TUESDAY 06 APRIL

by | Apr 5, 2021 | Evangelium

Easter Tuesday

St. William of Eskilsoe (1125 – 1203)

He was born in 1125 and was a French religious who willingly led a life with few comforts. He spent many hours in prayer and became a scholar of religious law. An account written after his death described him as “famous for his life and miracles.” He died in 1203.

White

Entrance Antiphon:  Cf. Sir 15: 3-4

He gave them the water of wisdom to drink; it will be made strong in them and will not be moved; it will raise them up for ever, alleluia.

 

Collect

O God, who have bestowed on us paschal remedies, endow your people with heavenly gifts, so that, possessed of perfect freedom, they may rejoice in heaven over what gladdens them now on earth. 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 2:36-41

On the day of Pentecost, Peter spoke to the Jews: ‘The whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.’ Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the apostles, ‘What must we do, brothers?’ ‘You must repent,’ Peter answered, ‘and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God will call to himself.’ He spoke to them for a long time using many arguments, and he urged them, ‘Save yourselves from this perverse generation.’ They were convinced by his arguments, and they accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand were added to their number.

Psalm 32 (33):4-5, 18-20, 22

R/      The Lord fills the earth with his love.

1.      The word of the Lord is faithful and all his works to be trusted. The Lord loves justice and right and fills the earth with his love.

2.      The Lord looks on those who revere him, on those who hope in his love, to rescue their souls from death, to keep them alive in famine.

3.      Our soul is waiting for the Lord. The Lord is our help and our shield. May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.

 

Gospel Acclamation: Ps 117:24

Alleluia, alleluia! This day was made by the Lord: we rejoice and are glad. alleluia!

 

Gospel: John 20:11-18

Mary stayed outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, still weeping, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away,’ she replied, ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’ As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not recognise him. Jesus said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.’ Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She knew him then and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbuni!’ – which means Master. Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and find the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ So Mary of Magdala went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her.

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Accept in compassion, Lord, we pray, the offerings of your family, that under your protective care they may never lose what they have received, but attain the gifts that are eternal. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon: Col 3: 1-2

If you have risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God; mind the things that are above, alleluia.

 

Prayer after Communion

Hear us, almighty God, and, as you have bestowed on your family the perfect grace of Baptism, so prepare their hearts for the reward of eternal happiness. Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

 

Meditation

The news of Jesus’ resurrection brings hope to Mary Magdalene. Her countenance suddenly changes from sorrow to hope and from mourning to joy. The revelation of the Lord to her shines a ray of hope for every person struggling with sin and guilt. If Jesus himself rescued this insignificant, demon-possessed woman from her life of sin and chose her to be the first witness of his resurrection, then he can make you his instrument. This Gospel text teaches us that sorrows are turned to hope when we seek the risen Saviour.

MONDAY 05 APRIL

by | Apr 4, 2021 | Evangelium

Easter Monday

St. Vincent Ferrer (1350 – 1419)

He was born in Valencia and joined the Dominicans at the age of 17.Among others, he preached to the Jews, of whom some 25,000 were converted to Christianity. He died 5th April 1419.

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Entrance Antiphon:  Ex 13: 5, 9

The Lord has led you into a land flowing with milk and honey, that the law of the Lord may always be on your lips, alleluia.

 

Collect

O God, who give constant increase to your Church by new offspring, grant that your servants may hold fast in their lives to the Sacrament they have received in 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: Acts 2:14, 22-33

On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed the crowd in a loud voice: ‘Men of Israel, listen to what I am going to say: Jesus the Nazarene was a man commended to you by God by the miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him when he was among you, as you all know. This man, who was put into your power by the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God, you took and had crucified by men outside the Law. You killed him, but God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades; for it was impossible for him to be held in its power since, as David says of him: I saw the Lord before me always, for with him at my right hand nothing can shake me. So my heart was glad and my tongue cried out with joy; my body, too, will rest in the hope that you will not abandon my soul to Hades nor allow your holy one to experience corruption. You have made known the way of life to me, you will fill me with gladness through your presence. ‘Brothers, no one can deny that the patriarch David himself is dead and buried: his tomb is still with us. But since he was a prophet, and knew that God had sworn him an oath to make one of his descendants succeed him on the throne, what he foresaw and spoke about was the resurrection of the Christ: he is the one who was not abandoned to Hades, and whose body did not experience corruption. God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to that. Now raised to the heights by God’s right hand, he has received from the Father the Holy Spirit, who was promised, and what you see and hear is the outpouring of that Spirit.’

 

Psalm 15 (16):1-2, 5,7-11

R/      Preserve me, Lord, I take refuge in you.

1.      Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you. I say to the Lord: ‘You are my God. O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup; it is you yourself who are my prize.’

2.      I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart. I keep the Lord ever in my sight: since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.

3.      And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad; even my body shall rest in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead, nor let your beloved know decay.

4.    You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right hand happiness forever.

 

Gospel Acclamation: Ps117:24

Alleluia, alleluia! This day was made by the Lord: we rejoice and are glad.alleluia!

 

Gospel: Matthew 28:8-15

Filled with awe and great joy the women came quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples. And there, coming to meet them, was Jesus. ‘Greetings’ he said. And the women came up to him and, falling down before him, clasped his feet. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers that they must leave for Galilee; they will see me there.’ While they were on their way, some of the guard went off into the city to tell the chief priests all that had happened. These held a meeting with the elders and, after some discussion, handed a considerable sum of money to the soldiers with these instructions, ‘This is what you must say, “His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.” And should the governor come to hear of this, we undertake to put things right with him ourselves and to see that you do not get into trouble.’ The soldiers took the money and carried out their instructions, and to this day that is the story among the Jews.

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Accept graciously, O Lord, we pray, the offerings of your peoples, that, renewed by confession of your name and by Baptism, they may attain unending happiness. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon: Rm 6: 9

Christ, having risen from the dead, dies now no more; death will no longer have dominion over him, alleluia.

 

Prayer after Communion

May the grace of this paschal Sacrament abound in our minds, we pray, O Lord, and make those you have set on the way of eternal salvation worthy of your gifts Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

 

Meditation

In today’s first reading, Peter is calling members of his Jewish community to be witnesses to the death and resurrection of the man they knew as Jesus, truly the Son of God. This reading calls us to embrace and live the values and ideals that Jesus taught, now recorded in the scripture. At times we do not have the freedom and courage to proclaim our belief in God and in Jesus his Son. Let us ask for the grace to treat people justly and lovingly, and as such continue to proclaim the Good News of Christ’s resurrection.

 

SUNDAY 04 APRIL

by | Apr 3, 2021 | Evangelium

Easter Sunday

(The Resurrection Of The Lord),

Psalter Proper

St. Isidore of Seville (560 – 636)

 

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Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 138: 18, 5-6

I have risen, and I am with you still, alleluia. You have laid your hand upon me, alleluia. Too wonderful for me, this knowledge, alleluia, alleluia.

