Christ, be our light—AOV2 3, CWBII 540, G 590, GA 404
Come to the feast—AOV1 151, G 585, GA 400
In labour all creation groans—AOV2 40, CWBII 521
Love is his word—CWB 743, CWBII 553, GA 462
O God, our help in ages past—AOV1 175, CWB 767, CWBII 568, G 688, GA 459
Responsorial psalm (see also music overview for Ordinary Time)
Psalm 89 (90): In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge (Isele)—CWB 402
Common Psalm 94 (95): If today you hear his voice (Soper)—DD (OCP)
Common Psalm 94 (95): If today you hear God’s voice (Wood)—GA 55
Common Psalm 94 (95): If today you hear his voice (Willcock)—PFS 50
Gospel acclamation
Matthew 5:3
Alleluia, Alleluia! Happy the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs! Alleluia!
Procession of the gifts/offertory
Abundant life—G 811, DD (GIA)
Act justly (Farrell)—DD (OCP)
Act justly—AOV1 50
Centre of my life—AOV2 170, G 679, GA 444
Eat this bread (Taizé)—AOV1 125, CWBII 484, G 941, GA 205
Eye has not seen—AOV1 146, G 728, GA 466
If we have died to ourselves in Jesus—CWBII 30, GA 87
In every age—AOVNG 77, G 716, DD (OCP)
Micah’s Theme—CWB 748, GA 486
O breathe on me, O breath of God—CWB 758, CWBII 564, G 902, GA 432
Seek, O seek the Lord—CWB 802, CWBII 595, GA 211
Seek ye first—AOV1 48, CWBII 594, GA 456, G 658
Set your heart on the higher gifts (Warner)—DD (WLP)
The cry of the poor—AOV1 83, CWBII 618, G 47, GA 36
Communion
The Beatitudes (Kearney)—CWB 817, CWBII 456, GA 489
Come to the water (Andersen)—AOV1 74, CWBII 473, GA 403
How rich are the depths of God (Willcock)—AOV2 79, CWB 795, CWBII 505, GA 81
I am the bread of life (Kaczmarek)—AOVNG 72
I am the bread of life (Toolan)—AOV1 49, CWB 718, CWBII 508, G 945, GA 204
Our blessing cup (Hurd)—AOV1 7
Table of plenty—AOV2 20, DD (OCP)
Thanksgiving hymn/song/canticle (optional, sung by all)
A Trusting Psalm—AOV1 115, CWBII 293, GA 455
Centre of my life—AOV2 170, G 679, GA 444
Jesus Christ, you are my life—CWBII 523
Sending forth
Bring forth the kingdom—AOV2 4, CWBII 647, G 734, GA 478
In Christ there is no east or west—CWBII 519, G 832
Lord, you give the great commission—CWBII 308, G 544, GA 313
The Church of Christ, in every age—CWB 818, CWBII 613
What does the Lord require—CWBII 642
Entrance
All people that on earth do dwell—AOV1 25, CWB 613, CWBII 448, G 853, GA 533
All the earth proclaim the Lord—AOV1 184, CWB 611, CWBII 447, GA 534
Christ, be our light—AOV2 3, CWBII 540, G 590, GA 404
Christ is the world’s light—CWB 643, CWBII 467
City of God—AOV1 57, CWBII 453, G 766, GA 498
Come, Lord Jesus, come—CWBII 234
Find us ready, Lord (Booth)—DD (OCP)
Gather us in—AOV1 12, CWBII 501, G 848, GA 526
In faith and hope and love—CWB 722, CWBII 520, GA 442
Out of darkness—AOV1 134, GA 504
Shelter me, O God—AOV1 140, G 717, GA 230
Yes, I shall arise—CWB 867, CWBII 648, GA 214
Responsorial psalm (see also music overview for Ordinary Time)
Psalm 32 (33): Happy the people the Lord has chosen to be his own (Ancell)—CWB 22
Common Psalm 94 (95): If today you hear God’s voice (Wood)—GA 55
Common Psalm 94 (95): If today you hear his voice (Soper)—DD (OCP)
Common Psalm 94 (95): If today you hear his voice (Willcock)—PFS 50
Gospel acclamation
Matthew 24:42a, 44
Alleluia, Alleluia! Be watchful and ready: You know not when the Son of Man is coming. Alleluia!
