by L'équipe de publication | Feb 27, 2025 | Evangelium
Saint Oswald (-992)
Psalter: Week III
Green
In 972 he became Archbishop of York. He had a special love of the poor; in Lent he would wash the feet of twelve poor men every day. He died at Worcester on 28 February 992.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 12: 6
O Lord, I trust in your merciful love. My heart will rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord who has been bountiful with me.
Collect
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, always pondering spiritual things, we may carry out in both word and deed that which is pleasing to you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Ecclesiasticus 6:5-17
A kindly turn of speech multiplies a man’s friends, and a courteous way of speaking invites many a friendly reply. Let your acquaintances be many, but your advisers one in a thousand. If you want to make a friend, take him on trial, and be in no hurry to trust him;
for one kind of friend is only so when it suits him but will not stand by you in your day of trouble. Another kind of friend will fall out with you and to your dismay make the quarrel public, and a third kind of friend will share your table, but not stand by you in your day of trouble: when you are doing well he will be your second self, ordering your servants about; but if ever you are brought low he will turn against you and will hide himself from you. Keep well clear of your enemies, and be wary of your friends. A faithful friend is a sure shelter, whoever finds one has found a rare treasure. A faithful friend is something beyond price, there is no measuring his worth. A faithful friend is the elixir of life, and those who fear the Lord will find one. Whoever fears the Lord makes true friends, for as a man is, so is his friend.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118(119):12,16,18,27,34-35
R/ Guide me, Lord, in the path of your commands.
Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes. I take delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
Open my eyes that I may see the wonders of your law. Make me grasp the way of your precepts and I will muse on your wonders.
Train me to observe your law, to keep it with my heart. Guide me in the path of your commands; for there is my delight.
Gospel Acclamation: Ps110:7,8
Alleluia, alleluia! Your precepts, O Lord, are all of them sure; they stand firm for ever and ever. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 10:1-12
Jesus came to the district of Judaea and the far side of the Jordan. And again crowds gathered round him, and again he taught them, as his custom was. Some Pharisees approached him and asked, ‘Is it against the law for a man to divorce his wife?’ They were testing him. He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ ‘Moses allowed us’ they said ‘to draw up a writ of dismissal and so to divorce.’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘It was because you were so unteachable that he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. This is why a man must leave father and mother, and the two become one body. They are no longer two, therefore, but one body. So then, what God has united, man must not divide.’ Back in the house the disciples questioned him again about this, and he said to them, ‘The man who divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another she is guilty of adultery too.’
Prayer over the Offerings
As we celebrate your mysteries, O Lord, with the observance that is your due, we humbly ask you, that what we offer to the honour of your majesty may profit us for salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 9: 2-3
I will recount all your wonders, I will rejoice in you and be glad, and sing psalms to your name, O Most High.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we may experience the effects of the salvation which is pledged to us by these mysteries. Through Christ our Lord
Meditation
The rampant multiplication of divorce cases in our societies cannot be overlooked. It has become more of an appealing lifestyle than an appalling taboo to many. Today, more than ever, there is a tendency for individuals to normalise what was once considered scandalous. This shift in perspective contributes to the sharp rise in evil and crime waves, involving slander, theft, blackmail, murder, corruption, infidelity, to name just a few. Bad company plays a significant role in influencing these behaviours, as highlighted in the first reading, which cautions against the poison of bad friends. It encourages us to fear God, emphasising the importance of finding the rare treasure of a good friend. The Gospel further underscores the irresponsibility that has led to the decline in morality, contributing to the societal ills we face. Our deafness to God’s laws has led people to legalise practices that go against the very nature of humanity. Let us fervently pray for fidelity to God’s ways, and act rightly to defend the dignity of every person.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 26, 2025 | Evangelium
Saint Leander of Seville
Psalter: Week III
Green
Leander was born in the year 534 in Carthage. Leander became a Benedictine monk and in 579 was made Bishop of Seville. Leander is responsible for introducing the Nicene Creed at Mass. Leander died around the year 600 and was succeeded by his brother, Isidore.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 12: 6
O Lord, I trust in your merciful love. My heart will rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord who has been bountiful with me.