 

Collect

O God, who on this day, through your Only Begotten Son, have conquered death and unlocked for us the path to eternity, grant, we pray, that we who keep the solemnity of the Lord’s Resurrection may, through the renewal brought by your Spirit, rise up in the light of life. 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 10:34, 37-43

Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: ‘You must have heard about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth and how he began in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism. God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil. Now I, and those with me, can witness to everything he did throughout the countryside of Judaea and in Jerusalem itself: and also to the fact that they killed him by hanging him on a tree, yet three days afterwards God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen, not by the whole people but only by certain witnesses God had chosen beforehand. Now we are those witnesses – we have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead – and he has ordered us to proclaim this to his people and to tell them that God has appointed him to judge everyone, alive or dead. It is to him that all the prophets bear this witness: that all who believe in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name.’

 

Psalm 117 (118):1-2, 16-17, 22-23

R/      This day was made by the Lord: we rejoice and are glad.

1.      Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end. Let the sons of Israel say: ‘His love has no end.’

2.      The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; his right hand raised me up. I shall not die, I shall live and recount his deeds.

3.      The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone. This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes.

 

Second reading: Colossians 3:1-4

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. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.

 

Sequence

Christians, to the Paschal Victim …

 

Gospel Acclamation: 1 Cor 5:7-8

Alleluia, alleluia! Christ, our passover, has been sacrificed: let us celebrate the feast then, in the Lord. alleluia!

 

Gospel: John 20:1-9

It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’ So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first; he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in. Simon Peter who was following now came up, went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed. Till this moment they had failed to understand the teaching of scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Exultant with paschal gladness, O Lord, we offer the sacrifice by which your Church is wondrously reborn and nourished. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon: 1 Cor 5: 7-8

Christ our Passover has been sacrificed, alleluia; therefore let us keep the feast with the unleavened bread of purity and truth, alleluia, alleluia.

 

Prayer after Communion

Look upon your Church, O God, with unfailing love and favour, so that, renewed by the paschal mysteries, she may come to the glory of the resurrection. Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

        

 

Meditation

Today we celebrate Christ’s victory over death. Easter Sunday is the apex of the liturgical calendar. The resurrection of Jesus is the core of our faith and the empty tomb our eternal freedom. Mary Magdalene, Peter and John are confused because without faith, no one can understand this. Their faith needs time to grow. The three will eventually have an unshakeable conviction in the resurrection and become messengers of it. Another integral part of today’s Gospel is

“running” – running to the experience of faith. Love for the Lord creates a sense of urgency and promptness.

SATURDAY 03 APRIL

by | Apr 2, 2021 | Evangelium

HOLY SATURDAY, Psalter Proper.

He was born in Ireland, became a monk on Iona, and was ordained priest in Rome by St. Gregory the Great. He was active in promoting harmony between the Celtic and Roman churches on the date on which Easter should be celebrated.

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Entrance Antiphon:  Cf. Gal 6: 14

We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection, through whom we are saved and delivered.

 

Collect

O God, who have called us to participate in this most sacred Supper, in which your Only Begotten Son, when about to hand himself over to death, entrusted to the Church a sacrifice new for all eternity, the banquet of his love, grant, we pray, that we may draw from so great a mystery, the fullness of charity and of life. 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 1:1-2:2

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, and God’s spirit hovered over the water. God said, ‘Let there be light’, and there was light. God saw that light was good, and God divided light from darkness. God called light ‘day’, and darkness he called ‘night.’ Evening came and morning came: the first day. God said, ‘Let there be a vault in the waters to divide the waters in two.’ And so it was. God made the vault, and it divided the waters above the vault from the waters under the vault. God called the vault ‘heaven.’ Evening came and morning came: the second day. God said, ‘Let the waters under heaven come together into a single mass, and let dry land appear.’ And so it was. God called the dry land ‘earth’ and the mass of waters ‘seas’, and God saw that it was good. God said, ‘Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants, and fruit trees bearing fruit with their seed inside, on the earth.’ And so it was. The earth produced vegetation: plants bearing seed in their several kinds, and trees bearing fruit with their seed inside in their several kinds. God saw that it was good. Evening came and morning came: the third day. God said, ‘Let there be lights in the vault of heaven to divide day from night, and let them indicate festivals, days and years. Let them be lights in the vault of heaven to shine on the earth.’ And so it was. God made the two great lights: the greater light to govern the day, the smaller light to govern the night, and the stars. God set them in the vault of heaven to shine on the earth, to govern the day and the night and to divide light from darkness. God saw that it was good. Evening came and morning came: the fourth day. God said, ‘Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth within the vault of heaven.’ And so it was. God created great sea-serpents and every kind of living creature with which the waters teem, and every kind of winged creature. God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas; and let the birds multiply upon the earth.’ Evening came and morning came: the fifth day. God said, ‘Let the earth produce every kind of living creature: cattle, reptiles, and every kind of wild beast.’ And so it was. God made every kind of wild beast, every kind of cattle, and every kind of land reptile. God saw that it was good. God said, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth.’ God created man in the image of himself,  in the image of God he created him,  male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all living animals on the earth.’ God said, ‘See, I give you all the seed-bearing plants that are upon the whole earth, and all the trees with seed-bearing fruit; this shall be your food. To all wild beasts, all birds of heaven and all living reptiles on the earth I give all the foliage of plants for food.’ And so it was. God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good. Evening came and morning came: the sixth day. Thus heaven and earth were completed with all their array. On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing. He rested on the seventh day after all the work he had been doing.

 

Psalm 103 (104):1-2, 5-6, 10, 12-14, 24, 35

R/      Send forth your spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.

1.      Bless the Lord, my soul! Lord God, how great you are, clothed in majesty and glory, wrapped in light as in a robe!

2.      You founded the earth on its base, to stand firm from age to age. You wrapped it with the ocean like a cloak: the waters stood higher than the mountains.

3.      You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow in between the hills. On their banks dwell the birds of heaven; from the branches they sing their song.

4.     From your dwelling you water the hills; earth drinks its fill of your gift. You make the grass grow for the cattle and the plants to serve man’s needs.