Procession of the gifts/offertory
A Trusting Psalm—AOV1 115, CWBII 293, GA 455
Act justly (Farrell)—DD (OCP)
Act justly—AOV1 50
Awake, O sleeper—GA 173
Christians, let us love one another—CWB 648, CWBII 469, GA 206
Eye has not seen—AOV1 146, G 728, GA 466
I want to walk as a child of the light—CWBII 514, G 593
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning (African-American spiritual)—DD (hymnary.org)
Set your heart on the higher gifts (Warner)—DD (WLP)
There is one Lord (Taizé)—GA 346
Communion
Be not afraid (Dufford)—AOV1 114, CWBII 653, G 683, GA 449
Bread of life, hope of the world—AOV1 164, CWBII 459, GA 199
Bread of life—AOVNG 15
Do not be afraid/The Lord is my light—AOV2 73, CWBII 481, GA 28, PFS 40
Eat this bread (Taizé)—AOV1 125, CWBII 484, G 941, GA 205
Gift of finest wheat/You satisfy the hungry heart—CWB 685, CWBII 651, G 940, GA 191
I am the bread of life (Kaczmarek)—AOVNG 72
I am the bread of life (Toolan)—AOV1 49, CWB 718, CWBII 508, G 945, GA 204
Jesus calls us to his table—CWBII 115
My soul in stillness waits—CWBII 237, G 415, GA 280
Take and eat (Joncas)—CWBII 608, G 950, GA 198
Thanksgiving hymn/song/canticle (optional, sung by all)
All creatures of our God and King—CWB 618, CWBII 446, G 611, GA 395
All creatures of our God and King (arr. Rick Modlin)—DD (OCP)
Find us ready, Lord (Booth)—DD (OCP)
Glory be to God in heaven—CWB 686, GA 422
In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful (Taizé)—AOV2 109, CWBII 522, G 639, GA 429
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven—AOV1 78, CWB 789, CWBII 588, G 613, GA 392
Sending forth
Bring forth the kingdom—AOV2 4, CWBII 647, G 734, GA 478
Glory and praise to our God—AOV1 16, CWBII 491, GA 417, G 606
Love divine, all loves excelling—CWB 740, CWBII 552, G 641, GA 463
O God, our help in ages past—AOV1 175, CWB 767, CWBII 568, G 688, GA 459
Sing a new song unto the Lord—AOV1 80, CWBII 598, GA 414
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy—CWB 838, CWBII 624, G 644
We walk by faith—AOV1 63, CWBII 641, G 680, GA 447
First reading
Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21–23 Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Responsorial psalm
Psalm 89(90):3–6, 12–14, 17 R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Second reading
Colossians 3:1–5, 9–11 You must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is.
Gospel acclamation
Matthew 5:3 Happy are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!
Gospel
Luke 12:13–21 Fool! This very night your soul will be demanded of you.
Images from the Word
Your judge
Good harvest
Fool
Vanity
Life with Christ
Liturgical notes
For in the readings, as expounded by the Homily, God speaks to his people, opening up to them the mystery of redemption and salvation, and offering them spiritual nourishment; and Christ himself is present in the midst of the faithful through his word.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §55
Our daily lives are filled with countless words and sounds, alongside a barrage of conflicting values and invitations. So, when we attend Sunday Mass, we must focus on our beloved God who speaks to us gently. Our readers have already prayed with this word of God. Drawing on this prayer, they proclaim the consoling and confronting word of God. We must be attentive so that our hearts are willing to live what we hear.
‘Graciously sanctify these gifts, O Lord, we pray, and, accepting the oblation of this spiritual sacrifice, make of us an eternal offering to you.’
—prayer over the offerings
First reading
Wisdom 18:6–9 You made us glorious by calling us to you.
Responsorial psalm
Psalm 32(33):1, 12, 18–20, 22 R. Happy are the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Second reading
Hebrews 11:1–2, 8–19 Abraham looked forward to a city founded, designed and built by God.
Gospel acclamation
Matthew 24:42a, 44 Be watchful and ready: You know not when the Son of Man is coming.
Gospel
Luke 12:32–48 You too must stand ready.
