by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 10, 2022 | Evangelium
Sunday 11 th december 2022
3rd Sunday of Advent, Violet
Psalter III
Entrance Antiphon : Phil 4: 4-5
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.
Collect
O God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s Nativity, enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing. 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 35:1-6,10
Let the wilderness and the dry-lands exult, let the wasteland rejoice and bloom, let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil, let it rejoice and sing for joy. The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it, the splendour of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, the splendour of our God. Strengthen all weary hands, steady all trembling knees and say to all faint hearts, ‘Courage! Do not be afraid. ‘Look, your God is coming, vengeance is coming, the retribution of God; he is coming to save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed, then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy for those the Lord has ransomed shall return. They will come to Zion shouting for joy, everlasting joy on their faces; joy and gladness will go with them and sorrow and lament be ended.
Psalm 145(146):6-10
R/ Come, Lord, and save us.
- It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever, who is just to those who are oppressed. It is he who gives bread to the hungry, the Lord, who sets prisoners free,
- It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind, who raises up those who are bowed down, the Lord, who protects the stranger and upholds the widow and orphan.
- It is the Lord who loves the just but thwarts the path of the wicked. The Lord will reign for ever, Zion’s God, from age to age.
Second reading : James 5:7-10
Be patient, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. Think of a farmer: how patiently he waits for the precious fruit of the ground until it has had the autumn rains and the spring rains! You too have to be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord’s coming will be soon. Do not make complaints against one another, brothers, so as not to be brought to judgement yourselves; the Judge is already to be seen waiting at the gates. For your example, brothers, in submitting with patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation : Is61:1(Lk4:18)
Alleluia, alleluia! The spirit of the Lord has been given to me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 11:2-11
John in his prison had heard what Christ was doing and he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or have we got to wait for someone else?’ Jesus answered, ‘Go back and tell John what you hear and see; the blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised to life and the Good News is proclaimed to the poor; and happy is the man who does not lose faith in me.’ As the messengers were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the people about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? No? Then what did you go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? Oh no, those who wear fine clothes are to be found in palaces. Then what did you go out for? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet: he is the one of whom scripture says: ‘Look, I am going to send my messenger before you; he will prepare your way before you. ‘I tell you solemnly, of all the children born of women, a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May the sacrifice of our worship, Lord, we pray, be offered to you unceasingly, to complete what was begun in sacred mystery and powerfully accomplish for us your saving work. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Is 35: 4
Say to the faint of heart: Be strong and do not fear. Behold, our God will come, and he will save us.
Prayer after Communion
We implore your mercy, Lord, that this divine sustenance may cleanse us of our faults and prepare us for the coming feasts. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
When Jesus comes into our lives, he brings complete renewal: comfort and peace where there is sorrow, confidence where there is doubt, courage where there is fear, holiness where there is sin. He comes to open our eyes so that we may see and love him in our neighbours, to open our ears to hear his voice and allow it to transform our lives, to lift us up in our difficulties so that we can walk again, to cleanse us of the leprosy of pride and every impurity, to loosen our tongues so we can speak words of peace, consolation and encouragement to everyone. Wherever Jesus is present, there is new life; let us embrace this new life today.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 9, 2022 | Agenda Biblique
Samedi 10 decembre 2022
Ste Eulalie
En 304, elle eut pour compagne de martyre sainte Julie de Merida. Elle avait en effet treize ans quand elle fut condamnée à mourir brûlée sur un bûcher.
Antienne d’ouverture : Ps 79, 4. 2
Viens, Seigneur, montre-nous ton visage, et nous serons sauvés.
Prière d’ouverture
Nous t’en prions Dieu, Dieu tout-puissant, que la splendeur de ta gloire se lève en nos cœurs : et l’avènement de ton Fils unique, dissipant les dernières ombres de la nuit, fera voir au grand jour que nous sommes fils de ta lumière. Par Jésus Christ.
1ère lecture : Si 48, 1-4.9-11
En ce temps-là, le prophète Élie surgit comme un feu, sa parole brûlait comme une torche. Il fit venir la famine sur les hommes d’Israël, et, dans son ardeur, en fit périr un grand nombre. Par la parole du Seigneur, il ferma le ciel, et à trois reprises il en fit descendre le feu. Comme tu étais redoutable, Élie, dans tes prodiges ! Qui pourrait se glorifier d’être ton égal ? Toi qui fus emporté dans un tourbillon de feu par un char aux coursiers de feu ; toi qui fus préparé pour la fin des temps, ainsi qu’il est écrit, afin d’apaiser la colère avant qu’elle n’éclate, afin de ramener le cœur des pères vers les fils et de rétablir les tribus de Jacob, heureux ceux qui te verront, heureux ceux qui se sont endormis dans l’amour du Seigneur, car nous aussi nous posséderons la vraie vie.
