THE TWENTY SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Prayer to St. Joseph of Arimathea

Merciful God,

whose servant Joseph of Arimathaea with reverence

and godly fear prepared the body of our Lord and Savior for burial,

and laid it in his own tomb:

Grant to us,

your faithful people,

grace and courage to love and serve Jesus with sincere devotion all the days of our life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Prayer to Saint Nicodemus

Merciful God,

whose servant Nicodemus was a secret disciple of Christ,

meeting him by night to avoid the wrath of the other members of the Sanhedrin,

and eventually spoke out to that body to remind them that Jesus had a right to a hearing

and with reverence and godly fear prepared the body of our Lord and Savior for burial,

and laid it in his own tomb:

Grant to us,

your faithful people,

grace and courage to love and serve Jesus with sincere devotion all the days of our life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

DAILY MASS READINGS

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1

JER 20:7-9

You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped;

you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.

All the day I am an object of laughter;

everyone mocks me.

Whenever I speak, I must cry out,

violence and outrage is my message;

the word of the LORD has brought me

derision and reproach all the day.

I say to myself, I will not mention him,

I will speak in his name no more.

But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,

imprisoned in my bones;

I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

O God, you are my God whom I seek;

for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts

like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary

to see your power and your glory,

For your kindness is a greater good than life;

my lips shall glorify you.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Thus will I bless you while I live;

lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.

As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,

and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

You are my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.

My soul clings fast to you;

your right hand upholds me.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Reading 2

ROM 12:1-2

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,

to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,

holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.

Do not conform yourselves to this age

but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,

that you may discern what is the will of God,

what is good and pleasing and perfect.

Gospel

MT 16:21-27

Jesus began to show his disciples

that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly

from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,

and be killed and on the third day be raised.

Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,

“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”

He turned and said to Peter,

“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.

You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples,

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,

take up his cross, and follow me.

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world

and forfeit his life?

Or what can one give in exchange for his life?

For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,

and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”

SAINT OF THE DAY

August 31

Saints Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus

Joseph was a respected, wealthy civic leader who had become a disciple of Jesus. Following the death of Jesus, Joseph obtained Jesus' body from Pilate, wrapped it in fine linen and buried it. For these reasons Joseph is considered the patron saint of funeral directors and pallbearers. More important is the courage Joseph showed in asking Pilate for Jesus' body. Jesus was a condemned criminal who had been publicly executed. According to some legends, Joseph was punished and imprisoned for such a bold act.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and, like Joseph, an important first-century Jew. 
We know from John's Gospel that Nicodemus went to Jesus at night—secretly—
to better understand his teachings about the kingdom. 
Later, Nicodemus spoke up for Jesus at the time of his arrest and assisted in Jesus' burial. 
We know little else about Nicodemus.

OFFICE OF READINGS

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will proclaim Your Praise!

Invitatory Psalm

Psalm 99 (100)

We are the people of the Lord,

the flock that is led by his hand:

come, let us adore him, alleluia.

Rejoice in the Lord, all the earth,

and serve him with joy.

Exult as you enter his presence.

We are the people of the Lord,

the flock that is led by his hand:

come, let us adore him, alleluia.

Know that the Lord is God.

He made us and we are his

– his people, the sheep of his flock.

We are the people of the Lord,

the flock that is led by his hand:

come, let us adore him, alleluia.

Cry out his praises as you enter his gates,

fill his courtyards with songs.

Proclaim him and bless his name;

for the Lord is our delight.

His mercy lasts forever,

his faithfulness through all the ages.

We are the people of the Lord,

the flock that is led by his hand:

come, let us adore him, alleluia.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

We are the people of the Lord,

the flock that is led by his hand:

come, let us adore him, alleluia.

Hymn

This day at thy creating Word

First o’er the earth the light was poured:

O Lord, this day upon us shine

And fill our souls with light divine.

This day the Lord for sinners slain

In might victorious rose again:

O Jesus, may we raisèd be

From death of sin to life in thee!

