by L'équipe de publication | Aug 11, 2024 | Evangelium
Blessed Isidore Bakanja
(c.1886 – 1909)
Green/Red/White
He was born in Bokendela in Congo around 1886 and baptied on 6 May 1906 after receiving instruction from Trappists missionaries. Rosary in hand, he used any chance to share his faith; though untrained, many considered him as a catechist. He worked as a domestic on a Belgian rubber plantation. He was ordered to stop teaching fellow workers how to pray: “You’ll have the whole village praying, and no one will work!” He was chained and beaten to death for refusing to discard his Carmelite scapular. He died on August 15, 1909, forgiving his murderer with these words: “I shall pray for him. When I am in heaven, I shall pray for him very much.”
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 73: 20, 19, 22, 23
Look to your covenant, O Lord, and forget not the life of your poor ones for ever. Arise, O God, and defend your cause, and forget not the cries of those who seek you.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, whom, taught by the Holy Spirit, we dare to call our Father, bring, we pray, to perfection in our hearts the spirit of adoption as your sons and daughters, that we may merit to enter into the inheritance which you have promised. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Ezekiel 1:2-5,24-28
On the fifth of the month – it was the fifth year of exile for King Jehoiachin – the word of the Lord was addressed to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldaeans, on the bank of the river Chebar. There the hand of the Lord came on me. I looked; a stormy wind blew from the north, a great cloud with light around it, a fire from which flashes of lightning darted, and in the centre a sheen like bronze at the heart of the fire. In the centre I saw what seemed four animals. I heard the noise of their wings as they moved; it sounded like rushing water, like the voice of Shaddai, a noise like a storm, like the noise of a camp; when they halted, they folded their wings, and there was a noise. Above the vault over their heads was something that looked like a sapphire; it was shaped like a throne and high up on this throne was a being that looked like a man. I saw him shine like bronze, and close to and all around him from what seemed his loins upwards was what looked like fire; and from what seemed his loins downwards I saw what looked like fire, and a light all round like a bow in the clouds on rainy days; that is how the surrounding light appeared. It was something that looked like the glory of the Lord. I looked, and prostrated myself.
Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 148:1-2,11-14
R/ Your glory fills all heaven and earth.
Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights. Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host.
All earth’s kings and peoples, earth’s princes and rulers, young men and maidens, old men together with children.
Let them praise the name of the Lord for healone is exalted. The splendour of his name reaches beyond heaven and earth.
He exalts the strength of his people. He is the praise of all his saints, of the sons of Israel, of the people to whom he comes close.
Gospel Acclamation : Ps147:12,15
Alleluia, alleluia! O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! He sends out his word to the earth. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 17:22-27
One day when they were together in Galilee, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men; they will put him to death, and on the third day he will be raised to life again.’ And a great sadness came over them. When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel came to Peter and said, ‘Does your master not pay the half-shekel?’ ‘Oh yes’ he replied, and went into the house. But before he could speak, Jesus said, ‘Simon, what is your opinion? From whom do the kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from foreigners?’ And when he replied, ‘From foreigners’, Jesus said, ‘Well then, the sons are exempt. However, so as not to offend these people, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that bites, open its mouth and there you will find a shekel; take it and give it to them for me and for you.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Be pleased, O Lord, to accept the offerings of your Church, for in your mercy you have given them to be offered and by your power you transform them into the mystery of our salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 147: 12, 14
O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord, who gives you your fill of finest wheat.
Prayer after Communion
May the communion in your Sacrament that we have consumed, save us, O Lord, and confirm us in the light of your truth. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus pays a coin worth twice the temple tax, which the tax collectors demand. This was despite the temple being his Father’s house. The tax collectors were ignorant of how indebted they were through sin. No amount of tax coins could ever have paid for their sins. Yet Jesus sought to redeem them through the currency of his blood unconditionally. He thereby makes them not just subjects but co-heirs of the Kingdoms of God. Jesus was, therefore, neither a subject nor a foreigner but the King of kings. As the King and Highest of the priests, all other kings and temple high priests owed him the tax of unconditional obedience. Yet he chose to become everything to everyone to win people back to himself. He humbly accepts the position of a foreigner and subjects himself to an adulterated version of the temple law by paying double the temple tax. In a world whereby everybody is clamouring for their human rights, Jesus Christ forfeits his Heavenly rights to help us enjoy our human and heavenly rights. How much can we forfeit what we rightly deserve so that others can enjoy their human and heavenly rights?
by L'équipe de publication | Aug 10, 2024 | Agenda Biblique
19ème DIMANCHE DU TEMPS ORDINAIRE
Psautier iii Sainte Claire, Vierge
Sainte philomene
VERT
Antienne d’ouverture : Ps 73, 20. 19, 22. 23
Souviens-toi, Seigneur, de ton alliance, n’oublie pas plus longtemps les pauvres de ton peuple: Lève-toi, Seigneur, défends ta cause, n’oublie pas le cri de ceux qui te cherchent.
