1. For the Church #827-831

MASSES FOR VARIOUS NEEDS AND OCCASIONS

I. For the Holy Church

1. For the Church

827 Reading from the Old Testament

1.

Isaiah 56:1, 6-7

Thus says the Lord:

Observe what is right, do what is just;

for my salvation is about to come,

my justice, about to be revealed.

The foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,

ministering to him,

loving the name of the Lord,

and becoming his servants—

all who keep the sabbath free from profanation

and hold to my covenant,

them I will bring to my holy mountain

and make joyful in my house of prayer;

their burnt offerings and sacrifices

will be acceptable on my altar,

for my house shall be called

a house of prayer for all peoples.

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Commentary on Is 56:1, 6-7

This passage is part of what scholars call the “Post-Exilic Torah,” or the law after the return. In this selection we see that foreigners (those living outside Palestine) are offered membership in the faith community. The other important element is that the temple is given the name “a house of prayer.” This passage was quoted by Jesus as he drove the money changers from the temple (see Mark 11:17 and Matthew 21:13).

"The scene defines the legacy to which this generation of YHWH’s servants fall heir. It is provided for them without cost by their gracious God. It consists of a permanent contract with the same provisions given to David in the previous age. It provides for political stability, order, and justice. It provides for economic prosperity for the people. It makes possible worship, witness, and service of YHWH in Zion, his city, and in Palestine, his land." [12]

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Isaiah 60:1-6

Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come,

the glory of the Lord shines upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth,

and thick clouds cover the peoples;

but upon you the LORD shines,

and over you appears his glory.

Nations shall walk by your light,

and kings by your shining radiance.

Raise your eyes and look about;

they all gather and come to you:

your sons come from afar,

and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.

Then you shall be radiant at what you see,

your heart shall throb and overflow,

for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,

the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.

Caravans of camels shall fill you,

dromedaries from Midian and Ephah;

all from Sheba shall come

bearing gold and frankincense,

and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.

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Commentary on Is 60:1-6

The Church sees, in the images of Isaiah’s prophecy, symbols of her universality in this section of a hymn envisioning a completely restored and radiant Jerusalem. We hear echoes of Isaiah’s prophetic vision of the coming of Christ and what that means (“See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the Lord shines, and over you appears his glory.”) Verses 5 and 6 give clear reference to the arrival of the magi as the prophet envisions the gifts of gold and frankincense being brought from the East in praise of the Lord.

"Today, the wise man finds lying in a manger the One he had searched for as a brilliant light shining among the stars. Today, the wise man sees wrapped in swaddling clothes the One he long sought to find, unveiled, in the heavens. Today, to his great surprise, the wise man discerns in what he studies: heaven on earth, earth in the heavens, man in God, and God in man; what the whole universe could not contain inhabits the body of a child. And seeing all this, he believes and doubts no more; and he announces it to all, using his mystical powers: incense for God, gold for the King, and myrrh for the One who will die. Today, the Gentile who was once last is first, because the faith of the wise man sanctifies the belief of all the peoples" (St Peter Chrysologus, "Sermones", 160). [8]

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Ezekiel 34:11-16

Thus says the Lord GOD:

I myself will look after and tend my sheep.

As a shepherd tends his flock

when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,

so will I tend my sheep.

I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered

when it was cloudy and dark.

I will lead them out from among the peoples

and gather them from the foreign lands;

I will bring them back to their own country

and pasture them upon the mountains of Israel

in the land's ravines and all its inhabited places.

In good pastures will I pasture them,

and on the mountain heights of Israel

shall be their grazing ground.

There they shall lie down on good grazing ground,

and in rich pastures shall they be pastured

on the mountains of Israel.

I myself will pasture my sheep;

I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.

The lost I will seek out,

the strayed I will bring back,

the injured I will bind up,

the sick I will heal,

but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,

shepherding them rightly.

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Commentary on Ez 34:11-16

The prophet presents the allegory of God, the shepherd. In this oracle, the vision is God the Father, like a shepherd, will gather the people of Israel from the foreign lands to which they have been driven, and bring them back to “the mountains of Israel.”

"This beautiful oracle resounds in our Lord's parable of the Good Shepherd who takes care of his sheep (cf. John 10:1-21), in what he says about the Father's joy on finding the lost sheep (cf. Matthew 18: 12-14; Luke 15:4-7), and in things he has to say about the Last Judgment as reported by St Matthew (Matthew 25:31-46)."[1]

CCC: Ez 34:11-31 754

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Hosea 2:16bc, 17cd, 21-22

Thus says the LORD:

I will lead her into the desert

and speak to her heart.

