Liturgical Celebration
29 May
BLESSED JOSEPH GERARD
Entrance Antiphon Isaiah 52, 7
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the man who brings good news of peace, joy and salvation.
Opening Prayer
God, source of peace and giver of rain and abundance, who called Blessed Joseph Gerard, your priest, to bring the light of the Gospel to the people of Southern Africa: grant that through his intercession, we may share his love for the poor and work for peace and reconciliation in the world. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ.
First Reading
Isaiah 52, 7-10
All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of one who brings good news, who heralds peace, bring happiness, proclaims salvation and tells Zion, ‘’Your God is King’’! Listen! Your watchmen raise their voices, they shout for joy together, for they see the Lord face to face, as He returns to Zion. Break into shouts of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem: for the Lord is consoling his people, redeeming Jerusalem. The Lord bares His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. This is the word of God.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 15
I WILL BLESS THE LORD WHO GIVES ME COUNSEL, WHO EVEN AT NIGHT DIRECTS MY HEART
Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.
I say to the Lord: ‘’You are my God’’.
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup:
It is you yourself who are my prize. (R)
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
Who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord even in my sight:
Since He is at my right hand, I shall stand firm. (R)
You will show me the path of life,
The fullness of joy in your presence,
At your right hand happiness for ever. (R)
Second Reading
2 Corinthians 5: 14-20
He gave us the work of handing on this reconciliation. The love of Christ overwhelms us when we reflect that if one man has died for all, then all men should be dead: and then reason He died for all was so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died and was raised to life for them. From now onwards, therefore, we do not judge anyone by the standards of the flesh. Even if we did once know Christ in the flesh, that is now how we know Him now. And for anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation: the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here. It is all God’s work. It was God who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the work of handing on this reconciliation. In other words, God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, not holding men’s faults against them, and He has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled. So we are ambassadors for Christ: it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ’s name is: be reconciled to God. This is the word of the Lord.
Alleluia, Alleluia
Go, make disciples of all the nations, says the Lord; I am with you always, yes, to the end of time. Alleluia.
Gospel Mark 16, 15-20
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the good news
Jesus showed Himself to the eleven, and He said to them; ‘’Go out to the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and ne unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover’’. And so the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven; there at the right hand of God He took his place while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it. This is the Gospel.
Prayer over the gifts
Father of mercy, we have these gifts to offer in honour of Blessed Joseph Gerard, who bore witness to your mighty power. May the power of Eucharist bring us your salvation!
Communion Antiphon
Go out to all the world, and tell the good news; I am with you always, said the Lord. OR, Live in me and me live in you, says the Lord; he who lives in me and me in him, will bear much fruit.
Prayer after communion
Lord, Blessed Joseph Gerard worked tirelessly for the faith, spending his life in its service. With the power this Eucharist gives, make your people strong in the same true faith and help us to proclaim it everywhere by all we say and do.