Collect
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, always pondering spiritual things, we may carry out in both word and deed that which is pleasing to you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Ecclesiasticus 5:1-10
Do not give your heart to your money, or say, ‘With this I am self-sufficient.’ Do not be led by your appetites and energy to follow the passions of your heart. And do not say, ‘Who has authority over me?’ for the Lord will certainly be avenged on you. Do not say, ‘I sinned, and what happened to me?’ for the Lord’s forbearance is long. Do not be so sure of forgiveness that you add sin to sin. And do not say, ‘His compassion is great, he will forgive me my many sins’; for with him are both mercy and wrath, and his rage bears heavy on sinners. Do not delay your return to the Lord, do not put it off day after day;
for suddenly the Lord’s wrath will blaze out, and at the time of vengeance you will be utterly destroyed. Do not set your heart on ill-gotten gains, they will be of no use to you on the day of disaster.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1:1-4,6
R/ Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
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: cf.Lk8:15
Alleluia, alleluia! Blessed are those who, with a noble and generous heart, take the word of God to themselves and yield a harvest through their perseverance. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 9:41-50
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward. ‘But anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck. And if your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that cannot be put out. And if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where their worm does not die nor their fire go out. For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is a good thing, but if salt has become insipid, how can you season it again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.’
Prayer over the Offerings
As we celebrate your mysteries, O Lord, with the observance that is your due, we humbly ask you, that what we offer to the honour of your majesty may profit us for salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 9: 2-3
I will recount all your wonders, I will rejoice in you and be glad, and sing psalms to your name, O Most High.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we may experience the effects of the salvation which is pledged to us by these mysteries. Through Christ our Lord
Meditation
Taking the words of the Gospel literally can be misleading in several ways. Nonetheless, careful attention must be paid to the advice given therein, that is warning against the tricks of the tempter, and of the circumstances that lead to sin. The metaphorical acts of cutting off one’s hand or foot, or tearing out one’s eye, merely symbolise detaching oneself from the comforts, desires, and carnal pleasures that deviate from God’s laws, such as bad company, theft, violence, masturbation, lust, among others. It is crucial to discipline our appetites and all our energy in ways that align with our knowledge of God. The advice from Ecclesiasticus in today’s first reading serves as an excellent example of guidelines we can follow to accomplish this project. May our lives enhance the experience of others through the virtues we practice, including justice, peace, equity, and solidarity, among other virtues.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 25, 2025 | Agenda Biblique
Saint nestor
Psautier: III
Vert
Il était évêque de Magydos, dans le Sud de l’actuelle Turquie, quand éclata la persécution de Dèce. Nombreux furent alors les chrétiens qui apostasièrent pour sauver leur vie. Craignant que ses fidèles n’en fassent autant, il leur conseilla des fuir et lui-même se laissa arrêter. Conduit devant le gouverneur, il fut condamné à mourir, comme son maître, par crucifixion.
Antienne d’ouverture : PS 12, 6
Seigneur, je suis sûr de ton amour: mon cœur est dans la joie, car tu me sauves ; je veux chanter au Seigneur tout le bien qu’il m’a fait.
Prière d’ouverture
Accorde-nous, Dieu tout-puissant, de conformer à ta volonté nos paroles et nos actes dans une inlassable recherche des biens spirituels. Par Jésus.
