My dear brothers and sisters, the passage we just heard is only part of a long conversation that St Matthew records in Chapters 24 and 25 of his Gospel. Up until this point in the conversation, Jesus has been explaining what the age of the Church, the period of history between his resurrection and his second coming will look like.

He has explained to his Apostles that the age of the Church will be marked by both wonderful growth and also painful persecution. He has explained that Jerusalem, the epicenter of the Old Covenant, will be destroyed to make a definitive way for the New Covenant.

He has explained that the world itself will eventually be destroyed to make way for the new heavens and the new earth. And then, by referring to the example of Noah, he explains that although these things definitely will happen, the Apostles can't know when: "you do not know on which day your Lord will come."

Jesus spoke about what he knew - his explanations were not mere theories. And when the Apostles heard him, they recognized the ring of truth in his voice. Why is Jesus telling them these things? Why does the Church remind us about them every year as Advent begins?

God wants us to know that our time is limited, that our lives and history itself will come to an end. He wants us to know this, because he wants us to use our limited time wisely, living as true Christians. Jesus considers this lesson to be so important that he dedicates four separate parables to it before he finishes the conversation, driving the lesson home.

Jesus knew how easily even the most faithful disciple can fall into the trap of thinking that this earthly life is the goal, and not merely the path.

Story | The Candle's Example*

Once upon a time a little candle stood in a room filled with other candles, most of them much larger and much more beautiful than she was. Some were ornate and some were rather simple, like herself.

Some were white, some were blue, some were pink, some were green. She had no idea why she was there, and the other candles made her feel rather small and insignificant.

When the sun went down and the room began to get dark, she noticed a large man walking toward her with a ball of fire on a stick. She suddenly realized that the man was going to set her on fire.

"No, no!" she cried, "Aaaaagghhh! Don't burn me, please!"

But she knew that she could not be heard and prepared for the pain that would surely follow. To her surprise, the room filled with light.

She wondered where it came from since the man had extinguished his fire stick. To her delight, she realized that the light came from herself. Then the man struck another fire stick and, one by one, lit the other candles in the room. Each one gave out the same light that she did.

During the next few hours, she noticed that, slowly, her wax began to flow. She became aware that she would soon die. With this realization came a sense of why she had been created. "Perhaps my purpose on earth is to give out light until I die," she mused. And that's exactly what she did.

Every Christmas light we see during Advent is a reminder that life on earth is the path, it is a task, a mission - it is not the goal.

Inviting Someone into the Ark

We know this. We believe in Christ, and we are constantly being reminded of this all-important truth that life on earth is only the path, not the goal.

This is why we are able to find: strength in the midst of life's difficulties, hope in the midst of life's inevitable tragedies, and courage in the midst of temptation and failure.

Today we should thank God for the great gift of this knowledge, this certainty that our lives and history itself both have a goal, an endpoint - they are going somewhere.

Without this knowledge, we would have to invent our own meaning and block out the burning question of life's purpose. We would be like children playing make-believe in a sandbox - distracting ourselves from distractions with distractions, as the poet T.S. Eliot put it.

We should be grateful, but we should also be helpful. There are people in our lives - friends, colleagues, neighbours, maybe even family members - who have never had this knowledge, or who have lost it. And because of that, they are living with a deep sense of frustration.

It may be hidden, but it is there. It is no coincidence that more suicides happen during the Christmas season than in any other period of the year. During the Christmas season there is so much hope in the air, that those who have no hope find their frustration turning into despair.

This Advent, let's share the Good News of Jesus Christ with someone who needs to hear it. Let's help someone - even just one person - arrive at Christmas this year not just distracted from their troubles, but filled with meaning for their life.

Let's invite someone into the Ark, not Noah's Ark, which perished, but the Ark of the Church, which Christ has guaranteed will make it safely through the floods of time and into the eternal harbour of heaven.

[* This illustration has been slightly adapted from "Hot Illustrations", copyright Youth Specialities, Inc., 2001] 

The first words of the Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, drawn from the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, summarize the profound meaning of the liturgical celebrations of the Church and their organization:

Holy Church celebrates the saving work of Christ on prescribed days in the course of the year with sacred remembrance. Each week, on the day called the Lord's Day, she commemorates the Resurrection of the Lord, which she also celebrates once a year in the great Paschal Solemnity, together with his blessed Passion. In fact, throughout the course of the year the Church unfolds the entire mystery of Christ and observes the birthdays of the Saints. (no. 1)

The liturgical year consists of a seasonal cycle and a sanctoral cycle, called the Proper of Time and the Proper of Saints, respectively. Both are organized and published in a liturgical calendar, which is also enriched by observances proper to local Churches, whether national, diocesan, parish-level, or religious community. The Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ—his suffering, death, and resurrection—is continuously proclaimed and renewed through celebrating the events of his life and in the feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints.

Liturgical Year

The liturgical year is made up of six seasons:

1. Advent - four weeks of preparation before the celebration of Jesus' birth

2. Christmas - recalling the Nativity of Jesus Christ and his manifestation to the peoples of the world.

3. Lent - a six-week period of penance before Easter.

4. Sacred Paschal Triduum - the holiest "Three Days" of the Church's year, where the Christian people recall the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

5. Easter - 50 days of joyful celebration of the Lord's resurrection from the dead and his sending forth of the Holy Spirit

6. Ordinary Time - divided into two sections (one span of 4-8 weeks after Christmas Time and another lasting about six months after Easter Time), wherein the faithful consider the fullness of Jesus' teachings and works among his people.

