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July
3
ST.
THOMAS, Apostle
Introduction
The
gospel has some beautiful texts about St. Thomas. Not only the “My
Lord and my God” after his doubt and hesitation to believe, but also
“Let us too go and die with him,” and the question “Lord, we don’t
know where you are going. How could we know the way?” And the
Lord’s, “Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
Tradition has him go as far as Persia and the Malabar region in India,
where the Christians are still called “the Christians of St. Thomas.”
Opening
Prayer
Our
living God,
on this feast of St. Thomas we pray:
Our eyes have not seen your son Jesus Christ
and our fingers have not touched the scars of his wounds,
yet we have come together in his name.
Make our faith in him deep and lasting,
that the Spirit may breathe new life in us
and make us look with new eyes
at the world and at people,
so that we can bring them
the love and the peace and the justice
of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord.
General
Intercessions
–
For our shepherds in the faith, that they may place the powers
of healing, pardon and peace entrusted to them by Jesus in the service
of the people of God and of all who seek the truth, we pray: R/ Our
Lord and God, hear our prayer.
–
For all who doubt and seek, whether in the Church or outside,
that they may encounter the living Christ in us, we pray:
–
For this and all Christian communities, that our faith in Jesus
may lead us to have faith in each other’s goodness and to be united
in faith, we pray:
Prayer
over the Gifts
God
our Father,
in these simple signs of bread and wine
your Son Jesus will make himself present among us.
Yet we cannot see him with other eyes
than those of deep faith.
May he encounter us here
and let him strengthen our hesitant faith.
Make us recognize him unhesitatingly
and to say to him: “Our Lord
and our God,”
now and for ever.
Prayer
after Communion
God
our Father,
we thank you for Jesus, your risen Son.
He who loves us is alive.
Give us eyes of faith to see
that all that we are and do
has a meaning and purpose
and that your Son is with us and guides
us
through our darkness and hesitations
to the fullness of life and joy.
Let him always stay with us
now and for ever.
Blessing
We
have to be grateful to St Thomas, for thanks to his hesitation and
question to see clearer, our faith is confirmed. May God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
TOP
July 11
ST. BENEDICT, Abbot
Introduction
St.
Benedict’s time, between 480 and 550 A.D., was one of crisis much
like ours, with the whole world of his era changing face. The Roman
Empire was crumbling in the West, and whole peoples were migrating
from continent to continent. Spiritual confusion was even greater.
To the order of monks he founded, he gave a rule that is a model of
balance and appealing to human capacities. Benedictine monasteries
became for much of Europe centers of civilization and culture. Benedict
is the patron saint of Europe and of Western monasticism.
Opening
Prayer
All-wise
and loving God,
St Benedict wisely told his monks
to combine work with prayer.
Never let us forget either of these two.
Let our prayer inspire what we do
to take up our task in life conscientiously
and to use our God-given talents
in the service of you and of people.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer
over the Gifts
Our
loving God,
with bread and wine we remember him
who gave himself totally for others,
your Son Jesus Christ.
Everything was taken away from him
except the certainty that he could count on you.
Make us aware of the passing value of the things
to which we attach ourselves.
Set our hearts on the things
that never devaluate: you and our neighbor,
justice, truth and generous love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
Lord
our God,
by the power of this eucharist
help us to see and to practice fully
what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
Let us find serenity in him
and learn to bring peace to others,
the peace of love and kindness,
of forgiveness and mercy.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
TOP
July
14
ST. CAMILLUS DE LELLIS, Priest
Optional Memorial
Introduction
After
a rather turbulent youth and a military career, Camillus of Lellis
had to stay in a Roman hospital for a prolonged treatment. There he
discovered for himself the incompetence and lack of dedication of
the nurses of his time. He became a priest and founded a congregation
for helpers of the sick, especially the incurable ones. One of his
companions wrote his biography and describes there how he treated
the sick as other Christs, even asking forgiveness of them.
Opening
Prayer
God,
loving Father,
we thank you today for St. Camillus,
who visited your Son in the sick.
He would have loved to take upon himself
their illness and afflictions,
could he but ease their pain
and relieve their weaknesses.
This is the kind of love we pray for
and of which we are not capable.
But let Jesus your Son appear
behind the face of people who suffer
and perhaps we too will be touched
by his self-forgetting love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer
over the Gifts
God
our Father,
we join our hearts and voices
to share in the sacrifice of your Son.
Let his dispositions become ours,
that with him we may love you
and serve you in our brothers and sisters.
Grant us this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
God
our Father,
in your Son and in the saints
you show us how far love can go.
By the strength of this eucharist
help us to place no limits or conditions
to our affection and generosity
and to take with your Son the risk
of committing ourselves into the hands
of our brothers and sisters.
