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ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
In my justice I shall see your face, O Lord; when your glory appears, my joy
will be full. (Ps 16:15)
PENITENTIAL RITE
Through his word, God continually calls us to a better and more fruitful life.
Jesus used parables as an effective way of teaching. Those, who were open to
him, received more. Those, who had closed their minds against him, received
less. If our lives are barren, it can only mean that we have not allowed God’s
word to take root in our hearts. The seed of God’s word is all-powerful, but it
is within our capability to obstruct the divine Sower’s purpose and prevent or
curtail its growth. Jesus identifies the human weaknesses that can crush the
seed of God’s word: pride, arrogance, self-righteousness, superficiality,
faint-heartedness, worldly possessions, and anxiety. What kind of soil do we
offer to God’s word? Do we make a sincere effort to remove the obstructions?
(Pause)
I confess…
Glory to God…
OPENING PRAYER
God our Father, your light of truth guides us to the way of Christ. May all who
follow him reject what is contrary to the Gospel. We ask this…
FIRST READING
(God cares for the earth by sending rain to make it fruitful. He cares for us by
sending His saving word, which is intended to bear fruit in our lives.)
A reading from the Book of Isaiah (55:10-11)
Thus says the Lord: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and
return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving
seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth
from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that
which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
This is the Word of the Lord
PSALM (64)
Response: Some seed fell into good soil and yielded fruit.
You care for the earth, give it water, you fill it with riches. Your river in
heaven brims over to provide its grain.
And thus you provide for the earth; you drench its furrows, you level it, soften
it with showers, you bless its growth.
You crown the year with your goodness. Abundance flows in your steps, in the
pastures of the wilderness it flows.
The hills are girded with joy, the meadows covered with flocks, the valleys are
decked with wheat. They shout for joy, yes, they sing.
SECOND READING
(St Paul tells us that the sufferings of our lives are nothing compared to the
glory that will be revealed to us.)
A reading from the Letter of St Paul to the Romans (8:18-23)
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with
the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager
longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation was subjected to
futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope;
because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and
obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. We know that the whole
creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the
creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan
inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
This is the Word of the Lord
ACCLAMATION
Alleluia, alleluia! My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them and they
follow me. Alleluia! (Jn 10:27)
GOSPEL
(Jesus compares the word of God to the seed, and the different kinds of soil on
which the seed falls, are the hearts of different people.)
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew (13:1-23)
Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered
about him, so that he got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood
on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went
out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came
and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much
soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when
the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away.
Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other
seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundred fold, some
sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the
kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to him who has will
more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what
he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because
seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: ‘You shall
indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive.
For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and
their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear
with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.’
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly, I
say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did
not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
“Hear then the parable of the sower. When any one hears the word of the kingdom
and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in
his heart; this is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky
ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet
he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or
persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for
what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the
world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for
what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he
indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundred fold, in another sixty,
and in another thirty.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord
I believe in God...
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus compares the word of God to a seed, a seed
which can make our lives fruitful. Let us humbly acknowledge our weaknesses and
ask the Lord for the grace to respond to his word and allow the word to take
root in our hearts and bear fruit in our lives:
Response: Lord, make us fruitful in your service.
1. For the Church and the Pastors: that all the Church leaders may be empowered
with the Holy Spirit to proclaim God’s word courageously and continually even in
the midst of opposition. Nourish their lives with your word and produce a
lasting harvest.
2. For Christians: that they may hear the word, understand it, and then act on
it. May the word of God comfort, guide, inspire and challenge them.
3. For all missionaries and evangelizers: that the obstacles, they face, may not
frustrate their efforts to preach the word of God.
4. For youth: that they may take care of the life of the Spirit within them, and
not allow it to be choked by materialism and worldly concerns. Grant them a
receptive heart to listen to your word.
5. For our political and government leaders: that they may seek the help and
guidance of God in all their deliberations. Free their hearts from selfishness,
pride and worldly ambitions.
(Pray for local and personal needs)
Cel: Loving Father, soften our hearts with your grace and open them with your
gentle love, so that the precious seed of your word may take root in us, and
bear abundant fruit in our lives. We ask this...
