Accorde à tes fidèles, Seigneur, de s’appliquer de toute leur âme à la préparation de pâques : que le renoncement imposé à notre corps porte en chacun de nous des fruits spirituels. Par Jésus Christ.

1ère lecture : Ez 18, 21-28
Ainsi parle le Seigneur Dieu: Si le méchant se détourne de tous les péchés qu’il a commis, s’il observe tous mes décrets, s’il pratique le droit et la justice, c’est certain, il vivra, il ne mourra pas. On ne se souviendra d’aucun des crimes qu’il a commis, il vivra à cause de la justice qu’il a pratiquée. Prendrais- je donc plaisir à la mort du méchant – oracle du Seigneur Dieu –, et non pas plutôt à ce qu’il se détourne de sa conduite et qu’il vive ? Mais le juste, s’il se détourne de sa justice et fait le mal en imitant toutes les abominations du méchant, il le ferait et il vivrait ? Toute la justice qu’il avait pratiquée, on ne s’en souviendra plus : à cause de son infidélité et de son péché, il mourra! Et pourtant vous dites: « La conduite du Seigneur n’est pas la bonne. » Écoutez donc, fils d’Israël : est-ce ma conduite qui n’est pas la bonne ? N’est-ce pas plutôt la vôtre ? Si le juste se détourne de sa justice, commet le mal, et meurt dans cet état, c’est à cause de son mal qu’il mourra. Si le méchant se détourne de sa méchanceté pour pratiquer le droit et la justice, il sauvera sa vie. Il a ouvert les yeux et s’est détourné de ses crimes. C’est certain, il vivra, il ne mourra pas.

Psaume : 129 (130), 1-2, 3-4, 5-6ab, 7bc-8
R/ Si tu retiens les fautes, Seigneur, Seigneur, qui subsistera ?

1. Des profondeurs je crie vers toi, Seigneur, Seigneur, écoute mon appel ! Que ton oreille se fasse attentive au cri de ma prière!
2. Si tu retiens les fautes, Seigneur, Seigneur, qui subsistera ? Mais près de toi se trouve le pardon pour que l’homme te craigne.
3. J’espère le Seigneur de toute mon âme ; je l’espère, et j’attends sa parole. Mon âme attend le Seigneur plus qu’un veilleur ne guette l’aurore.
4. Oui, près du Seigneur, est l’amour; près de lui, abonde le rachat. C’est lui qui rachètera Israël de toutes ses fautes.

Acclamation
Ta parole, Seigneur, est vérité, et ta loi, délivrance. Rejetez tous les crimes que vous avez commis, faites-vous un cœur nouveau et un esprit nouveau. Ta parole, Seigneur, est vérité, et ta loi, délivrance.

Évangile : Mt 5, 20-26
En ce temps-là, Jésus disait à ses disciples: « Je vous le dis: Si votre justice ne surpasse pas celle des scribes et des pharisiens, vous n’entrerez pas dans le royaume des Cieux. Vous avez appris qu’il a été dit aux anciens: Tu ne commettras pas de meurtre, et si quelqu’un commet un meurtre, il devra passer en jugement. Eh bien ! moi, je vous dis: Tout homme qui se met en colère contre son frère devra passer en jugement. Si quelqu’un insulte son frère, il devra passer devant le tribunal. Si quelqu’un le traite de fou, il sera passible de la géhenne de feu. Donc, lorsque tu vas présenter ton offrande à l’autel, si, là, tu te souviens que ton frère a quelque chose contre toi, laisse ton offrande, là, devant l’autel, va d’abord te réconcilier avec ton frère, et ensuite viens présenter ton offrande. Mets-toi vite d’accord avec ton adversaire pendant que tu es en chemin avec lui, pour éviter que ton adversaire ne te livre au juge, le juge au garde, et qu’on ne te jette en prison. Amen, je te le dis : tu n’en sortiras pas avant d’avoir payé jusqu’au dernier sou. »

Prière sur les offrandes
Accueille avec bonté, Seigneur, le sacrifice offert dans cette eucharistie : c’est par lui que tu as voulu nous montrer ta pitié et nous rendre la vie dans la puissance de ton amour. Par Jésus.

