by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 14, 2020 | Evangelium
saturday 15 February 2020
St. Walfrid
He was born in Pisa. He married and had five sons and at least one daughter. After a time, they decided to follow the Benedictine Rule of Monte Casino. St. Walfrid’s cult was confirmed in 1861.
Green/White
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 94: 6-7
O come, let us worship God and bow low before the God who made us, for he is the Lord our God.
Collect
Keep your family safe, O Lord, with unfailing care, that, relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace, they may be defended always by your protection. 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 12:26-32,13:33-34
Jeroboam thought to himself, ‘As things are, the kingdom will revert to the House of David. If this people continues to go up to the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, the people’s heart will turn back again to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will put me to death.’ So the king thought this over and then made two golden calves; he said to the people, ‘You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough. Here are your gods, Israel; these brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ He set up one in Bethel and the people went in procession all the way to Dan in front of the other. He set up the temple of the high places and appointed priests from ordinary families, who were not of the sons of Levi. Jeroboam also instituted a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth of the month, like the feast that was kept in Judah, and he went up to the altar. That was how he behaved in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made; and at Bethel he put the priests of the high places he had established. Jeroboam did not give up his wicked ways but went on appointing priests for the high places from the common people. He consecrated as priests of the high places any who wished to be. Such conduct made the House of Jeroboam a sinful House, and caused its ruin and extinction from the face of the earth.
Psalm 105 (106): 6-7, 19-22
R/ O Lord, remember me out of the love you have for your people.
- Our sin is the sin of our fathers; we have done wrong, our deeds have been evil. Our fathers when they were in Egypt paid no heed to your wonderful deeds.
- They fashioned a calf at Horeb and worshipped an image of metal, exchanging the God who was their glory for the image of a bull that eats grass.
- They forgot the God who was their saviour, who had done such great things in Egypt, such portents in the land of Ham, such marvels at the Red Sea.
Gospel Acclamation : Mt 4:4
Alleluia, alleluia! Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Alleluia!
Gospel : Mark 8:1-10
A great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat. So Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat. If I send them off home hungry they will collapse on the way; some have come a great distance.’ His disciples replied, ‘Where could anyone get bread to feed these people in a deserted place like this?’ He asked them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ ‘Seven’ they said. Then he instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them among the crowd. They had a few small fish as well, and over these he said a blessing and ordered them to be distributed also. They ate as much as they wanted, and they collected seven basketfuls of the scraps left over. Now there had been about four thousand people. He sent them away and immediately, getting into the boat with his disciples, went to the region of Dalmanutha.
Prayer over the Offerings
O Lord, our God, who once established these created things to sustain us in our frailty, grant, we pray, that they may become for us now, the Sacrament of eternal life. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 106: 8-9
Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, his wonders for the children of men, for he satisfies the thirsty soul, and the hungry he fills with good things.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who have willed that we be partakers in the one Bread and the one Chalice, grant us, we pray, so to live that, made one in Christ, we may joyfully bear fruit for the salvation of the world. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Jesus recognises the need of the people who have been with him for three days without food. He decides to come to their rescue in spite of his meagre resources – seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. What is that for a multitude? It looks most insignificant. However, we are told that Jesus multiplies the bread and the fish, so much so that after the people have eaten, there are seven baskets full of scraps! This means that when we share with our brothers and sisters, even the small thing that we have becomes much. Of course, God replenishes our sources when we take care of his needy children. We are therefore called to share with our brothers and sisters without counting the cost.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 13, 2020 | Agenda Biblique
Vendredi 14 Février 2020
Saints Cyrille, moine,
et Méthode, évêque
mémoire
Blanc
Natifs de Thessalonique, Méthode, un ancien fonctionnaire impérial, et son jeune frère Constantin, le futur Cyrille, s’étaient faits moines avant d’être envoyés par Byzance auprès des peuples slaves. Pour ceux-ci, ils traduisirent en slavon la Bible et les livres liturgiques, et inventèrent à cet effet l’alphabet dit ‘’cyrillique’’, encore en usage aujourd’hui. Ils se heurtèrent à l’opposition de missionnaires de rite latin qui les dénoncèrent au pape à cause de leur emploi de la langue vivante. Les deux frères vinrent à Rome, où ils obtinrent l’approbation de Nicolas 1er (868). Constantin mourut en 869, après avoir fait profession monastique sous le nom de Cyrille. Méthode, nommé archevêque de Sirmium, revint comme légat pontifical en Pannonie et en Moravie. Méthode mourut en 885.