The mystery of Christ, unfolded through the cycle of the year, calls us to live his mystery in our own lives. This call is best illustrated in the lives of Mary and the saints, celebrated by the Church throughout the year. There is no tension between the mystery of Christ and the celebration of the saints, but rather a marvelous harmony. The Blessed Virgin Mary is joined by an inseparable bond to the saving work of her Son, and the feasts of all the saints proclaim the wonderful works of Christ in his servants and offer the faithful fitting examples for their imitation. Each liturgical year begins on the First Sunday of Advent during the preceding calendar year .

Liturgical Calendar

The organization of each liturgical year is governed by the Church and ultimately integrated into a liturgical calendar.

The Second Vatican Council brought renewed emphasis to Sunday as a unique liturgical category: "the Lord's day is the original feast day" (Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 106), and it "must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation" (Code of Canon Law, canon 1246 §1). Thus, only a limited number of feasts of the Lord or the saints may take the place of the scheduled Sunday celebration.

Saints and other celebrations are distinguished in accordance with the importance assigned to each one: each is a Solemnity, Feast, or Memorial. Sundays and Solemnities begin their celebration on the evening before, Feasts and Memorials are celebrated over the course of one day, and Memorials are either Obligatory or Optional.

Holy days of obligation (also known as feasts of precept) are days when the faithful are obliged to participate at Mass and abstain from unnecessary work or other activities which hinder the suitable relaxation of mind and body. Each Sunday is a holy day of obligation.

https://www.usccb.org/prayer-worship/liturgical-year

新接受派遣的11個聖言宣讀組員 Our eleven newly appointed Lectors for Chinese Mass (from left to right)

鄭惠安 Blanche Cheng 
邱雅文 Phylis Yau
鄭志英 Connie Cheng
羅慧敏 Mandy Law
楊潔蘭 Teresa Yeung
朱淑儀 Betty Chu
郭秀英 Pinky Kwok
張文綺 Monica Cheung
馬棣新 Joseph Ma
(陳若詩 Janis Chan, 蔡忠偉Louis Choy - not present in photo)

My dear brothers and sisters, the conversation in today's Gospel occurs during the last week of Jesus' earthly life. He and his followers had gone to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.

Each day between that first Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday, Jesus went with the Twelve Apostles to the Temple, to teach and preach, trying to convince the leaders and the people that he was the Messiah. At the end of the day, Jesus and his disciples would walk back to the town of Bethany, just east of Jerusalem, where they were staying.

On this occasion, they stopped and sat down to rest on the Mount of Olives, looking down upon mighty Jerusalem, with its magnificent marble Temple and stone palaces glittering in the afternoon sun.

Jesus then told his disciples about the future. He describes the coming destruction of this ancient city, and of the Temple - destruction which in 70 A.D., just forty years later, occurred just as he described. But the destruction of Jerusalem, the symbolic end of the Old Covenant, was also a foreshadowing of the end of history itself when this fallen world will be destroyed and replaced by a fully redeemed world. That is Judgment Day, the second coming of Christ.

Between Christ's conversation with his disciples and the destruction of Jerusalem, the Twelve Apostles experienced persecution, hardship, and martyrdom - just as Jesus predicted.

Between the time of the Apostles and Judgment Day, his Church will experience the same thing. And so, what Jesus tells them is meant for us too: tough times are part of his plan because they will "lead us to give our testimony."

In other words, our Christian response to the hardships of life in this fallen world will serve as advertisements for Christ and bring others to salvation.

Facing Death for Christ

There is a story before the breakup of the Soviet Union, Christians of all denominations were routinely persecuted for their faith by the Communist regime. One small group of believers used to meet in a family home every Sunday. They would arrive at different times, to avoid suspicion.

On one particular Sunday, they were all safely inside the building, with curtains drawn and doors locked. They had been singing and praying for a while when the door burst open and two armed soldiers crashed in. One shouted, "Everybody up against the wall. If you wish to renounce your faith in Jesus Christ, you can leave now and no harm will come to you."

Two people left right away, then a third and fourth straggled out. "This is your last chance!" the soldier warned. "Either turn your back on this Jesus of yours or stay and suffer the consequences!"

Two more slipped outside, crying and ashamed. No one else moved. Parents with small children trembling beside them looked down reassuringly. They fully expected to be gunned down on the spot, or imprisoned.

After a few moments of silence, the soldiers closed the door. One of them said, "Keep your hands up - but this time in praise to our Lord Jesus Christ, brothers and sisters. We, too, are Christians. We were sent to another house church like this several weeks ago, and we became believers."

The other soldier added, "We are sorry to have frightened those who left, but we have learned that unless people are willing to die for their faith, they cannot be fully trusted."

In times of trouble, our faith is tested, and we have a chance to do for Christ what he did for us: love him to the end.

Know, Love, and Follow Christ

Jesus is reminding us today that we have a mission amid life's difficulties and storms. Our mission is to "give testimony," to spread the Good News of Christ's Kingdom, and to help other people find and grow in Christ's friendship. But in order to do that, we have to have a vibrant friendship with Christ ourselves.

One reason we sometimes find that difficult is because this friendship, unlike our other companies, takes place in the mysterious atmosphere of faith. We don't see and hear Jesus the same way we see and hear other people. He works in our lives through the visual signs of the sacraments, and through the hidden action of the Holy Spirit deep in our hearts.

If that's the case, what exactly can we do to grow in this all-important friendship? We can do three things.

First, we can know Christ better, a little better every day. This happens especially in prayer, but also through reading or listening to good spiritual books about Christ, and to commentaries on the Gospel.

Second, we can love Christ better. The better we know him, the more we will love him, because he is infinitely loveable. We can show and grow this love by doing things to please him each day.

And that leads to the third thing we can do: follow Christ better, a little more closely each day. This means trying, with the help of his grace, to treat those around us as Christ would treat them if he were in our place.

Christ wants us to be his ambassadors, to "give testimony" to this passing world about his saving grace. This week, let's do so by knowing, loving, and following him a little better each day. 

