by L'équipe de publication | Jan 29, 2026 | Evangelium
SAINTE MARTINA OF ROME, VIRGIN AND MARTYR
Psalter III
GREEN
She lived in Rome during the reign of Emperor Alexander Severus, under his persecution, she was arrested and ordered to worship pagan idols. She was known for her charitable nature and unwavering faith. She was tortured and beheaded for refusing to sacrifice to pagan gods, according to tradition.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 95: 1, 6
O sing a new song to the Lord; sing to the Lord, all the earth. In his presence are majesty and splendour, strength and honour in his holy place.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, direct our actions according to your good pleasure, that in the name of your beloved Son we may abound in good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading: 2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17
At the turn of the year, when kings go out on campaign, David sent out Joab along with his officers and the army of Israel, and they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. David, however, remained in Jerusalem. One evening David rose from his siesta and strolled about on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful. David had inquiries made about the woman and was told, “She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, and wife of Joab’s armor bearer Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers and took her. When she came to him, he had relations with her. She then returned to her house. But the woman had conceived, and sent the information to David, “I am with child.” David therefore sent a message to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. When he came, David questioned him about Joab, the soldiers, and how the war was going, and Uriah answered that all was well. David then said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and bathe your feet.” Uriah left the palace, and a portion was sent out after him from the king’s table. But Uriah slept at the entrance of the royal palace with the other officers of his lord, and did not go down to his own house. David was told that Uriah had not gone home. On the day following, David summoned him, and he ate and drank with David, who made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his bed among his lord’s servants, and did not go down to his home. The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab which he sent by Uriah. In it he directed: “Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce. Then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead.” So while Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew the defenders were strong. When the men of the city made a sortie against Joab, some officers of David’s army fell, and among them Uriah the Hittite died.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6a, 6bcd-7, 10-11
R/ Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
- Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.
- For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always: “Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.”
- I have done such evil in your sight that you are just in your sentence, blameless when you condemn. True, I was born guilty, a sinner, even as my mother conceived me.
- Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness; the bones you have crushed shall rejoice. Turn away your face from my sins, and blot out all my guilt.
Gospel Acclamation: Matthew11:25
Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 4:26-34
Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.” He said, “To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept our offerings, O Lord, we pray, and in sanctifying them grant that they may profit us for salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 33: 6
Look toward the Lord and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, receiving the grace by which you bring us to new life, we may always glory in your gift. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed.” A mustard seed is very tiny, but when it is planted, it grows slowly and steadily over the years to become a big tree that provides shelter for birds. Similarly, our faith in God is usually manifested in small and seemingly insignificant things: going to mass regularly on Sundays, praying every morning and evening, offering a kind word or a smile to someone, giving a helping hand to a person in need, telling the truth when one could have lied, and trying to do one’s work well or to study with diligence. We may not notice it, but if we persevere in these little acts, over time we shall be slowly but surely transformed. Our belief in God will grow stronger and stronger, and we will become more and more like Christ. The obstacle to this process of transformation is sin, and we are all vulnerable to it. David, the righteous king, fell into temptation; we too sin against God every day. But like the Psalmist, let us never hesitate to return to God for forgiveness; in this way, despite our weaknesses, we will continue to be transformed in the image of Christ.
by L'équipe de publication | Jan 28, 2026 | Agenda Biblique
SAINT GILDAS
(Psautier III –Vert )
Saint Gildas, dit « le sage », est né dans l’île de Bretagne ; il a reçu son éducation dans le Sud-est du pays de Galles actuel. Il s’établit sur le continent y fonda avec quelques compagnons l’abbaye de Rhuys, où il mourut en 570. L’abbaye de Rhuys a conservé son tombeau et développé son culte… Saint Gildas est connu sous les formes bretonnes de Sant Veltas ou Saint Gueltas.
Antienne d’ouverture : Ps 95, 1-6
Chantez au Seigneur un chant nouveau, chantez au Seigneur, terre entière: La splendeur et l’éclat, la puissance et la beauté brillent dans son Temple saint!
