by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jan 4, 2019 | Evangelium
St. John Neumann,
This American saint was born in Bohemia in 1811. John was appointed bishop of Philadelphia in 1852. Fluent in many languages, he was dedicated to helping the poor and most abandoned. John died on January 5, 1860 at the age of 48.
White
Entrance Antiphon: Gal 4: 4-5
God sent his Son, born of a woman, so that we might receive adoption as children.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, who were pleased to shine forth with new light through the coming of your Only Begotten Son, grant, we pray, that, just as he was pleased to share our bodily form through the child-bearing of the Virgin Mary, so we, too, may one day merit to become companions in his kingdom of grace. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading 1 John 3:11-21
This is the message as you heard it from the beginning: that we are to love one another; not to be like Cain, who belonged to the Evil One and cut his brother’s throat; cut his brother’s throat simply for this reason, that his own life was evil and his brother lived a good life. You must not be surprised, brothers, when the world hates you; we have passed out of death and into life, and of this we can be sure because we love our brothers. If you refuse to love, you must remain dead; to hate your brother is to be a murderer, and murderers, as you know, do not have eternal life in them. This has taught us love –that he gave up his life for us; and we, too, ought to give up our lives for our brothers. If a man who was rich enough in this world’s goods saw that one of his brothers was in need, but closed his heart to him, how could the love of God be living in him? My children, our love is not to be just words or mere talk, but something real and active; only by this can we be certain that we are children of the truth and be able to quieten our conscience in his presence, whatever accusations it may raise against us, because God is greater than our conscience and he knows everything. My dear people, if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience, we need not be afraid in God’s presence.
Psalm 99 100:1-5
R/ Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
1.Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing for joy.
2.Know that he, the Lord, is God. He made us, we belong to him, we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
3.Go within his gates, giving thanks. Enter his courts with songs of praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.
4.Indeed, how good is the Lord, eternal his merciful love. He is faithful from age to age.
Gospel Acclamation: Heb 1:1-2
Alleluia, alleluia!At various times in the past and in various different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 1:43-51
After Jesus had decided to leave for Galilee, he met Philip and said, ‘Follow me.’ Philip came from the same town, Bethsaida, as Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, the one about whom the prophets wrote: he is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.’ ‘From Nazareth?’ said Nathanael ‘Can anything good come from that place?’ ‘Come and see’ replied Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, ‘There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ said Nathanael ‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ And then he added ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.’
Prayer over the Offerings
O God, who give us the gift of true prayer and of peace, graciously grant that, through this offering, we may do fitting homage to your divine majesty and, by partaking of the sacred mystery, we may be faithfully united in mind and heart. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Jn. 1: 16
From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
Prayer after Communion
May your people, O Lord, whom you guide and sustain in many ways, experience, both now and in the future, the remedies which you bestow, that, with the needed solace of things that pass away, they may strive with ever deepened trust for things eternal. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
After Andrew and Simon, Philip and Nathanael are the next to become followers of Jesus. They respond to Jesus’ invitation: “Follow me.” They are able to see in Jesus something that they do not see in others. After meeting Jesus, Andrew told his brother Simon, “We have found the Messiah.” Philip realises that Jesus is the one Moses and the prophets wrote about. Nathanael recognises Jesus as the Son of God and the king of Israel. Jesus invites us, just as he invited them, to follow him. And following Jesus means taking on a new life, a life driven by love. When we hate, when we are jealous, when we exploit, we destroy our brothers, just like Cain killed his brother. However, when we love, when we show concern and sympathy, when we show mercy and seek justice, we give life, just as Jesus gave life to us. Let us become followers of Jesus; let us love one another.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jan 3, 2019 | Evangelium
saturday 04 JANUARY 2020
St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774 – 1821)
he was born in New York into an Episcopalian family, who ostracized her and left her penniless when she became a Catholic in 1805. Seton was the first native-born American to be canonized by the Catholic Church.
