by L'équipe de publication | Jun 10, 2023 | Evangelium
10TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME CORPUS CHRISTI
Solemnity
SAINT BARNABAS THE APOSTLE
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 80: 17
He fed them with the finest wheat and satisfied them with honey from the rock.
Collect
O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament have left us a memorial of your Passion, grant us, we pray, so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood that we may always experience in ourselves the fruits of your redemption. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Deuteronomy 8: 2-3, 14-16
Moses said to the people: “Remember how the Lord your God led you for forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, to test you and know your inmost heart – whether you would keep his commandments or not. He humbled you, he made you feel hunger, he fed you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to make you understand that man does not live on bread alone but that man lives on everything that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Do not become proud of heart. Do not forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: who guided you through this vast and dreadful wilderness, a land of fiery serpents, scorpions, thirst; who in this waterless place brought you water from the hardest rock; who in this wilderness fed you with manna that your fathers had not known.”
Psalm 147: 12-15, 19-20
R/ O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! Zion, praise your God! He has strengthened the bars of your gates he has blessed the children within you.
He established peace on your borders, he feeds you with finest wheat. He sends out his word to the earth and swiftly runs his command.
He makes his word known to Jacob, to Israel his laws and decrees. He has not dealt thus with other nations; he has not taught them his decrees.
Second reading: 1 Corinthians 10: 16-17
The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ, and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ. The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn 6: 51
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the living bread which has come down from heaven, says the Lord. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 6:51-58
Jesus said to the crowd: “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.” Then the Jews started arguing with one another: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they said. Jesus replied: “I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him. As I, who am sent by the living Father, myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me. This is the bread come down from heaven; not like the bread our ancestors ate: they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant your Church, O Lord, we pray, the gifts of unity and peace, whose signs are to be seen in mystery in the offerings we here present. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Jn 6: 57
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him, says the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, O Lord, we pray, that we may delight for all eternity in that share in your divine life, which is foreshadowed in the present age by our reception of your precious Body and Blood. Who live and reign for ever and ever.
Meditation
Today we celebrate the feast of the Blessed Sacrament, the Body and Blood of Christ. It is Jesus who gives himself as food; essential food for our life. The texts of this Sunday prepare us to welcome this gift of God. The temptation today is to believe that our success comes only from the genius of men. Remember! Never forget to feed on the Word of God and the Eucharist, the Bread that came down from heaven, Jesus himself. His flesh and blood are food that gives eternal life. We must feed on his teaching and drink his words. They are those of the Son who brings us the life of the Father. But to welcome this gift, we must leave our certainties and our human reasoning. We must have a poor man’s heart, completely open to him who is “the Way, the Truth and the Life”. The Eucharist is “Bread of Life”. This feast today must rekindle our desire for communion with God to “remain in him and he in us.”
by L'équipe de publication | Jun 9, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT LANDRY
He was the bishop of Paris. He was consecrated in 650 and built the first major hospital in the city, dedicating it to st. Chistopher. It’s today called the L’Hôtel-Dieu.
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: Tobit 12: 1, 5-15, 20
When the feasting was over, Tobit called his son Tobias and said, “My son, you ought to think about paying the amount due to your fellow traveller; give him more than the figure agreed on.” So Tobias called his companion and said, “Take half of what you brought back, in payment for all you have done, and go in peace.” Then Raphael took them both aside and said, “Bless God, utter his praise before all the living for all the favours he has given you. Bless and extol his name. Proclaim before all men the deeds of God as they deserve, and never tire of giving him thanks. It is right to keep the secret of a king, yet right to reveal and publish the works of God. Thank him worthily. Do what is good, and no evil can befall you. Prayer with fasting and alms with right conduct are better than riches with iniquity. Better to practise almsgiving than to hoard up gold. Almsgiving saves from death and purges every kind of sin. Those who give alms have their fill of days; those who commit sin and do evil, bring harm on themselves. I am going to tell you the whole truth, hiding nothing from you. I have already told you that it is right to keep the secret of a king, yet right too to reveal in worthy fashion the works of God. So you must know that when you and Sarah were at prayer, it was I who offered your supplications before the glory of the Lord and who read them; so too when you were burying the dead. When you did not hesitate to get up and leave the table to go and bury a dead man, I was sent to test your faith, and at the same time God sent me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah. I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand ever ready to enter the presence of the glory of the Lord. Now bless the Lord on earth and give thanks to God. I am about to return to him above who sent me.”