Antienne d’ouverture
Fêtons les amis de Dieu, saint Cyrille et saint Méthode : la gloire des deux frères fut de proclamer la vérité reçue du Seigneur.
Prière d’ouverture
Dieu qui as conduit les peuples slaves à la lumière, grâce aux deux frères saints Cyrille et Méthode, ouvre nos cœurs à l’intelligence de ta Parole : fais de nous un peuple de croyants uni dans la vraie foi et dans un témoignage authentique. Par Jésus Christ.
1ère lecture : 1 R 11, 29-32 ; 12, 19
Salomon avait fait de Jéroboam un inspecteur des corvées. Un jour que Jéroboam était sorti de Jérusalem, il fut arrêté en chemin par le prophète Ahias de Silo; celui-ci portait un manteau neuf, et tous deux étaient seuls dans la campagne. Ahias prit le manteau neuf qu’il portait et le déchira en douze morceaux. Puis il dit à Jéroboam: « Prends pour toi dix morceaux, car ainsi parle le Seigneur, Dieu d’Israël: Voici que je vais déchirer le royaume en l’arrachant à Salomon, et je te donnerai dix tribus. Il lui restera une tribu, à cause de mon serviteur David, et de Jérusalem, la ville que je me suis choisie parmi toutes les tribus d’Israël. » Les dix tribus d’Israël rejetèrent la maison de David, et cette situation dure encore aujourd’hui où ceci est écrit.
Psaume : 80 (81), 10-11ab, 2018-13, 14-15
R/ Heureux ceux qui craignent le Seigneur !
- « Tu n’auras pas chez toi d’autres dieux, tu ne serviras aucun dieu étranger. C’est moi, le Seigneur ton Dieu, qui t’ai fait monter de la terre d’Égypte !
- « Mais mon peuple n’a pas écouté ma voix, Israël n’a pas voulu de moi. Je l’ai livré à son cœur endurci: qu’il aille et suive ses vues!
- « Ah ! Si mon peuple m’écoutait, Israël, s’il allait sur mes chemins! Aussitôt j’humilierais ses ennemis, contre ses oppresseurs je tournerais ma main. »
Acclamation
Alléluia. Alléluia. Seigneur, ouvre notre cœur pour nous rendre attentifs aux paroles de ton Fils. Alléluia. (cf. Ac 16, 14b)
Évangile : Mc 7, 31-37
En ce temps-là, Jésus quitta le territoire de Tyr; passant par Sidon, il prit la direction de la mer de Galilée et alla en plein territoire de la Décapole. Des gens lui amènent un sourd qui avait aussi de la difficulté à parler, et supplient Jésus de poser la main sur lui. Jésus l’emmena à l’écart, loin de la foule, lui mit les doigts dans les oreilles, et, avec sa salive, lui toucha la langue. Puis, les yeux levés au ciel, il soupira et lui dit: « Effata ! », c’est-à-dire : « Ouvre-toi ! » Ses oreilles s’ouvrirent; sa langue se délia, et il parlait correctement. Alors Jésus leur ordonna de n’en rien dire à personne; mais plus il leur donnait cet ordre, plus ceux-ci le proclamaient. Extrêmement frappés, ils disaient: « Il a bien fait toutes choses: il fait entendre les sourds et parler les muets.»
Prière sur les offrandes
Regarde, Seigneur, Dieu de majesté, l’offrande que nous te présentons en mémoire des saints Cyrille et Méthode : fais qu’elle devienne le signe de l’humanité nouvelle réconciliée avec toi dans la perfection de l’amour. Par Jésus.
Antienne de communion
Les disciples s’en allèrent proclamer partout la Bonne Nouvelle. Le Seigneur travaillait avec eux et confirmait leur parole par les signes qui l’accompagnaient.
Prière après la communion
Dieu, Père de toutes les nations, en la fête des saints Cyrille et Méthode, tu nous donnes d’avoir part à un seul Pain et à un seul Esprit, et tu fais de nous les héritiers du banquet éternel ; accorde en ta bonté à la multitude de tes enfants de persévérer dans la même foi et de construite ensemble un règle de justice et de paix. Par Jésus.
