September 3

ST. GREGORY THE GREAT, Pope, Church doctor

Introduction

Gregory the Great (540-604) was civil prefect (governor) of Rome; he became a Benedictine monk, later papal envoy to Constantinople. Elected Pope, he reluctantly accepted, as he preferred the monastic life. He was a very capable administrator, looking upon his task as service. His incumbency during difficult times was marked by his efforts to care for the socially deprived, to reconcile factions within the Church, to create cordial relations with the Church in Spain and France and to evangelize England. He reformed the Roman liturgy, though his relation to "Gregorian chant" is mere fantasy, for the "old Roman" music he promoted disappeared in the 14th century. Let us honor him today especially as a reformer of the Church and "servant of the servants" as he called himself.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
Saint Gregory followed Jesus, your Son,
in his commitment to you
and his service to the people entrusted to him.
May the Spirit of Jesus be alive in us
and dispose us to become, like your Son,
powerless and vulnerable,
so that we can serve one another,
especially the weakest of our brothers and sisters.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the Gifts

God of all people,
as Jesus serves us himself at table
in the signs of bread and wine,
let him 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 people a chance to live and be free.
May we seek no other reward
than to share the destiny of Jesus,
our Lord and Savior for ever.

Prayer after Communion

Loving God,
your Son Jesus has been with us
in this eucharistic celebration
as the servant of us all.
Let him dispose our hearts
and fill it with the courage
to understand and accept others,
to accompany them on the road of life
to suffer their pains
and to rejoice with their joys,
that we may serve them with Jesus,
our Savior and Lord for ever.

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September 8

FEAST OF MARY'S BIRTH

Introduction

The Bible, including today's readings, sees Mary in function of her Son; nothing more is said about her in the gospel than what illustrates and serves Christ's mission. Her inconspicuous and self-effacing service is very telling about her character and role - and at the same time about our mission: to witness quietly to the pre-eminence of Christ, to serve him, to be open to his salvation, to live for others.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
we thank you today for giving us Mary
as the Mother of your Son.
In her you show us how strong your grace is
and how surprisingly near you are to people.
Give us a firm faith
in the great things you do for all of us
and help us to respond to your gifts
with joyful and receptive hearts.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Intentions

- For the world with all its needs, that Mary may watch over it and pray for it, keep people from warring with one another and from making one another suffer, we pray:

- For people in lowly jobs, that they may learn from our humble mother that God values all work done with love and care, we pray:

- For all of us united here, that our faith in Jesus Christ may produce in us, as in Mary, fruits of genuine love for one another, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord God, you satisfy the hungry
with the bread of life
and you quench the thirsty
with the abundance of your Son's wine.
May these gifts be the signs
that we too are willing to share the riches
of your salvation and of the good things of life
with those who hunger and thirst
for bread, justice and love.
May all people thus know
that you are attentive to our needs,
through Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
however weak and wavering
our faith may be,
we believe and we pray
that you may supply us
with the strength we lack.
Do in us and through us
the great things you wish to accomplish.
Like Mary, may we serve your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever.

Blessing

No wonder that we are so attached to Mary. She gave us Jesus, stood by him all her life, and at his death became our mother too. May we too stand by Jesus' side in all our life and death, and may God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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September 13

ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, Bishop, Church doctor

Introduction

St John, monk and bishop of Constantinople, was called "Chrysostom," that is "mouth of gold," on account of his great eloquence. Though often in poor health, he deserved this name also for being outspoken against corruption at the court and neglect and exploitation of the poor by the mighty. For this reason he was banned twice from his city and died in exile. We owe him much of the Orthodox liturgy.

Opening Prayer

God, our Father,
you entrusted your good news
to St. John Chrysostom.
Loyally and without fear
he sowed your word as a seed
that it might bear fruit
also when it was accepted reluctantly.
Give us trust in your word,
make it grow in us
that it may become in all of us
really good news to live by.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
the harvest in our fields
has yielded its fruits
and here is bread and wine
to bring us strength and joy.
Let them become the body and blood of Jesus,
to keep us growing in the life
that he brought us by his death
and his rising to life,
until we are ready for your harvest.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
you have called us again
through the body of your Son
to make the body of his Church more an more
the living sign of your presence
and of your action in the world.
Make us dialogue with this world and Church
and criticize and challenge
what ought to be changed,
that they become your Church and your world
in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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September 14

TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS

The Cross Brings Life

Greeting

Praise to God our Father,
who loved us so much
that he gave us his only Son,
so that all who believe in him may have eternal life.
May Jesus fill us with his life
and be always with you. R/And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

Jesus keeps reminding us in the gospels that being his disciple is something not to be taken lightly, for to be a disciple means to be one who follows the master. So the disciple has to face the cross, just as Jesus had to face it and take it up. To him it brought the victory of life over death, of grace over sin, of final resurrection and happiness. Jesus was willing to pay the price for it. He asks us, his disciples: Can you take up your cross after me? What answer do we give him in this eucharist?

Penitential Act

Too often we want a painless Christianity
in which there is no place for the cross.
Let us ask the Lord to forgive us
such a distortion of our faith.
                         (PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, when you were lifted up on the cross
your death brought us forgiveness and life:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, when you were lifted up on the cross
your open arms reached out to all people:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, when you were lifted up on the cross,
from your pierced heart there flowed
treasures of grace and love:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord,
and wash away all our sins.
Lift us up, restore us
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray to God that we may learn
to bear our cross with his Son
              (PAUSE)
Lord, God of loyalty,
we are constantly under the threat
of contesting our dependence on you
and of blaming you for the evil in the world.

Lord God, make us see
the redeeming value of suffering.
Give us the mentality of Jesus Christ:
make us ready to be totally Christian,
totally committed to you and to people,
even at the cost of suffering.

Give us the strength to follow all the way
your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Scripture Readings:

First Reading: Saved by Faith in the Sign of Salvation (Num 21:4-9)

Tired and discouraged from their long journey and stay in the desert, the Hebrews lost faith in God and began to revolt. God punished them, but saved those who looked up in faith to a sign of salvation.

or The Humiliated Christ is Glorified (Phil 2:6-11)

Jesus, God's Son, humbled himself by becoming someone like us and even more so by dying for us on the cross. This is why he is now our glorious Lord.

Gospel Reading: Gospel Jesus' Saving Death Gives Life (Jn 3:13-17)

Because he loved us, God sent his Son into the world as man. By his death, Jesus brought us forgiveness and life.

General Intercessions

God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son to save us and bring us life by his death and resurrection. Let us pray to Jesus for all who suffer and let us say: R/ Lord, save us by your cross.

- For those whose life lacks direction, that they may discover Christ the way, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your cross.

- For those whose ideals have faded, that they may see and accept the lasting novelty of life and constantly renew themselves, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your cross.

- For the perennial losers of their personal struggles against the forces of evil, that they may trust in Christ, whose grace is mightier than sin and death, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your cross.

- For those who are lonely, deserted, or shut up within themselves, that they may accept the companionship of Christ and through him open themselves to others, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your cross.

- For all of us, that we may learn from our Lord himself to bear our crosses in patience and humility, that in some way they may bring life to us and to whoever is tired and discouraged, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your cross.

- For this community, that with Jesus our Savior it may be poor and serving and open to all people and all needs, let us pray: R/ Lord, save us by your cross.

Lord Jesus Christ, your cross remains a mystery to us, as does all pain and want. Yet we rely on your word and example that the cross is a way to joy and freedom. Turn our crosses into bearers of happiness and life, now and for ever. R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord God, with this bread and this wine
we celebrate the saving death of your Son.
In moments when suffering strikes
and when we find it hard to bear,
give us the strength, Lord God,
not to murmur and to contest
but to accept that it is your way to glory,
even if we do not understand fully.
We ask you for this courage
through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

Remember that in this and every eucharist we celebrate the sacrifice of the cross by which Jesus brought us forgiveness and life. Let us thank the Father for it and offer ourselves with Jesus our Lord, that we may overcome evil with him.

