TUESDAY

31

August

St Aidan

(d. 651)

Green

He was born in Ireland and became a monk of Iona. He preached the Gospel, founded churches and monasteries, and freed slaves throughout the kingdom. He died at Bamburgh in Northumberland in 651.

Entrance Antiphon: Ps 85: 3, 5

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I cry to you all the day long. O Lord, you are good and forgiving, full of mercy to all who call to you.

Collect

God of might, giver of every good gift, put into our hearts the love of your name, so that, by deepening our sense of reverence, you may nurture in us what is good and, by your watchful care, keep safe what you have nurtured. 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 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11

You will not be expecting us to write anything to you, brothers, about ‘times and seasons’, since you know very well that the Day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night. It is when people are saying, ‘How quiet and peaceful it is’ that the worst suddenly happens, as suddenly as labour pains come on a pregnant woman; and there will be no way for anybody to evade it. But it is not as if you live in the dark, my brothers, for that Day to overtake you like a thief. No, you are all sons of light and sons of the day: we do not belong to the night or to darkness, so we should not go on sleeping, as everyone else does, but stay wide awake and sober. God never meant us to experience the Retribution, but to win salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that, alive or dead, we should still live united to him. So give encouragement to each other, and keep strengthening one another, as you do already.

Psalm 26 (27):1, 4, 13-14

R/     I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.

1.     The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; before whom shall I shrink?

2.     There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I long, to live in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to savour the sweetness of the Lord, to behold his temple.

3. I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Hope in him, hold firm and take heart. Hope in the Lord!

Gospel Acclamation : Heb 4:12

Alleluia, alleluia! The word of God is something alive and active: it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.Alleluia!

Gospel: Luke 4:31-37

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man who was possessed by the spirit of an unclean devil, and it shouted at the top of its voice, ‘Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the devil, throwing the man down in front of everyone, went out of him without hurting him at all. Astonishment seized them and they were all saying to one another, ‘What teaching! He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out.’ And reports of him went all through the surrounding countryside.

Prayer over the Offerings

May this sacred offering, O Lord, confer on us always the blessing of salvation, that what it celebrates in mystery it may accomplish in power. Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon: Ps 30: 20

How great is the goodness, Lord, that you keep for those who fear you.

Prayer after Communion

Renewed by this bread from the heavenly table, we beseech you, Lord, that, being the food of charity, it may confirm our hearts and stir us to serve you in our neighbour. Through Christ our Lord.

Meditation

Like many believers at the time, the believers in Thessalonica were expecting Jesus to return very soon and usher in the kingdom in its fullness. Paul, however, sets the record straight indicating that they should not worry about when Jesus will come again, but should instead concentrate on how ready they will be. Paul’s advice is just as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago. In the Gospel, Jesus preaches in the synagogue with authority because he is authority incarnate- the Word made flesh. While Jesus’s duty is to preach with authority, ours is to approach God’s Word submissively and with an eagerness to do everything the Lord desires. Are you eager to be taught by the Lord and to conform your life to His Word?