November 11 - Monday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Theme:
FORGIVE!
Readings:
Tit 1:1-9; Lk 17:1-6
Note. November 11 - Feast of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop - see also Celebration of Saints
Opening Prayer
God of mercy and compassion,
your Son Jesus Christ has brought us together
as a community of sinners
that knows that you have pardoned us.
When our weaknesses threaten our unity,
remind us of our responsibility for one another.
Let your unifying Spirit give us the strength
to care for one another
and to do all we can to remain
a living, forgiving and welcoming community.
May we meet in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Scripture Readings
First
Reading Introduction:
Titus was made the “overseer”
of the Church of Crete. Like the other “pastoral letters” to Timothy,
this letter contains Paul’s instructions to organize and govern the local
community, particularly with the help of “presbyters” or elders. The “episcopos”
of which Paul speaks is not yet the monarchic bishop of several decades
later.
From Paul, servant of God, apostle of Christ Jesus, at the service of God's chosen people, so that they may believe and reach the knowledge of truth and godliness.
The eternal life we are waiting for was promised from the very beginning by God who never lies, and as the appointed time had come, he made it known through the message entrusted to me by a command of God, our Savior.
Greetings to you, Titus, my true son in the faith we share. May grace and peace be with you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I left you in Crete because I wanted you to put right what was defective and appoint elders in every town, following my instructions. They must be blameless, married only once, whose children are believers and not open to the charge of being immoral and rebellious.
Since the overseer (or bishop) is the steward of God's house, he must be beyond reproach: not proud, hot-headed, over-fond of wine, quarrelsome or greedy for gain.
On the contrary he must be hospitable, a lover of what is good, wise, upright, devout and self-controlled. He must hold to the message of faith just as it was taught, so that, in his turn, he may teach sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 24:1-6
The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers.
Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?
Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully.
They will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of their salvation.
Such is the company of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
Gospel
Introduction:
It is hard to place
the sayings of our Gospel today (Lk 17:1-6) in a coherent context. They
rather look like disparate statements about key concerns and messages
of Luke: concern for the lowly, the need of forgiving one another, and
faith. When Luke speaks about scandal, he is not thinking of giving any
bad example, but of obstacles that make people stumble, like Jesus sitting
at table with sinners, something totally unacceptable to many Jews. We
take the message of forgiveness.
Jesus said to his disciples, "Scandals will necessarily come and cause people to fall; but woe to the one who has brought it about. It would be better for that one to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around the neck. Truly this would be better for that person than to cause one of these little ones to fall.
Be careful. If your brother offends you, rebuke him and if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he offends you seven times in a day but says to you seven times: 'I'm sorry,' forgive him."
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." And the Lord said, "If you have faith even the size of a mustard seed, you may say to this tree: 'Be uprooted and plant yourself in the sea,' and it will obey you."
General Intercessions
– That in all honesty we may acknowledge our sins to the Lord, who knows what is in our hearts, and also to the persons we have hurt, we pray:
– That we may have enough faith to forgive totally and without reservations those who have offended us, we pray:
– That pastors in charge of communities may practice what they teach and inspire their people, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father,
you bring together at the table of your Son
the weak with the strong, the sick with the healthy.
Let your Son fill us here
with the fullness of his presence,
that we may accept one another
to live with one another in peace and friendship.
We offer you our good will
to welcome one another
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
your Son Jesus has been in our midst
and he has strengthened us with his body and blood.
He made our wounds of sin
his wounds and he healed them.
Let the wounds of our brothers and sisters
become ours, their joys our happiness.
Let your Son teach us the art
of bringing those who err back to you
and into our communities,
without embittering or humiliating them,
without any feeling of superiority,but simply because they are our brothers and sisters
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Let us keep in mind the exhortation Jesus gives us in Luke, to be people of deep faith who can forgive one another and care for the poor and the humble, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is very realistic and blunt here. He does not try to give an illusory picture about day-to-day human living. Nor does he try to bring us to a dreamy world. He takes life as it is lived and tries to give it a different orientation. "You must forgive." Without the spirit of forgiveness, life becomes absolutely impossible. Forgiveness is the very air we breathe. When God forgives, he forgets. We can experience forgiveness only to the extent that we are prepared to forgive others. It is in forgiving that we are forgiven. There is a direct connection between forgiving and faith. The deeper our faith is, the deeper our forgiving becomes. Actually, in the process of forgiving, our faith deepens. Jesus was the forgiving person par excellence, because his faith was perfect.