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Lord, accept the gifts of your Church. May this Eucharist help us grow in
holiness and faith. We ask this…
PREFACE (P 29)
Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to
give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through his cross and resurrection he freed us from sin and death and called us
to the glory that has made us a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people set apart.
Everywhere we proclaim your mighty works, for you have called us out of darkness
into your own wonderful light.
And so, with all the choirs of angels in heaven we proclaim your glory and join
in their unending hymn of praise.
All: Holy, holy, holy…
COMMUNION ANTIPHON
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood will live in me and I in him, says the
Lord. (Jn 6:57)
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Lord, by our sharing in the mystery of this Eucharist, let your saving love grow
within us. Grant this…
LITURGY AND LIFE
The theme of today’s Readings is the power and force of the Word of God. In the
beginning God created the universe and everything in it by His Word. St John
recounts the same theme in his Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word: the Word
was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him
all things came into being, not one thing came into being except through him” (Jn
1:1-3). This Word, that goes forth from God’s mouth, according to Prophet
Isaiah, does not return without accomplishing its purpose, for which it is sent
(Is 55:10-11). God’s Word accomplishes good-ness and beauty, joy and peace,
order and harmony. According to today’s Second Reading, his Word also
accomplishes retri-bution against the power of ungodliness and injustice of
human beings who in their injustice hold back the truth (Rom 8:18).
In the Gospel, Jesus uses the most common images from the everyday lives of the
people of his time: farmers, seeds, sowing, hard paths, rocky soil, thorny soil,
good soil. In this commonness, Jesus saw illustrations about God sowing the Word
of his Kingdom. The farmer, depicted by Jesus here, is a generous person. He
does not care so much about the quality of the soil as he goes about sowing
seeds. He knows well what will happen to the seeds that fall on the path, on
rocky ground and among thorny bushes as well as on good soil. This farmer
practises farming, against the established norms, that you sow seeds only in
good soil. This farmer is the image of the Father, who is generous towards his
children, who gives his blessings, irrespective of the quality and
characteristics of the recipient. He takes a chance even when the possibility of
a positive response and fruitfulness is next to impossible. Here we see a father
who is prodigal in his distribution of blessings.
Jesus recognizes the possibility of human freedom, through which we can either
accept or reject the Word of the Kingdom. God’s Word is powerful and active, and
yet we can allow this Word to be snatched by the evil one, the power of
darkness, the enemy one of humans. We are able to misuse our freedom to allow
the worries, attractions and allurements of this world to negate the growth of
the Kingdom in us and thus give into an ungodly, unfruitful life. There is also
the possibility to deny the Word of the Kingdom, when we are faced with
persecution, as the Word of God has never sunk deep into our being to empower
and encourage us. When our lives are not built on the foundation of the Word of
the Kingdom, we choose the kingdom of the evil one in the face of difficulties
and persecutions.
A good farmer knows how hard farming is and how important it is to keep the soil
clean and soft and watered, and at the same time protect the seeds and plants
from the attack of destructive pestilence. The Word of God, powerful and active
as it is, can find its rootedness, growth and fruitfulness only in hearts that
are pure, humble, free of all attractions and attachments of this world and with
the depth of faith, hope and love. This involves strong determination,
sacrifice, and generosity.
—Fr Joe Eruppakkatt, ssp
July 2011
READINGS
OF THE WEEK Psalter Week 3
11 Mon (W) St Benedict, Ex 1:8-14.22/ Ps 124:1b-3.4-67-8/ Mt 10:34 – 11:1
12 Tue (G) Ex 2:1-15a/ Ps 69:3.14.30-31.33-34/ Mt 11:20-24
13 Wed (W) St Henry, Ex 3:1-6. 9-12/ Ps 103: 1b-2.3-4.6-7/ Mt 11:25-27
14 Thu (W) St Camillus de Lellis, Ex 313-20/ Ps 105:1
& 5.8-9.24-25.26-27/ Mt
11:28-30
15 Fri (W) St Bonaventure, Ex 11:10 –12:14/ Ps 116:12-13.15 and 16bc.17-18/ Mt
12:1-8
16 Sat (W) Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Ex 12:37-42/ Ps 136:1 and
23-24.10-12.13-15/ Mt 12:14-21 or Zech 2:14-17/ Ps Lk
1:46-47.48-49.50-51.52-53.54-55/ Mt 12:46-50
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