148. As he begins the Eucharistic Prayer, the Priest extends his hands and sings or says, The Lord be with you. The people reply, And with your spirit. As he continues, saying, Lift up your hearts, he raises his hands. The people reply, We lift them up to the Lord. Then the Priest, with hands extended, adds, Let us give thanks to the Lord our God, and the people reply, It is right and just. After this, the Priest, with hands extended, continues the Preface. At its conclusion, he joins his hands and, together with all those present, sings or says aloud the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) (cf. no. 79 b).

149. The Priest continues the Eucharistic Prayer in accordance with the rubrics that are set out in each of the Prayers.

If the celebrant is a Bishop, in the Prayers, after the words N., our Pope, he adds, and me, your unworthy servant. If, however, the Bishop is celebrating outside his own diocese, after the words with . . . N., our Pope, he adds, my brother N., the Bishop of this Church, and me, your unworthy servant; or after the words especially . . . N., our Pope, he adds, my brother N., the Bishop of this Church, and me, your unworthy servant.

The Diocesan Bishop, or one who is equivalent to the Diocesan Bishop in law, must be mentioned by means of this formula: together with your servant N., our Pope, and N., our Bishop (or Vicar, Prelate, Prefect, Abbot).

It is permitted to mention Coadjutor Bishop and Auxiliary Bishops in the Eucharistic Prayer, but not other Bishops who happen to be present. When several are to be mentioned, this is done with the collective formula: N., our Bishop and his assistant Bishops.

In each of the Eucharistic Prayers, these formulas are to be adapted according to the requirements of grammar.

150. A little before the Consecration, if appropriate, a minister rings a small bell as a signal to the faithful. The minister also rings the small bell at each elevation by the Priest, according to local custom.

If incense is being used, when the host and the chalice are shown to the people after the Consecration, a minister incenses them.

151. After the Consecration when the Priest has said, The mystery of faith, the people pronounce the acclamation, using one of the prescribed formulas.

At the end of the Eucharistic Prayer, the Priest takes the paten with the host and the chalice and elevates them both while pronouncing alone the doxology Through him. At the end the people acclaim, Amen. After this, the Priest places the paten and the chalice on the corporal.

152. After the Eucharistic Prayer is concluded, the Priest, with hands joined, says alone the introduction to the Lord's Prayer, and then with hands extended, he pronounces the prayer together with the people.

153. After the Lord's Prayer is concluded, the Priest, with hands extended, says alone the embolism Libera nos (Deliver us, Lord). At the end, the people acclaim, For the kingdom.

154. Then the Priest, with hands extended, says aloud the prayer Domine Iesu Christe, qui dixisti (Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles) and when it is concluded, extending and then joining his hands, he announces the greeting of peace, facing the people and saying, The peace of the Lord be with you always. The people reply, And with your spirit. After this, if appropriate, the Priest adds, Let us offer each other the sign of peace.

The Pharisees were the religious leaders in Palestine at the time of Christ. And one of the doctrines they believed in and taught was the resurrection of the dead, just as we heard it proclaimed in the First Reading.

The Sadducees, on the other hand, did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. They were the political leaders of Palestine at the time of Christ. They collaborated with the Romans and enjoyed all the pleasures that come with wealth and power.

If they had believed in the Resurrection and judgment after death, they probably wouldn't have been so quick to make compromises with justice and truth just to keep a tight grip on their privileged but earthly position.

That makes us wonder: Did the Sadducees start living worldly, pleasure-cantered lives because they had lost faith in the Resurrection, or did they lose faith in the Resurrection because they began to living worldly, pleasure-cantered lives? There is an old proverb that says if we do not live according to what we believe, we will soon believe according to how we live.

This is a danger for us in the Church today because the predominant way of life in our society is not Christian.

The Church's moral teachings are laughed at and even violently opposed. This makes it harder for us to live them out - no one likes to be laughed at, and no one likes to be excluded from mainstream culture, criticized, labeled, or hated.

But if in the face of these challenges we lose courage and compromise, we could end up like the Sadducees, losing the very faith that gives meaning to our lives.

Heavenly Citizenship under Attack

There is a familiar phrase that describes the difficult situation that every Christian faces here on earth: We are called to be in the world without being in the world. We are citizens of earth, and we must be responsible citizens, but this earthly citizenship is only temporary.

Baptism gave us new citizenship. It made us citizens of Christ's eternal Kingdom. God's grace in our souls is our passport to heaven, our proof of citizenship, a citizenship that will last forever. We have been given a temporary work permit for our time here on earth. During this time, we are called to show and grow our love for our King and his Kingdom.

But there is a problem. Evil forces are at work here on earth: our ingrained selfish tendencies, the devil and his fallen angels, and a culture inundated with sin.

St Paul was keenly aware of these forces that are working against us, as we heard in the Second Reading. There he wrote to the Thessalonians that he was constantly being threatened by "perverse and wicked people" and that we need God's help to "guard us against the evil one."

We must not be naïve! We have spiritual enemies who are interested in separating us from Christ, seducing us into giving up our heavenly citizenship.

That is what happened to the Sadducees. They gave up their passports to heaven in exchange for the passing pleasures of earth.

Staying Close to Christ

We are called to be light in this world darkened by sin - but how can we keep that light shining? St Paul did it - he managed to be thoroughly in the world without being of the world. He tells us his secret in the Second Reading. He depended not on his own strength, but on God's: "... our Lord Jesus Christ... has loved us and given us everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace."

St Paul's secret can be our secret. If we keep our friendship with Christ alive and healthy, he will never let us fall into the tragic trap of the Sadducees. St Paul writes, "The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one." If we stay close to Christ, he will take care of everything else.