Introduction to the Lord's Prayer

Grateful for his saving love,
we pray to our Father in heaven
in the words of Jesus, our Savior: R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
and forgive us the sins
that caused your Son's death on the cross.
Help us to join our crosses to his;
give us courage and patience in life,
as we wait in joyful hope for the coming in glory
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom…

Invitation to Communion

This is the Lamb of God
who died on the cross
to take our sins away.
Happy are we to be invited
to eat his bread of strength. R/ Lord, 1 am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion

God, our Lord and Father,
we know that you have made us
for joy and happiness,
yet humiliation and death was the price
that your Son had to pay.
Let us never be ashamed of his cross
or proclaim a painless Christianity,
for we trust you when you call us
to bear witness to you the way you want us to,
through Jesus Christ, your Son and Lord. R/ Amen.

Blessing

We ourselves have been marked
with the sign of the cross
as people saved by a serving Lord.
On account of the cross,
we have to learn to forgive,
to bear one another's burdens
and to accept the realities of life
as people of hope and trust,
with the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Let us go in the peace of Christ. R/ Thanks be to God.

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September 15

OUR LADY OF SORROWS

Introduction

People who want to carry out their mission in life have often a high price to pay. Jesus continued his mission of love of doing the Father's will to save us and was nailed to the cross for it. Mary had been told by Simeon that she would suffer for and with her Son. When a child suffers, also the mother suffers. Yet she too was faithful to her mission of giving Jesus to the world. The closer one is to the Lord, the closer one often is to his cross.

Opening Prayer

Lord God,
we know that sorrow and pain
are inescapable in this life
for those who follow your crucified Son.
Give us enough trust in you
to remain faithful to you
and to believe and hope in your love
even in the depth of suffering.
Give us the courage
to face the hardships of life
and to bear one another's crosses
in union with Mary, our sorrowing Mother,
inn the service of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the Gifts

God of our happiness,
with our human wisdom
we seek happiness without pain,
glory without sacrifice.
But in your divine wisdom,
or foolishness as Paul calls it,
give us here your Son Jesus Christ
to teach us again the value of the cross.
With Mary we want to serve him
who is our Lord who died an rose again,
and our Savior for ever.

Prayer after Communion

Our living and loving God,
in this holy meal we have celebrated
the death and resurrection of Jesus, your Son
and proclaimed suffering and death
as a painful, but necessary way
to lasting glory an happiness.
Let this eucharist be our strength
to carry the burdens of life
and to learn from Mary
to stand by the side of all
in whom suffers your Son and hers,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

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September 16

STS. CORNELIUS, POPE and CYPRIAN, Bishop, Martyrs

Introduction

Cornelius and Cyprian, the first a pope, the second a bishop, both asserted the freedom to spread the message of Christ and both paid with their lives for their courage. To them, Christ was worth living for and therefore worth dying for. They preferred their inner freedom, for which Christ had paid the price, to freedom from bodily harm; they witnessed to the right of people to be free from all oppression.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
your Son Jesus Christ gave himself totally
for the sake of those he loved - that is for all.
Like him, Saints Cornelius and Cyprian
gave themselves for their flock.
Give us a bit of this unselfish love,
that we too may learn
that there is more in giving ourselves
than in receiving honor and favors.
May the Spirit make us also so much one
that we graciously share with one another
our God-given riches and gifts.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
your Son Jesus Christ was close to people
as he is close to you and to us now.
Give us his Spirit,
that we may become close
to those dear to us and entrusted to us,
full of attentions and understanding,
not drawing attention to ourselves
but to him who is in our midst,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Opening Prayer

Lord God,
we know that sorrow and pain
are inescapable in this life
for those who follow your crucified Son.

Give us enough trust in you
to remain faithful to you
and to believe and hope in your love
even in the depth of suffering.

Give us the courage
to face the hardships of life
and to bear one another's crosses
in union with Mary, our sorrowing Mother,
inn the service of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the Gifts

God of our happiness,
with our human wisdom
we seek happiness without pain,
glory without sacrifice.
But in your divine wisdom,
or foolishness as Paul calls it,
give us here your Son Jesus Christ
to teach us again the value of the cross.
With Mary we want to serve him
who is our Lord who died an rose again,
and our Savior for ever.

