give us this day

FEBRUARY 2016

DAILY PRAYER FOR TODAY’S CATHOLIC®

Give Us This Day®Canticle of Zechariah (Benedictus) Luke 1:68-79

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathersand to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:to set us free from the hands of our enemies,free to worship him without fear,holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,to give his people knowledge of salvationby the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our Godthe dawn from on high shall break upon us,to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

1 G

✛ St. Brigid of Ireland Alice Camille

2 W

Presentation of the Lord

✛ Bd. Benedict Daswa Thomas O’Loughlin

3 G

[St. Blaise; St. Ansgar]

✛ St. Blaise Fr. Anthony Gittins

4 G

✛ St. Claudine Thévenet St. Catherine of Siena

5 R

St. Agatha

✛ Ven. Thecla Merlo Sr. Colleen Gibson

6 R

St. Paul Miki and Companions

✛ St. Paul Miki and Companions

Adele GonzalezWithin the Word: The Habitual Faith of Simeon and Anna Cackie Upchurch

7 Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

G

Kimberly Hope Belcher

8 G

[St. Jerome Emiliani; St. Josephine Bakhita]

✛ Bd. Jacoba of Settesoli Jessica Powers

9 G

✛ Bd. Marianus Scotus Days of the Lord

10 V

Ash Wednesday

Abp. Joseph Kurtz

11 V

[Our Lady of Lourdes]

✛ Fr. Daniel Egan Marilyn Chandler

McEntyre

12 V

✛ St. Julian the Hospitaller

Fr. John Meoska

13 V

✛ St. Catherine dei Ricci

Fran Rossi Szpylczyn

Within the Word: Praying Heart to Heart: Psalm 51 in Lent Harry Nasuti

14 First Week of Lent V

Mary Stommes

15 V

✛ Br. James Miller Mary DeTurris Poust

16 V

✛ Fr. Walter Burghardt St. John Paul II

17 V

[Seven Holy Founders of Servite Order]

✛ Samaritan Woman Silas Henderson

18 V

✛ St. Conrad of Piacenza Fr. Daniel Groody

19 V

✛ St. Philothea of Athens Sr. Janice McLaughlin

20 V

✛ Bd. Maria Enrica Dominici

Fr. Ronald RaabWithin the Word: Judged by Our MercyFr. George Smiga

21 Second Week of Lent V

Fr. Daniel Durken

22 W

Chair of St. Peter the Apostle

✛ St. Margaret of Cortona St. Bede

23 V

[St. Polycarp]

✛ St. Polycarp Sr. Jeana Visel

24 V

✛ Bd. Josefa Naval Girbés Vinita Hampton Wright

25 V

✛ Ven. Felix Varela Catherine de Hueck

Doherty

26 V

✛ Bd. Caritas Brader Fr. Felix Just

27 V

✛ St. Gregory of Narek Clarence Jordan

Within the Word: Transfiguration: Image of Hope Fr. Thomas Stegman

28 Third Week of Lent V

Fr. Timothy Radcliffe

29 V

✛ St. John Cassian Daniella

Zsupan-JeromeWithin the Word: I AM WHO I AM!

Sr. Dianne Bergant

Key✛ Blessed Among Us by Robert Ellsberg Reflection / Within the Word Author[ ] Optional MemorialVestment colors:G Green R Red V Violet W White

February 2016

Give UsThısDay®DAILY PRAYER FOR TODAY’S CATHOLIC

Editorial Advisors James Martin, SJ ◆ Irene Nowell, OSB Bishop Robert F. Morneau ◆ Timothy Radcliffe, OP Kathleen Norris ◆ Ronald Rolheiser, OMI

Peter Dwyer, PublisherMary Stommes, Editor

Catherine Donovan, Associate PublisherÆlred Senna, OSB, Associate Editor

Robert Ellsberg, “Blessed Among Us” AuthorIrene Nowell, OSB, Scripture Editor, Morning and Evening

Susan Barber, OSB, Intercessions

www.giveusthisday.orgCustomer Service: 888-259-8470, [email protected]

Give Us This Day, Liturgical PressPO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500

© 2016 by the Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.Printed in the United States of America.

Give Us This Day® (ISSN 2159-2136, print; 2166-0654, large print; 2159-2128, online) is published monthly by Liturgical Press, an apostolate of Saint John’s Abbey, 2950 Saint John’s Road, Collegeville, Minnesota. Rev. John Klassen, OSB, Abbot. For complete publication information see page 356.

Published with the approval of the Committee on Divine Worship, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

CONTENTS February 2016 ◆ Volume 6, Issue 2

The Holy Year of Mercy Fr. Ronald Witherup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Teach Us to Pray: Be Kind Fr. James Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7A Prayer for All Seasons Sr. Genevieve Glen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Prayers and Blessings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Prayer at Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Daily Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Order of Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314Liturgy of the Word (with Holy Communion) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342Guide to Lectio Divina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345Hymns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346

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Fish Catch, Church of the Immaculate Conception and St. Senan Kilkee, Ireland.

Sunday, February 7

MorningO Lord, open my lips.And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

(opt. hymn, pp. 346–51)Psalm 148:1-6, 14Alleluia!

Praise the Lord from the heavens;praise him in the heights.Praise him, all his angels;praise him, all his hosts.

Praise him, sun and moon;praise him, all shining stars.Praise him, highest heavens,and the waters above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of the Lord.He commanded: they were created.He established them forever and ever,gave a law which shall not pass away.

He exalts the strength of his people.He is the praise of all his faithful,the praise of the children of Israel,of the people to whom he is close.

Alleluia!

Glory to the Father . . .

Sunday 8180 February 7

Scripture Zechariah 8:3, 7b-8

Thus says the Lord: / I have returned to Zion, / and I will dwell within Jerusalem; / Jerusalem will be called

the faithful city, / and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain.

I am going to rescue my people from the land of the rising sun, and from the land of the setting sun. I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and justice.

Read, Ponder, Pray on a word or phrase from today’s Scriptures (Lectio Divina, p. 345)

AntiphonThe Lord asked, “Whom shall I send?” I answered, “Send me!”

Canticle of Zechariah (inside front cover)

IntercessionsFaithful God, you alone we adore. In confidence we pray: r. Blessed be God forever.

You created all things: create our hearts anew in love for one another and in care for the earth. r.

You establish justice on the earth: renew your Church’s preferential option for the poor. r.

You give us a living law in Christ: reconcile divisions among Christians, and strengthen all the baptized to live as one body in Christ. r.

Our Father . . .

Let us prefer nothing to the love of Christ, and may he bring us together to everlasting life. Amen.

MassFifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Entrance Antiphon Psalm 95 (94):6-7O come, let us worship God / and bow low before the God who made us, / for he is the Lord our God.

Gloria (p. 316)

CollectKeep your family safe, O Lord, with unfailing care,that, relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace,they may be defended always by your protection.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.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8

Here I am! Send me.

In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling

the temple. Seraphim were stationed above.They cried one to the other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord

of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!” At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook and the house was filled with smoke.

Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.

He touched my mouth with it, and said, “See, now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”


Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” “Here I am,” I said; “send me!”The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8

r. (1c) In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart,for you have heard the words of my mouth;in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;

I will worship at your holy templeand give thanks to your name. r.

Because of your kindness and your truth;for you have made great above all thingsyour name and your promise.

When I called, you answered me;you built up strength within me. r.

All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O Lord,when they hear the words of your mouth;

and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord:“Great is the glory of the Lord.” r.

Your right hand saves me.The Lord will complete what he has done for me;

your kindness, O Lord, endures forever;forsake not the work of your hands. r.

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 15:1-11 (Shorter Form [ ], 15:3-8, 11)

So we preached and so you believe.

I am reminding you, [brothers and sisters,] of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which

you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For [I handed on to you as of first importance what

I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. After that, he ap-peared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me.] For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, be-cause I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been inef-fective. Indeed, I have toiled harder than all of them; not I, however, but the grace of God that is with me. [Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.]The word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation Matthew 4:19Come after meand I will make you fishers of men.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 5:1-11They left everything and followed Jesus.

While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of

Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught noth-ing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other


boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were part-ners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.The Gospel of the Lord.

Creed (p. 317)

Prayer over the OfferingsO Lord our God,who once established these created thingsto sustain us in our frailty,grant, we pray,that they may become for us nowthe Sacrament of eternal life.Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon Cf. Psalm 107 (106):8-9Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, / his wonders for the children of men, / for he satisfies the thirsty soul, / and the hungry he fills with good things.Or: Matthew 5:5-6Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be consoled. / Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, / for they shall have their fill.