Let no abuse of trust discourage us,
let no indifference rebuff us,
for you have loved us to the end
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
TOP
July
15
ST. BONAVENTURE, Bishop, Doctor
Introduction
St.
Bonaventure, a Franciscan, was a peacemaker and unifier within his
order and among politicians of his time. A learned man, he trusted
more in God’s love, which permeates all his writings, than in his
science.
Opening
Prayer
Lord
God,
as we celebrate Saint Bonaventure,
a man of peace and love, we ask you:
Let the Holy Spirit, the bond of love
between you and your Son,
be present here among us.
May he bind us together in peace and love
and help this little church to be
all you want your universal Church
to signify to all:
the people of your good pleasure,
rich in hope and life and joy
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
*Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord
our God,
this piece of bread
and this draught of wine
will bring us the life an joy
of Jesus, your Son.
Let his Holy Spirit unite us closely
with Jesus, head of his body, the Church,
as living stones of his community
of faith and hope.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
*Prayer
after Communion
Lord
our God,
your Son Jesus has spoken his message to us.
By the power of the Holy Spirit
give us the strength to speak it
for all and to all as Good News,
without fear or compromise.
Let him renew and unite us
as your people of hope and joy,
who proclaim with our lives
that you are our Father,
and Jesus, our Lord for ever.
TOP
July
16
OUR
LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
Optional Memorial
Readings:
Zec 2:14-17; Mt 12:46-50
Introduction
The
glories of Mount Carmel are sung in the bible, as the prophet Elijah
had stood up there for the purity of Israel’s faith. In the twelfth
century, hermits withdrew to this mountain and later founded the Carmelite
order, which is devoted to the contemplative life under the patronage
of Mary, the holy Mother of God.
Opening
Prayer
Lord
our God,
Mary, the mother of your Son Jesus Christ,
was open to the word of God
with a believing, trusting mind and heart.
Like her, may we entrust ourselves to you
ponder your words and seek your will in them.
Make
your will our will,
that you may lead us to your home
under the guidance of him
who sought your will in everything,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord
our God,
this bread and this wine
are signs that with Jesus and Mary
we are ready to seek your will.
Allow us to share in this table
as his brothers and sisters, his relatives,
and to follow him on his faithful way
to you, our God for ever.
Prayer
after Communion
Lord
our God,
make us, like Mary, ponder the words
which Jesus has spoken here to us.
Let them be words that guide our lives
and to which we respond in all we do.
Let the bread of strength of your Son
give us the will and the courage
to make your good news
the foundation of our lives.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
TOP
July
22
MARY MAGDALENE
Note:
The gospel is proper to this feast
Introduction
Contrary
to popular belief, which is based on a rather late “tradition” in
the West only, Mary Magdalene is not the sinful woman described in
Luke 7. We know that she was from Magdala and had been cured by the
Lord. She became an eager and loving witness to the Lord’s resurrection.
Opening
Prayer
Lord
our God,
Mary Magdalene sought your Son
with the impetuosity of a person
who loved him deeply
and who was afraid to have lost him.
When she had recognized him,
he made her a witness to his resurrection.
Lord God, help us discover
the presence of your Son
in the people around us
and may they recognize
that Jesus Christ lives in us
now and for ever.
Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord
our God,
in these signs of bread and wine
your Son becomes present among us.
Give us the firm conviction
that he is alive among us and in us,
that people may recognize
that it is he who makes our lives meaningful
and worth living.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
Our
God and Father,
we thank you for this eucharistic celebration.
We have shared the table of your Son;
we share his life and love.
God, may we also bear witness
that your Son is risen and alive today.
May our lives reflect the love and joy
that he brought us,
until we enter the joy of your kingdom.
This is what we ask of you today
through Christ Jesus our Lord.
TOP
July 25
FEAST
OF ST. JAMES MAJOR, Apostle
Introduction
James
became a disciple of Jesus together with his brother John. He was,
with Peter and John, among the apostles closest to Jesus, witnessing
the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter, the Lord’s transfiguration and
agony.
A
“son of thunder” in his zeal for the kingdom, he proposed a hard line
against those who did not accept the gospel. But Jesus told him that
his task was not to destroy but to save. James himself experienced
the consequences of the hard line when he died a martyr’s death, thus
sharing Jesus’ cup of sacrifice as the Lord had foretold him.
Opening
Prayer
Lord
our God,
Your Son Jesus was your equal
and yet he made himself our brother and servant.
May his Spirit be alive in us,
as he was alive in St. James,
and dispose us to become, like your Son,
powerless and vulnerable
so that we can serve one another,
especially in the weakest of our brothers and sisters.
In this way may people experience
how bold you make our love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord,
General
Intercessions
–
That the basic attitude of our Christian leaders, bishops,
priests, lay ministers, may be a spirit of service to their people,
we pray:
–
That those who are persecuted may never despair but keep trusting
in the Lord, we pray:
–
That no difficulties may keep our missionaries from preaching
the Lord, we pray:
Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord
our God,
your Son asks us to drink with him the cup
of self-sacrificing service.
