by L'équipe de publication | Jun 4, 2023 | Evangelium
Saint Boniface
Bishop, Martyr
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: Tobit 1:3, 2: 1-8
I, Tobit, have walked in paths of truth and in good works all the days of my life. I have given much in alms to my brothers and fellow countrymen, exiled like me to Nineveh in the country of Assyria. In the reign of Esarhaddon I returned home, and my wife Anna was restored to me with my son Tobias. At our feast of Pentecost (the feast of Weeks) there was a good dinner. I took my place for the meal; the table was brought to me and various dishes were brought. Then I said to my son Tobias, “Go, my child, and seek out some poor, loyal-hearted man among our brothers exiled in Nineveh, and bring him to share my meal. I will wait until you come back, my child.” So Tobias went out to look for some poor man among our brothers, but he came back again and said, “Father!” I answered, “What is it, my child?” He went on, “Father, one of our nation has just been murdered; he has been strangled and then thrown down in the market place; he is there still.” I sprang up at once, left my meal untouched, took the man from the market place and laid him in one of my rooms, waiting until sunset to bury him. I came in again and washed myself and ate my bread in sorrow, remembering the words of the prophet Amos concerning Bethel: Your feasts will be turned to mourning, and all your songs to lamentation. And I wept. When the sun was down, I went and dug a grave and buried him. My neighbours laughed and said, “See! He is not afraid anymore.” (You must remember that a price had been set on my head earlier for this very thing.) “The time before this he had to flee, yet here he is, beginning to bury the dead again.”
Psalm 111(112):1-2,3b-6
R/ Happy the man who fears the Lord.
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.
Riches and wealth are in his house; his justice stands firm for ever. He is a light in the darkness for the upright: he is generous, merciful and just.
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.
Gospel Acclamation: cf. Col 3: 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
As we commemorate the martyrdom of blessed N., 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 N. and led on by his (her) gracious intercession. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
In the Temple, Jesus confronts the chief priests, the elders and the scribes. He does not want to explicitly reveal to them where his authority comes from (Mk 11:28). But he is a man who does everything for his vineyard… The vineyard of the Lord of the universe is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are the plant he cherishes. He expected justice but got injustice. All he found was the cry of the wretched. (Is 5, 7). In the parable Jesus gives, it is not the lack of fruit (as with the fig tree) or its poor quality that will be denounced, but the greed of the vinedressers, regardless of the productivity of the vineyard. After having received grace after grace freely, we, like the indelicate vintners, may not have made good use of it. Let us turn away from our bad behaviours and convert ourselves by taking responsibility and welcoming the God of Mercy.
by L'équipe de publication | Jun 3, 2023 | Evangelium
9th Sunday of ordinary time
The Most Holy Trinity
Solemnity
Entrance Antiphon
Blest be God the Father, and the Only Begotten Son of God, and also the Holy Spirit, for he has shown us his merciful love.
Collect
God our Father, who by sending into the world the Word of truth and the Spirit of sanctification made known to the human race your wondrous mystery, grant us, we pray, that in professing the true faith, we may acknowledge the Trinity of eternal glory and adore your Unity, powerful in majesty. 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: Exodus 34:4-6,8-9
With the two tablets of stone in his hands, Moses went up the mountain of Sinai in the early morning as the Lord had commanded him. And the Lord descended in the form of a cloud, and Moses stood with him there. He called on the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness.” And Moses bowed down to the ground at once and worshipped. “If I have indeed won your favour, Lord,” he said, “let my Lord come with us, I beg. True, they are a headstrong people, but forgive us our faults and our sins, and adopt us as your heritage.”
Psalm Daniel 3:52-56
R/ To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest, Lord God of our fathers.
Blest your glorious holy name.
You are blest in the temple of your glory.
You are blest on the throne of your kingdom.
You are blest who gaze into the depths.
You are blest in the firmament of heaven.
Second reading: 2 Corinthians 13: 11-13
Brothers, we wish you happiness; try to grow perfect; help one another. Be united; live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with the holy kiss. All the saints send you greetings. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Gospel Acclamation: cf. Rv 1:8
Alleluia, alleluia! Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; the God who is, who was, and who is to come. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 3:16-18
Jesus said to Nicodemus: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved. No one who believes in him will be condemned; but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already, because he has refused to believe in the name of God’s only Son.”
Prayer over the Offerings
Sanctify by the invocation of your name, we pray, O Lord our God, this oblation of our service, and by it make of us an eternal offering to you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Gal 4: 6
Since you are children of God, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of his Son, the Spirit who cries out: Abba, Father.
