by L'équipe de publication | Jun 4, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Boniface, Bishop, Martyr (675- 754)
Red
Born in England about 680, St. Boniface became a Benedictine monk. He was appointed the first bishop of Germany by Pope Gregory II. Together with thirty companions, he died a martyrs dead in 754.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Phil 2: 30
This Saint went as far as death, handing over his life to destruction for the work of Christ.
Collect
May the Martyr Saint Boniface be our advocate, O Lord, that we may firmly hold the faith he taught with his lips and sealed in his blood and confidently profess it by our deeds. 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 Timothy 1:1-3,6-12
From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus in his design to promise life in Christ Jesus; to Timothy, dear child of mine, wishing you grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord. Night and day I thank God, keeping my conscience clear and remembering my duty to him as my ancestors did, and always I remember you in my prayers. That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord, or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but with me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy – not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace. This grace had already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus, before the beginning of time, but it has only been revealed by the Appearing of our saviour Christ Jesus. He abolished death, and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News; and I have been named its herald, its apostle and its teacher. It is only on account of this that I am experiencing fresh hardships here now; but I have not lost confidence, because I know who it is that I have put my trust in, and I have no doubt at all that he is able to take care of all that I have entrusted to him until that Day.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 122(123):1-2
R/ To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes.
To you have I lifted up my eyes, you who dwell in the heavens; my eyes, like the eyes of slaves on the hand of their lords.
Like the eyes of a servant on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God till he show us his mercy.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn17:17
Alleluia, alleluia! Your word is truth, O Lord: consecrate us in the truth. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 12:18-27
Some Sadducees – who deny that there is a resurrection – came to him and they put this question to him, ‘Master, we have it from Moses in writing, if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child, the man must marry the widow to raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first married a wife and then died leaving no children. The second married the widow, and he too died leaving no children; with the third it was the same, and none of the seven left any children. Last of all the woman herself died. Now at the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be, since she had been married to all seven?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Is not the reason why you go wrong, that you understand neither the scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, men and women do not marry; no, they are like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising again, have you never read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the Bush, how God spoke to him and said: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? He is God, not of the dead, but of the living. You are very much mistaken.’
Prayer over the Offerings
As we commemorate the martyrdom of Saint Boniface, O Lord, we make our offerings at your altar, praying that we, who celebrate the mysteries of our Lord’s Passion, may imitate what we now do. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mk 8: 35
Whoever loses his life for the sake of the Gospel will save it, says the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
As we celebrate the heavenly banquet, we beseech you, Lord, that, in following such a great example of faith, we may be encouraged by the remembrance of the blessed Martyr Saint Boniface and led on by hi gracious intercession. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
In today’s Gospel, the Sadducees are so blinded by their denial of the resurrection that they concoct a laughable story to question the reality of the resurrection. Jesus teaches them that marriage does not exist after the resurrection and that God’s introduction of himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – despite these men being physically dead but alive with God – meant that he was a God of the living, not the dead. All religions allude to life after death. Wouldn’t human life be a hoax if everything ended here? Of what use would it be to strive for perfection all our years on earth if there is nothing else afterwards? In Jesus’ words, «You are very much mistaken» if you are wasting your time trying to prove that there is no resurrection. It is far more profitable to live a good life in the hope of enjoying a blissful eternity with God.
by L'équipe de publication | Jun 3, 2024 | Evangelium
Saint Clotilde
(475 – 545)
Green
She was the second wife of the Frankish King Clovis I, and a princess of the kingdom of Burgundy. She converted her husband to the catholic faith. She was known for almsgiving and penitential works of mercy.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 24: 16, 18
Turn to me and have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am alone and poor. See my lowliness and suffering and take away all my sins, my God.
Collect
O God, whose providence never fails in its design, keep from us, we humbly beseech you, all that might harm us and grant all that works for our good. 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 Peter 3:11-15,17-18
You should be living holy and saintly lives while you wait and long for the Day of God to come, when the sky will dissolve in flames and the elements melt in the heat. What we are waiting for is what he promised: the new heavens and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home. So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace. Think of our Lord’s patience as your opportunity to be saved. You have been warned about this, my friends; be careful not to get carried away by the errors of unprincipled people, from the firm ground that you are standing on. Instead, go on growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory, in time and in eternity. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89(90):2-4,10,14,16
R/ O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
Before the mountains were born or the earth or the world brought forth, you are God, without beginning or end.