November 12 - Tuesday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Theme:
MERELY SERVANTS
Readings:
Tit 2:1-8, 11-14; Lk 17:7-10
Note. November 12 - Feast of St. Josaphat, Bishop & Martyr - see also Celebration of Saints
Opening Prayer
God, merciful Father,
you know what is in our hearts.
Whether our intentions are good or selfish,
we leave everything
to your compassionate judgment.
But this we ask of you:
Confirm us in the will
to serve you and our people
in loyalty and love
and for the rest, we are in your hands,
for you are our God and Father
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Scripture Readings
First
Reading Introduction:
Paul writes to Titus that Christ has
given himself for the Church. The community should bear witness to this
by the kind of life people lead, each according to one’s state in life.
First Reading: Tit 2:1-8, 11-14
Let your words strengthen sound doctrine. Tell the older men to be sober, serious, wise, sound in faith, love and perseverance.
The older women in like manner must behave as befits holy women, not given to gossiping or drinking wine, but as good counselors, able to teach younger women to love their husbands and children, to be judicious and chaste, to take care of their households, to be kind and submissive to their husbands, lest our faith be attacked.
Encourage the young men to be self-controlled. Set them an example by your own way of doing. Let your teaching be earnest and sincere, and your preaching beyond reproach. Then your opponents will feel ashamed and will have nothing to criticize.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, teaching us to reject an irreligious way of life and worldly greed, and to live in this world as responsible persons, upright and serving God, while we await our blessed hope-the glorious manifestation of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus. He gave himself for us, to redeem us from every evil and to purify a people he wanted to be his own and dedicated to what is good.
Responsorial
Psalm: Psalms 37:3-4, 18, 23, 29
Trust in the LORD, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will abide forever...our steps are made firm by the LORD, when he delights in our way...The righteous shall inherit the land, and live in it forever.
Gospel
Introduction:
The words of Jesus in the gospel
of today seem to be directed more to the Pharisees and scribes, who claimed
to be servants of God, than to the apostles. They were self-assured servants;
they computed their merits for what they had done for God and asserted
their right to his rewards. Perhaps the apostles too were not always too
modest in their claims as companions of Jesus. All should put their trust
in God and leave everything to him. Not what we have done for God counts,
but what he does for us in his mercy. We are in his hands.
Jesus said to his disciple, "Who among you would say to your servant coming in from the fields after plowing or tending sheep: 'Come at once and sit down at table'? No, you tell him: 'Prepare my dinner. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink; you can eat and drink afterwards.' Do you thank this servant for doing what you commanded? So for you. When you have done all that you have been told to do, you must say: 'We are no more than servants; we have only done our duty.'"
General Intercessions
– Lord, let rewards and honors come to us as surprises, rather than as something we deserve, we pray:
– Lord, for us and all who are baptized, that we may follow Christ, your perfect servant, and that with him we may serve rather than demand to be served, we pray:
– That leaders in the Church and in the world may serve the interests of their people rather than their own, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Father,
we have often been useless servants
who have not done what you expected of us.
And yet you invite us to your table
and serve us the best food and drink,
your Son Jesus Christ.
Make us trustworthy and loyal
like your faithful servant,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
without any merit on our part,
you have called us to be
your sons and daughters
through your loyal Son and servant Jesus Christ.