Prayer after CommunionO God, who have willed that we be partakersin the one Bread and the one Chalice,grant us, we pray, so to livethat, made one in Christ,

we may joyfully bear fruitfor the salvation of the world.Through Christ our Lord.

ReflectionAn Awesome Echo

“I saw the Lord,” Isaiah writes, and an echo of his awe still reaches us millenia later. His vision is full of the richly tex-tured details of divine abundance: the folds of heavy fabric, the repeated shouts of the angelic attendants, the thick smoke. Instead of being exalted by the vision, though, Isaiah is cowed: “Woe is me, I am doomed!” Peter, too, responds to his glimpse of God’s superabundance by trying to send Jesus away: “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

This humility is an authentic human response to the shat-tering sight of God’s glory, but it is a preliminary response. The burning ember, interpreted by early Christians as a type of the Eucharist, reminds Isaiah that God is not only holy, but the source of all holiness. Like the garment and the smoke that fill the temple, God’s glory, ultimately, will fill all the earth. As Paul observes, we are not fit, but by the grace of God we are what we are. What we are—not what we think we should be—is the Good News.

During the breather of this short period of Ordinary Time, we reflect on the great manifestations of the Incarnation, know-ing that we are called to give witness. We may not see visions as Isaiah did, but in some small way, we each must hear the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”

“Send me.”

Kimberly Hope Belcher

Kimberly Hope Belcher is a married mother of three small children and a professor of theology and liturgy at the University of Notre Dame.


EveningGod, come to my assistance.Lord, make haste to help me.

(opt. hymn, pp. 346–51)Psalm 116:10-17I trusted, even when I said,“I am sorely afflicted,”and when I said in my alarm,“These people are all liars.”

How can I repay the Lordfor all his goodness to me?The cup of salvation I will raise;I will call on the name of the Lord.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfillbefore all his people.How precious in the eyes of the Lordis the death of his faithful.

Your servant, Lord, your servant am I,the son of your handmaid;you have loosened my bonds.A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;I will call on the name of the Lord.


Scripture Acts 2:37b-41

His listeners] asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” Peter [said] to them, “Re-

pent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus

Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” He testified with many other argu-ments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.


AntiphonPeter and his companions caught a multitude of fish.

Canticle of Mary (inside back cover)

IntercessionsAll-powerful and ever-living God, you call us and we follow you. In trust we pray: r. Hear us, O Lord.

For catechumens and their sponsors, we pray: r.

For those who seek enlightenment regarding their vocation, we pray: r.

For those who are making life decisions, we pray: r.

Our Father . . .

May God put a word of praise on our lips and a song of gratitude in our hearts, now and always. Amen.

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89February 7–13Fifth Week in Ordinary Time–Lent

Within the WordPraying Heart to Heart: Psalm 51 in Lent

The readings for Ash Wednesday open with a dramatic call to fasting and repentance from the book of Joel. The imagery is striking, even somewhat paradoxical. God demands a heart that is both whole and rent asunder—undivided in its return to God and torn apart in its grief over sin. Psalm 51, the re-sponsorial psalm that follows, provides us with the correct response to this summons, one that also focuses on our com-plicated human hearts.

Praying Psalm 51 means, first of all, acknowledging our involvement in every kind of human failing: from “offense” (a willful rebellion against the divine order) to “guilt” (an insidious distortion of right existence) and “sin” (a deviation from one’s proper goal in life). These are not simply evil ac-tions that belong to the past. They are instead a present reality that is “before us always,” graphically described here as both a filth that needs to be trod out in a forceful washing process and a leprosy that must be ritually cleansed (cf. Leviticus 14).

Unlike some other psalms, Psalm 51 allows no protests of innocence or claims of extenuating circumstances. This is rather a passionate appeal to God’s mercy, goodness (more precisely, steadfast love or covenant loyalty), and compassion (cf. Exod 34:6). Indeed, while our violations of God’s com-mands often involve crimes against our neighbors, it is the way they disrupt our relationship with God that makes them truly “sinful” (cf. Lev 5:21). As a result, our only hope is to

acknowledge our offenses and plead with God to wipe them out.

One should not underestimate the radical nature of this request. Psalm 51 does not simply seek a return to a time before some particular misdeed on our part. Psalm 51:7 ex-plicitly rules out the possibility of such a time, tracing our guilt back even to our conception. Instead, this psalm asks for a new act of creation, which in Hebrew usage is something that God alone can do. Only if God creates in us a clean heart will we be able to live in God’s presence and in communion with God’s Spirit, the source of joy and salvation. Rather than the past, Psalm 51 looks to the future, in a way that echoes the new heart and spirit prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel (cf. Jer 24:7; 31:33; 32:39-40; Ezek 36:26-28; 37:14).

The undivided heart called for in the book of Joel on Ash Wednesday is something we can only ask God to bring into being, just as it is only after God opens our lips that our mouths are able to declare God’s praise. What we can provide, however, is the second heart described by Joel, one torn apart with grief at our own failures. According to Psalm 51:19, it is just such a heart that God does not spurn.

This then is the way that we are to begin our Lent: with an honest recognition of our flawed humanity, a bold reliance on God’s boundless mercy, and an even more audacious re-quest that God create in us a new heart that belongs to God alone. As St. Paul reminds us in the reading that follows, it is to this end that we are to “be reconciled with God . . . that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ.” May we not receive the grace of God in vain.

—Harry P. Nasuti

Harry P. Nasuti is professor of theology at Fordham University, Bronx, New York.

Monday 9190

Monday, February 8


(opt. hymn, pp. 346–51)Psalm 66:8-9, 16-20O peoples, bless our God;let the voice of his praise resound,of the God who gave life to our soulsand kept our feet from stumbling.

Come and hear, all who fear God;I will tell what he did for my soul.To him I cried aloud,with exaltation ready on my tongue.

Had I considered evil in my heart,the Lord would not have listened.But truly God has listened;he has heeded the voice of my prayer.Blest be God, who did not reject my prayer,nor withhold from me his merciful love.


Scripture Isaiah 42:1-4

Here is my servant whom I uphold, / my chosen one with whom I am pleased. / Upon him I have put my spirit; /

he shall bring forth justice to the nations. / He will not cry out, nor shout, / nor make his voice heard in the street. / A bruised reed he will not break, / and a dimly burning wick he will not quench. / He will faithfully bring forth justice. / He will not grow dim or be bruised / until he establishes justice on the earth; / the coastlands will wait for his teaching.


AntiphonAll who touched Jesus’ cloak were healed.


IntercessionsLoving Creator, you are present in all things. Open our eyes to the wonders you work among us as we pray: r. Increase our faith, O God.

Teach us to pause before your beauty and to be patient with one another. r.

Reconcile long-standing divisions among the baptized. r.

Instill hope and vitality in the sick and the suffering. r.

Our Father . . .

May God favor us with the desire of our hearts and make our plans succeed. Amen.

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Blessed Among UsBlessed Jacoba of SettesoliFranciscan (1190–1273)

Jacoba of Settesoli, a young widow in Rome, had heard of Fran-cis of Assisi and longed to meet him. The opportunity arose when Francis and his companions came to Rome seeking the pope’s approval for their new order. After hearing him preach, Jacoba approached and asked how she might also follow him. Because she had children to support, he advised her not to give up her home. “A perfect life can be lived anywhere,” he said. “Poverty is everywhere. Charity is everywhere.”

Following this counsel, Jacoba joined the Third Order of St. Francis, turned over administration of her property to her sons, and devoted herself to prayer and charitable works. She remained close to Francis. He gave her a pet lamb, which used to follow her about. As Francis was nearing his death he sent Jacoba a message, urging her to come quickly and to bring a shroud for his body and wax candles for his burial.

She hastened to Assisi, doing as he had asked. She also brought him a batch of his favorite almond cookies. At first there was consternation about allowing a woman into the friary, but Francis interceded and welcomed “Brother Jacoba.” She remained at his side until his death. Afterward he was buried in her shroud.

Jacoba remained in Assisi, where she died on February 8, 1273. She was buried near the tomb of St. Francis.

