Our Sunday Supplication
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Holy Mass is at the very core of our worship as a Catholic community. Nothing can ever be substituted for the celebration of the Eucharist. But in this exceptional time of difficulty for our communities, our nation, and the whole world, this order of prayer can be offered by individuals and families and engages us in our Sunday celebration of the Word of God. We can pray this prayer in our homes—the “domestic churches” which help build up the Body of Christ on earth—and thus be connected to the entire Church at prayer.
During this time of prayer, we include the opportunity to make a Spiritual Communion. Making a Spiritual Communion is a worthy practice, recommended by innumerable saints throughout the ages, which unites our whole selves to God and his Church.
Order of Prayer
Taken from the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours
Introduction
Leader: God, ✠ come to my assistance.
Response: Lord, make haste to help me.
Leader: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Response: as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Hymn
Holy Wisdom, lamp of learning,
Bless the light that reason lends.
Teach us judgement as we kindle
Sparks of thought your Spirit sends.
Sanctify our search for knowledge
And the truth that sets us free.
Come, illumine mind and spirit
Joined in deepest unity.
Vine of truth, in you we flourish;
By your grace we learn and grow.
May the word of Christ among us
Shape our life, our search to know.
Joined to Christ in living, dying,
May we help the church convey
Witness to the saving gospel,
Bearing fruit of faith today.
Holy God, the hope of nations,
Tune us toward your righteous will,
As the symphony of ages
Claims our best, our finest skill.
Shape our search for peace and justice
Through prophetic deed and word.
Christ, conduct us, set our rhythm,
That God’s praise be ever heard.
Act of Contrition
Leader: Let us acknowledge our sins, and seek the Lord’s pardon and peace.
Together: I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
Leader: O God, protector of those who hope in you,
without whom nothing has firm foundation, nothing is holy,
bestow in abundance your mercy upon us
and grant that, with you as our ruler and guide,
we may use the good things that pass
in such a way as to hold fast even now
to those that ever endure.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Together: Amen.
The Sunday Readings
A reading from the first book of Kings (1 Kings 3:5, 7-12)
The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” Solomon answered: “O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act. I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”
The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request. So God said to him: “Because you have asked for this—not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right—I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you.”
The Word of the Lord.
―Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm (Psalms 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130)
Reader: Lord, I love your commands.
Together: Lord, I love your commands.
Reader: I have said, O LORD, that my part
is to keep your words.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Together: Lord, I love your commands.
Reader: Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
Together: Lord, I love your commands.
Reader: For I love your command
more than gold, however fine.
For in all your precepts I go forward;
every false way I hate.
Together: Lord, I love your commands.
Reader: Wonderful are your decrees;
therefore I observe them.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
Together: Lord, I love your commands.
A Reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (Romans 8:28-30)
Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.
The word of the Lord.
―Thanks be to God.
Gospel Verse (cf. Matthew 11:25)
Reader: Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
Together: you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 13:44-52)
Jesus said to his disciples: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
“Do you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes.” And he replied, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
―Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
For Reflection:
- In the First Reading from the First Book of Kings, rather than asking God for a long life, temporal riches, or the defeat of his enemies, Solomon asks for understanding and wisdom. What gifts and graces has the Lord given to you in your journey of discipleship?
- In today’s Psalm, the Psalmist proclaims that God’s law is “more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” Has the desire for earthly riches, power, prestige, etc – become a distraction on your earthly pilgrimage, now or in the past? If so, name the distractions you are having now or have had in the past. How can (or did) following God’s commands restore peace, order, and contentment to your life?
- In today’s Gospel, Jesus compares the pursuit of the kingdom of heaven with examples of those who pursue earthly treasure with reckless abandon. Through these parables, what is Jesus trying to show us?
Response to the Word
Leader: Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us.
Response: Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us.
Leader: You are seated at the right hand of the Father,
Response: have mercy on us.
Leader: Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Response: Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us.
Prayer of the Faithful
Leader: Christ is the sun that never sets, the true light that shines on every man.
Let us call out to him in praise:
Response: Lord, you are our life and our salvation.
Leader: Creator of the stars, we thank you for your gift, the first rays of the dawn,
and we commemorate your resurrection.
Response: Lord, you are our life and our salvation.
Leader: May your Holy Spirit teach us to do your will today,
and may your Wisdom guide us always.
Response: Lord, you are our life and our salvation.
Leader: Each Sunday give us the joy of gathering as your people,
around the table of your word and your body.
Response: Lord, you are our life and our salvation.
Leader: From our hearts we thank you, for your countless blessings.
Response: Lord, you are our life and our salvation.
Leader: In your mercy, continue to sanctify all who are afflicted from the present pandemic, and draw us all closer to you, and to one another, in this time of suffering.
Response: Lord, you are our life and our salvation.
The Lord's Prayer
Leader: Let us pray together as Jesus taught us:
Together: Our Father, who art in heaven …
Spiritual Communion
Leader: You have given us bread from heaven, alleluia, alleluia.
Response: Containing in itself all delight, alleluia, alleluia.
Together: My Jesus,
I believe that you are present
in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
I love you above all things,
and I desire to receive you into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace you as if you were already there
and unite myself wholly to you.
Never permit me to be separated from you,
my Lord and my God!
Amen.
Canticle of Praise
Canticle of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79)
Together: ✠ Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Conclusion
Leader: ✠ May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil,
and bring us to everlasting life.
Together: Amen.
“Holy Wisdom, Lamp of Learning” hymn text by Ruth Duck, b. 1947; from Circles of Care, © 1996, The Pilgrim Press. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission granted by OneLicense.net license #A-705112.
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC; excerpts from The Roman Missal © 2010, ICEL; excerpts from The Liturgy of the Hours © 1994, ICEL; used with permission granted by the USCCB until November 22 during the COVID-19 pandemic. All rights reserved. No portion of these texts may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.