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ENTRANCE
ANTIPHON
Lord, be my rock of safety, the
stronghold that saves me. For the honour of your
name, lead me and guide me. (Ps 30:3-4)
PENITENTIAL RITE
“Pray, pray and pray. Prayer will give you a
pure heart and with that pure heart you will be
able see God in others,” says Blessed Teresa of
Kolkata. One virus is enough to disrupt the
working of the whole computer. One drop of
poison can damage the good health of someone.
One evil thought suffices to destroy a person.
Today’s Gospel presents Jesus’ Sermon on the
Mount. Jesus proposes new standards of goodness
for his disciples. To celebrate this Eucharist
worthily, let us humbly ask pardon from the Lord
for our failure in living out Jesus’ values.
(Pause)
OPENING PRAYER
God our Father, you have promised to remain for
ever with those who do what is just and right.
Help us to live in your presence. We ask this...
FIRST READING
(Ben Sira teaches his students to choose the
life-giving wisdom of God. God has given us the
freedom to choose between good and evil, to
choose between life and death. He does expect
and demand from us obedience and loyal service.)
A reading from the Book of Sirach (15:15-20)
If you will, you can keep the commandments, and
to act faithfully is a matter of your own
choice. He has placed before you fire and water:
stretch out your hand for whichever you wish.
Before a man are life and death, and whichever
he chooses will be given to him. For great is
the wisdom of the Lord; he is mighty in power
and sees everything; his eyes are on those who
fear him, and he knows every deed of man. He has
not commanded any one to be ungodly, and he has
not given any one permission to sin.
This is the Word of the Lord
PSALM (118)
Response: They are happy who follow God’s
law!
They are happy whose life is blameless, who
follow God’s law! They are happy those who do
his will, seeking him with all their hearts. R./
You have laid down your precepts to be obeyed
with care. May my footsteps be firm to obey your
statutes. R./
Bless your servant and I shall live and obey
your word. Open my eyes that I may consider the
wonders of your law. R./
Teach me the demands of your statutes and I will
keep them to the end. Train me to observe your
law, to keep it with my heart. R./
SECOND READING
(St Paul tells the Corinthians about the
superiority of the imperishable wisdom of God
over the frail human intellect, which is
perishable. What God has prepared for those who
love Him, surpasses all human comprehension.)
A reading from the First Letter of St Paul to
the Corinthians (2:6-10)
Among the mature we do impart wisdom, although
it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers
of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we
impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which
God decreed before the ages for our
glorification. None of the rulers of this age
understood this; for if they had, they would not
have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is
written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man conceived, what God has
prepared for those who love him,” God has
revealed to us through the Spirit. For the
Spirit searches everything, even the depths of
God.
This is the Word of the Lord
ACCLAMATION
Alleluia, alleluia! I am the living bread which
has come down from heaven, says the Lord. Any
one who eats this bread will live for ever.
Alleluia! (Jn 6:51)
GOSPEL
(Jesus proposes new standards of goodness for
his disciples. His followers must purify
themselves from all sorts of defilement, anger,
lust and lies; they have to obey God’s commands
out of love and respect.)
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St
Matthew (shorter form)
(5:20-22a,27-28,33-34a,37)
Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, unless
your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes
and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom
of heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to the men of
old, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills
shall be liable to judgement’. But I say to you
that everyone who is angry with his brother
shall be liable to judgment.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not
commit adultery’. But I say to you that every
one who looks at a woman lustfully has already
committed adultery with her in his heart.
“Again you have heard that it was said to the
men of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but
shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn’.
But I say to you, Do not swear at all. Let what
you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more
than this comes from evil.”
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, the psalmist
says: ‘Only the man with a pure heart and clean
hand can ascend the mountain of God’. Let us
come before the Lord with pure hearts and pray
for our needs:
Response: Lord, give us a pure heart.
1. That our Pope, bishops, priests and religious
may be shining witnesses of Jesus’ values. May
the word of God take root in their hearts and
bear fruit in their lives. Let us pray to the
Lord. R./
2. That all married couples may be faithful to
their life partners in good times and in bad, in
sickness and in health. Let us pray... R./
3. That our youth may consider purity of mind
and body as a much needed virtue in today’s
world, which seeks pleasure without any limit.
Let us pray... R./
4. That those children who are victims of child
abuse, and innocent people who struggle for
their life because of the anger and resentment
of their persecutors, may be protected by God.
Let us pray... R./
5. That all of us gathered here in this
assembly, may have the wisdom to use our gifts
and talents for the glory of God and for the
service of humanity. Let us pray... R./
(Pray for local and personal needs)
Cel: Heavenly Father, You are the source of all
holiness and purity, help us to keep our
thoughts clean, our desires pure, our words
true, and our deeds kind. We ask this...
PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS
Lord, we make this offering in obedience to your
word. May it cleanse and renew us, and lead us
to our eternal reward. 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 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
They ate and were filled; the Lord gave them
what they wanted: they were not deprived of
their desire. (Ps 77:29-30)
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Lord, you give us food from heaven. May we
always hunger for the bread of life. Grant
this...
LITURGY AND
LIFE
The Bible considers
‘Mountains’ as the meeting place of God and
human beings. Abraham is commanded to sacrifice
his son on a mountain; Moses is given the Ten
Commandments on Mount Sinai; Elijah defeats the
prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. The psalmist
considers Mount Zion as the true pole of the
earth and Yahweh’s dwelling place (Ps 48).
The Gospels mention at least six mountains in
the life-narratives of Jesus.
1. Mountain of Temptation: After his baptism
Jesus was led by the Spirit in the wilderness to
be tested by Satan. One of the temptations took
place on a high mountain (Mt 4:8). This mountain
was symbolic of various temptations in the life
and ministry of Jesus (such as kingship, fame,
miracle, sign from heaven, coming down from the
cross...).
2. Mountain of the Sermon: Jesus went up to the
mountain of Sermon (Mt 5:7). There he explained
the Ten Commandments in a new way saying, “I
have not come to abolish the Law and the
Prophets but to fulfil it.” It is only after
conquering the mountain of temptation that Jesus
ascended on the mountain of Sermon. If we want
our children to listen to us and follow our
suggestions we have to witness overcoming our
own mountains of temptation.
3. Mountain of Prayer: In his earthly life Jesus
often visited mountains for prayer. At times he
would spend the whole night praying on the
mountain (Mt 14:23) or go to the mountain alone
during the daytime (Mt 15:29). If we are so
busy, that we have no time to pray then probably
even God does not want us to be so busy.
4. Mountain of Transfiguration: All the synoptic
Gospels (Mt 17, Mk 9, Lk 9) as well as the
Second Letter of Peter (1:17-18) mention the
transfiguration of Jesus on a high mountain. The
transfiguration suggests, that one has to read
the Law and the Prophets in the light of Jesus’
teaching. One should not think of Jesus as
merely a wonder worker, teacher or prophet. He
is basically the Son of God.
5. Mountain of Passion: After the
transfiguration experience, Jesus had predicted
(Lk 9:22) that he would be handed over to the
scribes and the elders and that he would suffer
for his mission. St Matthew presents Jesus’
passion as the fulfilment of the OT prophecies
(Mt 26:31).
6. Mountain of Ascension: Jesus finally, ascends
the mountain of Ascension (Mt 28:16). From all
the other mountains he descends but the mountain
of Ascension takes him beyond time and space.
The descent from this mountain will only be at
the Parousia (the returning of Jesus).
In today’s Gospel we meet the Lord speaking to
his disciples from the mountain of the Sermon,
exhorting them to desire purity of heart, mind
and speech. Jesus said, “If your virtue goes no
deeper than that of the Scribes and Pharisees,
you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.”
Virtue is shallow when it lacks personal
conviction, and is practised merely out of
convention, conformity or routine. Virtue is
inauthentic when the person is not sincere. The
disciples are simply called to be truthful and
righteous.
Let us find out the various mountains in our
life and ask the Lord to be with us on the
mountains of temptation and suffering so that we
may enjoy his presence on the mountains of
sermon, prayer, transfiguration and ascension.
–Fr Robert B. D’Souza
February 2011
READINGS OF
THE WEEK
Psalter Week
2
14 Mon (W) Sts Cyril and Methodius, Gn
4:1-15.25/ Ps 49:1 & 8.16bc-17.20-21/ Mk 8:11-13
15 Tue (G) Gn 6:5-8;7:1-5.10/ Ps 28:1a &
2.3ac-4.3b & 9c-10/ Mk 8:14-21
16 Wed (G) Gn 8:6-13,20-22/ Ps
115:12-13.14-15.18-19 / Mk 8:22-26
17 Thu (W) Seven Founders of the Order of Servites, Gn 9:1-13/ Ps 101:16-18.19-21.29 &
22-23/
Mk 8:27-33
18 Fri (G) Gn 11:1-9/ Ps 32:10-11.12-13.14-15/
Mk 8:34 – 9:1
19 Sat (G) Heb 11:1-7/ Ps 144:2-3. 4-5.10-11/ Mk
9:2-13
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