5.    How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your riches. Bless the Lord, my soul!

 

Second reading: Genesis 22:1-18

Psalm 15(16):5,8-11

 

Third reading: Exodus 14:15-15:1

The Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to me so? Tell the sons of Israel to march on. For yourself, raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and part it for the sons of Israel to walk through the sea on dry ground. I for my part will make the heart of the Egyptians so stubborn that they will follow them. So shall I win myself glory at the expense of Pharaoh, of all his army, his chariots, his horsemen. And when I have won glory for myself, at the expense of Pharaoh and his chariots and his army, the Egyptians will learn that I am the Lord.’ Then the angel of God, who marched at the front of the army of Israel, changed station and moved to their rear. The pillar of cloud changed station from the front to the rear of them, and remained there. It came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. The cloud was dark, and the night passed without the armies drawing any closer the whole night long. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove back the sea with a strong easterly wind all night, and he made dry land of the sea. The waters parted and the sons of Israel went on dry ground right into the sea, walls of water to right and to left of them. The Egyptians gave chase: after them they went, right into the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. In the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and of cloud, and threw the army into confusion. He so clogged their chariot wheels that they could scarcely make headway. ‘Let us flee from the Israelites,’ the Egyptians cried. ‘The Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians!’ ‘Stretch out your hand over the sea,’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘that the waters may flow back on the Egyptians and their chariots and their horsemen.’ Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and, as day broke, the sea returned to its bed. The fleeing Egyptians marched right into it, and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the very middle of the sea. The returning waters overwhelmed the chariots and the horsemen of Pharaoh’s whole army, which had followed the Israelites into the sea; not a single one of them was left. But the sons of Israel had marched through the sea on dry ground, walls of water to right and to left of them. That day, the Lord rescued Israel from the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. Israel witnessed the great act that the Lord had performed against the Egyptians, and the people venerated the Lord; they put their faith in the Lord and in Moses, his servant. It was then that Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song in honour of the Lord:

 

Canticle: Exodus 15

R/      R) I will sing to the Lord, glorious his triumph!

1.      I will sing to the Lord, glorious his triumph! Horse and rider he has thrown into the sea! The Lord is my strength, my song, my salvation. This is my God and I extol him, my father’s God and I give him praise.

2.      The Lord is a warrior! ‘The Lord’ is his name. The chariots of Pharaoh he hurled into the sea, the flower of his army is drowned in the sea.  The deeps hide them; they sank like a stone.

3.      Your right hand, Lord, glorious in its power, your right hand, Lord, has shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your glory you crushed the foe.

4.      You will lead your people and plant them on your mountain, the place, O Lord, where you have made your home, the sanctuary, Lord, which your hands have made. The Lord will reign for ever and ever.

 

Fourth reading: Isaiah 54:5-14

Psalm 29 (30):2, 4-6, 11-13

 

Fifth reading: Isaiah 55:1-11

Canticle: Isaiah 12

 

Sixth reading: Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4

Psalm 18 (19):8-11

 

Seventh reading: Ezekiel 36:16-17, 18-28

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘Son of man, the members of the House of Israel used to live in their own land, but they defiled it by their conduct and actions. I then discharged my fury at them because of the blood they shed in their land and the idols with which they defiled it. I scattered them among the nations and dispersed them in foreign countries. I sentenced them as their conduct and actions deserved. And now they have profaned my holy name among the nations where they have gone, so that people say of them, “These are the people of the Lord; they have been exiled from his land.”

 

‘But I have been concerned about my holy name, which the House of Israel has profaned among the nations where they have gone. ‘And so, say to the House of Israel, “The Lord says this: I am not doing this for your sake, House of Israel, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I mean to display the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. And the nations will learn that I am the Lord – it is the Lord who speaks – when I display my holiness for your sake before their eyes. Then I am going to take you from among the nations and gather you together from all the foreign countries, and bring you home to your own land. ‘“I shall pour clean water over you and you will be cleansed; I shall cleanse you of all your defilement and all your idols. I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws and sincerely respect my observances. You will live in the land which I gave your ancestors. You shall be my people and I will be your God.”’

 

Psalm 41 (42):2-3, 5, 42:3-4

R/      Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God.

1.      My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life; when can I enter and see the face of God?

2.      These things will I remember as I pour out my soul: how I would lead the rejoicing crowd into the house of God, amid cries of gladness and thanksgiving, the throng wild with joy.

3.      Send forth your light and your truth; let these be my guide. Let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

4.      And I will come to the altar of God, the God of my joy. My redeemer, I will thank you on the harp, O God, my God.

 

Epistle: Romans 6:3-11

When we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised in his death; in other words, when we were baptised we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glory, we too might live a new life. If in union with Christ we have imitated his death, we shall also imitate him in his resurrection. We must realise that our former selves have been crucified with him to destroy this sinful body and to free us from the slavery of sin. When a Christian dies, of course, he has finished with sin. But we believe that having died with Christ we shall return to life with him: Christ, as we know, having been raised from the dead will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. When he died, he died, once for all, to sin, so his life now is life with God; and in that way, you too must consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.

 

Psalm 117 (118):1-2, 16-17, 22-23

R/      Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

1.      Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end. Let the sons of Israel say: ‘His love has no end.’

2.      The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; his right hand raised me up. I shall not die, I shall live and recount his deeds.

3.  The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone. This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes.

 

Gospel: Mark 16:1-8

When the sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices with which to go and anoint him. And very early in the morning on the first day of the week they went to the tomb, just as the sun was rising. They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ But when they looked they could see that the stone – which was very big – had already been rolled back. On entering the tomb they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right-hand side, and they were struck with amazement. But he said to them, ‘There is no need for alarm. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he has risen, he is not here. See, here is the place where they laid him. But you must go and tell his disciples and Peter, “He is going before you to Galilee; it is there you will see him, just as he told you.”’

 

Gospel: Mark 16:1-8

Accept, we ask, O Lord, the prayers of your people with the sacrificial offerings, that what has begun in the paschal mysteries may, by the working of your power, bring us to the healing of eternity. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Accept, we ask, O Lord, the prayers of your people with the sacrificial offerings, that what has begun in the paschal mysteries may, by the working of your power, bring us to the healing of eternity. Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

Communion Antiphon: 1 Cor 5: 7-8

Christ our Passover has been sacrificed; therefore let as keep the feast with the unleavened bread of purity and truth, alleluia.

 

Prayer after Communion

Pour out on us, O Lord, the Spirit of your love, and in your kindness make those you have nourished by this paschal Sacrament one in mind and heart. Through Christ our Lord.

 

 

 

      

 

Meditation

Just as yesterday, there is no liturgy today. This vigil marks our entry into the celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection. We contemplate Jesus in the tomb and this reminds us of our death. This celebration is a reminder to prepare our hearts to receive the Good News of life. The empty tomb will remain a sign that our lives will not really end, but only be transformed. We hope to meet him someday in everlasting life. As we reflect today, we anticipate the new life with the immense peace and joy it brings.

FRIDAY 02 APRIL

by | Apr 1, 2021 | Evangelium

Friday of The Passion Of The Lord (Good Friday)

Red

Collect

Remember your mercies, O Lord, and with your eternal protection sanctify your servants, for whom Christ your Son, by the shedding of his Blood, established the Paschal Mystery. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.

