A New
Presentation for Sunday's Liturgy What
I want is mercy, not
sacrifice June
5, 2005
10th Sunday in Ordinary Time Click
here to download: (English
- 2.24MB) Flash Presentation
The original version,along
with other very useful materials for pastoral agents and Christians in
general can be found at: http://ciudadredonda.org
The
Lord Jesus sets for us his table
of his word and his body.
May we listen to him and learn from him,
to open our hearts and hands
to friend and foe in need.
May the Lord Jesus be always with you. R/ And also with you.
Introduction
by the Celebrant
Who
is the "just person," the friend of God? Is it the Christian
who goes to Mass every Sunday and faithfully performs all one's religious
duties? That depends on one's inner attitude. Religious practices are
good and wonderful if they are more than outward observances, if we
put our heart in them, if these practices commit us to God and people,
in faith, love, mercy and compassion. Prayer should commit us to the
causes we pray for. Our eucharistic sacrifice on Sundays commits us
to service and love on weekdays too. Let us offer this kind of sacrifice
with the Lord.
Penitential
Act
Let
us examine ourselves before God
and in the presence of one another
whether our religious practices are genuine. (PAUSE)
Lord, we ask your forgiveness
for relying more on practices and devotions
than on love and faith and compassion.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, we ask your forgiveness
for looking down on sinners and difficult people
and thinking we are better than they are:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, we ask your forgiveness
for not acknowledging that we too are sinners
in need of conversion:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy on us sinners,
forgive us our pride and self-sufficiency
and bring us through repentant love
to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening
Prayer
Let
us pray that our faith and love
may be deep and authentic (PAUSE)
God of love and mercy,
to our surprise your Son Jesus said
"Come, follow me" to sinners,
to frail, wavering and erring people.
Make us realize fully
that it was to us he spoke.
Give us the eager courage
to give up our pride and reliance
on our own achievements and practices.
Help us to follow in faith and love
the call of Jesus Christ
and to reflect your own love and mercy.
Grant this through Christ our Lord . R/ Amen.
Liturgy
of the Word
First
Reading Introduction: What
I want is love, not sacrifice
In the name of God the prophet tells
his people: your sacrifices are worthless as long as you do not sincerely
love God and keep exploiting the people.
First
Reading: Hosea
6:3-6
In their affliction,
people will say,
"Let us strive to know Yahweh.
His coming is as certain as the dawn;
his judgment will burst forth like the light;
he will come to us as showers come,
like spring rain that waters the earth."
O Ephraim, what shall I do with you?
O Judah, how shall I deal with you?
This love of yours is like morning mist,
like morning dew that quickly disappears.
This is why I smote you through the prophets,
and have slain you by the words of my mouth.
For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice;
it is knowledge of God, not burnt offerings.
Responsorial
Psalm: Ps 50:1,8,12-13,14-15
R.
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
God the Lord has spoken and summoned the earth,
Form the rising of the sun to its setting.
"Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
For your holocaust are before me always." R.
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
For mine are the world and its fullness.
Do I eat the flesh of strong bulls.
Or is the blood of goats my drink?" R.
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
And fulfill your vows to the Most High;
Then call upon me in time of distress;
I will rescue you, and shall glorify me. R.
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
Second
Reading Introduction:
Abraham
believed in God's presence
Abraham was a great example
of living, sincere faith. Though a pagan, hearing the call of an unknown
God, he gave up his security to follow God to an insecure destiny.
Second
Reading: Romans
4:18-25
Brothers and sisters,
Abraham believed and hoped against all expectation, thus becoming father
of many nations, as he had been told: See how many will be your descendants.
He did not doubt although his body could no longer give life-he was
about a hundred years old-and in spite of his wife Sarah being unable
to have children. He did not doubt nor did he distrust the promise of
God, and by being strong in faith, he gave glory to God: he was convinced
that He who had given the promise had power to fulfill it.
This was taken
into account for him to attain righteousness. This was taken into account:
these words of Scripture are not only for him, but for us, too, because
we believe in Him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from among the dead, he
who was delivered for our sins and raised to life for us to receive
true righteousness.
GospelIntroduction:
What
I want is mercy, not sacrifice
Jesus calls Levi-Matthew, a tax collector
and so a typical sinner. When the "faithful" Pharisees protest,
Jesus says that Matthew's response to God is worth more than the religious
practices of the Pharisees.
Gospel
Reading: Jn
3:16-18
As
Jesus was walking on, he saw a man named Matthew at his seat in the
custom-house, and he said to him, "Follow me." And Matthew
got up and followed him. Now it happened, while Jesus was at table in
Matthew's house, many tax collectors and other sinners joined Jesus
and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples,
"Why is it that your master eats with those sinners and tax collectors?"