And he has made it so easy to stay close to him! He is always online, ready to hear our prayers and speak to our hearts if only we turn our minds to him. He is always here in the Tabernacle, giving us a physical place where we can be near to him, truly present in the Eucharist, body, blood, soul, and divinity. He is always here in every priest, ready to meet us in the confessional, forgive our sins, and arm us against future temptations.

All of us are already close to Christ. But Jesus wants us to be even closer, because he wants to do greater things in us, and he wants to protect us from our spiritual enemies.

Today, when we receive him in Holy Communion, let us talk to him about what we can do this week to fulfill that loving desire of our Lord.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist

139. When the Prayer of the Faithful is completed, all sit, and the Offertory chant begins (cf. no. 74). An acolyte or other lay minister arranges the corporal, the purificator, the chalice, the pall, and the Missal upon the altar.

140. It is appropriate for the faithful's participation to be expressed by an offering, whether of the bread and wine for the celebration of the Eucharist or of other gifts for the relief of the needs of the Church and of the poor.

The offerings of the faithful are received by the priest, assisted by the acolyte or other minister. The bread and wine for the Eucharist are carried to the celebrant, who places them upon the altar, while other gifts are put in another appropriate place (cf. no. 73).

141. At the altar the priest accepts the paten with the bread. With both hands he holds it slightly raised above the altar and says quietly, Benedictus es, Domine (Blessed are you, Lord). Then he places the paten with the bread on the corporal.

142. After this, as the minister presents the cruets, the priest stands at the side of the altar and pours wine and a little water into the chalice, saying quietly, Per huius aquae (By the mystery of this water). He returns to the middle of the altar, takes the chalice with both hands, raises it a little, and says quietly, Benedictus es, Domine (Blessed are you, Lord). Then he places the chalice on the corporal and covers it with a pall, as appropriate.

If, however, there is no Offertory chant and the organ is not played, in the presentation of the bread and wine the priest may say the formulas of blessing aloud, to which the people make the acclamation, Benedictus Deus in saecula (Blessed be God for ever).

143. After placing the chalice upon the altar, the priest bows profoundly and says quietly, In spiritu humilitatis (Lord God, we ask you to receive us).

144. If incense is used, the priest then puts some in the thurible, blesses it without saying anything, and incenses the offerings, the cross, and the altar. A minister, while standing at the side of the altar, incenses the priest and then the people.

145. After the prayer In spiritu humilitatis (Lord God, we ask you to receive us) or after the incensation, the priest washes his hands standing at the side of the altar and, as the minister pours the water, says quietly, Lava me, Domine (Lord, wash away my iniquity).

146. Upon returning to the middle of the altar, the priest, facing the people and extending and then joining his hands, invites the people to pray, saying, Orate, fratres (Pray, brethren). The people rise and make their response: Suscipiat Dominus (May the Lord accept). Then the priest, with hands extended, says the prayer over the offerings. At the end the people make the acclamation, Amen.

147. Then the priest begins the Eucharistic Prayer. In accordance with the rubrics (cf. no. 365), he selects a Eucharistic Prayer from those found in The Roman Missal or approved by the Apostolic See. The Eucharistic Prayer demands, by its very nature, that only the priest say it in virtue of his ordination. The people, for their part, should associate themselves with the priest in faith and in silence, as well as through their parts as prescribed in the course of the Eucharistic Prayer: namely, the responses in the Preface dialogue, the Sanctus, the acclamation after the consecration, the acclamatory Amen after the final doxology, as well as other acclamations approved by the Conference of Bishops and recognized by the Holy See.

It is very appropriate that the priest sing those parts of the Eucharistic Prayer for which musical notation is provided.

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL

St Paul has a shocking phrase in the first Letter to St Timothy: "I am the greatest of sinners."

• St Paul was one of the greatest saints who ever lived.
• The guy was volcanic. He crisscrossed the ancient Mediterranean world to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to countless people.
• He would ultimately die as a martyr for Christ.

So, when he says "I am the greatest of sinners" is it simply a pious exaggeration? Not at all. St Paul took Christ's words in today's gospel seriously: "The Son of Man has come to seek and save what was lost." Each one of us needs to be sought and saved.

Seek. God is always seeking us. Sometimes we believe that we are the ones looking for him, but the only reason we can even look for him is because he's already looking for us.

• St John of the Cross said that if we are seeking God, know that he is seeking us even more.

Jesus did not walk by that sycamore tree by accident: he had been planning his encounter with Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was mired in his sins, trapped in a selfishness he could not escape. Jesus came to find him.

Save. But Jesus did not only come to seek. He came to save. We cannot heal ourselves from sin. Whether it appears to be a terrible, glaring sin, or whether we think it is a peccadillo, we can't save ourselves. But Jesus can. And in today's gospel he sets Zacchaeus free.

This is the meaning of Christ's wonderful words that he came to seek and save what was lost.

Saint Ignatius Loyola Gets Radical

When St Ignatius Loyola studied in Paris in the 1530's, a priest he knew was not exactly a paragon of virtue.

• He had broken his vows and was living with a woman.
• He was giving terrible example to others.

St Ignatius was not content to ignore this man's moral misery. He prayed for him. He sacrificed for him. And he did something else. He went to his house one night, knelt next to his bed, and asked him to hear his confession.

When the priest witnessed Ignatius's faith, something changed. He returned to the priesthood and began to dedicate himself to serving God's people. Through Ignatius Loyola, Christ came to seek and to save what was lost.

Let Us Be Found

Zacchaeus allowed himself to be found. He did not hide from Jesus but went out on a limb in order to see Jesus (literally).

Christ also asks us to let ourselves be found by him. He is always seeking, but, since we're free, we have to choose to be found.

One of the most powerful ways to do that is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Christ meets us in a personal encounter of mercy.

