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Today, 4th of December, we celebrate
Saint John Damascene
1st Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6
Woe to the shepherds
who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture,
says the LORD.
Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,
against the shepherds who shepherd my people:
You have scattered my sheep and driven them away.
You have not cared for them,
but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.
I myself will gather the remnant of my flock
from all the lands to which I have driven them
and bring them back to their meadow;
there they shall increase and multiply.
I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them
so that they need no longer fear and tremble;
and none shall be missing, says the LORD.
Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;
as king he shall reign and govern wisely,
he shall do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security.
This is the name they give him:
"The LORD our justice."
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 85:9-10,11-12, 13-14
R/. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant is your salvation.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the Lord - for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R/. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant is your salvation.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R/. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant is your salvation.
The Lord himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare they way of his steps.
R/. Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant is your salvation.
2nd Reading: Ephesians 2:13-18
Brothers and sisters:
In Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have become near by the blood of Christ.
For he is our peace, he who made both one
and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh,
abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,
that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,
thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile both with God,
in one body, through the cross,
putting that enmity to death by it.
He came and preached peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near,
for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
Gospel: Mark 6:30-34
The apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
"Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.
Come and rest for a while
The task that Jesus entrusted to the Twelve was not entrusted to them alone, but to each disciple; so today he entrusts it to us. This is the invitation in today’s Gospel: to gather around Jesus to tell him what we are doing, what we have done, and what we are teaching to see and verify if we are doing the mission correctly. I am borrowing a few thoughts from Fr. Armellini in this reflection.
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” This is the invitation that Jesus addresses to us today; An invitation to meet him in the privacy of our personal time with him in prayer. If you have become angry with an employer, if you are tempted to compromise your conscience, if you are agitated by family problems or troubled by a bad love relationship, stop for a while. Look for these moments in which you are alone with Christ, with his Gospel, to know what he thinks of those problems, of your anguish.
These are the moments of prayer, of dialogue with Jesus; after dialoguing with him to tune our options according to what he likes. If we do not pray, we do not see it together with Jesus, problem-solving becomes the only purpose of our life, which ends up dehumanizing us; makes us lose sight of the highest values. And our life becomes an excessive running that in the end leaves us breathless. This is our daily experience, and we get exhausted. This invitation to rest is addressed to all the disciples, in particular, this is a recommendation that perhaps applies more to priests and leaders of the Church, who are involved full time in pastoral activities to the point that they no longer have time even to pray.
The evangelist says that there were many coming and going, and the disciples no longer had time even to eat. It doesn’t say they were looking for Jesus to hear his message; it says they ‘come and go.’ This kind of people wastes a lot of time. There was a lot of confusion, people coming and going, and what does Jesus do? He departs with his disciples. How is it that Jesus leaves in that boat when so many people were looking for him?
It’s a time when it’s good to let people reflect, to become aware of the need to meet Christ. To help them identify what do they actually want. The Christian community represented by that boat is beautiful, then it attracts. People must have said, ‘those people in the boat look really happy.’ Joy is the sign of the presence of the Spirit. This crowd looking for the boat is the living image of humanity today who does not find the meaning of their lives but feels a deep need to find peace, serenity, joy, inner harmony; they are looking for God
Biblie ClaretGreetings (see second reading)
Jesus came to bring the good news of peace:
peace to those who are far away
and peace to you who are close-by.
May that peace be always with you. R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. God, Compassionate Like a Mother
What a pity if our world would become so heartless as to do away with compassion, with pity! We hear today's Good News that God cares for us with a love deeper and even more tender than that of a mother for the child to which she gave life. He is particularly close to those who need him most: the weak, those who suffer, those who count for nothing. That is the love he showed us in Jesus; that is the love he invites us to have for each other: deep, tender, lasting, not afraid of showing itself. Let us ask Jesus here with us in the eucharist for such a compassionate and committed love.
B. A Shepherd Who Cares
There are times when we understand instinctively that a person is very close to us, that he or she understands us and feels with us, even if few words are said. This is how Jesus was one with the people, one of them, feeling with them, seeing their needs without having to be told, also the hidden needs, the needs of the heart. This is how Jesus feels about us. The gospel expresses this in the image of Jesus as the shepherd who cares. We are gathered here around him and entrust ourselves to him. May we learn from him to care for one another.
Penitential Act
We are sure God keeps us in his love
even when we forget him when we sin.
Let us ask the Lord to forgive us.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you loved people
and you still love all of us
with a warm, understanding love:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you know what we need most:
a word of acceptance and encouragement,
a gesture of forgiveness and affection:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you can make us like yourself:
compassionate and healing,
generous and merciful:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
May we bring the forgiveness and mercy
which the Lord has shown us
to all those we meet.
