Monday 13 th June 2022
Psalter III
St. Antony of Padua
(1195 – 1231)
Saint Antony was first of all an Augustinian monk, and later a Franciscan. Illness prevented him going to Africa to preach. His sermons are full of gentleness, but he reproved the wicked with fearle Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Sir 15: 5
In the midst of the Church he opened his mouth,and the Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding and clothed him in a robe of glory.
Collect
Almighty ever-living God, who gave Saint Anthony of Padua to your people as an outstanding preacher and an intercessor in their need, grant, that with his assistance, as we follow the teachings of the Christian life, we may know your help in every trial. 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 Kings 21:1-16
Naboth of Jezreel had a vineyard close by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria, and Ahab said to Naboth, ‘Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden, since it adjoins my house; I will give you a better vineyard for it or, if you prefer, I will give you its worth in money.’ But Naboth answered Ahab, ‘The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors!’ Ahab went home gloomy and out of temper at the words of Naboth of Jezreel, ‘I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.’ He lay down on his bed and turned his face away and refused to eat. His wife Jezebel came to him. ‘Why are you so dispirited’ she said ‘that you will not eat?’ He said, ‘I have been speaking to Naboth of Jezreel; I said: Give me your vineyard either for money or, if you prefer, for another vineyard in exchange. But he said, “I will not give you my vineyard.”’ Then his wife Jezebel said, ‘You make a fine king of Israel, and no mistake! Get up and eat; cheer up, and you will feel better; I will get you the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel myself.’ So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, sending them to the elders and nobles who lived where Naboth lived. In the letters she wrote, ‘Proclaim a fast, and put Naboth in the forefront of the people. Confront him with a couple of scoundrels who will accuse him like this, “You have cursed God and the king” Then take him outside and stone him to death.’ The men of Naboth’s town, the elders and nobles who lived in his town, did what Jezebel ordered, what was written in the letters she had sent them. They proclaimed a fast and put Naboth in the forefront of the people. Then the two scoundrels came and stood in front of him and made their accusation, ‘Naboth has cursed God and the king.’ They led him outside the town and stoned him to death. They then sent word to Jezebel, ‘Naboth has been stoned to death.’ When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, ‘Get up! Take possession of the vineyard which Naboth of Jezreel would not give you for money, for Naboth is no longer alive, he is dead.’ When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel and take possession of it.
Psalm 5:2-3,5-7
R/ Give heed to my groaning, O Lord.
- To my words give ear, O Lord, give heed to my groaning. Attend to the sound of my cries, my King and my God.
- You are no God who loves evil; no sinner is your guest. The boastful shall not stand their ground before your face.
- You hate all who do evil; you destroy all who lie. The deceitful and bloodthirsty man the Lord detests.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn14:23
Alleluia, alleluia! If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 5:38-42
Jesus said, ‘You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well; if a man takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to anyone who asks, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May the sacrifice which we gladly present on the feast day of St. Antony of Padua, be pleasing to you, O God, for, taught by him, we, too, give ourselves entirely to you in praise. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Lk 12: 42
Behold a faithful and prudent steward to give them their allowance of food at the proper time.
Prayer after Communion
Through Christ the teacher, O Lord, instruct those you feed with Christ, the living Bread, that on the feast day of St. Antony of Padua. they may learn your truth and express it in works of charity. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
In today’s Gospel, Jesus completely reverses the traditional order by commanding us to adopt a new praxis of religion. We have to respond to violence with love, gentleness, charity, generosity and forgiveness. This is an effective way to end the cycle of violence generated by the law of retaliation with its normative “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”. Do we adhere to this new orientation? Let us remember that if we hate people in our hearts, if we rage against colleagues and comrades, if we hold a grudge against a brother no matter what evil he has done to us, we remain adherents of the law of retaliation and our hearts which cry out for vengeance, are resistant to the new word order which Jesus wants to usher in. ss severity – especially backsliding clergy and the oppressors of the weak.