She shall respond there as in the days of her youth,

when she came up from the land of Egypt.

I will espouse you to me forever;

I will espouse you in right and in justice,

in love and in mercy;

I will espouse you in fidelity,

and you shall know the LORD

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Commentary on Hos 2:16bc, 17cd, 21-22

The Prophet Hosea, voicing God’s hope for the people of Israel, speaks as a husband might address a wife. (In later parts of the book Israel is like the wife who was unfaithful.) In this selection, speaking with the voice of God to the Hebrew people, he sounds as if he is wooing his future bride. He tells them that if they will be faithful, God is always faithful, because God’s love and mercy are eternal. In Hebrew tradition this courtship would include the gifts for the bride (cf. Genesis 24:53).

CCC: Hos 2 218; Hos 2:21-22 2787

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Zephaniah 3:14-18a

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!

Sing joyfully, O Israel!

Be glad and exult with all your heart,

O daughter Jerusalem!

The LORD has removed the judgment against you,

he has turned away your enemies;

The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,

you have no further misfortune to fear.

On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:

Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!

The LORD, your God, is in your midst,

a mighty savior;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

and renew you in his love,

He will sing joyfully because of you,

as one sings at festivals.

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Commentary on Zep 3:14-18a

The Prophet Zephaniah begins this passage with an exaltation of praise to God. His invitation sounds in the present tense, but then he says: “On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem,” which places the event, the rejoicing over the Lord God being in their midst, in the future. In effect, this is a prediction of events to come. Zephaniah also includes the effects of God’s presence as he continues: “a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love.”

We hear the expectation of the Messiah: “The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst.” In this case the effects of the Messiah on the people are the focus. The prophet proclaims a renewal of God's loving adoption and the joy felt by the Father at his favorite creation.

CCC: Zep 3:14 722, 2676; Zep 3:17a 2676; Zep 3:17b 2676

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828 Reading From the New Testament

Acts 2:42-47

They devoted themselves

to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life,

to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.

Awe came upon everyone,

and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

All who believed were together and had all things in common;

they would sell their property and possessions

and divide them among all according to each one’s need.

Every day they devoted themselves

to meeting together in the temple area

and to breaking bread in their homes.

They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart,

praising God and enjoying favor with all the people.

And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

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Commentary on Acts 2:42-47

This selection is the conclusion of St. Luke’s Pentecostal narrative. The Holy Spirit has descended upon the people, and St. Peter has offered his speech declaring Christ risen and explaining the messianic significance of that event. The people have reacted favorably to his words and we find many have been reached. The description of the early Christian Community in Jerusalem, the first of three summary passages (along with Acts 4:32-37 and Acts 5:12-16), reflects an idyllic communal life style that is focused on the teaching of the twelve Apostles and the Eucharistic liturgy. We note the reference to the continued attendance at the temple indicating that there was no thought of separating the Christian faithful from Judaism.

CCC: Acts 2:42-46 2178; Acts 2:42 3, 857, 949, 1329, 1342, 2624; Acts 2:46 584,1329,1342; Acts 2:47 2640

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1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17

Brothers and sisters:

You are God’s building.

According to the grace of God given to me,

like a wise master builder I laid a foundation,

and another is building upon it.

But each one must be careful how he builds upon it,

for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there,

namely, Jesus Christ.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God,

and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

If anyone destroys God’s temple,

God will destroy that person;

for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

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Commentary on 1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17

In 1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17, St Paul moves from speaking of the Christian community at Corinth in terms of a ‘plantation’ to that of a ‘building’, and finally a ‘holy building’ or temple, in which God’s Spirit dwells. Christian ministers, such as himself and his co-workers, are the builders who are bringing this holy building to completion. The essential foundation that Paul has laid is Christ. As is necessary for the success of any building operation, all subsequent builders must ensure that their work is rightly aligned upon the foundation. The image of the community as a holy building or temple was something early Christianity derived from Judaism. It communicates the sense that even when absent from a physical place of worship the gathered community is already itself a holy building (temple) in which the Lord is present. The physical building is the outward, local, visible expression of the Christian conviction that it is God’s delight to dwell among human beings – a presence made vastly more accessible through the Incarnation of the Son, extended to all times and places through the sacramental life of the Church.

