by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 16, 2019 | Agenda Biblique
6ème Dimanche du temps ordinaire Les sept saints fondateurs des Servites de Marie
Psautier II
Vert
Antienne d’ouverture : Ps 30, 3-4
Seigneur, sois le rocher qui m’abrite, la maison bien défendue qui me sauve. Pour l’honneur de ton nom guide-moi, conduis-moi.
Prière d’ouverture
Dieu qui veut habiter les cœurs droits et sincères, donne-nous de vivre selon ta grâce, alors tu pourras venir en nous pour y faire ta demeure. Par Jésus Christ.
Première lecture : Jérémie 17, 5 8
Ainsi parle le Seigneur: Maudit soit l’homme qui met sa foi dans un mortel, qui s’appuie sur un être de chair, tandis que son cœur se détourne du Seigneur. Il sera comme un buisson sur une terre désolée, il ne verra pas venir le bonheur. Il aura pour demeure les lieux arides du désert, une terre salée, inhabitable. Béni soit l’homme qui met sa foi dans le Seigneur, dont le Seigneur est la confiance. Il sera comme un arbre, planté près des eaux, qui pousse, vers le courant, ses racines. Il ne craint pas quand vient la chaleur: son feuillage reste vert. L’année de la sécheresse, il est sans inquiétude : il ne manque pas de porter du fruit.
Psaume 1, 1 2, 3, 4.6
R/ Heureux est l’homme qui met sa foi dans le Seigneur.
- Heureux est l’homme qui n’entre pas au conseil des méchants, qui ne suit pas le chemin des pécheurs, ne siège pas avec ceux qui ricanent, mais se plaît dans la loi du Seigneur et murmure sa loi jour et nuit !
- Il est comme un arbre planté près d’un ruisseau, qui donne du fruit en son temps, et jamais son feuillage ne meurt ; tout ce qu’il entreprend réussira. Tel n’est pas le sort des méchants.
- Mais ils sont comme la paille balayée par le vent. Le Seigneur connaît le chemin des justes, mais le chemin des méchants se perdra.
Deuxième lecture : 1 Corinthiens
Frères, nous proclamons que le Christ est ressuscité d’entre les morts; alors, comment certains d’entre vous peuvent-ils affirmer qu’il n’y a pas de résurrection des morts ? Car si les morts ne ressuscitent pas, le Christ non plus n’est pas ressuscité. Et si le Christ n’est pas ressuscité, votre foi est sans valeur, vous êtes encore sous l’emprise de vos péchés ; et donc, ceux qui se sont endormis dans le Christ sont perdus. Si nous avons mis notre espoir dans le Christ pour cette vie seulement, nous sommes les plus à plaindre de tous les hommes. Mais non ! le Christ est ressuscité d’entre les morts, lui, premier ressuscité parmi ceux qui se sont endormis.
Acclamation
Alléluia. Alléluia. Réjouissez-vous, tressaillez de joie, dit le Seigneur, car votre récompense est grande dans le ciel. Alléluia. (Lc 6, 23)
Évangile : Luc 6, 17.20 26
En ce temps-là, Jésus descendit de la montagne avec les Douze et s’arrêta sur un terrain plat. Il y avait là un grand nombre de ses disciples, et une grande multitude de gens venus de toute la Judée, de Jérusalem, et du littoral de Tyr et de Sidon. Et Jésus, levant les yeux sur ses disciples, déclara : « Heureux, vous les pauvres, car le royaume de Dieu est à vous. Heureux, vous qui avez faim maintenant, car vous serez rassasiés. Heureux, vous qui pleurez maintenant, car vous rirez. Heureux êtes-vous quand les hommes vous haïssent et vous excluent, quand ils insultent et rejettent votre nom comme méprisable, à cause du Fils de l’homme. Ce jour-là, réjouissez-vous, tressaillez de joie, car alors votre récompense est grande dans le ciel ; c’est ainsi, en effet, que leurs pères traitaient les prophètes. Mais quel malheur pour vous, les riches, car vous avez votre consolation ! Quel malheur pour vous qui êtes repus maintenant, car vous aurez faim! Quel malheur pour vous qui riez maintenant, car vous serez dans le deuil et vous pleurerez ! Quel malheur pour vous lorsque tous les hommes disent du bien de vous ! C’est ainsi, en effet, que leurs pères traitaient les faux prophètes. »
Prière sur les offrandes
Que cette eucharistie, Seigneur notre Dieu, nous purifie et nous renouvelle ; Qu’elle donne à ceux qui font ta volonté le bonheur que tu leur as promis. Par Jésus.
Antienne de communion : Ps 77, 29-30
Le Seigneur combla le désir de son peuple : ils mangèrent et ils furent rassasiés, leur attente ne fut pas trompée.