This day the Holy Spirit came

With fiery tongues of cloven flame:

O Spirit, fill our hearts this day

With grace to hear and grace to pray.

O day of light and life and grace,

From earthly toil a resting-place,

The hallowed hours, blest gift of love,

Give we again to God above.

All praise to God the Father be,

All praise, eternal Son, to thee,

Whom, with the Spirit, we adore

Forever and for evermore.

Psalm 103 (104)

Hymn to God the Creator

Lord God, how great you are,

clothed in majesty and glory,

wrapped in light as in a robe.

Alleluia.

Bless the Lord, my soul!

Lord, my God, how great you are!

You are robed in majesty and splendour;

you are wrapped in light as in a cloak.

You stretch out the sky like an awning,

you build your palace upon the waters.

You make the clouds your chariot,

you walk upon the wings of the wind.

You make the breezes your messengers,

you make burning fire your minister.

You set the earth upon its foundation:

from age to age it will stand firm.

Deep oceans covered it like a garment,

and the waters stood high above the mountains;

but you rebuked them and they fled;

at the sound of your thunder they fled in terror.

They rise to the mountains or sink to the valleys,

to the places you have decreed for them.

You have given them a boundary they must not cross;

they will never come back to cover the earth.

You make springs arise to feed the streams,

that flow in the midst of the mountains.

All the beasts of the field will drink from them

and the wild asses will quench their thirst.

Above them will nest the birds of the sky,

from among the branches their voices will sound.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Lord God, how great you are,

clothed in majesty and glory,

wrapped in light as in a robe.

Alleluia.

Psalm 103 (104)

The Lord brought forth bread from the earth and wine,

to cheer man’s heart.

Alleluia.

From your palace you water the mountains,

and thus you give plenty to the earth.

You bring forth grass for the cattle,

and plants for the service of man.

You bring forth bread from the land,

and wine to make man’s heart rejoice.

Oil, to make the face shine;

and bread to make man’s heart strong.

The trees of the Lord have all that they need,

and the cedars of Lebanon, that he planted.

Small birds will nest there,

and storks at the tops of the trees.

For wild goats there are the high mountains;

the crags are a refuge for the coneys.

He made the moon so that time could be measured;

the sun knows the hour of its setting.

You send shadows, and night falls:

then all the beasts of the woods come out,

lion cubs roaring for their prey,

asking God for their food.

When the sun rises they come back together

to lie in their lairs;

man goes out to his labor,

and works until evening.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

The Lord brought forth bread from the earth and wine,

to cheer man’s heart.

Alleluia.

Psalm 103 (104)

God saw all he had made,

and indeed it was very good.

Alleluia.

How many are your works, O Lord!

You have made all things in your wisdom,

and the earth is full of your creatures.

The sea is broad and immense:

sea-creatures swim there, both small and large,

too many to count.

Ships sail across it;

Leviathan lives there, the monster;

you made him to play with.

All of them look to you

to give them their food when they need it.

You give it to them, and they gather;

you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

But turn away, and they are dismayed;

take away their breath, and they die,

once more they will turn into dust.

You will send forth your breath, they will come to life;

you will renew the face of the earth.

Glory be to the Lord, for ever;

let the Lord rejoice in his works.

He turns his gaze to the earth, and it trembles;

he touches the mountains, and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord all my life;

as long as I exist, I will sing songs to God.

May my praises be pleasing to him;

truly I will delight in the Lord.

Let sinners perish from the earth,

let the wicked vanish from existence.

Bless the Lord, my soul!

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

God saw all he had made,

and indeed it was very good.

Alleluia.

Happy are your eyes, because they see.

– Happy are your ears, because they hear.

First Reading

Jeremiah 11:18-20,12:1-13

The Lord revealed it to me; I was warned. O Lord, that was when you opened my eyes to their scheming. 
I for my part was like a trustful lamb being led to the slaughter-house, not knowing the schemes they were plotting against me, 
‘Let us destroy the tree in its strength, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name may be quickly forgotten!’

