As we gather to be formed in faith by God’s word, we ask the Lord of all hopefulness to receive these prayers of intercession for all God’s people.
We pray for Pope Leo and all Church leaders. May they use wisely the authority bestowed on them and continue to witness to God’s kingdom among us.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
As we celebrate Australia Day this week, may we be sensitive to and acknowledge the First Nations of this land. We pray for God’s blessings on all of us and on our land, where we are privileged to live.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for our faith community. In the light of the prophetic call of our baptism, may we discern the movement of God’s Spirit in our daily lives.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for …
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for sick parishioners, family and friends, that they will find healing.
We pray for those who have died recently and for those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they enter into the eternal life of God’s kingdom, as promised to us all.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, we have come together to ask your blessings upon us and on all who have asked for our prayers. We are confident you do not forget your own people. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Just as Peter and Andrew ‘left their nets’ to follow Christ, we gather to pray for the needs of the Church.
We pray for Pope Leo and all those who, like the apostles, are called to share the ministry of Jesus. May the Spirit guide them in proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the leaders of our nation. May they strive to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to their care, and good neighbours to those in their region who are less fortunate.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for all those seeking meaning and purpose in their lives. May they find hope and strength in Jesus’ promise of life and life to the full.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for our faith community. May we, like the first apostles, willingly hear Jesus’ call to follow him and live our lives as Jesus taught.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for …
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for Pope Emeritus Benedict, who governed Christ’s Church with love and fidelity.
May Christ welcome him to the place prepared for him in the Father’s house.
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the sick of our parish and for all who have asked for our prayers.
We pray for those who have died recently and for all whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they rest in everlasting peace.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Isaiah 35:1–6, 10
God himself is coming to save you.
Psalm 145(146): 6–10
R. Lord, come and save us.
James 5:7–10
Do not lose heart; the Lord’s coming will be soon.
Isaiah 61:1 (Luke 4:18)
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he sent me to bring Good News to the poor.
Matthew 11:2–11
‘A greater than John the Baptist has never been seen.’
The Council of Trent already recognized the great catechetical value contained in the celebration of Mass but was unable to bring out all its consequences in regard to actual practice. In fact, many were pressing for permission to use the vernacular in celebrating the Eucharistic Sacrifice; but the Council, weighing the conditions of that age, considered it a duty to answer this request with a reaffirmation of the Church’s traditional teaching, according to which the Eucharistic Sacrifice is, first and foremost, the action of Christ himself, and therefore its proper efficacy is unaffected by the manner in which the faithful take part in it.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §11
We have grown up with the expectation that our liturgy will be in the vernacular. Clearly Vatican II took up what had been planned at Trent and was able to implement this change.
‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.’
—entrance antiphon
Isaiah 7:10–14
The maiden is with child.
Psalm 23(24):1–6
R. Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.
Romans 1:1–7
Our apostolic mission is to preach the obedience of faith to all pagan nations.
Matthew 1:23
A virgin will give birth to a son; His name will be Emmanuel: God is with us.
Matthew 1:18–24
How Jesus Christ came to be born
Above all, the Second Vatican Council, which urged ‘that more perfect form of participation in the Mass by which the faithful, after the priest’s Communion, receive the Lord’s Body from the same Sacrifice,’ called for another desire of the Fathers of Trent to be realized, namely that for the sake of a fuller participation in the holy Eucharist ‘the faithful present at each Mass should communicate not only by spiritual desire but also by sacramental reception of the Eucharist.’
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §13
The liturgical reform of Vatican II was focussed upon ensuring the full participation of the faithful in the celebration of the liturgy. Therefore, it made it possible for the faithful to fully participate in the celebration of the Mass by encouraging Communion in the consecrated bread and wine. In this Communion, they share in the very sacrifice of Christ.–
‘Drop down dew from above, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down the Just One; let the earth be opened and bring forth a Saviour.’
—entrance antiphon
Isaiah tells us that our God comes to save us and to put mourning and sorrow to flight. Confident in his sacred Word, we entrust our petitions to our loving God.
We pray for Pope Leo and the leaders of our Church. By their words and deeds, may they be for us beacons of joy and gladness as we await the coming of the Lord.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for positive relationships between Christians and Jews. May our mutual celebration of Hanukkah (the Feast of Lights) and Christmas (Christ the Light of the World) show that what unites us can be greater than what divides us.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the children of our parish schools and their teachers at the close of this academic year. May they be filled with the joy of Christmas and have a safe and refreshing holiday break.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for our faith community. May we all take time out from the frantic pace of this Christmas season to quietly meditate on the significance of Advent. Let us make sure there is truly room in our lives for the coming of our Saviour.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for …
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the sick of our parish and for all who have asked for our prayers.
We pray for those who have died recently and for all whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they now be at peace in the joy of God’s kingdom.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We rejoice in you always, Lord God. We believe you love the just and protect those who are repressed and needy. Hear these prayers from your people, who await your saving word, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Through grace we belong to Jesus Christ. We offer these prayers of intercession confident that God will bless them, through Christ our Lord.
We pray for Pope Leo and the bishops who lead us in faith. May their proclamation, revealed to them in the Scriptures, encourage people of our day to look to the Gospel as the word of eternal life.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for leaders of nations and political parties who proclaim a Christian message. May their voices be heard above those who strive to take Christ out of this season of hope.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for families where there is division or tension. May the true spirit of this Christmas season give them the courage to seek healing and find the peace that this will bring.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
As a faith community, let us open our hearts and homes to share our gift of family with those not so blessed.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for …
Lord hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for our family and friends who are ill at this time and for those who care for them.
We commend to your love those who have died recently and those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they share in the peace of eternal life promised to us all.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
God our Saviour, hear us this day as we stand together in community, our hearts open to your holy word. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Ecclesiasticus 3:3–7, 14–17
He who fears the Lord respects his parents.