Psalm Tobit 13: 2, 6-8
R/ Blessed be God, who lives for ever.
By turns he punishes and pardons; he sends men down to the depths of the underworld and draws them up from supreme Destruction; no one can escape his hand.
If you return to him with all your heart and all your soul, behaving honestly towards him, then he will return to you and hide his face from you no longer.
Consider how well he has treated you; loudly give him thanks. Bless the Lord of justice and extol the King of the ages.
I for my part sing his praise in the country of my exile; I make his power and greatness known to a nation that has sinned.
Sinners, return to him; let your conduct be upright before him; perhaps he will be gracious to you and take pity on you.
Gospel Acclamation: cf. Lk 8: 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 12:38-44
In his teaching Jesus said, “Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes, to be greeted obsequiously in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets; these are the men who swallow the property of widows, while making a show of lengthy prayers. The more severe will be the sentence they receive.” He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the treasury, and many of the rich put in a great deal. A poor widow came and put in two small coins, the equivalent of a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have all put in money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on.”
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
Jesus saw this widow put her penny into the treasury. He liked her gesture and communicated something important to his disciples: “Amen, I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.” First of all, she gave despite her poverty which did not discourage her. Secondly, she gave all she had. Although poor, she had something to give to God. She accepted to be lacking, so that God, in her life, was the first to be served. Unlike us today, she knew how to face the risk of being in lack, like the widow of Zarephath who sacrificed her last handful of flour for Elijah. Neither before God nor before men was she afraid to give of all her poverty; this is what touched Jesus. She knew that she would be poorer for it, but her simple, upright faith told her that God would provide and that she did not have to become rich to give. God welcomes the offering of the poor who accept to remain before him and before poor people.
by L'équipe de publication | Jun 9, 2023 | Agenda Biblique
10 JUIN
SAINT Landry
Il fut Évêque de Paris et fondateur de l’Hôtel-Dieu. Selon la tradition, après avoir été fonctionnaire à la chancellerie du roi Clovis II vers 640, il vendit ses meubles et même des vases sacrés en surnombre, pour secourir les pauvres lors d’une grande famine.
Antienne d’ouverture : Ps 118, 85.46
Regarde-moi, Seigneur, et prends pitié 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 en appelons à ta providence qui jamais ne se trompe en ses desseins : tout ce qui fait du mal, écarte-le, et donne-nous ce qui peut nous aider. Par Jésus.
1ère lecture : Tb 12, 1.5-15.20
En ces jours-là, quand les noces furent achevées, Tobith appela son fils Tobie et lui dit : « Mon enfant, pense à donner son salaire à ton compagnon de voyage, et ajoute un supplément.» Tobith appela Raphaël et lui dit : « Accepte comme salaire la moitié de tout ce que tu as rapporté, et va, porte-toi bien ! » Alors l’ange les prit tous deux à part et leur dit : « Bénissez Dieu et célébrez-le devant tous les vivants pour le bien qu’il vous a fait. Bénissez-le et chantez son nom. Annoncez à tous les hommes les actions de Dieu comme elles le méritent, et n’hésitez pas à le célébrer. S’il est bon de tenir cachés les secrets d’un roi, il faut révéler les œuvres de Dieu et les célébrer comme elles le méritent. Faites le bien, et le mal ne vous atteindra pas. Mieux vaut prier avec vérité et faire l’aumône avec justice, qu’être riche avec injustice. Mieux vaut faire l’aumône qu’amasser de l’or. L’aumône délivre de la mort et purifie de tout péché. Ceux qui font l’aumône seront rassasiés de vie, tandis que le pécheur et l’homme injuste sont leurs propres ennemis. Je veux vous révéler toute la vérité, sans rien vous cacher. Je viens de vous dire que, s’il est bon de tenir cachés les secrets d’un roi, il faut révéler les œuvres de Dieu comme elles le méritent. Eh bien ! Quand tu priais en même temps que Sarra, c’était moi qui présentais votre prière devant la gloire de Dieu, pour qu’il la garde en mémoire, et je faisais de même lorsque tu enterrais les morts. Quand tu n’as pas hésité à te lever, à laisser ton repas et à partir enterrer un mort, c’est alors que j’ai été envoyé vers toi pour te mettre à l’épreuve, mais Dieu m’a aussi envoyé pour te guérir, ainsi que Sarra, ta belle-fille. Moi, je suis Raphaël, l’un des sept anges qui se tiennent ou se présentent devant la gloire du Seigneur. Et maintenant, bénissez le Seigneur sur la terre ! Célébrez Dieu ! Voici que je remonte auprès de celui qui m’a envoyé. Mettez par écrit tout ce qui vous est arrivé. » Alors l’ange remonta au ciel.
