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

4 February 2018 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

PRO-LIFE SUNDAY

God Is Close to the Brokenhearted

In a world full of suffering and illnesses, Jesus was the most powerful and welcome
“total Healer.” His presence brought hope and salvation to all the afflicted, even
as it meant defeat for the Evil One.
The “healing journey,” which began on the trail of the proclamation of
the Gospel two thousand years ago, continues today in the whole world.
Christ, the compassionate Healer, continues his mission through the Church
and all the people of goodwill who care for the sick and the af-flicted.
Wherever human beings do their best to relieve the pains of their
neighbor, Christ is present and active in them as instruments of his healing love. We should
remember this especially today as we observe “Pro-Life Sunday” and pray for all those whose lives
and dignity are threatened because of abortion, euthanasia, and other anti-life policies and practices.

Christ, have mercy! High, Jesus Christ, with the

All –Christ, have mercy! Holy Spirit, in the glory of God
P –Lord Jesus, you came to the Father. Amen!
preach the good news to the
Entrance Antiphon Collect (Opening Prayer)
poor. Lord, have mercy!
(To be recited only when no En- All – Lord, have mercy! P –Keep your family safe, O
trance Hymn is sung.) Lord, with unfailing care, that,
O come, let us worship P –May almighty God have relying solely on the hope of
mercy on us, forgive us our sins,
God and bow low before the heavenly grace, they may be de-
and bring us to everlasting life. fended always by your protection.
God who made us, for he is
the Lord our God. All – Amen! Through our Lord Jesus
Christ, your Son, who lives and
Greeting Gloria reigns with you in the unity of
P –The grace and peace of All – Glory to God in the high- the Holy Spirit, one God, for
God our Father and the Lord est, and on earth peace to ever and ever.
Jesus Christ be with you. people of good will. We praise All – Amen!
All – And with your spirit! you, we bless you, we adore
you, we glorify you, we give
Penitential Act you thanks for your great
P –Coming together as God’s glory, Lord God, heavenly
family, with confidence let us King, O God, almighty Father.
1st Reading Jb 7:1-4.6-7
ask the Lord’s forgiveness, for Lord Jesus Christ, Only
Sufferings and frustrations
he is full of gentleness and Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of
are part and parcel of human
compas-sion. (Pause) God, Son of the Father, you take
life. Even good people suffer as
P –Lord Jesus, you came to away the sins of the world, have
the dramatic story of Job con-fi
share the frailty of our hu- mercy on us; you take away the
rms. Unable to understand the
sins of the world, receive our
man nature. Lord, have cause of his trials, the poor man
prayer; you are seated at the right
mercy! drew the pessimistic conclusions
hand of the Father, have mercy on
All – Lord, have mercy! we read in today’s passage.
us. For you alone are the Holy
P –Lord Jesus, you came to One, you alone are the Lord, you R – A proclamation from the
heal our ills and sufferings. alone are the Most Book of Job
 Job spoke, saying: Is not Brothers and sisters: If I demons. The whole town was
man’s life on earth a drudg- preach the gospel, this is no gathered at the door. He
ery? Are not his days those of reason for me to boast, for an cured many who were sick
a hireling? He is a slave who obligation has been imposed with vari-ous diseases, and he
longs for the shade, a hireling on me, and woe to me if I do drove out many demons, not
who waits for his wages. So I not preach it! If I do so will- permitting them to speak
have been assigned months of ingly, I have a recompense, but because they knew him.
misery, and troubled nights if unwillingly, then I have been Rising very early be-fore
have been allotted to me. entrusted with a stewardship. dawn, he left and went off to a
If in bed I say, “When shall What then is my recom- deserted place, where he
I arise?” then the night drags pense? That, when I preach, I prayed. Simon and those who
on; I am filled with restlessness offer the gospel free of charge were with him pursued him
until the dawn. so as not to make full use of my and on finding him said,
My days are swifter than a right in the gospel. Although I “Everyone is looking for you.”
weaver’s shuttle; they come to am free in regard to all, I have He told them, “Let us go on to