Prière d’ouverture :
Dieu éternel et tout-puissant, dirige notre vie selon ton amour, Afin qu’au nom de ton Fils bien-aimé, nous portions des fruits en abondance. Par Jésus Christ.
1ère lecture : 2 S 7, 18-19.24-29
Lorsque le prophète Nathan eut transmis à David les promesses de Dieu, le roi David vint s’asseoir en présence du Seigneur. Il dit: « Qui suis-je donc, Seigneur, et qu’est-ce que ma maison, pour que tu m’aies conduit jusqu’ici ? Mais cela ne te paraît pas encore suffisant, Seigneur, et tu adresses une parole à la maison de ton serviteur pour un avenir lointain. Est-ce là, Seigneur Dieu, la destiné de l’homme ? Pour toi, tu as établi à jamais ton peuple Israël, et toi, Seigneur, tu es devenu son Dieu. Maintenant donc, Seigneur Dieu, la parole que tu as dite au sujet de ton serviteur et de sa maison, tiens-la pour toujours, et agis selon ce que tu as dit. Que ton nom soit exalté pour toujours! Que l’on dise: “Le Seigneur de l’univers est le Dieu d’Israël”, et la maison de ton serviteur David sera stable en ta présence. Oui, c’est toi, Seigneur de l’univers, Dieu d’Israël, qui as fait cette révélation à ton serviteur: “Je te bâtirai une maison.” C’est pourquoi ton serviteur ose t’adresser cette prière : Seigneur, c’est toi qui es Dieu, tes paroles sont vérité, et tu as fait cette magnifique promesse à ton serviteur. Daigne bénir la maison de ton serviteur, afin qu’elle soit pour toujours en ta présence. Car toi, Seigneur Dieu, tu as parlé, et par ta bénédiction la maison de ton serviteur sera bénie pour toujours. »
Psaume : Ps 131 (132), 1-2, 3a.4a.5, 11, 12, 13-14
R/ Le Seigneur Dieu lui donnera le trône de David, son père. (Lc 1, 32)
- Souviens-toi, Seigneur, de David et de sa grande soumission quand il fit au Seigneur un serment, une promesse au Puissant de Jacob :
- « Jamais je n’entrerai sous ma tente, j’interdirai tout sommeil à mes yeux avant d’avoir trouvé un lieu pour le Seigneur, une demeure pour le Puissant de Jacob. »
- Le Seigneur l’a juré à David, et jamais il ne reprendra sa parole : « C’est un homme issu de toi que je placerai sur ton trône.
- « Si tes fils gardent mon alliance, les volontés que je leur fais connaître, leurs fils, eux aussi, à tout jamais, siégeront sur le trône dressé pour toi. »
- Car le Seigneur a fait choix de Sion; elle est le séjour qu’il désire: « Voilà mon repos à tout jamais, c’est le séjour que j’avais désiré. »
Acclamation :
Alléluia, alléluia! Ta parole est la lumière de mes pas, la lampe de ma route. Alléluia. (Ps 118, 105)
Évangile : Mc 4, 21-25
En ce temps-là, Jésus disait à la foule: « Est-ce que la lampe est apportée pour être mise sous le boisseau ou sous le lit ? N’est-ce pas pour être mise sur le lampadaire ? Car rien n’est caché, sinon pour être manifesté ; rien n’a été gardé secret, sinon pour venir à la clarté. Si quelqu’un a des oreilles pour entendre, qu’il entende ! » Il leur disait encore : « Faites attention à ce que vous entendez ! La mesure que vous utilisez sera utilisée aussi pour vous, et il vous sera donné encore plus. Car celui qui a, on lui donnera ; celui qui n’a pas, on lui enlèvera même ce qu’il a. »
Prière sur les offrandes :
Dans ta bonté, Seigneur, accepte notre offrande: Qu’elle soit sanctifiée et serve ainsi à notre salut. Par Jésus.
Antienne de la communion : Ps 33, 6
Ensemble, approchez du Seigneur: resplendissez de sa lumière et sur votre visage il n’y aura plus d’ombre.
Prière après la communion :
Permets, nous t’en prions, Dieu tout-puissant, Qu’ayant reçu de toi la grâce d’une nouvelle vie, nous puissions nous en émerveiller toujours. Par Jésus.