Cantique : Tb 13, 2, 7, 8abc, 8defg
R/ Béni soit Dieu, le Vivant, à jamais ! (Tb 13, 1b)
C’est lui qui châtie et prend pitié, qui fait descendre aux profondeurs des enfers et retire de la grande perdition: nul n’échappe à sa main.
Regardez ce qu’il a fait pour vous, rendez- lui grâce à pleine voix ! Bénissez le Seigneur de justice, exaltez le Roi des siècles !
Et moi, en terre d’exil, je lui rends grâce; je montre sa grandeur et sa force au peuple des pécheurs.
« Revenez, pécheurs, et vivez devant lui dans la justice. Qui sait s’il ne vous rendra pas son amour et sa grâce ! »
Évangile: Mc 12, 38-44
En ce temps-là, dans son enseignement, Jésus disait : « Méfiez- vous des scribes, qui tiennent à se promener en vêtements d’apparat et qui aiment les salutations sur les places publiques, les sièges d’honneur dans les synagogues, et les places d’honneur dans les dîners. Ils dévorent les biens des veuves et, pour l’apparence, ils font de longues prières : ils seront d’autant plus sévèrement jugés. » Jésus s’était assis dans le Temple en face de la salle du trésor, et regardait comment la foule y mettait de l’argent. Beaucoup de riches y mettaient de grosses sommes. Une pauvre veuve s’avança et mit deux petites pièces de monnaie. Jésus appela ses disciples et leur déclara : « Amen, je vous le dis : cette pauvre veuve a mis dans le Trésor plus que tous les autres. Car tous, ils ont pris sur leur superflu, mais elle, elle a pris sur son indigence : elle a mis tout ce qu’elle possédait, tout ce qu’elle avait pour vivre. »
Prière sur les offrandes
Confiants dans ton amour, Seigneur, nous venons à ton autel avec nos offrandes: puissions-nous, par un effet de ta grâce, être purifiés dans l’Eucharistie que nous célébrons. Par Jésus.
Antienne de communion : Ps 16,6
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
Jésus avait vu cette veuve poser son denier dans le tronc. Il a aimé son geste et a communiqué quelque chose d’important à ses disciples : « Amen, je vous le dis, cette pauvre veuve a mis plus que tous les autres dans le trésor. » Tout d’abord elle a donné malgré sa pauvreté qui ne l’a pas découragée. Bien que pauvre, elle avait quelque chose à donner à Dieu. Elle a accepté de manquer, pour que Dieu, dans sa vie, fût le premier servi. Contrairement à nous aujourd’hui, elle a su affronter le risque de manquer, comme la veuve de Sarepta, qui a sacrifié pour Elie sa dernière poignée de farine. Ni devant Dieu, ni devant les hommes, elle n’a eu peur de donner de toute sa pauvreté ; voilà ce qui touche Jésus. Elle savait qu’elle allait ainsi s’appauvrir d’avantage, mais sa foi toute simple et droite lui disait que Dieu pourvoira et qu’elle n’avait pas à devenir riche pour donner. Dieu accueille avec joie l’offrande des pauvres qui acceptent de rester devant lui et devant les hommes pauvres.
by L'équipe de publication | Jun 8, 2023 | Agenda Biblique
09 JUIN
SAINT Ephrem,
Diacre et Docteur de l’Eglise
Théologien et poète, Ephrem (vers 306-373) refusa le sacerdoce par humilité et fut diacre à Nisibe, puis à Edesse. Il composa en syriaque des commentaires de la Bible, des homélies et des hymnes qui l’ont fait surnommer ‘’la cithare du Saint-Esprit’’. Il a exprimé dans ses poèmes une tendre dévotion à la Vierge Marie.
