FOR THE FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 12th 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 show the light of your truth
to those who go astray,
so that they may return to the right path,
give all who for the faith they profess
are accounted Christians
the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ
and to strive after all that does it honor.
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 - Isaiah 55:10-11
Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens
and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower
and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it
was sent to do.’
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 64(65):10-14
The seed that falls on good ground
will yield a fruitful harvest.
You have visited the land and watered it;greatly have you enriched it.
God's watercourses are filled;
you have prepared the grain.
Thus have you prepared the land:
drenching its furrows,breaking up its clods,Softening it with showers,
blessing its yield.
You have crowned the year with your bounty, and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it, and rejoicing clothes the hills.
The fields are garmented with flocks
and the valleys blanketed with grain.
They shout and sing for joy.
The seed that falls on good ground
will yield a fruitful harvest.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Alleluia, alleluia!
The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;
whoever finds this seed will remain for ever.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL - Matthew Chapter 13
Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside,
but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there.
The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.
He said, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow.
As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path,
and the birds came and ate them up.
Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil
and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth;
but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and,
not having any roots, they withered away.
Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop,
some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Listen, anyone who has ears!’
HOMILY GIVEN BY POPE FRANCIS ON THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER / THE SOILS
In the parable of the seed and the sower Jesus invites us to reclaim the ‘soil’ of our hearts by bringing to him, in prayer and Confession, the stones and thorns in need of healing.
Jesus invites us today to look inward: to give thanks for our good ground and to work on the ground not yet good.
Let us ask ourselves if our heart is open to welcome with faith the seed of the Word of God. Let us ask ourselves if the rocks of laziness are still large and numerous within us; we identify and we call by name the brambles of our vices.
We find the courage to make a beautiful reclamation of the land, bringing to the Lord in Confession and in prayer our stones and our stumps. In doing so, Jesus, a good sower, will be happy to do an extra work: to purify our hearts, removing the stones and thorns that stifle his Word.
In the parable, we know that Jesus is the sower, and in this image he doesn't impose, but proposes, the Pope said. He throws the seed, attracting us not by conquering us, but by giving himself to us. And this seed, how can it bear fruit? Only if we welcome him.
The parable speaks, in fact, of the soil rather than of the sower. Jesus performs, so to speak, a 'spiritual radiography' of our heart, which is the ground upon which the seed of the Word falls.
Our heart, like soil, can be good and then the Word brings so much fruit, but it can also be hard, impermeable. This happens when we hear the Word, but it bounces off of us just like on a road: it does not enter.
In the stony ground the seed germinates, but doesn't put down deep roots. So is the superficial heart that welcomes the Lord, wants to pray, love and testify, but does not persevere, tends to wear and never "takes off". It is a thick heart, where the rocks of laziness prevail over the good land, where love is inconsistent and passable.
What do the thorns in the thorny ground represent? The world's concern and the seduction of wealth, so Jesus says explicitly. We all have these brambles in our hearts, such as making idols out of worldly wealth or power, or only living for ourselves. You need to tear them away, otherwise the Word will not bear fruit.
The Pope concluded his message by saying that the Blessed Virgin Mary is "unsurpassed in welcoming the Word of God and putting it into practice."
May she help you "to purify your heart and preserve the presence of the Lord."
THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
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
For all the blessings of this life, we give thanks to You, Creator God. For families, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and strangers,
who nurture us, that the love of God may grow within.
That Your love, your Word, like a seed,
may grow to produce in us, good fruit. May your love be like a seed,
taking root and growing strong.
For the leaders of various nations and cities,
that they may lead with strong hearts
and gentle hands and generous spirits,
with compassion and mercy,
with wisdom and grace. May they reflect your will guiding all their actions and decisions. May your love be like a seed,
taking root and growing strong.
For those who serve or live in dangerous places, in areas of war and strife, those who live in fear,
those who worry about employment, bills, food,
and struggle just to find dignity in life. May your grace bring peace
and safety to all people, one to another. May your love be like a seed,
taking root and growing strong.
For the sick and infected because of Covid-19.
May we contain the spread of infection.
God, protect our elderly and those suffering from chronic disease.
Provide for the poor, for the young and the strong;
give them a commitment to take all necessary precautions
to keep from unwittingly spreading the disease.
May your love be like a seed,
taking root and growing strong.
For local and national government,
that they would allocate the necessary resources
to overcome this pandemic.
May your love be like a seed,
taking root and growing strong.
Send forth your comforting love on those who are dying,
and those who have died.
✠ 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
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God;
for it is right and just.
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.
For in you we live and move and have our being,
and while in this body
we not only experience the daily effects of your care,
but even now possess the pledge of life eternal.
For, having received the first fruits of the Spirit,
through whom you raised up Jesus from the dead,
we hope for an everlasting share in the Paschal Mystery.
And so, with all the Angels, we praise you,
as in joyful celebration 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 Merciful God, we ask for Your blessing.
Look with kindness on Your gathered people,
that we might reflect Your goodness to the world around us.
May all peoples come to know Your ways
and acknowledge Your saving power.
For You are a God of justice and compassion,
abundantly providing for the needs of the world.
Bless us, O God, and make us a blessing,
that the whole earth may come to experience
Your abundant goodness. Amen.