Prière d’ouverture
Dieu éternel et tout-puissant, toi que nous pouvons déjà appeler notre Père, Fais grandir en nos cœurs l’esprit filial, afin que nous soyons capables d’entrer un jour dans l’héritage qui nous est promis. Par Jésus Christ.
1ère lecture : 1 R 19, 4-8
En ces jours-là, le prophète Élie, fuyant l’hostilité de la reine Jézabel, marcha toute une journée dans le désert. Il vint s’asseoir à l’ombre d’un buisson, et demanda la mort en disant : « Maintenant, Seigneur, c’en est trop! Reprends ma vie : je ne vaux pas mieux que mes pères. » Puis il s’étendit sous le buisson, et s’endormit. Mais voici qu’un ange le toucha et lui dit: « Lève-toi, et mange ! » Il regarda, et il y avait près de sa tête une galette cuite sur des pierres brûlantes et une cruche d’eau. Il mangea, il but, et se rendormit. Une seconde fois, l’ange du Seigneur le toucha et lui dit: «Lève-toi, et mange, car il est long, le chemin qui te reste. » Élie se leva, mangea et but. Puis, fortifié par cette nourriture, il marcha quarante jours et quarante nuits jusqu’à l’Horeb, la montagne de Dieu.
Psaume : 33 (34), 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R/Goûtez et voyez comme est bon le Seigneur !
je bénirai le Seigneur en tout temps, sa louange sans cesse à mes lèvres. Je me glorifierai dans le Seigneur : que les pauvres m’entendent et soient en fête !
Magnifiez avec moi le Seigneur, exaltons tous ensemble son nom. Je cherche le Seigneur, il me répond : de toutes mes frayeurs, il me délivre.
Qui regarde vers lui resplendira, sans ombre ni trouble au visage. Un pauvre crie ; le Seigneur entend : il le sauve de toutes ses angoisses.
L’ange du Seigneur campe alentour pour libérer ceux qui le craignent. Goûtez et voyez : le Seigneur est bon ! Heureux qui trouve en lui son refuge !
2ème lecture : Ep 4, 30 – 5, 2
Frères, n’attristez pas le Saint Esprit de Dieu, qui vous a marqués de son sceau en vue du jour de votre délivrance. Amertume, irritation, colère, éclats de voix ou insultes, tout cela doit être éliminé de votre vie, ainsi que toute espèce de méchanceté. Soyez entre vous pleins de générosité et de tendresse. Pardonnez-vous les uns aux autres, comme Dieu vous a pardonné dans le Christ. Oui, cherchez à imiter Dieu, puisque vous êtes ses enfants bien-aimés. Vivez dans l’amour, comme le Christ nous a aimés et s’est livré lui-même pour nous, s’offrant en sacrifice à Dieu, comme un parfum d’agréable odeur.
Acclamation
Alléluia. Alléluia. Moi, je suis le Pain vivant, qui est descendu du ciel, dit le Seigneur ; si quelqu’un mange de ce pain, il vivra éternellement. Alléluia. (Jn 6, 51)
Evangile : Jn 6, 41-51
En ce temps-là, les Juifs récriminaient contre Jésus parce qu’il avait déclaré : « Moi, je suis le pain qui est descendu du ciel. » Ils disaient : « Celui-là n’est-il pas Jésus, fils de Joseph? Nous connaissons bien son père et sa mère. Alors comment peut-il dire maintenant : ‘Je suis descendu du ciel’ ? » Jésus reprit la parole : « Ne récriminez pas entre vous. Personne ne peut venir à moi, si le Père qui m’a envoyé ne l’attire, et moi, je le ressusciterai au dernier jour. Il est écrit dans les prophètes : Ils seront tous instruits par Dieu lui-même. Quiconque a entendu le Père et reçu son enseignement vient à moi. Certes, personne n’a jamais vu le Père, sinon celui qui vient de Dieu : celui-là seul a vu le Père. Amen, amen, je vous le dis : il a la vie éternelle, celui qui croit. Moi, je suis le pain de la vie. Au désert, vos pères ont mangé la manne, et ils sont morts ; mais le pain qui descend du ciel est tel que celui qui en mange ne mourra pas. Moi, je suis le pain vivant, qui est descendu du ciel : si quelqu’un mange de ce pain, il vivra éternellement. Le pain que je donnerai, c’est ma chair, donnée pour la vie du monde. »
Prière sur les offrandes
Seigneur, tu as donné ces présents à ton Église pour qu’elle puisse te les offrir ; Daigne les accueillir favorablement : qu’ils deviennent, par ta puissance, le sacrement de notre salut. Par Jésus.