Méditation :
Les apôtres ne sont guère accordés spontanément aux paroles de Jésus puisqu’il doit sans cesse leur poser des questions comme ferait un bon enseignant. Saint Marc vient nous proposer un temps d’arrêt, comme une pause, une attente secrète : « Rien n’est caché, sinon pour être manifesté. » « Faites attention à ce que vous entendez.» L’annonce du Royaume, lumière en nos nuits d’angoisse, ne peut se confondre avec les tapages médiatiques, éblouissants pour un instant, mais que nous oublions aussitôt. La lumière promise nous conduit et nous comble. L’Evangile nous propose d’ouvrir les yeux de notre cœur et les oreilles de notre intelligence pour que cette Parole lumineuse, qui est la vérité de Jésus-Christ, vienne résonner en nous.
by L'équipe de publication | Jan 28, 2026 | Evangelium
SAINT GILDAS
Psalter III
GREEN
He was a 6th-century British monk, historian, and saint, known for his work “De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae” (“On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain”). He was born around 500 in the Clyde Valley, educated in Wales, and later established a monastery at Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys in Brittany. He’s considered the first British historian and is known for his writings critical of the moral decline of his time.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 95: 1, 6
O sing a new song to the Lord; sing to the Lord, all the earth. In his presence are majesty and splendour, strength and honour in his holy place.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, direct our actions according to your good pleasure, that in the name of your beloved Son we may abound in good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading: 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29
After Nathan had spoken to King David, the king went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, Lord God, and who are the members of my house, that you have brought me to this point? Yet even this you see as too little, Lord God; you have also spoken of the house of your servant for a long time to come: this too you have shown to man, Lord God! “You have established for yourself your people Israel as yours forever, and you, Lord, have become their God. And now, Lord God, confirm for all time the prophecy you have made concerning your servant and his house, and do as you have promised. Your name will be forever great, when men say, ‘The Lord of hosts is God of Israel,’ and the house of your servant David stands firm before you. It is you, Lord of hosts, God of Israel, who said in a revelation to your servant, ‘I will build a house for you.’ Therefore your servant now finds the courage to make this prayer to you. And now, Lord God, you are God and your words are truth; you have made this generous promise to your servant. Do, then, bless the house of your servant that it may be before you forever; for you, Lord God, have promised, and by your blessing the house of your servant shall be blessed forever.”
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 132:1-2, 3-5, 11, 12, 13-14
R/ The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
- Lord, remember David and all his anxious care; How he swore an oath to the Lord, vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob.
- I will not enter the house where I live, nor lie on the couch where I sleep; I will give my eyes no sleep, my eyelids no rest, Till I find a home for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
- The Lord swore an oath to David a firm promise from which he will not withdraw: “Your own offspring I will set upon your throne.”
- If your sons keep my covenant, and the decrees which I shall teach them, Their sons, too, forever shall sit upon your throne.”
- For the Lord has chosen Zion, he prefers her for his dwelling: “Zion is my resting place forever; in her I will dwell, for I prefer her.”
Gospel Acclamation: Psalm 119:105
Alleluia, alleluia. A lamp to my feet is your word, a light to my path. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 4:21-25
Jesus said to his disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.” He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you. To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept our offerings, O Lord, we pray, and in sanctifying them grant that they may profit us for salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 33: 6
Look toward the Lord and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, receiving the grace by which you bring us to new life, we may always glory in your gift. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“To the one who has, more will be given.” What do we have? We have life, health, loving families, friends, the chance to receive an education, talents and skills. In short, we have all the blessings that God has given to us. We will receive more blessings from God if we remain in communion with him and work hard to exploit the gifts he has given us. But we will lose the gifts we have if we stray away from God and do not exploit what we have received from him. David had received kingship, wealth and glory from God, and God promised him through the prophet Nathan to bless him and his family forever. Upon receiving this promise, he did not rest on his laurels; rather, he went to God in prayer to thank him and implore him to keep his promise by maintaining his favour on his household. That is how we receive more blessings from God; by always returning to him in prayer and continuously striving to be hardworking and virtuous in our daily dealings. May we hunger and thirst for more and more of God’s blessings.