“While I was praying a voice within me said, ‘Go, visit your father, blessed Francis, without delay, and hurry, because if you delay long you will not find him alive.’ ”

—Blessed Jacoba of Settesoli

MassMonday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

[St. Jerome Emiliani; St. Josephine Bakhita, opt. memorials]



A reading from the first Book of Kings 8:1-7, 9-13They brought the ark of the covenant into the holy of holies,

and a cloud filled the temple of the Lord.

The elders of Israel and all the leaders of the tribes, the princes in the ancestral houses of the children of Israel,

came to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord’s covenant from the City of David, which is Zion. All the people of Israel assembled before King Solomon during the festival in the month of Ethanim (the seventh month). When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark; they carried the ark of the Lord and the meeting tent with all the sacred vessels that were in the tent. (The priests and Levites carried them.)

King Solomon and the entire community of Israel present for the occasion sacrificed before the ark sheep and oxen too many to number or count. The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary, the holy of holies of the temple. The cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of


the ark, sheltering the ark and its poles from above. There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tablets which Moses had put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel at their departure from the land of Egypt.

When the priests left the holy place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord so that the priests could no longer min-ister because of the cloud, since the Lord’s glory had filled the temple of the Lord. Then Solomon said, “The Lord intends to dwell in the dark cloud; I have truly built you a princely house, a dwelling where you may abide forever.”The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm 132:6-7, 8-10

r. (8a) Lord, go up to the place of your rest!Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;

we found it in the fields of Jaar.Let us enter into his dwelling,

let us worship at his footstool. r.Advance, O Lord, to your resting place,

you and the ark of your majesty.May your priests be clothed with justice;

let your faithful ones shout merrily for joy.For the sake of David your servant,

reject not the plea of your anointed. r.

Gospel Acclamation See Matthew 4:23Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdomand cured every disease among the people.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 6:53-56

As many as touched it were healed.

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and

tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people im-

mediately recognized him. They scurried about the sur-rounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the market-places and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.The Gospel of the Lord.


Communion Antiphon Cf. Psalm 107 (106):8-9Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, / his wonders for the children of men, / for he satisfies the thirsty soul, / and the hungry he fills with good things.

Or: Matthew 5:5-6Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be consoled. / Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, / for they shall have their fill.

Prayer after CommunionO God, who have willed that we be partakersin the one Bread and the one Chalice,grant us, we pray, so to livethat, made one in Christ,we may joyfully bear fruitfor the salvation of the world.Through Christ our Lord.


ReflectionThe Garments of God

As many as touched it were healed.

God sits on a chair of darkness in my soul. He is God alone, supreme in His majesty. I sit at His feet, a child in the dark beside Him;my joy is aware of His glance and my sorrow is tempted to nest on the thought that His face is turned from me. He is clothed in the robes of His mercy, voluminous garments—not velvet or silk and affable to the touch, but fabric strong for a frantic hand to clutch, and I hold to it fast with the fingers of my will. Here is my cry of faith, my deep avowal to the Divinity that I am dust. Here is the loud profession of my trust. I need not go abroad to the hills of speech or the hinterlands of music for a crier to walk in my soul where all is still. I have this potent prayer through good or ill: here in the dark I clutch the garments of God.

Jessica Powers, The Selected Poetry of Jessica Powers

Jessica Powers (Sister Miriam of the Holy Spirit, 1905–1988) was a Discalced Carmelite nun and member of the Carmel of the Mother of God, Pewaukee, Wisconsin.


(opt. hymn, pp. 346–51)Psalm 31:10-11, 15-17Have mercy on me, O Lord,for I am in distress.My eyes are wasted with grief,my soul and my body.

For my life is spent with sorrow,and my years with sighs.Affliction has broken down my strength,and my bones waste away.

But as for me, I trust in you, O Lord;I say, “You are my God.My lot is in your hands, deliver mefrom the hands of my enemiesand those who pursue me.

Let your face shine on your servant.Save me in your merciful love.”


Scripture Hebrews 9:1-5a

Now [even] the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. For a tabernacle was con-

structed, the outer one, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of offering; this is called the Holy Place. Behind the second veil was the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies, in which were the gold altar of incense and the ark of the covenant entirely covered with gold. In it were the gold

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jar containing the manna, the staff of Aaron that had sprouted, and the tablets of the covenant. Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the place of expiation.


AntiphonThe glory of the Lord filled the temple.


IntercessionsGod of the living, we invoke your aid as we pray: r. God, make haste to help us.

Further understanding and fruitful dialogue among men and women in your Church. r.

Grant that your Church’s vision may reflect the paschal mystery your Son invites us to share. r.

Restore health and wholeness to people and lands devastated by natural disaster or war. r.

Our Father . . .

May the Lord turn his face toward us and give us peace. Amen.

Tuesday, February 9


(opt. hymn, pp. 346–51)Psalm 33:8-12, 20-22Let all the earth fear the Lord,all who live in the world revere him.He spoke, and it came to be.He commanded; it stood in place.

The Lord frustrates the designs of the nations;he defeats the plans of the peoples.The designs of the Lord stand forever,the plans of his heart from age to age.

Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord,the people he has chosen as his heritage.

Our soul is waiting for the Lord.He is our help and our shield.In him do our hearts find joy.We trust in his holy name.May your merciful love be upon us,as we hope in you, O Lord.


Scripture Jonah 2:2, 8-10

Jonah prayed to the Lord, his God, from the belly of the fish:

When I became faint, / I remembered the Lord; / My prayer came to you / in your holy temple. / Those who worship

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worthless idols / abandon their hope for mercy. / But I, with thankful voice, / will sacrifice to you; / What I have vowed I will pay: / deliverance is from the Lord.


AntiphonLord, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below.


IntercessionsGod Most High, your power and your love far surpass anything we know of you. In humble trust we pray: r. O God, hear the cry of your people.

Protect the unborn, grant all women a safe delivery, and provide all babies a loving home. r.

Help diplomats and elected officials to peacefully end the proliferation of war weapons. r.

Comfort and assist those who suffer loss of loved ones, homeland, or employment. r.

Our Father . . .

May God favor us and bless us with every grace we need, by the power of the Holy Spirit, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessed Among UsBlessed Marianus ScotusMonk (d. ca. 1080)

Marianus Scotus, an Irish monk whose Gaelic name was Muiredach, set off with several companions on pilgrimage to Rome. They never made it farther than southern Germany. In Regensburg they enjoyed the hospitality of a double mon-astery (of men and women) under the governance of Abbess Emma. Marianus was a gifted scribe, and the abbess per-suaded him to remain for some time and make her a copy of the Bible. One Bible became many Bibles, which Marianus faithfully copied by hand.

While his brothers laboriously supplied him with vellum sheets, Marianus worked virtually nonstop. One night, the nun whose job it was to light his lamps neglected her duty and went to sleep. Waking some hours later, she hastened to the monk’s cell and found him busily writing with one hand, while from the other, which he held upright, three bright rays of light emanated. This wonder was related to the abbess, and the fame of Marianus spread.

During his many years working for the nuns, he copied many other manuscripts and also produced a comprehensive “chronicle” of the world. Eventually the time came to resume his pilgrimage to Rome. But instead he received a revelation that he should remain in Regensburg. There he established his own monastery on land supplied by Abbess Emma. The fame of his monastery attracted many fellow Irish monks, and there he remained until his death.

“The holy man wrote the Holy Scriptures not once or twice but repeatedly—all the while clad in sorry garb, living on slender diet.”

—From an early biography of Blessed Marianus


MassTuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time



A reading from the first Book of Kings 8:22-23, 27-30

You have said: My name shall be there, to hear the prayers of your people Israel.

Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the pres-ence of the whole community of Israel, and stretching

forth his hands toward heaven, he said, “Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below; you keep your covenant of mercy with your servants who are faithful to you with their whole heart.

“Can it indeed be that God dwells on earth? If the heav-ens and the highest heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple which I have built! Look kindly on the prayer and petition of your servant, O Lord, my God, and listen to the cry of supplication which I, your servant, utter before you this day. May your eyes watch night and day over this temple, the place where you have decreed you shall be honored; may you heed the prayer which I, your servant, offer in this place. Listen to the petitions of your servant

and of your people Israel which they offer in this place. Listen from your heavenly dwelling and grant pardon.”The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm 84:3, 4, 5 and 10, 11

r. (2) How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

My soul yearns and pinesfor the courts of the Lord.

My heart and my fleshcry out for the living God. r.

Even the sparrow finds a home,and the swallow a nestin which she puts her young—

Your altars, O Lord of hosts,my king and my God! r.

