A New Presentation for Sunday's Liturgy

Fortunate the Poor
Unfortunate the Rich
September 26, 2004
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Click here to download (1.29MB)
Flash presentation

This presentation is originally prepared in Spanish by Fr. Cristo Rey García Paredes, cmf. The original version,along with other very useful materials for pastoral agents and Christians in general can be found at: http://ciudadredonda.org

September 26, 2004 - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A. Open Your Eyes
B. Bridging the Gap between Rich and Poor

Readings:
Am 6:1, 4-7; Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10; 1 Tim 6:11-16; Lk 16: 19-31

Commentaries / Gospel Reflections from:
Daily Gospel • Preaching the Word • A Certain Jesus  • Sundays Into Silence
Group Reflection (NEW)

Greeting

Blessed be our Lord Jesus Christ:
to him be honor and everlasting power.
May his grace and peace
be always with you.
R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. Open Your Eyes

How come that we are so little aware of the misery-poverty, discrimination, injustice-around us? Is it because we have not learned to see, or that we prefer not to see? It is said of God in the Old Testament that he saw the misery of his people, and, seeing it, he liberated them. Jesus saw the misery of the people around him and he did all he could to free them. Let us ask the Lord here with us that we may learn to see our own afflictions and those of the people around us. Then we can, with God's help, do something to remedy them.

B. Bridging the Gap between Rich and Poor

We know that in our country and elsewhere-in fact, in large parts of the world-there is a wide gap between the rich and the poor. Many ask themselves, hopefully we too, "What can I do about all this misery? My means are very limited, and I cannot carry the burden of the world." But we know what the gospel asks of us. If all contribute, each in his or her own place, their share toward solving the problems of poverty, need, and suffering, how much better our whole world would become and how much nearer the kingdom! We need no angel to come and tell us. Listen to the message of the Lord himself.

Penitential Act

Blind as we are to our faults and to the needs of people
let us ask the Lord to forgive us and to open our eyes.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you saw in the eyes of sinners
their hunger for acceptance and forgiveness:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you saw the silent need of the poor
to share in the life of the community:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you saw the need
of the sheep without shepherds
for someone to follow and to believe in:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Take our sins away, Lord,
and open our eyes to compassion and love.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray to God
for compassionate and generous hearts
(PAUSE)
Our generous and loving God,
your Son Jesus is risen from the dead
and tells us to see the needs of the poor
and to give them food and drink.
In them, may we recognize your Son
and love him and care for him.
You have filled us with good things,
all free of charge.
Make us poor of heart, that we may understand the poor,
generous enough not to measure our gifts,
and grateful for all you have given us
by bringing joy and liberation to the needy.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
R/ Amen.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction: The Rich Will Be Made Poor
       The prophet Amos rings out God's indignation over the insensitive rich. They enjoy life without any concern for the poor. God cannot accept that any person or community would tolerate such inequality and indifference.

First Reading: Am 6:1, 4-7

Woe to those proud people who live, over-confident on the hill of Samaria!

Woe to you, men of renown, from the first among the nations, to whom the people of Israel come!

You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and sprawl on your couches; you eat lamb from the flock and veal from calves fattened in the stall.

You strum on your harps, and like David, try out new musical instruments.

You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but you do not grieve over the ruins of Joseph.

Therefore you will be the first to go into exile; and the feast of sprawlers will be over.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10

R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul! or: R. Alleluia.

Blessed he who keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul! or: R. Alleluia.

The LORD gives sight to the blind.
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down;
The LORD loves the just.
the LORD protects strangers.
R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul! or: R. Alleluia.

The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul! or: R. Alleluia.

Second Reading Introduction: Witnessing to Christ with Our Lives
      Christians, especially leaders in the community, must bear witness to the Father and to Jesus by their Christian living. For they owe to God their salvation in Jesus Christ.

Second Reading: 1 Tim 6:11-16

But you, man of God, shun all this. Strive to be holy and godly. Live in faith and love, with endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith and win everlasting life to which you were called when you made the good profession of faith in the presence of so many witnesses.

Now, in the presence of God who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus who gave the good testimony before Pontius Pilate, I command you to keep the commandment. Keep yourself pure and blameless until the glorious coming of Christ Jesus, our Lord, which God will bring about at the proper time, he, the magnificent sovereign, King of kings and Lord of lords. To him, alone immortal, who lives in unapproachable light and whom no one has ever seen or can see, to him be honor and power for ever and ever. Amen!

Gospel Introduction: God Will Make the Poor Rich
       The rich man of the parable is unconcerned about the poor man. But God's justice reverses the situation: the poor will become rich before God, the selfish will lose everything.