When we go to confession, Jesus repeats the same words he said in Zacchaeus's home: "Today salvation has come to this house." 

 The Liturgy of the Word

128. After the Collect, all sit. The Priest may, very briefly, introduce the faithful to the Liturgy of the Word. Then the reader goes to the ambo and, from the Lectionary already placed there before Mass, proclaims the First Reading, to which all listen. At the end, the reader pronounces the acclamation The word of the Lord, and all reply, Thanks be to God.

Then a few moments of silence may be observed, if appropriate, so that all may meditate on what they have heard.

129. Then the psalmist or the reader proclaims the verses of the Psalm and the people make the response as usual.

130. If there is to be a Second Reading before the Gospel, the reader proclaims it from the ambo. All listen and at the end reply to the acclamation, as noted above (no. 128). Then, if appropriate, a few moments of silence may be observed.

131. After this, all rise, and the Alleluia or other chant is sung as the liturgical time requires (cf. nos. 62-64).

132. During the singing of the Alleluia or other chant, if incense is being used, the Priest puts some into the thurible and blesses it. Then, with hands joined, he bows profoundly before the altar and quietly says the prayer Munda cor meum (Cleanse my heart).

133. If the Book of the Gospels is on the altar, the Priest then takes it and approaches the ambo, carrying the Book of the Gospels slightly elevated. He is preceded by the lay ministers, who may carry the thurible and the candles. Those present turn towards the ambo as a sign of special reverence for the Gospel of Christ.

134. At the ambo, the Priest opens the book and, with hands joined, says, The Lord be with you, to which the people reply, And with your spirit. Then he says, A reading from the holy Gospel, making the Sign of the Cross with his thumb on the book and on his forehead, mouth, and breast, which everyone else does as well. The people acclaim, Glory to you, O Lord. The Priest incenses the book, if incense is being used (cf. nos. 276-277). Then he proclaims the Gospel and at the end pronounces the acclamation The Gospel of the Lord, to which all reply, Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. The Priest kisses the book, saying quietly the formula Per evangelica dicta (Through the words of the Gospel).

135. If no reader is present, the Priest himself proclaims all the readings and the Psalm, standing at the ambo. If incense is being used, he puts some incense into the thurible at the ambo, blesses it, and, bowing profoundly, says the prayer Munda cor meum (Cleanse my heart).

136. The Priest, standing at the chair or at the ambo itself or, if appropriate, in another worthy place, gives the Homily. When the Homily is over, a period of silence may be observed.

137. The Symbol or Creed is sung or recited by the Priest together with the people (cf. no. 68) with everyone standing. At the words et incarnatus est, etc. (and by the Holy Spirit . . . and became man) all make a profound bow; but on the Solemnities of the Annunciation and of the Nativity of the Lord, all genuflect.

138. After the recitation of the Symbol or Creed, the Priest, standing at the chair with his hands joined, by means of a brief address, calls upon the faithful to participate in the Universal Prayer. Then the cantor, the reader, or another person announces the intentions from the ambo or from some other suitable place while facing the people. The latter take their part by replying in supplication. At the very end, the Priest, with hands extended, concludes the petitions with a prayer.

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL

"You shall be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8)

Dear brothers and sisters!

These words were spoken by the Risen Jesus to his disciples just before his Ascension into heaven, as we learn from the Acts of the Apostles: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth" (1:8).

Let us reflect on the three key phrases that synthesize the three foundations of the life and mission of every disciple: "You shall be my witnesses", "to the ends of the earth" and "you shall receive the power of the Holy Spirit".

1. "You shall be my witnesses" – The call of every Christian to bear witness to Christ

This is the central point, the heart of Jesus' teaching to the disciples, in view of their being sent forth into the world. The disciples are to be witnesses of Jesus, thanks to the grace of the Holy Spirit that they will receive. Wherever they go and in whatever place they find themselves.

Christ was the first to be sent, as a "missionary" of the Father (cf. Jn 20:21), and as such, he is the Father's "faithful witness" (cf. Rev 1:5). In a similar way, every Christian is called to be a missionary and witness to Christ. And the Church, the community of Christ's disciples, has no other mission than that of bringing the Gospel to the entire world by bearing witness to Christ. To evangelize is the very identity of the Church.

In addition, the disciples are urged to live their personal lives in a missionary key: they are sent by Jesus to the world not only to carry out, but also and above all to live the mission entrusted to them; not only to bear witness, but also and above all to be witnesses of Christ.

Missionaries of Christ are not sent to communicate themselves, to exhibit their persuasive qualities and abilities or their managerial skills. Instead, theirs is the supreme honor of presenting Christ in words and deeds, proclaiming to everyone the Good News of his salvation, as the first apostles did, with joy and boldness.

In evangelization, then, the example of a Christian life and the proclamation of Christ are inseparable. One is at the service of the other. They are the two lungs with which any community must breathe, if it is to be missionary. This kind of complete, consistent and joyful witness to Christ will surely be a force of attraction also for the growth of the Church in the third millennium.

2. "To the ends of the earth" – The perennial relevance of a mission of universal evangelization

In telling the disciples to be his witnesses, the risen Lord also tells them where they are being sent: "…in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Here we clearly see the universal character of the disciples' mission.

Something similar still happens in our own day. Due to religious persecution and situations of war and violence, many Christians are forced to flee from their homelands to other countries. We are grateful to these brothers and sisters who do not remain locked in their own suffering but bear witness to Christ and to the love of God in the countries that accept them.

The words "to the ends of the earth" should challenge the disciples of Jesus in every age and impel them to press beyond familiar places in bearing witness to him. For all the benefits of modern travel, there are still geographical areas in which missionary witnesses of Christ have not arrived to bring the Good News of his love.

