Monday September 17
Introduction
Paul makes a strong statement against the Corinthians for their division between rich and poor at the eucharistic celebration. Underlying his reprimand is that the Corinthians act against something basic to Christianity: the eucharistic body of Christ builds up the Church as his ecclesial body. If they eat the one body of Christ and share the same cup, they ought to be one. They are to be the sign of the unity of all humankind in Christ.
Opening Prayer
Father, whose purpose it is
to unite everyone in Jesus your Son,
do not allow us to have separate tables
or exclusive reservations
neither for the eucharist
nor in our communities.
Whatever way we come, rich or poor,
saints or sinners, healthy or weak,
keep us united in mutual respect and love
in the one body of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Reading 1 1 COR 11:17-26, 33
Brothers and sisters:
In giving this instruction, I do not praise the fact
that your meetings are doing more harm than good.
First of all, I hear that when you meet as a Church
there are divisions among you,
and to a degree I believe it;
there have to be factions among you
in order that also those who are approved among you
may become known.
When you meet in one place, then,
it is not to eat the Lord's supper,
for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper,
and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.
Do you not have houses in which you can eat and drink?
Or do you show contempt for the Church of God
and make those who have nothing feel ashamed?
What can I say to you? Shall I praise you?
In this matter I do not praise you.
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,
took bread and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, "This is my Body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,
"This cup is the new covenant in my Blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters,
when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
Responsorial Psalm 40:7-8A, 8B-9, 10, 17
R. (1 Cor 11:26b) Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, "The LORD be glorified."
R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.
Alleluia JN 3:16
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 7:1-10
When Jesus had finished all his words to the people,
he entered Capernaum.
A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die,
and he was valuable to him.
When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,
asking him to come and save the life of his slave.
They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying,
"He deserves to have you do this for him,
for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us."
And Jesus went with them,
but when he was only a short distance from the house,
the centurion sent friends to tell him,
"Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
but say the word and let my servant be healed.
For I too am a person subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes;
and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes;
and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."
When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him
and, turning, said to the crowd following him,
"I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."
When the messengers returned to the house,
they found the slave in good health.
Intercessions
– That the day may come when all who believe in Christ may sit at the same table to break the bread of the Lord, we pray:
– That the eucharist may build us up more as Church, uniting us more as the body of Christ in prayer, thanksgiving to God, and concern for the weak, we pray:
– That the eucharist may unite the whole community in mutual forgiveness, acceptance and sharing, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, Father of all,
let this holy feast meal
be to us indeed the Lord’s supper,
where we put aside our squabbles and differences
not only for a moment
but where we can forget them.
Let your Son here in our midst
make us one of heart and mind
as the people you love
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Our one Father of all,
we have been one for a little while
around the table of your Son.
We thank you for having made us
different from each other,
each with one’s own identity and character,
one’s talents, and even one’s faults.
Thank you for saving us
from the monotony of sameness.
May we thus sing to you
a living symphony of many voices,
and nourish us with the same bread
united by the one mentality
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Commentary
It is a real shame that people who meet in the Lord, listen to his word, and eat the eucharist from his table are divided and discriminate against one another. May in his goodness God bless you all, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
