Vol. 38   No. 57                  OCTOBER 30, 2011                    (Cycle - A)  XXXI  SUNDAY OF THE YEAR Be true to ourselves, otherwise we are false ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Do not abandon me, Lord. My God, do not go away from me! Hurry to help me, Lord, my Saviour. (Ps 37:22-23) PENITENTIAL RITE Christian life is a life of service. As servants of the Lord, we should listen to the promptings of the Spirit, carry out our duties with love and patience, be humble servants and not proud masters, and be credible in our speech. For our failures in these and for all our sins, let us ask pardon from the Lord.   (Pause) I confess... Glory to God... OPENING PRAYER God of power and mercy, only with your help can we offer you fitting service and praise. May we live the faith we profess and trust your promise of eternal life. Grant this… FIRST READING (The prophet warns the priests of his day for failing to live up to their calling, for turning away from God and making void the covenant.) A reading from the Book of Malachi   (1:14—2:2,8-10) “And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you. You have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by your instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you have not kept my ways but have shown partiality in your instruction.” Have we not all one father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? This is the Word of the Lord PSALM   (130) Response: Guard my soul in peace before you, O Lord. O Lord, my heart is not proud nor haughty my eyes. I have not gone after things too great nor marvels beyond me. Truly I have set my soul in silence and peace. A weaned child on its mother’s breast, even so is my soul. O Israel, hope in the Lord both now and for ever. SECOND READING (St Paul shares his joyous life of service with the Thessalonians and reminds them of his love and care for them. He also thanks God for their openness to his preaching.) A reading from the First Letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians  (2:7-9,13) We were gentle among you, like a mother taking care of her children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. For you remember our labour and toil, brethren; we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you, while we preached to you the gospel of God. We also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. This is the Word of the Lord ACCLAMATION Alleluia, alleluia! I have called you friends, says the Lord, because all I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you. Alleluia! (Jn 15:15) GOSPEL (God measures greatness not in terms of importance and fame but in terms of service and love. Jesus condemns the externalism of the Pharisees and Scribes: ‘All their works are performed to be seen’.) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew   (23:1-12) Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; so practise and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practise. They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honour at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” 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, each time we come to celebrate the Eucharist we are called by God to a life of truth and genuine goodness. With an open heart, let us pray to our heavenly Father for all our needs, saying: Response: Lord, make us meek and humble of heart. 1. For the leaders of the Church: that they may not seek their own glory but be of service to others. Grant them the grace to be more humble, more loving and more compassionate. 2. For all Christians: that they may admit their own faults and weaknesses; be true to themselves, and never lack in charity and compassion in their dealings with others. 3. For all those who are over-burdened and downcast: that they may be helped and supported by kind-hearted and generous people. May they experience God’s love and compassion. 4. For all who hold public office: that they may be preserved from falsehood and deception. May the Holy Spirit help them to be truthful and just in discharging their duties. 5. For all present in this holy assembly: that we may shun hypocrisy and falsehood. Grant us the grace to live up to our Christian calling, as God’s sons and daughters. (Pray for local and personal needs) Cel: Heavenly Father, we praise and thank you for all your blessings and graces showered upon us. Help us to reject and renounce all duplicity and pretence, and to live a life of credibility, goodness, love and service. We ask this... PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS God of mercy, may we offer a pure sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. We ask this… PREFACE   (P 36) Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks. When your children sinned and wandered far from your friendship, you reunited them with yourself through the blood of your Son and the power of the Holy Spirit. You gather them into your Church, to be one as you, Father, are one with your Son and the Holy Spirit. You call them to be your people to praise your wisdom in all your works. You make them the body of Christ and the dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit. In our joy we sing to your glory with all the choirs of angels: All: Holy, holy, holy… COMMUNION ANTIPHON Lord, you will show me the path of life and fill me with joy in your presence. (Ps 15:11) PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Lord, you give us new hope in this Eucharist. May the power of your love continue its saving work among us and bring us to the joy you promise. We ask this…   LITURGY  AND  LIFE The history of salvation reveals that there is a mission behind every call: Moses was called to free the people of Israel; David’s vocation was to be a king; Mary was destined to become the Mother of God; the disciples of Jesus were called to be “fishers of men”. In fact, everyone is born with a mission. The missionary aspect, of every vocation, is more necessary and relevant today than ever before because there are more needs today than before. A God-given mission is always accompanied by His grace. Moses, who had an impediment in speech, becomes the spokesperson of God; David, the youngest and perhaps the weakest child of Jesse, becomes the most powerful king; Jeremiah receives the assurance of the Lord, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you” (Jer 1:8). Jesus promises his abiding presence to his disciples saying, “When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Mt 10:19-20). The Readings of today present the dispositions that the followers of Christ should possess: Listening: The First Reading emphasises the importance of listening. The Lord says, “if you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name... I will curse your blessings” (Mal 2:2). Listening implies obedience: A disciple of Jesus should listen to the voice of the Lord and obey Him, rather than follow selfish desires and aspirations. Responsibility: Authority is always from God. One should be always grateful to God for the authority entrusted to him, use it responsibly and never abuse it. Work day and night, so as not to become a burden to others. St Paul presents himself as grateful and responsible. Tenderness: One should carry out one’s mission with tenderness and care, like St Paul, who was as tender as a mother, caring for her own children (1 Thes 2:7). Hence, a follower of Jesus should consider everyone as God’s children and treat them as his/her own brothers and sisters. Credibility: Citing the example of the Scribes and the Pharisees who did not practise what they taught, Jesus invites all missionaries to be credible by practising what they preach. Rejecting the style of the scribes and the Pharisees, Jesus says, the best missionary activity is personal witness. One should not look for one’s own convenience and comfort, but for the welfare of others. Service: For the Lord, the measuring rod of greatness is not the importance of the office and the applause of others, but that of humble service that one renders, because Jesus says, “The greatest among you will be your servant” (Mt 23:11). Jesus, the greatest of all, came not to be served but to serve. Like beautiful flowers full of colour but without scent, so are the well-chosen words of the person who does not act accordingly. What great prophets have said, is forgotten, but what heroes and saints have done is still remembered. There can be no happiness for us, as long as the things we believe in, are different from the things we do. In the Gospel, we see how strong Jesus was in his criticism of those who use religion to gain power, and who do not live what is at the heart of religion: love and compassion, justice and faith. If we practise what we preach, if we live by our beliefs, we ourselves will be the first to benefit. —Fr Devasia Puthiyaparambil, ssp      Oct/November  2011           READINGS  OF  THE  WEEK          Psalter Week  3 31 Mon (G) Rom 11:29-36/ Ps 69:30-31.33-34.36/ Lk 14:12-14 01 Tue (W) ALL SAINTS, Sol., Rev 7:2-4.9-14/ Ps 24:1b-2.3-4ab.5-6/ 1 Jn 3:1-3/ Mt 5:1-12a 02 Wed (V) ALL SOULS DAY, ( For Readings, see the Lectionry for the Dead) 03 Thu (W) St Martin de Porres, Rom 14:7-12/ Ps 27:1bcde.4.13-14/ Lk 15:1-10 04 Fri (W) St Charles Borromeo, Rom 15:14-21/ Ps 98:1.2-3ab.3cd-4/ Lk 16:1-8 05 Sat (G) Rom 16:3-9. 16. 22-27/ Ps 145:2-3.4-5.10-11/ Lk 16:9-15