Liturgical Leaflet for an Active Participation in the Celebration of the Eucharist

23 July 2023 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY

The Mystery of God’s Patience

T
he presence of evil persons who cause suffering to innocent
people and disrupt the order of society has always been a thorn
in the flesh for both unbelievers and believers. It is especially dif-
ficult for us believers to reconcile this fact with our belief in a God who
loves justice and has the whole world in His hand.
Today’s First Reading and the Gospel help us make sense of it all as
they assure us that God is always in control of the situation, even when
evil (which comes from the Devil) seems to have the upper hand.
In due time, perfect justice will be done. God’s apparent “inaction,”
therefore, is not due to impotence on His part, but to His desire to offer
new chances of repentance to those who do evil.
In this Eucharist, we will ask for a stronger faith and the grace to be
able to counteract the evil that exists around us by doing as much good as we can. As St. Paul says,
let us overcome evil with good. (Rom 12:21)

Penitential Act gone astray, Lord, have

P –As we prepare to celebrate mercy!
the mystery of Christ’s love, All – Lord, have mercy!
let us acknowledge our failures P –May almighty God have
Entrance Antiphon and ask the Lord for pardon and mercy on us, forgive us our sins,
(To be recited only when no and bring us to everlasting life.
Entrance Hymn is sung.) strength. (Pause)
All – Amen!
See, I have God for my P –For the times we have
doubted God’s wisdom in Gloria
help. The Lord sustains my
soul. I will sacrifice to you with dealing with those who dis- All – Glory to God in the high-
willing heart, and praise your regard the moral law, Lord, est, and on earth peace to people
name, O Lord, for it is good. have mercy! of good will. We praise you,
All – Lord, have mercy! we bless you, we adore you, we
Greeting P –For the times we have al- glorify you, we give you thanks
lowed the seeds of evil to for your great glory, Lord God,
P – In the name of the Father, heavenly King, O God, almighty
and of the Son, and of the Holy flourish within us while
Father.
Spirit! complaining about the pres-
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Be-
ence of evil in the world, gotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of
All – Amen!
Christ, have mercy! God, Son of the Father, you take
P –The grace of our Lord Jesus
All –Christ, have mercy! away the sins of the world, have
Christ, the love of God the Fa-
ther, and the communion of the P –For the times we have not mercy on us; you take away the
Holy Spirit be with you all! done our share in bringing sins of the world, receive our
All – And with your spirit! back to God those who have prayer; you are seated at the right

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hand of the Father, have mercy Responsorial Psalm Ps 86 All – Alleluia! Alleluia!
on us. For you alone are the Holy Blessed are you, Father,
One, you alone are the Lord, you R –Lord, you are good and Lord of heaven and earth;
alone are the Most High, Jesus forgiving! you have revealed to little
Christ, with the Holy Spirit, ones the mysteries of the
in the glory of God the Father. kingdom.
Amen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Collect (Opening Prayer) Gospel Mt 13:24-43 or