Prière après la communion
Tu nous as donné, Seigneur, de goûter aux joies du ciel : Fais que nous ayons toujours soif des sources de la vraie vie. Par Jésus.
Méditation
Aucune situation dans la vie ne devrait affaiblir radicalement l’élan d’amour du chrétien en faveur de Dieu et de ses semblables. Les béatitudes sont une réponse aux multiples interrogations que se posent les fidèles du Christ devant l’échec, l’abandon, le rejet, la pauvreté, la persécution, etc. En tout cela, la Bonne Nouvelle nous rassure toujours. Dieu est là, présent. Il nous guide et donne sens à notre existence.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 16, 2019 | Evangelium
SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: Psalter II
THE SEVEN HOLY FOUNDERS OF THE SERVITE ORDER
Green
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Ps 30: 3-4
Be my protector, O God, a mighty stronghold to save me. For you are my rock, my stronghold! Lead me, guide me, for the sake of your name.
Collect
O God, who teach us that you abide in hearts that are just and true, grant that we may be so fashioned by your grace as to become a dwelling pleasing to you. 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: Jeremiah 17:5-8
The Lord says this: ‘A curse on the man who puts his trust in man, who relies on things of flesh, whose heart turns from the Lord. He is like dry scrub in the wastelands: if good comes, he has no eyes for it, he settles in the parched places of the wilderness, a salt land, uninhabited. ‘A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord, with the Lord for his hope. He is like a tree by the waterside that thrusts its roots to the stream: when the heat comes it feels no alarm, its foliage stays green; it has no worries in a year of drought, and never ceases to bear fruit.’
Psalm 1:1-4,6
R) Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.
1)Happy indeed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked; nor lingers in the way of sinners nor sits in the company of scorners, but whose delight is the law of the Lord and who ponders his law day and night.
2) He is like a tree that is planted beside the flowing waters, that yields its fruit in due season and whose leaves shall never fade; and all that he does shall prosper.
3) Not so are the wicked, not so! For they like winnowed chaff shall be driven away by the wind. For the Lord guards the way of the just but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
Second reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20
If Christ raised from the dead is what has been preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins. And what is more serious, all who have died in Christ have perished. If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people. But Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep.
Gospel Acclamation: Mt 11:25
Alleluia, alleluia!Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 6:17, 20-26
Jesus came down with the Twelve and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon. Then fixing his eyes on his disciples he said: ‘How happy are you who are poor: yours is the kingdom of God. Happy you who are hungry now: you shall be satisfied. Happy you who weep now: you shall laugh. Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets. ‘But alas for you who are rich: you are having your consolation now. Alas for you who have your fill now: you shall go hungry. Alas for you who laugh now: you shall mourn and weep. ‘Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May this oblation, O Lord, we pray, cleanse and renew us and may it become for those who do your will the source of eternal reward. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 77: 29-30
They ate and had their fill, and what they craved the Lord gave them; they were not disappointed in what they craved.
Prayer after Communion
Having fed upon these heavenly delights, we pray, O Lord, so that we may always long for that food by which we truly live. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Crosses that draw us closer to God.In our Gospel today, Jesus did not say that poverty, or hunger, or sadness, or hatred is a blessing. Instead, he said that people are blessed when they are poor, hungry, weeping and hated if and only if these conditions of need and dependence make them rely on God. When we rely on God, we are who we are meant to be, humans in relationship with God our creator. So the poverty, hunger, weeping, hatred, or whatever our cross is can be an instrument to draw us closer to God. Whatever cross we have in our lives is there for a purpose, to keep us close to God. In that sense our cross is also our blessing. Of course Jesus does not mean that in itself it is good to be poor, hungry, weeping or hated. Poverty, hunger, sadness, and hatred are social problems we should strive to conquer. Jesus told the parable of the rich man and Lazarus to remind those with a surplus to help the needy (Luke 16:19-31). When we are rich, filled now, laughing now and are well spoken of now, we may be tempted to forget about God. We may be tempted to treat the gifts of God as gods. So what looks like a blessing in the eyes of the world can, from the spiritual point of view, turn out to be a curse and vice versa.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 15, 2019 | Evangelium
St Daniel
Daniel and his four companions (Elias, Isaias, Jeremy and Samuel) were Egyptians who visited Christians condemned to work in the mines of Cilicia during Maximus’ persecution, to comfort them. Apprehended, they were all tortured and then beheaded.