May the Lord lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us entrust ourselves and all those dear to us
to our compassionate God
(PAUSE)
Our loving God,
your Son Jesus has revealed you to us
as more tender, warmhearted and compassionate
than any mother could ever be.
Be near to all who are wounded in life,
care for all the little people trampled upon.
Make all those who follow your Son
people who can forgive and heal,
who make themselves nourishing bread
for all who are hungry in any way.
Make us care for one another
as you care for us through Jesus,
your Son and our Lord for ever and ever. R/ Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
Introduction to the First Reading: In Search of a True Shepherd
The leaders of Israel have been bad shepherds, says Jeremiah. But God will give his people a good shepherd, the Messiah.
Introduction to the Second Reading: Christ Our Peace
Through Christ's blood, both Jesus and pagans become God's people of the covenant; in this way enemies are reconciled.
Gospel Introduction: Jesus' Heart Went Out to the Leaderless People
When he and his disciples needed some days off for rest, Jesus could not close his heart to the leaderless people who searched for him. As a shepherd he nourished them with his word.
General Intercessions
Let us pray to our patient, merciful God that compassion may never disappear from our world, and let us say: R/ Have mercy on your people, Lord.
- Lord, we pray you for a compassionate Church that is lenient and patient with those who err, a Church which gives them the time and the help to repent, and so we ask you: R/ Have mercy on your people, Lord.
- Lord, we pray you to give to your Church compassionate shepherds who show something of your patience and mercy in the sacrament of reconciliation, and so we ask you: R/ Have mercy on your people, Lord.
- Lord, we pray you for a compassionate society that cares for the needy, tries to do away with unjust structures and makes its laws and courts bring justice to all without any discrimination, and so we ask you: R/ Have mercy on your people, Lord.
- Lord, we pray to make us compassionate people, who bring your mercy and love to the sick and the aged, to widows and orphans, to the discouraged and the dying, we pray you: R/ Have mercy on your people, Lord.
- Lord, make us compassionate communities, who, like you, see and feel the needs of people without being asked; who try gently and unobtrusively to lighten the burdens of those who suffer, and so we ask you: R/ Have mercy on your people, Lord.
- Lord, be compassionate and patient with us when we have sinned and restore us, we ask you: R/ Have mercy on your people, Lord.
You are a God attentive to the needs and the happiness of people. Let your Spirit give us hearts full of compassion, like the shepherd's heart of Jesus, your Son, who lives with you for ever. Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God, compassionate Father,
in these signs of bread and wine
we welcome your Son Jesus Christ
as our Good Shepherd who died for us
to give direction to our lives.
Reassure us that he is familiar
with our weariness and miseries,
that he listens when we turn to him,
that he is present when we need him.
For he is our Lord and Shepherd
now and for ever. Amen
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
Through and with Jesus, our Good Shepherd, let us thank our Father in heaven for caring for us and guiding us through his Son.
Introduction to the Lord's Prayer
God is a Father who cares.
Full of trust, we pray to him
with Jesus, our Good Shepherd: R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
and grant us peace in our day.
Keep us from drifting about without aim.
Gather us together and make us
shepherds to one another,
as we wait in joyful hope
for the coming in glory
of our Shepherd and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Greeting of Peace
Jesus is our peace with the Father
and with one another.
May his peace be always with you.
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus, our Good Shepherd,
who knows us by name
and who gave his life for us.
He gathers us together
and gives us his body to eat
to keep us united as his one people.
Happy are we to be invited
to the table of the Lord. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer of Trust (F. Cromphout)
By way of thanksgiving, the following prayer of trust could
be prayed by all if it is in the people's leaflet; otherwise
it is read slowly by the leader.
After it, the celebrant concludes with the Prayer after Communion.
God, you are always greater
than we dare to expect.
You do new and unheard things.
When the world crumbles around us,
you make a new creation.
Make us attentive
to your action in these times,
that we may not stand still
to stare at the things of the past,
and not seek you where you are not to be found.
Go ahead of us,
you who are our future.
Help us to seek new ways
to you and to one another
and to hold on to each other
in all our uncertainties.
Give us the firm assurance
that your power is still active today
and that you keep renewing the world
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Prayer after Communion
Our God and Father,
we thank you with all our hearts
for giving us a sure guide,
someone who knows where he leads us,
your Son Jesus Christ.
Keep giving to your Church today
pastors in the image of your Son.
Let them be full of compassion and vision,
sensitive to people and their needs,
open to the demands and potentials
of the gospel and of our times.
Let them be true shepherds
by the power of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessing
A world without pity or compassion
is a world with little room for God.
May our communities reflect
the compassion of Jesus our Lord;
make us attentive to each other's needs,
both material and spiritual,
for God has entrusted us to one another.
May the kind and merciful God bless you all:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go, follow the Lord,
and be responsible for one another. R/ Thanks be to God.
