Liturgical Leaflet for an Active Participation in the Celebration of the Eucharist
35November
2023
August 2016
O
FIRST FRIDAY
Year C
First Friday
Learning from Jesus to Care for People
n this First Friday of November, just one day after All
Souls’ Day, we are reminded that this is the month of the
dead and that we have the duty to pray for all the souls in purgatory. Today’s Gospel invites us to be caring people like Jesus, our
teacher and model. Such care consists in showing an active concern
for the good of our neighbor. This includes concern for the condition
of our brothers and sisters in purgatory. They need the help of our
prayers, good deeds, and indulgences offered for them.
As devotees of the Sacred Heart, we should surpass everybody else
in this form of care for the souls in Purgatory. Let our participation
in the Eucharistic celebration be an opportunity for us to show our
love for all the departed, especially those who are more neglected
and those who are most in need of God’s mercy.
Entrance Antiphon
(To be recited only when no
Entrance Hymn is sung.)
The designs of his Heart are
from age to age, to rescue their
souls from death, and to keep
them alive in famine.
Greeting
P – In the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit!
All – Amen!
P –Blessed be God who renews us in His Son Jesus
Christ. May His grace and
peace be with you all.
All –And with your spirit!
Penitential Act
P –As we are about to participate in the Eucharistic
Sacrifice, let us realize that
we have failed the Lord in
so many ways and so many
times. (Pause)
P –For the times we have
allowed selfishness to
rule our lives, Lord, have
mercy!
All – Lord, have mercy!
P –For the times we have
neglected to pray for our
departed brothers and
sisters, Christ, have mercy!
All – Christ, have mercy!
P –For the times we have
failed to show our love
for the Sacred Heart by
caring for our neighbor
in need, Lord, have mercy!
All – Lord, have mercy!
P –May almighty God have
mercy on us, forgive us our
sins and bring us to everlasting life.
All – Amen!
Collect (Opening Prayer)
P –Grant, we pray, almighty
God, that we, who glory in the
Heart of your beloved Son and
recall the wonders of his love
for us, may be made worthy to
receive an overflowing measure
of grace from that fount of heavenly gifts.
Through our Lord Jesus
Christ, your Son, who lives and
reigns with you in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, God, for ever
and ever.
All –Amen!
1st Reading
Rom 9:1-5
In a rare moment of selfrevelation, the apostle Paul manifests to his readers the great
pain he is suffering because the
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Israelites persist in rejecting
Jesus as the Messiah of God.
R – A proclamation from the
Letter of Paul to the Romans
Brothers and sisters:
I speak the truth in Christ,
I do not lie; my conscience joins
with the Holy Spirit in bearing
me witness that I have great
sorrow and constant anguish in
my heart. For I could wish that
I myself were accursed and cut
off from Christ for the sake of
my own people, my kindred
according to the flesh. They
are children of Israel; theirs
the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law,
the worship, and the promises;
theirs the patriarchs, and from
them, according to the flesh, is
the Christ, who is over all, God
blessed forever. Amen!
The Word of the Lord!
All – Thanks be to God!
Responsorial Psalm Ps 111
R – How great are the works of
the Lord!
* I will give thanks to the
Lord with all my heart, in the
company and assembly of the
just. Great are the works of the
Lord, exquisite in all their delights.
R.
* Majesty and glory are his
work, and his justice endures
forever. He has won renown
for his wondrous deeds; gracious and merciful is the
Lord.
R.
* He has given food to those
who fear him; he will forever
be mindful of his covenant. He
has made known to his people
the power of his works, giving
them the inheritance of the nations.
R.
Gospel Acclamation Jn 10:27
All– Alleluia! Alleluia!
My sheep hear my voice,
says the Lord; I know
them, and they follow me.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Gospel
Lk 14:1-6
One of the “constants” of the
teaching of Jesus Christ is the
priority of the love of neighbor
3 November 2023
over religious observances
and traditions. The episode
narrated in today’s Gospel
passage is a further proof of
where his priorities lie and an
invitation for us to evaluate our
priorities.
