08 August 2010
Greeting (See Heb 3:14)
The Lord Jesus is here with us.
We are all partners with him
if we hold on to the trust
we had in the beginning.
May he always be with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. Stand Ready In Faith
It is surprising how many people live in fear: fear of illness, fear of losing their beloved ones, fear of their own death, fear of today, fear of tomorrow. Jesus assures us: “Do not fear! Do not give up your hope! Have faith!” Even when we go through difficult days, we should never give up our faith and hope; we should always stay alert to the Lord and to his loving coming among us. In this Eucharist we ask the Lord to keep us always attentive to his presence.
B. God Is With Us
If we knew from the beginning the difficulties we would have to cope with before we could bring something to a good end, would we have had the courage to begin the work? And even then we fail at times. Yes, we would have done it and do it again if we had faith and hope and strength of character. That is what faith and hope are all about: to do what we have to do, to go on even if we are working in the dark, for if we have faith we know we are not alone. God is with us, there is a promise and a future, and the dawn will come. In this Eucharist we ask the Lord to sit with us at table and to give us strength.
First Reading Wisdom 18:6-9
A reading from the book of Wisdom
The night of the passover was known beforehand to our fathers, that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith, they might have courage. Your people awaited the salvation of the just and the destruction of their foes. For when you punished our adversaries, in this you glorified us whom you had summoned. For in secret the holy children of the good were offering sacrifice and putting into effect with one accord the divine institution.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Psalms 33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22
Response: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Exult, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting. Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
Response: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, To deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine.
Response: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in you.
Response: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Second Reading Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-12
A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Hebrews
Brothers and sisters: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God. By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age —and Sarah herself was sterile—for he thought that the one who had made the promise was
trustworthy. So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Gospel Luke 12:32-48
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke. Glory to you, Lord.
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
“Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” And the Lord replied, “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish the servant severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Readings – 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
01 Aug. 2010
Greeting (See Second Reading)
There is only Christ:
he is everything
and he is in everything.
He has brought us back to true life.
May his grace and peace be with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. What Are We Living for?
What do we consider most important in life? The message of today confronts us with this question. And it is basic for our Christian living. Are there more important things for us than money, goods, and power? Do we find love of God and neighbor, friendship and affection, and concern for each other greater and lasting and worthy of living for? What is the answer we give Jesus today?
B. What Brings Us Happiness That Lasts?
We all need the things that are necessary for life, but our human experience keeps reminding us again and again of what Jesus told us in the Gospel long ago: accumulating riches does not bring happiness! The joy of living does not depend on full granaries or fat bank accounts. The quality of life and its joy depend rather on how much we love the Lord and one another and on how far we can share what we have. That is how we become rich in the sight of God. In this Eucharist we ask our Lord that he bring us joy and happiness along with his friendship.
First Reading Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23
A reading from the book of Ecclesiastes
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
Here is one who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill, and yet to another who has not labored over it, he must leave property. This also is vanity and a great misfortune. For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun? All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation; even at night his mind is not at rest. This also is vanity.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Psalms 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
Response: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night.
Response: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
You make an end of them in their sleep; the next morning they are like the changing grass, Which at dawn springs up anew, but by evening wilts and fades.
Response: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!
Response: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands!
Response: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Second Reading Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Colossians
Brothers and sisters: If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry. Stop lying to one another,
since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Gospel Luke 12:13-21
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke. Glory to you, Lord.
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Then he told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Readings – 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
25 July 2010
Greeting (See Rom 8:14-15)
Those are sons and daughters of God
who are led by the Spirit of God.
We have received a Spirit
who makes us God’s children
and who make us cry out: Father!
May this Spirit be always with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. Speaking To Our Father
The first lengthy prayer we learned as children, and the prayer we still pray most often, is probably the “Our Father.” Is it more than a formula to us? Is it to us, as it was for Jesus, a word of warmth and tenderness, and a cry of trust and close relationship? With Jesus we stand here before our Father and with the Spirit in our hearts we call out: “Father, our Father!”
B. Put Your Life In Your Prayer
It would perhaps be much easier for us to pray if prayer would not be just a compartment in life, some moments we reserve for certain places and occasions and times of special needs. Prayer is less a way of obtaining favors from God than a way of expressing to our Father in heaven, to Jesus or to the Spirit our trust in God, speaking about our life, our difficulties and our joys, entrusting to God those who are dear to us in life or in death and even recommending to him those who cause us trouble. And remember, in praying we do not try to bend God to our will but we ask that we may do his will. How long ago have we prayed this way?
First Reading Genesis 18:20-32
A reading from the book of Genesis
In those days, the LORD said: “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave, that I must go down and see whether or not their actions fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me. I mean to find out.”
While Abraham’s visitors walked on farther toward Sodom, the LORD remained standing before Abraham. Then Abraham drew nearer and said: “Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city; would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to make the innocent die with the guilty so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike! Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?” The LORD replied, “If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Abraham spoke up again: “See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes! What if there are five less than fifty innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?” He answered, “I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there.” But Abraham persisted, saying “What if only forty are found there?” He replied, “I will forbear doing it for the sake of the forty.” Then Abraham said, “Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on. What if only thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there.” Still Abraham went on, “Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord, what if there are no more than twenty?” The LORD answered, “I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty.” But he still persisted: “Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time. What if there are at least ten there?” He replied, “For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it.”
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Psalms 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8
Response: Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name.
Response: Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Because of your kindness and your truth; for you have made great above all things your name and your promise.
When I called you answered me; you built up strength within me.
Response: Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees, and the proud he knows from afar.
Though I walk amid distress, you preserve me; against the anger of my enemies you raise your hand.
Response: Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Your right hand saves me. The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands.
Response: Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Second Reading Colossians 2:12-14
A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Colossians
Brothers and sisters: You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Gospel Luke 11:1-13
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke. Glory to you, Lord.
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”
And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