The Church must constantly keep pressing forward, beyond her own confines, in order to testify to all the love of Christ. Here I would like to remember and express my gratitude for all those many missionaries who gave their lives in order to "press on" in incarnating Christ's love towards all the brothers and sisters whom they met.

3. "You will receive power" from the Holy Spirit – Let us always be strengthened and guided by the Spirit.

When the risen Christ commissioned the disciples to be his witnesses, he also promised them the grace needed for this great responsibility: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8).

Just as "no one can say 'Jesus is Lord', except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor 12:3), so no Christian is able to bear full and genuine witness to Christ the Lord without the Spirit's inspiration and assistance.

All Christ's missionary disciples are called to recognize the essential importance of the Spirit's work, to dwell in his presence daily and to receive his unfailing strength and guidance. Indeed, it is precisely when we feel tired, unmotivated or confused that we should remember to have recourse to the Holy Spirit in prayer. The same Spirit who guides the universal Church also inspires ordinary men and women for extraordinary missions.

Dear brothers and sisters, I continue to dream of a completely missionary Church, and a new era of missionary activity among Christian communities. I repeat Moses' great desire for the people of God on their journey: "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets!" (Num 11:29). Indeed, would that all of us in the Church were what we already are by virtue of baptism: prophets, witnesses, missionaries of the Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to the ends of the earth! Mary, Queen of the Missions, pray for us! 

A) Mass without a Deacon

The Introductory Rites

120. When the people are gathered, the Priest and ministers, wearing the sacred vestments, go in procession to the altar in this order:

a) the thurifer carrying a smoking thurible, if incense is being used;

b) ministers who carry lighted candles, and between them an acolyte or other minister with the cross;

c) the acolytes and the other ministers;

d) a reader, who may carry a Book of the Gospels (though not a Lectionary), slightly elevated;

e) the Priest who is to celebrate the Mass.

If incense is being used, before the procession begins, the Priest puts some into the thurible and blesses it with the Sign of the Cross without saying anything.

121. During the procession to the altar, the Entrance Chant takes place (cf. nos. 47-48).

122. When they reach the altar, the Priest and ministers make a profound bow.

The cross adorned with a figure of Christ crucified, and carried in procession, may be placed next to the altar to serve as the altar cross, in which case it must be the only cross used; otherwise, it is put away in a dignified place. As for the candlesticks, these are placed on the altar or near it. It is a praiseworthy practice for the Book of the Gospels to be placed on the altar.

123. The Priest goes up to the altar and venerates it with a kiss. Then, if appropriate, he incenses the cross and the altar, walking around the latter.

124. Once all this has been done, the Priest goes to the chair. When the Entrance Chant is concluded, with everybody standing, the Priest and faithful sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross. The Priest says: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The people reply, Amen.

Then, facing the people and extending his hands, the Priest greets the people, using one of the formulas indicated. The Priest himself or some other minister may also very briefly introduce the faithful to the Mass of the day.

125. The Penitential Act follows. After this, the Kyrie is sung or said, in accordance with the rubrics (cf. no. 52).

126. For celebrations where it is prescribed, the Gloria in excelsis (Glory to God in the highest) is either sung or said (cf. no. 53).

127. The Priest then calls upon the people to pray, saying, with hands joined, Let us pray. All pray silently with the Priest for a brief time. Then the Priest, with hands extended, says the Collect, at the end of which the people acclaim, Amen.

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL 

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in today's Gospel, Jesus is politely telling us that we are weak pray-ers. But he also gives us the remedy for our weakness.

This parable comes after a conversation he had with some Pharisees. In that conversation, they asked him when the Kingdom of God would finally come. Jesus probably detected impatience behind that question, as if they were criticizing God for being careless or lazy.

We can relate to that kind of impatience. We can tend to give up on God too easily. We approach God with less confidence than this determined widow had in approaching a crooked judge. Behind the words of our prayer lurks a subtle tendency to doubt God. We think that just because he doesn't answer us in the way we expect him to, he isn't answering us at all.

That shows a lack of faith, a truncated vision of God. Today Jesus is reminding us that we should have unlimited faith and confidence in God. No prayer that we utter goes unheard. God is never out of his office; he's never on vacation. He is longing for us to bombard him with our prayers. He is eagerly searching for hearts that trust him enough to ask him unceasingly for everything they need. He always answers our prayers, even when the answer is "no".

Because God is our Father, all-wise, all-loving, and all-powerful, there should be no limit to our confidence in him. And so, as St Luke tells us, we should "pray always without becoming weary."

Being constant in our prayer, just like the widow with her petitions to the judge, just like Moses' interceding for victory in the battle against the Amalekites: constant in thanksgiving, constant in repentance, constant in praise, and constant in bringing to God every need that comes our way. Constancy built on confidence - that's the path to becoming better pray-ers.

St Monica's Tears

St. Monica is one of history's most famous pray-ers - the perfect example of consistent and confident prayer. Her son, St Augustine, was a brilliant student with a promising future among the intellectuals of the Roman Empire.

She had tried to bring him up in the Christian faith, but when Augustine came of age, he informed his mother that he had become a Manichean - this was one of the pagan philosophical religions that were anti-Christian. The news devastated her. It seemed that her oldest son was a spiritual lost cause. But she didn't give up on him yet.

She spared no efforts to save him, taking him to meet with eminent theologians, arguing with him herself, disciplining him by taking away family privileges, and always, day after day, year after year, praying for him. Many times, she spent entire nights in prayer. And when she did allow herself a few hours of rest, she cried herself to sleep. But nothing seemed to help.

Only after ten years of darkness, frustration, and unceasing prayer was her prayer answered: her son came back to the Church and became one of history's holiest and most influential saints. Actually, every one of her prayers before then had been answered as well. God was saying, "Not yet."