Let Jesus fill us with that love
which alone can understand
that to be great is to serve others
and to use up our lives
to give them a chance to live
May
we seek no other reward
than to share the destiny of Jesus,
our Lord and Savior for ever.
Prayer
after Communion
Lord
our God,
your Son Jesus Christ
gave his life for his friends
and lighted in them a fire
that cannot be extinguished.
Strengthened by the bread of Life
may we follow St. James,
your apostle and martyr,
in his total and lasting dedication
to the kingdom of your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
Our
attitude in life is too much that we want to be served. It’s easy
and pleasant. Jesus tells us that we have to learn how to serve. That
is what will bring us true happiness. May almighty God give us that
attitude and bless us, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
TOP
July 26
STS.
JOACHIM AND ANNE, Parents of Mary
Introduction
We
know nothing more about the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary than
that the Protevangelium of James, (an apocryphal infancy gospel
from the third century), gives them the names Joachim and Anne. Their
feast comes from Oriental rites, in which parents are often honored
with their children when these become famous.
In
any case, the liturgy reminds us that people are often instrumental
in bringing us God’s salvation.
Opening
Prayer
Lord
our God,
there were many deeply believing
and simple, poor people
waiting for the coming of the Messiah.
We thank your for these believers
and we ask you today
at this celebration of the parents of Mary
that we may be longing for a deeper coming
of your Son Jesus Christ among us
May many more accept him
as their Savior and their Lord.
Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord
our God,
we are ready to listen and accept
the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.
We bring before you
these
simple offerings of bread and wine
Let them express that we want
to be open to your secrets with unsophisticated hearts,
For
you reveal yourself
to those who listen with their hearts.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
Lord
our God,
make us attentive to the words
which Jesus has spoken to us at his table
and keep stirring in us the love he has shown us.
Let our faith be more than formulas
that do not change our life in any way.
Make the story of our life speak to those around us
that we have understood how much you care
and that we may respond to you
with all that is in us.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
TOP
July
29
ST. MARTHA
Note:
The gospel Jn 11:19-27 is proper to this celebration.
Introduction
Martha.
To serve without being asked, to be ready for others. To be given
little publicity but to work backstage. Not to ask for honors and
pass on the shoulder but to do one’s work quietly. This is how she
followed the Lord. And her faith was deep and strong in Christ as
the Son of God who could raise the dead back to life.
Opening
Prayer
We
honor today Saint Martha
as a woman of faith
and an unobtrusive servant of people
Give us her faith in Christ
as the Lord of life
and the firstfruits of the resurrection.
Make us willing servants of one another
who attend to others in their need.
We ask your this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord
our God,
In
every eucharist
your Son Jesus serves us at his table.
Let him fill us with the love and dedication
needed to wait on our brothers and sisters
without imposing ourselves,
but in all simplicity,
because we know that in them we are serving
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
Lord
our God, in this eucharist
your
Son Jesus Christ has nourished us
with the bread of resurrection and life.
Strengthened by this food,
may we live as your people
called to rise already in this life
above our failures and sins
and may we also raise up one another
to bring about together a better world
where love and justice prevail.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
TOP
July
31
ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, Priest
Introduction
While
recuperating from a wound incurred as a soldier, Ignatius read the
lives of saints because there was nothing else to read. He reflected
further on the purpose of his life, made pilgrimages, and decided
to serve God.
The
“company” he founded was to be at the disposal of the Pope to serve
the most urgent contemporary needs of the Church. In his time the
Jesuits were instrumental in counteracting heresies, reforming the
Church, and starting overseas missions. To him, action was always
to be based on reflection and prayer. This is sound advice also to
us today.
Opening
Prayer
Lord
our God,
like St Ignatius we have accepted your invitation
to follow you Son Jesus as his disciples
and to do everything we do
for your greater honor and glory.
Give us the strength of your Spirit
not to seek ourselves
and to accept our task in life
with all its consequences.
For we are certain Jesus will lead us to you,
our loving God for ever and ever.
Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord
God, our Father,
in this eucharist may the Lord Jesus
bring us so close to him
that he makes us willing to accept from him
any task you want to give us.
Let service to the Church and its needs
be our main preoccupation
and may we always render this service
for the greater glory of God.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
Lord
our God,
in the eucharist you have enlightened us
with the word and the body of Jesus.
Let Jesus give us his Spirit of discernment
that we may see clearly the task ahead of us
and commit ourselves to it with wisdom
and total dedication,
without hesitation or fear.
For it is your work we do,
our living God,
for ever and ever.
TOP
Taken
from Liturgy
Alive for Weekdays
Copyright © 2002 by Claretian Publications
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