Blessed they who dwell in your house!continually they praise you.

O God, behold our shield,and look upon the face of your anointed. r.

I had rather one day in your courtsthan a thousand elsewhere;

I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my Godthan dwell in the tents of the wicked. r.

Gospel Acclamation Psalm 119:36, 29bIncline my heart, O God, to your decrees;and favor me with your law.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 7:1-13

You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed


that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the market-place they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.) So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: / This people honors me with their lips, / but their hearts are far from me; / In vain do they worship me, / teaching as doctrines human precepts. / You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and Whoever curses father or mother shall die. Yet you say, ‘If someone says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is qorban’ ” (meaning, dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.”The Gospel of the Lord.


Communion Antiphon Cf. Psalm 107 (106):8-9Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, / his wonders for the children of men, / for he satisfies the thirsty soul, / and the hungry he fills with good things.

Or: Matthew 5:5-6Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be consoled. / Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, / for they shall have their fill.

Prayer after CommunionO God, who have willed that we be partakersin the one Bread and the one Chalice,grant us, we pray, so to livethat, made one in Christ,we may joyfully bear fruitfor the salvation of the world.Through Christ our Lord.

ReflectionOn Our Lips and In Our Hearts

The question whether certain traditional religious practices were of permanent value arose with urgency in the beginning of the Church, when pagans received the gospel. In fact, history shows that it has often reappeared under one form or another: Must churches impose all their traditions on the peoples they evangelize? How can we distinguish between the necessary ones and the others? These questions are again in the forefront today. We have become sensitive to the duty of respecting di-verse cultures and of avoiding anything that could resemble religious colonialism or imperialism. Jesus’ words in this Gospel

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(opt. hymn, pp. 346–51)Psalm 150Alleluia!

Praise God in his holy place;praise him in his mighty firmament.Praise him for his powerful deeds;praise him for his boundless grandeur.

O praise him with sound of trumpet;praise him with lute and harp.Praise him with timbrel and dance;praise him with strings and pipes.

O praise him with resounding cymbals;praise him with clashing of cymbals.Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

Alleluia!


Scripture Colossians 2:6-10

So, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him and built upon him and established in

the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to human tradition, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ.

For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily, and you share in this fullness in him, who is the head of every principality and power.

are most timely in pointing out the danger of confusion be-tween human traditions and divine commands.

Some Pharisees and scribes, belonging to the circles most strictly attached to traditions, reproach Jesus with the con-duct of his disciples, who do “not follow the tradition of the elders, but instead eat a meal with unclean hands.” The evan-gelist takes the trouble to explain that what is discussed are ritual practices. This washing of the hands when returning from the town or marketplace, as well as the washing of cups, jugs, and kettles, was intended to purify persons and everyday objects from all risk of legal impurity contracted by chance. The intent is an excellent one. But the gesture has meaning only inasmuch as it expresses the purification of the heart. Of itself, it is unable to confer purity of soul, still less replace it. Now this is what is discussed here: we must honor God in our heart, and not only with our lips. No rite, regardless of how sacred, has value or efficacy if the inner disposition does not correspond to what it signifies.

adapted from Days of the Lord

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AntiphonCling to God’s word above all things.


IntercessionsGracious God, in you we live and move and have our being. In faith we pray: r. God, show us your kindness.

Help us to devote ourselves to loving what you love and to doing your will. r.

Strengthen those who seek freedom from addictions to drugs and alcohol. r.

Receive all the faithful departed into the glory of your promise. r.

Our Father . . .

May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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Wednesday, February 10


(opt. hymn, pp. 346–51)Psalm 51:3-9Have mercy on me, O God,according to your merciful love;according to your great compassion,blot out my transgressions.Wash me completely from my iniquity,and cleanse me from my sin.

My transgressions, truly I know them;my sin is always before me.Against you, you alone, have I sinned;what is evil in your sight I have done.So you are just in your sentence,without reproach in your judgment.

O see, in guilt I was born,a sinner when my mother conceived me.Yes, you delight in sincerity of heart;in secret you teach me wisdom.Cleanse me with hyssop, and I shall be pure;wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.


Scripture Zechariah 7:4-5, 9-10

Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me: Say to all the people of the land and to the priests: When you

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fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh month these seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Judge with true justice, and show kindness and compassion toward each other. Do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the resident alien or the poor; do not plot evil against one another in your hearts.


AntiphonReturn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.


IntercessionsMerciful and tender God, you are slow to anger and full of love. In this time of repentance we cry out: r. Have mercy on your people, O God.

Grant that all your Church may listen deeply to your word and respond to all of life with the love of Christ. r.

Let our fasting be rooted in justice and love for the poor. r.

Increase our almsgiving and our generosity to those in need. r.

Our Father . . .

May God strengthen us inwardly, that with the joy of the Holy Spirit we may offer God something above the measure required of us, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

MassAsh Wednesday

Entrance Antiphon Wisdom 11:24, 25, 27You are merciful to all, O Lord, / and despise nothing that you have made. / You overlook people’s sins, to bring them to repentance, / and you spare them, for you are the Lord our God.

CollectGrant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fastingthis campaign of Christian service,so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils,we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.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.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Joel 2:12-18

Rend your hearts, not your garments.

Even now, says the Lord, / return to me with your whole heart, / with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; /

Rend your hearts, not your garments, / and return to the Lord, your God. / For gracious and merciful is he, / slow to anger, rich in kindness, / and relenting in punishment. / Perhaps he will again relent / and leave behind him a bless-ing, / Offerings and libations / for the Lord, your God.

Blow the trumpet in Zion! / proclaim a fast, / call an assembly; / Gather the people, / notify the congregation; / Assemble the elders, / gather the children / and the infants at the breast; / Let the bridegroom quit his room / and the bride her chamber. / Between the porch and the altar / let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep, / And say,


“Spare, O Lord, your people, / and make not your heritage a reproach, / with the nations ruling over them! / Why should they say among the peoples, / ‘Where is their God?’ ”

Then the Lord was stirred to concern for his land and took pity on his people.The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 12-13, 14 and 17

r. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.

Thoroughly wash me from my guiltand of my sin cleanse me. r.

For I acknowledge my offense,and my sin is before me always:

“Against you only have I sinned,and done what is evil in your sight.” r.

A clean heart create for me, O God,and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

Cast me not out from your presence,and your Holy Spirit take not from me. r.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,and a willing spirit sustain in me.

O Lord, open my lips,and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. r.

A reading from the second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 5:20–6:2

Be reconciled to God. Behold, now is the acceptable time.

Brothers and sisters: We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on

behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made

him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might be-come the righteousness of God in him.

Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: / In an acceptable time I heard you, / and on the day of salvation I helped you. / Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.The word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation See Psalm 95:8If today you hear his voice,harden not your hearts.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them;

otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.


“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”The Gospel of the Lord.

Blessing and Distribution of AshesDear brethren (brothers and sisters), let us humbly ask

God our Fatherthat he be pleased to bless with the abundance of his gracethese ashes, which we will put on our heads in penitence.

O God, who are moved by acts of humilityand respond with forgiveness to works of penance,lend your merciful ear to our prayersand in your kindness pour out the grace of your c blessingon your servants who are marked with these ashes,that, as they follow the Lenten observances,they may be worthy to come with minds made pureto celebrate the Paschal Mystery of your Son.Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Or:

O God, who desire not the death of sinners,but their conversion,mercifully hear our prayersand in your kindness be pleased to bless c these ashes,which we intend to receive upon our heads,that we, who acknowledge we are but ashesand shall return to dust,

may, through a steadfast observance of Lent,gain pardon for sins and newness of lifeafter the likeness of your Risen Son.Who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

To each who receives the ashes:Repent, and believe in the Gospel. (Mark 1:15)

Or:Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. (See Genesis 3:19)

Prayer over the OfferingsAs we solemnly offerthe annual sacrifice for the beginning of Lent,we entreat you, O Lord,that, through works of penance and charity,we may turn away from harmful pleasuresand, cleansed from our sins, may become worthyto celebrate devoutly the Passion of your Son.Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Communion Antiphon Cf. Psalm 1:2-3He who ponders the law of the Lord day and night / will yield fruit in due season.

Prayer after CommunionMay the Sacrament we have received sustain us, O Lord,that our Lenten fast may be pleasing to youand be for us a healing remedy.Through Christ our Lord.