You turn men back to dust and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’ To your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday, come and gone, no more than a watch in the night.
Our span is seventy years, or eighty for those who are strong. And most of these are emptiness and pain. They pass swiftly and we are gone.
In the morning, fill us with your love; we shall exult and rejoice all our days. Show forth your work to your servants; let your glory shine on their children.
Gospel Acclamation: Heb4:12
Alleluia, alleluia! The word of God is something alive and active: it can judge secret emotions and thoughts. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 12:13-17
The chief priests and the scribes and the elders sent to Jesus some Pharisees and some Herodians to catch him out in what he said. These came and said to him, ‘Master, we know you are an honest man, that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you, and that you teach the way of God in all honesty. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay, yes or no?’ Seeing through their hypocrisy he said to them, ‘Why do you set this trap for me? Hand me a denarius and let me see it.’ They handed him one and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they told him. Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’ This reply took them completely by surprise.
Prayer over the Offerings
Trusting in your compassion, O Lord, we come eagerly with our offerings to your sacred altar, that, through the purifying action of your grace, we may be cleansed by the very mysteries we serve. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 16: 6
To you I call, for you will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words.
Prayer after Communion
Govern by your Spirit, we pray, O Lord, those you feed with the Body and Blood of your Son, that, professing you not just in word or in speech, but also in works and in truth, we may merit to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
In Jesus’ time, the religious leaders, and politicians, were strange bedfellows. While they disagree on many things, they are united in their perception that Jesus is their common enemy. In today’s gospel reading, they put their differences aside and collude to trap Jesus by asking him a tricky question they thought had no correct answer. Whatever answer Jesus gives would be wrong by them and would be used against him. Jesus’ wisdom is demonstrated again as he gives them a surprising answer. Sometimes we face similar traps and tricky questions put to us by teams of people with opposing ideologies but who see our expressions of faith as inimical to their agenda. Like Jesus, let us use the opportunity to remind them that all things (including things that they revere) are subservient and belong to God.
by L'équipe de publication | Jun 3, 2024 | Agenda Biblique
Sainte CLOTILDE
VERT
Déjà chrétienne quand elle épousa le roi païen des Francs, Clovis, a princesse burgonde Clotilde (474-545) sut gagner le respect de son mari et, par son influence, prépara sa conversion. Veuve et privée de ses enfants, victimes de luttes fratricides, elle se retira à Tours où elle mourut ; on l’ensevelit à Paris près de Clovis et de sainte Geneviève.
Antienne d’entrée : Cf. Ps 24 , 16, 18
Regarde-moi, Seigneur, et prends pitiè de moi, car je suis seul et misérable : vois ma misère et ma peine enlève tous mes péchés.
Prière d’ouverture
Seigneur notre Père, nous sommes en appelons à ta providence qui jamais ne se trompe en ses desseins: tout ce qui fait du mal, écarte-le, donne-nous ce qui peut nous aider. Par Jésus.
1ère lecture : 2 Pierre 3, 11-15,17-18
Bien-aimés, vous attendez et vous hâtez l’avènement du jour de Dieu,
ce jour où les cieux enflammés seront dissous, où les éléments embrasés seront en fusion. Car ce que nous attendons, selon la promesse du Seigneur, c’est un ciel nouveau et une terre nouvelle où résidera la justice. C’est pourquoi, bien-aimés, en attendant cela, faites tout pour qu’on vous trouve sans tache ni défaut, dans la paix. Et dites-vous bien
que la longue patience de notre Seigneur, c’est votre salut. Quant à vous, bien-aimés, vous voilà prévenus ; prenez garde : ne vous laissez pas entraîner dans l’égarement des gens dévoyés, et n’abandonnez pas l’attitude de fermeté qui est la vôtre. Mais continuez à grandir dans la grâce et la connaissance
de notre Seigneur et Sauveur, Jésus Christ. À lui la gloire, dès maintenant et jusqu’au jour de l’éternité.
Amen.
Psaume : 89(90), 2-4,10,14,16
R/ D’âge en âge, Seigneur,
tu as été notre refuge. (Ps 89, 1)
Avant que naissent les montagnes, que tu enfantes la terre et le monde, de toujours à toujours, toi, tu es Dieu.
Tu fais retourner l’homme à la poussière ; tu as dit : « Retournez, fils d’Adam ! » À tes yeux, mille ans sont comme hier, c’est un jour qui s’en va, une heure dans la nuit.