Give us the humble strength
not to consider this gift from you
as a title to privileges and awards
but a trust and a responsibility
to serve you in people
and to make your love known to all.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Blessing
We should not boast to God of what we have done for him. Everything we could do was a gift from him. So let us thank God. May he bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Can we talk about duty where there is true love? Can we say that spouses have duties or mutual obligations? Indeed we could. But we feel such language is inadequate. What is done for love, it is done with pleasure, even though difficult and hard. This can also be said about our relationship with God. Do we have any merits or rights before Him? Nothing of that sort. What we have and what we are, we have received as pure grace. Life, freedom, love. All is grace. That is why in Christian life it is better to talk about thanksgiving than about duties. We don't act out of obligation but out of grateful love for the God who has loved us and loves us so much.
November 13 - Wednesday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Theme:
GRATITUDE
Readings:
Tit 3:1-7; Lk 17:11-19
Opening Prayer
Lord God,
from you comes all we are and have;
we owe you above all forgiveness and life
through your Son Jesus Christ.
We pray you today for grateful hearts.
Make us thankful for the right things,
not merely for being lucky in life
nor for the happiness of the self-satisfied
but for the joy that in him
even suffering and death have meaning.
Accept all our thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Scripture Readings
First
Reading Introduction:
The
first part of the text from the letter to Titus sounds like prayer intentions
for the Christian community and may therefore reflect the liturgical life
of the young Church. Then the letter says that the Spirit has been poured
out abundantly on us at baptism.
Remind the believers to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and to be ready for every good work. Tell them to insult no one; they must not be quarrelsome but gentle and understanding with everyone.
We ourselves were once foolish, disobedient and misled. We were slaves of our desires, seeking pleasures of every kind. We lived in malice and envy, hateful and hating each other. But God our Savior revealed his eminent goodness and love for humankind and saved us, not because of good deeds we may have done but for the sake of his own mercy, to the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit poured over us through Christ Jesus our Savior, so that having been justified of his grace we should become heirs in hope of eternal life.
Responsorial
Psalm: Psalms 23:1-6
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
Gospel
Introduction:
In the account of the cure of the ten
lepers, Luke stresses the contrast between the nine Jews who, after their
cure, go to comply with the rules of the law, but forget about gratitude,
and the Samaritan who returns to thank Jesus. We, too, often forget to
be grateful for gifts received. Maybe it is a bit humiliating to be reminded
of our dependence on others... Let us not forget that God’s love comes
to us usually through people who care and help. For all the good done
to us, particularly through Jesus Christ, we give thanks in this eucharist,
this thanksgiving.
On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus was passing along the border between Samaria and Galilee, and as he entered a village, ten lepers came to meet him. Keeping their distance, they called to him, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" Then Jesus said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." Now, as they went their way, they found they were cured. One of them, as soon as he saw he was cleansed, turned back praising God in a loud voice, and throwing himself on his face before Jesus, he gave him thanks. This man was a Samaritan.
Then Jesus said, "Were not all ten healed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God but this alien?" And Jesus said to him, "Stand up and go your way; your faith has saved you."
General Intercessions
– For the People of God, the Church, that our loving God may bless it for al that it has given us: God’s love, God’s life, and the guidance and strength of the Spirit, we pray:
– For our parents and all who have been good to us, that the heavenly Father may bless them and keep them in his love, we pray:
– For our country and our people, that God may bless them for the riches of our culture passed on to us and for the faith they have handed down to us, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God, our Father,
in this eucharist we celebrate
the thanksgiving of Jesus your Son.
Lord, we have much to thank you for.
With this bread and wine
allow us to praise and thank you
that by Jesus’ passion
we can win our struggles
and by his resurrection we gain
the courage to live, to be creative,
and to fill all we do with the depth of the love
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord God, our Father,
accept our gratitude
for the people you place on our way,
those who help us in the hour of need
or who remind us that we cannot be fully happy
as long as many of our brothers and sisters suffer.
May we win the right to be grateful
by committing ourselves to others,
as you have committed yourself to us
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Go on your way, your faith has made you well. May these be words we hear from the Lord as we give him thanks in this eucharist. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
We could sum up this Gospel in three words: mercy, faith and gratitude. These are three key words in the life of a Christian. Mercy is one of the attitudes presented more often by the evangelists about Jesus. How many times was he moved to pity for the needy and the sick! Faith is the capacity to accept God's presence near us. Jesus often repeats that faith heals. And gratefulness is an answer from the heart for everything that has been freely received. Fruit of this gratefulness before God's gift is mercy and compassion, which Christians experience for their poor and needy brothers and sisters.