ReflectionReceive Ashes Humbly

A little smudge of dirt on the forehead has great attraction in our age! Almost magnetically people come to church on Ash Wednesday. Rivaling November’s Thanksgiving as a feast written in our DNA, this simple ritual calls us from offices, schools, and homes. Somehow that public, smudged sign of the cross on the forehead touches the soul and penetrates the heart, providing something that “connects” with the real lives of folks. Each year, I watch as people flock to the cathedral for Ash Wednesday. They come so politely, reverently. They don’t shove because they can get something free—they just serenely wait for that sign.

Why the attraction? It may have something to do with wanting a simple life. With souls so hectic these days, we all want to stop and take stock. Ash Wednesday has that attrac-tion. I wonder what happens after people leave with their sign . . . before or while they are washing it off that evening before bed. Maybe they recall the words of Sacred Scrip-ture—that call from the Prophet Joel to return to the Lord with all their hearts. These words are repeated by Jesus taking up the same ancient themes—speaking to their hearts about interior conversion—prayer, fasting from too much food, and generosity with others through alms.

My mom always reminded us that going for ashes should not be a badge of our holiness but a way to admit our weak-ness and our need for God’s grace in our lives. At the end of Ash Wednesday Mass, I remind myself and those present of this advice from my mom.

And with this simple ritual, Lent begins.Archbishop Joseph E. KurtzThe Most Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, DD, is Archbishop of Louisville and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.


(opt. hymn, pp. 346–51)Psalm 11:1-2, 4ab, 5-7In the Lord I have taken refuge.How can you say to my soul,“Fly like a bird to the mountain!

Look, the wicked are bending their bow!They are fixing their arrow on the string,to shoot the upright of heart in the dark.”

The Lord is in his holy temple;the throne of the Lord is in heaven.

The Lord inspects the just and the wicked;the lover of violence he hates.He sends fire and brimstone on the wicked,a scorching wind to fill their cup.For the Lord is just and loves deeds of justice;the upright shall behold his face.


Scripture Hebrews 3:12-15

Take care . . . that none of you may have an evil and unfaithful heart, so as to forsake the living God. En-

courage yourselves daily while it is still “today,” so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin. We have become partners of Christ if only we hold the beginning of the reality firm until the end, for it is said: / “Oh, that today you would hear his voice: / ‘Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion.’ ”

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AntiphonToday, if you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.


IntercessionsGod of mercy, with trust in your loving-kindness we pray: r. Fashion our hearts according to your love, O God.

Move us to greater concern for the homeless, the unemployed, and the hungry. r.

Help us to witness to your presence in our daily living with one another. r.

Give peace to the weary and rest to the anxious. r.

Our Father . . .

May God bless us with peace and lead all people to know the love that casts out all fear, through Christ our brother. Amen.

Thursday, February 11


(opt. hymn, pp. 346–51)Psalm 86:12-17I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart,and glorify your name forever.Your mercy to me has been great;you have saved me from the depths of the grave.

The proud have risen against me, O God;a band of the ruthless seeks my life.To you they pay no heed.

But you, O God, are compassionate and gracious,slow to anger, O Lord,abundant in mercy and fidelity;turn and take pity on me.

O give your strength to your servant,and save the son of your handmaid.Show me the sign of your favor,that my foes may see to their shamethat you, O Lord, give me comfort and help.


Scripture Wisdom 1:12-15

Do not court death by your erring way of life, / nor draw to yourselves destruction by the works of your hands.

/ Because God did not make death, / nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living. / For he fashioned all things

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that they might have being, / and the creatures of the world are wholesome; / There is not a destructive drug among them / nor any domain of Hades on earth, / For righteous-ness is undying.


AntiphonToday I have set before you life and death. Choose life!


IntercessionsGod Most Holy, our happiness lies in you alone. In hope we pray: r. Counsel our hearts, O God.

For Pope Francis, bishops, and spiritual leaders, we pray: r.

For teachers, school administrators, and counselors, we pray: r.

For parents, coaches, and youth ministers, we pray: r.

Our Father . . .

May Christ who goes before us guide us in our Lenten journey. Amen.

Blessed Among UsDaniel Egan“The Junkie Priest” (1915–2000)

Daniel Egan, a Bronx native, joined the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement in 1935 and was ordained as a priest. A turn-ing point in his life came in 1952, as he preached in a church and noticed a woman in grave distress. She confessed that she was a drug addict struggling to kick her habit. Though Egan called every hospital in town, none would admit her. “She was shrugged off as a criminal.” He decided at that mo-ment that he must open a home for women like this. This was the inspiration for Village Haven, a halfway house for women addicts, located across the street from the women’s house of detention.

The location was no accident. As Egan discovered, most of the women in the city jail were drug addicts. And yet few resources at the time were dedicated to recovery from addic-tion. Most authorities, even medical professionals, wrote addicts off as hopeless cases. Fr. Egan believed otherwise.

Egan received permission from his order to dedicate him-self full time to working with addicts, and he became such an expert in the field that he was dubbed “the Junkie Priest”—a name he happily adopted.

Fr. Egan died on February 10, 2000.

“If we had the vision of faith, we would see beneath every behavior—no matter how repulsive—beneath every bodily appearance—no matter how dirty or deformed—a priceless dignity and value that makes all material facts and scientific technologies fade into insignificance.”

—Fr. Daniel Egan


MassThursday after Ash Wednesday

[Our Lady of Lourdes, opt. memorial]

Entrance Antiphon Cf. Psalm 55 (54):17-20, 23When I cried to the Lord, he heard my voice; / he rescued me from those who attack me. / Entrust your cares to the Lord, and he will support you.

CollectPrompt our actions with your inspiration, we pray, O Lord,and further them with your constant help,that all we do may always begin from youand by you be brought to completion.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.

A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Behold, I set before you the blessing and the curse (Deuteronomy 11:26).

Moses said to the people: “Today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom. If you obey the

commandments of the Lord, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving him, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous, and the Lord, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy. If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long life on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy. I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set

before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land that the Lord swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6

r. (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Blessed the man who follows notthe counsel of the wicked

Nor walks in the way of sinners,nor sits in the company of the insolent,

But delights in the law of the Lordand meditates on his law day and night. r.

He is like a treeplanted near running water,

That yields its fruit in due season,and whose leaves never fade.Whatever he does, prospers. r.

Not so the wicked, not so;they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

For the Lord watches over the way of the just,but the way of the wicked vanishes. r.

Gospel Acclamation Matthew 4:17Repent, says the Lord;the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.


A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 9:22-25

Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests,

and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he

must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?”The Gospel of the Lord.

Prayer over the OfferingsRegard with favor, O Lord, we pray,the offerings we set upon this sacred altar,that, bestowing on us your pardon,our oblations may give honor to your name.Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon Cf. Psalm 51 (50):12Create a pure heart for me, O God; / renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Prayer after CommunionHaving received the blessing of your heavenly gifts,we humbly beseech you, almighty God,that they may always be for usa source both of pardon and of salvation.Through Christ our Lord.

ReflectionDelight in the Law

Years ago a young orthodox rabbi visited the high school where I was teaching. As requested, he explained for a religious stud-ies class some of the many laws he and other practicing Jews were expected to keep. As he moved from laws regulating Sab-bath activities to kosher laws to laws regarding sex and social behavior, the students grew increasingly incredulous. Finally one of the bolder ones asked, genuinely curious, “How can you stand living with all those laws?” The rabbi’s answer was memorable. First he smiled. Then he said, “The law is like a fence that protects a safe space for us to be at home in. It’s like the walls of a house that shelters us and gives us a home de-signed for our needs. We consider it a great gift.” Clearly he loved the law in something like the way David did. . . .

The law of God, written in Scripture and on our hearts, has certainly been a matter of [great and long] dispute, and has of late been invoked for a variety of questionable political purposes, but this core truth still seems to me cause for de-light: God gives us guidance, opening a path before us and providing directions for the journey, calling us into interpre-tive communities where we may be held gently accountable, and meeting us at that journey’s end. Sought and lived into and loved, embodied in the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Light, divine law does not constrain us, but sets us free indeed, to dance before the altar and walk confidently on our daily paths with deepening delight.

Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, What’s in a Phrase?

Marilyn Chandler McEntyre is a fellow of the Gaede Institute for the Liberal Arts at Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California, and she teaches at UC Berkeley.



(opt. hymn, pp. 346–51)Psalm 89:20-22, 25-30Then you spoke in a vision.To your faithful ones you said,“I have set the crown on a warrior,I have exalted one chosen from the people.