P –Show favor, O Lord, to your 13:24-30
servants and mercifully increase “The fact that the Kingdom-
the gifts of your grace, that, in-the-making” encompasses
made fervent in hope, faith and both saints and sinners is often
charity, they may be ever watch- a source of difficulty. In today’s
ful in keeping your commands. parable, we have the assurance
Through our Lord Jesus * You, O Lord, are good and that, one day, the Kingdom in
Christ, your Son, who lives and forgiving, abounding in kind- its perfection will be composed
reigns with you in the unity of ness to all who call upon you. only of those who have become
the Holy Spirit, God for ever and Hearken, O Lord, to my prayer worthy of it.
ever. and attend to the sound of my P –The Lord be with you!
All – Amen! pleading. R. All –And with your spirit!
* All the nations you have P –A proclamation from the
made shall come and worship holy Gospel according to
you, O Lord, and glorify your Matthew
name. For you are great, and All – Glory to you, O Lord!
1st Reading Wis 12:13.16-19 (Long form follows. For
In today’s brief passage, the you do wondrous deeds; you
alone are God. R. short form, omit what is in
author of the Book of Wisdom as- brackets.)
sures us that God’s patience and * You, O Lord, are a God
clemency toward sinners are not merciful and gracious, slow to Jesus proposed another
signs of weakness in Him but of anger, abounding in kindness parable to the crowds, saying:
His desire that they may undergo and fidelity. Turn toward me, “The kingdom of heaven may
conversion and thereby reach and have pity on me; give your be likened to a man who sowed
salvation. strength to your servant. R. good seed in his field. While
everyone was asleep his en-
R – A proclamation from the emy came and sowed weeds all
Book of Wisdom 2nd Reading Rom 8:26-27
We constantly need God’s through the wheat, and then
There is no god besides you assistance. This is especially went off.
who have the care of all, that true not only in our moral life, When the crop grew and
you need show you have not but also in our prayer life. As St. bore fruit, the weeds appeared
unjustly condemned. Paul reminds us in today’s short as well. The slaves of the house-
For your might is the passage, it is the Holy Spirit him- holder came to him and said,
source of justice; your mas- self who prays in us and inter- ‘Master, did you not sow good
tery over all things makes you cedes for us. seed in your field? Where have
lenient to all. the weeds come from?’ He an-
For you show your might R – A proclamation from the swered, ‘An enemy has done
when the perfection of your Letter of Paul to the Ro- this.’ His slaves said to him,
power is disbelieved; and in mans ‘Do you want us to go and pull
those who know you, you re- Brothers and sisters: them up?’ He replied, ‘No,
buke temerity. The Spirit comes to the if you pull up the weeds, you
But though you are master aid of our weakness; for we do might uproot the wheat along
of might, you judge with clem- not know how to pray as we with them. Let them grow to-
ency, and with much lenience ought, but the Spirit himself gether until harvest; then at
you govern us; for power, intercedes with inexpressible harvest time I will say to the
whenever you will, attends you. groanings. And the one who harvesters, “First collect the
And you taught your peo- searches hearts knows what is weeds and tie them in bundles
ple, by these deeds, that those for burning; but gather the
who are just must be kind; and the intention of the Spirit, be-
cause he intercedes for the holy wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
you gave your children good [Jesus proposed another
ground for hope that you would ones according to God’s will.
parable to them. “The king-
permit repentance for their The Word of the Lord! dom of heaven is like a mustard
sins. All – Thanks be to God! seed that a person took and
The Word of the Lord! sowed in a field. It is the small-
All – Thanks be to God! Gospel Acclamation Mt 11:25 est of all the seeds, yet when
23 July 2023
full-grown it is the largest of Light from Light, true God from May they realize that the Lord’s
plants. It becomes a large bush, true God, begotten, not made, patience with them is not an en-
and the birds of the sky come consubstantial with the Father; couragement to continue in their
and dwell in its branches.” through him all things were evil ways, but an opportunity
He spoke to them anoth- made. For us men and for our to undergo conversion. Let us
er parable. “The kingdom of salvation he came down from pray! R.
heaven is like yeast that a wom- heaven, (bow)* and by the Holy C –For all the people of good-
an took and mixed with three Spirit was incarnate of the Vir- will who are doing their best to
measures of wheat flour until gin Mary, and became man.* oppose evil: May they never be
the whole batch was leavened.” For our sake he was crucified discouraged by occasional set-
All these things Jesus under Pontius Pilate, he suf- backs, but persevere in their ef-
spoke to the crowds in para- fered death and was buried, and forts to fill the world with good-
bles. He spoke to them only in rose again on the third day in ness. Let us pray! R.
parables, to fulfill what had accordance with the Scriptures.
been said through the proph- He ascended into heaven and is C –Let us pray in silence for our
et: I will open my mouth in par- seated at the right hand of the personal intentions. (Pause)
ables. I will announce what has Father. He will come again in Let us pray! R.
lain hidden from the foundation glory to judge the living and the P –God of mercy and justice,
of the world. dead and his kingdom will have help us to weed out the evil that
Then, dismissing the crowds, no end. is in our hearts and to work for
he went into the house. His dis- I believe in the Holy Spirit, the conversion of those who act
ciples approached him and the Lord, the giver of life, who under the influence of the Evil
said, “Explain to us the par- proceeds from the Father and One. May we all persevere in
able of the weeds in the field.” the Son, who with the Father Your service till we reach the
He said in reply, “He who sows and the Son is adored and glori- Kingdom in its perfection where
good seed is the Son of Man, fied, who has spoken through You live and reign for ever and
the field is the world, the good the prophets. ever.
seed the children of the king- I believe in one, holy, cath- All – Amen!
dom. The weeds are the chil- olic and apostolic Church. I
dren of the evil one, and the confess one Baptism for the
enemy who sows them is the forgiveness of sins and I look
devil. The harvest is the end forward to the resurrection of
of the age, and the harvesters the dead and the life of the world
are angels. Just as weeds are to come. Amen! Preparation of the Gifts
collected and burned up with P –Pray, brethren . . .
fire, so will it be at the end of Prayer of the Faithful
All – May the Lord accept the
the age. The Son of Man will P –Grateful to the Lord for His sacrifice at your hands, for the
send his angels, and they will patience with us in spite of our praise and glory of his name,
collect out of his kingdom all unworthiness, let us address to for our good and the good of all
who cause others to sin and Him our petitions for all the in-
all evildoers. They will throw his holy Church.
tentions dear to our hearts. Let
them into the fiery furnace, our response be: Prayer over the Offerings
where there will be wailing
and grinding of teeth. Then All – Lord, hear our prayer! P –O God, who in the one per-
the righteous will shine like the C –For all believers throughout fect sacrifice brought to comple-
sun in the kingdom of their Fa- the world: May they bravely per- tion varied offerings of the law,
ther. Whoever has ears ought severe in doing good, in spite of accept, we pray, this sacrifice
to hear.”] all the evil that surrounds them. from your faithful servants and
Let us pray! R. make it holy, as you blessed the
The Gospel of the Lord! gifts of Abel, so that what each
All – Praise to you, Lord Jesus C –For the Holy Father and has offered to the honor of your
Christ! all other spiritual leaders: May majesty may benefit the salva-
they continue to be our inspira- tion of all.
Homily tion and support in the quest to Through Christ our Lord.
fill the world with God’s love. All – Amen!
Profession of Faith Let us pray! R.
(Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed)
C –For those who are victims Preface VII
All –I believe in one God, the Fa- of the presence of evil in our so-
ther almighty, maker of heaven P –The Lord be with you!
ciety: May their faith in God’s All –And with your spirit!
and earth, of all things visible wisdom, clemency and justice
and invisible. P –Lift up your hearts!
be their consolation and strength. All – We lift them up to the Lord!
I believe in one Lord Jesus Let us pray! R.
Christ, the Only Begotten Son P –Let us give thanks to the
of God, born of the Father be- C –For those who are like the Lord our God!
fore all ages. God from God, weeds in the field of the world: All –It is right and just!
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
P – It is truly right and just, Resurrection until you Communion Antiphon
our duty and our salvation, al- come again! (To be recited only when
ways and everywhere to give no Communion Hymn is sung.)
you thanks, Lord, holy Father, The Lord, the gracious, the
almighty and eternal God. merciful, has made a memorial
For you so loved the world of his wonders; he gives food to
that in your mercy you sent us All – Our Father . . . those who fear him.
the Redeemer, to live like us in P –Deliver us, Lord . . .
all things but sin, so that you All –For the kingdom, the pow- Prayer after Communion
might love in us what you loved er, and the glory are yours, now P –Graciously be present to
in your Son, by whose obedience and forever. your people, we pray, O Lord,
we have been restored to those and lead those you have imbued
gifts of yours that, by sinning, Sign of Peace with heavenly mysteries to pass
we had lost in disobedience. Breaking of the Bread from former ways to newness of
And so, Lord, with all the life.
Angels and Saints, we, too, give All – Lamb of God, you take
away the sins of the world: have Through Christ our Lord.
you thanks, as in exultation we All – Amen!
acclaim: mercy on us. (2x)
All –Holy, holy, holy Lord, God Lamb of God, you take
of hosts. Heaven and earth are away the sins of the world:
full of your glory. Hosanna in grant us peace.
the highest! Communion
Blessed is he who comes in P –The Lord be with you.
P –Behold the Lamb of God, be- All – And with your spirit!
the name of the Lord. Hosanna
hold him who takes away the sins P – May almighty God bless
in the highest! of the world. Blessed are those you: the Father, and the
called to the Supper of the Lamb. Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Memorial Acclamation All –Lord, I am not worthy All – Amen!
P –The mystery of faith! that you should enter under P –Go in peace, glorifying the
All –We proclaim your Death, my roof, but only say the word Lord by your life!
O Lord, and profess your and my soul shall be healed. All – Thanks be to God!

