by L'équipe de publication | Feb 9, 2026 | Evangelium
SAINT SCHOLASTICA, VIRGIN
Psalter I | WHITE
“She was born in Nursia in about 480, the twin sister of St Benedict. She was dedicated to God from an early age and followed her brother to Cassino, where she died in about 547.”
Entrance Antiphon
Here is a wise virgin, from among the number of the prudent, who went forth with lighted lamp to meet Christ.
Collect
As we celebrate anew the Memorial of the Virgin Saint Scholastica, we pray, O Lord, that, following her example, we may serve you with pure love and happily receive what comes from loving you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading: 1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30
Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of the whole community of Israel, and stretching forth his hands toward heaven, he said, “Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below; you keep your covenant of mercy with your servants who are faithful to you with their whole heart. “Can it indeed be that God dwells on earth? If the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple which I have built! Look kindly on the prayer and petition of your servant, O Lord, my God, and listen to the cry of supplication which I, your servant, utter before you this day. May your eyes watch night and day over this temple, the place where you have decreed you shall be honored; may you heed the prayer which I, your servant, offer in this place. Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people Israel which they offer in this place. Listen from your heavenly dwelling and grant pardon.”
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 84:3, 4, 5 and 10, 11
R/ How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
- My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
- Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest in which she puts her young— Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my king and my God!
- Blessed they who dwell in your house! continually they praise you. O God, behold our shield, and look upon the face of your anointed.
- I had rather one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
Gospel Acclamation: Psalm 119:36, 29
Alleluia, alleluia. Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees; and favor me with your law. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 7:1-13
When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.) So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and Whoever curses father or mother shall die. Yet you say, ‘If someone says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is qorban” (meaning, dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.”
Prayer over the Offerings
As we proclaim your wonders, O Lord, in the Virgin blessed N., we humbly implore your majesty that, as her merits are pleasing to you, so, too, our dutiful service may find favour in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Mt 25: 6
Behold, the Bridegroom is coming; come out to meet Christ the Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Renewed by partaking of this divine gift, we pray, O Lord our God, that by the example of the blessed N., bearing in our body the Death of Jesus, we may strive to hold fast to you alone. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“You nullify the word of God in favour of your tradition.” We all belong to a culture, and every culture contains tradition, that is, a body of ideas and practices that define our behaviour and are handed down from one generation to the next. Christianity does not require us to renounce our culture, but to purify it by eliminating those elements in it that contradict Christian values. The Pharisees stuck to their tradition to the point of neglecting core values such as honouring one’s parents, charity and justice, and it was this attitude that Jesus condemned. If we examine our traditions, we will see that some of the practices we stick to are not compatible with the Christian faith we profess. Let us look at the way our culture treats women, children, widows and orphans; let us look at our cultural perception of money, inheritance, succession, sexuality and marriage, just to name these; we will realise that in many ways our tradition leads us to nullify God’s word. Today’s Gospel is an invitation to allow the Word of God to purify our traditions.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 8, 2026 | Evangelium
SAINT APOLLINIA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR
Psalter I | GREEN
“She was a Christian deaconess in Alexandria during the Roman Empire’s persecutions of Christians. She was arrested during an uprising against Christians and tortured, having her teeth broken with pincers. Refusing to renounce her faith, she was burned alive.”
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 94: 6-7
O come, let us worship God and bow low before the God who made us, for he is the Lord our God.
Collect
Keep your family safe, O Lord, with unfailing care, that, relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace, they may be defended always by your protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading: 1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13
The elders of Israel and all the leaders of the tribes, the princes in the ancestral houses of the children of Israel, came to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Lord’s covenant from the City of David, which is Zion. All the people of Israel assembled before King Solomon during the festival in the month of Ethanim (the seventh month). When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark; they carried the ark of the Lord and the meeting tent with all the sacred vessels that were in the tent. (The priests and Levites carried them.) King Solomon and the entire community of Israel present for the occasion sacrificed before the ark sheep and oxen too many to number or count. The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary, the holy of holies of the temple. The cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the ark, sheltering the ark and its poles from above. There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tablets which Moses had put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel at their departure from the land of Egypt. When the priests left the holy place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord so that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud, since the Lord’s glory had filled the temple of the Lord. Then Solomon said, “The Lord intends to dwell in the dark cloud; I have truly built you a princely house, a dwelling where you may abide forever.”