White
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Gal 4: 4-5
God sent his Son, born of a woman, so that we might receive adoption as children.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, who were pleased to shine forth with new light through the coming of your Only Begotten Son, grant, we pray, that, just as he was pleased to share our bodily form through the child-bearing of the Virgin Mary, so we, too, may one day merit to become companions in his kingdom of grace. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : 1 John 3:7-10
My children, do not let anyone lead you astray: to live a holy life is to be holy just as he is holy; to lead a sinful life is to belong to the devil, since the devil was a sinner from the beginning. It was to undo all that the devil has done that the Son of God appeared. No one who has been begotten by God sins; because God’s seed remains inside him, he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God. In this way we distinguish the children of God from the children of the devil: anybody not living a holy life and not loving his brother is no child of God’s.
Psalm 97:1,7-9
R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
- Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation.
- Let the sea and all within it thunder; the world, and all its peoples. Let the rivers clap their hands and the hills ring out their joy
- At the presence of the Lord: for he comes, he comes to rule the earth. He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with fairness.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn 1:14,12
Alleluia, alleluia! The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. To all who received him he gave power to become children of God. Alleluia!
Gospel : John 1:35-42
As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God.’ Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’ They answered, ‘Rabbi,’ – which means Teacher –’where do you live?’ ‘Come and see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour. One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ – which means the Christ – and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ – meaning Rock.
Prayer over the Offerings
O God, who give us the gift of true prayer and of peace, graciously grant that, through this offering, we may do fitting homage to your divine majesty and, by partaking of the sacred mystery, we may be faithfully united in mind and heart. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Jn 1: 16
From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
Prayer after Communion
May your people, O Lord, whom you guide and sustain in many ways, experience, both now and in the future, the remedies which you bestow, that, with the needed solace of things that pass away, they may strive with ever deepened trust for things eternal. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Today, John the Baptist tells his disciples to abandon him and follow Jesus for he is the ‘Lamb of God.’ John saw his role as that of pointing the way to Christ. Our life is to reflect this same virtue of pointing the way to Christ. When Andrew was called he did not think only of himself. The first thing he did was to seek out his brother Simon and tell him. That is the spirit of community, the spirit of the Church. We never stand alone in our relationship with God. It is a relationship we enjoy in union with all the members of the Church.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jan 3, 2019 | Agenda Biblique
Sainte Dorothée (5e siècle) ; Sainte Angèle.
Romaine d’origine, Dorothée s’appelait en réalité Apollinaire. La tradition dit qu’elle appartint à la famille impériale et qu’elle affranchit ses enclaves et distribua ses biens personnels pour se retirer au désert en Egypte, accompagné d’un vieux serviteur. Se faisant passer pour eunuque, elle entra au monastère de Scété où elle persévéra dans le jeûne et la prière. Son secret ne fut découvert qu’après sa mort.
Blanc
Antienne d’ouverture
Au commencement et avant le temps le Verbe était Dieu : c’est lui qui a voulu naître dans le temps des hommes et devenir le Sauveur du monde.
Prière d’ouverture
Dieu tout-puissant, la rédemption de ton peuple a merveilleusement commencé avec la naissance de ton Fils ; accorde à tes serviteurs une foi solide pour qu’ils se laissent conduire par lui, et obtiennent la gloire que tu leur promets. Par Jésus Christ.
Première lecture : 1 Jean 3, 7-10
Petits enfants, que nul ne vous égare: celui qui pratique la justice est juste comme lui, Jésus, est juste ; celui qui commet le péché est du diable, car, depuis le commencement, le diable est pécheur. C’est pour détruire les œuvres du diable que le Fils de Dieu s’est manifesté. Quiconque est né de Dieu ne commet pas de péché, car ce qui a été semé par Dieu demeure en lui : il ne peut donc pas pécher, puisqu’il est né de Dieu. Voici comment se manifestent les enfants de Dieu et les enfants du diable : quiconque ne pratique pas la justice n’est pas de Dieu, et pas davantage celui qui n’aime pas son frère.
