13th  SUNDAY  OF  THE  YEAR (Cycle C) "Stand fast and do not submit yourself to evil." ENTRANCE  ANTIPHON All nations, clap your hands. Shout with a voice of joy to God. PENITENTIAL  RITE Strictly speaking a person does not become a Christian merely by accepting Christ. To be authentic he has to be his disciple, following him not only in words but also in deeds. It involves a total surrender to the person of Christ. For the times we have postponed our responses or grudgingly gave them to him let us be sorry and ask pardon. (Pause) I confess... Glory to God... OPENING PRAYER Let us pray. Father, you call your children to walk in the light of Christ. Free us from darkness and keep us in the radiance of your truth. We ask this... FIRST READING (Elisha gives up his possessions and his secure life to accept the call of Jahveh.) A reading from the first book of the Kings (19:16,19-21) The Lord said to Elijah, "Go; Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah, you shall anoint to be prophet in your place." So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing, with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, "Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go back again; for what have I done to you?" And he returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah, and ministered to him. This is the Word of the Lord PSALM (15) Response: O Lord, it is you who are my portion. Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you. I say to the Lord: "You are my God." O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup; it is you yourself who are my prize. R./ I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart. I keep the Lord ever in my sight: since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm. R./ And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad; even my body shall rest in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead, nor let your beloved know decay. R./ You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right hand happiness for ever. R./ SECOND READING (Christian freedom is not for self-indulgence but it is for total self-surrender to the love of God.) A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Galatians (5:1,13-18) For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another take heed that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law. This is the Word of the Lord ACCLAMATION (Acts 16:14) Alleluia, alleluia! Open our heart, O Lord, to accept the words of your Son. Alleluia! GOSPEL (Christian discipleship is a resolute choice to place Christ and his cause first and foremost in one’s life.) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Luke (9:51-62) When the days drew near for Jesus to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him; but the people would not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village. As they were going along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." But he said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." This is the Gospel of the Lord I believe in God,/the Father Almighty,/Creator of heaven and earth./ I believe in Jesus Christ,/his only Son, our Lord./He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit/ and born of the Virgin Mary./He suffered under Pontius Pilate,/was crucified, died, and was buried./He descended to the dead./On the third day he rose again./He ascended into Heaven,/and is seated at the right hand of the Father./He will come again to judge the living and the dead./I believe in the Holy Spirit,/the Holy Catholic Church,/the communion of saints,/the forgiveness of sins,/the resurrection of the body,/and the life everlasting./ Amen. PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus has set an example of how his disciples should live. He has promised to be with us till the end, knowing our weakness. Trusting in his goodness let us bring our petitions to him. Response: Lord, help us along the way. 1. We pray for the leaders of the Church and all those engaged in the preaching of the Word of God that they may persevere in their commitment to follow Christ. R./ 2. We pray for the members of our parish community that they may be renewed day by day through faith in the Word of God calling them to a better life. R./ 3. We pray that those who have lost hope because of their sins may realize that Christ walks with them and carries their burden. R./ 4. We pray for those who are weakened by infirmity so that they may be assured of the Lord’s love, and know that they do not stand alone. R./ (Pray for personal/local needs.) Cel: God almighty, we place in front of you the challenges and threats we face in living a true Christian life. Inspire and strengthen us by your grace lest we fall into the temptation of mediocrity. This we ask through … PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS Lord God, through your sacraments you give us the power of your grace. May this eucharist help us to serve you faithfully. We ask this… PREFACE (P 29-36) COMMUNION ANTIPHON O, bless the Lord, my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Lord, may this sacrifice and communion give us a share in your life and help us bring your love to the world. We ask this… LITURGY  AND  LIFE During the Second World War Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain, told his countrymen something like this, "I am not happy with a nominal war. I want your sweat and blood. I want you to be bold for the war is not going to be easy. I want your strong mind for the path to success is long." No leader can promise people peace and prosperity without asking them for sacrifice. Nothing can be achieved except at the cost of one who achieves. Jesus shows us the way to glory but it is through sacrifices. He says, "If you want to be my disciples, deny yourselves, take up your cross and follow me." A disciple has to stand for what Christ his Master stands for. He has to surrender totally to the service of Christ. Those who want to follow him have to pay a very high price. In the first reading of today Elisha not only renounces his plough and bullocks but also his possessions to become a prophet. He gave up the secure life of a farmer to lead a prophetic life, a life full of risks and uncertainty. A disciple of Jesus renounces every pleasure that is contrary to the teachings of Christ and to the values of his kingdom. In the gospel of today a person declared his loyalty to Jesus by stating that he would follow him wherever he might go. He was full of self-confidence that he was unaware of the implications of his sworn allegiance so that he would decide whether he would be able to follow him. Jesus tells us if we want to follow him we must be ready to take risks and not put our trust in earthly goods. In another case Jesus called somebody. The person was ready but asked for a postponement. He was willing to follow Jesus after fulfilling his obligations to his family. Jesus told him that to follow him was such an urgent matter that even the most intimate family ties have to be kept aside. Some of us think of enjoying life when we are young and postpone the following of Christ to sometime later. The catch-phrase of the gospel is, "now is the time." Postponement is a trick played by the devil. St Augustine could not experience God until he asked himself, "why can’t I say NO to the carnal desires now?" St Paul says, "as long as the desires of the flesh hold us back we will not be able to take a firm decision for Christ for what the flesh desires is opposed to the spirit to prevent us from doing what God wants us to do." The following of Christ is of such magnitude that there is no room for excuse, for compromise with the world or for half-heartedness. The early Christians died and many Christians even today are willing to die for Christ. It is a challenge for a disciple of Jesus especially in a world marked by materialism and consumerism. During this Eucharistic celebration Jesus once again invites us to break away with sin and worldliness and to start a new life.   uly 2007 READINGS OF THE WEEK (Psalter Week 1) 2/Mon (G) Gn 18:16-33; Ps 102:1-2,3-4,8-9,10-11; Mt 8:18-22 3/Tue (R) S. THOMAS, Apostle of India – Sol Ac 10:24-35; Ps 41:2,3,5c-f; Heb 1:2-3 or 1 Pt 1:3-9; Jn 20:24-29 4/Wed (G/W) Or S. Elizabeth of Portugal Gn 21:5,8-20; Ps 33:7-8,10-11,12-13; Mt 8:28-34 5/Thu (G/W) Or S. Anthony Zaccaria, pt Gn 22:1-19; Ps 114:1-2,3-4,5-6,8-9; Mt 9:1-8 6/Fri (G/R) Or S. Maria Goretti, vg m Gn 23:1-4,19; 24:1-8,62-67; Ps 105:1-2,3-4ab,4c-5; Mt 9:9-13 7 /Sat (G/W) Or BVM on Saturday Gn 27:1-6,15-29; Ps 134:1-2,3-4,5-6; Mt 9:14-17