Psaume : 79, 2ac.3bc, 15-16a, 18-19
R/ Dieu fais-nous revenir à toi, que ton visage s ’éclaire, et nous serons sauvés
- Berger d’Israël, écoute, resplendis au-dessus des Kéroubim. Réveille ta vaillance et viens nous sauver.
- Dieu de l’univers, reviens ! Du haut des cieux, regarde et vois: visite cette vigne, protège-la, celle qu’a plantée ta main puissante.
- Que ta main soutienne ton protégé, le fils de l’homme qui te doit sa force. Jamais plus nous n’irons loin de toi : fais-nous vivre et invoquer ton nom!
Acclamation
Alléluia. Alléluia Préparez le chemin du Seigneur, aplanissez la route : tout homme verra le salut de Dieu. Alléluia. (cf. Lc 3, 4.6)
Évangile : Mt 17, 10-13
Les disciples interrogèrent Jésus : Pourquoi donc les scribes disent-ils que le prophète Élie doit venir d’abord ?» Jésus leur répondit : «Élie va venir pour remettre tout en place. Mais, je vous le déclare: Élie est déjà venu ; au lieu de le reconnaître, ils lui ont fait tout ce qu’ils ont voulu. Le Fils de l’homme, lui aussi, va souffrir par eux.» Alors les disciples comprirent qu’il leur parlait de Jean le Baptiste.
Prière sur les offrandes
Permets, Seigneur, que le sacrifice de nos eucharisties te soit toujours offert dans ton Église, pour accomplir le sacrement que tu nous as donné et pour réaliser la merveille de notre salut. Par Jésus.
Antienne de la communion : Ap 22, 12
Voici que je viens sans tarder, dit le Seigneur, et j’apporte avec moi le salaire que je vais donner a chacun selon ce qu’il aura.
Prière après la communion
Seigneur notre Dieu, nous attendons de ta miséricorde que cette nourriture prise à ton autel nous empêche de céder à nos penchants mauvais et nous prépare aux fêtes qui approchent. Par Jésus.
Méditation
L’homme est toujours à la recherche des signes et de preuves pour croire. Même les disciples du Christ ne parviennent pas à reconnaître, par les signes qu’il opère, le Messie est au milieu d’eux. Ils n’en sont pas certains car ils n’ont pas vu le prophète Eli dont le retour avait été annoncé comme signe avant-coureur de l’arrivée du Messie. Le retour d’Eli hantait la conscience du peuple constamment dans l’attente de ce retour. Il est dit qu’Eli n’était pas mort, il avait été emporté dans un tourbillon de feu. Selon Ben Sirac, il était supposé revenir pour apaiser la colère prête à éclater. Les juifs, tout comme les disciples de Jésus, prenaient cette prophétie en sa matérialité. Eli était la préfiguration de Jean Baptiste. Autrement dit, il y a quelque chose de commun entre Eli et Jean. Nous te bénissons Seigneur pour les enseignements de Jean qui brûle nos cœurs et nous appelle à revenir à toi. Dirige notre attention vers lui et aide-nous à ne pas résister à mettre en application ces enseignements du précurseur. Guéris-nous de la distraction qui nous fait manquer à la lecture des signes des temps.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 9, 2022 | Evangelium
Saturday 10 th december 2022
St. Melchiades
(d. 314)
Born in Africa, Melchiades was pope in Rome when the Church obtained its freedom after centuries of persecution. He ordered the construction of many churches and was the first pope to occupy the cathedral of St John Lateran. He was pope for only 3 years.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 79: 4, 2
Come and show us your face, O Lord, who are seated upon the Cherubim, and we will be saved.
Collect
May the splendour of your glory dawn in our hearts, we pray, almighty God, that all shadows of the night may be scattered and we may be shown to be children of light by the advent of your Only Begotten Son. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Ecclesiasticus 48:1-4. 9-11
The prophet Elijah arose like a fire, his word flaring like a torch. It was he who brought famine on them, and who decimated them in his zeal. By the word of the Lord, he shut up the heavens, he also, three times, brought down fire. How glorious you were in your miracles, Elijah! Has anyone reason to boast as you have? – taken up in the whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses; designated in the prophecies of doom to allay God’s wrath before the fury breaks, to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children, and to restore the tribes of Jacob. Happy shall they be who see you, and those who have fallen asleep in love.
