September 18, 2023

Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

 

ALIEN NO LONGER   

Introduction

Paul urges Christians, through Timothy, to be mediators by our supplications, prayers and intercessions for all humankind. The basis is that Christ is the one mediator between God and humanity and God wants all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. How universal is God’s plan and will to save!

Today, we have the beautiful scene of the Roman centurion asking Jesus through emissaries to heal his slave. He loved the Jewish people and had faith in Jesus because of what he had heard about Jesus. Another sign of faith, something unusual in a world of slavery, seems to be that he begged for the healing of a slave. We hear him also say the words we use in the Eucharistic celebration, that he is not worthy of Jesus coming to his house.

Opening Prayer

Lord God, Father of all,
you call people from every language, culture and nation
to worship you and to live in your love.
Let your Son, Jesus Christ, speak among us
your saving word that brings healing to all.
May many accept his invitation
to sit with us at his table.
Give us enough faith and love
that we too, like you and your Son,
may turn strangers into friends.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Reading 1: 1 Tm 2:1-8

Beloved:
First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers,
petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone,
for kings and for all in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life
in all devotion and dignity.
This is good and pleasing to God our savior,
who wills everyone to be saved
and to come to knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God.
There is also one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus,
who gave himself as ransom for all.

This was the testimony at the proper time.
For this I was appointed preacher and Apostle
(I am speaking the truth, I am not lying),
teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray,
lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 28:2, 7, 8-9

R. (6) Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.
Hear the sound of my pleading, when I cry to you,
lifting up my hands toward your holy shrine.
R. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.
The LORD is my strength and my shield.
In him my heart trusts, and I find help;
then my heart exults, and with my song I give him thanks.
R. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.
The LORD is the strength of his people,
the saving refuge of his anointed.
Save your people, and bless your inheritance;
feed them, and carry them forever!
R. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.

Alleluia: Jn 3:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Lk 7:1-10

When Jesus had finished all his words to the people,
he entered Capernaum.
A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die,
and he was valuable to him.
When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,
asking him to come and save the life of his slave.
They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying,
“He deserves to have you do this for him,
for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.”
And Jesus went with them,
but when he was only a short distance from the house,
the centurion sent friends to tell him,
“Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
but say the word and let my servant be healed.
For I too am a person subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, Go, and he goes;
and to another, Come here, and he comes;
and to my slave, Do this, and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him
and, turning, said to the crowd following him,
“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
When the messengers returned to the house,
they found the slave in good health.

Intentions

–   That those who believe in the Lord Jesus may express their faith in deeds of justice and love, of dedicated service and of endless compassion, we pray:

–   That all peoples of the earth may hear where the Lord Jesus can be found, come to know his name and pray to him, we pray:

–   That we may welcome strangers and foreigners in our Christian communities and make them feel at home with us, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
we bring bread and wine before you
to celebrate our gratitude to you
as we are gathered around Jesus, your 
Son,
for in him, you have accepted us.
From his hospitable table
may men and women from all cultures
eat his bread of life and drink his wine of joy,
that all may know your name
and praise your merciful love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Father in heaven,
we thank you that your Son has come to us,
even though we are not worthy.
May he find great faith in us
and in all his people.
Let his word fill our empty words
and his love inspire all we do,
that with our whole life

and in the harmony of our many languages
we may sing our honor and thanks to you, Father.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Blessing

For God there are no strangers, no foreigners, no aliens. He knows them all, accepts them all, loves them all, whether they know it or not, for they are all his children. May you accept them as God does, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

 

Reflection:

September 18 Luke 7:1-10

Have we allowed the word of God to touch us and transform us?

Prophet Isaiah promises, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Is 55:10-11).

Prophet Jeremiah asserts, “Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? (Jer 23:29).

We read in the letter to the Hebrews, “Indeed, the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb 4:12).

Today’s Gospel presents the powerful word of God which can heal, transform people even from distance. A centurion’s servant was sick and near death. He confesses his unworthiness to have Jesus under his roof but asks to give the word so that his servant would be healed. Yes, Jesus uttered the living word and the servant was healed instantly. Have we allowed the word of God to touch us and transform us?

 

Have we allowed the word of God to touch us and transform us?    – Youtube