Gospel Reading: Lk 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees, "Once there was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted every day. At his gate lay Lazarus, a poor man covered with sores, who longed to eat just the scraps falling from the rich man's table. Even dogs used to come and lick his sores. It happened that the poor man died and angels carried him to take his place with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. From hell where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham afar off, and with him Lazarus at rest.

"He called out: 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus with the tip of his finger dipped in water to cool my tongue, for I suffer so much in this fire.'

"Abraham replied: 'My son, remember that in your lifetime you were well-off while the lot of Lazarus was misfortune. Now he is in comfort and you are in agony. But that is not all. Between your place and ours a great chasm has been fixed, so that no one can cross over from here to you or from your side to us.'

"The rich man implored once more: 'Then I beg you, Father Abraham, to send Lazarus to my father's house where my five brothers live. Let him warn them so that they may not end up in this place of torment.' Abraham replied: 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' But the rich man said: 'No, Father Abraham. But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

"Abraham said: 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the grave.'"

Commentary

RICH and poor: we'd like to be both. It would be nice to be rich: we would be very secure, everything provided for (and against), we would be invulnerable in our large estate, and very comfortable. But on the other hand we would have a lot of worries about things like insurance, about our staff and whether they were honest, about the stock-market, about inflation and recession, and all the cares and headaches of our business. Sometimes we would think: how nice if we were poor! We would have no worries about the stock-market or the recession; we would only have to worry about small immediate things like lunch; we would be freeee!

If we were rich we would be secure; if we were poor we would be free. How nice if we could be both: secure, and free at the same time.

But we can mount only one horse. And each is different from what is seemed. Wealth doesn't give security and poverty doesn't give freedom. The wealthy man is not so secure as he thinks he is: somewhere deep in him is an unsatisfied hunger and thirst. He can never have enough. "Is not dread of thirst when your well is full, the thirst that is unquenchable?" And the poor man is not free: only to a full stomach does poverty seem like freedom.
Today's parable makes it clear that we can't have it both ways, and that the consequences of our choice reach into eternity. The parable is a warning to the rich to wake up from their beautiful dream.

General Intercessions

Let us pray to our loving Father, the protector of widows and orphans and the support of the humble and of strangers. Let us pray : R/ Lord, hear our prayer.

- For a prophetic voice for the Church, that it may not tolerate the poor to be trampled upon or to be silenced, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.

- For open minds for the leaders of nations, that all the money wasted on weapons of destruction may be used for the welfare of people, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.

- For open hands to all who extend theirs, whether in friendship or as an appeal for help, that we may welcome them and fill them, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.

- For open hearts to all loneliness, to all fear and bitterness, that we may respond by becoming healers in the name of the Lord, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.

- For open eyes toward the humble and the little ones, that we may respect and restore their dignity as human beings and children of the Father in heaven, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.

- For communities in which the rich care for the poor and the poor teach the rich how to be patient and dependent on God, let us pray: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.

God our Father, help us to use the goods of this earth to bridge the gap between rich and poor, for we are all your sons and daughters, now and for ever. R/ Amen.

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 own hearts
and be our only lasting riches,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

Let us praise the Father with Jesus for showing us his compassion through his Son. May he give us a lively and warm concern for our brothers and sisters in need.

Introduction to the Lord's Prayer

Recognizing that we are all poor
before our Father in heaven,
we pray to him with all trust
the prayer of Jesus, his Son: R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Lord, from all selfishness
that closes our hearts and hands
to the needs of the people around us.
Keep us from becoming enslaved
by the things we have, even by our talents.
Help us to free your people from want and fear
with the gifts of our minds, hearts,
and with material goods,
that we may prepare for the full coming
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...

Invitation to Communion

This is Jesus our Lord.
He invites us to share his meal
and to learn from him to share
what we are and have.
Happy are we to be invited to his supper. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion

God, Father of the poor,
your Son has been here among us
and he has knocked on the door 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 as our brother
every time someone begs for our help
or, when in need, is too timid
to express where it hurts.
We ask you for this sensitivity
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Blessing

In this eucharistic celebration
the Lord has enriched us with his word
and with the gift of himself.
His bread of life tasted better
because it was shared.
We are now ready to enrich one another
and to make our happiness greater
by sharing it,
with the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Go in peace and follow the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.

TOP

Additional Resource Material for this Sunday

Ideal for catechetical and liturgical dramatization of today"s gospel.

The Cry of Lazarus
(Lk 16:19-31)

(taken from the book A Certain Jesus, Vol. 1)
Click here for other Readings --> Index of A Certain Jesus