Monday March 7, 2022         

Monday of 1st Week in Lent

STS. PERPETUA AND FELICITY, Martyrs           

 

Introduction

Today we celebrate two women martyrs from Carthage, North Africa. Perpetua was a noblewoman, Felicity a slave girl. Both were arrested in a raid on Christians. Each had recently given birth and the Roman authorities tried to use their first newborn babies as hostages to force them to renounce their faith, but both refused. Their faith was dearer to them than even their most cherished possession. With remarkable serenity they went to their heroic death.

 

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
you inspire with remarkable courage
those who put all their trust in you.
On this celebration of your holy martyrs
Saints Perpetua and Felicity
we pray you for the strength
to hold you dearer than anything else.

Let nothing stand between you and us,
nothing separate us from you,
for you are our living and loving God,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Reading 1 Lev 19:1-2, 11-18

The LORD said to Moses,
“Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them:
Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.

“You shall not steal.
You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another.
You shall not swear falsely by my name,
thus profaning the name of your God.
I am the LORD.

“You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor.
You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer.
You shall not curse the deaf,
or put a stumbling block in front of the blind,
but you shall fear your God.
I am the LORD.

“You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment.
Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty,
but judge your fellow men justly.
You shall not go about spreading slander among your kin;
nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor’s life is at stake.
I am the LORD.

“You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.
Though you may have to reprove him,
do not incur sin because of him.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the LORD.

 

Responsorial Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15

(John 6:63b)Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R.  Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R.  Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

 

Alleluia 2 Cor 6:2B

Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.

 

Gospel Mt 25:31-46

Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him. 
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.”

 

Intercessions

–          For the many hungry for food and human dignity, that those who have more may provide them with what they need, we pray:

–          For strangers and aliens, that we may accept them with all their differences, we pray:

For the sick and for prisoners, people who are rarely visited, that we may show them our compassion and concern, we pray:

 

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
before he laid down his life for us,
your Son Jesus gave himself to his disciples,
as he said to them:
This is my body for you.
May he give us the strength
to live for him and for you,
even when we have to surrender
what is dearest to us,
for you are our loving Lord
through our Savior Jesus Christ.

 

Prayer after Communion

Loving God of all that lives,
no one could rob Jesus your Son
from his inner freedom
when he gave up his life for us.
By the word and the body of your Son,
make us strong enough to resist
all attacks of evil
and to stand up for all
that is good and true and beautiful,
for what you have created us for,
for a life and a joy without end,
through Jesus Christ Our Lord.

 

Blessing

 “What you do to the least of my brothers, you have done to me,” the Lord said to us today. This is a beautiful task, but it is difficult. May God bless you for it, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Commentary

God’s Own

Look at the response of the sheep on the right: “Lord, when did we see you hungry and gave you food, thirsty and gave you drink…?” When the King clarifies, we can imagine their response to be one of shock, surprise, delight—an “aha” experience! What does this episode tell us? That these righteous ones had no idea that it was the Lord they were feeding and helping when they took care of the poor and the needy in their life on earth! They didn’t do so because they “saw” the face of Christ in them (as some saints did); nor because the Scriptures commanded them to do so (as some of us do). They did so simply because it came so naturally for them to help; because loving and caring was their second first nature. Like God’s own nature. We might find them seated on the right and the left of Christ in his glory!

Reflection taken from Bible Diary 2022;

written by Fr.Paulson Velyannoor, CMF