by L'équipe de publication | Jan 27, 2026 | Agenda Biblique
THOMAS D’AQUIN, PRETRE ET DOCTEUR DE L’EGLISE
(Psautier III –Blanc // Vert)
Né dans une noble famille napolitaine et élevé à l’abbaye bénédictine du Mont-Cassin, Thomas choisit à 19 ans d’entrer chez les Frères Prêcheurs. Il est l’auteur de la Somme Théologique, ouvrage dans lequel il met en œuvre la leçon de Saint Albert le Grand selon laquelle il faut faire confiance à la raison et à l’intelligence de l’homme pour chercher Dieu. Il meurt sur la route, en chemin vers Lyon où il devait participer au grand Concile de 1274.
Antienne d’ouverture :
Ainsi parle le Seigneur Dieu : « Je me susciterai un prêtre fidèle, qui agira selon mon cœur et mon désir. »
Prière d’ouverture :
Dieu qui as fait de saint Thomas d’Aquin un modèle admirable par sa recherche d’une vie sainte et son amour de la science sacrée, accorde-nous de comprendre ses enseignements et de suivre ses exemples. Par Jésus.
1ère lecture : 2 S 7, 4-17
Cette nuit-là, la parole du Seigneur fut adressée à Nathan: «Va dire à mon serviteur David: Ainsi parle le Seigneur: Est-ce toi qui me bâtiras une maison pour que j’y habite? Depuis le jour où j’ai fait monter d’Égypte les fils d’Israël et jusqu’à ce jour, je n’ai jamais habité dans une maison ; j’ai été comme un voyageur, sous la tente qui était ma demeure. Pendant tout le temps où j’étais comme un voyageur parmi tous les fils d’Israël, ai-je demandé à un seul des juges que j’avais institués pasteurs de mon peuple Israël: “Pourquoi ne m’avez-vous pas bâti une maison de cèdre?” Tu diras donc à mon serviteur David: Ainsi parle le Seigneur de l’univers: C’est moi qui t’ai pris au pâturage, derrière le troupeau, pour que tu sois le chef de mon peuple Israël. J’ai été avec toi partout où tu es allé, j’ai abattu devant toi tous tes ennemis. Je t’ai fait un nom aussi grand que celui des plus grands de la terre. Je fixerai en ce lieu mon peuple Israël, je l’y planterai, il s’y établira et ne tremblera plus, et les méchants ne viendront plus l’humilier, comme ils l’ont fait autrefois, depuis le jour où j’ai institué des juges pour conduire mon peuple Israël. Oui, je t’ai accordé la tranquillité en te délivrant de tous tes ennemis. Le Seigneur t’annonce qu’il te fera lui-même une maison. Quand tes jours seront accomplis et que tu reposeras auprès de tes pères, je te susciterai dans ta descendance un successeur, qui naîtra de toi, et je rendrai stable sa royauté. C’est lui qui bâtira une maison pour mon nom, et je rendrai stable pour toujours son trône royal. Moi, je serai pour lui un père; et lui sera pour moi un fils. S’il fait le mal, je le corrigerai avec le bâton, à la manière humaine, je le frapperai comme font les hommes. Mais ma fidélité ne lui sera pas retirée, comme je l’ai retirée à Saül que j’ai écarté de devant toi. Ta maison et ta royauté subsisteront toujours devant moi, ton trône sera stable pour toujours.» Toutes ces paroles, toute cette vision, Nathan les rapporta fidèlement à David.
Psaume : 88 (89), 4-5, 27-28, 29-30
R/ Sans fin je lui garderai mon amour.
- «Avec mon élu, j’ai fait une alliance, j’ai juré à David, mon serviteur: J’établirai ta dynastie pour toujours, je te bâtis un trône pour la suite des âges.
- «Il me dira : Tu es mon Père, mon Dieu, mon roc et mon salut ! Et moi, j’en ferai mon fils aîné, le plus grand des rois de la terre !