Antienne de communion : Ps 147, 12. 14
Glorifie le Seigneur, Jérusalem: il te nourrit de la fleur du froment.
Prière après la communion
Que cette communion à ton sacrement, Seigneur, soit notre délivrance et nous enracine dans ta vérité. Par Jésus.
Méditation Lorsque Jésus affirme qu’il est le pain de la vie, il nous donne le sens profond de la vie de l’Eglise. Il est, lui, l’aliment pour nos âmes, où que nous soyons appelés à vivre. Il est le pain venu du ciel, c’est-à-dire offert gratuitement de la main de la Providence divine qui est notre mère nourricière. S’il se qualifie de pain venu du ciel, c’est que Jésus veut tourner notre cœur vers la source de toute vie, et non pas nous faire oublier notre condition humaine. C’est pour que nous puissions être de meilleurs vivants, appréciant la vie à sa juste valeur : celle d’un don reçu. Lorsque nous accueillons le corps du Christ au cœur de notre communauté humaine, nous faisons eucharistie. Sans ce pain reçu ensemble, aucune communauté ne peut prétendre être actrice de l’Eucharistie. Jésus est le pain de la vie parce qu’en lui nous retrouvons le goût, l’essence de cette vie.
by L'équipe de publication | Aug 10, 2024 | Evangelium
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalter: Week 3
Saint Clare,
Saint philomena
Green
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 73: 20, 19, 22, 23
Look to your covenant, O Lord, and forget not the life of your poor ones for ever. Arise, O God, and defend your cause, and forget not the cries of those who seek you.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, whom, taught by the Holy Spirit, we dare to call our Father, bring, we pray, to perfection in our hearts the spirit of adoption as your sons and daughters, that we may merit to enter into the inheritance which you have promised. 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: 1 Kings 19:4-8
Elijah went into the wilderness, a day’s journey, and sitting under a furze bush wished he were dead. ‘O Lord,’ he said ‘I have had enough. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down and went to sleep. But an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked round, and there at his head was a scone baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. But the angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat, or the journey will be too long for you.’ So he got up and ate and drank, and strengthened by that food he walked for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33(34):2-9
R/ Taste and see that the Lord is good.
I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise always on my lips; in the Lord my soul shall make its boast. The humble shall hear and be glad.
Glorify the Lord with me. Together let us praise his name. I sought the Lord and he answered me; from all my terrors he set me free.
Look towards him and be radiant; let your faces not be abashed. This poor man called, the Lord heard him and rescued him from all his distress.
The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who revere him, to rescue them. Taste and see that the Lord is good. He is happy who seeks refuge in him.
Second reading: Ephesians 4:30-5:2
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God who has marked you with his seal for you to be set free when the day comes. Never have grudges against others, or lose your temper, or raise your voice to anybody, or call each other names, or allow any sort of spitefulness. Be friends with one another, and kind, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ. Try, then, to imitate God as children of his that he loves and follow Christ loving as he loved you, giving himself up in our place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God.
Gospel Acclamation:
Jn14:23
Alleluia, alleluia! If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 6:41-51
The Jews were complaining to each other about Jesus, because he had said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ ‘Surely this is Jesus son of Joseph’ they said. ‘We know his father and mother. How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ Jesus said in reply, ‘Stop complaining to each other. ‘No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets: They will all be taught by God, and to hear the teaching of the Father, and learn from it, is to come to me. Not that anybody has seen the Father, except the one who comes from God: he has seen the Father. I tell you most solemnly, everybody who believes has eternal life. ‘I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the desert and they are dead; but this is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that a man may eat it and not die. I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Be pleased, O Lord, to accept the offerings of your Church, for in your mercy you have given them to be offered and by your power you transform them into the mystery of our salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 147: 12, 14
O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord, who gives you your fill of finest wheat.