1ère lecture : Si 4, 11-19
La sagesse conduit ses fils à la grandeur, elle prend soin de ceux qui la cherchent. L’aimer, c’est aimer la vie ; ceux qui la cherchent dès l’aurore seront comblés de bonheur ; celui qui la possède obtiendra la gloire en héritage ; là où il entre, le Seigneur donne sa bénédiction. Ceux qui rendent un culte à la sagesse célèbrent le Dieu saint, ceux qui l’aiment sont aimés du Seigneur ; celui qui l’écoute jugera les nations, celui qui s’attache à elle sera en sécurité dans sa demeure. S’il se confie en elle, il en prendra possession, et tous ses descendants la recevront en héritage. Pour commencer, elle le conduira par des chemins sinueux, elle fera venir sur lui la peur et l’appréhension, elle le tourmentera par la sévérité de son éducation, jusqu’à ce qu’elle puisse lui faire confiance ; elle l’éprouvera par ses exigences. Puis elle reviendra tout droit vers lui, elle le comblera de bonheur en lui dévoilant ses secrets. Mais s’il s’égare loin d’elle, elle l’abandonnera et le laissera aller à sa perte.
Psaume : 118 (119), 165.168, 171-172, 174-175
R/ Grande est la paix de qui aime ta loi, Seigneur. (Ps 118, 165a)
Grande est la paix de qui aime ta loi ; jamais il ne trébuche.
J’observe tes exigences et tes préceptes : toutes mes voies sont devant toi.
Que chante sur mes lèvres ta louange, car tu m’apprends tes commandements.
Que ma langue redise tes promesses, car tout est justice en tes volontés.
J’ai le désir de ton salut, Seigneur : ta loi fait mon plaisir.
Que je vive et que mon âme te loue ! Tes décisions me soient en aide !
Acclamation
Alléluia. Alléluia. Moi, je suis le Chemin, la Vérité et la Vie, dit le Seigneur. Personne ne va vers le Père sans passer par moi. Alléluia. (Jn 14, 6)
Évangile : Mc 9, 38-40
En ce temps-là, Jean, l’un des Douze, disait à Jésus : « Maître, nous avons vu quelqu’un expulser les démons en ton nom ; nous l’en avons empêché, car il n’est pas de ceux qui nous suivent. » Jésus répondit : « Ne l’en empêchez pas, car celui qui fait un miracle en mon nom ne peut pas, aussitôt après, mal parler de moi ; celui qui n’est pas contre nous est pour nous. »
Prière sur les offrandes
En célébrant avec respect tes mystères, Seigneur, nous te supplions humblement : que les dons offerts pour te glorifier servent à notre salut. Par Jésus.
Antienne de la communion : Ps 9, 2
De toute mon âme, Seigneur, je rendrai grâce en proclamant tes innombrables merveilles ; j’exulterai, je danserai auprès de toi, je fêterai ton nom, Dieu très-haut.
Prière après la communion
Nous t’en prions, Dieu tout-puissant, donne-nous de recueillir tous les fruits de salut dont ces mystères sont déjà la promesse et le gage. Par Jésus.
Méditation
« Celui qui n’est pas contre nous est pour nous » les apôtres n’avaient certainement pas prévu cette sentence de leur maitre. Ils avaient pensé que la mission leur était confiée de manière exclusive. Voilà pourquoi ils empêchent « quelqu’un » de faire un travail qui ne lui incombe pas, par ce qu’il n’était pas membre du groupe officiel des disciples. Ce qui est important c’est de servir le Seigneur quelle que soit notre posture au sein de la société et non les postes ou les fonctions occupés au sein de l’Eglise. L’essentiel c’est d’être des témoins du Christ.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 25, 2025 | Evangelium
Saint Alexander of Alexandria
(250 – 328)
Psalter: Week III
Green
Alexander played an important role in the growth of the catechetical school at Alexandria. He fought against the heretical teachings of Arius. Alexander died in 328.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 12: 6
O Lord, I trust in your merciful love. My heart will rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord who has been bountiful with me.
Collect
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, always pondering spiritual things, we may carry out in both word and deed that which is pleasing to you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Ecclesiasticus 4:12-22
Wisdom brings up her own sons, and cares for those who seek her. Whoever loves her loves life, those who wait on her early will be filled with happiness. Whoever holds her close will inherit honour, and wherever he walks the Lord will bless him. Those who serve her minister to the Holy One, and the Lord loves those who love her. Whoever obeys her judges aright, and whoever pays attention to her dwells secure. If he trusts himself to her he will inherit her, and his descendants will remain in possession of her; for though she takes him at first through winding ways, bringing fear and faintness on him, plaguing him with her discipline until she can trust him, and testing him with her ordeals, in the end she will lead him back to the straight road and reveal her secrets to him. If he wanders away she will abandon him, and hand him over to his fate.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 118(119):165,168,171-172,174-175
R/ The lovers of your law have great peace, O Lord.
