Vol. 37 No. 14          February  7,  2010           Cycle C 5th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR Do not be afraid, henceforth you will be catching men ENTRANCE  ANTIPHON Come, let us worship the Lord. Let us bow down in the presence of our maker, for he is the Lord our God. PENITENTIAL RITE In today’s Gospel Jesus tells Simon Peter: “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” When Peter does what Jesus told him to do, the whole life of Peter is in for a change. He confesses to Jesus, “Leave me Lord, I am a sinful man.” The amazing generosity of Jesus’ self-offering of his body and blood is that God does not focus on our unworthiness but raises us to the status of the children of God. Hence, let us ask ourselves whether we are ready to accept ourselves as we are and encounter Jesus in order to become his disciples? I confess… Glory to God… OPENING PRAYER Let us pray: Father, watch over your family and keep us safe in your care, for all our hope is in you. We ask this… FIRST READING (In this reading we have the overpowering story of God calling Isaiah. By the vision of God Isaiah is overwhelmed, cleansed in speech and sent as a prophet.) A reading from the Book of Isaiah (6:1-8) In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven.” And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” This is the Word of the Lord PSALM (137) Response: Before the angels I will bless you, O Lord. 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. R./ 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. R./ All earth’s kings shall thank you when they hear the words of your mouth. They shall sing of the Lord’s ways: “How great is the glory of the Lord!” R./ You stretch out your hand and save me, your hand will do all things for me. Your love, O Lord, is eternal, discard not the work of your hands. R./ SECOND READING (St Paul reminds the Corinthians that the bodily resurrection of Jesus is at the very heart of the apostolic preaching and the centre of our faith.) A reading from the First Letter of St Paul to the Corinthians (15:3-8,11) I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. This is the Word of the Lord ACCLAMATION (1 Sam 3:9; Jn 6:68) Alleluia, alleluia! Speak, Lord, your servant hears; you have the words of eternal life. Alleluia! GOSPEL (Today’s gospel suggests that in our lives we must be tuned into God’s revelations to be fruitful members of the Kingdom of God. God meets us ‘where we are’ and leads us to ‘where He is.’) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to          St Luke ( 5:1-11) While the people pressed upon Jesus to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing. But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he was astonished, and all that were with him at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. 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 pray to our heavenly Father, that like Peter we too may listen to Jesus. With confidence now let us pray to the Lord, saying: Response: Father, in your mercy hear our prayer. 1. That our Pope, bishops, priests and religious may always strive to listen to the voice of Jesus and commit themselves to serve the people. R./ 2. That Christians all over the world may put aside their doubts, fear and anxiety and courageously live their faith believing in the presence of Jesus in their life. R./ 3. That the youth of today may not rely only on their strengths, intelligence and abilities but learn to surrender themselves to Jesus as their Lord and God. R./ 4. That all those who hold public office may bring all their talents and energies to their work, and thus they may serve all citizens. R./ 5. That all of us present here may continue to live a life worthy of the Christian call and come to experience the forgiving love of Jesus. R./ (Pray for local and personal needs) Cel: Almighty God, you sent your only Son that we may come to know and experience you as our loving Father. We pray that, like Peter, we too may come to recognize Jesus as our Saviour and Lord. We ask this… PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS Lord our God, may the bread and wine you give us for our nourishment on earth become the sacrament of our eternal life. We ask this… PREFACE  (P 35) Father all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks. So great was your love that you gave us your Son as our redeemer. You sent him as one like ourselves, though free from sin, that you might see and love in us what you see and love in Christ. Your gifts of grace, lost by dis-obedience, are now restored by the obedience of your Son. We praise you, Lord, with all the angels and saints in their song of joy: All: Holy, holy, holy… COMMUNION ANTIPHON Give praise to the Lord for his kindness, for his wonderful deeds toward men. He has filled the hungry with good things, he has satisfied the thirsty. PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION God our Father, you give us a share in the one bread and the one cup and make us one in Christ. Help us to bring your salvation and joy to all the world. We ask this…     February 2010 READINGS OF THE WEEK Psalter Week 1 8 Mon (W) St Jerome Emiliani/St Josephine Bakhita, 1 Kgs 8:1-7,9-13; Ps 131:6-7,8-10; Mk 6:53-56 9 Tue (G) 1 Kgs 8:22-23,27-30; Ps 83:3,4,5,10,11; Mk 7:1-13 10 Wed (W) St Scholastica, 1 Kgs 10:1-10; Ps 36:5-6,30-31,39-40; Mk 7:14-23 11 Thu (W) Our Lady of Lourdes (World Day of the Sick) 1 Kgs 11:4-13; Ps 105; Mk 7:24-30, or Is 66:10-14c; Ps Jdt 13:18bcde,19; Jn 2:1-11 12 Fri (G) 1 Kgs 11:29-32,12:19; Ps 80:10-11ab,12-13,14-15; Mk 7:31-37 13 Sat (G) 1 Kgs 12:26-32,13:33-34; Ps 105:6-7a,19-20,21-22; Mk 8:1-10