Prayer after Communion
May the communion in your Sacrament that we have consumed, save us, O Lord, and confirm us in the light of your truth. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
God will always meet those who believe in him at their point of need. He will never abandon his children even in the darkest period of their lives as is the case with Elijah in the wilderness. Jesus affirms that salvation is only for those who believe in him and put his teaching in practice. He declares that he is the living bread which has come down from heaven. Christ, here, makes allusion to the Eucharist, which is his flesh, broken for the life of the world – the highest point of his love for mankind. Elijah received strength from the food the Angel of the Lord gave him and was encouraged by the words too. We, Christians, take Christ as the Son of God and we are strengthened when we receive Him at the Eucharist. This empowers us to face our daily challenges and energizes us as we journey on earth.
by L'équipe de publication | Aug 9, 2024 | Agenda Biblique
Saint Laurent, Diacre et Martyr
Rouge
Le diacre Laurent fut arrêté lors de la persécution de Valérien et mourut par le feu peu de jours après le pape Sixte II, exécuté en 258. D’après le récit de son martyre, Laurent, intendant des biens de l’Église, n’aurait pas trouvé meilleur moyen pour les préserver de la rapacité des persécuteurs, que de les distribuer aux pauvres ; il aurait été brûlé sur un lit de fer en forme de gril.
Antienne d’ouverture
Au service de l’Eglise, le diacre saint Laurent s’est offert lui-même; il fut digne de souffrir le martyre et de rejoindre dans la joie le Seigneur Jésus Christ.
Prière d’ouverture
C’est l’ardeur de ton amour, Seigneur, qui a donné au diacre saint Laurent de se montrer fidèle dans son service, et d’accéder à la gloire du martyre ; accorde-nous d’aimer ce qu’il aimait, et d’accomplir ce qu’il a enseigné. Par Jésus.
1ère lecture : 2 Co 9, 6-10
Frères, rappelez-vous le proverbe: À semer trop peu, on récolte trop peu ; à semer largement, on récolte largement. Que chacun donne comme il a décidé dans son cœur, sans regret et sans contrainte, car Dieu aime celui qui donne joyeusement. Et Dieu est assez puissant pour vous donner toute grâce en abondance, afin que vous ayez, en toute chose et toujours, tout ce qu’il vous faut, et même que vous ayez en abondance de quoi faire toute sorte de bien. L’Écriture dit en effet de l’homme juste : Il distribue, il donne aux pauvres ; sa justice demeure à jamais. Dieu, qui fournit la semence au semeur et le pain pour la nourriture, vous fournira la graine ; il la multipliera, il donnera la croissance à ce que vous accomplirez dans la justice.
Psaume : 111 (112), 1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 4b.9
R/L’homme de bien a pitié, il partage.
Heureux qui craint le Seigneur, qui aime entièrement sa volonté! Sa lignée sera puissante sur la terre ; la race des justes est bénie.
L’homme de bien a pitié, il partage ; il mène ses affaires avec droiture. Cet homme jamais ne tombera ; toujours on fera mémoire du juste.
Il ne craint pas l’annonce d’un malheur : le cœur ferme, il s’appuie sur le Seigneur. Son cœur est confiant, il ne craint pas : il verra ce que valaient ses oppresseurs.
Homme de justice, de tendresse et de pitié. À pleines mains, il donne au pauvre ; à jamais se maintiendra sa justice, sa puissance grandira, et sa gloire!
Acclamation
Alléluia. Alléluia. Je suis la lumière du monde. Celui qui me suit ne marchera pas dans les ténèbres, dit le Seigneur, il aura la lumière de la vie. Alléluia. (cf. Jn 8, 12bc)
Évangile : Jn 12, 24-26
En ce temps-là, Jésus disait à ses disciples : « Amen, amen, je vous le dis: si le grain de blé tombé en terre ne meurt pas, il reste seul ; mais s’il meurt, il porte beaucoup de fruit. Qui aime sa vie la perd ; qui s’en détache en ce monde la gardera pour la vie éternelle. Si quelqu’un veut me servir, qu’il me suive ; et là où moi je suis, là aussi sera mon serviteur. Si quelqu’un me sert, mon Père l’honorera. »
Prière sur les offrandes
Accueille, Seigneur, avec bienveillance, les offrandes que nous te présentons en ce jour où nous fêtons saint Laurent : fais qu’elles servent à notre salut. Par Jésus.