When Jesus heard
this he said, "Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people
do. Go and find out what this means: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
Commentary
JESUS
calls a disciple-this one, Matthew, a minor tax collector who would
have been despised by his neighbors for being in collusion with
Rome, their oppressors and making a living off the taxation and
injustice that they were subject to. Matthew not only follows him,
but throws a party for his friends, to meet Jesus and Jesus goes!
And he is criticized. Jesus is blunt with the good religious, self-righteous
ones: Read the Scriptures about what God wants: "What I want
is mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but
sinners." He is mocking them-they have reduced the desire of
God down to empty ritual and organized religion, rather than its
heart and soul-conversion and holiness and forgiveness of others
that lures them back into community and the practice of forgiveness
and justice in gratitude. Jesus is calling us. Which group would
he find us in-the religious self-righteous or those knowing they
have been touched by mercy?
We
do not save ourselves by outward observances. So, let us open ourselves
to God's mercy and pray to our Lord Jesus Christ that with him we may
worship our Father in heaven by our faith, our love and our compassionate
mercy. Let us say to him: R/ Have mercy on your people, Lord.
- For the Church, a community of saints and of many sinners, that we,
the People of God, and our leaders may not condemn those who fail but
give them new chances in life, let us pray: R/ Have mercy on your
people, Lord.
- For people who have failed often and no longer dare believe in themselves,
in God or in the community, that they may draw new courage and hope
from our compassion and understanding, let us pray: R/ Have mercy
on your people, Lord.
- For our country and our people, that we may keep believing in our
potentials and in our future and activate everyone, whether high or
low, to cooperate for the good of all, let us pray: R/ Have mercy
on your people, Lord.
- For priests and religious, that they may keep trusting in the Lord
who called them notwithstanding their human weakness; that with Christ
they may care especially for the poor and the weak, let us pray: R/
Have mercy on your people, Lord.
- For our Christian communities, that we may not look down on those
who have failed; that we may not feel self-sufficient but remain open
to God who can do great things with weak people, let us pray: R/
Have mercy on your people, Lord.
Lord Jesus Christ, you do not ask for any sacrifice other than sincere
repentance, trusting faith, and especially serving love. Our hearts
are ready, Lord, but give us your strength and stay with us now and
for ever. R/ Amen.
Prayer
over the Gifts
Our
God and Father,
your Son Jesus sat at table
with weak and sinful people.
You invite us to this holy meal
and appeal to the best that is in us.
Help us not to get discouraged
for having failed you often.
Fill us with your Son's trust in you
and his compassionate love for people,
that we may offer you the sacrifice that pleases you
through Jesus Christ our Lord . R/ Amen.
Introduction
to the Eucharistic Prayer
Let
the sacrifice we offer with Jesus not be an empty, routine gesture but
a call to commitment to God and people.
Invitation
to the Lord's Prayer
As
Jesus taught us,
we pray to our Father in heaven
for his mercy and strength
and the capacity to be merciful to others : R/ Our Father...
Deliver
Us
Deliver
us, Lord, form every evil
and grant us the peace of your forgiveness.
Keep us from looking down on others
and from condemning in them the faults
that we ourselves commit but hide.
Help us to uplift one another
and to serve you in spirit and in truth,
as we prepare for the full coming among us
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ . R/
For the kingdom...
Invitation
to Communion
This
is Jesus, the Lamb of God,
who came to take away the sin of the world.
Happy are we to receive him
and to offer with him to the Father
the sacrifice of our sincere love.
Prayer
after Communion
Lord
our God,
you tell us to follow your Son.
Help us by Jesus' body and blood
not to rely on our own, self-saving practices
but to expect everything form you,
from our faith in you and in your Son,
and from the power of Jesus Christ.
By this power, may we learn
to love the unloved and the unlovable
and to rise above our failures and our pride,
to give you honor and praise
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
We
came together here
to listen to the Word of god
and to eat from the table prepared by his Son.
Jesus' word may have been uncomfortable,
for his company is demanding.
He wants us to put our heart in what we do
and even give our heart away to people.
May he give us the strength
to take his word seriously
and to respond to it with faith and love.
May God bless us for this task,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit .R/ Amen.
Let
us go and accept, love
and serve the Lord in people. R/ Thanks be to God.
As
Jesus was walking on, he saw a man named Matthew at his seat in the
custom-house, and he said to him, "Follow me." And Matthew
got up and followed him. Now it happened, while Jesus was at table in
Matthew's house, many tax collectors and other sinners joined Jesus
and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples,
"Why is it that your master eats with those sinners and tax collectors?"