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First Reading: 2 Timothy 4:1-8
Beloved:
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who will judge the living and the dead,
and by his appearing and his kingly power:
proclaim the word;
be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.
For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine
but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity,
will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth
and will be diverted to myths.
But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances;
put up with hardship;
perform the work of an evangelist;
fulfill your ministry.
For I am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well;
I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 71:8-9, 14-15ab, 16-17, 22
R./ I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall be filled with your praise,
with your glory day by day.
Cast me not off in my old age;
as my strength fails, forsake me not.
R./ I will sing of your salvation.
But I will always hope
and praise you ever more and more.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
R./ I will sing of your salvation.
I will treat of the mighty works of the Lord;
O God, I will tell of your singular justice.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R./ I will sing of your salvation.
So will I give you thanks with music on the lyre,
for your faithfulness, O my God!
I will sing your praises with the harp,
O Holy One of Israel!
R./ I will sing of your salvation.
Gospel Reading: Mark 12:35-37
In the course of his teaching Jesus said,
"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext,
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation."
He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood."
Opening Prayer
God with the heart of a father and a mother,
you care for the poor,
give justice to the oppressed
and food for the hungry.
In your Son Jesus, you have shown us
not to give only from our surplus but ourselves.
Confound our calculations
and change our self-interest
into generous sharing,
that our way of giving may be like yours,
by not counting the cost.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction
Paul, or the author using Paul's name, beseeches Timothy to keep preaching the word of God, in season and out of season, to be a good minister of the Lord and to give himself, as Paul had done.
Gospel Introduction
Jesus, who lived in the hands of the Father, points out to his disciples how much a poor widow was living in the hands of God, so much so that she put in the treasury for the worship in the temple, coins she even needed for her own living. What a trust and generosity!
General Intercessions
– Lord, we pray you for your Church. Preserve it from the temptation of riches and power, we pray:
– Lord, we pray you for widows and orphans. Keep them from despair and make us attentive to their need of compassion and loving help, we pray:
– Lord, we pray you for this community. Make us generous enough to share not only from our abundance, but also at times from our poverty, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Loving, generous God,
in these signs of bread and wine,
we celebrate how Jesus, your Son,
gave himself once and for all
that we might live and love and be free.
May we learn from him
to ask not how much we can afford
without hurting ourselves
but to let him be our strength
to give the best of ourselves
and to answer his voice
crying out in everyone in need.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Generous and loving God,
your Son came to fill with your gifts
the poor aware of their emptiness
and he called them blessed.
Help us to discover how poor we really are—
poor in faith, in trust, in generous love.
Be near to us in your Son,
that we may become available to all
and share the best that is in us
without any outward display
but in quiet deeds of love and service,
as Jesus did, your Son,
who lives with you and with us for ever.
Blessing
Jesus gave all that he had and was—his whole self, to bring others life and happiness. Like him, let us not count the cost of our gifts. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
