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First Reading: Sir 17:1–15
God from the earth created man,
and in his own image he made him.
He makes man return to earth again,
and endows him with a strength of his own.
Limited days of life he gives him,
with power over all things else on earth.
He puts the fear of him in all flesh,
and gives him rule over beasts and birds.
He created for them counsel, and a tongue and eyes and ears,
and an inventive heart,
and filled them with the discipline of understanding.
He created in them knowledge of the spirit;
With wisdom he fills their heart;
good and evil he shows them.
He put the fear of himself upon their hearts,
and showed them his mighty works,
That they might glory in the wonder of his deeds
and praise his holy name.
He has set before them knowledge,
a law of life as their inheritance;
An everlasting covenant he has made with them,
his justice and his judgments he has revealed to them.
His majestic glory their eyes beheld,
his glorious voice their ears heard.
He says to them, "Avoid all evil";
each of them he gives precepts about his fellow men.
Their ways are ever known to him,
they cannot be hidden from his eyes.
Over every nation he places a ruler,
but God's own portion is Israel.
All their actions are clear as the sun to him,
his eyes are ever upon their ways.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:13-14, 15-16, 17-18
R./ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him,
For he knows how we are formed;
he remembers that we are dust.
R./ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
Man's days are like those of grass;
like a flower of the field he blooms;
The wind sweeps over him and he is gone,
and his place knows him no more.
R./ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
But the kindness of the Lord is from eternity
to eternity toward those who fear him,
And his justice toward children's children
among those who keep his covenant.
R./ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.
Gospel Reading: Mark 10:13–16
People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them.
When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them,
"Let the children come to me; do not prevent them,
for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it."
Then he embraced the children and blessed them,
placing his hands on them.
Opening Prayer
Almighty God and Father,
creator of all that is,
you have entrusted this earth
and the entire universe to us
to develop and humanize it.
Help us to take up our responsibility
of conserving and protecting nature,
that you and our earth may remain a place
where people can breathe and live
and let it be a foretaste of the happiness
of your eternal home.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction
Ben Sirach reflects at length and with warmth on the first chapters of the Bible dealing with creation. He stresses particularly the role of people as masters and the center of creation. People, who organize creation, are or should be responsible for creation and are the voice of all creation to praise God.
With human progress in subduing the earth and traveling in space, today, we need to glorify not merely our conquests, but also refocus our attention on our role as humanizers, which we have forgotten.
Gospel Introduction
"Christ's reception of children cannot be regarded as a recommendation of infantilism or a vain search for primeval innocence. He recommends the adult attitude which acknowledges limitations and accepts dependence upon God with interdependence between people... The child, who acts with all his being, is in the final analysis more human and more integral than the thinker who becomes entangled in arguments and in worry about motives." Guide to the Christian Assembly II, p. 327.
General Intercessions
– Lord, may the services and the food that you let animals and plants provide us with fill our hearts with gratitude, we pray:
– Lord, make us concerned to make the earth's goods, spiritual and material, accessible to all, we pray:
– Lord, make us share our abundance, and at times even our need, with people who are poor, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father,
you let bread and wine,
the produce of this earth,
express the presence of your Son in our midst.
May we approach nature and its gifts
with admiration and respect
and make it fully your world
that joins us in praising you
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
you transform us by the power
of your risen Son, Jesus Christ.
Temper our craving for prosperity and progress,
that we may not destroy the beauty of nature
but let your creation serve
our happiness and human welfare.
May we transform it to bring more freedom,
justice and dignity to all,
by the power of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
Working for the integrity of nature is not just a fad that is in today, but a moral responsibility that also plays a very important role in the future of humankind. It is good that with the prophets, we have rediscovered it! May Almighty God bless you and our earth: the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
