Articles

Friday August 21

Friday of 20th Week of Ordinary Time

THE GREAT COMMANDMENT

Introduction

Gospel. At the Last Supper, Jesus said: “At this people will know that you are my disciples, that you love one another” (Jn 13:35.) He is speaking not just of any love, but the love by which he loved his disciples, that is, a love that goes to the end, that sets no conditions, that sacrifices everything if necessary for the sake of others. This is the love “with one’s whole heart and mind and soul” and as strong as, or stronger than, self-love, of which today’s Gospel speaks. This is a tremendous task that will never end. Is it this kind of love that moves us?

Opening Prayer

Lord God, loving Father,
you have bound yourself to us
with strings of love
and let this love appear among us
in human form
in Jesus Christ, your Son.
Let our love,
however limited and hesitant,
reflect a bit the greatness
of the love by which you yourself love us
in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

1 Reading: Ezk 37:1-14

The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he led me out in the spirit of the LORD and set me in the center of the broad valley. It was filled with bones. He made me walk among them in every direction. So many lay on the surface of the valley! How dry they were! He asked me: Son of man, can these bones come back to life? “Lord GOD,” I answered, “you alone know that.” Then he said to me: Prophesy over these bones, and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Listen! I will make breath enter you so you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow over you, cover you with skin, and put breath into you so you may come to life. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. I prophesied as I had been commanded. A sound started up, as I was prophesying, rattling like thunder. The bones came together, bone joining to bone. As I watched, sinews appeared on them, flesh grew over them, skin covered them on top, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me: Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man! Say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: From the four winds come, O breath, and breathe into these slain that they may come to life. I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath entered them; they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army. He said to me: Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel! They are saying, “Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost, and we are cut off.” Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD: Look! I am going to open your graves; I will make you come up out of your graves, my people, and bring you back to the land of Israel. You shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and make you come up out of them, my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may come to life, and I will settle you in your land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. I have spoken; I will do it—oracle of the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:12-13,14-15,18-19

R: (Ez 36:25) I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
And steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
And your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R: (Ez 36:25) I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
Give me back the joy of your salvation ,
Should I offer a burnt offering , you would not accept it .
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
A heart contrite and humbled, O God,
You will not spurn.
R: (Ez 36:25) I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins

Alleluia

R: Alleluia; Alleluia
If today you hear his voice, harden not our hearts.
R: Alleluia; Alleluia

Gospel : Mt 22:33-40

When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them [a scholar of the law]* tested him by asking, “Teacher,* which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Intentions

– That the Church, the people of God, may never cease to proclaim that love of God and neighbor is the heart of the Gospel and that people are God’s gift to us, we pray:
– That people may not lose their hearts in today’s economic systems of profit, efficiency, production and competition but keep giving first place to human relationships of friendship and respect, we pray:
– That in our Christian communities, we may uplift one another rather than tear down, accept one another with trust and affection and go forward together in love and hope, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord God, loving Father,
your own love appeared in human shape
in your Son, Jesus Christ.
In this Eucharist
let him raise our human love
to your level,
that among us
love may no longer be a duty
but our joy and life,
on account of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God, loving Father,
all love worthy of this name
begins with you and leads to you.
By the love you have shown us
in Jesus your Son,
bring us together
and let everything that we do
become a gift
to you and to one another,
that our love may be greater than death
and that we may live for ever.

Blessing

In this Eucharist, God has let Jesus warm us with his love. Let its glow shine on everyone around you, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.