CCC: 1 Cor 3:9 307, 755, 756; 1 Cor 3:11 756; 1 Cor 3:16-17 797

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1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13

Brothers and sisters:

No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;

there are different forms of service but the same Lord;

there are different workings but the same God

who produces all of them in everyone.

To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit

is given for some benefit.

As a body is one though it has many parts,

and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,

so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,

whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,

and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

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Commentary on 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13

In this letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul acknowledges the role of the Holy Spirit and the different gifts supplied to the members of the Mystical Body of Christ. At the same time he also proclaims the oneness of the triune God. The unity theme is carried finally to the people of God who are one in the Spirit and therefore one with God.

In v. 13 "[...] by one spirit: That is, by the divine action of the Spirit working in Baptism. [...] one body: This is not simply a metaphor for the Church, with the focus on her organizational unity, but it expresses the metaphysical reality that every believer is truly united with Christ by the Sacraments (1 Corinthians 10:17; CCC 790). The Spirit is the soul of this mystical body, giving life, growth and direction to each of its members (CCC 797). [...] Jews or Greeks: Union with Christ makes ethnic and social distinctions irrelevant in the eyes of God (Galatians 3:28; CCC 1267). [...] to drink of one spirit: Baptism renews (Titus 3:5) and refreshes us through the Spirit (John 7:37-39), as does the spiritual drink of the Eucharist (1 Corinthians 10:4)." [6]

CCC: 1 Cor 12 1988, 2003; 1 Cor 12:3 152, 449, 455, 683, 2670, 2681; 1 Cor 12:4-6 249; 1 Cor 12:6 308; 1 Cor 12:7 801, 951; 1 Cor 12:13 694, 790, 798, 1227, 1267, 1396

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Ephesians 1:3-14

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us in Christ

with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,

as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,

to be holy and without blemish before him.

In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,

in accord with the favor of his will,

for the praise of the glory of his grace

that he granted us in the beloved.

In him we have redemption by his blood,

the forgiveness of transgressions,

in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.

In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us

the mystery of his will in accord with his favor

that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times,

to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.

In him we were also chosen,

destined in accord with the purpose of the One

who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,

so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,

we who first hoped in Christ.

In him you also, who have heard the word of truth,

the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him,

were sealed with the promised holy Spirit,

which is the first installment of our inheritance

toward redemption as God's possession, to the praise of his glory.

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Commentary on Eph 1:3-14

Following his introductory remarks, St. Paul offers a blessing, in thanksgiving for the salvation brought to the faithful through Christ’s forgiveness and redemptive actions. The Apostle speaks to the Ephesians about their adoption by God as His sons and daughters. He relates in typical Pauline fashion the omnipotence and timelessness of God’s knowledge and actions. Following his introduction and blessing,

St. Paul quickly gets into doctrinal exhortations (v. 11ff). In this passage, the evangelist announces the adoption of all who believe in him (“…we were chosen”, a reference to the Jewish people to whom St. Paul also belonged, and “…you also, who have heard the truth” meaning the gentiles who came to faith). St. Paul next refers to the indelible change – the transformation brought about in Baptism and Confirmation as he speaks about being “sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit” (first given in Baptism and sealed in Confirmation, see also Ezekiel 9:4-6, Revelations 7:4). In this adoption we share the inheritance of God’s children which is redemption.

CCC: Eph 1:3-14 2627, 2641; Eph 1:3-6 381, 1077; Eph 1:3 492, 1671; Eph 1:4-5 52, 257; Eph 1:4 492, 796, 865, 1426, 2807; Eph 1:5-6 294; Eph 1:6 1083; Eph 1:7 517, 2839; Eph 1:9-11 2823; Eph 1:9 257, 1066, 2603, 2807; Eph 1:10 668, 772, 1043, 2748; Eph 1:13-14 706, 1274; Eph 1:13 693, 698, 1296; Eph 1:14 1107

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Ephesians 2:19-22

Brothers and sisters:

You are no longer strangers and sojourners,

but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones

and members of the household of God,

built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,

with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.