Antienne d’ouverture : Ps 118
Regarde-moi, Seigneur, et prends pitié 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 en appelons à ta providence qui jamais ne se trompe en ses desseins: tout ce qui fait du mal, écarte-le, et donne-nous ce qui peut nous aider. Par Jésus.
1ère lecture : Tb 11, 5-17
En ces jours-là, Anna était assise à l’entrée de la cour et surveillait la route par laquelle son fils était parti. Elle le reconnut qui arrivait et cria à Tobith : « Voici ton fils qui revient, et aussi son compagnon de voyage. » Raphaël dit à Tobie, avant que celui-ci ne s’approche de son père : « J’ai la certitude que ses yeux vont s’ouvrir. Étale sur eux le fiel du poisson ; le remède provoquera la contraction des yeux et en détachera le voile blanchâtre. Ton père retrouvera la vue et verra la lumière. » Anna courut se jeter au cou de son fils et lui dit : « Je te revois, mon enfant. À présent, je peux mourir ! » Et elle se mit à pleurer. Quant à Tobith, il se leva et franchit l’entrée de la cour en trébuchant. Tobie alla vers lui, le fiel du poisson à la main. Il lui souffla dans les yeux, le saisit et lui dit : « Confiance, père ! » Puis il lui appliqua le remède et en rajouta. Ensuite, de ses deux mains, il lui retira les pellicules en partant du coin des yeux. Tobith se jeta alors au cou de son fils et lui dit en pleurant : « Je te revois, mon enfant, toi, la lumière de mes yeux ! » Et il ajouta : « Béni soit Dieu ! Béni soit son grand nom ! Bénis soient tous ses saints anges! Que son grand nom soit sur nous ! Bénis soient tous les anges pour tous les siècles ! Car Dieu m’avait frappé, mais voici que je revois mon fils Tobie. » Tobie entra dans la maison, tout joyeux et bénissant Dieu à pleine voix. Il raconta à son père qu’il avait fait bon voyage, qu’il rapportait l’argent et comment il avait épousé Sarra, la fille de Ragouël: « La voilà qui arrive, ajouta-t-il ; elle est aux portes de Ninive. » Tobith partit à la rencontre de sa belle-fille, aux portes de Ninive; il était tout joyeux et bénissait Dieu. En le voyant marcher d’un pas ferme et traverser la ville sans que personne le conduise par la main, les habitants furent émerveillés, et Tobith proclamait que Dieu l’avait pris en pitié et lui avait rouvert les yeux. Quand il arriva près de Sarra, la femme de son fils Tobie, il la bénit en disant : « Sois la bienvenue, ma fille ! Béni soit ton Dieu de t’avoir menée vers nous ! Béni soit ton père ! Béni soit mon fils Tobie et bénie sois-tu, ma fille ! Sois la bienvenue dans ta maison, sois comblée de bénédiction et de joie. Entre, ma fille ! » Ce jour-là fut un jour de joie pour les Juifs qui habitaient Ninive.
Psaume : 145 (146), 2.5, 6c-7, 8-9a, 9bc-10
R/ Chante, ô mon âme, la louange du Seigneur !
Ou : Alléluia !
Je veux louer le Seigneur tant que je vis, chanter mes hymnes pour mon Dieu tant que je dure. Heureux qui s’appuie sur le Dieu de Jacob, qui met son espoir dans le Seigneur son Dieu.
Il garde à jamais sa fidélité, il fait justice aux opprimés, aux affamés, il donne le pain ; le Seigneur délie les enchaînés.
Le Seigneur ouvre les yeux des aveugles, le Seigneur redresse les accablés, le Seigneur aime les justes, le Seigneur protège l’étranger.
Il soutient la veuve et l’orphelin, il égare les pas du méchant. D’âge en âge, le Seigneur régnera : ton Dieu, ô Sion, pour toujours !
Évangile : Mc 12, 35-37
En ce temps-là, quand Jésus enseignait dans le Temple, il déclarait : « Comment les scribes peuvent-ils dire que le Messie est le fils de David ? David lui-même a dit, inspiré par l’Esprit Saint : Le Seigneur a dit à mon Seigneur : “Siège à ma droite jusqu’à ce que j’aie placé tes ennemis sous tes pieds !” David lui-même le nomme Seigneur. D’où vient alors qu’il est son fils ? » Et la foule nombreuse l’écoutait avec plaisir.
