|
Vol. 38 No. 47
AUGUST 21, 2011
Cycle A
XXI SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
You are the Christ, the Son of the living God
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
Listen, Lord, and answer me. Save your servant who trusts in you. I call to you
all day long, have mercy on me, O Lord. (Ps 85:1-3)
PENITENTIAL RITE
Peter confesses Jesus as the Son of God in answer to Jesus’ question, regarding
his identity, and Jesus establishes him as the rock foundation of his Church. In
giving authority to the man, who would deny him, Jesus wanted to show that he
was establishing his Church not on human strength, but on his own love and
faithfulness. The Church’s true foundation is Christ himself. Today Jesus poses
before us the same question: “Who do you say that I am?” A sincere answer will
reveal the authenticity of our identity as true Christians. For our lack of
faith in Jesus and for not living as his true disciples, let us ask pardon from
the Lord. (Pause)
I confess...
Glory to God...
OPENING PRAYER
Father, help us to seek the values that will bring us lasting joy in this
changing world. In our desire for what you promise make us one in mind and
heart. Grant this…
FIRST READING
(God removes the corrupt official and replaces him with one who will rule the
people with fairness and justice.)
A reading from the Book of Isaiah (22:19-23)
Thus says the Lord God of hosts to Shebna, the master of the household, “I will
thrust you from your office, and you will be cast down from your station. In
that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe
him with your robe, and will bind your girdle on him, and will commit your
authority to his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem
and to the house of Judah. And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house
of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall
open. And I will fasten him like a peg in a sure place. And he will become a
throne of honour to his father’s house.”
This is the Word of the Lord
PSALM (137)
Response: Your love, O Lord, is eternal, discard not the work of your hands.
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart, you have heard the words of my mouth.
Before the angels I will bless you. I will adore before your holy temple.
I thank you for your faithfulness and love which excel all we ever knew of you.
On the day I called, you answered; you increased the strength of my soul.
The Lord is high yet he looks on the lowly, and the haughty he knows from afar.
Your love, O Lord, is eternal, discard not the work of your hands.
SECOND READING
(St Paul extols the inscrutable mystery of God, Creator and Lord of all that
exists. Human beings, with all their wisdom and understanding, cannot comprehend
the person of God.)
A reading from the Letter of St Paul to the Romans (11:33-36)
O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are
his judgements and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counsellor?” “Or
who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for
ever. Amen.
This is the Word of the Lord
ACCLAMATION
Alleluia, Alleluia! May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes
of our heart, so that we may know the hope to which he has called us. Alleluia!
(Eph 1:17-18)
GOSPEL
(This passage contains St Peter’s declaration of faith in Jesus, as the Messiah,
the Son of the living God, and Jesus’ promise to make him the rock on which he
will build his Church.)
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew (16:13-20)
When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples,
“Who do men say that the Son of man is?” And they said, “Some say John the
Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said
to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the
Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you,
Simon Bar Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father
who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build
my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you
the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound
in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he
strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
This is the Gospel of the Lord
I believe in God,/the Father Almighty,/ Creator of heaven and earth./ I believe
in Jesus Christ,/his only Son, our Lord./ He was conceived by the power of the
Holy Spirit/ and born of the Virgin Mary./He suffered under Pontius Pilate,/was
crucified, died, and was buried./He descended to the dead./On the third day he
rose again./He ascended into Heaven,/and is seated at the right hand of the
Father./He will come again 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 the life everlasting./ Amen.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus rejects the inadequate ways in which
others understand his role, and demands that his disciples speak for themselves.
With St Peter, let us also profess our faith in Jesus, and pray for an increase
of faith for all Christians, saying:
Response: Lord, increase our faith.
1. We pray for our Pope, the servant of God and the successor of St Peter the
Apostle: confirm him in faith, may he experience always your loving presence,
and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
2. We pray for Christian leaders: that they, in spite of their human weaknesses
and failures, may be strengthened by the faithfulness and love of Jesus. Help
them to grow in faith and holiness and commit themselves to the Kingdom of God.
3. We pray for parents, teachers and all those working with the young: that they
may help young people to grow by showing them love, patience, forgiveness and
understanding.
4. We pray for political leaders: that they may learn from their mistakes and
failures. Open their hearts to your love and their minds to your light, so that
they may correct their selfish and evil ways, and serve the people.