 

First reading: Isaiah 52:13-53:12

See, my servant will prosper, he shall be lifted up, exalted, rise to great heights. As the crowds were appalled on seeing him – so disfigured did he look that he seemed no longer human – so will the crowds be astonished at him, and kings stand speechless before him; for they shall see something never told and witness something never heard before: ‘Who could believe what we have heard, and to whom has the power of the Lord been revealed?’ Like a sapling he grew up in front of us, like a root in arid ground. Without beauty, without majesty we saw him, no looks to attract our eyes; a thing despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering, a man to make people screen their faces; he was despised and we took no account of him. And yet ours were the sufferings he bore, ours the sorrows he carried. But we, we thought of him as someone punished, struck by God, and brought low. Yet he was pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins. On him lies a punishment that brings us peace, and through his wounds we are healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each taking his own way, and the Lord burdened him with the sins of all of us. Harshly dealt with, he bore it humbly, he never opened his mouth, like a lamb that is led to the slaughter-house, like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers never opening its mouth. By force and by law he was taken; would anyone plead his cause? Yes, he was torn away from the land of the living; for our faults struck down in death. They gave him a grave with the wicked, a tomb with the rich, though he had done no wrong and there had been no perjury in his mouth. The Lord has been pleased to crush him with suffering. If he offers his life in atonement, he shall see his heirs, he shall have a long life and through him what the Lord wishes will be done. His soul’s anguish over he shall see the light and be content. By his sufferings shall my servant justify many, taking their faults on himself. Hence I will grant whole hordes for his tribute, he shall divide the spoil with the mighty, for surrendering himself to death and letting himself be taken for a sinner, while he was bearing the faults of many and praying all the time for sinners.

 

Psalm 30 (31):2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25

R/     Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

 

1.      In you, O Lord, I take refuge. Let me never be put to shame. In your justice, set me free, Into your hands I commend my spirit. It is you who will redeem me, Lord.

2.      In the face of all my foes I am a reproach, an object of scorn to my neighbours and of fear to my friends.

3.      Those who see me in the street run far away from me. I am like a dead man, forgotten in men’s hearts, like a thing thrown away.

4. 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.

5. Let your face shine on your servant. Save me in your love.’ Be strong, let your heart take courage, all who hope in the Lord.

 

Second reading: Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9

Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help. During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard. Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation.

 

Gospel Acclamation: Phil 2:8-9

Glory and praise to you, O Christ! Christ was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross. But God raised him high and gave him the name which is above all names. Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

 

Gospel: John 18:1-19:42

Key: N. Narrator.  Jesus. O. Ot

her single speaker. C. Crowd, or more than one speaker.

 

N. Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kedron valley. There was a garden there, and he went into it with his disciples. Judas the traitor knew the place well, since Jesus had often met his disciples there, and he brought the cohort to this place together with a detachment of guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees, all with lanterns and torches and weapons. Knowing everything that was going to happen to him, Jesus then came forward and said,  Who are you looking for? N. They answered,   Jesus the Nazarene. N. He said,  I am he. N. Now Judas the traitor was standing among them. When Jesus said, ‘I am he’, they moved back and fell to the ground. He asked them a second time,  Who are you looking for? N. They said,  Jesus the Nazarene. N. Jesus replied,  I have told you that I am he. If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go. N. This was to fulfil the words he had spoken, ‘Not one of those you gave me have I lost.’ Simon Peter, who carried a sword, drew it and wounded the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter,  Put your sword back in its scabbard; am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me? N. The cohort and its captain and the Jewish guards seized Jesus and bound him. They took him first to Annas, because Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had suggested to the Jews, ‘It is better for one man to die for the people.’ Simon Peter, with another disciple, followed Jesus. This disciple, who was known to the high priest, went with Jesus into the high priest’s palace, but Peter stayed outside the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who was keeping the door and brought Peter in. The maid on duty at the door said to Peter, O. Aren’t you another of that man’s disciples? N. He answered, O. I am not. N.Now it was cold, and the servants and guards had lit a charcoal fire and were standing there warming themselves; so Peter stood there too, warming himself with the others. The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered,  I have spoken openly for all the world to hear; I have always taught in the synagogue and in the Temple where all the Jews meet together: I have said nothing in secret. But why ask me? Ask my hearers what I taught: they know what I said. N. At these words, one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a slap in the face, saying, O. Is that the way to answer the high priest? N. Jesus replied,  If there is something wrong in what I said, point it out; but if there is no offence in it, why do you strike me? N. Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest. As Simon Peter stood there warming himself, someone said to him, O. Aren’t you another of his disciples? N. He denied it, saying, O. I am not. N. One of the high priest’s servants, a relation of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, O. Didn’t I see you in the garden with him? N. Again Peter denied it; and at once a cock crew. They then led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was now morning. They did not go into the Praetorium themselves or they would be defiled and unable to eat the passover. So Pilate came outside to them and said, O. What charge do you bring against this man? N.  They replied,  If he were not a criminal, we should not be handing him over to you. N. Pilate said, O. Take him yourselves, and try him by your own Law. N. The Jews answered,  We are not allowed to put a man to death. N. This was to fulfil the words Jesus had spoken indicating the way he was going to die. So Pilate went back into the Praetorium and called Jesus to him, and asked, O. Are you the king of the Jews? N. Jesus replied,  Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me? N. Pilate answered, O. Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done? N. Jesus replied,  Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind. N. Pilate said, O. So you are a king, then? N. Jesus answered,  It is you who say it. Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice. N. Pilate said, O.Truth? What is that? N. and with that he went out again to the Jews and said, O. I find no case against him. But according to a custom of yours I should release one prisoner at the Passover; would you like me, then, to release the king of the Jews? N. At this they shouted:  Not this man, but Barabbas. N. Barabbas was a brigand. Pilate then had Jesus taken away and scourged; and after this, the soldiers twisted some thorns into a crown and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him and saying,   Hail, king of the Jews! N. and they slapped him in the face. Pilate came outside again and said to them, O. Look, I am going to bring him out to you to let you see that I find no case. N. Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said, O. Here is the man. N. When they saw him the chief priests and the guards shouted,  Crucify him! Crucify him! N.Pilate said, O. Take him yourselves and crucify him: I can find no case against him. N. The Jews replied,   We have a Law, and according to that Law he ought to die, because he has claimed to be the Son of God. N.  When Pilate heard them say this his fears increased. Re-entering the Praetorium, he said to Jesus O. Where do you come from? N. But Jesus made no answer. Pilate then said to him, O. Are you refusing to speak to me? Surely you know I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you? N. Jesus replied,  You would have no power over me if it had not been given you from above; that is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater guilt. N. From that moment Pilate was anxious to set him free, but the Jews shouted,  If you set him free you are no friend of Caesar’s; anyone who makes himself king is defying Caesar. N.  Hearing these words, Pilate had Jesus brought out, and seated himself on the chair of judgement at a place called the Pavement, in Hebrew Gabbatha. It was Passover Preparation Day, about the sixth hour. Pilate said to the Jews, O. Here is your king. N. They said, Take him away, take him away! Crucify him! N. Pilate said, O. Do you want me to crucify your king? N. The chief priests answered,  We have no king except Caesar. N. So in the end Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. They then took charge of Jesus, and carrying his own cross he went out of the city to the place of the skull or, as it was called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified him with two others, one on either side with Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote out a notice and had it fixed to the cross; it ran: ‘Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.’ This notice was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city, and the writing was in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. So the Jewish chief priests said to Pilate,   You should not write ‘King of the Jews,’ but ‘This man said: “I am King of the Jews.”’ N.  Pilate answered, O. What I have written, I have written. N.  When the soldiers had finished crucifying Jesus they took his clothing and divided it into four shares, one for each soldier. His undergarment was seamless, woven in one piece from neck to hem; so they said to one another,   Instead of tearing it, let’s throw dice to decide who is to have it. N. In this way the words of scripture were fulfilled: They shared out my clothing among them. They cast lots for my clothes. This is exactly what the soldiers did. 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. N. Then to the disciple he said,  This is your mother. N. 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. N. 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; N. and bowing his head he gave up his spirit.