Prière sur les offrandes
Confiants dans ton amour, Seigneur, nous venons à ton autel avec nos offrandes: puissions-nous, par un effet de ta grâce, être purifiés dans l’Eucharistie que nous célébrons. Par Jésus.
Antienne de communion : Ps 16,6
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
« David lui-même le nomme Seigneur. D’où vient alors qu’il est son fils ? » La promesse faisait mention d’un Messie, un homme, un fils de David. Mais Dieu a envoyé un Messie qui est plus qu’un homme, puisqu’il partage la gloire de celui qui l’envoie et, par-dessus tout, porte le nom de Seigneur. Les Juifs ne le croyaient pas si grand qu’il fût éternel, et ils l’ont méconnu de même dans son abaissement que dans sa mort. Mais nous, nous croyons que l’attente de l’homme, si pénible soit-elle, doit se prolonger dans la foi en la bonté de Dieu ; elle débouchera sur un bonheur plus grand, peut-être même ici-bas. Nous confessons que le Seigneur Jésus, fils de David et Fils de Dieu est pour toute l’humanité un mystère et un appel. Puisse sa personne ne jamais cesser de nous interpeler, afin qu’à travers lui et en lui nous cherchons continuellement le père.
by L'équipe de publication | Jun 8, 2023 | Evangelium
SAINT EPHRAEM THE DEACON
Saint Ephraem was a poet and a theologian. He is famous not only for the beauty of expression of his homilies but also for his hymns, which have spread far beyond his native Syriac church and are in use in East and West alike.
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: Tobit 11: 5-17
Anna was sitting, watching the road by which her son would come. She was sure at once it must be he and said to the father, “Here comes your son, with his companion.” Raphael said to Tobias before he reached his father, “I give you my word that your father’s eyes will open. You must put the fish’s gall to his eyes; the medicine will smart and will draw a filmy white skin off his eyes. And your father will be able to see and look on the light.” The mother ran forward and threw her arms round her son’s neck. “Now I can die,” she said “I have seen you again.” And she wept. Tobit rose to his feet and stumbled across the courtyard through the door. Tobias came on towards him (he had the fish’s gall in his hand). He blew into his eyes and said, steadying him, “Take courage, father!” With this he applied the medicine, left it there a while, then with both hands peeled away a filmy skin from the corners of his eyes. Then his father fell on his neck and wept. He exclaimed, “I can see, my son, the light of my eyes!” And he said: “Blessed be God! Blessed be his great name! Blessed be all his holy angels! Blessed be his great name for evermore! For he had scourged me and now has had pity on me and I see my son Tobias.” Tobias went into the house, and with a loud voice joyfully blessed God. Then he told his father everything: how his journey had been successful and he had brought the silver back; how he had married Sarah, the daughter of Raguel; how she was following him now, close behind, and could not be far from the gates of Nineveh. Tobit set off to the gates of Nineveh to meet his daughter-in-law, giving joyful praise to God as he went. When the people of Nineveh saw him walking without a guide and stepping forward as briskly as of old, they were astonished. Tobit described to them how God had taken pity on him and had opened his eyes. Then Tobit met Sarah, the bride of his son Tobias, and blessed her in these words, “Welcome, daughter! Blessed be your God for sending you to us, my daughter. Blessings on your father, blessings on my son Tobias, blessings on yourself, my daughter. Welcome now to your own house in joyfulness and in blessedness. Come in, my daughter.” He held a feast that day for all the Jews of Nineveh.
Psalm 145(146): 2, 7-10
R/ My soul, give praise to the Lord.
My soul, give praise to the Lord: I will praise the Lord all my days, make music to my God while I live.
It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever, who is just to those who are oppressed. It is he who gives bread to the hungry, the Lord, who sets prisoners free,
It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind, who raises up those who are bowed down, the Lord, who protects the stranger and upholds the widow and orphan.
It is the Lord who loves the just but thwarts the path of the wicked. The Lord will reign for ever, Zion’s God, from age to age.
