Vol. 36 No. 53                                                                                                   (Cycle B)  27th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR   ENTRANCE ANTIPHON O Lord, you have given everything its place in the world, and no one can make it otherwise. For it is your creation, the heavens and the earth and the stars: you are the Lord of all. PENITENTIAL RITE Marriage is a union of a man and a woman for life. It is willed by God for our growth and happiness. In this world of consumerism and greed for money, marriage and the relationship that exists between husband and wife are weakened. Divorce is considered an easy solution to ease out the difficulties in family life. The liturgy of today invites us to give priority to human relationships as only it can ensure our happiness. Let us humbly ask mercy and pardon from the Lord for the times we have not respected the sacredness of the marriage bond and broken his law of love. I confess... Glory to God... OPENING PRAYER Let us pray: Father, your love for us surpasses all our hopes and desires. Forgive our failings, keep us in your peace and lead us in the way of salvation. We ask this... First Reading (The passage deals with the institution of marriage and shows that monogamy is God’s rule from the very beginning. God intends marriage for our well-being and we must always consider it as sacred and indissoluble.) A reading from the Book of Genesis (2:18-24) The Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” So out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh. This is the Word of the Lord PSALM (127) Response: May the Lord bless us all the days of our life. O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways! R./ By the labour of your hands you shall eat. You will be happy and prosper. R./ Your wife like a fruitful vine in the heart of your house; your children like shoots of the olive, around your table. R./ Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion in a happy Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children. On Israel, peace! R./ SECOND READING (The author of Hebrews mentions the humiliation Christ suffers in his humanity. But this was only temporary; he was raised from death and crowned with glory and honour.) A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (2:9-11) We see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for every one. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brethren. This is the Word of the Lord ACCLAMATION (Jn 17:17) Alleluia! Alleluia! Your word is truth, O Lord, sanctify us in the truth. Alleluia! GOSPEL (Christ clearly states that from the very beginning God’s plan for marriage was that it should be a life-long unity of one man and one woman. Divorce which tries to break this bond breaks the law of the creator.) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Mark (10:2-16) Some Pharisees came up and in order to test Jesus asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away.” But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one.’ So they are no longer two but one. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them. 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, God the Father in his providence has placed us in a family, where we experience love, care and support. Today let us pray for families all over the world, saying: Response: Lord, keep us united in your love. 1. Guide and protect our Pope, Bishops, Priests and Religious; may your Spirit strengthen them to build good Christian families where self-sacrificing love and virtues are practised. R./ 2. We pray for all Christian denominations that in a world fragmented by religious fundamentalism and fanaticism, they may set an example of unity, tolerance and peace. R./ 3. We pray for those suffering from broken marriages and disunited families; that they may receive grace and strength to forgive and to live in unity and peace. R./ 4. We pray for all families; that there may be mutual respect, tolerance and forgiveness, that all members by their selfless love, humility and meekness build up happy homes for the children, the aged and the sick. R./ 5. We pray for couples; grant them the grace to carry out their responsibilities as parents, teachers and guides to their children; may they be examples of selfless love and service to everyone in their homes. R./ (Pray for local and personal needs) Cel: Heavenly Father, we thank and praise your loving plan for humankind. Help every married person to fulfil his/her duties as a parent and complete your plan for humanity. We make this prayer… PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS Father, receive these gifts which our Lord Jesus Christ has asked us to offer in his memory. May our obedient service bring us to the fullness of your redemption. We ask this… PREFACE (P 33) Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks. All things are of your making, all times and seasons obey your laws, but you chose to create man in your own image, setting him over the whole world in all its wonder. You made man the steward of creation, to praise you day by day for the marvels of your wisdom and power, through Jesus Christ our Lord. We praise you, Lord, with all the angels in their song of Joy: All: Holy, holy, holy... COMMUNION ANTIPHON The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to those who are searching for his love. PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Almighty God, let the Eucharist we share fill us with your life. May the love of Christ which we celebrate here touch our lives and lead us to you. We ask this…   LITURGY AND LIFE   The readings of today highlight the preciousness with which God considers human beings. The creation of human beings in God’s own image reveals how much God loves and cares for us and how valuable our life is. Jesus makes this point clear by giving the example of sparrows, “Not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing it”. In order to respect and to maintain the greatness and the preciousness of human beings, the most essential element is relationship. Relationship is one of the important ways in which human beings can achieve happiness. Human happiness is essentially relationship because the need for relationship comes from deep within, and without it one cannot grow into maturity. In order to develop and mature socially and emotionally, we need to be related and connected well with God, with others and with self. The nature of God as Trinity reveals the importance of relationship. And Jesus’ becoming man, and thus restoring the lost relationship between God and humanity, also points out the importance of relationship. Marriage is the first place where we experience the highest form of relationship. The readings of today highlight the need, the sacredness and the indissolubility of marriage. It is a need because it ensures companionship and love. It is sacred because God has intended it. It is indissoluble because God has joined it and what God has instituted and what God has joined no one should separate. A serious reflection on marriage and divorce is important especially in the present day society where the number of divorces are alarmingly high. For simplest of reasons and in the shortest period of time, couples seek divorce. Where did we go wrong? Whom are we to blame? What are the remedies? What is important at this moment is not to find the reasons, but the remedy. The first remedy is that each one recognize the need for relationship and fulfil it. The primary purpose of marriage is companionship without which we would never grow as mature human beings. Secondly, consider marriage as a commitment and as a promise. And commitment can take place only among mature persons. Thus, commitment can also mean power, single-mindedness and self-sacrifice. Thirdly, find the purpose of life. God has sent us into this world with a definite purpose of making a positive contribution in the society where we live. We are individuals and under this pretext we often excuse ourselves of our duties. Fourthly, one must remember that marriage is a constant process of giving and receiving, forgiving and forgetting, joys and suffering. Love leads to concern for the other, placing the other’s interest above one’s own. Fifthly, respect the other as a person with sentiments and feelings, desires and dislikes. Small acts of appreciation can be the most effective way to demonstrate love and respect for each other. Sixthly, make allowances for the mistakes of others. We will never find a perfect partner because everyone is imperfect and thus limited. —Fr Devasia Puthiyaparambil, ssp   October 2009 READINGS OF THE WEEK Psalter Week 3 5 Mon (G) Jon 1:1-2:1,11; Ps Jon 2:3,4,5,8; Lk 10:25-37 6 Tue (W) St Bruno, Jon 3:1-10; Ps 129:1-2,3-4,7bc-8; Lk 10:38-42 7 Wed (W) Our Lady of the Rosary (mem) Ac 1:12-14; Ps Lk 1:46-47,48-49,50-51,52-53,54-55; Lk 1:26-38 8 Thu (G) Mal 3:13-20a; Ps 1:1-2,3,4&6; Lk 11:5-13 9 Fri (R) Ss Denys & Com, Joel 1:13-15;2:1-2; Ps 9:2-3,6&16,8-9; Lk 11:15-26 10 Sat (G) Joel 4:12-21; Ps 96:1-2,5-6,11-12; Lk 11:27-28