 

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

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. This is the evidence of one who saw it – trustworthy evidence, and he knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well. Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture: Not one bone of his will be broken and again, in another place scripture says: They will look on the one whom they have pierced. After this, Joseph of Arimathaea, who was a disciple of Jesus – though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jews – asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission, so they came and took it away. Nicodemus came as well – the same one who had first come to Jesus at night-time – and he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, following the Jewish burial custom. At the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in this garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been buried. Since it was the Jewish Day of Preparation and the tomb was near at hand, they laid Jesus there.

 

Prayer after Communion

Almighty ever-living God, who have restored us to life by the blessed Death and Resurrection of your Christ, preserve in us the work of your mercy, that, by partaking of this mystery, we may have a life unceasingly devoted to you. Through Christ our Lord.  

 

Prayer over the People

May abundant blessing, O Lord, we pray, descend upon your people, who have honoured the Death of your Son in the hope of their resurrection: may pardon come, comfort be given, holy faith increase, and everlasting redemption be made secure. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Meditation

Today, as on every Good Friday, John the Evangelist’s passion narrative portrays Jesus as the beginning and the end. Today, there is no Eucharist but simply a communion service, with the Body of Christ from the Holy Thursday Eucharist. Jesus has conquered sin and death by shedding his blood on the cross, reconciling a broken world with the Father. Spend time in quiet reflection today. Let this sacrifice inspire us to battle resistance in our lives and forgive just as Jesus forgives. Christ’s passion is a shining hope to the oppressed of our society.

THURSDAY 01 APRIL

by | Mar 31, 2021 | Evangelium

HOLY THURSDAY (EASTER TRIDIUM)

ST. LASERIAN OR MOLAISE (D. 639)

He was born in Ireland, became a monk on Iona, and was ordained priest in Rome by St. Gregory the Great. He was active in promoting harmony between the Celtic and Roman churches on the date on which Easter should be celebrated.

White

Entrance Antiphon:  Cf. Gal 6: 14

We should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection, through whom we are saved and delivered.

 

Collect

O God, who have called us to participate in this most sacred Supper, in which your Only Begotten Son, when about to hand himself over to death, entrusted to the Church a sacrifice new for all eternity, the banquet of his love, grant, we pray, that we may draw from so great a mystery, the fullness of charity and of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

 

First reading: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: ‘This month is to be the first of all the others for you, the first month of your year. Speak to the whole community of Israel and say, “On the tenth day of this month each man must take an animal from the flock, one for each family: one animal for each household. If the household is too small to eat the animal, a man must join with his neighbour, the nearest to his house, as the number of persons requires. You must take into account what each can eat in deciding the number for the animal. It must be an animal without blemish, a male one year old; you may take it from either sheep or goats. You must keep it till the fourteenth day of the month when the whole assembly of the community of Israel shall slaughter it between the two evenings. Some of the blood must then be taken and put on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where it is eaten. That night, the flesh is to be eaten, roasted over the fire; it must be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. You shall eat it like this: with a girdle round your waist, sandals on your feet, a staff in your hand. You shall eat it hastily: it is a passover in honour of the Lord. That night, I will go through the land of Egypt and strike down all the first-born in the land of Egypt, man and beast alike, and I shall deal out punishment to all the gods of Egypt, I am the Lord! The blood shall serve to mark the houses that you live in. When I see the blood I will pass over you and you shall escape the destroying plague when I strike the land of Egypt. This day is to be a day of remembrance for you, and you must celebrate it as a feast in the Lord’s honour. For all generations you are to declare it a day of festival, for ever.”’

 

Psalm 115(116):12-13,15-18

R/      The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ.

1.      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.

2.      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.

3.      A thanksgiving sacrifice I make; I will call on the Lord’s name. My vows to the Lord I will fulfil before all his people.

 

Second reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death.

 

Gospel Acclamation: Jn 13:34

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus! I give you a new commandment: love one another just as I have loved you,  says the Lord. Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

 

Gospel: John 13:1-15

It was before the festival of the Passover, and Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had always loved those who were his in the world, but now he showed how perfect his love was. They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, and he got up from table, removed his outer garment and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist; he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ‘Never!’ said Peter ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus replied, ‘If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me.’ ‘Then, Lord,’ said Simon Peter ‘not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!’ Jesus said, ‘No one who has taken a bath needs washing, he is clean all over. You too are clean, though not all of you are.’ He knew who was going to betray him, that was why he said, ‘though not all of you are.’ When he had washed their feet and put on his clothes again he went back to the table. ‘Do you understand’ he said ‘what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am. If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.’

 

Communion Antiphon: 1 Cor 11: 24-25

This is the Body that will be given up for you; this is the Chalice of the new covenant in my Blood, says the Lord; do this, whenever you receive it, in memory of me.

 

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Grant us, O Lord, we pray, that we may participate worthily in these mysteries, for whenever the memorial of this sacrifice is celebrated the work of our redemption is accomplished. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon: 1 Cor 11: 24-25

This is the Body that will be given up for you; this is the Chalice of the new covenant in my Blood, says the Lord; do this, whenever you receive it, in memory of me.

 

Prayer after Communion

Grant, almighty God,  that, just as we are renewed by the Supper of your Son in this present age, so we may enjoy his banquet for all eternity. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

 

 

Meditation

Forty days have gone by and the Lenten season is over. Today marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum; the three days leading to the peak celebration of Easter: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Today, the Universal Church commemorates three great events: the washing of the feet, the institution of the sacraments of the Eucharist and Holy Orders. Jesus, by washing the feet of his apostles, teaches us love, humility and service. The Eucharist is the life wire of our Christian life. May God uphold the ministers of the Church and strengthen our commitment to the Holy Eucharist.

WEDNESDAY 31 MARCH

by | Mar 30, 2021 | Evangelium

St. Anicetus

Anicetus was a Syrian from Emesa. He became pope about 155. He actively opposed Marcionism and Gnosticism.