November 14 - Thursday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Theme:
GOD’S KINGDOM IS AMONG
US
Readings:
Phlm 7-20; Lk 17:20-25
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
your kingdom is not an established order
but something that is alive and always coming.
Make us aware that it is to be found
where we let you reign,
where we and the kingdom of people
give way to your kingdom,
where we let your justice and love and peace
take the place of our fumbling and stumbling.
Lord, establish your kingdom among us
through Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Scripture Readings
First Reading Introduction:
The warm, charming letter of St Paul to Philemon makes us almostforget that Paul has no outright condemnation of slavery as it existed in his time. Yet he states the principles that will gradually eradicate that kind of slavery from most of the world. Love and brotherhood in Christ cannot tolerate slavery; interior liberty will not permit this slavery. And yet, many people today are not free: they cannot withstand or escape from being enslaved to the machine, to business methods, advertising, the social pressures of keeping up with the Joneses, fashions, political systems.
I had great satisfaction and comfort on hearing of your charity, because the hearts of the saints have been cheered by you, brother.
Because of this, although in Christ I have the freedom to command what you should do, yet I prefer to request you in love. The one talking is Paul, the old man, now prisoner for Christ. And my request is on behalf of Onesimus, whose father I have become while I was in prison.
This Onesimus has not been helpful to you, but now he will be helpful both to you and to me. In returning him to you, I am sending you my own heart. I would have liked to keep him at my side, to serve me on your behalf while I am in prison for the Gospel, but I did not want to do anything without your agreement, nor impose a good deed upon you without your free consent.
Perhaps Onesimus has been parted from you for a while so that you may have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but better than a slave. For he is a very dear brother to me, and he will be even dearer to you. And so, because of our friendship, receive him as if he were I myself. And if he has caused any harm, or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, write this and sign it with my own hand: I will pay it… without further mention of your debt to me, which is you yourself. So, my brother, please do me this favor for the Lord's sake. Give me this comfort in Christ.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 146:7-10
[w]ho executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!
Gospel
Introduction:
To the Pharisees and perhaps to the
disciples too, anxiously looking for signs, Jesus says: The kingdom of
God is among you, right in your midst. It is already present in our lives.
In other words, be wise and be committed to the present, to building up
God’s kingdom now. Seek eternity and eternal life in the present, and
God’s good day will come in God’s good time.
The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was to come. He answered, "The kingdom of God is not like something you can observe and say of it: 'Look, here it is! There it is!' See, the kingdom of God is among you."
And Jesus said to his disciples, "The time is at hand when you will long to see one of the glorious days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. Then people will tell you: 'Look there! Look here!' Do not go, do not follow them. As lightning flashes from one end of the sky to the other, so will it be with the Son of Man. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this people."
General Intercessions
– For the Church, which is not yet the kingdom, that it may be may be a visible sign of God’s kingdom on earth by its openness to all, its spirit of love and service, we pray:
– That all Christians may contribute to make the gospel credible by our commitment to justice and love, we pray:
– That we may build roads of peace and service to one another and that we may prepare ourselves and the world to welcome Jesus and the kingdom of God, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God,
if we let you reign in us
rather than our self-will
or the people and things around us,
we would recognize that there is
a holy communion of love between you and us.
Come among us in Christ,
in this eucharist and in daily life,
and take possession of us
to rule and forgive, to sanctify and enlighten,
to order all things for the good of all
and to renew us by your grace.
Grant us this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Loving and all-wise Father,
in this eucharistic celebration
you have again given us Jesus your Son.
Through his Spirit of wisdom,
make us fully aware
that our human personality and existence
and people and events around us
are the way in which you call us
and in which we respond to your call.
Develop your kingdom among us
through him who is in our midst,
Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord.