Prayer after Communion
May receiving this Sacrament, O Lord our God, bring us health of body and soul, as we confess your eternal holy Trinity and undivided Unity. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. “May the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all…” The Holy Trinity is the feast of God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God who is Love. By his way of life, by his words and his actions, Jesus shows us true love. This in forgiveness, in healing the sick, in welcoming all without exception. For there is no greater love than to give one’s life for those one loves. And today, he invites us to draw the consequences: “Love one another as I have loved you”. Our mission towards one another is to continue what Jesus did. That is why he sends us the Holy Spirit, to guide us towards the whole truth. It is by the love we have for one another that we will be recognized as disciples of Christ. May this same Holy Spirit make us a more fraternal people, who know how to give thanks every day.
by L'équipe de publication | Jun 3, 2023 | Agenda Biblique
04 JUIN
9ème DIMANCHE DU TEMPS ORDINAIRE
SAINTE TRINITE
SAINTE CLOTILDE
Antienne d’ouverture
Béni soit Dieu le Père, et le Fils unique de Dieu, ainsi que le Saint-Esprit, car il nous a traités avec amour.
Prière d’ouverture
Dieu notre Père, tu as envoyé dans le monde ta Parole de vérité et ton Esprit de sainteté pour révéler aux hommes ton admirable mystère; Donne-nous de professer la vraie foi en reconnaissant la gloire de l’éternelle Trinité, en adorant son Unité toute-puissante. Par Jésus.
1ère lecture : Ex 34, 4b-6.8-9
En ces jours-là, Moïse se leva de bon matin, et il gravit la montagne du Sinaï comme le Seigneur le lui avait ordonné. Il emportait les deux tables de pierre. Le Seigneur descendit dans la nuée et vint se placer là, auprès de Moïse. Il proclama son nom qui est : LE SEIGNEUR. Il passa devant Moïse et proclama : « LE SEIGNEUR, LE SEIGNEUR, Dieu tendre et miséricordieux, lent à la colère, plein d’amour et de vérité. » Aussitôt Moïse s’inclina jusqu’à terre et se prosterna. Il dit : « S’il est vrai, mon Seigneur, que j’ai trouvé grâce à tes yeux, daigne marcher au milieu de nous. Oui, c’est un peuple à la nuque raide; mais tu pardonneras nos fautes et nos péchés, et tu feras de nous ton héritage. »
Cantique : Dn 3, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56
R/ À toi, louange et gloire éternellement ! (Dn 3, 52)
Béni sois-tu, Seigneur, Dieu de nos pères : R/
Béni soit le nom très saint de ta gloire :R/
Béni sois-tu dans ton saint temple de gloire : R/
Béni sois-tu sur le trône de ton règne : R/
Béni sois-tu, toi qui sondes les abîmes : R/
Toi qui sièges au-dessus des Kéroubim : R/
Béni sois-tu au firmament, dans le ciel,R/
2ème lecture : 2 Co 13, 11-13
Frères, soyez dans la joie, cherchez la perfection, encouragez-vous, soyez d’accord entre vous, vivez en paix, et le Dieu d’amour et de paix sera avec vous. Saluez-vous les uns les autres par un baiser de paix. Tous les fidèles vous saluent. Que la grâce du Seigneur Jésus Christ, l’amour de Dieu et la communion du Saint-Esprit soient avec vous tous.
Acclamation
Alléluia. Alléluia. Gloire au Père, et au Fils, et au Saint-Esprit : au Dieu qui est, qui était et qui vient ! Alléluia. (cf. Ap 1, 8)
Évangile : Jn 3, 16-18
Dieu a tellement aimé le monde qu’il a donné son Fils unique, afin que quiconque croit en lui ne se perde pas, mais obtienne la vie éternelle. Car Dieu a envoyé son Fils dans le monde, non pas pour juger le monde, mais pour que, par lui, le monde soit sauvé. Celui qui croit en lui échappe au Jugement ; celui qui ne croit pas est déjà jugé, du fait qu’il n’a pas cru au nom du Fils unique de Dieu.
Prière sur les offrandes
Sanctifie, Seigneur notre Dieu, le sacrifice sur lequel nous invoquons ton nom très saint; Et, par cette eucharistie, fais de nous-mêmes une éternelle offrande à ta gloire. Par Jésus.