I have found my servant David,and with my holy oil anointed him.My hand shall always be with him,and my arm shall make him strong.

My mercy and my faithfulness shall be with him;by my name his might shall be exalted.I will stretch out his hand to the Sea,and his right hand upon the Rivers.

He will call out to me, ‘You are my father,my God, the rock of my salvation.’I for my part will make him my firstborn,the highest of the kings of the earth.

I will keep my faithful love for him always;with him my covenant shall last.I will establish his descendants forever,and his throne as lasting as the days of heaven.”


Scripture Romans 6:21-23

W]hat profit did you get then from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is

death. But now that you have been freed from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit that you have leads to sanctification, and its end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


AntiphonIf you wish to save your life, take up your cross and follow Christ.


IntercessionsJust and good God, we humbly implore your help as we pray: r. Teach us your ways, O God.

You give the desolate a home to dwell in: sensitize us to the needs of those who are without adequate shelter. r.

You lead prisoners forth into prosperity: grant justice to those who are unjustly accused. r.

You defend the widow and the orphan: move us to watch over the vulnerable in our midst. r.

Our Father . . .

May God bless us with peace so that we may look forward to Easter with holy joy. Amen.

Friday 131130

Friday, February 12


(opt. hymn, pp. 346–51)Psalm 88:10b-13, 15-19I call to you, Lord, all day long;to you I stretch out my hands.

Will you work your wonders for the dead?Will the shades rise up to praise you?Will your mercy be told in the grave,or your faithfulness in the place of perdition?Will your wonders be known in the dark,your justice in the land of oblivion?

Why do you reject me, O Lord?Why do you hide your face from me?

I am wretched, close to death from my youth.I have borne your trials; I am numb.Your fury has swept down upon me;your terrors have utterly destroyed me.

They surround me all the day like a flood;together they close in against me.Friend and neighbor you have taken away:my one companion is darkness.


Scripture Sirach 7:32-36

To the poor also extend your hand, / that your blessing may be complete. / Give your gift to all the living, / and

do not withhold your kindness from the dead. / Do not avoid those who weep, / but mourn with those who mourn. / Do not hesitate to visit the sick, / because for such things you will be loved.

In whatever you do, remember your last days, / and you will never sin.


AntiphonIf you care for the needy, then you shall call and the Lord will say, “Here I am!”


IntercessionsGod of the covenant, you are present in the least among us. Teach us your wisdom as we pray: r. Lead us to love as you love, O Lord.

Help us to speak a word of encouragement to those who are weary or sad. r.

Show us how to stand by those who are grieving or alone. r.

Make your Church a sign of your compassion for the poor. r.

Our Father . . .

May God speak tenderly to our hearts and bring us to share in the joy of Christ at Easter. Amen.

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Blessed Among UsSt. Julian the Hospitaller(Date Unknown)

According to The Golden Legend, Julian was a young noble who was warned that one day he would slay his parents. To evade this fate he fled his home, became a knight, and mar-ried a beautiful widow. His parents never ceased searching for their son, and eventually—while he was out hunting—they found their way to his castle. Julian’s wife, upon hearing their story, offered her own bedroom to the couple. There Julian found them and rashly slew them, believing he had discovered his wife with a lover.

Distraught upon discovering his error, he resolved to spend the rest of his life doing penance for his sins. His wife insisted on accompanying him. And so they embarked on a long journey. Eventually they built a hospital to care for the poor and labored there for many years. One night, when a sick and freezing man appeared seeking help, Julian warmed him in his own bed. That night, as he saw the man ascend to heaven, he received assurance that God had accepted his penance. That very night Julian and his wife “rendered unto God their souls and departed out of this world.”

The story of St. Julian was retold in many versions, and many hospitals in Europe were dedicated in his name.

“Adieu and farewell, my right dear love, I shall never rest till that I shall have knowledge if God will pardon and forgive me this that I have done, and that I shall have worthy penance.”

—St. Julian the Hospitaller, from The Golden Legend

MassFriday after Ash Wednesday

Entrance Antiphon Psalm 30 (29):11The Lord heard and had mercy on me; / the Lord became my helper.

CollectShow gracious favor, O Lord, we pray,to the works of penance we have begun,that we may have strength to accomplish with sinceritythe bodily observances we undertake.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.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 58:1-9a

Is this the manner of fasting I wish?

Thus says the Lord God: / Cry out full-throated and unsparingly, / lift up your voice like a trumpet blast; /

Tell my people their wickedness, / and the house of Jacob their sins. / They seek me day after day, / and desire to know my ways, / Like a nation that has done what is just / and not abandoned the law of their God; / They ask me to declare what is due them, / pleased to gain access to God. / “Why do we fast, and you do not see it? / afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?”

Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits, / and drive all your laborers. / Yes, your fast ends in quarrel-ing and fighting, / striking with wicked claw. / Would that today you might fast / so as to make your voice heard on high! / Is this the manner of fasting I wish, / of keeping a day of penance: / That a man bow his head like a reed / and lie in sackcloth and ashes? / Do you call this a fast, / a day


acceptable to the Lord? / This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: / releasing those bound unjustly, / untying the thongs of the yoke; / Setting free the oppressed, / breaking every yoke; / Sharing your bread with the hungry, / sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; / Clothing the naked when you see them, / and not turning your back on your own. / Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, / and your wound shall quickly be healed; / Your vindication shall go before you, / and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. / Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, / you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19

r. (19b) A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.

Thoroughly wash me from my guiltand of my sin cleanse me. r.

For I acknowledge my offense,and my sin is before me always:

“Against you only have I sinned,and done what is evil in your sight.” r.

For you are not pleased with sacrifices;should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.

My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not

spurn. r.

Gospel Acclamation See Amos 5:14Seek good and not evil so that you may live,and the Lord will be with you.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 9:14-15

When the bridegroom is taken from them, then they will fast.

The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples

do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”The Gospel of the Lord.

Prayer over the OfferingsWe offer, O Lord, the sacrifice of our Lenten observance,praying that it may make our intentions acceptable to youand add to our powers of self-restraint.Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon Psalm 25 (24):4O Lord, make me know your ways, / teach me your paths.

Prayer after CommunionWe pray, almighty God,that, through partaking of this mystery,we may be cleansed of all our misdeeds,and so be suited for the remedies of your compassion.Through Christ our Lord.

ReflectionA Meaningful Fast

The Scriptures make it clear that fasting should never be un-dertaken in isolation. In the readings of Ash Wednesday, the


prophet Joel connects fasting with mourning and weeping, means by which the gathered assembly returns to God; and Matthew’s Gospel has Jesus linking fasting with prayer and almsgiving.

In his Rule, St. Benedict admonishes us: do not pamper yourself, but love fasting. He relates fasting to self-renunciation and self-discipline (RB 4:10-13).

I’m always drawn to repeating patterns. In these instances, fasting is coupled with two other disciplines: mourning and weeping, prayer and charity, self-renunciation and self-discipline. Three disciplines together form the basis for a solid Lenten practice much as the three legs of a stool or table allow it to stand without falling over.

The prophet Isaiah gives us further insights into the dis-cipline of fasting, reminding us that the external obser-vances—in his case, a bowed head, sackcloth, and ashes—are insufficient if done in isolation, disconnected from a social context. Fasting is not personal, spiritual athleticism—merely seeing how long we can manage without candy, television, or coffee, only to return to our old ways in time.

Some years ago, one of my mentors said that we should not give up pickles for Lent if our heart was seized with anger, or give up ice cream if gossiping was our problem. Fast from anger and gossiping instead.

That is the message of Isaiah for this Lenten season. Un-dertake a fast that will truly be life changing, not only for yourself but for all God’s holy people: fast from injustice, oppression, and indifference in their many forms.

Fr. John Meoska

John Meoska, OSB, is a monk of Saint John’s Abbey and serves the community as formation director and novice master. He is also an avid woodworker.


(opt. hymn, pp. 346–51)Psalm 85:9-14I will hear what the Lord God speaks;he speaks of peace for his people and his faithful,and those who turn their hearts to him.His salvation is near for those who fear him,and his glory will dwell in our land.

Merciful love and faithfulness have met;justice and peace have kissed.Faithfulness shall spring from the earth,and justice look down from heaven.

Also the Lord will bestow his bounty,and our earth shall yield its increase.Justice will march before him,and guide his steps on the way.



Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hos-

pitality. Bless those who persecute [you], bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, on your part, live at peace with all.