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: Genesis 3:9-24
The Lord God called to the man. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’ Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, ‘Be accursed beyond all cattle, all wild beasts. You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust every day of your life. I will make you enemies of each other: you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. It will crush your head and you will strike its heel. To the woman he said: ‘I will multiply your pains in childbearing, you shall give birth to your children in pain. Your yearning shall be for your husband, yet he will lord it over you.’ To the man he said, ‘Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat, ‘Accursed be the soil because of you. With suffering shall you get your food from it every day of your life. It shall yield you brambles and thistles, and you shall eat wild plants. With sweat on your brow shall you eat your bread, until you return to the soil, as you were taken from it. For dust you are and to dust you shall return.’ The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live. The Lord God made clothes out of skins for the man and his wife, and they put them on. Then the Lord God said, ‘See, the man has become like one of us, with his knowledge of good and evil. He must not be allowed to stretch his hand out next and pick from the tree of life also, and eat some and live for ever.’ So the Lord God expelled him from the garden of Eden, to till the soil from which he had been taken. He banished the man, and in front of the garden of Eden he posted the cherubs, and the flame of a flashing sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.
Psalm 89 (90):2-6, 12-13
R) O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
1)Before the mountains were born or the earth or the world brought forth, you are God, without beginning or end.
2) 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.
3) You sweep men away like a dream, like the grass which springs up in the morning. In the morning it springs up and flowers: by evening it withers and fades.
4) Make us know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart. Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever? Show pity to your servants.
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 baskets full 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: Cf. 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
Sin and suffering.Many questions have been asked about sin and suffering, especially innocent suffering or suffering as a consequence of other people’s sin. Some may even question the inheritance of Original Sin for which we should not be liable. We will always have our questions about sin and suffering. But let us listen to what questions God is asking us. In the First Reading, we hear God asking the question: “Where are you?” So even though Adam and Even had sinned, God did not abandon them but searched for them. In the Gospel, we hear Jesus asking another question: “How many loaves have you?” Jesus was not looking at the limitations; he was more interested in possibilities. God is reaching out to us with his questions so that we may look again at our questions about life, about sin and about suffering. Jesus is asking us to put the loaves of our lives with our questions into His hands. From his hands we will receive the Bread of Life that will give us faith and hope.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 15, 2019 | Agenda Biblique
Sainte Julienne
Vierge et Martyre à Nicomédie en Asie Mineure, elle fut condamnée par son fiancée lui-même qui présidait le tribunal au nom et sous la pression impériale.
Vert/Blanc
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.
Première lecture : Gn 3, 9-24
Quand l’homme eut désobéi à Dieu, le Seigneur Dieu l’appela et lui dit: « Où es-tu donc ? » Il répondit : « J’ai entendu ta voix dans le jardin, j’ai pris peur parce que je suis nu, et je me suis caché. » Le Seigneur reprit : « Qui donc t’a dit que tu étais nu? Aurais-tu mangé de l’arbre dont je t’avais interdit de manger ? » L’homme répondit : «La femme que tu m’as donnée, c’est elle qui m’a donné du fruit de l’arbre, et j’en ai mangé. » Le Seigneur Dieu dit à la femme : « Qu’as-tu fait là ? » La femme répondit : « Le serpent m’a trompée, et j’ai mangé. » Alors le Seigneur Dieu dit au serpent : « Parce que tu as fait cela, tu seras maudit parmi tous les animaux et toutes les bêtes des champs. Tu ramperas sur le ventre et tu mangeras de la poussière tous les jours de ta vie. Je mettrai une hostilité entre toi et la femme, entre ta descendance et sa descendance : celle-ci te meurtrira la tête, et toi, tu lui meurtriras le talon. » Le Seigneur Dieu dit ensuite à la femme : « Je multiplierai la peine de tes grossesses; c’est dans la peine que tu enfanteras des fils. Ton désir te portera vers ton mari, et celui-ci dominera sur toi. » Il dit enfin à l’homme : « Parce que tu as écouté la voix de ta femme, et que tu as mangé le fruit de l’arbre que je t’avais interdit de manger : maudit soit le sol à cause de toi! C’est dans la peine que tu en tireras ta nourriture, tous les jours de ta vie. De lui -même, il te donnera épines et chardons, mais tu auras ta nourriture en cultivant les champs. C’est à la sueur de ton visage que tu gagneras ton pain, jusqu’à ce que tu retournes à la terre dont tu proviens; car tu es poussière, et à la poussière tu retourneras. » L’homme appela sa femme Ève (c’est-à-dire : la vivante), parce qu’elle fut la mère de tous les vivants. Le Seigneur Dieu fit à l’homme et à sa femme des tuniques de peau et les en revêtit. Puis le Seigneur Dieu déclara : « Voilà que l’homme est devenu comme l’un de nous par la connaissance du bien et du mal! Maintenant, ne permettons pas qu’il avance la main, qu’il cueille aussi le fruit de l’arbre de vie, qu’il en mange et vive éternellement ! » Alors le Seigneur Dieu le renvoya du jardin d’Éden, pour qu’il travaille la terre d’où il avait été tiré. Il expulsa l’homme, et il posta, à l’orient du jardin d’Éden, les Kéroubim, armés d’un glaive fulgurant, pour garder l’accès de l’arbre de vie.