EVIL AND GOD’S OMNIPOTENCE

• Jess P. Balon

T he presence and aggressiveness of moral evil

in a world ruled by God’s Providence is be-
wildering. This feeling of confusion increases
when we see evil right within the Church itself, which
is supposed to be the beginning and the “sign” of the
often well concealed. But there, nonetheless, always
ready to grow and strike . . .
God’s patience with the many forms of moral evil
in the world and in us does not imply either weakness
or surrender. It simply means that He loves all hu-
Kingdom. man beings including those who are misbehaving.
What bewilders us most is the impression that (See Mt 5:45.) He “sees” beyond our present moral
God does not seem alarmed by this situation. Why failures. He keeps sending appeals to conversion. He
does He tolerate the devastating presence of evil respects the rhythm of our improvement.
in the world and in the Church? The basic answer God is patient but not impotent. He is loving
to this question is that God wants the conversion of and merciful, but also just. In the end, goodness
sinners, not their death. (See Ez 18:23 and 33:11.) and justice must prevail and will prevail. God
But conversion is a long process . . . . In the mean- will be the one to have the final word. In spite of the
time God derives good even from evil. great noise evil can do, the threats it can pose and
This “permission” that evil continue may be a the insults it can hurl, God remains in full control
means to test the faithfulness of His children, to chal- of the situation. He knows when to declare “time’s
lenge them to “grow,” to bring them to be vigilant and up!” That will be judgment time, and everyone will
humble. God allows evil in order to draw from good be rewarded according to his/her deeds. (See Mt
people manifestations of a love which is absolutely 13:42-43 and 16:27.)
sincere. Such is the teaching of the parable of the wheat
Evil is not just around us. It may be also right and the weeds. The whole Bible, especially the book
within each one of us, in different degrees, and of Revelation, bears witness to its fulfillment.

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