Psalm 79
R/ God of hosts, bring us back;let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
- O shepherd of Israel, hear us, shine forth from your cherubim throne. O Lord, rouse up your might, O Lord, come to our help.
- God of hosts, turn again, we implore, look down from heaven and see. Visit this vine and protect it, the vine your right hand has planted.
- May your hand be on the man you have chosen, the man you have given your strength. And we shall never forsake you again: give us life that we may call upon your name.
Gospel Acclamation : Lk 3:4.6
Alleluia, alleluia! Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight. And all mankind shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 17:10-13
As they came down from the mountain the disciples put this question to Jesus, ‘Why do the Scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True,’ he replied; ‘Elijah is to come to see that everything is once more as it should be; however, I tell you that Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him but treated him as they pleased; and the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands.’ The disciples understood then that he had been speaking of John the Baptist.
Prayer over the Offerings
May the sacrifice of our worship, Lord, we pray, be offered to you unceasingly, to complete what was begun in sacred mystery, and powerfully accomplish for us your saving work. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Rv 22: 12
Behold, I am coming soon and my recompense is with me, says the Lord, to bestow a reward according to the deeds of each.
Prayer after Communion
We implore your mercy, Lord, that this divine sustenance may cleanse us of our faults and prepare us for the coming feasts. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
According to Scripture, the prophet Elijah was supposed to return to prepare the people for the day of the Lord. This prophecy was fulfilled by John the Baptist, who came and exhorted the Jews to repent. But the people did not listen to him. Advent is a time for us to seek the face of God. In order to do this we need to listen to God’s message. God speaks to us in Scripture, through our pastors, through our parents and educators, and through every person who invites us to do what is right and abstain from what is wrong. May he give us the grace to listen to his messengers, so that through them his message may penetrate our hearts and transform our lives.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 8, 2022 | Agenda Biblique
Vendredi 09 decembre 2022
Ste Léocadie,
Vierge et Martyre
Sommée de renier sa foi, elle refusa de s’exécuter. Elle fut en guise de représailles bastonnée publiquement, humiliée avant d’être tuée.
Antienne d’ouverture
Voici que le Seigneur viendra. Dans la lumière il vient, pour visiter son peuple, pour lui donner la paix et la vie éternelle.
Prière d’ouverture
Tiens ton peuple éveillé, Seigneur, pour la venue de ton Fils ; puissions-nous, fidèles à son avertissement, garder au cœur toutes lumières de foi et d’amour pour nous porter à sa rencontre. Lui qui règne.
1ère lecture : Is 48, 17-19
Ainsi parle le Seigneur, ton Rédempteur, le Dieu Saint d’Israël : Je suis le Seigneur ton Dieu, qui te donne un enseignement salutaire, qui te guide sur le chemin où tu marches. Si tu avais été attentif à mes commandements, ta paix serait comme un fleuve, ta justice comme les flots de la mer. Ta postérité serait comme le sable, et tes descendants nombreux comme les grains de sable ; ton nom ne serait ni retranché ni effacé devant moi.
Psaume : 1, 1ab.2, 3, 4.6
R/ Qui marche à ta suite, Seigneur, aura la lumière de la vie.
- Heureux est l’homme qui n’entre pas au conseil des méchants, qui ne suit pas le chemin des pécheurs, mais se plaît dans la loi du Seigneur et murmure sa loi jour et nuit !
- 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 : ils sont comme la paille balayée par le vent. Le Seigneur connaît le chemin des justes, mais le chemin des méchants se perdra.
Acclamation
Alléluia. Alléluia Le Seigneur vient: allez à sa rencontre! C’est lui le Prince de la paix. Alléluia.
Évangile : Mt 11, 16-19
Jésus déclarait aux foules : « À qui vais-je comparer cette génération ? Elle ressemble à des gamins assis sur les places, qui en interpellent d’autres : ‘Nous vous avons joué de la flûte, et vous n’avez pas dansé. Nous avons entonné des chants de deuil, et vous ne vous êtes pas frappé la poitrine.’ Jean Baptiste est venu, en effet ; il ne mange pas, il ne boit pas, et l’on dit : ‘C’est un possédé’ ! Le Fils de l’homme est venu : il mange et il boit, et l’on dit : ‘C’est un glouton et un ivrogne, un ami des publicains et des pécheurs.’ Mais la sagesse de Dieu se révèle juste à travers ce qu’elle fait. »
Prière sur les offrandes
Laisse-toi fléchir, Seigneur, par nos prières et nos pauvres offrandes; Nous ne pouvons pas invoquer nos mérites, viens par ta grâce à notre secours. Par Jésus.