P –The Lord be with you!
All –And with your spirit!
P – A proclamation from the
holy Gospel according to
Luke
All –Glory to you, O Lord!
On a Sabbath Jesus went
to dine at the home of one of
the leading Pharisees, and
the people there were observing him carefully. In front of
him there was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus spoke
to the scholars of the law and
Pharisees asking, “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath or
not?” But they kept silent. So
he took the man and, after he
had healed him, dismissed
him. Then he said to them,
“Who among you, if your son
or ox falls into a cistern, would
not immediately pull him out
on the Sabbath day?” But
they were unable to answer his
question.
The Gospel of the Lord!
All –Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ!
Homily
Prayer of the Faithful
P –Renewed in the spirit by
the Gospel message, let us confidently present to the Lord
the needs and intentions of the
Church and our own. Let our response be:
All – Lord, in Your great love,
answer us!
C –For the Catholic Church,
the new People of God: May she
be a constant champion of service to the poor and the marginalized. Let us pray!
R.
C –For the Holy Father, our
Bishop, our parish priest, and all
the members of religious congregations: May they spearhead
the renewal of our communities
through their faithfulness to the
Gospel. Let us pray!
R.
C –For our government and local officials: May they bravely
uproot all forms of corruption
and inefficiency, and promote
the renewal of society through
honesty, dedication and genuine
patriotism. Let us pray!
R.
C –For the poor who have been
victimized by the injustices and
negligence of the past: May the
solidarity of the Christian community enable them to experience the renewing power of
God’s love. Let us pray!
R.
C –For our youth who are so
eager to renew our society: May
they keep in mind that authentic
progress has to be rooted in the
love of God and neighbor. Let us
pray!
R.
C –For all the devotees of the
Sacred Heart, and especially
ourselves: May our love for
Jesus bear fruits of generosity,
purity and commitment to always give priority to the needs
of people. Let us pray!
R.
C –Let us pray in silence
for our personal intentions.
(Pause) Let us pray!
R.
P –Lord God, You are the
source of new life in the Church
and all mankind. Renew us in
our thoughts and our hearts
that everything we do may mirror Your care for the weak and
the suffering. You who live and
reign for ever and ever.
All –Amen!
Preparation of the Gifts
P –Pray, brethren . . .
All – May the Lord accept the
sacrifice at your hands, for the
praise and glory of his name,
for our good and the good of all
his holy Church.
Prayer over the Offerings
P –Look, O Lord, we pray, on
the surpassing charity in the
Heart of your beloved Son, that
what we offer may be a gift acceptable to you and an expiation
of our offenses.
Through Christ our Lord.
All – Amen!
Preface of the Sacred Heart
P –The Lord be with you!
All –And with your spirit!
P –Lift up your hearts!
All –We lift them up to the Lord!
P –Let us give thanks to the
Lord our God!
All –It is right and just!
P – It is truly right and just,
our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give
you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through
Christ our Lord.
For raised up high on the
Cross, he gave himself up for
us with a wonderful love and
poured out blood and water from
his pierced side, the wellspring
of the Church’s Sacraments, so
that, won over to the open heart
of the Savior, all might draw water joyfully from the springs of
salvation.
And so, with all the Angels
and Saints, we praise you, as
without end we acclaim:
All –Holy, holy, holy Lord, God
of hosts. Heaven and earth are
full of your glory. Hosanna in
the highest!
Blessed is he who comes in
the name of the Lord. Hosanna
in the highest!
Memorial Acclamation
P –The mystery of faith!
All –We proclaim your Death,
O Lord, and profess your
Resurrection until you
come again!
All – Our Father . . .
P –Deliver us, Lord . . .
All – For the kingdom, the
power, and the glory are
yours, now and for ever!
Sign of Peace
Breaking of the Bread
All – Lamb of God, you take
away the sins of the world: have
mercy on us. (2x)
Lamb of God, you take
away the sins of the world:
grant us peace.
Communion
P –This is Jesus our loving
healer, the Lamb of God who
takes away the sins of the
world. Blessed are those who
are called to his supper.
