St. Theodosius the Cenobiarch (c. 423–529)
He was a monk and abbot who was a founder and organizer of the cenobitic way of monastic life.
White
Entrance Antiphon: Cf. Jn 1: 1
In the beginning and before all ages, the Word was God and he humbled himself to be born the Saviour of the world.
Collect
O God, who through your Son raised up your eternal light for all nations, grant that your people may come to acknowledge the full splendour of their Redeemer, that, bathed ever more in his radiance, they may reach everlasting glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: 1 John 4:19-5:4
We are to love, because God loved us first. Anyone who says, ‘I love God’, and hates his brother, is a liar, since a man who does not love the brother that he can see cannot love God, whom he has never seen. So this is the commandment that he has given us, that anyone who loves God must also love his brother. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten by God; and whoever loves the Father that begot him loves the child whom he begets.
We can be sure that we love God’s children if we love God himself and do what he has commanded us; this is what loving God is – keeping his commandments; and his commandments are not difficult, because anyone who has been begotten by God has already overcome the world; this is the victory over the world – our faith.
Psalm 71(72):1-2,14-15,17
R/ All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.
1. O God, give your judgement to the king, to a king’s son your justice, that he may judge your people in justice and your poor in right judgement.
2. From oppression he will rescue their lives, to him their blood is dear. (Long may he live, may the gold of Sheba be given him.) They shall pray for him without ceasing and bless him all the day.
3. May his name be blessed for ever and endure like the sun. Every tribe shall be blessed in him, all nations bless his name.
Gospel Acclamation: Lk7:16
Alleluia, alleluia!A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 4:14-22
Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout the countryside. He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised him. He came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written: The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour. He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips.
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive our oblation, O Lord, by which is brought about a glorious exchange, that, by offering what you have given, we may merit to receive your very self. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Jn 3: 16
God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son, so that all who believe in him may not perish, but may have eternal life.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, by the power of these holy mysteries, our life may be constantly sustained. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The words of Isaiah aptly describe the mission of Jesus. Jesus has come to inaugurate a new age, in which men will benefit from the fullness of God’s mercy. He has come to liberate men from the chains of sin and death. He has come to open the eyes of men, so that they may see God in their brothers and sisters and love him in them. In short, he has come to let men know that God loves them and to invite them to love him in return. You are part of this mission. Jesus wants you to know that God loves you and has freed you from the power of sin, and in return, you should love your brothers and sisters. Remember: whatever you do to the least of your brothers, you do it to him (Mt. 25: 31).