Antienne de la communion : Ez 33, 11
Parole du seigneur : Aussi vrai que je suis vivant, je ne désire pas la mort du pécheur, mais qu’il change de conduite et qu’il vive.

Prière après la communion
De ce repas dont tu nous as nourris, Seigneur, nous attendons un renouveau : qu’il arrache nos cœurs à leur vieillissement pour nous faire communier au mystère du salut. Par Jésus.

Méditation
« Prendrais- je donc plaisir à la mort du méchant – oracle du Seigneur Dieu –, et non pas plutôt à ce qu’il se détourne de sa conduite et qu’il vive ? ». Le peuple de Dieu se trouve en exil suite à sa déportation à Babylone par les armées de Nabuchodonosor en 597 avant Jésus-Christ. Cette situation amène la question du mal subi par l’homme et de savoir qui en est l’auteur ! Dieu serait-il auteur de nos malheurs ou encore Dieu punit-il le méchant et récompense le juste ? En effet, Dieu rappelle qu’il ne prend pas plaisir à la mort du méchant mais il veut qu’il se convertisse et qu’il vive. Dieu nous aime toujours au-delà de nos égarements. Tout comme Israël qui affirme que la conduite du Seigneur est étrange, nous aussi, au milieu de nos épreuves, nous avons souvent tendance à faire un procès à Dieu en des termes du genre : qu’ai-je fait Seigneur pour mériter ce sort ? Ou encore Seigneur pourquoi c’est à moi que tout cela arrive ? Sachons toujours garder confiance en Dieu et revenons à Lui car il nous attend sans cesse.

by | Mar 11, 2022 | Evangelium

 

friday 11 March 2022

St. Aengus

(- 824)

He was born near Clonenagh, Ireland. He was first a hermit and later joined the monastery of Tallaght. He was a co-author of a martyrology written in 790. He died on 11 March 824.

 

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 24: 17-18

Set me free from my distress, O Lord. See my lowliness and suffering, and take away all my sins.

 

Collect

Grant that your faithful, O Lord, we pray, may be so conformed to the paschal observances, that the bodily discipline now solemnly begun may bear fruit in the souls of all. 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 : Ezekiel 18:21-28

Thus says the Lord: ‘If the wicked man renounces all the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law-abiding and honest, he will certainly live; he will not die. All the sins he committed will be forgotten from then on; he shall live because of the integrity he has practised. What! Am I likely to take pleasure in the death of a wicked man – it is the Lord who speaks – and not prefer to see him renounce his wickedness and live? ‘But if the upright man renounces his integrity, commits sin, copies the wicked man and practises every kind of filth, is he to live? All the integrity he has practised shall be forgotten from then on; but this is because he himself has broken faith and committed sin, and for this he shall die. But you object, “What the Lord does is unjust.” Listen, you House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin and dies because of this, he dies because of the evil that he himself has committed. When the sinner renounces sin to become law-abiding and honest, he deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins; he shall certainly live; he shall not die.’

 

Psalm 129:1-8

R/ If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive?

 

  1. Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord, Lord, hear my voice! O let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleading.
  2. If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive? But with you is found forgiveness: for this we revere you.
  3. My soul is waiting for the Lord. I count on his word. My soul is longing for the Lord more than watchman for daybreak. (Let the watchman count on daybreak and Israel on the Lord.)
  4. Because with the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption, Israel indeed he will redeem from all its iniquity.

 

Gospel Acclamation : cf.Amos5:14

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory! Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and that the Lord God of hosts may really be with you. Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

 

 

Gospel : Matthew 5:20-26

Jesus said to his disciples, If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. ‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.’