Blessing
The kingdom of God is among us. It is here if we have accepted Christ and let him light up our lives, in realities that are not so directly measurable: justice, forgiveness, love, peace, goodness. May almighty God help us to build up this kingdom with Christ our Lord and bless you for this task, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Happy are those able to see in our world the lightnings of the Kingdom's presence! Because Jesus never lies. If we remove our habitual dark glasses through which we see things with pessimistic eyes, we can discover that presence. Sometimes these are small details in our community or family. Sometimes they are news which appear on television or in the newspapers. But always somewhere out there someone is trying to bring peace where there is war, reconciliation in the midst of hatred, justice amidst exploitation. And above all, love in people's heart. There, God's Kingdom is - among us.
November 15 - Friday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Theme:
READY FOR
THE LORD
Readings:
2 Jn 4-9; Lk 17:26-37
Opening Prayer
Our saving God,
we are your people on the march
who try to carry out the task
of giving shape to your kingdom of love and peace.
When we are discouraged and afraid or careless,
keep us going forward in hope,
make us vigilant in prayer,
that we may see the signs of your Son’s coming.
Let Jesus walk with us already now
on the road he has shown us,
that he may lead us to you,
our living God for ever and ever.
Scripture Readings
First
Reading Introduction:
The short letters of John (2 and 3) seem to be anterior to I John. Likein
the longer letter, their aim is to ask the young Church to be firm in
the faith and to be animated by love.
I rejoiced greatly on meeting some of your children who live in accordance with the truth, according to the command we have received from the Father. And now, I ask you, Lady-I write to you not a new commandment but that which we had from the beginning-I ask you: let us love one another.
This is love: to walk according to his commandments. And this is the commandment: that you walk in love as you have learned from the beginning.
Many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ who came in the flesh. They are impostors and antichrists. Take care of yourselves that you do not lose the fruit of your labors, but receive a perfect reward. Everyone who goes beyond and does not remain within the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who remains in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
Responsorial
Psalm: Psalms 119:1-2, 10-11, 17-18
Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD.
Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart...with my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments.
I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you.
Deal bountifully with your servant, so that I may live and observe your word.
Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
Gospel
Introduction:
Jesus reprimands those who fail to see the
signs of his coming in judgment. His coming is not an exceptional event,
for Jesus blames the people for their careless lack of vigilance in daily
life. He keeps coming, and this is why people have to be ready always.
Jesus said to his disciples, "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be on the day the Son of Man comes. Then people ate and drank; they took husbands and wives. But on the day Noah entered the ark, the flood came and destroyed them all. Just as it was in the days of Lot: people ate and drank, they bought and sold, planted and built. But on the day Lot left Sodom, God made fire and sulfur rain down from heaven which destroyed them all. So will it be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
On that day, if you are on the rooftop, don't go down into the house to get your belongings, and if you happen to be in the fields, do not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever tries to save his life will lose himself, but whoever gives his life will be born again.
I tell you, though two men are sharing the same bed, it may be that one will be taken and the other left. Though two women are grinding corn together, one may be taken and the other left."
Then they asked Jesus, "Where will this take place, Lord?" And he answered, "Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather."
General Intercessions
– For the Church, the People of God, that we may not be self-sure, proud and triumphant, but aware of our poverty, our ills, and our constant need of conversion to the gospel of Christ, we pray:
– For a world of violence, denial of rights and discrimination, that people may build to one another roads of friendship, respect and freedom, we pray:
– For all of us in this community, that we may hasten the coming of God’s new heaven and new earth by making straight our tortuous ways of selfishness and pride, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God of our hope,
as a pledge of your promises
you give us your Son Jesus Christ
in these signs of bread and wine.
We do not ask you for a life
without problems and risks
but for your Son’s vision
of a world in which you are present
and for your Son’s courage
to answer with our very lives
your call to build up a new world
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
our hope and our future,
you let your Son speak to us your word of hope
and renewed our strength with his bread of life.
