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First Reading: Sir 36:1,4–5a,10–17
Now will I recall God's works;
what I have seen, I will describe.
At God's word were his works brought into being;
they do his will as he has ordained for them.
As the rising sun is clear to all,
so the glory of the Lord fills all his works;
Yet even God's holy ones must fail
in recounting the wonders of the Lord,
Though God has given these, his hosts, the strength
to stand firm before his glory.
He plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart;
their innermost being he understands.
The Most High possesses all knowledge,
and sees from of old the things that are to come:
He makes known the past and the future,
and reveals the deepest secrets.
No understanding does he lack;
no single thing escapes him.
Perennial is his almighty wisdom;
he is from all eternity one and the same,
With nothing added, nothing taken away;
no need of a counselor for him!
How beautiful are all his works!
even to the spark and fleeting vision!
The universe lives and abides forever;
to meet each need, each creature is preserved.
All of them differ, one from another,
yet none of them has he made in vain,
For each in turn, as it comes, is good;
can one ever see enough of their splendor?
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R./ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
Give thanks to the Lord on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
R./ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
For upright is the word of the Lord,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.
R./ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made;
by the breath of his mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as in a flask;
in cellars he confines the deep.
R./ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all who dwell in the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it was made;
he commanded, and it stood forth.
R./ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.
Gospel Reading: Mark 10:46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
"Jesus, son of David, have pity on me."
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me."
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
"Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you."
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see."
Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.
Opening Prayer
God Lord of all,
your Son Jesus, was your equal
and yet he made himself our brother and servant.
May his Spirit be alive in us
and dispose us to become like him,
powerless and vulnerable,
so that we can serve one another,
especially the weakest of our brothers and sisters.
In this way, may people experience
how bold you make your love.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction
In the first reading, in a prayer God is asked to show his greatness and holiness to all peoples by showing them his marvelous deeds.
General Intercessions
– For those in authority in the Church, that they may not become functionaries but be "ministers," that is, servants, we pray:
– For our Christian families, that by their mutual care and service, parents may prepare their children to render service to others, we pray:
– For the many who serve us in various ways and provide us with the things and help we need—servants, drivers, nurses, technicians and so many others, too many to name—that we may be grateful and kind to them, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
as your Son serves us himself at table
in the signs of bread and wine,
he asks us to drink with him
the cup of self-sacrificing love.
Let your Son fill us with that love
which alone can understand
that to be great is to serve others
and to use up our lives
to give people a chance to live and be free.
May we seek no other reward
than to share the destiny of Jesus,
our Lord and Savior for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Loving Father,
your Son has been with us
in this Eucharistic celebration
as the servant of us all.
Let him dispose our hearts
and give us his courage
to understand and accept others,
to accompany them on the road of life,
to suffer their pains,
to rejoice with their joys
and to carry each other's burdens,
that he may be with us,
now and for ever.
Blessing
We, too, are here to serve rather than to be served. It is not an easy task. Spare others by not sparing yourself. May Almighty God bless you for this, the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