Through him the whole structure is held together

and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;

in him you also are being built together

into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

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Commentary on Eph 2:19-22

In this passage, St. Paul describes the unity brought about among all believers in Christ. This unity is formed under a common teaching flowing from the Hebrew prophets, through the Apostles, to Christ himself, who is described as the “capstone” or cornerstone. This unity of spirit becomes the Church, the “dwelling place for God in the Spirit.” The Church, in turn, is the unity of all Christians, those who were formerly Jews, and those who were formerly Gentiles. They are, says the apostle, joined through Christ on the same road to the Kingdom of God. They share the same foundation of faith, transmitted to them through the Apostles, and held firm by Christ the “capstone.” Together they form the “Temple of the Spirit,” the essential understanding that the Church is the mystical Body of Christ.

CCC: Eph 2:19-22 756; Eph 2:20 857; Eph 2:21 797

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1 Peter 2:4-9

Beloved:

Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings

but chosen and precious in the sight of God,

and, like living stones,

let yourselves be built into a spiritual house

to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices

acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

For it says in Scripture:

Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion,

a cornerstone, chosen and precious,

and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame.

Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith:

The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone, and

A stone that will make people stumble,

and a rock that will make them fall.

They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.

You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood,

a holy nation, a people of his own,

so that you may announce the praises” of him

who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

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Commentary on 1 Pt 2:4-9

St. Peter begins this selection exhorting the Christian reader to build the spiritual house of God. He tells the Christian to be part of that house, and strengthen it through prayer and sacrifice (the reference here seems to point to the Eucharistic sacrifice common in the homes of the persecuted Church).

The passage continues with the “building” analogy, the use of the foundation and cornerstone simile. ”Christ is the cornerstone (cf Isaiah 28:16) that is the foundation of the spiritual edifice of the Christian community (1 Peter 2:5). To unbelievers, Christ is an obstacle and a stumbling block on which they are destined to fall (1 Peter 2:8); cf Romans 11:11.”[2]

CCC: 1 Pt 2:1-10 2769; 1 Pt 2:4-5 1141, 1179; 1 Pt 2:4 552; 1 Pt 2:5 756, 901, 1268, 1330, 1546; 1 Pt 2:9 709, 782, 803, 1141, 1268, 1546

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Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14

I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,

holding the seal of the living God.

He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels

who were given power to damage the land and the sea,

“Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees

until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,

one hundred and forty-four thousand marked

from every tribe of the children of Israel.

After this I had a vision of a great multitude,

which no one could count,

from every nation, race, people, and tongue.

They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,

wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.

They cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,

and from the Lamb.”

All the angels stood around the throne

and around the elders and the four living creatures.

They prostrated themselves before the throne,

worshiped God, and exclaimed:

“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,

honor, power, and might

be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,

“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”

I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.”

He said to me,

“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;

they have washed their robes

and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”

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Commentary on Rv 7:2-4, 9-14

St. John’s vision of the heavenly kingdom unfolds in this passage with an image of those who have gone from this life to the next and now stand before the throne of God. “A seal is a mark of ownership and protection. Here the seal of God is related to the seals of the scroll, giving protection to the believing remnant of Israel, who will pass through the tribulation. This may refer to a grace of spiritual perseverance rather than a guarantee of physical survival. In the broader context of Revelation, there is a contrast between the seal of God stamped on the foreheads of the righteous and the mark of the beast inscribed on the brows of the wicked (Revelation 13:16). The former bears the divine name of God (Revelation 14:1; 22:4) while the latter bears the demonic name of the beast (CCC 1296). […] The entire scene parallels Ezekiel 9:1-7 where the messenger seals the foreheads of the righteous in Israel to protect them from the wrath of God poured out on Jerusalem. The seal was shaped like the Hebrew letter taw, which in ancient script looked like a cross (x or +).”[3]

Hebrew numerology provides the number- one hundred and forty four thousand (from each of the tribes of Israel) representing a huge number (1,000 times 12 times 12), possibly a number of completeness, and follows that with uncounted Saints from the Gentiles beginning with the martyrs (those who have washed their robes in the Blood of the Lamb).” The blood of the Lamb, who has been offered in sacrifice for all, has exercised its universal and most effective redemptive power in every corner of the earth, extending grace and salvation to that 'great multitude'. After undergoing the trials and being purified in the blood of Christ, they -- the redeemed -- are now safe in the Kingdom of God, whom they praise and bless for ever and ever" (Saint John Paul II, "Homily", 1 November 1981).

CCC: Rv 7:2-3 1296; Rv 7:9 775, 1138

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Revelation 21:1-5a

I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth.