Psalm 127(128):1–5
R. Happy are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.
Colossians 3:12–21
Family life in the Lord
Colossians 3:15a, 16a
May the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, and the fullness of his message live within you.
Matthew 2:13–15, 19–23
The flight into Egypt and the return to Nazareth
The institution of the family faces great challenges in various parts of the world today, and it is entirely appropriate for the homilist to speak about these. However, rather than simply giving a moral exhortation on family values, the preacher should take his cue from the Scripture readings of this day to speak of the Christian family as a school of discipleship.
—Homiletic Directory, §121
In the context of our family, even if that environment is fragile, we can grow in life. We who gather regularly at the table of the Lord are called to learn the Lord’s lesson that life is given for others. This pattern of Christ’s self-giving love in the Mass must flow into our life so that we are disciples of our Master.
‘The shepherds went in haste, and found Mary and Joseph and the Infant lying in a manger’
—entrance antiphon
Isaiah 58:7–10
Then will your light shine like the dawn.
Psalm 111(112):4–9
R. A light rises in the darkness for the upright.
1 Corinthians 2:1–5
The only knowledge I claimed was of the crucified Christ.
John 8:12
I am the light of the world, says the Lord; the man who follows me will have the light of life.
Matthew 5:13–16
Your light must shine in the sight of men.
In the General Intercessions or the Prayer of the Faithful, the people respond in a certain way to the word of God which they have welcomed in faith and, exercising the office of their baptismal priesthood, offer prayers to God for the salvation of all. It is fitting that such a prayer be included, as a rule, in Masses celebrated with a congregation, so that petitions will be offered for the holy Church, for civil authorities, for those weighed down by various needs, for all men and women, and for the salvation of the whole world.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §69
As we come together each Sunday, we are invited to bring our prayer for the world and all its need. We do not come alone in this prayer, but we come as the one Body of Christ. United as one, we intercede for the many needs of our community with a view to the wider Church. As the priestly people of God, we can be confident that God will respond.
‘O come, let us worship God and bow low before the God who made us, for he is the Lord our God.’ —entrance antiphon
To understand this text, it is important to place it alongside the Beatitudes that immediately precede it (you could read these together first). In that text, the virtues to be cultivated by followers of Jesus are outlined, but the danger with taking the Beatitudes on their own is that faith can become contented peacefulness and somewhat inward-looking. To avoid this risk, Matthew follows the Beatitudes with this text, which teaches disciples about the task of Christians in the world. They have been given the gifts; they are the salt of the earth. But if they just see their blessedness and rest there, they risk becoming ‘tasteless’ and good only to be ‘trampled underfoot’. Instead, the disciples are urged to place their light high on a hill and to let it shine for all to see. They are witnesses to God’s living presence, not just for the nation of Israel but for all the world. In seeing the way that Christians live and act—their ‘good works’—others will be drawn to God through their active witness to faith. Others will come to give praise to God in heaven. This is an amazing responsibility, and Jesus acknowledges that some salt may lose its taste and some lights be hidden. The challenge for Christians, new and old, is not to take the gift of faith for granted and let it become tasteless; not to keep the light confined to private moments but to allow others to see the difference faith makes so that they can know the presence and power of God.
In the early 1960s, a momentous event occurred in the history of the Church. The Second Vatican Council was convened by Pope John XXIII. His desire was to throw open the widows of the Church and let fresh air in so that it related more appropriately to the modern world and modern humans.
One of the key documents from that council was the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, known in Latin as Lumen Gentium (‘Light of All Peoples’). Its aim was to be a statement of the Church’s own understanding of itself and the role it is destined to take in the world.
The people of Israel often described the Law of God as ‘salt’ because it gave zest and flavour to life and it preserved them as the people of God. Similarly, the Law was often compared to a light that showed them the path to God: ‘Your word is a light to my feet and a lamp to my path’ (Psalm 119:105). Jerusalem, the city on the hill, was a focal point and reminder of God’s presence. Jesus gives a new focus to all these images when he applies them to those who hear his word and put it into practice. All Christians are called to be ‘salt’ and ‘light’, a ‘city on the hill’ giving witness to God’s presence.
The rendering of the Greek term used in this text as ‘happy’ is rather weak. A better term is ‘blessed’. At the heart of the Beatitudes is Jesus’ instruction to his followers to cultivate certain qualities in their lives. To be gentle, to mourn, to thirst for what is right, to be merciful, to be pure of heart and to be peacemakers are signs of the presence of the kingdom of God in our lives. To have such virtues is to be blessed. Jesus teaches that those who suffer some human lack or pain are blessed, not because poverty, pain or sorrow are good in themselves, but because they reveal to us our need for God. Those who are prosperous, comfortable or content find this much more difficult to realise and accept.
The final portion of this text speaks to the experience of the early church, which suffered persecution for the sake of faith in Jesus Christ. Christians today are also called to stand against arrogant secularism, which proclaims that humans do not need God. Even today, people suffer for their faith, but they too are assured that their reward will be great in heaven!
Some of the revered figures of the Church have embodied the virtues celebrated in the Beatitudes. This is a good opportunity to introduce the lives and work of some saints or other figures as models of these virtues—for example:
You will be able to think of many more.
The ‘poor’ are those who are not smug and self-satisfied. Those who ‘mourn’ are those who grieve at the effects of sin in the world. The ‘meek’ are the lowly and powerless in any situation. Those who ‘hunger for righteousness’ are those who long for justice and peace. The ‘pure of heart’ are those who seek God alone. The ‘peacemakers’ are those who work to restore broken relationships. Those who are ‘persecuted’ are those who are ridiculed for their faith. Taken all together, the Beatitudes describe what a Christian should be like.