Violet

Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Phil 2: 10, 8, 11

At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend of those in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, for the Lord became obedient to death, death on a cross: therefore Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

Collect

O God, who willed your Son to submit for our sake to the yoke of the Cross, so that you might drive from us the power of the enemy, grant us, your servants, to attain the grace of the resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

 

First reading: Isaiah 50:4-9

The Lord has given me a disciple’s tongue. So that I may know how to reply to the wearied he provides me with speech. Each morning he wakes me to hear, to listen like a disciple. The Lord has opened my ear. For my part, I made no resistance, neither did I turn away. I offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who tore at my beard; I did not cover my face against insult and spittle. The Lord comes to my help, so that I am untouched by the insults. So, too, I set my face like flint; I know I shall not be shamed. My vindicator is here at hand. Does anyone start proceedings against me? Then let us go to court together. Who thinks he has a case against me? Let him approach me. The Lord is coming to my help, who will dare to condemn me?

 

Psalm 68(69):8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34

R/     In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour.

 

1.      It is for you that I suffer taunts, that shame covers my face, that I have become a stranger to my brothers an alien to my own mother’s sons. I burn with zeal for your house and taunts against you fall on me.

2.      Taunts have broken my heart; I have reached the end of my strength. I looked in vain for compassion, for consolers; not one could I find. For food they gave me poison; in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

3.      I will praise God’s name with a song; I will glorify him with thanksgiving. The poor when they see it will be glad and God-seeking hearts will revive; for the Lord listens to the needy and does not spurn his servants in their chains.

 

Gospel Acclamation

Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God! Hail to you, our King! Obedient to the Father, you were led to your crucifixion as a meek lamb is led to the slaughter. Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!

 

Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25

One of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?’ They paid him thirty silver pieces, and from that moment he looked for an opportunity to betray him. Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say, ‘Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the passover?’ ‘Go to so-and-so in the city,’ he replied,‘ and say to him, “The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples.”’ The disciples did what Jesus told them and prepared the Passover. When evening came he was at table with the twelve disciples. And while they were eating he said ‘I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me.’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not I, Lord, surely?’ He answered, ‘Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!’ Judas, who was to betray him; asked in his turn, ‘Not I, Rabbi, surely?’ ‘They are your own words; answered Jesus.

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Receive, O Lord, we pray, the offerings made here, and graciously grant that, celebrating your Son’s Passion in mystery, we may experience the grace of its effects. 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

Endow us, almighty God, with the firm conviction that through your Son’s Death in time, to which the revered mysteries bear witness, we may be assured of perpetual life. Through Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the People

Grant your faithful, O Lord, we pray, to partake unceasingly of the paschal mysteries and to await with longing the gifts to come, that, persevering in the Sacraments of their rebirth, they may be led by Lenten works to newness of life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

 

Meditation

Suffering is one of the things we do not readily accept. In moments of suffering we feel abandoned, lonely and pushed aside either by the situation or by anything or anyone who may have led us into such a situation. When these moments come, do we give up and think God has abandoned us, or do we wait patiently for God to act at His own time? Having in mind that God will never abandon us, let Christ be our reference and strength because suffering is inevitable.

MERCREDI 31 MARS

by | Mar 30, 2021 | Agenda Biblique

Mercredi saint

Saint Benjamin de Perse, Diacre et martyr

Dans le contexte d’une persécution atroce menée en Perse par le roi Yezdigerd, Benjamin fut arrêté, soumis à la torture et condamné à mort parce que sa prédication convertissait beaucoup de mages adeptes du dieu soleil. Il les inviter à adorer le Christ plutôt que le soleil.

Violet

Antienne  d’ouverture

Au nom de Jésus, que tout être vivant dans les cieux, sur la terre et dans l’abîme tombe à genoux. Pour s’être fait obéissant jusqu’à la mort, et la mort sur une croix, Jésus Christ est Seigneur, à la gloire de Dieu le Père.

 

Prière  d’ouverture :

Puisque tu as voulu, Seigneur, que ton Fils fût crucifié pour nous afin de nous arracher au pouvoir de Satan, fais que nous puissions recevoir la grâce de la résurrection. Par Jésus Christ.

 

1ère lecture : Is 50, 4-9a

Le Seigneur mon Dieu m’a donné le langage des disciples, pour que je puisse, d’une parole, soutenir celui qui est épuisé. Chaque matin, il éveille, il éveille mon oreille pour qu’en disciple, j’écoute. Le Seigneur mon Dieu m’a ouvert l’oreille, et moi, je ne me suis pas révolté, je ne me suis pas dérobé.   J’ai présenté mon dos à ceux qui me frappaient, et mes joues à ceux qui m’arrachaient la barbe. Je n’ai pas caché ma face devant les outrages et les crachats. Le Seigneur mon Dieu vient à mon secours ;  c’est pourquoi je ne suis pas atteint par les outrages, c’est pourquoi j’ai rendu ma face dure comme pierre : je sais que je ne serai pas confondu. Il est proche, Celui qui me justifie. Quelqu’un veut-il plaider contre moi ? Comparaissons ensemble! Quelqu’un veut-il m’attaquer en justice ? Qu’il s’avance vers moi ! Voilà le Seigneur mon Dieu, il prend ma défense ; qui donc me condamnera ?

 

Psaume : 68 (69), 8-10, 21-22, 31.33-34

R/ Dans ton grand amour, Dieu, réponds-moi ; c’est l’heure de ta grâce. (68, 14cb)

 

1.      C’est pour toi que j’endure l’insulte, que la honte me couvre le visage : je suis un étranger pour mes frères, un inconnu pour les fils de ma mère.

2.      L’amour de ta maison m’a perdu ; on t’insulte, et l’insulte retombe sur moi.

3.      L’insulte m’a broyé le cœur, le mal es  incurable ; j’espérais un secours, mais en vain, des consolateurs, je n’en ai pas trouvé.

4.      À mon pain, ils ont mêlé du poison; quand j’avais soif, ils m’ont donné du vinaigre. 

5.      Mais je louerai le nom de Dieu par un cantique, je vais le magnifier, lui rendre grâce. Les pauvres l’ont vu, ils sont en fête: « Vie et joie, à vous qui cherchez Dieu ! »

6.      Car le Seigneur écoute les humbles, il n’oublie pas les siens emprisonnés.

 

Acclamation :

Louange à toi, Seigneur, Roi d’éternelle gloire ! Salut, ô Christ notre Roi : obéissant au Père, comme l’agneau vers l’abattoir tu te laisses conduire à la croix. Louange à toi, Seigneur, Roi d’éternelle gloire !