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 132:6-7, 8-10
R/ Lord, go up to the place of your rest!
- Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of Jaar. Let us enter into his dwelling, let us worship at his footstool.
- Advance, O Lord, to your resting place, you and the ark of your majesty. May your priests be clothed with justice; let your faithful ones shout merrily for joy. For the sake of David your servant, reject not the plea of your anointed.
Gospel Acclamation: Matthew 4:23
Alleluia, alleluia. Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 6:53-56
After making the crossing to the other side of the sea, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.
Prayer over the Offerings
O Lord, our God, who once established these created things to sustain us in our frailty, grant, we pray, that they may become for us now the Sacrament of eternal life. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 106: 8-9
Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, his wonders for the children of men, for he satisfies the thirsty soul, and the hungry he fills with good things.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who have willed that we be partakers in the one Bread and the one Chalice, grant us, we pray, so to live that, made one in Christ, we may joyfully bear fruit for the salvation of the world. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“They brought the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.” King Solomon built a Temple for the Lord in Jerusalem, and the Temple became a sign of God’s presence among the people of Israel. It contained the Ark of the Covenant, and after its dedication a cloud filled it, and this showed that God was indeed among his people. Through our baptism we become temples of the Holy Spirit, which means that God abides in us and through us he is present in the world. We therefore have to make the world feel God’s presence and action through us. We learn from the Gospel that one effective way of doing this is by taking people to Jesus. The Gospel tells us that wherever people heard Jesus was, they took the sick to him so that he could heal them. We should also take our sick friends and relations to Jesus for healing through our prayers of intercession and our words of encouragement. We should encourage those who are spiritually lukewarm or indifferent to turn to Jesus and seek an encounter with him. We should be among those who draw people closer to Jesus, and not among those who send people away from him.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 7, 2026 | Evangelium
5th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SAINT JOSEPHINE BAKHITA
Psalter IV | GREEN
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 94: 6-7
O come, let us worship God and bow low before the God who made us, for he is the Lord our God.
Collect
Keep your family safe, O Lord, with unfailing care, that, relying solely on the hope of heavenly grace, they may be defended always by your protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Isaiah 58:7-10
Thus says the Lord: Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am! If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R/ The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.
- Light shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just. Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice.
- He shall never be moved; the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance. An evil report he shall not fear; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
- His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear. Lavishly he gives to the poor; his justice shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory.
Second reading: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of Spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
Gospel Acclamation: John 8:12
Alleluia, alleluia. I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
Prayer over the Offerings
O Lord, our God, who once established these created things to sustain us in our frailty, grant, we pray, that they may become for us now the Sacrament of eternal life. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 106: 8-9
Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, his wonders for the children of men, for he satisfies the thirsty soul, and the hungry he fills with good things.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who have willed that we be partakers in the one Bread and the one Chalice, grant us, we pray, so to live that, made one in Christ, we may joyfully bear fruit for the salvation of the world. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world.” We believe in Jesus who died and rose again and made us children of God. This Jesus, whom we worship as our Lord and our God, wants us to transform the world in the manner of salt and light. Salt gives taste to food; we should give meaning to the lives of others through our acts of charity. Light dispels darkness and shows the way; we should point the right direction to others by defending justice. Charity and justice have to be hallmarks of our lives. We give the love of God to the world by providing for the needy to the best of our abilities. We become agents of justice by defending the oppressed and acting with honesty and fairness at all times. Jesus wants to transform the world, and he needs us to accomplish this. Let us be the voices, hands and feet that he uses to make the world a place in which love and justice prevail.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 6, 2026 | Evangelium
SAINT PIUS IX, POPE
Psalter IV | GREEN
“He was the longest‑reigning Pope in history. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2000. His reign was marked by significant theological developments, including the declaration of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception and the First Vatican Council, which defined papal infallibility. He also faced the loss of the Papal States to the Kingdom of Italy, leading him to declare himself a “prisoner in the Vatican”.”
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 105: 47
Save us, O Lord our God! And gather us from the nations, to give thanks to your holy name, and make it our glory to praise you.
Collect
Grant us, Lord our God, that we may honour you with all our mind, and love everyone in truth of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading: 1 Kings 3:4-13
Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, because that was the most renowned high place. Upon its altar Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings. In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” Solomon answered: “You have shown great favor to your servant, my father David, because he behaved faithfully toward you, with justice and an upright heart; and you have continued this great favor toward him, even today, seating a son of his on his throne. O Lord, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act. I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request. So God said to him: “Because you have asked for this—not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right— I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you. In addition, I give you what you have not asked for, such riches and glory that among kings there is not your like.”
