November 14, 2010 33rd SUNDAY  OF  THE  YEAR (World Communications Day)     ENTRANCE ANTIPHON The Lord says: my plans for you are peace and not disaster; when you call to me, I will listen to you, and I will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you. PENITENTIAL RITE The Church in India today celebrates WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY to sensitize us on the importance of media of social communications, and its use in evangelization. The world has recently witnessed a revolution in the communication field. During this Eucharist, let us thank and praise God for these amazing gifts which have immensely contributed to make our world a global-village. To celebrate this Eucharist worthily let us ask Lord’s pardon for our misuse of the Media and our failure to use them for the spread of the Gospel. (Pause) I confess... Glory to God... OPENING PRAYER Father of all that is good, keep us faithful in serving you, for to serve you is our lasting joy. We ask this... FIRST READING (The prophet, by announcing the end times and the day of judgement by the Lord, gives a severe warning to the arrogant, and a message of comfort and consolation to those who fear God and live an upright life.) A reading from the Book of Malachi   (4:1-2a) Behold, the day comes, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. This is the Word of the Lord   PSALM    (97) Response: The Lord comes to rule the peoples with fairness. Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp, with the sound of music. With trumpets and the sound of the horn acclaim the King, the Lord. R./ Let the sea and all within it, thunder; the world, and all its peoples. Let the rivers clap their hands and the hills ring out their joy at the presence of the Lord. R./ For the Lord comes, comes to rule the earth. He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with fairness. R./ SECOND READING (St Paul reproves those in the community who live idle lives. Presenting himself as an example to be imitated, he urges the idle ones to work hard and earn their living.) A reading from the Second Letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians   (3:7-12) You yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, we did not eat any one’s bread without paying, but with toil and labour we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you. It was not because we have not that right, but to give you in our conduct an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: If any one will not work, let him not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busy-bodies, not doing any work. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work in quietness and to earn their own living. This is the Word of the Lord ACCLAMATION     (Lk 21:36) Alleluia, alleluia! Watch at all times, praying that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of man. Alleluia! GOSPEL (In this eschatological discourse, Jesus foretells the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem and the end of time. But those who are faithful to him need not fear.) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Luke    (21:5-19) As some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, Jesus said, “As for these things which you see, the days will come when there shall not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” And they asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign when this is about to take place?” And he said, “Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place, but the end will not be at once.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be a time for you to bear testimony. Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.” 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, let us thank and praise God for the gift of digital communication technologies. Let us ask the Lord to grant us the wisdom to use effectively these media, saying: Response: Lord, hear our prayer. 1. For the Holy Father, bishops and priests of the Church: that using the current digital technology, they may faithfully proclaim the Gospel to all people, let us pray to the Lord. R./   2. For parents and teachers: that they may help the young to become discerning consumers of the media, and insist on the content which uplifts and enhances the dignity of the human person, let us pray to the Lord. R./   3. For young people who are fragile and easily carried off by the media: that they may discern what is good, authentic and dignified, and thus be protected from everything that degrades and divides, let us pray to the Lord. R./ 4. For those engaged in communication technology, like producers, directors, artists and for those who collaborate with them: that they may work with courage and determination to communicate truthfully, fairly and responsibly, let us pray to the Lord. R./ 5. For public authorities: that they may be ever more conscious of their role in holding the media accountable and responsible for communication, communion and co-operation, let us pray to the Lord. R./ (Pray for local and personal needs) Cel.: Ever-loving Father, you have endowed us with the means of social communications as your gifts to humanity. Give us the grace to become more aware of their immense potential that we may use them for the spread of the Good News to all people. We ask this... PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS Lord God, may the gifts we offer increase our love for you and bring us to eternal life. We ask this... PREFACE      (31) Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks. We see your infinite power in your loving plan of salvation. You came to our rescue by your power as God, but you wanted us to be saved by one like us. Man refused your friendship, but man himself was to restore it through Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him the angels of heaven offer their prayer of adoration as they rejoice in your presence for ever. May our voices be one with theirs in their triumphant hymn of praise: All: Holy, holy, holy... COMMUNION ANTIPHON It is good for me to be with the Lord and to put my hope in him. PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Father, may we grow in love by the Eucharist we have celebrated in memory of the Lord Jesus, who is Lord for ever and ever.   LITURGY  AND  LIFE   In today’s Gospel we see how Jesus’ disciples wonder at the beauty and majesty of the Jerusalem Temple. But Jesus foresaw that the magnificent Temple would be reduced to a pile of rubble. So, Jesus warned them, “Take care not to be deceived”. The new temples, where people gather around today and marvel at, are the various media business establishments. They have become so powerful today that they have invaded every aspect of our thinking, life-style and social fabric of human society. The new technological novelties like iPod and iPhone are taking people captive by their fascination. People are very much attracted by their utility and power as the disciples marvelled at the Jerusalem Temple. Jesus warns us today that these sensational and superficial promises can possibly lead us to falsehood and perversion. Today’s young people are at home with the new language of the media. The old culture is substituted with the new digital culture. The Church, however, warns that the digital culture should not be a substitute for dogma or theology, but should be employed to make initial contact with those who are far from the faith. The goal of this new temple of communication finally must become a means of encountering God. Jesus warns us in the Gospel: “Many will come using my name and saying ‘I am he’, and ‘The time is at hand’. Refuse to join them.” In fact, in our own times we see certain religious leaders claiming to know the truth, allege that the end is near and many are drawn by these sects by their cleverly and effective use of the media. In his message for the 44th World Communications Day, the Holy Father, Benedict XVI says: “Priests can rightly be expected to be present in the world of digital communications as faithful witnesses to the Gospel, exercising their proper role as leaders of communities which increasingly express themselves with the different ‘voices’ provided by the digital marketplace.” Jesus then goes on to say: “When you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified”. Jesus seems to put the accent on the word “hear”. Now, it is clear that, today through the media we can listen to the news and know what is happening all around the world, we can hear news of the wars and terrorists’ attacks. The “hearing” from the media can often lead us towards fear and terror. But the hearing of the word of Jesus fills us with courage as he tell us, “….do not be terrified”. He further adds: “But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.” What we need to do is to give witness to Christ, particularly in the face of rejection, mockery and persecution. Jesus is talking to everyone of us who is mocked at for hanging on to our Christian moral principles when the media project them as an outdated and old-fashioned morality. He is talking to all of us who fight to uphold the Christian family values and to fight against the media that deify self-gratification and selfishness. It is frightening because the Lord demands that we stand up for him, his Kingdom and the Christian way of life in a materialistic, self-centered world. This is the challenge before every Christian today in a media savvy world! —Fr Vincent Carmelbhavan, ssp   November  2010     READINGS  OF  THE  WEEK     Psalter Week  1 15 Mon (W) St Albert the Great, Rev 1:1-4; 2:1-5a; Ps 1:1-2,3,4&6; Lk 18:35-43 16 Tue (G)   Rev 3:1-6,14-22; Ps 14:2-3ab,3cd-4ab,5; Lk 19:1-10 17 Wed (W)   St Elizabeth of Hungary, mem Rev 4:1-11; Ps 150:1-2,3-4,5-6;                            Lk 19:11- 28 18 Thu (W)     Dedication of the Basilicas of St Peter & St Paul                                 Rev 5:1-10; Ps 149:1-2,3-4,5-6a & 9b; Lk 19:41-44 19 Fri (G)   Rev 10:8-11; Ps 118:14,24,72,103,111,131; Lk 19:45-48 20 Sat (G)   Rev 11:4-12; Ps 143:1,2,9-10; Lk 20:27-40