Psaume (97 (98), 1, 7-8, 9)
R/ La terre tout entière a vu le salut de notre Dieu. (cf. 97, 3)
- Chantez au Seigneur un chant nouveau, car il a fait des merveilles; par son bras très saint, par sa main puissante, il s’est assuré la victoire.
- Que résonnent la mer et sa richesse, le monde et tous ses habitants ; que les fleuves battent des mains, que les montagnes chantent leur joie.
- Acclamez le Seigneur, car il vient pour gouverner la terre, pour gouverner le monde avec justice et les peuples avec droiture !
Acclamation
Alléluia, Alléluia.À bien des reprises, Dieu, dans le passé, a parlé à nos pères par les prophètes ; à la fin, en ces jours où nous sommes, il nous a parlé par son Fils. Alléluia.(cf. He 1, 1-2)
Évangile : Jean 1, 35-42
En ce temps-là, Jean le Baptiste se trouvait avec deux de ses disciples. Posant son regard sur Jésus qui allait et venait, il dit : «Voici l’Agneau de Dieu. » Les deux disciples entendirent ce qu’il disait, et ils suivirent Jésus. Se retournant, Jésus vit qu’ils le suivaient, et leur dit : « Que cherchez-vous ? » Ils lui répondirent : « Rabbi – ce qui veut dire : Maître –, où demeures-tu ? » Il leur dit : « Venez, et vous verrez. » Ils allèrent donc, ils virent où il demeurait, et ils restèrent auprès de lui ce jour-là. C’était vers la dixième heure, (environ quatre heures de l’après-midi). André, le frère de Simon-Pierre, était l’un des deux disciples qui avaient entendu la parole de Jean et qui avaient suivi Jésus. Il trouve d’abord Simon, son propre frère, et lui dit : « Nous avons trouvé le Messie» – ce qui veut dire: Christ. André amena son frère à Jésus. Jésus posa son regard sur lui et dit : « Tu es Simon, fils de Jean ; tu t’appelleras Kèphas » – ce qui veut dire : Pierre.
Prière sur les offrandes
Dieu qui donnes la grâce de te servir avec droiture et de chercher la paix, fais que cette offrande puisse te glorifier, et que notre participation à l’Eucharistie renforce les liens de notre unité. Par Jésus.
Antienne de la communion : Jn 3, 16
Dieu a tant aimé le monde qu’il a donné son Fils unique : ainsi, celui qui croit en lui ne périra pas, mais il obtiendra la vie éternelle.
Prière après la communion
Ton peuple, Seigneur, a besoin de multiples secours pour sa traversée d’ici-bas, que ta bonté les lui donne aujourd’hui et demain : trouvant alors la force nécessaire dans les biens qui passent, il recherchera les biens éternels avec plus de confiance. Par Jésus.
MÉDITATION
Après avoir entendu Jean Baptiste le présenter comme «l’Agneau de Dieu», deux de ses disciples se mettent à la suite de Jésus. Jean fait une fois de plus preuve d’une humilité édifiante. En effet, conscient qu’il n’est que cette voix qui annonce le Seigneur, cette voie qui oriente vers le Messie, il laisse ses disciples suivre librement « l’Agneau de Dieu ». Il applique effectivement ses propres paroles : « Il faut qu’il grandisse et que moi je diminue » (Jn 3, 30). Non seulement Jean s’efface pour faire place à celui à qui il a rendu témoignage, mais il montre aussi à ses disciples celui qui est « le Chemin, la Vérité et la vie. » (Jn 14, 6). Si les médiations sont indispensables dans la découverte de Jésus, elles ne constituent cependant qu’une étape relevant de notre liberté, vers la connaissance et l’attachement à sa personne.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jan 3, 2019 | Evangelium
St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774 – 1821)
She was born in New York into an Episcopalian family, who ostracized her and left her penniless when she became a Catholic in 1805. Seton was the first native born American to be canonized by the Catholic Church.
White
Entrance Antiphon : Ps 111: 4
A light has risen in the darkness for the upright of heart; the Lord is generous, merciful and just.