The former heaven and the former earth had passed away,

and the sea was no more.

I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem,

coming down out of heaven from God,

prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

"Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race.

He will dwell with them and they will be his people

and God himself will always be with them as their God.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes,

and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain,

for the old order has passed away."

The One who sat on the throne said,

"Behold, I make all things new."

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Commentary on Rv 21:1-5a

In this selection from St. John’s Revelation, John has a vision of the “New Heaven” and the "New Earth,” after Christ begins his reign at God’s right hand. The "New Jerusalem," is the image of God’s Church, viewed as the bride with Christ the bridegroom. In the "New Jerusalem" (the Church), God dwells, and there he will show his tender mercy (“He will wipe every tear from their eyes”). The old order is washed away: “Behold, I make all things new” (see also Isaiah 43:18ff, 2 Corinthians 5:17, and Galatians 6:15).

"This passage of the Book of Revelation strengthens the faith and hope of the Church--not only St John's own generation but all generations down the ages for as long as the Church makes its way through this valley of tears. The Second Vatican Council says: 'We know neither the moment of the consummation of the earth and of man nor the way the universe will be transformed. The form of this world, distorted by sin, is passing away and we are taught that God is preparing a new dwelling and a new earth in which righteousness dwells, whose happiness will fill and surpass all the desires of peace arising in the hearts of men. Then with death conquered the children of God will be raised in Christ and what was sown in weakness and dishonor will put on the imperishable: charity and its work will remain, and all of creation which God made for man, will be set free from its bondage to decay' ("Gaudium Et Spes", 39). [7]

CCC: Rv 21:1-22,5 117; Rv 21:1-2 756; Rv 21:1 1043; Rv 21:2-4 677; Rv 21:2 757, 1045, 2016; Rv 21:3 756, 2676; Rv 21:4 1044, 1186; Rv 21:5 1044

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Revelation 21:9b-14

The angel spoke to me, saying,

“Come here.

I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain

and showed me the holy city Jerusalem

coming down out of heaven from God.

It gleamed with the splendor of God.

Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,

like jasper, clear as crystal.

It had a massive, high wall,

with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed

and on which names were inscribed,

the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.

There were three gates facing east,

three north, three south, and three west.

The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation,

on which were inscribed the twelve names

of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

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Commentary on Rv 21:9b-14

God shows St. John the New Jerusalem, Christ’s heavenly kingdom. The Evangelist has borrowed much of his description from Ezekiel (Chapters 40-48). He is taken to a high mountain (Ezekiel 40 2-3) and sees the heavenly vision, as God’s presence transforms his kingdom into a radiant fortress. St. John’s description supports images of evangelization (see 2 Corinthians 4:6). The repeating number 12 (twelve angels, twelve tribes, twelve names) alludes to the perfect continuity between God’s relationship with the Old Testament peoples (Ezekiel 48:30-35 and Exodus 28:17-21) and the Church (Matthew 19:28 and Luke 22:29-30). He concludes his vision providing an analogy: the preaching of the Apostles (and Prophets) is to the Church as a foundation is to an edifice (see Ephesians 2:20).

CCC: Rv 21:9 757, 865, 1045, 1138; Rv 21:10-11 865; Rv 21:12-14 765; Rv 21:14 857, 865, 869

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829 Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5ab, 5c-7

R. (5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.

The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day pours out the word to day,

and night to night imparts knowledge.

R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

Not a word nor a discourse

whose voice is not heard;

Through all the earth their voice resounds,

and to the ends of the world, their message.

R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

He has pitched a tent there for the sun,

which comes forth like the groom from his bridal chamber

and, like a giant, joyfully runs its course.

At one end of the heavens it comes forth,

and its course is to their other end;

nothing escapes its heat.

R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

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Commentary on Ps 19:2-3, 4-5ab, 5c-7

Psalm 19 is a hymn of praise. In these opening strophes, it rejoices in God’s visible hand, revealed in all creation which is the first of two themes expressed in the psalm (the other is in praise of the Law). While no word of God announces his presence, his glory is revealed in the creation of all things.

CCC: Ps 19:2-5 299; Ps 19:2 326

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Psalm 25:4-5ab, 6-7, 8-9, 10, 14

R. (6a) Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;

teach me your paths,

Guide me in your truth and teach me,

for you are God my savior.