The lovers of your law have great peace; they never stumble. I obey your precepts and your will; all that I do is before you.
Let my lips proclaim your praise because you teach me your statutes. Let my tongue sing your promise for your commands are just.
Lord, I long for your saving help and your law is my delight. Give life to my soul that I may praise you. Let your decrees give me help.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn14:6
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord; No one can come to the Father except through me. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 9:38-40
John said to Jesus, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.’
Prayer over the Offerings
As we celebrate your mysteries, O Lord, with the observance that is your due, we humbly ask you, that what we offer to the honour of your majesty may profit us for salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 9: 2-3
I will recount all your wonders, I will rejoice in you and be glad, and sing psalms to your name, O Most High.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we may experience the effects of the salvation which is pledged to us by these mysteries. Through Christ our Lord
Meditation
As a multitude prays for and works toward the unity of Christians across different denominations, a significant number remains closed to the breath of God’s spirit. The abuses and scandals committed in the name of Jesus are alarming. Moreover, with the proliferation of new religious movements all invoking the name of Jesus, one may wonder who the right prophet or pastor is to follow. It is sad to witness the mutual exclusion practised by many of these churches: prohibiting marriages ‘outside of this church’; restricting shared meals with those of differing faiths, asserting that every other church is on the wrong track, and insisting on reading only specific versions of the Bible, dismissing others as lies. How is it that in the same name of Jesus, Christians tend to foster division instead of seeking understanding? Recognising that no one is perfect, Ecumenism remains a cherished path to follow. However, the Word of God and the unity of Jesus’ disciples should never be compromised.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 24, 2025 | Agenda Biblique
Bienheureux romeo
Psautier: III
Vert
Il était religieux carme. Il se rendait en Terre Sainte quand la peste le fit mourir à Lucques en Toscane.
Antienne d’ouverture : PS 12, 6
Seigneur, je suis sûr de ton amour: mon cœur est dans la joie, car tu me sauves ; je veux chanter au Seigneur tout le bien qu’il m’a fait.
Prière d’ouverture
Accorde-nous, Dieu tout-puissant, de conformer à ta volonté nos paroles et nos actes dans une inlassable recherche des biens spirituels. Par Jésus.
1ère lecture : Si 2, 1-11
Mon fils, si tu viens te mettre au service du Seigneur, prépare-toi à subir l’épreuve ; fais-toi un cœur droit, et tiens bon ; ne t’agite pas à l’heure de l’adversité. Attache-toi au Seigneur, ne l’abandonne pas, afin d’être comblé dans tes derniers jours. Toutes les adversités, accepte-les ; dans les revers de ta pauvre vie, sois patient ; car l’or est vérifié par le feu, et les hommes agréables à Dieu, par le creuset de l’humiliation. Dans les maladies comme dans le dénuement, aie foi en lui. Mets ta confiance en lui, et il te viendra en aide ; rends tes chemins droits, et mets en lui ton espérance. Vous qui craignez le Seigneur, comptez sur sa miséricorde, ne vous écartez pas du chemin, de peur de tomber. Vous qui craignez le Seigneur, ayez confiance en lui, et votre récompense ne saurait vous échapper. Vous qui craignez le Seigneur, espérez le bonheur, la joie éternelle et la miséricorde : ce qu’il donne en retour est un don éternel, pour la joie. Considérez les générations passées et voyez : Celui qui a mis sa confiance dans le Seigneur, a-t-il été déçu ? Celui qui a persévéré dans la crainte du Seigneur, a-t-il été abandonné? Celui qui l’a invoqué, a-t-il été méprisé ? Car le Seigneur est tendre et miséricordieux, il pardonne les péchés, et il sauve au moment de la détresse.