But you, the Lord of Hosts, 
who pronounce a just sentence,

who probe the loins and heart,

let me see the vengeance you will take on them,

for I have committed my cause to you.

You have right on your side, O Lord,

when I complain about you.

But I would like to debate a point of justice with you.

Why is it that the wicked live so prosperously?

Why do scoundrels enjoy peace?

You plant them, they take root,

and flourish, and even bear fruit.

You are always on their lips,

yet so far from their hearts.

You know me, O Lord, you see me,

you probe my heart, it is in your hands.

Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter-house,

reserve them for the day of butchery.

How long will the land be in mourning,

and the grass wither all over the countryside?

The animals and birds are dying

as a result of the wickedness of the inhabitants.

For they say,

‘God does not see our behavior.’

If you find it exhausting to race against men on foot,

how will you compete against horses?

If you are not secure in a peaceful country,

how will you manage in the thickets along the Jordan?

Yes, even your own brothers and your own family play you false.

Behind your back, they too criticise you openly.

Put no reliance on them when they seem to be friendly.

I have abandoned my house,

left my heritage,

I have delivered what I dearly loved

into the hands of its enemies.

For me my heritage has become

a lion in the forest,

it roars at me ferociously:

so I now hate it.

Or is my heritage a speckled bird

for the birds to flock on her thus from all directions?

Come on, all you wild beasts, gather round,

fall on the quarry!

Many shepherds have laid my vineyard waste,

have trampled down my inheritance,

reducing my pleasant inheritance

to a deserted wilderness.

They have made it a mournful, desolate place,

desolate before me.

The whole land has been devastated

and no one takes it to heart.

The devastators have arrived

on all the bare heights of the desert

(for the Lord wields a sword that devours):

from end to end of the land

there is no peace for any living thing.

Wheat they have sown, thorns they reap:

they have worn themselves out, to no profit.

They are disappointed in their harvests,

through the fury of the Lord.

Responsory

Now my soul is troubled.

And what shall I say?

Father, save me from this hour?

No: for this purpose I have come to this hour.

Father, glorify your name.

Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you disquieted within me?

Father, glorify your name.

Second Reading

From a sermon

by Saint Augustine

The Lord has had pity on us

Happy are we if we do the deeds of which we have heard and sung. Our hearing of them means having them planted in us, while our doing them shows that the seed has borne fruit. By saying this, I wish to caution you, dearly beloved, not to enter the Church fruitlessly, satisfied with mere hearing of such mighty blessings and failing to do good works. For we have been saved by his grace, says the Apostle, and not by our works, lest anyone may boast; for it is by his grace that we have been saved. It is not as if a good life of some sort came first, and that thereupon God showed his love and esteem for it from on high, saying: “Let us come to the aid of these men and assist them quickly because they are living a good life.” No, our life was displeasing to him. He will, therefore, condemn what we have done but he will save what he himself has done in us.

We were not good, but God had pity on us and sent his Son to die, not for good men but for bad ones, not for the just but for the wicked. Yes, Christ died for the ungodly. Notice what is written next: One will hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. Perhaps someone can be found who will dare to die for a good man; but for the unjust man, for the wicked one, the sinner, who would be willing to die except Christ alone who is so just that he justifies even the unjust?

And so, my brothers, we had no good works, for all our works were evil. Yet although men’s actions were such, God in his mercy did not abandon men. He sent his Son to redeem us, not with gold or silver but at the price of his blood poured out for us. Christ, the spotless lamb, became the sacrificial victim, led to the slaughter for the sheep that were blemished – if indeed one can say that they were blemished and not entirely corrupt. Such is the grace we have received! Let us live so as to be worthy of that great grace, and not do injury to it. So mighty is the physician who has come to us that he has healed all our sins! If we choose to be sick once again, we will not only harm ourselves, but show ingratitude to the physician as well.

