3rd SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

 

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

 

 

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON

Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Truth and beauty surround him, he lives in holiness and glory.

PENITENTIAL RITE

The word of God when proclaimed at an assembly is quasi sacramental, an effective sign of God’s power and presence. It demands a response from us: a response that can transform us or a response that leaves us where we are and as we are. What is response? (Pause.)

I confess…

Glory to God in the highest,/and peace to his people on earth./Lord God, heavenly King,/almighty God and Father,/we worship you,/we give you thanks,/we praise you for your glory./Lord Jesus Christ,/only Son of the Father,/Lord God, Lamb of God,/you take away the sin of the world:/have mercy on us;/you are seated at the right hand of the Father,/receive our prayer./For you alone are the Holy One,/you alone are the Lord,/you alone are the Most High,/Jesus Christ,/with the Holy Spirit,/in the glory of God the Father./Amen.

OPENING PRAYER

Let us pray. All-powerful and ever-living God, direct your love that is within us, that our efforts in the name of your Son may bring mankind to unity and peace. We ask this…

FIRST READING

(Ezra proclaims the word of God and the people respond by recommitting themselves to God.)

A reading from the book of Nehemiah

(8,2-6,8-10)

Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden pulpit which they had made for the purpose. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; for he was above all the people; and when he opened it all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God; and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands; and they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. And they read from the book, from the law of God, clearly; and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

This is the Word of the Lord

PSALM (18)

Response: Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The law of the Lord is perfect, it revives the soul. The rule of the Lord is to be trusted, it gives wisdom to the simple.

R.

The precepts of the Lord are right, they gladden the heart. The command of the Lord is clear, it gives light to the eyes.

R.

The fear of the Lord is holy, abiding forever. The decrees of the Lord are truth and all of them just. R.

May the spoken words of my mouth, the thoughts of my heart, win favour in your sight, O Lord, my rescuer, my rock! R.

SECOND READING

(As many parts make up the human body so many persons make up the Church.)

A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians

(12, 12-30)

Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the organs in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single organ, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are indispensible, and those parts of the body which we think less honourable we invest with the greater honour, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so adjusted the body, giving the greater honour to the inferior part, that there may be no discord in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together, if one member is honoured, all rejoice together.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the Church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, then healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

This is the Word of the Lord

ACCLAMATION (Lk 4:18-19)

Alleluia, alleluia! The Lord has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives. Alleluia!

GOSPEL

(Jesus and his message reflect God’s concern for the poor.)

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Luke (1, 1-4; 4, 14-21)

In as much as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed. Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report concerning him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read; and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

This is the Gospel of the Lord

I believe...

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, as we thank and praise the Lord for the precious gift of his word, let us ask for the grace to respond to the word positively and to build up the body of Christ. Our response: Father, hear our prayer.

1. Let us pray that all in the Church may be obedient to God’s word. R.

2. Lord, many are the forces that darken our minds and weaken our wills: may your word be our light and our strength. R.

3. May the word of God be a source of unity instead of division among your disciples. R.

4. We pray for those who do not believe in the word of God. In your goodness and love touch and draw them to you. R.

(Pause to pray for other intentions.)

Cel: Father, mercifully listen to our prayers and grant our requests. Make us realize that we do not live on bread alone but by every word that comes from your mouth. We ask this…

PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS

Lord, receive our gifts. Let our offerings make us holy and bring us salvation. We ask this…

PREFACE (P29 – P36)

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks.

So great was your love that you gave us your Son as our redeemer. You sent him as one like ourselves, though free from sin, that you might see and love in us what you see and love in Christ. Your gifts of grace, lost by disobedience, are now restored by the obedience of your Son. We praise you, Lord, with all the angels and saints in their song of joy.

COMMUNION ANTIPHON

Look up at the Lord with gladness and smile; you will never be ashamed.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

God, all-powerful Father, may the new life you give us increase our love and keep us in the joy of your kingdom. We ask this…

LITURGY AND LIFE

An able-bodied wanderer saw at the far end of the forest a very poor family with hardly anything to sustain itself. The man felt bad, a bit bitter against God. "Why did God create so many poor people? I myself have little to eat," he thought.

As he walked through the forest he saw a fox that had lost one leg in a trap. But the fox did not look emaciated. The man had a doubt: "How does this fox find its food?" So he hid himself near a thicket and watched the lame fox. He saw the fox limping its way to a small ravine. There the fox fed on the remains of the carcass of a deer. Then it went to its hole and slept. Early morning he saw a tiger carrying the carcass of another deer and going into the ravine. In the evening the fox went into the ravine and ate the remains once again.

The man was astonished. "Oh the providence of God works such miracles! I thank thee O Lord!" he said aloud. Then he heard an inner voice telling him: "The tiger is my providence for the fox. You are my providence for the poor family."

In today’s first reading we have a solemn proclamation and celebration of the word of God. The celebration lasted from early morning till midday. Men, women and all those who were able to understand attended. They listened attentively. When the reading began they stood up. When Ezra blessed the Lord, all people lifted up their hands and exclaimed "Amen, Amen." They bowed down and worshipped the Lord. The celebration of the word of God created an atmosphere of worship. It elicited a response, a deep reverential, worshipful response leading to adoration. The proclamation of the word did not leave the listeners indifferent or bored.

In the explanation that followed the reading, the people who wept during the reading were told to rejoice, eat and drink and make merry for the day is holy to the Lord. They were also exhorted to share their food with the poor.

Here we see how the word of God is proclaimed with due seriousness and what salutary effects it produces.

In the gospel we have another proclamation of the word. It is Jesus, the good news in person, is announcing the good news. It is good news of liberation, salvation and grace for the poor and the afflicted. The listeners paid close attention to Jesus.

In the second reading we have another form of communicating the word, the written way. St Paul compares the Church to the human body. He goes one step further. The Church is the body of Christ and every baptized person is a member of the body of Christ. Just as Christ was filled with the Holy Spirit, so is every member. The Christian is given an outpouring of the Spirit for fulfilling his/her responsibility in the Church.

The word proclaimed and announced demands a response. It challenges and stirs us to action, an action in favour of the less privileged, and the oppressed. It is a responsibility for the uplift and well being of the poor members of the body of Christ. This is what the man in the story learned.

January 2004 

CALENDAR 

Psalter week 3

26/Mon (W) Sts Timothy & Titus, bishops 2 Tim 1:1-8 or Tit 1:1-5; Ps 95; Lk 10:1-9

27/Tue (G/W) St Angela Merici, v 2 Sam 6:12b-15,17-19; Ps 23; Mk 3:31-35

28/Wed (W) St Thomas Aquinas, priest & doctor 2 Sam 7:4-17; Ps 88; Mk 4:1-20

29/Thu (G) 2 Sam 7:18-19,24-29; Ps 131; Mk 4:21-25

30/Fri (G) 2 Sam 11:1-4a,5-10a,13-17; Ps 50; Mk 4:26-34

31/Sat (W) St John Bosco, priest 2 Sam 12:1-7a,10-17; Ps 50; Mk 4:35-41

  Back                                                            Next