Méditation
Le voyage de Jésus en traversant la Décapoles est à la limite d’un territoire non-juif ; mais toutes les régions sont également les domaines de son Père. Par la guérison d’un sourd dans une région non-juive, Jésus fait preuve de sensibilité envers tous les délaissés et opprimés de la société. Souvent, les personnes sourdes disent se sentir coupées de la vie et obligées de vivre dans un monde à part. Jésus introduit à nouveau cet homme dans le monde et lui permet de réintégrer la vie sociale. Nous aussi nous pouvons être sourds ; sourds aux choses de Dieu. Nous pouvons être coupés de ce qui compte vraiment : la vie de Dieu. Nous pouvons entendre la parole de Dieu, mais ne pas la mettre en pratique. Cet Évangile doit nous inspirer à nous ouvrir à Dieu comme le sourd s’est ouvert à Jésus.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 13, 2020 | Evangelium
friday 14 February 2020
Sts. Cyril and Methodius
They were born in Thessalonica and preached the faith in Moravia. They translated liturgical texts and invented the Glagolithic and the Cyrillic alphabet.
White
Entrance Antiphon
These are holy men who became friends of God, glorious heralds of divine truth.
Collect
O God, who enlightened the Slavic peoples through the brothers Saints Cyril and Methodius, grant that our hearts may grasp the words of your teaching, and perfect us as a people of one accord in true faith and right confession. 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 11:29-32,12:19
One day when Jeroboam had gone out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh accosted him on the road. Ahijah was wearing a new cloak; the two of them were in the open country by themselves. Ahijah took the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve strips, saying to Jeroboam, ‘Take ten strips for yourself, for thus the Lord speaks, the God of Israel, “I am going to tear the kingdom from Solomon’s hand and give ten tribes to you. He shall keep one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.’ And Israel has been separated from the House of David until the present day.
Psalm 80(81):10-15
R/ I am the Lord your God: listen to my warning.
- Let there be no foreign god among you. no worship of an alien god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.
- But my people did not heed my voice and Israel would not obey, so I left them in their stubbornness of heart to follow their own designs.
- O that my people would heed me, that Israel would walk in my ways! At once I would subdue their foes, turn my hand against their enemies.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn6:63,68
Alleluia, alleluia Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life; you have the message of eternal life. Alleluia!
Gospel : Mark 7:31-37
Returning from the district of Tyre, Jesus went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, right through the Decapolis region. And they brought him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they asked him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then looking up to heaven he sighed; and he said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, and the ligament of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly. And Jesus ordered them to tell no one about it, but the more he insisted, the more widely they published it. Their admiration was unbounded. ‘He has done all things well,’ they said ‘he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Look, O Lord, upon the offerings which we bring before your majesty in commemoration of Saints Cyril and Methodius, and grant that these gifts may become the sign of a new humanity, reconciled to you in loving charity. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mk 16: 20
The disciples went forth and preached the Gospel, while the Lord worked with them, confirming the word through accompanying signs.
Prayer after Communion
O God, Father of all nations, who make us sharers in the one Bread and the one Spirit and heirs of the eternal banquet, grant in your kindness on this feast day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, that the multitude of your children persevering in the same faith, may be united in building up the Kingdom of justice and peace. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
It is interesting that Jesus is asked simply to lay his hands on the dumb and deaf man and he decides to take him away from the crowd and then goes through a detailed ritual of healing, very much unlike the case of the ten lepers, whom he simply asks to go and show themselves to the priest. At the end of the healing session, Jesus wants the matter to remain a secret, but the more he wants it a secret the more people talk about it. In all of this, one thing is clear: Whether Jesus heals in public or in secret, he does not want to draw attention to himself; he wants to give glory to his Father. In all the good we do, we need to give glory to God, who inspires and sustains all the good that we do.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 12, 2020 | Agenda Biblique
Jeudi 13 Février 2020
Bienheureuse Béatrice
Vert
Née dans le Dauphiné, Béatrice entra à la Chartreuse de Parménie puis fonda la chartruse d’Eymeux où elle mourut en 1303.
Antienne d’ouverture : Ps 94, 6-7
Venez, inclinez-vous, prosternez-vous: adorons le Seigneur qui nous a faits: oui, il est notre Dieu.
