Sunday June 16, 2024
ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME B
Office: Psalter Week 3, Te Deum
Mass Proper, Gloria. Creed.
Preface of Sunday
Vestment: Green
Today’s Rosary: The Glorious Mystery
Theme of the Sunday: FROM LITTLE SEED TO LARGE TREE.
The tree comes from a little seed, says today’s gospel. This is how the Kingdom of God develops in us: it begins like the little seed, the Word of God. It is not noisy, not showy, but it glows, it produces fruit and transforms us. The second reading shows the culmination of this. At the end of our lives we will see the people we have become. That day will mark the beginning of our new lives with Christ.
THE GLORIA
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you. We bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen
FIRST READING
“I have made the low tree high. ”
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 17:22-24)
Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it out; I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain; on the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit, and become a noble cedar; and under it will dwell all kinds of beasts; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.”
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 92: 1-2. 12-13.14-15 (R. see la)
R/. It is good to give thanks to you, O Lord.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your loving mercy in the morning,
and your truth in the watches of the night. R/.
The just will flourish like the palm tree,
and grow like a Lebanon cedar.
Planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God. R/.
R/. It is good to give thanks to you, O Lord.
They will still bear fruit when they are old,
still full of sap, still green,
to proclaim that the Lord is upright.
In him, my rock, there is no wrong. R/.
SECOND READING
“Whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please the Lord.”
A reading from the second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 5:6-10)
Brethren: We are always of good courage; we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.
The word of the Lord.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia. The seed is the word of God, the sower is Christ; all who come to him will live for ever. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
“The mustard seed is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet it becomes the greatest of all shrubs.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 4.26-34)
At that time: Jesus said to the crowds, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
The Gospel of the Lord.
THE CREED (I Believe)
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Celebrant:
The kingdom of God, now more than ever, needs to be further established in our world. Let us, therefore, pray for the growth of the church in different parts of the world.
FOR THE PASTORS OF THE CHURCH: that, through their preaching and Christ-like living, they may remain effective instruments of sowing the word of God in the hearts of people. Let us pray to the Lord.
FOR THOSE IN CIVIL AUTHORITY: that, through their laws and policies, they may create an enabling environment for the spread of the Gospel and for the free exercise of the right to worship according to one’s conscience. Let us pray to the Lord.
FOR FARMERS: that the Lord of the harvest may bless the labour of their hands and make their efforts to guarantee food security yield abundant fruits. Let us pray to the Lord.
FOR OUR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY: that the seed of faith sown in us through baptism may flourish like the mustard seed, and that we may participate with enthusiasm in the proclamation of the Gospel. Let us pray to the Lord.
FOR OTHER INTENTIONS: (the sick, church projects or other activities).
FOR THE DEAD, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF OUR PARISH COMMUNITY AND FAMILY MEMBERS: that they may find eternal rest with the Lord. Let us pray to the Lord.
We pray in silence for our private intentions.
Celebrant:
God our Father, hear our prayers which we humbly present to you and grant that we may always strive to support the church’s mission of propagating the Gospel to all nations. Through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen
TODAY’S REFLECTION
A little seed turns into a large tree. It is little drops of water that make an ocean. The kingdom of God is already present and it is yet to come. Not to recognize the kingdom of God which is already among us will deprive us of the glory of the full realization of the kingdom of God we anticipate at the fullness of time. We must therefore make it our constant aim to do what pleases the Lord following Saint Paul’s advice to the Corinthians in the second reading. Unless we live in holiness here on earth, we should not anticipate beatific vision. Let us always remember that judgement awaits us all that we may be recompensed according to the life that we lived here on earth.
PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL
I repent all my sins and ask you to forgive me so that my request may be heard by you. Lord, have mercy on me and fill me with your grace.
– Pray for mercy for the times you have sought self-glorification in charitable deeds.
– Pray for forgiveness for the times you failed to show love to your neighbour.
– Tell God to show you a need in someone’s life that He wants you to help out with.
– Tell God to enlarge your heart to love more and more people irrespective of their background
Let Us Pray
Gracious and holy Father, please give me intellect to understand you, reason to discern you; diligence to seek you; wisdom to find you; a spirit to know you; a heart to meditate upon you; ears to hear you; eyes to see you; a tongue to proclaim you; a way of life pleasing to you; patience to wait for you; and perseverance to look for you. Grant me: a perfect end, your holy presence. A blessed resurrection, and life everlasting. Amen