Let us then follow Christ’s paths which he has revealed to us, above all the path of humility, which he himself became for us. He showed us that path by his precepts, and he himself followed it by his suffering on our behalf. In order to die for us – because as God he could not die – the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The immortal One took on mortality that he might die for us, and by dying put to death our death. This is what the Lord did, this the gift he granted to us. The mighty one was brought low, the lowly one was slain, and after he was slain, he rose again and was exalted. For he did not intend to leave us dead in hell, but to exalt in himself at the resurrection of the dead those whom he had already exalted and made just by the faith and praise they gave him. Yes, he gave us the path of humility. If we keep to it we shall confess our belief in the Lord and have good reason to sing: 
We shall praise you, God, we shall praise you and call upon your name.

Responsory

I give thanks to you,

O Lord my God,

with my whole heart,

and I will glorify your name forever,

for great is your steadfast love towards me.

You are my God,

and I will give thanks to you;

you are my God,

I will extol you,

for great is your steadfast love towards me.

Canticle

Te Deum

God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you!

You, the Father, the eternal –

all the earth venerates you.

All the angels, all the heavens, every power –

The cherubim, the seraphim –

unceasingly, they cry:

“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts:

heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!”

The glorious choir of Apostles –

The noble ranks of prophets –

The shining army of martyrs –

all praise you.

Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you.

– Father of immeasurable majesty,

– True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,

– Holy Spirit, our Advocate.

You, Christ:

– You are the king of glory.

– You are the Father’s eternal Son.

– You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.

– You defeated the sharp spear of Death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you.

– You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.

– You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.

And so we ask of you: give help to your servants,

whom you set free at the price of your precious blood.

Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.

Bring your people to safety, Lord,

and bless those who are your inheritance.

Rule them and lift them high for ever.

Day by day we bless you, Lord: we praise you for ever and forever.

Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.

Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you.

In you, Lord, I trust: let me never be put to shame.

Let us pray.

Father of might and power,

every good and perfect gift

comes down to us from you.

Implant in our hearts the love of your name,

increase our zeal for your service,

nourish what is good in us

and tend it with watchful care.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Let us praise the Lord.

– Thanks be to God.

SATURDAY OF THE TWENTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Praying the Rosary with Jeanne Jugan

The Joyful Mysteries

The Annunciation

“God wants me for himself, he is keeping me

for a work which is not yet founded.”

The Visitation

“When you will be near the poor, give yourself wholeheartedly.”

The Nativity

“Never forget that the poor are Our Lord.”

The Presentation in the Temple

“See how Jesus, Mary and Joseph loved one

another, all three, how happy they looked, with

what kindness and gentleness they spoke to

each other. In our little family, it must be the

same.”

The Finding in the Temple

“Refuse God nothing … Do everything through love.”

The Luminous Mysteries

The Baptism of Jesus

“It is a great grace that God has given you in

calling you to serve the poor.”

The Wedding at Cana

“God will help us; the work is his.”

The Proclamation of the Kingdom

“If God is with us, it will be accomplished.”

The Transfiguration

“I no longer see anything but God.”

The Institution of the Eucharist

“Jesus is waiting for you in the chapel…"

The Sorrowful Mysteries

The Agony in the Garden

“My good Jesus, I have only you.”

The Scourging at the Pillar

“When people treat you badly, they are kind to you.”

The Crowning with Thorns

“Be little, very little, very humble.”

The Carrying of the Cross

“You are letting me share your cross, my Sweet

Savior. I want to carry it joyfully until death.”

The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord

“We were grafted into the Cross.”

The Glorious Mysteries

The Resurrection

“Let us sing the glory of our Risen Jesus!”

The Ascension

“Knock, knock at the gate of heaven for souls.”

Pentecost

“Pray—you have need of grace."

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

“The Hail Mary will take us to heaven.”

The Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth

“You love Our Lady; she will be your mother.”

DAILY MASS READINGS

Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Reading

1 COR 1:26-31

Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.

Not many of you were wise by human standards,

not many were powerful,

not many were of noble birth.

Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,

and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,

and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,

those who count for nothing,

to reduce to nothing those who are something,

so that no human being might boast before God.