Antienne de communion
« Si quelqu’un veut me servir, qu’il me suive, dit le Seigneur, et là où je suis, là aussi sera mon serviteur. »
Prière après la communion
Rassasiés de tes saints mystères, Seigneur, nous t’adressons cette prière: permets qu’en la fête de saint Laurent, nous recevions davantage ton salut, pour l’avoir célébré dans cette eucharistie. Par Jésus.
Méditation
Perdre sa vie…Est-ce une invitation à croire que la vie ne prend sens que si nous acceptons de n’être rien ? Quel Maître est donc Jésus pour exiger de ses disciples de renoncer à tout, même à leur propre vie, pour s’attacher à lui et le suivre ? Suivre le Christ est exigeant, notre orgueil en prend un coup…tous les jours. Jésus comme le Fils Bien-Aimé du Père s’est livré aux mains des hommes et a été tué. Puis s’est relevé d’entre les morts. Il est le Dieu qui se donne à l’homme sans réserve, jusqu’à en mourir. Voilà pourquoi il peut en demander autant à qui veut marcher à sa suite. Alors perdre sa vie, c’est d’abord la recevoir comme un don dont on n’est pas soi-même sa source. St Paul l’a bien compris : « J’ai accepté de tout perdre, je considère tout comme balayure afin de gagner le Christ ».
by L'équipe de publication | Aug 9, 2024 | Evangelium
Psalter: Proper
Saint Laurence,
Deacon, Martyr (258) – Feast
Red
Laurence was one of the seven deacons of the Church of Rome and was executed on 10th August 258, four days after Sixtus II and his companions. He was probably a Spaniard from Toledo.
Entrance Antiphon
This is the blessed Lawrence who gave himself up for the treasure of the Church: for this he earned the suffering of martyrdom to ascend with joy to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Collect
O God, giver of that ardour of love for you by which Saint Lawrence was outstandingly faithful in service and glorious in martyrdom, grant that we may love what he loved and put into practice what he taught. 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 : 2 Corinthians 9:6-10
Do not forget: thin sowing means thin reaping; the more you sow, the more you reap. Each one should give what he has decided in his own mind, not grudgingly or because he is made to, for God loves a cheerful giver. And there is no limit to the blessings which God can send you – he will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works. As Scripture says: He was free in almsgiving, and gave to the poor: his good deeds will never be forgotten. The one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide you with all the seed you want and make the harvest of your good deeds a larger one.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 111:1-2,5-9
R/ Happy the man who takes pity and lends.
Happy the man who fears the Lord, who takes delight in all his commands. His sons will be powerful on earth; the children of the upright are blessed.
The good man takes pity and lends, he conducts his affairs with honour. The just man will never waver: he will be remembered for ever.
He has no fear of evil news; with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord. With a steadfast heart he will not fear; he will see the downfall of his foes.
Open-handed, he gives to the poor; his justice stands firm for ever. His head will be raised in glory.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn8:12bc
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the light of the world, says the Lord; anyone who follows me will have the light of life.Alleluia!
Gospel : John 12:24-26
Jesus said to his disciples: I tell you, most solemnly, unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest. Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for the eternal life. If a man serves me, he must follow me, wherever I am, my servant will be there too. If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive with favour, O Lord, the offerings we joyfully make on the feast day of Saint Lawrence and grant that they become a help to our salvation. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Jn 12: 26
Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am there also will my servant be, says the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Nourished by these sacred gifts, we humbly implore you, Lord, that the homage of dutiful service, which we render on the feast of Saint Lawrence, may bring us an increase of your saving grace. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
We are socialised in cultures which understand victory as an outcome of defeating others. We therefore struggle with Jesus’ message of victory through falling. A grain’s fall positions it on top of the soil which is what it requires for its growth. Its death positions it again in the soil which opens it up for the emergence of a new plant. This gives it a new identity and opportunity for growth and fruitfulness. Therefore, for something new to emerge and grow in us, something in us and about us has to give way and be submerged. We are all seekers of the Good. But for us to attain the ultimate Good which is God, our egos have to fall, decrease and give way to Godliness. When we empty and submerge ourselves into God and Godliness, we don’t get diminished. We rather get filled with the presence of God which raises us into new beings with new value systems and new sense of Victory. We lose ourselves into the eternal richness of the Life Giver. We become rich by sharing, reconciliatory by forgiving. We rise by raising others and we are exalted by falling prostrate. Are you ready to rise by falling?