Gospel Acclamation: cf. Ps 18: 9
Alleluia, alleluia! Your words gladden the heart, O Lord, they give light to the eyes. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 12: 35-37
At that time while teaching in the Temple, Jesus said, “How can the scribes maintain that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, moved by the Holy Spirit, said: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand and I will put your enemies under your feet. David himself calls him Lord, in what way then can he be his son?” And the great majority of the people heard this with delight.
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
“David himself calls him Lord. Where does it come from then that he is his son?” The promise mentioned a Messiah, a man, a son of David. But God sent a Messiah who is more than a man, since he shares the glory of the one who sent him and, above all, bears the name of Lord. The Jews did not believe him to be so great that he was eternal, and they disregarded him both in his abasement and in his death. But we believe that man’s expectation, however painful, must be prolonged in faith in the goodness of God; it will lead to a greater happiness, perhaps even here on earth. We confess that the Lord Jesus, son of David and Son of God, is for all humanity a mystery and a call. May his person never cease to challenge us, so that through him and in him we may continually seek the Father.
BLESSED JAMES BERTHIEU
Born in France, he was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1864. In 1875 he left for Madagascar where he spent the rest of his life. On the night of 8 June 1896, while he was praying, he was shot dead and his body thrown in the river Mananara.
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: Tobit 6: 10-11, 7: 1, 9-14, 8: 4-9
Raphael and Tobit entered Media and had nearly reached Ecbetana when Raphael said to the boy, “Brother Tobias.” “Yes?” he answered. The angel went on, “Tonight we shall be staying with Raguel, who is a kinsman of yours. He has a daughter called Sarah, but apart from Sarah he has no other son or daughter.” As they entered Ecbatana, Tobias said, “Brother Azarias, take me at once to our brother Raguel’s.” And he showed him the way to the house of Raguel, whom they found sitting beside his courtyard door. They greeted him first, and he replied, “Welcome and greetings, brothers.” And he took them into his house. He said to his wife Edna, “How like my brother Tobit this young man is!” Raguel killed a sheep from the flock, and they gave them a warm-hearted welcome. They washed and bathed and sat down to table. Then Tobias said to Raphael, “Brother Azarias, will you ask Raguel to give me my sister Sarah?” Raguel overheard the words, and said to the young man, “Eat and drink, and make the most of your evening; no one else has the right to take my daughter Sarah – no one but you, my brother. In any case I, for my own part, am not at liberty to give her to anyone else, since you are her next of kin. However, my boy, I must be frank with you: I have tried to find a husband for her seven times among our kinsmen, and all of them have died the first evening, on-going to her room. But for the present, my boy, eat and drink; the Lord will grant you his grace and peace.” Tobias spoke out, “I will not hear of eating and drinking till you have come to a decision about me.” Raguel answered, “Very well. Since, as prescribed by the Book of Moses, she is given to you, heaven itself decrees she shall be yours. I therefore entrust your sister to you. From now you are her brother and she is your sister. She is given to you from today for ever. The Lord of heaven favour you tonight, my child, and grant you his grace and peace.” Raguel called for his daughter Sarah, took her by the hand and gave her to Tobias with these words, “I entrust her to you; the law and the ruling recorded in the Book of Moses assign her to you as your wife. Take her; take her home to your father’s house with a good conscience. The God of heaven grant you a good journey in peace.” Then he turned to her mother and asked her to fetch him writing paper. He drew up the marriage contract, how he gave his daughter as bride to Tobias according to the ordinance in the Law of Moses. After this they began to eat and drink. The parents, meanwhile, had gone out and shut the door behind them. Tobias rose from the bed, and said to Sarah, “Get up, my sister! You and I must pray and petition our Lord to win his grace and his protection.” She stood up, and they began praying for protection, and this was how he began: “You are blessed, O God of our fathers; blessed, too, is your name for ever and ever. Let the heavens bless you and all things you have made for evermore. It was you who created Adam, you who created Eve his wife to be his help and support; and from these two the human race was born. It was you who said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; let us make him a helpmate like himself.’ And so I do not take my sister for any lustful motive; I do it in singleness of heart. Be kind enough to have pity on her and on me and bring us to old age together.” And together they said, “Amen, Amen”, and lay down for the night.
Psalm 127(128): 1-5
R/ O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways! By the labour of your hands you shall eat. You will be happy and prosper.
YoOne of the Scribes came up to Jesus and put a question to him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” The Scribe said to him, “Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true: that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.” Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, “You are not far from