- «Sans fin je lui garderai mon amour, mon alliance avec lui sera fidèle ; je fonderai sa dynastie pour toujours, son trône aussi durable que les cieux.»
Acclamation:
Alléluia. Alléluia. La semence est la parole de Dieu; le semeur est le Christ, celui qui le trouve demeure pour toujours. Alléluia.
Évangile : Mc 4, 1-20
En ce temps-là, Jésus se mit de nouveau à enseigner au bord de la mer de Galilée. Une foule très nombreuse se rassembla auprès de lui, si bien qu’il monta dans une barque où il s’assit. Il était sur la mer, et toute la foule était près de la mer, sur le rivage. Il leur enseignait beaucoup de choses en paraboles, et dans son enseignement il leur disait: «Écoutez! Voici que le semeur sortit pour semer. Comme il semait, du grain est tombé au bord du chemin ; les oiseaux sont venus et ils ont tout mangé. Du grain est tombé aussi sur du sol pierreux, où il n’avait pas beaucoup de terre ; il a levé aussitôt, parce que la terre était peu profonde; et lorsque le soleil s’est levé, ce grain a brûlé et, faute de racines, il a séché. Du grain est tombé aussi dans les ronces, les ronces ont poussé, l’ont étouffé, et il n’a pas donné de fruit. Mais d’autres grains sont tombés dans la bonne terre; ils ont donné du fruit en poussant et en se développant, et ils ont produit trente, soixante, cent, pour un.» Et Jésus disait: «Celui qui a des oreilles pour entendre, qu’il entende!» Quand il resta seul, ceux qui étaient autour de lui avec les Douze l’interrogeaient sur les paraboles. Il leur disait: «C’est à vous qu’est donné le mystère du royaume de Dieu; mais à ceux qui sont dehors, tout se présente sous forme de paraboles. Et ainsi, comme dit le prophète: Ils auront beau regarder de tous leurs yeux, ils ne verront pas; ils auront beau écouter de toutes leurs oreilles, ils ne comprendront pas ; sinon ils se convertiraient et recevraient le pardon.» Il leur dit encore: «Vous ne saisissez pas cette parabole? Alors, comment comprendrez-vous toutes les paraboles? Le semeur sème la Parole. Il y a ceux qui sont au bord du chemin où la Parole est semée: quand ils l’entendent, Satan vient aussitôt et enlève la Parole semée en eux. Et de même, il y a ceux qui ont reçu la semence dans les endroits pierreux: ceux-là, quand ils entendent la Parole, ils la reçoivent aussitôt avec joie; mais ils n’ont pas en eux de racine, ce sont les gens d’un moment; que vienne la détresse ou la persécution à cause de la Parole, ils trébuchent aussitôt. Et il y en a d’autres qui ont reçu la semence dans les ronces: ceux-ci entendent la Parole, mais les soucis du monde, la séduction de la richesse et toutes les autres convoitises les envahissent et étouffent la Parole, qui ne donne pas de fruit. Et il y a ceux qui ont reçu la semence dans la bonne terre: ceux-là entendent la Parole, ils l’accueillent, et ils portent du fruit : trente, soixante, cent, pour un.»
Prière sur les offrandes :
Regarde, Seigneur, les offrandes que nous te présentons en la fête de saint Thomas d’Aquin ; que la confession de ta vérité conduise au salut ceux qui gardent la même foi que lui. Par Jésus.
Antienne de communion :
« Ce n’est pas vous qui m’avez choisi, dit le Seigneur c’est moi qui vous ai choisis. Je vous ai mis à cette place afin que vous partiez, que vous donniez du fruit, et que votre fruit demeure. »
Prière après la communion :
Nous t’en prions, Dieu tout-puissant : puisque nous confessons, avec saint Thomas d’Aquin, que Jésus est vraiment Dieu, fais que la divinité de ton Fils unique nous apporte, dans cette communion, la vie et la force pour toujours. Lui qui.