Images from the Word
Treasure
Waiting
Great deal
Expectation
By faith
Liturgical notes
In texts that are to be spoken in a loud and clear voice, whether by the priest or the deacon, or by the lector, or by all, the tone of voice should correspond to the genre of the text itself, that is, depending upon whether it is a reading, a prayer, a commentary, an acclamation, or a sung text; the tone should also be suited to the form of celebration and to the solemnity of the gathering.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §38
The ministry of the Word involves much more than public reading, as different genres of readings require different voices. That is, readers are not simply reading words; as St John Paul II suggested, they are proclaiming the love embedded in the Word of God through their 'care, preparation, devout attention and meditative silence’.
‘Be pleased, O Lord, to accept the offerings of your Church, for in your mercy you have given them to be offered and by your power you transform them into the mystery of our salvation.’
—prayer over the offerings
Presider
Today, we lift our hearts and pray that God’s compassion and mercy will be open to those who need it most.
Reader
We pray for Pope Leo and all Church leaders. May their appeals for world development as a step towards true peace be heard by all with a heartfelt response.
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for our nation during this week of celebrating the Feast of St Mary McKillop. May more people be inspired by her vision and example to embrace the Gospel with courage and creativity.
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who work in all areas of human rights. Driven by their belief in the dignity of every human being, may their efforts bear fruitful outcomes.
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for our faith community as we gather in worship. May we find meaning and fulfillment in what we already have, and may we reach out to provide for those in need.
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for …
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray that those who are ill may be strengthened in their struggle and pain. We pray for those who have died recently and those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they share fully in the glory of God’s promise.
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
Presider
God of life, receive these prayers of intercession. May your mercy flow abundantly to all who are in need. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Presider
Faith is confidence in the trustworthiness of God. Abraham had faith in God’s promise to him. As his spiritual descendants, we ask God to give us the same gift of faith as we make our intercession today.
Reader
We pray for Pope Leo and the bishops of our Church. May they always be mindful of their responsibility to guide those who are entrusted to their care.
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
During this week of celebrating the feast of the Assumption of Mary, we pray for each of us gathered here. May we, like Mary, recognise how God works in and through us to bring life, goodness and hope to the world.
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the people of our world who are enduring persecution and affliction. May peace be restored in their lands so that they can live in harmony with each other.
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for our faith community. Nourished by the Eucharist, may we reach out with compassion to others, especially to those in need.
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for …
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are sick in our parish and for those who have asked for our prayers. We pray for those recently deceased and for those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May God reward their faith and lead them to the life he promised.
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
Presider
Lord Jesus, you tell us not to be afraid and to trust your Father’s generous love. Bless us and those who have entrusted their deepest needs to us. We place our hope in you because you are our Saviour. Amen.
Entrance
Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!—AOV1 191, CWB 619, CWBII 449, G 949, GA 371
By your kingly power, O risen Lord—CWB 633, CWBII 352, GA 352
Gather your people—AOV1 71, CWBII 490, G 837, GA 530
Let all mortal flesh keep silence—CWBII 533, G 619, GA 190
Love is his word—CWB 743, CWBII 553, GA 462
Glory and praise to our God—AOV1 16, CWBII 491, GA 417, G 606
Responsorial psalm (see also music overview for Ordinary Time)
Psalm 109 (110): You are a priest forever in the line of Melchizesek (Willcock)—CWB 114b
Optional Sequence
Laud, O Zion (De Bruyn)—DD (OCP)
Lauda, Sion (plainchant)—DD (Corpus Christi Watershed, free)
Come, behold, the bread of angels (Praise, O Zion)—CWBII 396a
See, the bread of angels given (Ecce panis angelorum)—CWBII 395
Gospel acclamation
John 6:51–52
Alleluia, Alleluia! I am the living bread from heaven, says the Lord; whoever eats this bread will live for ever. Alleluia!