Prayer after Communion

Our living and loving God,
in this holy meal we have celebrated
the death and resurrection of Jesus, your Son
and proclaimed suffering and death
as a painful, but necessary way
to lasting glory an happiness.
Let this eucharist be our strength
to carry the burdens of life
and to learn from Mary
to stand by the side of all
in whom suffers your Son and hers,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

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September 20

THE MARTYRS OF KOREA:
STS. ANDREW KIM TAEGON, Priest,
PAUL CHONG HASANG, AND COMPANIONS

Introduction

Much of the earlier history of Christianity in Korea is marked with persecution. A group of lay people brought Christianity to Korea in the 17th century. Those persecuted unto death for their faith were mostly lay persons, though among these men and women we have also bishops and priests. The saints of today number one priest among them, Andrew Kim of Taegon, and a lay apostle, Paul Chong of Hasang.

Opening Prayer

Our Lord and God,
the Church of Korea was much marked
with the saving cross of Jesus
and today we honor her martyrs,
Andrew Kim, Paul Chong and their many companions.
May the saving cross of Jesus and of his martyrs
liberate us from our selfishness
and from fear and sin and death.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
we bring these humble gifts before you.
In these signs of bread and wine
Jesus, your Son, will give himself to us.
May he give us the strength
to go with courage on our journey through life,
also when it becomes a way of the cross,
that we may follow him all the way
to you, our loving God for ever.

Prayer after Communion

Our dear and loving God,
we have been with Jesus at his table.
May we be united with him also
on his way to you and to people.
May he follow him wherever he leads us
in dark days as well as in days of joy
and send us wherever people need us
to bring them your liberating word
and your helping hand,
also when it costs us pain and effort.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

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September 21

ST. MATTHEW, Apostle, Evangelist

Introduction

From a despised tax-collector, appraised no higher than a public sinner or a pagan, Matthew becomes an apostle. He is living proof that Jesus came to call sinners. And among the apostles he is one of the two who witnessed to Christ not only with their life and work but also their writing. He is with us today to strengthen our faith. He shows how Jesus is the fulfillment of the scriptures and how our communities today, like his long ago, have to put the Good News of Jesus into practice.

Opening Prayer

Lord God of mercy,
you show us today
in your apostle and evangelist Matthew
how you put the self-righteous to shame
and call sinners to the task
of bringing your Son's good news to the world.
Forgive us our pride and reassure us
that we can count on you and your love
because we are weak and sinful people.
Let us share in your message and life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Intentions

- For the Church, a community of saints and sinners, that we, the People of God and our leaders, may not condemn those who have failed, but with God give them new chances in life, we pray:

- For people who have failed and no longer believe in themselves, in God or in the community, that they may draw new hope from our compassion and understanding, we pray:

- For priests and religious, that they may keep trusting in the Lord who called them notwithstanding their human frailty; that with Christ they may care especially for the poor and the weak, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord God, merciful Father,
your Son Jesus Christ was eating
with tax collectors and sinners
because they needed him.
We bring this bread and this wine before you,
that he may sit at table with us
because we too need him.
Accept his sacrifice and ours
so that sins may be forgiven
and that we may live in your love
now and for ever.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God, merciful Father,
through your Son in our midst
help us to be mild and compassionate
without condemning anyone,
for you have been gentle to us.
And do not let us boast
of our human achievements,
for we owe everything
to your grace and your call
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

"I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." Let these words change our attitude toward people, also toward ourselves, and make us mild and understanding to everyone, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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September 27

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL, Priest

Introduction

We commemorate today St Vincent de Paul, a man with a heart. All his life he was a friend of the poor and the suffering. To evangelize rural areas, he founded the Congregation of the Mission or Lazarists and for the benefit of the proletarian masses the Daughters of Charity, to whom he gave as their convents the streets of the city, the houses of the poor and the rooms of hospitals. He did also much for improving the education of future priests in the seminaries. The Church of France owes very much to this man of vision for its revival in the 17th century. He is the patron saint of works of for the poor.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
in a man of vision, St. Vincent de Paul,
we see your deep concern for the poor
and for the needs of the Church of his time.
Make us too poor and free,
let us weep with those who mourn,
hunger and thirst with those
who seek what is right and just,
that we may understand deeply
the needs of those who are in need.
Grant us this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the Gifts

Our God and Father,
here are bread and wine,
simple food and the drink of joy.
By this gesture of offering
we assume our responsibility for the poor.
With your Son, let us never remain indifferent
to the human and spiritual misery
of our brothers and sisters in need.
Accept the poverty of our hearts
and be our lasting riches,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

