Menu
First Reading: Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19
Brothers and sisters:
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for
and evidence of things not seen.
Because of it the ancients were well attested.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance;
he went out, not knowing where he was to go.
By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country,
dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;
for he was looking forward to the city with foundations,
whose architect and maker is God.
By faith he received power to generate,
even though he was past the normal age
–and Sarah herself was sterile–
for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.
So it was that there came forth from one man,
himself as good as dead,
descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky
and as countless as the sands on the seashore.
All these died in faith.
They did not receive what had been promised
but saw it and greeted it from afar
and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth,
for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland.
If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come,
they would have had opportunity to return.
But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one.
Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for he has prepared a city for them.
By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac,
and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son,
of whom it was said,
Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.
He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead,
and he received Isaac back as a symbol.
Responsorial Psalm: Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75
R./ Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
R/ Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old.
that he would save us from our sins
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
R/ Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the bonds of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
R/ Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
Gospel Reading: Mark 4:35-41
On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:
“Let us cross to the other side.”
Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.
And other boats were with him.
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up.
Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.
They woke him and said to him,
“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
He woke up,
rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”
The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified?
Do you not yet have faith?”
They were filled with great awe and said to one another,
“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”
Opening Prayer
God of power and might,
when we cry out to you in the tempest of life,
reassure us that you care and that you are with us,
even when you seem absent and silent.
Let our faith remain calm and peaceful
and deepen it in every trial.
Keep us believing that the waves obey you,
and that at your command, the powers of evil cannot harm us.
Stay with us through your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction: He was looking forward to the city whose architect and maker is God.
Faith is a trust and commitment that express themselves in a mentality, an attitude of one’s whole life that sees beyond the appearance of things and lives accordingly, with total trust in God’s future. This kind of faith moved Abraham, the pagan, to follow an unknown God to a destiny of human insecurity. It is a faith that helps us to hold on without fear when the Church is rocked by the waves of our times. Is this our kind of faith?
Gospel Introduction: Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?
Many people are afraid today. Our times are very insecure in many aspects, with wars, violence, and economic and moral crises. Life seems to move too fast for many. And the Church, in its leaders and members, is often upset and afraid. God seems far away, like a God who sleeps, a God who seems indifferent to our fears and incertitude. Where are our faith and hope? Let us turn to him who journeys with us and wakes us up, Jesus, our Lord and brother here among us.
General Intercessions
– For the Church of Jesus Christ, that its faith and love may not waver in the difficulties and storms of our time, we pray:
– For those who doubt their faith and are afraid of facing the future, that God may give them courage and that we may refresh their hope, we pray:
– For sailors and fishers, that the sea may be peaceful and generous to them; for all who travel, that they may safely reach their destination, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Keep alive in us Lord, our God,
our faith and trust in you
through the bread of love and justice
of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Even when we do not know
what the future will bring,
keep us going to the city with foundations
of which you are the designer and builder,
the city of justice, peace, and lasting love
proclaimed to us by Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
by the stirring word of your Son
you have called us, people of little faith,
away from our safe security.
By his bread of life, you have restored our strength.
When the waves and winds of fear
threaten to engulf us and to blow us off-course,
keep us and all your people firm
with the assurance that your Son is with us
and that he will never desert us,
for he is our Lord, for ever and ever.
Blessing
This has been a celebration of encouragement and trust. Jesus has assured us: “I am with you. Do not fear. Face life and its problems, as a Church and as persons. Trust me.” May Almighty God give you this trusting faith and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