This experience taught St. Augustine confidence and constancy in prayer. He summarizes this lesson later, while writing about leaving home. He left in secret, so that his mother wouldn't go with him. She didn't want him to go, for fear of the pagan influences he would encounter. Reflecting on that incident, he wrote:

• "That night I stole away without her; she remained praying and weeping.
  
• "And what was she praying for, O my God, with all those tears, but that you should not allow me to
  sail!
  
• "But you saw deeper and granted the essential part of her prayer: you did not do what she was at
  that moment asking, that you might do the thing she was always asking."
  

Filling Up Life's In-Between Times
It is much easier than we think to follow Christ's directions on this point, to "pray always without becoming weary." First, it is necessary for each of us to spend some time every day alone with God, reflecting on a passage from the Bible, praying a decade of the Rosary, or praying for our loved ones.

That's what gives order and direction to our lives. If Christ really is someone important to us, which he is, that's why we are here today - we will make a point of spending time with him. But God has designed prayer to be flexible enough to fit into everything else we do as well. God is always thinking of us, always guiding us, like a mother with her toddler, or a coach with his players on the practice field.

And so, we really can always pray. Maybe not while we are in the meeting - but yes, while we are walking to and from the meeting. Maybe not while we are writing the report - but yes, while we are driving to and from work. Maybe not while we are running the play on the football field - but yes, while we are running back to the side-lines.

Our days are filled with a thousand little moments when we are alone with ourselves. Jesus wants to be part of those moments. He wants us to share those moments with us, because he wants to share his life with us - as he will prove once again today by coming to us in Holy Communion.

This week let's fill up all those in-between times with prayer: thanking God, asking him for what we need, and promising him that we will follow him no matter where he asks us to go. 

I. MASS WITH A CONGREGATION

115. By "Mass with a congregation" is meant a Mass celebrated with the participation of the faithful. It is moreover appropriate, whenever possible, and especially on Sundays and holy days of obligation, that the celebration of this Mass take place with singing and with a suitable number of ministers.[95] It may, however, also be celebrated without singing and with only one minister.

116. If a deacon is present at any celebration of Mass, he should exercise his office. Furthermore, it is desirable that, as a rule, an acolyte, a lector, and a cantor should be there to assist the priest celebrant. In fact, the rite to be described below foresees a greater number of ministers.

The Articles to Be Prepared

117. The altar is to be covered with at least one white cloth. In addition, on or next to the altar are to be placed candlesticks with lighted candles: at least two in any celebration, or even four or six, especially for a Sunday Mass or a holy day of obligation. If the diocesan Bishop celebrates, then seven candles should be used. Also on or close to the altar, there is to be a cross with a figure of Christ crucified. The candles and the cross adorned with a figure of Christ crucified may also be carried in the Entrance Procession. On the altar itself may be placed the Book of the Gospels, distinct from the book of other readings, unless it is carried in the Entrance Procession.

118. The following are also to be prepared:
a. Next to the priest's chair: the Missal and, as needed, a hymnal;
b. At the ambo: the Lectionary;
c. On the credence table: the chalice, a corporal, a purificator, and, if appropriate, the pall; the paten and, if needed, ciboria; bread for the Communion of the priest who presides, the deacon, the ministers, and the people; cruets containing the wine and the water, unless all of these are presented by the faithful in procession at the Offertory; the vessel of water to be blessed, if the asperges occurs; the Communion- plate for the Communion of the faithful; and whatever is needed for the washing of hands.
It is a praiseworthy practice to cover the chalice with a veil, which may be either the color of the day or white.

119. In the sacristy, the sacred vestments (cf. nos. 337-341) for the priest, the deacon, and other ministers are to be prepared according to the various forms of celebration:
a. For the priest: the alb, the stole, and the chasuble;
b. For the deacon: the alb, the stole, and the dalmatic; the dalmatic may be omitted, however, either out of necessity or on account of a lesser degree of solemnity;
c. For the other ministers: albs or other lawfully approved attire.[96]

All who wear an alb should use a cincture and an amice unless, due to the form of the alb, they are not needed. When there is an Entrance Procession, the following are also to be prepared: the Book of the Gospels; on Sundays and festive days, the thurible and the boat with incense, if incense is used; the cross to be carried in procession; and candlesticks with lighted candles.

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL 

At the end of the fourth Gospel, St. John's Gospel, we are told that if everything Christ did during his brief earthly life were written down, the entire world would not contain the books.

We can infer, therefore, that many - maybe even the majority - of Christ's miracles and encounters were not recorded in the New Testament.

So why did St. Luke include this one? Clearly because of the lesson that Christ teaches us by it: the beauty of gratitude. The one leper who came back to thank Jesus is praised for this gratitude. We can almost hear the sadness in Christ's heart at the lack of gratitude in the other nine who were healed.

Why does Christ value gratitude so much? Is he vain? Is his self-esteem so weak that he gets depressed if we don't praise and thank him? No. He values gratitude because gratitude is valuable - it's valuable for us, for the health of our souls.

In the first place, gratitude keeps us grounded in the truth, which is key for our ongoing relationship with God. To be ungrateful to God is not only unjust, but it's also living an illusion. The simple fact is that everything we have is a gift from God: creation, life, talents, opportunities, hope in heaven, the grace that helps us persevere in doing what is right - these are all God's gifts. We don't create ourselves!

In the second place, gratitude is the perfect antidote to sin. Sin turns us in on ourselves, like an ingrown toenail; gratitude opens us up to God and neighbor.

It directly contradicts self-centeredness, self-indulgence, and self-absorption. It builds bridges, unites communities, and softens hearts. It counteracts depression and releases anxiety.

Gratitude is one of the most beautiful flowers in the garden of virtue - what a pity that it's so rare!

