Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time - 5th July 2020
✠ In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord Jesus, I come to you in sorrow for my
failings, and confess to you my weakness
and unbelief.
A brief pause for silence follows
I confess to almighty God
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done
and in what I have failed to do,
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
and all the Angels and Saints,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
May almighty God have mercy on us, ✠
forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting
life. Amen.
THE GLORIA Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you, we bless you, we adore you,
we glorify you, we give you thanks
for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us; you take away
the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord, you alone are the
Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
THE COLLECT FOR THE DAY
O God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
FIRST READING Zechariah 9:9-10
The Lord says this:
Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion!
Shout with gladness, daughter of Jerusalem!
See now, your king comes to you;
he is victorious, he is triumphant,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
He will banish chariots from Ephraim
and horses from Jerusalem;
the bow of war will be banished.
He will proclaim peace for the nations.
His empire shall stretch from sea to sea,
from the River to the ends of the earth.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 144(145):1-2,8-11,13b-14
I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
The Lord is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. The Lord lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
SECOND READING: Romans 8:9,11-13
Your interests are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made his home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong to him, and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you. So then, my brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives. If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Matt.11:25
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL Matthew 11:25-30
Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’
HOMILY
‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.’ … Known in the Book of Common Prayer as the “Comfortable Words”,and how beautiful they are, inviting the faithful each Sunday
to venture towards Him, as He lovingly satisfies our needs in the Blessed Sacrament.
These words are only heard in Matthew’s Gospel,
reported by him, words that struck a chord with him.
Let’s go back a couple of chapters – where it happens for Matthew
and for others……
Matthew’s “Yes” to Christ’s request to “follow me” released him from the burden imposed upon him by the Roman Occupation,the burden of great unpopularity and isolation.
Matthew, the burden lifted, as he is accepted by Jesus as a dear disciple,
In the same chapter we hear of the haemorrhaging woman who was burdened by her anti-social illness, an outcast, who out of desperation came to Jesus ,touched the fringe of Christ’s garment, as Christ quietly removed her burden of uncleanness.
Jairus the Synagogue Leader, hurting because his dearest little girl
was slipping away, as Jesus reached out to that poor family
and lifted the awful burden of death.
The two blind men who also appear in that chapter
where the burden of blindness is removed,
and the mute whose speech is let loose as he, too,
has his burden of silence and speechlessness removed.
Then again in that chapter the paralyzed man
whose burden of paralysis is removed……
By the time we reach today’s Gospel passage Jesus is Himself grappling with the grim fact that John the Baptist is in prison;and that the inevitable course of events will play out…a burden for his cousin Jesus to carry,a burden of anxiety and, yes, fear.Jesus was overburdened, Jesus needed rest……..
Those who have experienced the generosity of Jesus
have so much generosity to return ……
Those given much, love much…
Those forgiven much, challenged to forgive much.
COME TO ME…….
It is the call that Abraham answered
to leave everything behind and go into uncharted territory.
It is the call Matthew heard, which changed his life completely.
It is the call to the leader of the synagogue
and the woman with the haemorrhage –
the call to face their fears, to reach out for help,
and undoubtedly life-changing.
It was the voice two Christians, Bill Wilson and Doctor Bob Smith heard,
who, both having hit the absolute bottom of life founded Alcoholics Anonymous in the late 1930s.
By sharing their burden with Christ,
by daring to face and own their wounds,they said “Yes” to founding an organisation which has brought life to millions since.
Since that time there are those who named and shared others’ burdens with Christ - Chad Varah and The Samaritans, St Teresa of Calcutta and the overwhelmingly-overburdened on the streets; Cecily Saunders and the Hospice Movement. In 1952, Janet Lacey and Inter-Church Aid responded to a broken Europe and a broken world to reach the overburdened through Christian Aid.Sharing the burdens of others, bringing them to Christ, working for good, Godly outcomes to make the biggest difference possible…..
“Will you love the "you" you hide
if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside
and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found
to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you
and you in me?”
THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son,
our Lord, who was conceived by the
Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
He ascended into heaven,
He is seated at the right hand of the Father,
And he will come to judge the living
and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Let us pray to God, who alone makes us dwell in safety:
For all who are affected by coronavirus, through illness or isolation or anxiety, that they may find relief and recovery: Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
For those who are guiding our nation at this time, and shaping national policies, that they may make wise decisions: Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
For doctors, nurses and medical researchers, that through their skill and insights many will be restored to health: Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
For the vulnerable and the fearful, for the gravely ill and the dying, that they may know your comfort and peace: Lord, hear us, Lord, graciously hear us.
Please would you remember Canon Christopher Tuckwell, Administrator of
Westminster Cathedral who died on Friday - close friend of Fr.John, and Curate
with Fr Phil in Clapton, East London, in the 1970s.
✠ Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord,
and let light perpetual shine upon them.
Pray with us, Mary, Mother of God, to the
Father, through your Son, in the Holy Spirit:
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death
O God, the protector of all who trust in you,
without whom nothing is strong,
nothing is holy: increase and multiply upon us your mercy;
that with you as our ruler and guide,
we may so pass through things temporal
that we lose not our hold on things eternal;
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God;
for it is right and just.
It is truly right and just to give you thanks
and raise to you a hymn of glory and praise,
O Lord, Father of infinite goodness.
For by the word of your Son’s Gospel
you have brought together one Church
from every people, tongue, and nation, and,
having filled her with life by the power of your Spirit,
you never cease through her
to gather the whole human race into one.
Manifesting the covenant of your love,
she dispenses without ceasing the blessed hope of your Kingdom
and shines bright as the sign of your faithfulness,
which in Christ Jesus our Lord you promised
would last for eternity.
And so, with all the Powers of heaven,
we worship you constantly on earth,
while, with all the Church, as one voice we acclaim:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
✠ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the
Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
At the Saviour’s command and formed by
divine teaching, we dare to say: Our Father…..
…..but deliver us from evil.
Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the
help of your mercy, we may be always free
from sin and safe from all distress, as we await
the blessed hope and the coming of our
Saviour, Jesus Christ.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory
are yours now and for ever.
Jesus my Lord and my brother,
who brought divine Life out of human death,
you are meeting me here and now in this place,
in this moment.
I pause to remember
that the one thing I desire above all others
is for you to be with me.
Though I cannot receive you here and now
in the Mass, come into my heart,
and open my eyes to your sacred presence…
I offer myself to you in service.
Time to receive the Lord’s Presence spiritually.
“My Jesus, I believe that You are present
in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar.
I love You above all things, and I desire
to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You
sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my
heart … I embrace You as if You were already
there, and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You,”
Eternal God, in Christ you make yourself a guest.
Amid all my cares and concerns
make me attentive to your voice
and alert to your presence,
that I may know your love
that surpasses all else,
and share it with others.
THE ANGELUS
The angel of the Lord brought tidings unto Mary
And she conceived by the Holy Ghost.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners
now, and at the hour of our death.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me
according to thy word. Hail Mary….
And the Word was made flesh.
And dwelt amongst us. Hail Mary….
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may
be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
We beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our
hearts, that as we have known the Incarnation of
thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel,
so by his ✠ Cross and Passion we may be brought
unto the glory of his Resurrection; through the
same Christ our Lord. Amen.
BLESSING May the Lord bless us and keep us; May
the Lord make his face shine on us and be gracious
to us; may the Lord smile upon us and give us
peace, now and for ever. Amen.