Collect
Cast your kindly light upon your faithful, Lord, we pray, and with the splendour of your glory set their hearts ever aflame, that they may never cease to acknowledge their Saviour and may truly hold fast to him. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading 1 John 3:7-10
My children, do not let anyone lead you astray: to live a holy life is to be holy just as he is holy; to lead a sinful life is to belong to the devil, since the devil was a sinner from the beginning. It was to undo all that the devil has done that the Son of God appeared. No one who has been begotten by God sins; because God’s seed remains inside him, he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God. In this way we distinguish the children of God from the children of the devil: anybody not living a holy life and not loving his brother is no child of God’s.
Psalm 97 (98) :1, 7-9
R/ All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
1. Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders. His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation.
2. Let the sea and all within it, thunder; the world, and all its peoples. Let the rivers clap their hands and the hills ring out their joy
3. At the presence of the Lord: for he comes, he comes to rule the earth.
He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with fairness.
Gospel Acclamation: Jn. 1:14,12
Alleluia, alleluia!The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. To all who received him he gave power to become children of God. Alleluia!
Gospel: John 1:35-42
As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God.’ Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’ They answered, ‘Rabbi,’ – which means Teacher –’where do you live?’ ‘Come and see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour. One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ – which means the Christ – and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ – meaning Rock.
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive with favour, O Lord, we pray, the offerings of your people, that what they profess with devotion and faith may be theirs through these heavenly mysteries. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: 1 Jn 4: 9
By this the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his Only Begotten Son into the world, so that we might have life through him.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who touch us through our partaking of your Sacrament, work, we pray, the effects of its power in our hearts, that we may be made fit to receive your gift through this very gift itself. Through Christ our Lord
Meditation
To be begotten by God means being a child of God, and if you are a child of God, then you must live a holy life. This means that there should be no trace of sin in you. Holiness and sin are contradictory; they simply cannot dwell in the same person. If you sin, then you are not holy. Children of God do not sin, because God’s seed dwells in them; their lives are pleasing to God, and they love their brothers and sisters. This seed which makes them holy is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The true child of God is therefore the one in whom Jesus Christ dwells, the one who lives with Christ and for Christ. Make Jesus your Rabbi, your Teacher. Follow him and live with him. Take your brother, your sister, your child and your friend to him. He is the way to holiness; he is the one who can free you from sin and make you a child of God
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh Basebang | Jan 2, 2019 | Agenda Biblique
SAINT NOM DE JÉSUS ; SAINTE GENEVIÈVE, VIERGE
Mémoire facultative
Elle est née à Nanterre vers 420 et morte à Paris vers 500. Alors qu’elle a sept ans l’évêque saint Germain d’Auxerre, de passage, la remarque et la consacre à Dieu. C’est dans le monde qu’elle mènera sa vie consacrée. Selon la tradition, lors du siège de Paris en 451, grâce à sa force de caractère, Geneviève, qui n’a que 28 ans convainc les habitants de Paris de ne pas abandonner leur cité aux Huns. Paris est effectivement épargné. Elle passera sa vie à secourir les pauvres et à aider les malades.
Blanc
Antienne d’ouverture
Le peuple qui marchait dans les ténèbres a vu se lever une grande lumière ; sur ceux qui habitaient le pays de l’ombre une lumière a resplendi.
Prière d’ouverture
Dieu éternel et tout-puissant, une lumière nouvelle dans les cieux a fait connaître que le Sauveur venait racheter le monde ; nous t’en prions: que cette lumière du Salut se lève chaque jour pour le renouveau de nos cœurs. Par Jésus Christ.