All –Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under
my roof, but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.
charity, O Lord, make us fervent with the fire of holy love, so
that, drawn always to your Son,
we may learn to see him in our
neighbor.
Through Christ our Lord.
All – Amen!
Communion Antiphon
(To be recited only when no
Communion Hymn is sung.)
Thus says the Lord: Let
whoever is thirsty come to me
and drink. Streams of living
water will flow from within the
one who believes in me.
Prayer after Communion
P –May this sacrament of
P –The Lord be with you.
All –And with your spirit!
P – May almighty God bless
you: the Father, and the
Son and the Holy Spirit.
All – Amen!
P –Go in the peace of Christ
to fill the world with his
love!
All –Thanks be to God!
NOVENA PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
Divine Jesus, you have said, Ć „Ask, and you shall receive;
Ć seek, and you shall find; Ć knock, and it shall be opened unto
you.‰ Ć Behold me kneeling at your feet, Ć filled with a lively faith
and confidence Ć in the promises dictated by your Sacred Heart Ć
and pronounced by your adorable lips. Ć I come to ask this favor:
(Silently mention your petitions.)
To whom can I turn if not to you Ć whose heart is the source
of all graces and merits? Ć Where should I seek if not in the treasure Ć which contains all the riches of your kindness and mercy?
Ć Where should I knock Ć if not at the door through which God
gives himself to us Ć and through which we go to God? Ć I have
recourse to you, Heart of Jesus. Ć In you I find consolation when
afflicted, Ć protection when persecuted, Ć strength when burdened
with trials, Ć and light in doubt and darkness.
Dear Jesus, I firmly believe Ć that you can grant me the grace I
implore, Ć even though it should require a miracle. Ć You have only
to will it, Ć and my prayer will be granted. Ć I admit that I am most
unworthy of your favors, Ć but this is not a reason for me to be
discouraged. Ć You are the God of mercy Ć and you will not refuse
a contrite heart. Ć Cast upon me a look of mercy, I beg of you, Ć
and your kind heart will find in my miseries and weaknesses Ć a
reason for granting my prayer.
O Sacred Heart, Ć whatever may be your decision with regard
to my request, Ć I will never stop adoring, loving, praising, and
serving you. Ć My Jesus, be pleased to accept this my act of
perfect resignation Ć to the decrees of your adorable heart Ć which
I sincerely desire may be fulfilled Ć in and by me and by all your
creatures for ever.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Ć I know that there is but one thing impossible to you: Ć to be without pity for those who are suffering or
in distress. Ć Look upon me, I beg of you, dear Jesus, Ć and grant me
the grace for which I humbly implore you Ć through the Immaculate
Heart of your most sorrowful Mother. Ć You have entrusted me to her
as her child, Ć and her prayers are all-powerful with you. Ć Amen!
First Friday
Reincarnation or Purgatory?
Tremember our dead and we reflect, at least occasionally,
on what happens after people die. Different religions give
he month of November is a special occasion when we
varying answers to this very important question. All of them
agree that at death there is a divine judgment on the life that
has just come to an end. A good life is rewarded; a bad life
is punished. But now, in what do these “reward” and “punishment” consist? This is where the answers differ considerably.
Belief in Reincarnation
For the Hindu religion, at death, the human soul migrates
into another being of greater or minor perfection. This series
of “migrations” of souls into other beings is called samsara
– “reincarnation” or “re-birth,” in English – and may continue
for a very long time. Closely related to the belief in a series
of “rebirths” is the theory of karma, according to which every
moral act of a person has inevitable consequences which
may be “suspended” for some time, but which will eventually
be manifested. The type of new life into which one is born
depends on the accumulated karma of the past life of each
soul.
This samsara is described as follows in one of the sacred
Hindu books: “Those who have right knowledge and perform
their duties are born again after death for immortality, while
those who do not have such knowledge and neglect their duties are reborn again and again, becoming the prey of death”
(Kaushitaki Brahmana Upanishad).