5. We pray for our Parish community: that we may recognize Christ, not only as
our Lord and Saviour, but a true friend who loves us, cares for us and lifts us
up.
(Pray for local and personal needs)
Cel: Loving Father, we praise and thank you for your love and concern for us.
Grant us the grace to see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you
more nearly. We ask this...
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Merciful God, the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ made us your people. In your
love, grant peace and unity to your Church. We ask this…
PREFACE (P 34)
Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to
give you thanks.
In you we live and move and have our being. Each day you show us a Father’s
love; your Holy Spirit, dwelling within us, gives us on earth the hope of
unending joy.
Your gift of the Spirit, who raised Jesus from the dead, is the foretaste and
promise of the paschal feast of heaven.
With thankful praise, in company with the angels, we glorify the wonders of your
power:
All: Holy, holy, holy…
COMMUNION ANTIPHON
Lord, the earth is filled with your gift from heaven; man grows bread from
earth, and wine to cheer his heart. (Ps 103:13-15)
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Lord, may this Eucharist increase within us the healing power of your love. May
it guide and direct our efforts to please you in all things. We ask this…
LITURGY AND LIFE
Was Jesus very curious to know what people thought about him? Did he not know,
even before asking the question, how others considered him? The answer is
obvious: as Son of God, he was aware of his true identity; he who knew the
secret emotions of everyone, knew what others thought about him. Hence, it is
certain that the question is not asked for Jesus’ own sake, but for his
disciples and for each listener who would hear him.
Before the confession of Peter, on several occasions, the evil spirits
recognized Jesus as the Son of God. They were unsolicited confessions! But on
this occasion, Jesus himself asks his disciples for the first time, about his
identity. Probably, Jesus wanted one of his closest collaborators, who lived
with him to reveal his identity. There is a difference of reliability in the
confession of a close associate of Jesus, who knew him well, and the one who
knew him only superficially; there is a difference of intensity in the
confession of the one who had an experiential knowledge of Jesus and the one who
had it pedantically. Hence, the confession of Peter is reliable and true!
The confession of Peter makes Jesus the indispensable part of human life,
because one can live, without John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah and any of the
prophets, but not without Jesus (Son of God) because in Him we live, move and
have our being. In Jesus, one sees the courage of John the Baptist, the power of
Elijah, the youthfulness of Jeremiah, and the conviction and courage of the
prophets. Jesus is all these and more because he is the “Son of God”.
The confession of Peter reveals the role of the Spirit in the Church and in the
life of each believer. Everyone knew Peter as an impetuous fisherman, without
much schooling. Peter’s knowledge of the identity of Jesus did not come from his
intelligence and reasoning, but from the revelation of God. Jesus makes it
evident saying, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood have
not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven” (Mt 16:17). For our limited
intelligence, St Paul writes, “How unsearchable are His judgements and how
inscrutable His ways” (Rom 11:33). Hence, the disciples of Jesus must rely more
on God’s providence than on their own strengths.
Today, the question that is posed before each baptized Christian is: “Who do you
say that I am?” It is the central question that Christianity asks its followers,
because it contains the reasons for our faith and the foundation of our life as
Christians. In whom do we believe? Who is Christ for me? How does this belief
affect the way I live? These are questions to which everyone should answer with
utmost sincerity, knowing that the response would mean ‘to be a Christian’ or
‘not to be a Christian’.
—Fr Devasia Puthiyaparambil, ssp
August 2011 READINGS OF THE WEEK
Psalter Week 1
22 Mon (W) Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Is 9:1-6/ Ps
112:1-2,3-4,5-6,7-8/ Lk 1:26-38
23 Tue (W) St Rose of Lima, 1 Thes 2:1-8/ Ps 138:1-3.4-6/ Mt 23:23-26
24 Wed (R) St Bartholomew, Ap, Fst, Rev 21:9b-14/ Ps 145:10-11.12-13.17-18/ Jn
1:45-51
25 Thu (W) Sts Louis of France/ Joseph Calasanz,
1 Thes 3:7-13/ Ps 90:3-5a.12-13.14,17/ Mt 24:42-51
26 Fri (G) 1 Thes 4:1-8/ Ps 97:1 and 2b.5-6.10.11-12/ Mt 25:1-13
27 Sat (W) St Monica, 1 Thes 4:9-11/ Ps 98:1.7-8.9/ Mt 25:14-30
|