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
R/ Lord, teach me your statutes.
- How shall a young man be faultless in his way? By keeping to your words.
- With all my heart I seek you; let me not stray from your commands.
- Within my heart I treasure your promise, that I may not sin against you.
- Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes.
- With my lips I declare all the ordinances of your mouth.
- In the way of your decrees I rejoice, as much as in all riches.
Gospel Acclamation: John 10:27
Alleluia, alleluia. My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 6:30-34
The Apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
Prayer over the Offerings
O Lord, we bring to your altar these offerings of our service: be pleased to receive them, we pray, and transform them into the Sacrament of our redemption. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Cf. Ps 30: 17-18
Let your face shine on your servant. Save me in your merciful love. O Lord, let me never be put to shame, for I call on you.
Prayer after Communion
Nourished by these redeeming gifts, we pray, O Lord, that through this help to eternal salvation true faith may ever increase. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“Lord, teach me your statutes.” Solomon asked God to give him wisdom, so that he would be able to distinguish right from wrong and rule well. When Jesus saw the great crowd of people, he began to teach them many things. Just as we need to be taught Mathematics, Chemistry and Geography, we need to be taught the Word of God. It is this Word that enables us to distinguish good from evil; it is what will make us live a life without fault; it is what will empower us to rule our families, communities and countries with wisdom. Jesus wants to teach us the statutes of God. He teaches us through his written Word and through the Church. Let us pray for the grace to be good disciples who, like Solomon, listen to God’s Word and follow it. Let us allow Jesus to teach us by reading Holy Scripture daily and listening to the pastors he gives us: our priests, bishops, deacons, catechists, and every other person who teaches us. Let us pray that he may enlighten the leaders of the Church, so that they may be good teachers who guide us with sound doctrine.
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 5, 2026 | Evangelium
SAINT PAUL MIKI AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS
Psalter IV | RED
“He was born in Japan between 1564 and 1566. He joined the Society of Jesus and preached the gospel to the Japanese people with great success. When a persecution of the Catholics arose he was arrested together with twenty-five others. Mocked and tortured, they were eventually taken to Nagasaki on 5 February 1597, bound to crosses and speared.”
Entrance Antiphon
The souls of the Saints are rejoicing in heaven, the Saints who followed the footsteps of Christ, and since for love of him they shed their blood, they now exult with Christ for ever.
Collect
O God, strength of all the Saints, who through the Cross were pleased to call the Martyrs Saint Paul Miki and companions to life, grant, we pray, that by their intercession we may hold with courage even until death to the faith that we profess. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Sirach 47:2-11
Like the choice fat of the sacred offerings, so was David in Israel. He made sport of lions as though they were kids, and of bears, like lambs of the flock. As a youth he slew the giant and wiped out the people’s disgrace, When his hand let fly the slingstone that crushed the pride of Goliath. Since he called upon the Most High God, who gave strength to his right arm To defeat the skilled warrior and raise up the might of his people, Therefore the women sang his praises, and ascribed to him tens of thousands and praised him when they blessed the Lord. When he assumed the royal crown, he battled and subdued the enemy on every side. He destroyed the hostile Philistines and shattered their power till our own day. With his every deed he offered thanks to God Most High, in words of praise. With his whole being he loved his Maker and daily had his praises sung; He set singers before the altar and by their voices he made sweet melodies, He added beauty to the feasts and solemnized the seasons of each year So that when the Holy Name was praised, before daybreak the sanctuary would resound. The Lord forgave him his sins and exalted his strength forever; He conferred on him the rights of royalty and established his throne in Israel.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 18:31, 47 and 50, 51
R/ Blessed be God my salvation!
- God’s way is unerring, the promise of the Lord is fire-tried; he is a shield to all who take refuge in him.
- The Lord live! And blessed be my Rock! Extolled be God my savior. Therefore will I proclaim you, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing praise to your name.
- You who gave great victories to your king and showed kindness to your anointed, to David and his posterity forever.