Première lecture: 1 Jean 2, 29 – 3, 6
Bien-aimés, puisque vous savez que lui, Jésus, est juste, reconnaissez que celui qui pratique la justice est, lui aussi, né de Dieu. Voyez quel grand amour nous a donné le Père pour que nous soyons appelés enfants de Dieu– et nous le sommes. Voici pourquoi le monde ne nous connaît pas: c’est qu’il n’a pas connu Dieu. Bien-aimés, dès maintenant, nous sommes enfants de Dieu, mais ce que nous serons n’a pas encore été manifesté. Nous le savons: quand cela sera manifesté, nous lui serons semblables car nous le verrons tel qu’il est. Et quiconque met en lui une telle espérance se rend pur comme lui-même est pur. Qui commet le péché transgresse la loi ; car le péché, c’est la transgression. Or, vous savez que lui, Jésus, s’est manifesté pour enlever les péchés, et qu’il n’y a pas de péché en lui. Quiconque demeure en lui ne pèche pas ; quiconque pèche ne l’a pas vu et ne le connaît pas.
Psaume (97 (98), 1, 3cd-4, 5-6)
R/ La terre tout entière a vu le salut de notre Dieu. (cf. 97, 3)
1. Chantez au Seigneur un chant nouveau, car il a fait des merveilles ; par son bras très saint, par sa main puissante, il s’est assuré la victoire.
2. La terre tout entière a vu la victoire de notre Dieu. Acclamez le Seigneur, terre entière, sonnez, chantez, jouez!
3. Jouez pour le Seigneur sur la cithare, sur la cithare et tous les instruments ; au son de la trompette et du cor, acclamez votre roi, le Seigneur !
Acclamation
Alléluia, Alléluia.Le Verbe s’est fait chair, il a établi parmi nous sa demeure. À tous ceux qui l’ont reçu, il a donné de pouvoir devenir enfants de Dieu. Alléluia.(cf. Jn 1, 14a.12a)
Évangile: Jean 1, 29-34
Le lendemain, voyant Jésus venir vers lui, Jean le Baptiste déclara : «Voici l’Agneau de Dieu, qui enlève le péché du monde ; c’est de lui que j’ai dit : L’homme qui vient derrière moi est passé devant moi, car avant moi il était. Et moi, je ne le connaissais pas; mais, si je suis venu baptiser dans l’eau, c’est pour qu’il soit manifesté à Israël. » Alors Jean rendit ce témoignage : « J’ai vu l’Esprit descendre du ciel comme une colombe et il demeura sur lui. Et moi, je ne le connaissais pas, mais celui qui m’a envoyé baptiser dans l’eau m’a dit : “Celui sur qui tu verras l’Esprit descendre et demeurer, celui-là baptise dans l’Esprit Saint.” Moi, j’ai vu, et je rends témoignage: c’est lui le Fils de Dieu. »
Prière sur les offrandes
Dieu qui donnes la grâce de te servir avec droiture et de chercher la paix, Fais que cette offrande puisse te glorifier, et que notre participation à l’eucharistie renforce les liens de notre unité. Par Jésus.
Antienne de la communion : 1 Jn 1, 2
La Vie, qui était auprès du Père, s’est manifestée, elle nous est apparue.
Prière après la communion
Ton peuple a besoin de multiples secours pour sa traversée d’ici-bas. Que ta bonté les lui donne aujourd’hui et demain ; trouvant alors la force nécessaire dans les biens qui passent, il recherchera les biens éternels avec plus de confiance.
MÉDITATION
L’évangile de ce jour prolonge le témoignage que Jean Baptiste rend à Jésus. Tout en rappelant son statut de précurseur du Messie, Jean le décrit comme « l’Agneau de Dieu qui enlève le péché du monde ». L’image de l’agneau résume toute l’histoire de l’Alliance. Elle évoque ainsi le sang de l’agneau pascal de l’Exode que les israélites mirent sur les montants des portes des maisons afin d’échapper au fléau destructeur (Ex 12, 13) ; l’agneau d’Isaïe, en référence au Serviteur souffrant (Is 53, 7) et l’agneau immolé et dressé de l’Apocalypse, vainqueur des forces du mal (Ap 17, 14). Jésus est présenté comme cette victime pure et innocente qui vient s’offrir elle-même pour délivrer et sauver définitivement l’humanité du péché. Cet Agneau expiatoire et libérateur s’offre chaque jour dans le sacrement de l’Eucharistie. Jean Baptiste nous le présente et nous invite à l’accueillir.