Le nombre de nos années ? soixante-dix, quatre-vingt pour les plus vigoureux ! Leur plus grand nombre n’est que peine et misère ; elles s’enfuient, nous nous envolons.
Rassasie-nous de ton amour au matin, que nous passions nos jours dans la joie et les chants. Fais connaître ton œuvre à tes serviteurs et ta splendeur à leurs fils.
Acclamation : Heb4, 12
Alléluia, alléluia Que le Père de notre Seigneur Jésus Christ ouvre à sa lumière les yeux de notre cœur, pour que nous percevions l’espérance que donne son appel.
Alléluia !
Evangile : Marc 12, 13-17
En ce temps-là, on envoya à Jésus des pharisiens et des partisans d’Hérode pour lui tendre un piège en le faisant parler, et ceux-ci vinrent lui dire : « Maître, nous le savons : tu es toujours vrai ; tu ne te laisses influencer par personne, car ce n’est pas selon l’apparence que tu considères les gens, mais tu enseignes le chemin de Dieu selon la vérité. Est-il permis, oui ou non, de payer l’impôt à César, l’empereur? Devons-nous payer, oui ou non ?» Mais lui, sachant leur hypocrisie, leur dit :
« Pourquoi voulez-vous me mettre à l’épreuve ? Faites-moi voir une pièce d’argent. » Ils en apportèrent une, et Jésus leur dit : « Cette effigie et cette inscription, de qui sont-elles?– De César », répondent-ils. Jésus leur dit : « Ce qui est à César, rendez-le à César, et à Dieu ce qui est à Dieu. » Et ils étaient remplis d’étonnement à son sujet.
Prière sur les offrandes
Confiants dans ton amour, Seigneur, nous venons à ton autel avec nos offrandes : puissions-nous, par un effet de ta grace, etre purifiès dans l’eucharistie que nous célébrons. Par Jésus.
Antienne de communion : Cf. Ps 16 Je t’appelle, mon Dieu, car tu peux me répondre : écoute-moi Entends ce que je dis.
Prière après la communion
Guide-nous, Seigneur, par ton Esprit, toi qui nous as donné le corps et le sang de ton Fils : accorde-nous de te rendre témoignage, non seulement avec des paroles, mais aussi par nos actes ; et nous pourrons entrer dans le Royaume des cieux. Par Jésus.
Méditation
Le mot hypocrisie signifiait initialement « jouer sur la scène ». Dans la Bible il signifie fausseté, imposture, tromperie. Ici, l’attrait de la richesse fausse les relations authentiques. Les visiteurs de Jésus n’ont qu’un but : le piéger. La vérité ne les intéresse pas. Jésus, vif d’esprit, contourne le piège qui lui est tendu et conduit à la vérité ses interlocuteurs. Comme notre Maitre, nous sommes nantis de talents ; sachons les découvrir et les utiliser pour le bien de tous en rendant grâce à Dieu.
by L'équipe de publication | Jun 2, 2024 | Evangelium
Psalter: Week 1
Saints Charles Lwanga
and his companions (1885/7)
Charles Lwanga and his twenty-one companions (the youngest, Kizito, was only 13) were executed for being Christians, for rebuking the king for his debauchery and his murder of an Anglican missionary, for “praying from a book,” and for refusing to allow themselves to be ritually sodomised by the king. They died between 1885 and 1887. Most of them were burned alive in a group after being tortured.
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Wis 3: 6-7, 9
As gold in the furnace, the Lord put his chosen to the test; as sacrificial offerings, he took them to himself; and in due time they will be honoured, and grace and peace will be with the elect of God.
Collect
O God, who have made the blood of Martyrs the seed of Christians, mercifully grant that the field which is your Church, watered by the blood shed by Saints Charles Lwanga and his companions, may be fertile and always yield you an abundant harvest. 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 Peter 1:2-7
May you have more and more grace and peace as you come to know our Lord more and more. By his divine power, he has given us all the things that we need for life and for true devotion, bringing us to know God himself, who has called us by his own glory and goodness. In making these gifts, he has given us the guarantee of something very great and wonderful to come: through them you will be able to share the divine nature and to escape corruption in a world that is sunk in vice. But to attain this, you will have to do your utmost yourselves, adding goodness to the faith that you have, understanding to your goodness, self-control to your understanding, patience to your self-control, true devotion to your patience, kindness towards your fellow men to your devotion, and, to this kindness, love.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
90(91):1-2,14-16
R/ My God, in you I trust.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High and abides in the shade of the Almighty says to the Lord: ‘My refuge, my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!’