It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus,

who became for us wisdom from God,

as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,

so that, as it is written,

Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

PS 33:12-13, 18-19, 20-21

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.

From heaven the LORD looks down;

he sees all mankind.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,

upon those who hope for his kindness,

To deliver them from death

and preserve them in spite of famine.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Our soul waits for the LORD,

who is our help and our shield,

For in him our hearts rejoice;

in his holy name we trust.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Gospel

MT 25:14-30

Jesus told his disciples this parable:

“A man going on a journey

called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.

To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one–

to each according to his ability.

Then he went away.

Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,

and made another five.

Likewise, the one who received two made another two.

But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground

and buried his master’s money.

After a long time

the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.

The one who had received five talents

came forward bringing the additional five.

He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents.

See, I have made five more.’

His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.

Since you were faithful in small matters,

I will give you great responsibilities.

Come, share your master’s joy.’

Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said,

‘Master, you gave me two talents.

See, I have made two more.’

His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.

Since you were faithful in small matters,

I will give you great responsibilities.

Come, share your master’s joy.’

Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said,

‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person,

harvesting where you did not plant

and gathering where you did not scatter;

so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.

Here it is back.’

His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!

So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant

and gather where I did not scatter?

Should you not then have put my money in the bank

so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?

Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.

For to everyone who has,

more will be given and he will grow rich;

but from the one who has not,

even what he has will be taken away.

And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside,

where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’”

SAINT OF THE DAY

August 30

St. Jeanne Jugan (1792-1879)

Born in northern France during the French Revolution—a time when congregations of women and men religious were being suppressed by the national government, Jeanne would eventually be highly praised in the French academy for her community's compassionate care of elderly poor people.

When Jeanne was three and a half years old, her father, a fisherman, was lost at sea. Her widowed mother was hard pressed to raise her eight children (four died young) alone. At the age of 15 or 16, Jeanne became a kitchen maid for a family that not only cared for its own members, but also served poor, elderly people nearby. Ten years later, Jeanne became a nurse at the hospital in Le Rosais. Soon thereafter she joined a third order group founded by St. John Eudes (August 19).

After six years she became a servant and friend of a woman she met through the third order. They prayed, visited the poor and taught catechism to children. After her friend's death, Jeanne and two other women continued a similar life in the city of Saint-Sevran. In 1839, they brought in their first permanent guest. They began an association, received more members and more guests. Mother Marie of the Cross, as Jeanne was now known, founded six more houses for the elderly by the end of 1849, all staffed by members of her association—the Little Sisters of the Poor. 

By 1853 the association numbered 500 and had houses as far away as England.

Abbé Le Pailleur, a chaplain, had prevented Jeanne's reelection as superior in 1843; 

nine year later, he had her assigned to duties within the congregation, but would not allow her to be recognized as its founder. 

He was removed from office by the Holy See in 1890.

By the time Pope Leo XIII gave her final approval to the community's constitutions in 1879, 

there were 2,400 Little Sisters of the Poor. Jeanne died later that same year, on August 30.

Her cause was introduced in Rome in 1970, and she was beatified in 1982 and canonized in 2009.

OFFICE OF READINGS

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will proclaim Your Praise!

Invitatory Psalm

Psalm 23 (24)

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness:

come, let us adore him.

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,

the world and all who live in it.

He himself founded it upon the seas

and set it firm over the waters.

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness:

come, let us adore him.

Who will climb the mountain of the Lord?

Who will stand in his holy place?

The one who is innocent of wrongdoing and pure of heart,

who has not given himself to vanities or sworn falsely.

He will receive the blessing of the Lord

and be justified by God his saviour.

This is the way of those who seek him,

seek the face of the God of Jacob.

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness:

come, let us adore him.

Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors,

and let the king of glory enter.

Who is the king of glory?

The Lord of might and power.

The Lord, strong in battle.

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness:

come, let us adore him.

Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors,

and let the king of glory enter.

Who is the king of glory?

The Lord of hosts

– he is the king of glory.

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness:

come, let us adore him.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness:

come, let us adore him.