Free our faith from banality and routine
and send us with your Son
to restore integrity and love
and the trust that with him
we can give shape to a future
beyond all human expectations,For the future belongs to you,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
Blessing
Keep hoping, for there is a future. Christ is with you, and with him you can do away with violence and wars, you can defeat enmity with friendship. Keep your heads high, for the Lord Jesus is among us and with him there is hope and a future. Go with him, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Some people do not notice the disaster until their house falls down. And even then they keep on thinking that the gas should have been cut off and the bathroom light should have been turned off. Meanwhile the house is already a heap of ruins. What happens with material things also happens with our life. Worried with details, we forget what is most important, what deeply affects us. Jesus invites us in today's Gospel to take seriously the only thing we have: life. Because the day of the Son of Man is close at hand and we must give an account of what we have done with our life and that of our brothers and sisters.
November 15 - Saturday , 32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Theme:
INSISTENT PRAYER
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
we know that you are our loving Father,
that you wait for us
and that you are attentive to us
every moment of our lives.
Let then our prayer come to you
as a breath of hope and a cry of trust
coming from the poverty of our hearts.
If you have to turn us down
when we ask for harmful or useless things,
give us what we really need
and keep our trust alive
that you are good and loving
for you love us in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Scripture Readings
First
Reading Introduction:
This
short excerpt from the Third letter of John recognizes with gratitude
that the community leader Gaius showed hospitality and gave help to itinerant
preachers of the gospel.
Beloved, you do well to care for the brothers and sisters as you do. I mean those coming from other places. They spoke of your charity before the assembled Church. It will be well to provide them with what they need to continue their journey, as if you did it for God. In reality, they have set out on the road for his name without accepting anything from the pagans. We should receive such persons, making ourselves their cooperators in the work of the truth.
Responsorial
Psalm: Psalms 112:1-6
Praise the LORD! Happy are those who fear the LORD, who greatly delight in his commandments.
Their descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.
They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.
For the righteous will never be moved; they will be remembered forever.
Gospel
Introduction:
Luke must have had in mind those who
pray and think that God doesnot act when they beg him. There is also an
eschatological tone in the words of Jesus, that the delay in the coming
of the kingdom should not discourage us. In any case, our prayer should
be trustful and insistent.
Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should pray continually and not lose heart. He said, "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor people. In the same town was a widow who kept coming to him, saying: 'Defend my rights against my opponent.' For a time he refused, but finally he thought: 'Even though I neither fear God nor care about people, this widow bothers me so much I will see that she gets justice; then she will stop coming and wearing me out."
And Jesus explained, "Listen to what the evil judge says. Will God not do justice for his chosen ones who cry to him day and night even if he delays in answering them? I tell you, he will speedily do them justice. Yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
General Intercessions
– For ministers in the Church, that they may be men and women of prayer mindful of the Lord’s words, “Without me you can do nothing,” we pray:
– For all who seek God, that they may enter into a dialogue with God by praying from the heart how they can live their Christian life, we pray:
– For all Christians, that our prayers for the poor and the suffering may commit them more to bringing them justice, lightening their burdens and restoring their dignity, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father,
you cannot resist our prayer
if we have full trust in you.
Let the Holy Spirit here among us
prompt us to pray trustingly and insistently.
Let him cry out in our hearts
and call you our Father.
through him who offers himself and us to you,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
with Jesus we have raised our hands
in prayer to you, our living God.
With Jesus we keep trusting in you.
Hear us, then, even in our pains and struggles,
when we are disappointed and grope in the dark.
For we believe that you love us
and want us to find happiness
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
We should keep in mind that prayer is not just asking for favors for each of us personally but, aside from praise and thanks to God, an intercession for the good of others, of the community. The more reason why it should be insistent! May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
In boxing, when one of the contenders wants to quit, his trainer flings the towel to the ring. There are too many in life who have thrown the towel. We have lost our heart after years of struggle trying to overcome our own conflicts, defending justice, or helping the needy. We are fully disheartened. Why go on fighting? Is it worthwhile? Will God listen to our prayers? The parable that Jesus tells us today is special for those who have thrown the towel. And it reminds us of a great truth: God is with us, even when we don't feel him present in our struggles. "Will God not do justice for his chosen ones?"
Taken
from Liturgy
Alive for Weekdays
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