God, Father of the poor,
your Son has been here among us
and he has knocked at the doors of our hearts.
We have welcomed him,
but it was he who gave us to eat.
May we keep receiving him
and making him feel comfortable
every time someone begs for help
or, when in need, is too timid
to express where it hurts.
We ask you for this sensitivity
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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September 28

ST. LORENZO RUIZ AND COMPANIONS, Martyrs

Introduction

The martyrs we honor today shed their blood at Nagasaki, Japan, in the years 1633-1637. Among them were Dominican priests, religious brothers and sisters, and three laymen. The person who heads the list was a married layman, who had a Chinese Father and a Filipina mother. Involved in a criminal case, he fled to Japan. He refused to renounce his faith, saying, "I am a Christian and I shall die for God, and for him I would give many thousands of lives if I had them."

Opening Prayer

Lord God,
give us the endurance of your martyrs
Lorenzo Ruiz and companions
in serving you and our neighbor;
for those who suffer persecution for justice's sake
are blessed in the kingdom of heaven.
We ask this 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.

Prayer over the Gifts

Father of holiness,
accept the gifts we bring before you
on this memorial of the holy martyrs,
and grant that we, your servants,
may also persevere in confessing your name.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

O God,
in the death of your holy martyrs
the mystery of the cross shines forth.
Grant that by the power of this sacrifice
we too may hold fast to Christ, your Son,
and labor in the Church for the salvation of all.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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September 29

Feast of the Archangels,

STS. MICHAEL, GABRIEL, RAPHAEL

Introduction

We know that God loves us, that he protects us and guides us to our destiny. In the Bible, angels are presented God's messengers to people, to help us to carry out God's plans. The archangel Michael is mentioned in the last book of the Bible as the angel who leads the fight against the power of evil and who wants God's work and Christ to overcome all evil. Gabriel is the messenger of the Annunciation; Raphael is the angel companion and healer in the Book of Tobias.

Angels, then, are the sign of God's guiding love and concern for us. We may not forget today also the many people who help and guide us in many ways by their love and care. They too, are, so to speak, God's angels to us.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God, you are our providence.
We are sure that you want to guide us to you,
that you want to save us,
that you love each of us personally, as we are,
and that you do everything you can do
to make yourself known to us.
Whatever way you come to us
and whoever your messengers are,
may we recognize you and accept you
and love you in them.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Intentions

- Lord, when your Church is persecuted, send it leaders who speak out in your name to encourage the fainthearted, we pray:

- Lord, when people are confused, send them messengers who enlighten them in your name, we pray:

- Lord, when people are in danger on their journey through life, send them angels to protect them, we pray

Prayer over the Gifts

God our Father,
you have sent here among us
your greatest messenger of your good news
and of your own life,
your Son Jesus Christ.
Accept in this offering our thanks
for all your angels and messengers
you send us to heal us from our illnesses
of body, mind and spirit
and who speak to us
words of love, hope and peace.
Thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

God our Father,
on account of Jesus Christ your Son
give us enough trust in you
to rely on you in all the events of life.
Make us welcome your angels and messengers ,
in sickness, in our weakness,
in our groping and hesitations.
Make us, in turn, to our brothers and sisters
helpers and messengers of your goodness and love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Blessing

We are certain that God protects and guides us through angels and good people who help us. May you rely on him and may God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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September 30

ST. JEROME, Priest

Introduction

The scholar St. Jerome translated most of the Bible from the original languages into Latin and revised some parts already translated to make them more understandable. His immense work opened the scriptures to the parts of Europe that spoke Latin. He fought al his life against his difficult character. He can still inspire us today to love the word of God… and to live it.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
you continue speaking your word to us today.
as St. Jerome loved it.
Like him,
may we understand it in your way,
keep your word faithfully in word and deed,
and pass it on to those who are with us
and who will come after us.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the Gifts

Loving Father,
your word has become our food in Jesus Christ.
He makes us one with you.
Through him, give us your strength
to enlighten our minds and to guide us
that we may put your words into practice
and follow your living Word,
your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
you have made a covenant with us,
a union of life and love,
and you want the whole of creation to share in it.
You speak to us and to the world
your liberating word.
God, may we be the answer to your word,
not only by what we say,
but in everything we are and do.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

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Taken from Liturgy Alive for Weekdays
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