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AntiphonYour light shall break forth like the dawn; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.


IntercessionsGod of our ancestors, your message of love lasts from age to age. We pray: r. Teach us your wisdom, O God.

Grant discernment and courage to those who are making tough decisions. r.

Unveil deceitful practices in institutions that exist to serve the good of others. r.

Guide those who care for the mentally ill and physically challenged. r.

Our Father . . .

May God save us from all evil and give us lasting peace in the love of Christ. Amen.

Saturday, February 13


(opt. hymn, pp. 346–51)Psalm 72:1b-4, 12-14O God, give your judgment to the king,to a king’s son your justice,that he may judge your people in justice,and your poor in right judgment.

May the mountains bring forth peace for the people,and the hills justice.May he defend the poor of the people,and save the children of the needy,and crush the oppressor.

For he shall save the needy when they cry,the poor, and those who are helpless.He will have pity on the weak and the needy,and save the lives of the needy.From oppression and violence he redeems their souls;to him their blood is dear.


Scripture Exodus 31:12-15a

The Lord said to Moses: You must also tell the Israelites: Keep my sabbaths, for that is to be the sign between

you and me throughout the generations, to show that it is I, the Lord, who make you holy. Therefore, you must keep the sabbath for it is holiness for you. Whoever desecrates it shall be put to death. If anyone does work on that day,

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that person must be cut off from the people. Six days there are for doing work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord.


AntiphonIf you call the Sabbath a delight, you shall delight in the Lord.


IntercessionsGod of justice and love, with hope in your mercy we pray: r. God, grant us your saving help.

Unite people of every nation in efforts to curb waste and to feed the hungry. r.

Renew the strength of those who have served you faithfully in administration and service. r.

Restore hope in those who have suffered the loss of family and loved ones in war or violence. r.

Our Father . . .

May God nourish us with the word of life and make us one in love and prayer, through Christ our peace. Amen.

Blessed Among UsSt. Catherine dei RicciMystic (1522–1590)

Catherine dei Ricci, who was born in Florence, entered the Dominican convent when she was thirteen. Rising to promi-nence in the community, by the age of thirty she was elected prioress for life. Her reputation for wisdom and holiness traveled far beyond the convent, and she corresponded with many members of the clergy, including three cardinals who later became popes. It was the fame of her ecstatic visions, however, that attracted the most attention (quite contrary to Catherine’s desires). At the age of twenty she had the first of a series of extended visions in which she not only beheld but reenacted the scenes of Christ’s passion: holding out her hands to be bound, standing to be scourged, bending her head to receive a crown of thorns. These visions, which lasted from midday each Thursday until noon on Friday, were re-peated every week for twelve years. During these experiences she would often address her fellow sisters with unusual elo-quence and conviction.

Catherine also received the stigmata—the wounds of Christ on her feet, hands, and side—and a mysterious ring around her finger, a sign of her betrothal to Christ, which appeared differently, depending on the witness. Rather than take pride in these supernatural gifts, which aroused both interest and skepticism from curiosity seekers, Catherine accepted them as a form of mortification. Her greatest hap-piness was in caring for the sick.

She died on February 2, 1590, and was canonized in 1746.

“We must look to life not death as our goal.”—St. Catherine dei Ricci


MassSaturday after Ash Wednesday

Entrance Antiphon Cf. Psalm 69 (68):17Answer us, Lord, for your mercy is kind; / in the abundance of your mercies, look upon us.

CollectAlmighty ever-living God,look with compassion on our weaknessand ensure us your protectionby stretching forth the right hand of your majesty.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.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 58:9b-14

If you bestow your bread on the hungry, then light shall rise for you in the darkness.

Thus says the Lord: / If you remove from your midst oppression, / false accusation and malicious speech; /

If you bestow your bread on the hungry / and satisfy the afflicted; / Then light shall rise for you in the darkness, / and the gloom shall become for you like midday; / Then the Lord will guide you always / and give you plenty even on the parched land. / He will renew your strength, / and you shall be like a watered garden, / like a spring whose water never fails. / The ancient ruins shall be rebuilt for your sake, / and the foundations from ages past you shall raise up; / “Repairer of the breach,” they shall call you, / “Restorer of ruined homesteads.”

If you hold back your foot on the sabbath / from follow-ing your own pursuits on my holy day; / If you call the

sabbath a delight, / and the Lord’s holy day honorable; / If you honor it by not following your ways, / seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice— / Then you shall delight in the Lord, / and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; / I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father, / for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

r. (11ab) Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

Incline your ear, O Lord; answer me,for I am afflicted and poor.

Keep my life, for I am devoted to you;save your servant who trusts in you.You are my God. r.

Have mercy on me, O Lord,for to you I call all the day.

Gladden the soul of your servant,for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. r.

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.

Hearken, O Lord, to my prayerand attend to the sound of my pleading. r.

Gospel Acclamation Ezekiel 33:11I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says

the Lord,but rather in his conversion, that he may live.


A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 5:27-32

I have not come to call righteous to repentance but sinners.

Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the cus-toms post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving

everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”The Gospel of the Lord.

Prayer over the OfferingsAccept, we pray, O Lord,the sacrifice of conciliation and praise,and grant that, cleansed by its working,we may offer minds well pleasing to you.Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon Matthew 9:13I desire mercy, not sacrifice, says the Lord, / for I did not come to call the just but sinners.

Prayer after CommunionNourished with the gift of heavenly life,we pray, O Lord,that what remains for us a mystery in this present lifemay be for us a help to reach eternity.Through Christ our Lord.

ReflectionLet Go of the Luggage

Do you ever imagine quitting work without notice? There are many reasons not to do so, like financial challenges, appear-ing irresponsible, and poor résumé material. Quitting with-out notice won’t help you get hired anywhere else.

Enter Levi, who walked away from his post as soon as Jesus said, “Follow me.” Without warning—boom—he’s on his way. Nothing deters Levi.

“Follow me” is our call too. Jesus invites us in this Lenten season to do something that takes us out of the ordinary and into something new. But what?

There are bad habits and unhealthy patterns in all of our lives, baggage we hold tightly. Can we strip away the comfort of convenience or routine in order to follow Jesus to the dry, barren wasteland of the Lenten desert? The desert won’t allow for much luggage, so in the end, something must change if we want to be transformed with Jesus. The only way through the hot sand is to let go.

Unlike Levi, we have had ample time to consider how we might follow Jesus. Will we drag our feet, pausing or hesi-tating? Will we worry about what it will look like if we give up something that others expect from us? Is it possible that we might ignore Jesus altogether?

You needn’t quit your job, but something has to go. What will happen when you hear Jesus say, “Follow me”?

Fran Rossi Szpylczyn

Fran Rossi Szpylczyn, a writer and speaker focusing on the intersection of spirituality and daily life, lives in Clifton Park, New York. Visit her blog “There Will Be Bread” at breadhere.wordpress.com.



(opt. hymn, pp. 346–51)Psalm 110:1-4The Lord’s revelation to my lord:“Sit at my right hand,until I make your foes your footstool.”

The Lord will send from Sionyour scepter of power:rule in the midst of your foes.

With you is princely ruleon the day of your power.In holy splendor, from the womb before the dawn,I have begotten you.

The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change:“You are a priest forever,in the line of Melchizedek.”



D]oes not the potter have a right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for a noble purpose

and another for an ignoble one? What if God, wishing to show his wrath and make known his power, has endured with much patience the vessels of wrath made for destruc-

tion? This was to make known the riches of his glory to the vessels of mercy, which he has prepared previously for glory, namely, us whom he has called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles.


AntiphonI have come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, says the Lord.


IntercessionsLord God, you guide us forever by the light of your love. In faith we pray: r. God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heal us of our prejudice and fear of the unknown. r.

Uncover all that hides us from the truth of your unconditional love. r.

Establish your peace throughout the world, and protect the innocent from further violence. r.

Our Father . . .

May God strengthen us in our weakness and bring us all together in everlasting life. Amen.

The Order of Mass 315

314

The Order of Mass❙❚ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the

Holy Spirit.❙❚ Amen.

GreetingThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,and the love of God,and the communion of the Holy Spiritbe with you all.And with your spirit.

Grace to you and peace from God our Fatherand the Lord Jesus Christ.And with your spirit.

The Lord be with you.And with your spirit.