Antienne de la communion : Ph 3, 20-21
Nous attendons notre Sauveur, le Seigneur Jésus Christ, lui qui transformera nos pauvres corps à l’image de son corps glorieux.
Prière après la communion
Pleins de reconnaissance pour cette eucharistie, nous te prions encore, Seigneur: Apprends-nous, dans la communion à ce mystère, le vrai sens des choses de ce monde et l’amour des biens éternels. Par Jésus.
Méditation
Les deux lectures de ce matin font transparaître une certaine déception de Dieu. Dieu, à travers le prophète Isaïe, reproche à Israël de n’avoir pas écouté et mis en pratique ses commandements. La conséquence est qu’il a perdu la paix, la justice, et cela compromet sa descendance. Le Christ comme Isaïe rabroue aussi ses contemporains pour leurs comportements. Ces hommes intempérants passent le temps à dénoncer sans proposer, à ne voir que le mal partout. Jean est venu, il était un ascète, les gens lui ont collé le sobriquet de possédé. Jésus est venu, fréquentant les marginalisés, défendant les pauvres et acceptant toute invitation. On lui colle le sobriquet de glouton. Cette génération ne trouve que des tares à tous ceux qui leur sont envoyés. Jean prêchait la conversion pour la rémission des péchés et Jésus proclamait la présence du règne de Dieu au milieu de son peuple accompagné par la guérison des malades et des possédés, la résurrection des morts et le pardon des péchés. L’esprit des contemporains de Jésus se manifeste encore aujourd’hui. Les messages de paix sont boudés, les nations rivalisent les unes avec les autres. La conséquence en est l’appauvrissement autant moral que physique.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 8, 2022 | Evangelium
Friday 09 th december 2022
St. Juan Diego
Cuauhtlatoatzin
(1474 – 1548)
He was born in 1474 in Mexico. As an adult he embraced Christianity and he and his wife were baptized. In 1531 the Mother of God appeared to him. Through the purity of his faith, his humility and his fervour, a church was built, in honour of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He devoted himself to the care of the sanctuary and the reception of pilgrims until his death in 1548.
Entrance Antiphon
Behold, the Lord will come descending with splendour to visit his people with peace, and he will bestow on them eternal life.
Collect
Grant that your people, we pray, almighty God, may be ever watchful for the coming of your Only Begotten Son, that, as the author of our salvation himself has taught us, we may hasten, alert and with lighted lamps, to meet him when he comes. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Isaiah 48:17-19
Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you, I lead you in the way that you must go. If only you had been alert to my commandments, your happiness would have been like a river, your integrity like the waves of the sea. Your children would have been numbered like the sand, your descendants as many as its grains. Never would your name have been cut off or blotted out before me.
Psalm 1:1-4,6
R/ Anyone who follows you, O Lord, will have the light of life.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Alleluia, alleluia! See, the king, the Lord of the world, will come. He will free us from the yoke of our bondage. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 11:16-19
Jesus spoke to the crowds: ‘What description can I find for this generation? It is like children shouting to each other as they sit in the market place: “We played the pipes for you, and you wouldn’t dance; we sang dirges, and you wouldn’t be mourners.” ‘For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He is possessed.” The Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet wisdom has been proved right by her actions.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Be pleased, O Lord, with our humble prayers and offerings, and, since we have no merits to plead our cause, come, we pray, to our rescue with the protection of your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Phil 3: 20-21
We await a saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our mortal bodies, to conform with his glorified body.
Prayer after Communion
Replenished by the food of spiritual nourishment, we humbly beseech you, O Lord, that, through our partaking in this mystery, you may teach us to judge wisely the things of earth and hold firm to the things of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Being a Christian is not fashionable these days. Those who strive to live according to God’s law are mocked, despised and persecuted. Even within the church, many people choose which rules to follow and reject those which are not convenient for them. The usual justification is: God alone will judge; salvation is personal. God’s Word today is clear: those who obey God’s commandments will be blessed. They will succeed where others fail, they will stand firm when others stumble. Let us not be like the people of Jesus’ day, who always found an excuse to ridicule God’s messengers. Let us meditate on God’s Word and obey it, and we will reap the fruits of joy and fulfilment.