Psaume 89 (90), 2, 3-4, 5-6, 12-13
R/ D’âge en âge, Seigneur, tu as été notre refuge. (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.
- Tu les as balayés : ce n’est qu’un songe; dès le matin, c’est une herbe changeante : elle fleurit le matin, elle change ; le soir, elle est fanée, desséchée.
- Apprends-nous la vraie mesure de nos jours : que nos cœurs pénètrent la sagesse. Reviens, Seigneur, pourquoi tarder ? Ravise-toi par égard pour tes serviteurs.
Acclamation
Alléluia. Alléluia. L’homme ne vit pas seulement de pain, mais de toute parole qui sort de la bouche de Dieu. Alléluia. (Mt 4, 4b)
Évangile : Marc 8, 1-10
En ces jours-là, comme il y avait une grande foule, et que les gens n’avaient rien à manger, Jésus appelle à lui ses disciples et leur dit : « J’ai de la compassion pour cette foule, car depuis trois jours déjà ils restent auprès de moi, et n’ont rien à manger. Si je les renvoie chez eux à jeun, ils vont défaillir en chemin, et certains d’entre eux sont venus de loin. » Ses disciples lui répondirent : «Où donc pourra- t-on trouver du pain pour les rassasier ici, dans le désert? » Il leur demanda : « Combien de pains avez-vous ? » Ils lui dirent : « Sept. » Alors il ordonna à la foule de s’asseoir par terre. Puis, prenant les sept pains et rendant grâce, il les rompit, et il les donnait à ses disciples pour que ceux-ci les distribuent ; et ils les distribuèrent à la foule. Ils avaient aussi quelques petits poissons, que Jésus bénit et fit aussi distribuer. Les gens mangèrent et furent rassasiés. On ramassa les morceaux qui restaient : cela faisait sept corbeilles. Or, ils étaient environ quatre mille. Puis Jésus les renvoya. Aussitôt, montant dans la barque avec ses disciples, il alla dans la région de Dalmanoutha.
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
Sept pains et quelques petits poissons ont suffi à nourrir environ quatre mille hommes. Voici la force transformatrice de la générosité et de la prière. C’est une arme très puissante de développement qu’est la générosité. Apprendre à penser aux autres, à mettre en commun, à savoir que d’autres ont aussi des besoins comme nous. Ce sont autant de pistes de résolutions de crises et de famine qui créent des changements positifs notoires dans la vie d’un peuple.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Feb 14, 2019 | Evangelium
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 cultus was confirmed in 1861.
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: Genesis 3:1-8
The serpent was the most subtle of all the wild beasts that the Lord God had made. It asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?’ The woman answered the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, “You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death.” ‘ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die! God knows in fact that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.’ The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves loin-cloths. The man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Psalm 31 (32):1-2, 5-7
R) Happy the man whose offence is forgiven.
1)Happy the man whose offence is forgiven, whose sin is remitted. O happy the man to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no guile.
2) But now I have acknowledged my sins; my guilt I did not hide. I said: ‘I will confess my offence to the Lord.’ And you, Lord, have forgiven the guilt of my sin.
3) So let every good man pray to you in the time of need. The floods of water may reach high but him they shall not reach.
4) You are my hiding place, O Lord; you save me from distress. You surround me with cries of deliverance.
Gospel Acclamation: cf. Jn 6:63, 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
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: Cf. 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
Guilt, fear, then remorse. The readings of today confront us with the question of guilt, that feeling of responsibility or remorse for an offence we have committed. We are familiar with the feeling of shame that comes when we offend someone that we love. We also know the feeling of guilt that accompanies sin, an offence against God almighty. Adam and Eve also experienced guilt. Immediately after they had sinned by disobeying God, Adam and Eve felt the same guilt that we feel when we sin. And they felt something else, fear. We fear retribution or punishment from the one offended. How can I go from the negative feeling of guilt to the positive feeling of joy and hope? Christ exhorts us not only to have remorse and sorrow for our sins, but also to come to him for forgiveness. Fear can hinder us from seeking the forgiveness of God. It is important to seek forgiveness as soon as we experience guilt and sorrow for our sin. Another hindrance to seeking forgiveness is a feeling that my sin is just too terrible, that God can’t forgive me. What is your attitude towards the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