Penitential ActBrethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins,and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

(Pause)I confess to almighty Godand to you, my brothers and sisters,that I have greatly sinned,in my thoughts and in my words,in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,

And, striking their breast, they say:

through my fault, through my fault,through my most grievous fault;

Then they continue:

therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,all the Angels and Saints,and you, my brothers and sisters,to pray for me to the Lord our God.Have mercy on us, O Lord.For we have sinned against you.Show us, O Lord, your mercy.And grant us your salvation.

These or other invocations may be used.

You were sent to heal the contrite of heart:Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.You came to call sinners:Christ, have mercy. Or: Christe, eleison.Christ, have mercy. Or: Christe, eleison.You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us:Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.Lord, have mercy. Or: Kyrie, eleison.

❙❚ May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.

❙❚ Amen.

KyrieThe Kyrie, eleison (Lord, have mercy) invocations follow, unless they have just occurred in a formula of the Penitential Act.❙❚ Lord, have mercy. ❙❚ Kyrie, eleison.❙❚ Lord, have mercy. ❙❚ Kyrie, eleison.

❙❚ Christ, have mercy. ❙❚ Christe, eleison.❙❚ Christ, have mercy. ❙❚ Christe, eleison.

❙❚ Lord, have mercy. ❙❚ Kyrie, eleison.❙❚ Lord, have mercy. ❙❚ Kyrie, eleison.

B

C

A

C

A

B

316 The Order of Mass The Order of Mass 317

GloriaGlory to God in the highest,and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you,we bless you,we adore you,we glorify you,we give you thanks for your great glory,Lord God, heavenly King,O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,you take away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us;you take away the sins of the world,

receive our prayer;you are seated at the right hand of the Father,

have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One,you alone are the Lord,you alone are the Most High,Jesus Christ,with the Holy Spirit,in the glory of God the Father.Amen.

Collect (Opening Prayer)

Liturgy of the WordFirst Reading

Responsorial Psalm

Second Reading

Gospel Acclamation

GospelCleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God,that I may worthily proclaim your holy Gospel.❙❚ The Lord be with you.❙❚ And with your spirit.

❙❚ A reading from the holy Gospel according to N.❙❚ Glory to you, O Lord.

At the end:❙❚ The Gospel of the Lord.❙❚ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Through the words of the Gospelmay our sins be wiped away.

Homily

Profession of Faith[The Apostles’ Creed can be found on p. 343]

Nicene CreedI believe in one God,the Father almighty,maker of heaven and earth,of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,the Only Begotten Son of God,born of the Father before all ages.God from God, Light from Light,true God from true God,begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;through him all things were made.For us men and for our salvationhe came down from heaven,

318 The Order of Mass The Order of Mass 319

At the words that follow, up to and including and became man, all bow.

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,he suffered death and was buried,and rose again on the third dayin accordance with the Scriptures.He ascended into heavenand is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again in gloryto judge the living and the deadand his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,who proceeds from the Father and the Son,who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sinsand I look forward to the resurrection of the deadand the life of the world to come. Amen.

Prayer of the Faithful (Bidding Prayers)

Liturgy of the EucharistPresentation and Preparation of the GiftsBlessed are you, Lord God of all creation,for through your goodness we have receivedthe bread we offer you:fruit of the earth and work of human hands,it will become for us the bread of life.Blessed be God for ever.

By the mystery of this water and winemay we come to share in the divinity of Christwho humbled himself to share in our humanity.Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,for through your goodness we have receivedthe wine we offer you:fruit of the vine and work of human hands,it will become our spiritual drink.Blessed be God for ever.

With humble spirit and contrite heartmay we be accepted by you, O Lord,and may our sacrifice in your sight this daybe pleasing to you, Lord God.Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquityand cleanse me from my sin.

Invitation to PrayerPray, brethren (brothers and sisters),that my sacrifice and yoursmay be acceptable to God,the almighty Father.May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your handsfor the praise and glory of his name,for our goodand the good of all his holy Church.

Prayer over the Offerings

Eucharistic Prayer❙❚ The Lord be with you. ❙❚ And with your spirit.❙❚ Lift up your hearts. ❙❚ We lift them up to the Lord.❙❚ Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.❙❚ It is right and just.

Celebration of the Liturgy of the Word 343

342

Celebration of the Liturgy of the Word[With Holy Communion]

Introductory RitesIntroductionDeacon or lay leader:We gather here to celebrate the Lord’s Day.Sunday has been called the Lord’s Day because

it was on this daythat Jesus conquered sin and death and rose to new life.Unfortunately, we are not able to celebrate the Mass todaybecause we do not have a priest.Let us be united in the spirit of Christ with

the Church around the worldand celebrate our redemption in Christ’s suffering,

death, and resurrection.Sign of the CrossDeacon or lay leader:❙❚ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the

Holy Spirit.❙❚ Amen.GreetingDeacon or lay leader:❙❚ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from

the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God for ever.❙❚ Blessed be God for ever.Collect

Liturgy of the WordFirst ReadingResponsorial PsalmSecond ReadingGospel AcclamationGospelHomily or Reflection on the Readings

Period of SilenceProfession of Faith[The Nicene Creed can be found on p. 317]

Apostles’ CreedI believe in God,the Father almighty,Creator of heaven and earth,and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. At the words that follow, up to and including the Virgin Mary,

all bow.

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,born of the Virgin Mary,suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died and was buried;he descended into hell;on the third day he rose again from the dead;he ascended into heaven,and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic Church,the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,the resurrection of the body,and life everlasting. Amen.

Prayer of the Faithful

Communion RiteLord’s PrayerDeacon or lay leader:The Father provides us with food for eternal life.At the Savior’s commandand formed by divine teaching,we dare to say:

344 Celebration of the Liturgy of the Word

Our Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name;thy kingdom come,thy will be doneon earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread,and forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us;and lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.Amen.Invitation to CommunionDeacon or lay leader:Behold the Lamb of God,behold him who takes away the sins of the world.Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.Lord, I am not worthythat you should enter under my roof,but only say the wordand my soul shall be healed.CommunionAct of Thanksgiving

Concluding RiteInvitation to Pray for Vocations to the PriesthoodDeacon or lay leader:Mindful of our Lord’s word, “Ask the Master of the harvest to send out laborers for the harvest,” let us pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood. May our prayer hasten the day when we will be able to take part in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist every Sunday.BlessingSign of Peace

346 Hymns Hymns 347

The Father’s Glory, Christ Our Lightam

Familiar Tune: Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow

O Christ, You Are the Light of Dayam/pm

Familiar Tune: The Glory of These Forty Days

Canticle of SimeonNight Prayer—pm

Familiar Tune: The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns

348 Hymns Hymns 349

O Merciful Redeemer, HearLent—am/pm

Familiar Tune: O Radiant Light, O Sun Divine

O God of Faith, by You We LiveLent—am

Familiar Tune: On Jordan’s Bank

The Glory of These Forty DaysLent—am/pm

Guide to Lectio DivinaChoose a word or phrase of the Scriptures you wish to pray. It makes no difference which text is chosen, as long as you have no set goal of “covering” a certain amount of text. The amount of text covered is in God’s hands, not yours.

Read. Turn to the text and read it slowly, gently. Savor each portion of the reading, constantly listening for the “still, small voice” of a word or phrase that somehow says, “I am for you today.” Do not expect lightning or ecstasies. In lectio divina, God is teaching us to listen, to seek him in silence. God does not reach out and grab us but gently invites us ever more deeply into his presence.

Ponder. Take the word or phrase into yourself. Memorize it and slowly repeat it to yourself, allowing it to interact with your inner world of concerns, memories, and ideas. Do not be afraid of distractions. Memories or thoughts are simply parts of yourself that, when they rise up during lectio divina, are asking to be given to God along with the rest of your inner self. Allow this inner pondering, this rumination, to invite you into dialogue with God.

Pray. Whether you use words, ideas, or images—or all three—is not important. Interact with God as you would with one who you know loves and accepts you. Give to God what you have discovered during your experience of meditation. Give to God what you have found within your heart.

It is not necessary to assess the quality of your lectio divina, as if you were “performing” or seeking some goal. Lectio divina has no goal other than that of being in the presence of God by praying the Scriptures.

—Fr. Luke Dysinger

Luke Dysinger, OSB, is a Benedictine monk of Saint Andrew’s Abbey, Valyermo, California.

Canticle of Mary (Magnificat) Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:the Almighty has done great things for me,and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear himin every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israelfor he has remembered his promise of mercy,the promise he made to our fathers,to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

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