Lord
our God,
we fear to take ourselves as we are,
with our weaknesses and our strength,
with our cowardice, failures, and projections.
God, touch us, seize us,
throw us down to earth if necessary,
that we may discover you as the source of life and strength
and constant resurrection
by the power of Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives with you and with us for ever.
Liturgy
of the Word
First
Reading Introduction
The
experience of Elijah in God's Word today is a deeply moving
human experience, wherein God shows himself as the Lord
of life and resurrection as soon as a person discovers who
he is when confronted with God whom he begins to understand
a bit. Elijah, God's loyal, formidable, fiery prophet, encounters
defeat, despair and persecution the day after his victory.
He
doubts himself, his future, his task, the people, and withdraws
into the desert of himself. And then Elijah experiences
God, not the formidable God of storm, earthquake and fire,
which he pictured in his heart, but the God found in the
gentle breeze caressing his face. This experience of the
living God raises Elijah back to his feet and gives him
the strength to return to people and to hope again in people
and in the future. For now he takes God on God's terms.
Could this not be our own experience?
First
Reading: 1 Kgs 19:9a, 11–16
At
the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave, where
he took shelter. But the word of the LORD came to him,
“Go
outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the
LORD
will be passing by.” A strong and heavy wind was rending
the
mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the
LORD
was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake—
but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake
there was fire—but the LORD was not in the fire. After
the fire
there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this,
Elijah
hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the
entrance of
the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you
here?” He
replied, “I have been most zealous for the LORD, the
God of
hosts. But the children of Israel have forsaken your
covenant,
torn down your altars, and put your prophets to the
sword. I
alone am left, and they seek to take my life.” The LORD
said to
him, “Go, take the road back to the desert near Damascus.
When you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king of
Aram.
Then you shall anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, as king of
Israel,
and Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, as prophet
to
succeed you.”
Responsorial
Psalm: Ps 27:7– 8a, 8b –9abc, 13
–14
R./
I long to see your face, O Lord.
Hear,
O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks. R./ I long to see your face, O Lord.
Your
presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off. R./ I long to see your face, O Lord.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD. R./ I long to see your face, O Lord.
Gospel
Reading Introduction
Gospel
Reading: Mt 5:27 – 32
Jesus
said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said,
You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone
who
looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery
with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you
to sin, tear it
out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose
one of your
members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off
and throw it
away. It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to
have your whole body go into Gehenna.
“It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give
her a
bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces
his wife
(unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit
adultery,
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
Commentary
Jesus
does not mince words when He teaches us how to live. Holiness
of life means being configured into the image of the One
who is all holy, the Lord Himself.
If we wish to be holy, we must surround ourselves with
holy things and holy people. One cannot stay clean if
one plays in the gutter! Rather, reading the Bible daily
and engaging in prayer every day is a beautiful way of
staying on the path of holiness. Likewise, the regular,
faithful reception of the sacraments is always good for
the soul, for through the sacraments we encounter the
Lord.
General
Intercessions
- That
the Church may be the living sign of God's love for people
by its concern for the poorest among us, we pray:
- That the leaders of the world may look after the welfare
of the people entrusted to them and bring them peace, justice,
and dignity, we pray:
- That we may learn to take ourselves as we are with all
our faults and weaknesses and entrust ourselves into the
hands of God, were pray:
Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord
our living God,
your Son Jesus taught us
to seek your will not in our way
but in your own way and on your own terms.
As he is with us now,
may he help us with his Word and his body
to bend our wills to yours.
And when we feel hurt in our struggles,
and disappointed with people,
do not allow us to withdraw within ourselves
but keep us going your way, not ours, to people.
For this was the way of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
Lord,
our God of hope,
we have learned from your Son
and from those who were close to him
that faith and hope grow in us
when they are tested in trials and struggles.
God, help us win our struggles,
for they are your struggles in us.
Let your Spirit storm or breeze in us
and let us experience you as you are.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Blessing
We
could end this celebration by saying again: God is with
you! Don't forget this, especially when your life or your
task is difficult. God is there, and in him you can trust.
May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and
the Holy Spirit.
Claretian Publications MACAU