Prière d’ouverture
Dans ton amour inlassable, Seigneur, veille sur ta famille; Et puisque ta grâce est notre unique espoir, garde nous sous ta constante protection. Par Jésus Christ.
1ère lecture : 1 R 11, 4-13
Salomon vieillissait; ses femmes le détournèrent vers d’autres dieux, et son cœur n’était plus tout entier au Seigneur, comme l’avait été celui de son père David. Salomon prit part au culte d’Astarté, la déesse des Sidoniens, et à celui de Milcom, l’horrible idole des Ammonites. Il fit ce qui est mal aux yeux du Seigneur, et il ne lui obéit pas aussi parfaitement que son père David. Il construisit alors, sur la montagne à l’est de Jérusalem, un lieu sacré pour Camosh, l’horrible idole de Moab, et un autre pour Milcom, l’horrible idole des Ammonites. Il en fit d’autres pour permettre à toutes ses femmes étrangères de brûler de l’encens et d’offrir des sacrifices à leurs dieux. Le Seigneur s’irrita contre Salomon parce qu’il s’était détourné du Seigneur Dieu d’Israël. Pourtant, celui-ci lui était apparu deux fois, et lui avait défendu de suivre d’autres dieux; mais Salomon avait désobéi. Le Seigneur lui déclara: « Puisque tu t’es conduit de cette manière, puisque tu n’as pas gardé mon alliance ni observé mes décrets, je vais t’enlever le royaume et le donner à l’un de tes serviteurs. Seulement, à cause de ton père David, je ne ferai pas cela durant ta vie; c’est de la main de ton fils que j’enlèverai le royaume. Et encore, je ne lui enlèverai pas tout, je laisserai une tribu à ton fils, à cause de mon serviteur David et de Jérusalem, la ville que j’ai choisie. »
Psaume : 105 (106), 3-4ab, 6.35, 36-37, 39-40
R/ Souviens-toi de nous, Seigneur, dans ta bienveillance pour ton peuple.
- Heureux qui pratique la justice, qui observe le droit en tout temps! Souviens-toi de moi, Seigneur, dans ta bienveillance pour ton peuple.
- Avec nos pères, nous avons péché, nous avons failli et renié. Ils vont se mêler aux païens, ils apprennent leur manière d’agir.
- Alors ils servent leurs idoles, et pour eux c’est un piège: ils offrent leurs fils et leurs filles en sacrifice aux démons.
- De telles pratiques les souillent ; ils se prostituent par de telles actions. Et le Seigneur prend feu contre son peuple: ses héritiers lui font horreur.
Acclamation
Alléluia. Alléluia. Accueillez dans la douceur la Parole semée en nous: c’est elle qui peut vous sauver. Alléluia. (cf. Jc 1, 21bc)
Évangile : Mc 7, 24-30
En ce temps-là, Jésus partit et se rendit dans le territoire de Tyr. Il était entré dans une maison, et il ne voulait pas qu’on le sache, mais il ne put rester inaperçu: une femme entendit aussitôt parler de lui; elle avait une petite fille possédée par un esprit impur; elle vint se jeter à ses pieds. Cette femme était païenne, syro-phénicienne de naissance, et elle lui demandait d’expulser le démon hors de sa fille. Il lui disait: « Laisse d’abord les enfants se rassasier, car il n’est pas bien de prendre le pain des enfants et de le jeter aux petits chiens. » Mais elle lui répliqua: « Seigneur, les petits chiens, sous la table, mangent bien les miettes des petits enfants ! » Alors il lui dit: « À cause de cette parole, va: le démon est sorti de ta fille. » Elle rentra à la maison, et elle trouva l’enfant étendue sur le lit: le démon était sorti d’elle.
Prière sur les offrandes
Seigneur notre Dieu, tu as voulu choisir dans ta création le pain et le vin qui refont chaque jour nos forces: Fais qu’ils deviennent aussi pour nous le sacrement de la vie éternelle. Par Jésus.
Antienne de communion : Ps 106, 8-9
Proclamons l’amour du Seigneur, ses merveilles pour les hommes: Il a rassasié ceux qui avaient faim, et désaltéré ceux qui avaient soif.
Prière après la communion
Tu as voulu, Seigneur, que nous partagions un même pain et que nous buvions à la même coupe: Accorde-nous de vivre tellement unis dans le Christ que nous portions du fruit pour le salut du monde. Par Jésus.