Psaume : 37, 3-4, 18-19, 27-28ab, 39-40ac
R/ Dirige ton chemin vers le Seigneur, fais-lui confiance, et lui, il agira.
Fais confiance au Seigneur, agi bien, habite la terre et reste fidèle; mets ta joie dans le Seigneur : il comblera les désirs de ton cœur. 2. Il connaît les jours de l’homme intègre qui recevra un héritage impérissable. Pas de honte pour lui aux mauvais jours ; aux temps de famine, il sera rassasié.
Évite le mal, fais ce qui est bien, et tu auras une habitation pour toujours, car le Seigneur aime le bon droit, il n’abandonne pas ses amis.
Le Seigneur est le salut pour les justes, leur abri au temps de la détresse. Le Seigneur les aide et les délivre, car ils cherchent en lui leur refuge.
Acclamation
Alléluia, alléluia ! Que la croix du Seigneur soit ma seule fierté ! Par elle, le monde est crucifié pour moi, et moi pour le monde. Alléluia. (Ga 6, 14)
Évangile : Mc 9, 30-37
En ce temps-là, Jésus traversait la Galilée avec ses disciples, et il ne voulait pas qu’on le sache, car il enseignait ses disciples en leur disant : « Le Fils de l’homme est livré aux mains des hommes ; ils le tueront et, trois jours après sa mort, il ressuscitera. » Mais les disciples ne comprenaient pas ces paroles et ils avaient peur de l’interroger. Ils arrivèrent à Capharnaüm, et, une fois à la maison, Jésus leur demanda: « De quoi discutiez-vous en chemin ? » Ils se taisaient, car, en chemin, ils avaient discuté entre eux pour savoir qui était le plus grand. S’étant assis, Jésus appela les Douze et leur dit : « Si quelqu’un veut être le premier, qu’il soit le dernier de tous et le serviteur de tous. » Prenant alors un enfant, il le plaça au milieu d’eux, l’embrassa, et leur dit : « Quiconque accueille en mon nom un enfant comme celui-ci, c’est moi qu’il accueille. Et celui qui m’accueille, ce n’est pas moi qu’il accueille, mais Celui qui m’a envoyé. »
Prière sur les offrandes
En célébrant avec respect tes mystères, Seigneur, nous te supplions humblement : que les dons offerts pour te glorifier servent à notre salut. Par Jésus.
Antienne de la communion : Ps 9, 2
De toute mon âme, Seigneur, je rendrai grâce en proclamant tes innombrables merveilles ; j’exulterai, je danserai auprès de toi, je fêterai ton nom, Dieu très-haut.
Prière après la communion
Nous t’en prions, Dieu tout-puissant, donne-nous de recueillir tous les fruits de salut dont ces mystères sont déjà la promesse et le gage. Par Jésus.
Méditation
Jésus prévoit sa mort et il fait une espèce de testament par l’enseignement qu’il donne à ses disciples. En secret, il leur fait savoir que « Le Fils de l’homme est livré aux mains des hommes ; ils le tueront et, trois jours après sa mort, il ressuscitera. » Il est pourtant curieux qu’à la suite d’un enseignement si profond et même fondateur de notre foi, les disciples n’en soient pas intéressés. Ils sont même habités par la peur et cela ne fait pas bon de creuser pour en savoir davantage. Mais ils sont plutôt portés à débattre d’un sujet brulant sur le chemin. Ils sont intéressés de savoir qui parmi eux est le plus grand selon l’ordre du monde. Être grand, c’est avoir la préséance, c’est être riche, c’est être puissant. Mais Jésus leur enseigne la grandeur selon l’ordre de l’Esprit, l’ordre de la résurrection. Être grand dans la perspective du royaume c’est être serviteur, c’est être humble, c’est avoir un cœur d’enfant, un cœur qui aime et pardonnes-en vérité, c’est savoir prendre soin des faibles.