 

Évangile : Mt 26, 14-25

En ce temps-là, l’un des Douze, nommé Judas Iscariote, se rendit chez les grands prêtres et leur dit : « Que voulez-vous me donner, si je vous le livre ? » Ils lui remirent trente pièces d’argent. Et depuis, Judas cherchait une occasion favorable pour le livrer. Le premier jour de la fête des pains sans levain, les disciples s’approchèrent et dirent à Jésus: « Où veux-tu que nous te fassions les préparatifs pour manger la Pâque ? » Il leur dit: « Allez à la ville, chez untel, et dites-lui: “Le Maître te fait dire: Mon temps est proche; c’est chez toi que je veux célébrer la Pâque avec mes disciples.” » Les disciples firent ce que Jésus leur avait prescrit et ils préparèrent la Pâque. Le soir venu, Jésus se trouvait à table avec les Douze. Pendant le repas, il déclara: « Amen, je vous le dis: l’un de vous va me livrer.» Profondément attristés, ils se mirent à lui demander, chacun son tour: « Serait-ce moi, Seigneur ? »  Prenant la parole, il dit: « Celui qui s’est servi au plat en même temps que moi, celui-là va me livrer. Le Fils de l’homme s’en va, comme il est écrit à son sujet; mais malheureux celui par qui le Fils de l’homme est livré! Il vaudrait mieux pour lui qu’il ne soit pas né, cet homme-là ! » Judas, celui qui le livrait, prit la parole : « Rabbi, serait-ce moi ? » Jésus lui répond : « C’est toi-même qui l’as dit ! »

 

Prière  sur  les  offrandes :

Accueille, Seigneur, le sacrifice que nous t’offrons, et mets en œuvre ta miséricorde : pour qu’en célébrant la passion de ton Fils, nous entrions dans son mystère d’amour. Lui qui.

 

Antienne  de  communion : Mt 20, 26

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 :

Seigneur notre Dieu, accorde-nous de croire vraiment que par la mort de ton Fils, subie autrefois sur le Calvaire, annoncée dans chaque Eucharistie, tu nous as donné la vie éternelle. Par Jésus.

 

 

 

Méditation

« Que me donnerez-vous si je vous le livre ? » demande Judas aux grands prêtres. « L’un de vous va me livrer? », annonce Jésus à ses disciples. En effet, à mesure que nous nous approchons des fêtes pascales, l’Eglise veut que nous méditions les derniers événements de la vie de Jésus avec ses disciples. Des événements emprunts de repas communautaire, de célébration de pâque ensemble, mais aussi de trahison, de reniement, de peur et d’angoisse, aussi bien pour les disciples que pour Jésus. L’objectif n’est certes pas que nous plongions dans l’angoisse et le mépris, mais bien au contraire, c’est qu’en les méditant, nous nous souvenions qu’avec le Christ, ces événements n’ont jamais eu le dernier mot. La Pâques de la résurrection, les apparitions et l’ascension vers le Père, voilà les derniers mots de la vie terrestre du Christ. Voilà donc ce qui aura le dernier mot de notre vie ancrée dans le Christ. Bonne montée vers Pâques !

TUESDAY 30 MARCH

by | Mar 29, 2021 | Evangelium

St. Peter Regulatus

He was a Franciscan reformer born in Valladolid, Spain into a wealthy family. In his convent he lived a life of prayer and poverty. Thirty-six years after his death his body was found untouched by nature.

Violet

Entrance Antiphon:  Cf. Ps 26: 12

Do not leave me to the will of my foes, O Lord, for false witnesses rise up against me and they breathe out violence.

 

Collect

Almighty ever-living God, grant us so to celebrate the mysteries of the Lord’s Passion that we may merit to receive your pardon. 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 49:1-6

Islands, listen to me, pay attention, remotest peoples. The Lord called me before I was born, from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name. He made my mouth a sharp sword, and hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into a sharpened arrow, and concealed me in his quiver. He said to me, ‘You are my servant (Israel) in whom I shall be glorified’; while I was thinking, ‘I have toiled in vain, I have exhausted myself for nothing’; and all the while my cause was with the Lord, my reward with my God. I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord, my God was my strength. And now the Lord has spoken, he who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, to gather Israel to him: ‘It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’

 

Psalm 70 (71):1-6, 15, 17

R/ My lips will tell of your help.

 

1.      In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your justice rescue me, free me: pay heed to me and save me.

2.      Be a rock where I can take refuge, a mighty stronghold to save me; for you are my rock, my stronghold. Free me from the hand of the wicked.

3.      It is you, O Lord, who are my hope, my trust, O Lord, since my youth. On you I have leaned from my birth, from my mother’s womb you have been my help.

4.      My lips will tell of your justice and day by day of your help. O God, you have taught me from my youth and I proclaim your wonders still.

 

Gospel Acclamation:

Glory and praise to you, O Christ! Hail to you, our King! Obedient to the Father, you were led to your crucifixion as a meek lamb is led to the slaughter. Glory and praise to you, O Christ!

 

Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38

While at supper with his disciples, Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, ‘I tell you most solemnly, one of you will betray me.’ The disciples looked at one another, wondering which he meant. The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus; Simon Peter signed to him and said, ‘Ask who it is he means’, so leaning back on Jesus’ breast he said, ‘Who is it, Lord?’ ‘It is the one,’ replied Jesus, ‘to whom I give the piece of bread that I shall dip in the dish.’ He dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly.’ None of the others at table understood the reason he said this. Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of them thought Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the festival’, or telling him to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. Night had fallen. When he had gone Jesus said: ‘Now has the Son of Man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified. If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself, and will glorify him very soon. ‘My little children, I shall not be with you much longer. You will look for me, And, as I told the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come.’ Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now; you will follow me later.’ Peter said to him, ‘Why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ ‘Lay down your life for me?’ answered Jesus. ‘I tell you most solemnly, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.’

 

Prayer over the Offerings

Look favourably, O Lord, we pray, on these offerings of your family, and to those you make partakers of these sacred gifts grant a share in their fullness. Through Christ our Lord.

 

Communion Antiphon: Rm 8: 32

God did not spare his own Son, but handed him over for us all.

 

Prayer after Communion

Nourished by your saving gifts, we beseech your mercy, Lord, that by this same Sacrament, with which you have fed us in the present age you may make us partakers of life eternal. Through Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the People

May your mercy, O God, cleanse the people that are subject to you from all seduction of former ways and make them capable of new holiness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

 

 

Meditation

Just like Peter, we only think like man and not like God. Peter tries to escape the pain attached to glory by trying to stop Jesus from saving mankind, when he hears that the son of man will suffer and die. Peter’s fear was Satan who stood in the way of God’s plans. We, too, are a stumbling block against the will of God in our very own lives and the lives of others. Bad choices in our lives only help us to be stumbling blocks to ourselves. This Holy Week is the time to make those choices right.

MARDI 30 MARS

by | Mar 29, 2021 | Agenda Biblique

Mardi saint

Bienheureux Amédée IX

A 17 ans, celui qui était Duc de Savoie épousa la sœur du roi Louis XII. Ils eurent sept enfants et formèrent un ménage heureux. Atteint d’épilepsie, il accepta cette maladie comme une participation à la souffrance du Christ. Il mourut en 1472.