His love he set on me, so I will rescue him; protect him for he knows my name. When he calls I shall answer: ‘I am with you.’
I will save him in distress and give him glory. With length of life I will content him; I shall let him see my saving power.
Gospel Acclamation:
cf.Col3:16a,17
Alleluia, alleluia! Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you; through him give thanks to God the Father. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 12:1-12
Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes and the elders in parables: ‘A man planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug out a trough for the winepress and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce from the vineyard. But they seized the man, thrashed him and sent him away empty-handed. Next he sent another servant to them; him they beat about the head and treated shamefully. And he sent another and him they killed; then a number of others, and they thrashed some and killed the rest. He had still someone left: his beloved son. He sent him to them last of all. “They will respect my son” he said. But those tenants said to each other, “This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.” So they seized him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and make an end of the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this text of scripture: It was the stone rejected by the builders that became the keystone. This was the Lord’s doing and it is wonderful to see? And they would have liked to arrest him, because they realised that the parable was aimed at them, but they were afraid of the crowds. So they left him alone and went away.
Prayer over the Offerings
We offer you sacrifice, O Lord, humbly praying that, as you granted the blessed Martyrs
grace to die rather than sin, so you may bring us to minister at your altar in dedication to you alone. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 115: 15
How precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his holy ones..
Prayer after Communion
We have received this divine Sacrament, O Lord, as we celebrate the victory of your holy Martyrs; may what helped them to endure torment, we pray, make us, in the face of trials, steadfast in faith and in charity. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus uses the parable of the tenants to warn the Chief Priests, scribes and elders of the self-imposed destruction they will face if they continued in their unfaithfulness, violating God’s purpose, rejecting the prophets sent by God, and even killing the heir – Jesus. Jesus clarifies that since the leaders had not lived up to expectations, they would be stripped of the mantle of spiritual leadership given to them and be replaced with a new movement led by Jesus, the rejected cornerstone. We can remain in the vineyard and be part of this new movement by remaining faithful to God’s divine purpose and accountable for every responsibility.
by L'équipe de publication | Jun 2, 2024 | Agenda Biblique
9ème SEMAINE DU TEMPS
ORDINAIRE
Psautier i
Saints Charles Lwanga et ses compagnons, Martyrs
Rouge
Les vingt-deux premiers martyrs de l’Afrique noire, canonisés en 1964, périrent, pour la plupart, le 3 juin 1886 à Namugongo, qui est devenu un haut-lieu de l’Eglise en Ouganda. Victimes d’un roitelet dépravé, ils furent livrés à d’atroces supplices pour avoir refusé de renier leur foi ; certains, dont Charles Lwanga, le chef des pages, avaient dû défendre leur pureté contre les sollicitations du roi.
Antienne d’ouverture
Sur terre, les martyrs ont versé leur sang pour le Christ ; aussi ont-il reçu leur récompense dans le ciel.
Prière d’ouverture
Seigneur notre Dieu, tu as fait que le sang des martyrs soit une semence de chrétiens ; accorde à l’Église, que saint Charles Lwanga et ses compagnons ont fécondée par leur sang, de te donner une abondante moisson. Par Jésus.
1ère lecture : 2 Pierre 1, 2-7
Bien-aimés, que la grâce et la paix
vous soient accordées en abondance par la vraie connaissance de Dieu et de Jésus notre Seigneur. Sa puissance divine nous a fait don de tout ce qui permet de vivre avec piété, grâce à la vraie connaissance de celui qui nous a appelés par la gloire et la force qui lui appartiennent. De la sorte nous sont accordés les dons promis, si précieux et si grands, pour que, par eux, vous deveniez participants de la nature divine, et que vous échappiez à la dégradation produite dans le monde par la convoitise. Et pour ces motifs, faites tous vos efforts pour joindre à votre foi la vertu, à la vertu la connaissance de Dieu, à la connaissance de Dieu la maîtrise de soi, à la maîtrise de soi la persévérance, à la persévérance la piété, à la piété la fraternité, à la fraternité l’amour.