Antienne de communion Ga 4, 6
Puisque vous êtes des fils, Dieu a envoyé dans vos cours l’Esprit de son Fils, qui crie : Père !
Prière après la communion
Puissions-nous trouver, Seigneur, le salut de l’âme et du corps dans le sacrement que nous avons reçu, Tandis que nous affirmons notre foi en la Trinité, éternelle et sainte, comme en son indivisible Unité. Par Jésus.
Méditation
Nous célébrons aujourd’hui la fête de la Sainte Trinité. « Que la grâce de Jésus-Christ, l’amour de Dieu le père et la communion de l’Esprit-Saint soient avec vous tous… » La Sainte Trinité, c’est la fête de Dieu qui est Père, Fils et Saint-Esprit, Dieu qui est Amour. Par sa manière de vivre, par ses paroles et ses actes, Jésus nous montre l’amour véritable. Ceci dans le pardon, les guérisons des malades, l’accueil de tous sans exception. Car il n’y a pas de plus grand amour que de donner sa vie pour ceux qu’on aime. Et aujourd’hui, il nous invite à en tirer les conséquences : « Aimez-vous les uns les autres comme je vous ai aimés ». Notre mission envers les uns et les autres, c’est de continuer ce que Jésus a fait. Voilà pourquoi Il nous envoie l’Esprit-Saint, pour qu’il nous guide vers la vérité toute entière. C’est à l’amour que nous aurons les uns pour les autres que nous serons reconnus comme disciples du Christ. Que ce même Esprit-Saint fasse de nous un un peuple plus fraternel, qui sache rendre grâce chaque jour.
by L'équipe de publication | Jun 2, 2023 | Agenda Biblique
03 JUIN
SAINTS Charles Lwanga et ses compagnons, Martyrs
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 : Si 51, 12c-20
Je veux te rendre grâce et te louer, je bénirai le nom du Seigneur. Quand j’étais encore jeune et que je n’avais pas erré çà et là, aux yeux de tous j’ai cherché la Sagesse dans ma prière. Devant le Temple, je priais pour la recevoir, et jusqu’au bout je la rechercherai. Depuis la fleur jusqu’à la maturité de la grappe, elle a été la joie de mon cœur. Mon pied s’est avancé sur le droit chemin ; depuis ma jeunesse, je marchais sur ses traces. Il m’a suffi de tendre un peu l’oreille pour la recevoir, et j’y ai trouvé de grandes leçons. Grâce à elle, j’ai progressé; je rendrai gloire à celui qui me donne la Sagesse. J’ai résolu de la mettre en pratique, ardemment j’ai désiré le bien, et jamais je n’aurai à le regretter. Pour elle, j’ai vaillamment combattu, j’ai mis, à pratiquer la Loi, beaucoup d’exactitude. J’ai levé mes mains vers le ciel, j’ai déploré de la connaître si mal. J’ai dirigé mon âme vers elle, c’est dans la pureté que je l’ai trouvée. Avec elle, dès le commencement, j’ai trouvé l’intelligence, c’est pourquoi je ne serai jamais abandonné.
Psaume : 18b (19), 8, 9, 10, 11
R/ Les préceptes du Seigneur sont droits, ils réjouissent le cœur.
La loi du Seigneur est parfaite, qui redonne vie ; la charte du Seigneur est sûre, qui rend sages les simples.
Les préceptes du Seigneur sont droits, ils réjouissent le cœur ; le commandement du Seigneur est limpide, il clarifie le regard.
La crainte qu’il inspire est pure, elle est là pour toujours ; les décisions du Seigneur sont justes et vraiment équitables :
Plus désirables que l’or, qu’une masse d’or fin, plus savoureuses que le miel qui coule des rayons.