Méditation :
« Ecoutez. » Si le grain de la Parole est semé à tout vent, le terrain doit être prêt à l’accueillir, dans l’hospitalité de chaque instant. Terre de notre cœur, terre de désir, « terre aride, altérée, sans eau » (Ps 62), terre à creuser, à labourer, à défricher par le long travail de l’écoute. C’est le travail du Peuple d’Israël, celui des disciples, celui qui mène au silence de la croix où l’amour prend racine. La terre devient silencieuse, le grain tombé en terre meurt à soi-même et s’ouvre à la vie de l’Esprit. « Charité, joie, paix, longanimité, serviabilité, bonté, confiance dans les autres, douceur, maîtrise de soi, tels sont les fruits de l’Esprit » (Ga 5, 22). Telle est la fécondité de nos vies pour le Royaume.
by L'équipe de publication | Jan 27, 2026 | Evangelium
THOMAS AQUINAS, PRIEST AND DOCTOR
Psalter III
WHITE
He was born of a noble family in southern Italy, and was educated by the Benedictines. In the normal course of events he would have joined that order and taken up a position suitable to his rank; but he decided to become a Dominican instead. His family were so scandalised by this disreputable plan that they kidnapped him and kept him prisoner for over a year; but he was more obstinate than they were, and he had his way at last.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Sir 15: 5
In the midst of the Church he opened his mouth, and the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding and clothed him in a robe of glory.
Collect
O God, who made Saint Thomas Aquinas outstanding in his zeal for holiness and his study of sacred doctrine, grant us, we pray, that we may understand what he taught and imitate what he accomplished. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading: 2 Samuel 7:4-17
That night the Lord spoke to Nathan and said: “Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Should you build me a house to dwell in? I have not dwelt in a house from the day on which I led the children of Israel out of Egypt to the present, but I have been going about in a tent under cloth. In all my wanderings everywhere among the children of Israel, did I ever utter a word to any one of the judges whom I charged to tend my people Israel, to ask: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ “Now then, speak thus to my servant David, ‘The Lord of hosts has this to say: It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance. Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old, since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his Kingdom firm. It is he who shall build a house for my name. And I will make his royal throne firm forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. And if he does wrong, I will correct him with the rod of men and with human chastisements; but I will not withdraw my favor from him as I withdrew it from your predecessor Saul, whom I removed from my presence. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever. Nathan reported all these words and this entire vision to David.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89:4-5, 27-28, 29-30
R/ For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
- I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: I will make your dynasty stand forever and establish your throne through all ages.”
- He shall cry to me, ‘You are my father, my God, the Rock that brings me victory!’ I myself make him firstborn, Most High over the kings of the earth.”
- Forever I will maintain my love for him; my covenant with him stands firm. I will establish his dynasty forever, his throne as the days of the heavens.”
Gospel Acclamation: 1S3:9,Jn6:68
Alleluia, alleluia. The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live for ever. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 4:1-20
On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, “Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. He answered them, “The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.” Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no roots; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
Prayer over the Offerings
May the sacrifice which we gladly present on the feast day of blessed N., be pleasing to you, O God, for, taught by him, we, too, give ourselves entirely to you in praise. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Lk 12: 42
Behold a faithful and prudent steward to give them their allowance of food at the proper time.
Prayer after Communion
Through Christ the teacher, O Lord, instruct those you feed with Christ, the living Bread, that on the feast day of blessed N. they may learn your truth and express it in works of charity. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“The sower sows the Word.” The Word of God has been announced to us by various people God has placed in our paths: our parents, our priests, our catechists, our teachers, our friends, and even strangers. We have easy access to the Holy Scriptures these days. But how do we receive the Word of God? Do we waive it away as an unnecessary distraction? Do we follow it only when it is convenient for us and abandon it when it challenges us? Do we bend it when we are pursuing wealth, power and honour? Or do we allow it to transform our lives so that we become true witnesses of Jesus in the world? Let us allow the Word of God to take root in our lives and bear fruits of holiness and virtue. King David was an example of a true servant of God, who allowed God’s Word to guide his actions. His reward was the kingship of Israel and the assurance of God’s constant protection and blessing. Let us become servants of God like him, who listen to God’s Word and obey it, and God’s blessings will accompany us all the days of our lives.
