A reading from the book of Sirach.
A person who gets rich without sinfully chasing after money is fortunate.
Do you know anyone like that?
If so, we will congratulate him for performing a miracle
that no one else has ever been able to do.
If anyone has ever passed this test, he can well be proud.
Has anyone ever known that he could get away with cheating someone,
and not taken advantage of it?
If so, he deserves his wealth,
and everyone will praise him for his generosity.
The Word of the Lord.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be ready for whatever comes, dressed for action and with your lamps lit,
like servants who are waiting for their master to come back from a wedding feast.
When he comes and knocks, they will open the door for him at once.
How happy are those servants whose master finds them awake and ready when he returns!
I tell you, he will take off his coat, have them sit down, and will wait on them.
How happy they are if he finds them ready, even if he should come at midnight or even later!
And you can be sure that if the owner of a house knew the time when the thief would come,
he would not let the thief break into his house.
And you, too, must be ready,
because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him."
The Gospel of the Lord.
Cloud
Priest and Patron of the Diocese
September 7
Opening Prayer
O God,
You raised up with the office of the priesthood
and the splendor of virtue
Saint Cloud, who for your sake was humbled in the world.
Grant that by his example
we may be your worthy ministers,
and that through his intercession
we may always grow in grace and merit.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord,
we acknowledge, together with your holy priest Cloud,
that you are the source of our faith and salvation.
We ask that you mercifully accept this sacrifice of praise from our hands,
and grant that we may fulfill our obligations with the same devotion that he
manifested.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord,
having received the divine mysteries on this feast of your priest Saint Cloud,
we humbly ask of you, that with our minds raised to heaven,
we may have the strength to consider all things as nothing for the sake of him,
who gave himself to us, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.