In practice, the “reward” for a good life consists in the soul
of a person being born again in the body of someone who
belongs to a superior class/caste. The “punishment” consists
in being born into a lower caste, or as an animal, or even as
a plant or an inanimate object, depending on the degree of
unworthiness one has accumulated during the past life.
The Catholic View of Death and Purification
The Catholic religion, instead, holds that a person is born
and dies only once. At the end of his/her life, God passes
judgment and gives an eternal reward or punishment based
on the performance of that person during the whole lifetime.
The reward is called “heaven” and consists in living for ever
with God, enjoying perfect and unending happiness. The
punishment is called “hell” and consists in endless suffering
and perpetual estrangement from God.
Catholics believe also that, at the end of the world, there
will be a “resurrection of the dead.” This means that the souls
of all the dead will be reunited with their respective bodies
which will participate in the eternal reward or punishment
deserved through the actions performed during the earthly
life.
But, at death, things are not just either white or black.
The Catholic faith adds a further specification: Besides the
possibility of going directly to either heaven or hell, there is
also the possibility of going to “purgatory,” a temporary stage
of purification for those who do not deserve to go to hell, but
are also not fully worthy to enter the state of blessedness
called “heaven.” This needed purification is proportioned to
the degree of moral imperfection in which a person dies and
is carried out by undergoing some form of spiritual suffering
which purifies the souls from all types of moral imperfection
related to venial sins or to mortal sins which were forgiven,
but not fully atoned for during that person’s earthly life.
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The duration and intensity of the suffering of a soul
in purgatory can be shortened and lightened through the
prayers of the saints in heaven and of the living on earth.
This brotherly help is possible thanks to the “Communion of
Saints,” the spiritual solidarity that binds together all human
beings with Jesus Christ and among themselves. This is why
we Catholics are reminded and exhorted to offer for the dead
prayers of intercession and to perform good deeds, the merit
of which can be applied to the souls in purgatory.
Of course, the most precious and helpful prayer we can
offer for the dead is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass or Eucharist,
which is the very self-offering of Jesus Christ in atonement
for the sins of all human beings. When we participate in the
celebration of the Mass, we unite ourselves to the self-offering
of Jesus.
The value of every Eucharistic celebration is, in itself,
infinite. However, its effectiveness on the souls in purgatory is conditioned by their disposition, in the same way
that the effectiveness of the infinite merits of Christ on us
is conditioned by our disposition and response. This is why
we continue offering Masses and prayers for all the souls in
purgatory, since their effect on them is known to God alone.
For our part, we have only to put into our Masses, prayers,
and good works as much faith and love as we can.
Similarities and Differences Between Reincarnation and
Purgatory
The basic similarity between belief in reincarnation and
in purgatory is the conviction that human beings commit
sins from which they need to be purified before reaching the
eternal happiness they long for. This is about all that can be
said about similarities.
More, instead, are the differences. The first is that, unlike the Hindus and other religious groups who believe in the
reincarnation or transmigration of souls, we Catholics believe
that the soul of every human being does not migrate from
one body to another, but is an integral and definitive part
of the person it makes up together with its body. Death
does break the union between soul and body, but after that
separation, the soul will be reunited with its own body at the
resurrection of all the dead.
The second big difference is that while in the theory of
reincarnation what matters seems to be only the soul, the
Catholic belief in the resurrection of the body emphasizes
the intrinsic value of the human body which is destined
to share for ever in the destiny of its soul.
The third big difference is that those who believe in reincarnation seem to hold that salvation and purification can be
attained simply by one’s personal efforts to live a good life.
For us Catholics, salvation can be attained only thanks
to Jesus Christ, while purification from one’s sins in
purgatory is attained with the help of Jesus’ merits, as
well as the solidarity and prayers of all the members of
the Communion of Saints.
There are also other differences. But the ones just
mentioned are enough to show that belief in reincarnation,
together with the related concept of karma, is incompatible with the Catholic faith. We are born, live and die only
once, and we are saved only through Jesus Christ our
Lord, in the image of whose resurrection we shall also
rise and live for ever.
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