Psaume : 90(91), 1-2,14-16
R/ Mon Dieu, je suis sûr de toi ! (Ps 90, 2b)
Quand je me tiens sous l’abri du Très-Haut et repose à l’ombre du Puissant, je dis au Seigneur : « Mon refuge, mon rempart, mon Dieu, dont je suis sûr ! »
« Puisqu’il s’attache à moi, je le délivre ; je le défends, car il connaît mon nom. Il m’appelle, et moi, je lui réponds ; je suis avec lui dans son épreuve.
« Je veux le libérer, le glorifier ; de longs jours, je veux le rassasier, et je ferai qu’il voie mon salut. »
Acclamation
Alléluia. Alléluia.Jésus Christ, témoin fidèle, premier-né d’entre les morts, tu nous aimes, et par ton sang tu nous délivres du péché Alléluia. (cf. Jn 14, 26)
Évangile : Marc 12, 1-12
En ce temps-là, Jésus se mit à parler en paraboles aux chefs des prêtres, aux scribes et aux anciens : « Un homme planta une vigne, il l’entoura d’une clôture, y creusa un pressoir et y bâtit une tour de garde. Puis il loua cette vigne à des vignerons, et partit en voyage. Le moment venu, il envoya un serviteur auprès des vignerons pour se faire remettre par eux ce qui lui revenait des fruits de la vigne Mais les vignerons se saisirent du serviteur, le frappèrent, et le renvoyèrent les mains vides. De nouveau, il leur envoya un autre serviteur ; et celui-là, ils l’assommèrent et l’humilièrent. Il en envoya encore un autre, et celui-là, ils le tuèrent ; puis beaucoup d’autres serviteurs: ils frappèrent les uns et tuèrent les autres. Il lui restait encore quelqu’un: son fils bien-aimé. Il l’envoya vers eux en dernier, en se disant : “Ils respecteront mon fils.” Mais ces vignerons-là se dirent entre eux : “Voici l’héritier : allons-y ! tuons-le, et l’héritage va être à nous !” Ils se saisirent de lui, le tuèrent, et le jetèrent hors de la vigne. Que fera le maître de la vigne ? Il viendra, fera périr les vignerons, et donnera la vigne à d’autres. N’avez-vous pas lu ce passage de l’Écriture ? La pierre qu’ont rejetée les bâtisseurs est devenue la pierre d’angle : c’est là l’œuvre du Seigneur la merveille devant nos yeux!» Les chefs du peuple cherchaient à arrêter Jésus, mais ils eurent peur de la foule. – Ils avaient bien compris en effet qu’il avait dit la parabole à leur intention. Ils le laissèrent donc et s’en allèrent.
Prière sur les offrandes
Nous te présentons, Seigneur, nos offrandes et nous te supplions humblement : toi qui as accordé à tes martyrs la force de préférer la mort au péché, donne-nous de te servir à cet autel avec un cœur entièrement tourné vers toi. Par Jésus.
Antienne de communion : Rm 8, 38-39
Ni la mort, ni la vie, ni aucune créature ne pourra nous séparer de l’amour du Christ.
Prière après la communion
Tu nous as fortifiés par tes mystères, Seigneur, tandis que nous rappelons la victoire de tes martyrs Charles Lwanga et ses compagnons ; c’est dans l’Eucharistie qu’ils ont trouvé le courage de supporter leurs supplices: fais qu’au milieu des épreuves, nous y trouvions, à notre tour, une foi et une charité sans défaillance. Par Jésus.
Méditation
En lisant la parabole des vignerons homicides, il peut être tentant de pointer du doigt les leaders juifs qui voulaient faire condamner Jésus. Pourtant, la tentation nous guette toujours de faire comme ces vignerons en mettant l’Église à notre service, et non l’inverse ! À chaque génération, tout recommence en quelque sorte : le Seigneur suscite des hommes et des femmes à qui il confie sa vigne, son peuple. À des degrés divers, et chacun à sa façon, les parents, les pasteurs, les diacres, les théologiens, les catéchistes sont des vignerons à qui une portion de la vigne de Dieu est confiée. Cette vigne pour laquelle le Fils a donné sa vie. Et à chaque génération, la tentation réapparaît de se servir de l’Église pour apaiser sa soif de pouvoir et de contrôle, pour promouvoir sa notoriété, pour se faire valoir. Comment donc éviter ce piège ? Il n’y a qu’une manière : c’est de laisser l’Esprit du Christ mettre en nos cœurs l’amour tendre et absolu de Dieu pour son peuple, la passion du vigneron pour sa vigne. L’amour doit être notre seule loi, notre seul guide, la vraie mesure du succès.
