The daily Word of God

November 24, 2023

Saints Andrew D?ng-L?c and his Companions, Martyrs 

Lk 19:45-48 "My house shall be a house of prayer: but you have turned it into a den of robbers."

First Reading: 1 Mac 4:36-37,52-59

Judas and his brothers said, “Now that our enemies have been
crushed, let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it.”
So the whole army assembled, and went up to Mount Zion.
Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth
month, that is, the month of Chislev, in the year one hundred
and forty-eight, they arose and offered sacrifice according to
the law on the new altar of burnt offerings that they had made.
On the anniversary of the day on which the Gentiles had defiled
it, on that very day it was reconsecrated with songs, harps,
flutes, and cymbals. All the people prostrated themselves and
adored and praised Heaven, who had given them success.
For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar
and joyfully offered burnt offerings and sacrifices of deliverance
and praise. They ornamented the facade of the temple
with gold crowns and shields; they repaired the gates and the
priests’ chambers and furnished them with doors. There was
great joy among the people now that the disgrace of the Gentiles
was removed. Then Judas and his brothers and the entire
congregation of Israel decreed that the days of the dedication
of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness on the
anniversary every year for eight days, from the twenty-fifth
day of the month Chislev.

Responsorial Psalm: 1 Chr 29:10,11,11-12,12

R./ We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.

“Blessed may you be, O LORD,
God of Israel our father,
from eternity to eternity.”
R./ We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.

“Yours, O LORD, are grandeur and power,
majesty, splendor, and glory.
For all in heaven and on earth is yours.”
R./ We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.

“Yours, O LORD, is the sovereignty;
you are exalted as head over all.
Riches and honor are from you.”
R./ We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.

“You have dominion over all,
In your hand are power and might;
it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all.”
R./ We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.

Gospel Reading: Lk 19:45-48

Jesus entered the Temple area and began to drive out the merchants. And he said to them, "God says in the Scriptures: My house shall be a house of prayer: but you have turned it into a den of robbers."

Jesus was teaching every day in the Temple. The chief priests and teachers of the Law wanted to kill him and the elders of the Jews as well, but they were unable to do anything, for all the people were listening to him and hanging on his words.

Opening Prayer

God our Father,
we often turn our hearts
into houses of pride and greed
rather than into homes of love and goodness
where you can feel at home.
Destroy the temple of sin in us,
drive away all evil from our hearts,
and make us living stones of a community
in which can live and reign
your Son Jesus Christ,
our Lord for ever and ever.


First Reading Introduction
      
After his first military victories over the Syrians, Judas Maccabeus wanted to restore legitimate worship. He had the desecrated Temple cleansed and consecrated anew, rebuilt the altar, and offered the sacrifice in accordance with the Law.

Gospel Introduction

     Jesus drove out the merchants from the Temple and it might be a good time to ask ourselves: What has the Lord to drive out from us to make us better Christians? What stands in the way of being closer to him in the life of every day? What matters for us Christians is that we are attached to the Lord and close to the people he has entrusted to us. Then we can worship him with our whole life.

General Intercessions

–   That in our churches the Christians community may experience the presence of God in prayer and joyful worship, we pray:

–   That we may make our houses of prayer places of hearty encounter for God with his people, we pray:

–   That as living stones of the Church we may build up our communities as people who love and serve, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord God, our Father,
with the bread of life
and the wine of joy of himself,
your Son will renew his covenant with us.
Let Jesus give us the will and the love
to be faithful to its demands
the way he was faithful to it
even if it meant the cross.
Let us give you true worship
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

God, our faithful Father,
you have given us in this eucharist
your Son Jesus Christ
to show us in him what loyal obedience means.
Let your Son be alive in us,
so that our Christian community may be
the temple in which he lives
and where he gathers us together
as his brothers and sisters.
Keep us from all formalism,
that we may worship you with our lives,
by the power and wisdom
of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

By his word and actions Jesus has spoken to us today that we must serve God as he himself did: in spirit and in truth, that is: our everyday living must correspond to what we believe, in loyal service of God and people. May God bless you and guide you: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.