Physical and Moral Leprosy

Christ's encounter with these lepers is so powerful partly because leprosy itself was so terrible. Leprosy was and still is an incurable and deadly disease. Leprosy is a bacterial infection that causes the extremities of the body - fingers and toes, hands and feet, nose, ears, and mouth - to die and slowly rot away, even while the person remains alive.

It was so contagious that even the lepers' closest relatives did not dare to come near them. In ancient times, lepers were required to live in isolated colonies.

If they had to travel, the law required them to ring a bell wherever they went, shouting out, "Unclean! Unclean!" This explains why these ten lepers addressed Christ "from a distance", as St Luke points out.

On top of the isolation, lepers had to live with the almost unbearable pain and stench of their own decaying bodies. Leprosy was a long, humiliating, and dismal agony, the most horrible of ancient diseases.

Jesus frees these ten lepers entirely from their agony, giving them a brand-new life. And yet, only one of them takes the trouble to thank him for it - and that one happens to be a Samaritan, the one least likely to respect a Jewish rabbi.

We are all moral lepers. The whole human race was infected with mortal selfishness by original sin, a selfishness that rots our souls and societies just as leprosy rots the body.

Christ saved us. He opened the floodgates of God's grace through his incarnation, passion, and resurrection. And then he gave us constant access to that grace through the Church, the sacraments, and his many other gifts.

We all recognize what Christ has done for us - that's why we are here today. Christ's message today is that he wants our recognition to go deeper, to become an attitude of gratitude.

The First Four Commandments

God wants us to develop the virtue of gratitude because he wants us to experience the joy that comes from knowing we are loved by him without limits or conditions. It is such an important virtue, that God built it into four of the Ten Commandments - the first four, in fact.

The First Commandment enjoins us to love and worship the one true God and none other. Worship starts by recognizing God's greatness, praising him for it, and thanking him for his benefits. The heart of worship is gratitude.

This is why Naaman the Syrian, whom we heard about in the First Reading, changed his religion after being cured. He wanted to give the prophet Elisha a gift, to show his gratitude to Israel's God. But Elisha wouldn't accept it.

So instead, Naaman loads up two mules with sacks full of soil taken from around the Jordan River.Naaman wanted to build an altar back home on top of some land that was connected to the God of Israel, and worship there. He says, "I will no longer offer... sacrifice to any other god except the Lord."

He was fulfilling the First Commandment, because he was grateful to God. The Second and Third Commandments help specify the first one: they enjoin us to keep God's name holy, and to keep the Lord's Day holy too. These are other ways to show and grow our gratitude to God, acknowledging that he is the source of all good things.

The Fourth Commandment enjoins us to always be grateful to our parents, through whom God has given us so many gifts: life, education, faith...

Truly, the virtue of gratitude is at the very core of our spiritual lives.

Today, as Jesus renews his gifts to us in the Holy Eucharist, let's promise him that this week we will unclog the pipeline of gratitude, so that we can be filled with lasting joy. 

IV. THE DISTRIBUTION OF DUTIES AND THE PREPARATION OF THE CELEBRATION

108. One and the same priest celebrant must always exercise the presidential office in all of its parts, except for those parts which are proper to a Mass at which the Bishop is present (cf. no. 92).

109. If there are several persons present who are able to exercise the same ministry, nothing forbids their distributing among themselves and performing different parts of the same ministry or duty. For example, one deacon may be assigned to take the sung parts, another to serve at the altar; if there are several readings, it is well to distribute them among a number of lectors. The same applies for the other ministries. But it is not at all appropriate that several persons divide a single element of the celebration among themselves, e.g., that the same reading be proclaimed by two lectors, one after the other, except as far as the Passion of the Lord is concerned.

110. If only one minister is present at a Mass with a congregation, that minister may exercise several different duties.

111. Among all who are involved with regard to the rites, pastoral aspects, and music there should be harmony and diligence in the effective preparation of each liturgical celebration in accord with the Missal and other liturgical books. This should take place under the direction of the rector of the church and after the consultation with the faithful about things that directly pertain to them. The priest who presides at the celebration, however, always retains the right of arranging those things that are his own responsibility.[90]

CHAPTER IV

The Different Forms of Celebrating Mass

112. In the local Church, first place should certainly be given, because of its significance, to the Mass at which the Bishop presides, surrounded by his presbyterate, deacons, and lay ministers,[91] and in which the holy people of God participate fully and actively, for it is there that the preeminent expression of the Church is found.
At a Mass celebrated by the Bishop or at which he presides without celebrating the Eucharist, the norms found in the Caeremoniale Episcoporum should be observed.[92]

113. Great importance should also be attached to a Mass celebrated with any community, but especially with the parish community, inasmuch as it represents the universal Church gathered at a given time and place. This is particularly true in the communal Sunday celebration.[93]

114. Among those Masses celebrated by some communities, moreover, the conventual Mass, which is a part of the daily Office, or the community Mass, has a particular place. Although such Masses do not have a special form of celebration, it is nevertheless most proper that they be celebrated with singing, especially with the full participation of all members of the community, whether of religious or of canons. In these Masses, therefore, individuals should exercise the office proper to the Order or ministry they have received. It is appropriate, therefore, that all the priests who are not bound to celebrate individually for the pastoral benefit of the faithful concelebrate at the conventual or community Mass in so far as it is possible. In addition, all priests belonging to the community who are obliged, as a matter of duty, to celebrate individually for the pastoral benefit of the faithful may also on the same day concelebrate at the conventual or community Mass.[94] For it is preferable that priests who are present at a Eucharistic Celebration, unless excused for a good reason, should as a rule exercise the office proper to their Order and hence take part as concelebrants, wearing the sacred vestments. Otherwise, they wear their proper choir dress or a surplice over a cassock.

From: GENERAL INSTRUCTION OF THE ROMAN MISSAL