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First Reading: Deuteronomy 4:32-40
See, upon the mountains there advances
the bearer of good news,
announcing peace!
Celebrate your feasts, O Judah,
fulfill your vows!
For nevermore shall you be invaded
by the scoundrel; he is completely destroyed.
The LORD will restore the vine of Jacob,
the pride of Israel,
Though ravagers have ravaged them
and ruined the tendrils.
Woe to the bloody city, all lies,
full of plunder, whose looting never stops!
The crack of the whip, the rumbling sounds of wheels;
horses a-gallop, chariots bounding,
Cavalry charging, the flame of the sword, the flash of the spear,
the many slain, the heaping corpses,
the endless bodies to stumble upon!
I will cast filth upon you,
disgrace you and put you to shame;
Till everyone who sees you runs from you, saying,
“Nineveh is destroyed; who can pity her?
Where can one find any to console her?”
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 77:12-13, 14-15, 16 and 21
R./ I remember the deeds of the Lord.
I remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I remember your wonders of old.
And I meditate on your works;
your exploits I ponder.
R./ I remember the deeds of the Lord.
O God, your way is holy;
what great god is there like our God?
You are the God who works wonders;
among the peoples you have made known your power.
R./ I remember the deeds of the Lord.
With your strong arm you redeemed your people,
the sons of Jacob and Joseph.
You led your people like a flock
under the care of Moses and Aaron.
R./ I remember the deeds of the Lord.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:24-28
Jesus said to his disciples, "If you want to follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. For whoever chooses to save his life will lose it, but the one who loses his life for my sake will find it. What will one gain by winning the whole world if he destroys himself? There is nothing you can give to recover your own self.
"Know that the Son of Man will come in the Glory of his Father with the holy angels, and he will reward each one according to his deeds. Truly, I tell you, there are some here who will not die before they see the Son of Man coming as king."
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
we know that following your Son means
to let someone else lead us
where perhaps we were not intending to go.
But it is your Son who leads us and goes with us.
And so we say: We are willing to go with him,
but help us, Lord, when our hearts grow faint,
that we may keep going with him
who is our Lord for ever.
Liturgy of the Word
Introduction to the First Reading
Today's passage of the Book of Deuteronomy sums up the meaning and theology of the whole book: Israel is the chosen people of God, as its past experience clearly manifests–the exodus and liberation, God's theophany on Sinai and the covenant, the journey to the Promised Land. God is a faithful, loving God. And so, Israel owes God a response of faithful love.
Introduction to Gospel Reading
In the gospel Jesus presents the Christian life by means of three equivalent expressions. It means: to renounce oneself - that is, to accept God's way of thinking and acting rather than one's own; to take up the cross - that is, to take the risk of undergoing the fate of the Master and give up personal security; and to follow Jesus - that is, to accept the guidance of Jesus, his gospel, not only in theory but also in practice. Are we ready to do this? Is this what the Christian life means for us?
General Intercessions
- Lord Jesus, for those who follow you on the way to the cross as they are persecuted for believing in you, we pray:
- Lord Jesus, for those who follow you on the way of the cross as they renounce themselves to dedicate themselves to take care of lonely and sick people, we pray:
- Lord Jesus, for those who bear their sufferings in patience with you, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Bread and wine,
Lord our God,
are our strength and joy on the road of life.
Let your Son break for us the better bread
and pour for us the better wine of himself,
that keep us going, and when needed,
even climbing the mountain of suffering
and of apparent defeat.
For we trust in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
you know how much we are afraid
of taking risks and committing ourselves
to the new and the unknown.
But you beckon us through your Son
and you let him be our strength.
And so we pray you:
Keep calling us out of our enclosures
and give us the courage to go all the way
to you and to one another
without fear or compromise.
Let the gospel of Jesus
become good news of happiness and joy
to fill our lives for ever and ever.
Blessing
"Take up your cross and follow me." We must take up the cross demanded by faithfulness to the gospel, our Christian community, our family, our task in life, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