Gospel Acclamation: Luke 8:15
Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart, and yield a harvest through perseverance. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 6:14-29
King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; That is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.” But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.” Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. Herodias had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. His own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.” He even swore many things to her, “I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” Her mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl hurried back to the king’s presence and made her request, “I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive, holy Father, the offerings we bring in commemoration of the holy Martyrs, and grant that we, your servants, may be found steadfast in confessing your name. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Lk 22: 28-30
It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer a kingdom on you, says the Lord, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who in your holy Martyrs have wonderfully made known the mystery of the Cross, graciously grant that, drawing strength from this sacrifice, we may cling faithfully to Christ and labour in the Church for the salvation of all. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” David is hailed by Sirach as a great king of Israel because he loved God with his whole being and ruled according to the precepts of God. We honour John the Baptist as a saint because he spoke the truth even at the risk of his life. He stood up to Herod and condemned his wrongdoing, although he knew it was a dangerous thing to do. Being a Christian is a risky enterprise. The Christian has to speak the truth, condemn the ills of society and defend justice, and this will inevitably create enemies for him. He will step on the toes of people when he refuses to be corrupt or to tell lies, and when he points out their misdeeds. For this reason, he will be hated, mocked and despised. Obstacles will be placed on his path and he will be made to suffer. John the Baptist paid for his honesty with his life; St. Paul Miki and his companions, whom we remember today, were killed because they believed in Jesus; are you prepared to pay the price of being a Christian?
by L'équipe de publication | Feb 4, 2026 | Evangelium
SAINT AGATHA OF CATANIA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR
Psalter IV | RED
“She was martyred at Catania in Sicily, probably during the persecution of Decius (250–253). Devotion to her was widespread in the Church in the earliest times and she is mentioned in the Roman Canon of the Mass.”
Entrance Antiphon
Behold, now she follows the Lamb who was crucified for us, powerful in virginity, modesty her offering, a sacrifice on the altar of chastity.
Collect
May the Virgin Martyr Saint Agatha implore your compassion for us, O Lord, we pray, for she found favour with you by the courage of her martyrdom and the merit of her chastity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
First reading: 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12
When the time of David’s death drew near, he gave these instructions to his son Solomon: “I am going the way of all flesh. Take courage and be a man. Keep the mandate of the Lord, your God, following his ways and observing his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees as they are written in the law of Moses, that you may succeed in whatever you do, wherever you turn, and the Lord may fulfill the promise he made on my behalf when he said, ‘If your sons so conduct themselves that they remain faithful to me with their whole heart and with their whole soul, you shall always have someone of your line on the throne of Israel.'” David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. Solomon was seated on the throne of his father David, with his sovereignty firmly established.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 1 Chronicles 29:10, 11ab, 11d-12a, 12bcd
R/ Lord, you are exalted over all.
- Blessed may you be, O Lord, God of Israel our father, from eternity to eternity.”
- Yours, O Lord, are grandeur and power, majesty, splendor, and glory.”
- Lord, you are exalted over all. Yours, O Lord, is the sovereignty; you are exalted as head over all. Riches and honor are from you.”
- In your hand are power and might; it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all.”
Gospel Acclamation: Mark 1:15
Alleluia, alleluia. The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mark 6:7-13
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick —no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
Prayer over the Offerings
May the offerings we bring in celebration of blessed N. win your gracious acceptance, O Lord, we pray, just as the struggle of her suffering and passion was pleasing to you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Rv 7: 17
The Lamb who is at the centre of the throne will lead them to the springs of the waters of life.
Prayer after Communion
O God, who bestowed on blessed N. a crown among the Saints for her twofold triumph of virginity and martyrdom, grant, we pray, through the power of this Sacrament, that, bravely overcoming every evil, we may attain the glory of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
“He began to send them out two by two.” Jesus made his disciples missionaries, sending them out to preach and drive out demons. He reminded them of their status as missionaries after his resurrection, when he said to them, “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you” (Jn 20: 21). Like the disciples, you are a missionary. Jesus is sending you to your family, your school, your workplace, your meeting house, your friends and your acquaintances. Jesus is sending you to proclaim his Word in these places and to these people. He wants you to teach the people you encounter the right way to live and show them an example with your life. Just as David instructed his son Solomon on his deathbed, you have to exhort them to live in accordance with the Christian ideals of love, peace, justice and honesty. You have to help them to encounter God, love him and serve him. They may or may not listen to you or follow you, but you must make sure they see Jesus and hear his message through you. Go out to the whole world, proclaim the Good News!