Hymn

How great the tale, that there should be,

In God’s Son’s heart, a place for me!

That on a sinner’s lips like mine

The cross of Jesus Christ should shine!

Christ Jesus, bend me to thy will,

My feet to urge, my griefs to still;

That e’en my flesh and blood may be

A temple sanctified to Thee.

No rest, no calm my soul may win,

Because my body craves to sin;

Till thou, dear Lord, thyself impart

Peace on my head, light in my heart.

May consecration come from far,

Soft shining like the evening star.

My toilsome path make plain to me,

Until I come to rest in thee.

Psalm 130 (131)

Childlike trust in God

Whoever humbles himself like a little child

will be greater in the kingdom of heaven.

Lord, I do not puff myself up or stare about,

or walk among the great or seek wonders beyond me.

Truly calm and quiet I have made my spirit:

quiet as a weaned child in its mother’s arms –

like an infant is my soul.

Let Israel hope in the Lord, now and for all time.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Whoever humbles himself like a little child

will be greater in the kingdom of heaven.

Psalm 131 (132)

God's promise to the house of David

With an honest heart I have offered up all things joyfully,

O my God.

Lord, remember David

and how he served you.

He swore to the Lord,

vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:

“I will not go into my tent, my home,

nor go up to my bed of rest;

I will not let my eyes sleep

or my eyelids grow heavy

until I have found a place for the Lord,

a dwelling-place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

We heard that it was in Ephratha,

we found it in the plains of Jaar.

So let us go into his dwelling-place

and let us worship before his footstool.

Rise up, Lord, and come to your place of rest.

Come with the Ark of your power.

Let your priests be robed in your justice,

and let your chosen ones rejoice.

Remember what David did for you,

and do not turn your face from your Anointed.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

With an honest heart I have offered up all things joyfully,

O my God.

Psalm 131 (132)

The Lord swore an oath to David and he will not go back on his word;

he made his kingdom firm forever.

The Lord swore David a true oath,

he will not go back on his word:

“The fruit of your body

I will place on your throne.

If your children keep my covenant and the commands I teach them,

their children’s children will occupy your throne forever.”

For the Lord has chosen Zion,

taken it for his dwelling-place:

“Here will I take my rest for all time:

here will I live, such is my desire.

I will bless its crops with my blessing,

I will fill its poor with bread.

I will clothe its priests with righteousness.

Its chosen ones will exult with joy.

There will I plant the sign of David,

and prepare a lamp for my anointed one.

I will wrap his enemies in confusion,

but over his head my crown will shine.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

The Lord swore an oath to David and he will not go back on his word;

he made his kingdom firm forever.

Come and see the works of the Lord,

– who has done wonders on the earth.

First Reading

Jeremiah 7:1-20

The word that was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord:

‘Go and stand at the gate of the Temple of the Lord and there proclaim this message. Say, “Listen to the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who come in by these gates to worship the Lord. The Lord Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this: Amend your behaviour and your actions and I will stay with you here in this place. Put no trust in delusive words like these: This is the sanctuary of the Lord, the sanctuary of the Lord, the sanctuary of the Lord! But if you do amend your behaviour and your actions, if you treat each other fairly, if you do not exploit the stranger, the orphan and the widow (if you do not shed innocent blood in this place), and if you do not follow alien gods, to your own ruin, then here in this place I will stay with you, in the land that long ago I gave to your fathers for ever. Yet here you are, trusting in delusive words, to no purpose! Steal, would you, murder, commit adultery, perjure yourselves, burn incense to Baal, follow alien gods that you do not know? – and then come presenting yourselves in this Temple that bears my name, saying: Now we are safe – safe to go on committing all these abominations! 

Do you take this Temple that bears my name for a robbers’ den? I, at any rate, am not blind – 

it is the Lord who speaks.

‘“Now go to my place in Shiloh where at first I gave my name a home; see what I have done to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel! And now, since you have committed all these sins – it is the Lord who speaks – and have refused to listen when I spoke so urgently, so persistently, or to answer when I called you, I will treat this Temple that bears my name, and in which you put your trust, and the place I have given to you and your ancestors, just as I treated Shiloh. 