Acclamation
Alléluia. Alléluia. Que la parole du Christ habite en vous dans toute sa richesse, et offrez par lui votre action de grâce à Dieu le Père. Alléluia. (cf. Col 3, 16a.17c)
Evangile : Mc 11, 27-33
En ce temps-là, Jésus et ses disciples revinrent à Jérusalem. Et comme Jésus allait et venait dans le Temple, les grands prêtres, les scribes et les anciens vinrent le trouver. Ils lui demandaient : « Par quelle autorité fais-tu cela ? Ou alors qui t’a donné cette autorité pour le faire ? » Jésus leur dit : « Je vais vous poser une seule question. Répondez-moi, et je vous dirai par quelle autorité je fais cela. Le baptême de Jean venait-il du ciel ou des hommes? Répondez-moi. » Ils se faisaient entre eux ce raisonnement : « Si nous disons: “Du ciel”, il va dire : “Pourquoi donc n’avez-vous pas cru à sa parole?” Mais allons-nous dire : “Des hommes”? » Ils avaient peur de la foule, car tout le monde estimait que Jean était réellement un prophète. Ils répondent donc à Jésus : « Nous ne savons pas ! » Alors Jésus leur dit : « Moi, je ne vous dis pas non plus par quelle autorité je fais cela. »
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 Après l’expulsion des marchands du Temple, les autorités religieuses qui croient avoir le pouvoir sur tous les lieux de prières se sentent blessées et bousculées. Elles demandent : « Par quelle autorité fais-tu cela ? Rappelons-nous bien qu’à cette époque aucune personne, autre que les autorités religieuses, ne pouvait manifester une quelconque autorité sur le Temple. De fait en chassant les marchands du Temple, Jésus exprime sa souveraineté sur la maison de Dieu. Aujourd’hui, Jésus a-t-il toute autorité sur nous, sur notre vie ? Par des appels subtils, il nous invite à changer quelque chose dans nos vies, à nous laisser interroger par les remarques d’un proche, une interpellation, une remise en question isolée. « L’Ecriture ne dit-elle pas : Ma maison s’appellera maison de prière pour toutes les nations ?… » (Mc 11, 17). Notre cœur aujourd’hui est-il encore le lieu d’accueil de toute personne cherchant Dieu, la réconciliation, ou encore un peu de discrétion ?
by L'équipe de publication | Jun 2, 2023 | Evangelium
Saints Charles Lwanga and his Companions, Martyrs
St Charles Lwanga and his companions became the first martyrs of black Africa under Ugandan king Mwanga. They were executed for being Christians, for rebuking the king for his debauchery and for murdering an Anglican missionary and for “praying from a book”. They died between 1885 and 1887.
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: Ecclesiasticus 51: 17-27
I will thank you and praise you, and bless the name of the Lord. When I was still a youth, before I went travelling, in my prayers I asked outright for wisdom. Outside the sanctuary I would pray for her, and to the last I will continue to seek her. From her blossoming to the ripening of her grape my heart has taken its delight in her. My foot has pursued a straight path, I have been following her steps ever since my youth. By bowing my ear a little I have received her, and have found much instruction. Thanks to her I have advanced; the glory be to him who has given me wisdom! For I am determined to put her into practice, I have earnestly pursued what is good, I will not be put to shame. My soul has fought to possess her, I have been scrupulous in keeping the Law; I have stretched out my hands to heaven and bewailed my ignorance of her; I have directed my soul towards her, and in purity have found her.
Psalm 18(19): 8-11
R/ The precepts of the Lord gladden the heart.
The law of the Lord is perfect, it revives the soul. The rule of the Lord is to be trusted; it gives wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, they gladden the heart. The command of the Lord is clear, it gives light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is holy, abiding for ever. The decrees of the Lord are truth and all of them just.
They are more to be desired than gold, than the purest of gold and sweeter are they than honey, than honey from the comb.
Gospel Acclamation: 1P 1: 25
Alleluia, alleluia! The word of the Lord remains for ever: What is this word? It is the Good News that has been brought to you. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 11: 27-33
Jesus and his disciples came to Jerusalem, and as Jesus was walking in the Temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, “What authority have you for acting like this? Or who gave you authority to do these things?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you a question, only one; answer me and I will tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism: did it come from heaven, or from man? Answer me that.” And they argued it out this way among themselves: “If we say from heaven, he will say, ‘Then why did you refuse to believe him?’ But dare we say from man? – they had the people to fear, for everyone held that John was a real prophet. So their reply to Jesus was, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.”
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
After the expulsion of the merchants from the Temple, the religious authorities who thought they had power over all the places of prayer felt hurt and upset. They ask Jesus, “By what authority are you doing this?” Let us remember that at that time no one other than the religious authorities could show any power over the running of the Temple. In fact, by driving the merchants out of the Temple, Jesus expresses his sovereignty over the house of God. Today, does Jesus have any authority over us, over our lives? By subtle appeals, he invites us to change something in our lives, to let ourselves be questioned by the remarks of someone close to us, an isolated questioning. “Doesn’t the Scripture say, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’?” (Mk 11:17). Is our heart today still the place of welcome for every person seeking God, reconciliation, or even a little discretion?
