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First Reading: Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16
Abram's wife Sarai had borne him no children.
She had, however, an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
Sarai said to Abram:
"The Lord has kept me from bearing children.
Have intercourse, then, with my maid;
perhaps I shall have sons through her."
Abram heeded Sarai's request.
Thus, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan,
his wife Sarai took her maid, Hagar the Egyptian,
and gave her to her husband Abram to be his concubine.
He had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant.
When she became aware of her pregnancy,
she looked on her mistress with disdain.
So Sarai said to Abram:
"You are responsible for this outrage against me.
I myself gave my maid to your embrace;
but ever since she became aware of her pregnancy,
she has been looking on me with disdain.
May the Lord decide between you and me!"
Abram told Sarai: "Your maid is in your power.
Do to her whatever you please."
Sarai then abused her so much that Hagar ran away from her.
The Lord's messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness,
the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked,
"Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from
and where are you going?"
She answered, "I am running away from my mistress, Sarai."
But the Lord's messenger told her:
"Go back to your mistress and submit to her abusive treatment.
I will make your descendants so numerous," added the Lord's messenger,
"that they will be too many to count.
Besides," the Lord's messenger said to her:
"You are now pregnant and shall bear a son;
you shall name him Ishmael,
For the Lord has heard you,
God has answered you.
This one shall be a wild ass of a man,
his hand against everyone,
and everyone's hand against him;
In opposition to all his kin
shall he encamp."
Hagar bore Abram a son,
and Abram named the son whom Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 106:1b-2, 3-4a, 4b-5
R./ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. or: Alleluia.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Who can tell the mighty deeds of the Lord,
or proclaim all his praises?
R./ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. or: Alleluia.
Blessed are they who observe what is right,
who do always what is just.
Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
R./ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. or: Alleluia.
Visit me with your saving help,
that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
rejoice in the joy of your people,
and glory with your inheritance.
R./ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. or: Alleluia.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 7:21-29
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'
"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."
When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
your Son Jesus Christ, challenges us
to honor you not only with our lips
but also in our hearts and with our deeds.
Help us to respond to his word
with all that is in us
and with him to seek your will
in all we do.
Grant us this through Christ, our Lord.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction
When it took time for God's promise to Abraham and Sarah to give him a son, Abraham begets a son from his maid Agar. Ishmael, though rejected by Sarah, will become the forefather of the fierce and independent Bedouins.
Gospel Reading Introduction
"Not those who say, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom, but one who does the will of my Father." We are familiar with Jesus' words, but do we follow them? Do we build on rock, that is, follow Jesus, or do we follow ourselves and our whims and so build on sand?
General Intercessions
– That we may not just hear and know the Word of God but act accordingly and enthusiastically, we pray:
– That the Lord may be the rock in whom we put our trust and in whom we build our lives, that our faith may be rich and meaningful, we pray:
– That our friendships may be firm and reliable, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
this bread and this wine are signs
that we want to do your will.
Give us your Son to go with us
the loyal road to you and to people.
For you are our God, for ever and ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord God, our rock,
we want to build our lives on you
by the power of Jesus, your Son.
Through him, make us strong enough
to keep on our feet when the rains of sorrow come,
and the floods of trials rise,
and when the storm winds
of doubt and fear blow in us,
for you are our firm rock for ever.
Blessing
We want our life to be meaningful, to give direction to it. Let it be the direction given to it by God, by Jesus and his Gospel. Let us with Jesus seek God's will in all we do, for then, we are sure our life is built on rock, solid and consistent. May God fill you with his blessing: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