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Accept the sacrificial offerings, O Lord, by which, in your power and kindness, you willed us to be reconciled to yourself and our salvation to be restored. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon : Ez 33: 11

As I live, says the Lord, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but rather that he turn back and live.

 

Prayer after Communion

May the holy refreshment of your Sacrament restore us anew, O Lord, and, cleansing us of old ways, take us up into the mystery of salvation. Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

Meditation

Christian life requires much more than external conformity to regulations. This is why a person is held accountable for his/her angry thoughts, not merely for external acts of violence against others. Therefore, Jesus calls us to a wholehearted trust and obedience to the heavenly Father that radiates God’s love to the world. Jesus penetrates to the spirit of the commandment. Since the spring of a person’s conduct is the heart, or inner person, the transforming power of the kingdom must be especially experienced there. The worship and service of God cannot be performed as long as anger infects the soul. Thus, the recipient of the grace of the kingdom is one who initiates and seeks reconciliation, both with members of the Christian community and with adversaries.

by | Mar 11, 2022 | Evangelium

FRIDAY 11 MARCH 2022
ST. AENGUS
(- 824)
He was born near Clonenagh, Ireland. He was first a hermit and later joined the monastery of Tallaght. He was a co-author of a martyrology written in 790. He died on 11 March 824.

Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 24: 17-18
Set me free from my distress, O Lord. See my lowliness and suffering, and take away all my sins.

Collect
Grant that your faithful, O Lord, we pray, may be so conformed to the paschal observances, that the bodily discipline now solemnly begun may bear fruit in the souls of all. 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 : Ezekiel 18:21-28
Thus says the Lord: ‘If the wicked man renounces all the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law-abiding and honest, he will certainly live; he will not die. All the sins he committed will be forgotten from then on; he shall live because of the integrity he has practised. What! Am I likely to take pleasure in the death of a wicked man – it is the Lord who speaks – and not prefer to see him renounce his wickedness and live? ‘But if the upright man renounces his integrity, commits sin, copies the wicked man and practises every kind of filth, is he to live? All the integrity he has practised shall be forgotten from then on; but this is because he himself has broken faith and committed sin, and for this he shall die. But you object, “What the Lord does is unjust.” Listen, you House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin and dies because of this, he dies because of the evil that he himself has committed. When the sinner renounces sin to become law-abiding and honest, he deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins; he shall certainly live; he shall not die.’

Psalm 129:1-8
R/ If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive?

1. Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord, Lord, hear my voice! O let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleading.
2. If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive? But with you is found forgiveness: for this we revere you.
3. My soul is waiting for the Lord. I count on his word. My soul is longing for the Lord more than watchman for daybreak. (Let the watchman count on daybreak and Israel on the Lord.)
4. Because with the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption, Israel indeed he will redeem from all its iniquity.

Gospel Acclamation : cf.Amos5:14
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory! Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and that the Lord God of hosts may really be with you. Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Gospel : Matthew 5:20-26
Jesus said to his disciples, If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. ‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.’

Prayer over the Offerings
Accept the sacrificial offerings, O Lord, by which, in your power and kindness, you willed us to be reconciled to yourself and our salvation to be restored. Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon : Ez 33: 11
As I live, says the Lord, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but rather that he turn back and live.

Prayer after Communion
May the holy refreshment of your Sacrament restore us anew, O Lord, and, cleansing us of old ways, take us up into the mystery of salvation. Through Christ our Lord.

Meditation
Christian life requires much more than external conformity to regulations. This is why a person is held accountable for his/her angry thoughts, not merely for external acts of violence against others. Therefore, Jesus calls us to a wholehearted trust and obedience to the heavenly Father that radiates God’s love to the world. Jesus penetrates to the spirit of the commandment. Since the spring of a person’s conduct is the heart, or inner person, the transforming power of the kingdom must be especially experienced there. The worship and service of God cannot be performed as long as anger infects the soul. Thus, the recipient of the grace of the kingdom is one who initiates and seeks reconciliation, both with members of the Christian community and with adversaries.