I will drive you out of my sight, as I drove all your kinsmen, the entire race of Ephraim.”

‘You, for your part, must not intercede for this people, nor raise either plea or prayer on their behalf; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you. Cannot you see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children collect the wood, the fathers light the fire, the women knead the dough, to make cakes for the Queen of Heaven; and, to spite me, they pour libations to alien gods. Is it really me they spite – it is the Lord who speaks –-is it not in fact themselves, to their own confusion? Therefore, the Lord says this: My anger and my wrath shall be poured out on this place, over man and beast, 

trees of the countryside, fruits of the soil; it shall burn, and not be quenched.’

Responsory

Do you take this Temple that bears my name for a robbers’ den?

My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.

You must not turn my Father’s house into a market-place.

My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.

Second Reading

From a homily on Matthew

by Saint John Chrysostom, bishop

Do not adorn the church and ignore your afflicted brother

Do you want to honor Christ’s body? Then do not scorn him in his nakedness, nor honor him here in the church with silken garments while neglecting him outside where he is cold and naked. For he who said: This is my body, and made it so by his words, also said: You saw me hungry and did not feed me, and inasmuch as you did not do it for one of these, the least of my brothers, you did not do it for me. What we do here in the church requires a pure heart, not special garments; 

what we do outside requires great dedication.

Let us learn, therefore, to be men of wisdom and to honour Christ as he desires. For a person being honored finds greatest pleasure in the honor he desires, not in the honor we think best. Peter thought he was honoring Christ when he refused to let him wash his feet; but what Peter wanted was not truly an honor, quite the opposite! Give him the honor prescribed in his law by giving your riches to the poor. For God does not want golden vessels but golden hearts.

Now, in saying this I am not forbidding you to make such gifts; I am only demanding that along with such gifts and before them you give alms. He accepts the former, but he is much more pleased with the latter. In the former, only the giver profits; in the latter, the recipient does too. A gift to the church may be taken as a form of ostentation, but an alms is pure kindness. Of what use is it to weigh down Christ’s table with golden cups, when he himself is dying of hunger? First, fill him when he is hungry; then use the means you have left to adorn his table. Will you have a golden cup made but not give a cup of water? What is the use of providing the table with cloths woven of gold thread, and not providing Christ himself with the clothes he needs? What profit is there in that? Tell me: If you were to see him lacking the necessary food but were to leave him in that state and merely surround his table with gold would he be grateful to you or rather would he not be angry? What if you were to see him clad in worn-out rags and stiff from the cold, and were to forget about clothing him and instead were to set up golden columns for him, 

saying that you were doing it in his honor? Would he not think he was being mocked and greatly insulted?

Apply this also to Christ when he comes along the roads as a pilgrim, looking for shelter. You do not take him in as your guest, but you decorate floor and walls and the capitals of the pillars. You provide silver chains for the lamps, but you cannot bear even to look at him as he lies chained in prison. Once again, I am not forbidding you to supply these adornments; I am urging you to provide these other things as well, and indeed to provide them first. No one has ever been accused for not providing ornaments, but for those who neglect their neighbor a hell awaits with an inextinguishable fire and torment in the company of the demons. 

Do not, therefore, adorn the church and ignore your afflicted brother, for he is the most precious temple of all.

Responsory

When I was hungry,

you fed me,

when I was thirsty,

you gave me drink;

when I was a stranger,

you took me in to your home.

I will tell you this:

anything you did for one of my brothers here,

however humble,

you did for me.

He who is generous to the poor lends to the Lord.

I will tell you this:

anything you did for one of my brothers here,

however humble,

you did for me.

Let us pray.

Lord, by your grace we are made one in mind and heart.

Give us a love for what you command

and a longing for what you promise,

so that, amid this world’s changes,

our hearts may be set on the world of lasting joy.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let us praise the Lord.

– Thanks be to God.