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First Reading: Isaiah 49:14-15
Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me."
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 62:2-3, 6-7, 8-9
R./ Rest in God alone, my soul.
Only in God is my soul at rest;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.
R./ Rest in God alone, my soul.
Only in God be at rest, my soul,
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
R./ Rest in God alone, my soul.
With God is my safety and my glory,
he is the rock of my strength; my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O my people!
Pour out your hearts before him.
R./ Rest in God alone, my soul.
Second Reading: 1 Cor 4:1-5
Brothers and sisters:
Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ
and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Now it is of course required of stewards
that they be found trustworthy.
It does not concern me in the least
that I be judged by you or any human tribunal;
I do not even pass judgment on myself;
I am not conscious of anything against me,
but I do not thereby stand acquitted;
the one who judges me is the Lord.
Therefore do not make any judgment before the appointed time,
until the Lord comes,
for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness
and will manifest the motives of our hearts,
and then everyone will receive praise from God.
Gospel Reading: Mt 6:24-34
Jesus said to his disciples:
"No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?'
or 'What are we to drink?'or 'What are we to wear?'
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil."
8th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
A. Like the Lilies in the Field
B. Throw Your Worries on the Lord
Greeting (See Rom 8:38)
Neither life nor death,
neither the present nor the future
nor any creature can separate us
from the love of God our Father.
He has shown us this love in Jesus.
May the Lord Jesus Christ be always with you.
R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. Like the Lilies in the Field
In all our worries and cares we are asked to put our trust in God, to be certain of the Lord, not tomorrow, but this very day. For God cannot forget us; we are worth very much in his eyes' and be loves us deeply. We are forever engraved in the palm of his bands. So, why should we worry? In this eucharist we entrust ourselves with Jesus to the loving care of the Father.
B. Throw Your Worries on the Lord
We have come together today into the presence of the Lord as people with cares and worries about so many things: in our homes, our communities, the hard times we live in. And yet we are told; let not these cares keep you
from believing in life and trusting in God's loving care. In this eucharist we entrust our cares to the Lord.
Penitential Act
In the cares of everyday life,
we have at times forgotten God
and the people around us.
Let us seek the Lord's forgiveness.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you remind us
to keep seeking the Father's will
and the happiness of the people around us:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ,
you tell us about the Father
who can never forget us:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus,
you ask us to keep trusting
in a Father who cares:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord,
and forgive us our lack of trust
in our generous Father.
Help us to seek your kingdom
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray for trust in our Father
who loves us and cares
(PAUSE)
Lord God, you are our Father,
you care about the birds in the sky
and let them find food in due time;
you clothe the flowers in the field
with colors and fragrance.
So, why should we worry?
We thank you for the gift of life,
for loving us and caring for us,
free of charge.
We thank you for the people around us.
Keep us firmly in your hand,
on account of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction: God Will Never Forget Us
To a discouraged people the prophet says: God loves and cares. He will never forget you.
Second Reading Introduction: Ministers Are Servants
St Paul describes himself and other ministers as servants of Christ and of the community. He hopes he has been faithful to his task.
Gospel Introduction: God Cares
If we learn to trust God and his kingdom, we will become aware of the relative value of our worries.
General Intercessions
Our first concern must be God and his kingdom and he will take care of the rest. With the fullest trust we bring before him all our concerns and the needs of all people, Let us say: R/ God, in you we trust.
- That the Church may be a living sign of God's caring love for his people by its concern for the poorest among us, let us pray: R/ God, in you we trust.
- That the leaders of the world may look after the welfare of the people entrusted to them and bring them peace, justice and human dignity, let us pray: R/ God, in you we trust.
- That the poor and the needy may experience something of God's concern for them through the generosity of our hearts, let us pray: R/ God, in you we trust.
- That we may not burden ourselves with unnecessary worries and artificial needs, but may learn to entrust ourselves into the hands of a loving Father, let us pray: R/ God, in you we trust.
- That all our loved ones who have died may live in the presence of the Lord and give him lasting praise for his goodness, let us pray: R/ God, in you we trust.
Father, we trust in you and in the future you have prepared for us. Complete in us the work of your hands and stay with us through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer Over the Gifts
Our God and Father,
you have prepared for us, your children,
the feast meal of Jesus, your Son.
You provide us with food and drink
that lead to everlasting life.
We offer you our life and efforts,
our worries and our cares.
Accept them as a token
of our deep and lasting trust in you.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
The Father gave us his Son to be with us even today. What greater sign could he give us of his lasting and deep loving care? Let us give him thanks through Jesus.
Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
With Jesus we pray
the great prayer of trust
in our heavenly Father. R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from all the worries
with which we saddle ourselves
and from all the useless needs
that keep us away from you and people.
Make us free from sin
and help us to seek you and your kingdom,
as we prepare in hope and joy
for the coming of your Son among us,
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is Jesus, the Lamb of God,
who took our burdens on himself
to make us free for God and people.
Happy are we to receive him in trusting faith. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer After Communion
Lord God, our Father,
in this eucharist you have reassured us
that you know what we need
better than we ourselves do,
and that you stay with us
through Jesus your Son.
Help us to forget our self-created worries
and let Jesus give us the courage
to work for your kingdom of goodness and mercy,
of integrity and committed justice.
For then we are sure that you will give us all else
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
A. Like the Lilies in the Field
If we would worry less
and trust God more,
perhaps we would have more time
to live a truly human life.
Yes, we have to learn to live
with joy and in serenity.
May the Lord give you this happiness
and may he bless you:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go and live in God's hands. R/ Thanks be to God.
B. Throw Your Worries on the Lord
Is it not true that many of our worries and fears
are useless and self-inflicted?
Today we have been reminded
that God loves and cares
and that we should entrust ourselves to him.
Let us also not forget
that God works through people
and that he shows his concern for us
through the people around us,
and that he has made us the agents of his providence.
May almighty God bless us,
that we may be a blessing to one another:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go and care for one another. R/ Thanks be to God.