Procession of the gifts/offertory
Christians, let us love one another—CWB 648, CWBII 469, GA 206
Christ is here (Walker)—GA 351, DD (OCP)
Eat this bread (Taizé)—AOV1 125, CWBII 484, G 941, GA 205
God with hidden majesty (Adoro te devote)—GA 388
I receive the living God—G 916, DD (OCP)
Jesus, you are bread for us—AOV1 42, CWBII 116
Our Supper Invitation—AOV1 185, GA 202
Song of the Lord’s Supper—CWBII 311, GA 322
Taste and see God’s love (Wood)—GA 203
This body will be given for you—CWB 839, GA 387
Communion
Bread broken, wine shared—AOV2 155
Bread for the world broken—AOV1 60
Bread of life, hope of the world—AOV1 164, CWBII 459, GA 199
Feed us now, bread of life (Mann)—AOV2 93
Gift of finest wheat/You satisfy the hungry heart—CWB 685, CWBII 651, G 940, GA 191
I am the bread of life (Kaczmarek)—AOVNG 72
I am the bread of life (Toolan)—AOV1 49, CWB 718, CWBII 508, G 945, GA 204
In the breaking of the bread (Hurd)—AOV1 58, G 918, DD (OCP)
Make of our hands a throne (Warner)—DD (GIA)
Our Supper Invitation—AOV1 185, GA 202
Taste and see (Dean)—CWBII 609, GA 34
Taste and see (Moore)—G 930, DD (GIA)
Taste and see (Robinson)—AOV1 88
Taste and see (Willcock)—CWBII 610, GA 33, PFS 46
Taste and see God’s love (Wood)—GA 203
Taste and see the goodness of the Lord (Herry)—CWBII 610, DD (Marist Music, free)
Taste and see/Drink in the richness (Wood)—GA 35
Thanksgiving hymn/song/canticle (optional, sung by all)
For the fruits of all creation—CWBII 488, GA 426
Life-giving bread, saving cup—G 926, DD (GIA)
Now let us from this table rise—CWB 753, CWBII 560
O God, beyond all praising—CWBII 566
One bread, one body—AOV1 129, CWBII 579, G 932, GA 193
Taste and see (Hurd)—AOV1 67
Sending forth
Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!—AOV1 191, CWB 619, CWBII 449, G 949, GA 371
Love is his word—CWB 743, CWBII 553, GA 462
Now thank we all our God—AOV1 189, CWB 755, CWBII 561, G 636, GA 425
Take the word of God with you—CWBII 607, GA 494, DD (OCP)
First reading
Genesis 14:18–20 Melchizedek brought bread and wine.
Responsorial psalm
Psalm 109(110):1–4 R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
Second reading
1 Corinthians 11:23–26 Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming the death of the Lord.
Gospel acclamation
John 6:51–52 I am the living bread from heaven, says the Lord; whoever eats this bread will live for ever.
Gospel
Luke 9:11–17 The feeding of the five thousand.
Images from the Word
Welcome
Give them
All eat
Blessed
Memorial
Liturgical notes
In the eucharistic prayer, the priest:
Invites the people to lift up their hearts to the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving; he unites the congregation with himself in the Prayer that he addresses in the name of the entire community to God the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §78
The priest does not pray this prayer in isolation, but in union with the entire congregation. The priest proclaims the text of this prayer, and the community members confess in their hearts the great deeds of God that they have experienced throughout the past week. From these numerous and diverse events of the week, the assembly is called to bless God. The community thus unites in offering the sacrifice at this celebration.
‘Grant your Church, O Lord, we pray, the gifts of unity and peace, whose signs are to be seen in mystery in the offerings we here present.’
—prayer over the offerings
Presider
We place these petitions in the hands of Christ and ask for his blessings. May no one go hungry for the bread of God’s mercy and compassion.
Reader
We pray for Pope Leo and all the bishops and priests of the Church. May they be blessed and supported so that all people may continue sharing in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who hunger and thirst in our world. May all governments continue developing effective programs that ensure the availability of food and water, especially for people in developing countries.
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for all who have been abused by members of our Church, other institutions and government agencies. We pray for their families and for the offenders. May the spirit of love, truth and justice bring healing and inner peace to all affected.
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for our faith community as we gather to celebrate the Eucharist. May we deepen our appreciation for Christ’s body that was given for us and his blood that was shed for us as we live as Jesus showed us.
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 those whose anniversaries occur at this time. May they now share in the banquet of God’s eternal kingdom.
Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer.
Presider
Merciful God, creator of heaven and earth, bring your peace, life and love to the world. We ask this through Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life from heaven. Amen.