Méditation
Dans cet Evangile, comme dans tous les autres Evangiles, cette femme non-juive est la seule à obtenir le meilleur de Jésus. Femme déterminée, elle agit dès qu’elle entend parler de lui. Elle est sûre d’elle-même. La remarque dissuasive de Jésus ne l’arrête pas. Elle s’en tient à ce qu’elle désire, la guérison de sa petite fille. La prière de la femme n’a pas reçu de réponse immédiatement. Son insistance montre à Jésus combien elle était sérieuse. Et elle eut gain de cause. Il faut relever sa confiance, son courage et son l’humilité comme des vertus indispensables à notre vie chrétienne.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 12, 2020 | Evangelium
thursday 13 February 2020
Saint Catherine de Ricci (1522 – 1589)
.
Catherine was born Alexandrina in 1522 in Florence, Italy. Catherine entered a convent at Prat in Tuscany and became known for her great sanctity. She is known for her “Ecstasy of the Passion, which she experienced from noon on Thursday till four o’clock on Friday.
Green
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 94: 6-7
O come, let us worship God and bow low before the God who made us, for he is the Lord our God.
Collect
Keep your family safe, O Lord, with unfailing care, that, relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace, they may be defended always by your protection. 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 11:4-13
When Solomon grew old his wives swayed his heart to other gods; and his heart was not wholly with the Lord his God as his father David’s had been. Solomon became a follower of Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians, and of Milcom, the Ammonite abomination. He did what was displeasing to the Lord, and was not a wholehearted follower of the Lord, as his father David had been. Then it was that Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the god of Moab on the mountain to the east of Jerusalem, and to Milcom the god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who offered incense and sacrifice to their gods. The Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart had turned from the Lord the God of Israel who had twice appeared to him and who had then forbidden him to follow other gods; but he did not carry out the Lord’s order. The Lord therefore said to Solomon, ‘Since you behave like this and do not keep my covenant or the laws I laid down for you, I will most surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. For your father David’s sake, however, I will not do this during your lifetime, but will tear it out of your son’s hands. Even so, I will not tear the whole kingdom from him. For the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen, I will leave your son one tribe.’
Psalm 105 (106): 3-4,35-37,40
R/ O Lord, remember me out of the love you have for your people.
- They are happy who do what is right, who at all times do what is just. O Lord, remember me out of the love you have for your people.
- But instead they mingled with the nations and learned to act as they did. They worshipped the idols of the nations and these became a snare to entrap them.
- They even offered their own sons and their daughters in sacrifice to demons, till his anger blazed against his people; he was filled with horror at his chosen ones.
Gospel Acclamation: Ps 144:13
Alleluia, alleluia! The Lord is faithful in all his words and loving in all his deeds. Alleluia!
Gospel: Mark 7: 24-30
Jesus left Gennesaret and set out for the territory of Tyre. There he went into a house and did not want anyone to know he was there, but he could not pass unrecognised. A woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him straightaway and came and fell at his feet. Now the woman was a pagan, by birth a Syrophoenician, and she begged him to cast the devil out of her daughter. And he said to her, ‘The children should be fed first, because it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ But she spoke up: ‘Ah yes, sir,’ she replied ‘but the house-dogs under the table can eat the children’s scraps.’ And he said to her, ‘For saying this, you may go home happy: the devil has gone out of your daughter.’ So she went off to her home and found the child lying on the bed and the devil gone.
Prayer over the Offerings
O Lord, our God, who once established these created things to sustain us in our frailty, grant, we pray, that they may become for us now, the Sacrament of eternal life. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ps 106: 8-9
Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, his wonders for the children of men, for he satisfies the thirsty soul, and the hungry he fills with good things.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who have willed that we be partakers in the one Bread and the one Chalice, grant us, we pray, so to live that, made one in Christ, we may joyfully bear fruit for the salvation of the world. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The beginning of the conversation between Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman sounds somewhat discriminating and discouraging. However, Jesus’ statement – ‘The children should be fed first, because it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs’ – indicates that there is an open door to welcome house-dogs or outsiders to the same table on which the children are fed. The woman is quite quick to see through the logic and what from the outset looked like discouragement becomes an invitation and encouragement. Jesus welcomes her expression of faith and grants her request. What attitude or pastoral approach do we adopt towards those who do not share the Catholic faith with us?
