FOURTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
Christ’s yoke is easy and his burden light.
Christ, even though he is the Son of God, humbles himself and comes among us in human form. He embraces our condition and knows at first hand our worries and anxieties. Through the Holy Spirit Christ lives in us, so that we may find rest for our souls.
Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Examen
Before listening to the Word of God take a moment to reflect.
For what am I grateful to God for today? Where did I stray from God: through words, actions or things I did not do. How might I do better tomorrow? What grace do I ask from God in order to live more closely in his love?
You may wish to conclude by saying:
Lord Jesus, you have revealed yourself as the way to the Father:
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
You have poured out on your people the Spirit of truth:
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
You are the Good Shepherd, leading us to eternal life:
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Collect
O god, who in the absement 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.
Amen.
First Reading
A reading from the prophet Zechariah 9: 9-10
See now, your king comes humbly to you.
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 fro Jerusalem;
the bow of war will be banished.
He will proclaim peace for all the nations.
His empire shall stretch from sea to sea,
from the River to the ends of the earth.’
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 144: 1-2, 8-11, 13-14. R. v.1
I will bless your name for ever,
O God my King.
I will give you glory, O God my King,
I will bless your name for ever.
I will bless you day after day
and praise your name for ever. R.
The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures. R.
All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
and declare your might, O God. R.
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and loving in all his deeds.
The Lord supports all who fall
and raises all who are bowed down. R.
Second Reading
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 8: 9, 11-13
If by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live.
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.
The Word of the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth;
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
Gospel
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 11: 25-30
I am gentle and humble in heart.
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.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
Profession of Faith
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and 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 into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there 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 life everlasting. Amen,
Prayers
Intercessions
Pray for family and loved ones so that they may be held in God’s compassionate care. Pray for other countries who are struggling with the effects of the COVID 19 virus.
For those in authority: may they offer advice with care and integrity, may they seek to protect the poor and vulnerable.
Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.
For all who work in healthcare: give strength to all who look after the sick so that they may bring comfort and relief to the suffering.
Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.
For the Church: may she offer prayers and consolation for all those affected.
Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.
For our local community and all for those in need: may those who are isolated know the support and service of their neighbours.
Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed by thy name;
they kingdom come,
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Prayer for Spiritual communion
I prostrate myself at your feet, O my Jesus, and I offer you the repentance of my contrite heart, which abases itself in its nothingness in Your Holy Presence. I adore you in the Sacrament of Your Love; I desire to receive You in the poor abode that my heart offers You. While waiting for the happiness of a Sacramental Communion, I want to possess You in spirit. Come to me, O my Jesus, that I may come to You. May Your love inflame my whole being, in life and in death. I believe in You. I hope in You. I love You.
Amen.
Daily Prayer
Lord God,
when our world lay in ruins
you raised it up again
on the foundation of your Son’s passion and death;
give us grace to rejoice in the freedom from sin
which he gained for us,
and bring us to everlasting joy.
We make our prayer through our Lord.
Through Christ our Lord.
Memorare
Remember O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone
who fled to thy protection, implored thy help,
or sought thy intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, we fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do we come,
before thee do we stand sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word incarnate, despise not our petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer us.
Amen.
Prayer for the Year of the Word
Living God, you walk alongside us and speak to us throughout the Scriptures.
Your Son, Jesus Christ, listens to our hopes and fears and shows us how to live for one another.
Send us the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds, so that we may be your witnesses throughout the world.
Amen.
Your word is our path and your truth is our light.
This day and every day.
Our Lady of the Annunciation. Pray for us.
St Matthew. Pray for us.
St. Jerome. Pray for us.
A Prayer for protection in times of pandemic
O Mary,
you always brighten our path
as a sign of salvation and of hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick, who, at the Cross,
took part in Jesus’ pain while remaining steadfast in faith.
O loving Mother,
you know what we need,
and we are confident you will provide for us as at Cana in Galilee.
Intercede for us with your Son Jesus,
the Divine Physician,
for those who have fallen ill,
for those who are vulnerable,
and for those who have died.
Intercede also for those charged with protecting the health and safety of others and for those who are tending to the sick and seeking a cure.
Help us, O Mother of Divine Love,
to conform to the will of the Father
and to do as we are told by Jesus,
who took upon himself our sufferings and carried our sorrows,
so as to lead us, through the Cross,
to the glory of the Resurrection.
Amen.
Under thy protection, we seek refuge, O Holy Mother of God.
In our needs, despise not our petitions, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin.
Amen.
Conclusion
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.