Jesus made the crowds welcome and talked to them about the kingdom of God; and he cured those who were in need of healing. It was late afternoon when the Twelve came to him and said, ‘Send the people away, and they can go to the villages and farms round about to find lodging and food; for we are in a lonely place here.’ He replied, ‘Give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we are to go ourselves and buy food for all these people.’ For there were about five thousand men. But he said to his disciples, ‘Get them to sit down in parties of about fifty.’ They did so and made them all sit down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven, and said the blessing over them; then he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute among the crowd. They all ate as much as they wanted, and when the scraps remaining were collected they filled twelve baskets.
(Luke 9:11–17)
Did you know?
Points of interest and Catholic lore
The actions of our eucharistic celebration are based on Jesus' actions in this gospel text and later during the Last Supper. These actions involve the priest taking the bread, blessing it, breaking it and distributing it to all who come to the table.
The twelve baskets full of remaining food signify that the Eucharist can meet all our needs. The abundance of the Eucharist is enough—indeed, more than enough—to fill and sustain us.
The abundant feast is an image associated with the coming of the Messiah and the advent of God’s kingdom. In this gospel text, Jesus brings an experience of God’s reign in the present time to those whom he fed in such abundance.
Exploring the Word
Jesus' attitude towards the crowd starkly contrasts that of the Twelve. Jesus welcomes all who come to him, patiently explains his message of the kingdom and offers healing to all those in need of it. In contrast, the Twelve are anxious about their paucity of resources and suggest that the crowd be sent away to find their own nourishment. Jesus then presents a model of how they should respond: with generosity and trust in God. Significantly, Jesus hands the food back to the apostles to distribute among the crowd—that is, they are given the ministry of feeding the multitude. For Luke, the Twelve are the foundation of the Church. This Church, founded on the Twelve, must never stop nourishing those who come seeking healing and the kingdom. The Church is founded on its members, so each one of us is responsible for using what resources we have to meet the needs of others.
What are some implications of this understanding of the text?
Are these implications confined to our immediate community or are they global in scope? How does this understanding of the text challenge us further?
In what ways are the Church and its members helping to meet your needs in the present?
In what ways are the Church and its members helping to meet the needs of the world?
Making connections
Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer
Have you ever been in a ‘lonely place’?
How do you make people feel welcome?
What needs healing in you?
How is Jesus feeding your ‘hunger’?
Jesus tells the disciples that they should feed the crowd themselves. What resources do you have that could help feed the needs of people you know? Share an experience in your life in which you were able to help someone in their time of need. Share an experience in which someone was able to help you.
Spend a little time each day reflecting on your needs and on how your journey towards Christ is helping to feed those needs. Try to help someone find a way out of their ‘lonely place’.
This week’s gospel acclamation makes a beautiful reflection. Pray it often: I am the living bread from heaven, says the Lord; Whoever eats this bread will live forever.
Sharing the tradition
A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ
This eucharistic feast, as the Church celebrates it today, emerged in the thirteenth century, at a time when people rarely received Holy Communion. In fact, a church law was needed to encourage people to receive the Eucharist at least once a year during the Easter season.
You could provide some historical background to explore the reason for this attitude.
For Catholics today, the Eucharist is ‘the source and summit’ of the life of the Church and the faithful.
Talk about what this means. You could refer to the passage from Lumen Gentium (§11), a document from the Second Vatican Council, or you could refer to the relevant part of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (§1324) that focuses on this concept.
You could discuss the four ways we understand Christ to be present in the Eucharist.
You could explain the concept of ‘fasting’ before receiving communion; discuss how this practice has changed over time and appropriate ways for preparing to receive Christ.
Symbols and images
‘The lonely place’ in which the events of the text occur symbolises our own longing to be filled, our yearning to belong. Jesus welcomes all who come, and he cures those in need of healing. For Christians, the Eucharist satisfies all the needs of those who come to the table of the Lord. They are fed and nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ.
Living the Word
Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment
‘Feed’ others this week. In what ways can this be interpreted?
If possible, you could spend some time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. You could pray for all who nourish your own journey towards full participation in the Eucharist. A suitable song could be Bread of Life, Hope for the World (GA 199). Conclude with the prayer of blessing in the RCIA at §97C.