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Antienne  d’ouverture : Ps 26, 11-12

Montre-moi, Seigneur, ton chemin, conduis-moi par des routes sûres, malgré ceux qui me guettent. Ne me laisse pas à la merci de l’adversaire.

 

Prière  d’ouverture

Aide-nous, Dieu éternel et tout-puissant, à célébrer les mystères de la passion du Seigneur de telle sorte que nous obtenions le pardon. Par Jésus Christ.

 

1ère lecture : Is 49, 1-6

Écoutez-moi, îles lointaines ! Peuples éloignés, soyez attentifs ! J’étais encore dans le sein maternel quand le Seigneur m’a appelé ; j’étais encore dans les entrailles de ma mère quand il a prononcé mon nom. Il a fait de ma bouche une épée tranchante, il m’a protégé par l’ombre de sa main ; il a fait de moi une flèche acérée, il m’a caché dans son carquois. Il m’a dit : Tu es mon serviteur, Israël, en toi je  manifesterai ma splendeur. » Et moi, je disais : « Je me suis fatigué pour rien, c’est pour le néant, c’est en pure perte que j’ai usé mes forces. » Et pourtant, mon droit subsistait auprès du Seigneur, ma récompense, auprès de mon Dieu. Maintenant le Seigneur parle, lui qui m’a façonné dès le sein de ma mère pour que je sois son serviteur, que je lui ramène Jacob, que je lui rassemble Israël. Oui, j’ai de la valeur aux yeux du Seigneur, c’est mon Dieu qui est ma force. Et il dit : « C’est trop peu que tu sois mon serviteur pour relever les tribus de Jacob, ramener les rescapés d’Israël : je fais de toi la lumière des nations, pour que mon salut parvienne jusqu’aux extrémités de la terre. »

 

Psaume : 70 (71), 1-2, 3, 5a. 6, 15ab. 17

R/ Ma bouche annonce ton salut, Seigneur.  cf. 70,15ab

1.      En toi, Seigneur, j’ai mon refuge: garde-moi d’être humilié pour toujours. Dans ta justice, défends-moi, libère-moi, tends l’oreille vers moi, et sauve-moi.

2. Sois le rocher qui m’accueille, toujours accessible ; tu as résolu de me sauver : ma forteresse et mon roc, c’est toi !

3. Seigneur mon Dieu, tu es mon espérance, Toi, mon soutien dès avant ma naissance, tu m’as choisi dès le ventre de ma mère ; tu seras ma louange toujours !

4.      Ma bouche annonce tout le jour tes actes de justice et de salut; Mon Dieu, tu m’as instruit dès ma jeunesse, jusqu’à présent, j’ai proclamé tes merveilles.

 

Acclamation

Louange à toi, Seigneur, Roi d’éternelle gloire! Salut, ô Christ, notre Roi : obéissant au Père ; comme l’agneau vers l’abattoir, tu te laisses conduire à la croix. Louange à toi, Seigneur, Roi d’éternelle gloire!

 

Évangile : Jn 13, 21-33. 36-38

En ce temps-là, au cours du repas que Jésus prenait avec ses disciples, il fut bouleversé en son esprit, et il rendit ce témoignage : « Amen, amen, je vous le dis : l’un de vous me livrera. » Les disciples se regardaient les uns les autres avec embarras, ne sachant pas de qui Jésus parlait. Il y avait à table,  appuyé contre Jésus, l’un de ses disciples, celui que Jésus aimait. Simon-Pierre lui fait signe de  demander à Jésus de qui il veut parler. Le disciple se penche donc sur la poitrine de Jésus et lui dit : « Seigneur, qui est-ce ? » Jésus lui répond : « C’est celui à qui je donnerai la bouchée que je vais tremper dans le plat. » Il trempe la bouchée, et la donne à Judas, fils de Simon l’Iscariote. Et, quand Judas eut pris la bouchée, Satan entra en lui. Jésus lui dit alors : « Ce que tu fais, fais-le vite. » Mais aucun des convives ne comprit pourquoi il lui avait dit cela. Comme Judas tenait la bourse  commune, certains pensèrent que Jésus voulait lui dire d’acheter ce qu’il fallait pour la fête, ou de donner quelque chose aux pauvres. Judas prit donc la bouchée, et sortit aussitôt. Or il faisait nuit. Quand il fut sorti, Jésus déclara : « Maintenant le Fils de l’homme est glorifié, et Dieu est glorifié en lui. Si Dieu est glorifié en lui, Dieu aussi le glorifiera ; et il le glorifiera bientôt. Petits enfants, c’est  pour peu de temps encore que je suis avec vous. Vous me chercherez, et, comme je l’ai dit aux Juifs : “Là où je vais, vous ne pouvez pas aller”, je vous le dis maintenant à vous aussi. » Simon-Pierre lui dit : « Seigneur, où vas-tu ? » Jésus lui répondit : « Là où je vais, tu ne peux pas me suivre maintenant ; tu me suivras plus tard. » Pierre lui dit : « Seigneur, pourquoi ne puis-je pas te suivre à présent ? Je  donnerai ma vie pour toi ! » Jésus réplique : « Tu donneras ta vie pour moi ? Amen, amen, je te le dis : le coq ne chantera pas avant que tu m’aies renié trois fois. » 

 

Prière  sur  les  offrandes

Regarde avec amour, Seigneur, le sacrifice offert par ta famille ; toi qui nous donnes déjà de participer à tes sacrements, accorde-nous encore la grâce de parvenir aux biens dont ils sont le signe. Par Jésus.

 

Antienne  de  communion

Dieu n’a pas refusé son propre Fils, il l’a livré pour nous tous : en nous le donnant, il nous a tout donné.

 

Prière  après  la  communion

Tu nous as nourris, Seigneur, de ton Eucharistie, et nous en appelons à ta miséricorde : par le sacrement, qui déjà nous donne ta force, rends-nous participants de la vie éternelle. Par Jésus.

 

 

 

Méditation

L’instant ultime où  Jésus assume le projet de son Père est arrivé. Les disciples et les apôtres participent à ce projet non seulement comme observateurs avertis, mais aussi comme acteurs directs. Pierre et Judas chacun en ce qui le concerne, répond respectivement à cet appel par une reconnaissance et un refus. Regardons Pierre, chez lui, le courage et la foi participe à cette attitude d’humilité que nous sommes appelés à suivre. Judas ne s’arrête pas à la reconnaissance de ses limites, il va sans regret jusqu’au bout de son aveuglement. Cependant, l’amour de Pierre pour le Christ est chargé de confiance, il pleure amèrement parce qu’il n’a pas été capable de résister à ses faiblesses. Malgré cela, il se remet dans la foi à la volonté du Père pour que son règne arrive. Pierre devient « la flèche acérée », le serviteur indispensable malgré les faiblesses de sa personne.