an end without hope. made myself a slave to all so the nearby villages that I may
Remember that my life is as to win over as many as pos- preach there also. For this pur-
like the wind; I shall not see sible. To the weak I became pose have I come.”
happiness again. weak, to win over the weak. I So he went into their syna-
The Word of the Lord! have become all things to all, gogues, preaching and driving
to save at least some. All this I out demons throughout the
All – Thanks be to God! do for the sake of the gospel, so whole of Galilee.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 147 that I too may have a share in The Gospel of the Lord!
R –Praise the Lord, who heals it. All – Praise to you, Lord Jesus
the brokenhearted! The Word of the Lord! Christ!
All – Thanks be to God!
Homily
Gospel Acclamation Mt 8:17
Profession of Faith
All – Alleluia! Alleluia!
(Nicene Creed)
Christ took away our in-
firmities and bore our All – I believe in one God, the
dis-eases. Fa-ther almighty, maker of
Alleluia! Alleluia! heaven and earth, of all things
visible and invisible.
Gospel Mk 1:29-39 I believe in one Lord Jesus
Jesus was constantly avail- Christ, the Only Begotten Son of
* Praise the Lord, for he is good; able to bring about the good of God, born of the Father be-fore
sing praise to our God, for he is others, especially the sick and all ages. God from God, Light
gracious; it is fitting to praise those tormented by the devil. In from Light, true God from true
him. The Lord rebuilds God, begotten, not made,
today’s Gospel, St. Mark em-
Jerusalem; the dispersed of consubstantial with the Father;
phasizes this trait by giving us a
Israel he gathers. R.
revealing tableau of a typical through him all things were
* He heals the brokenheart-ed day in the Lord’s life. made. For us men and for our
and binds up their wounds. He salvation he came down from
P –The Lord be with you! heaven, (bow)* and by the Holy
tells the number of the stars; he All –And with your spirit!
calls each by name. R. Spirit was incarnate of the Vir-
P –A proclamation from the gin Mary, and became man.* For
* Great is our Lord and mighty holy Gospel according to our sake he was crucified under
in power; to his wis-dom, there Mark Pontius Pilate, he suf-fered death
is no limit. The Lord sustains the All – Glory to you, O Lord! and was buried, and rose again
lowly; the wicked he casts to the On leaving the synagogue on the third day in accordance
ground. Jesus entered the house of Si- with the Scriptures. He ascended
R. mon and Andrew with James into heaven and is seated at the
and John. Simon’s mother-in- right hand of the Father. He will
2nd Reading 1 Cor 9:16- law lay sick with a fever. They come again in glory to judge the
19.22-23 immediately told him about living and the dead and his
Here is a beautiful synthesis her. He approached, grasped kingdom will have no end.
of how St. Paul viewed his apos- her hand, and helped her up. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
tolic preaching and all that he Then the fever left her, and she the Lord, the giver of life, who
did for the sake of the Gospel. waited on them. proceeds from the Father and the
R – A proclamation from the When it was evening, after Son, who with the Father and the
First Letter of Paul to the sunset, they brought to Jesus all Son is adored and glori-
Corinthians who were ill or possessed by
4 February 2018
fied, who has spoken through are suffering in whatever form. Memorial Acclamation
the prophets. May we learn from him to be
close to the brokenhearted and
P –The mystery of faith!
I believe in one, holy, cath-
olic and apostolic Church. I be for them as many instruments All– Save us, Savior of the
confess one Baptism for the of Your healing love. You who world, for by your Cross
forgiveness of sins and I look live and reign for ever and ever! and Resurrection you
forward to the resurrection of All – Amen! have set us free.
the dead and the life of the
world to come. Amen!

Prayer of the Faithful

P –Let us approach with con- All – Our Father . . .
Preparation of the Gifts
fidence the throne of Divine P –Deliver us, Lord . . .
Mercy and present our P –Pray, brethren . . . All –For the kingdom, the
petitions to the Lord in the firm All – May the Lord accept the power, and the glory are
assurance that he will hear our sacrifice at your hands, for the yours, now and for ever.
prayer. Let us all say: praise and glory of his name,
All –Lord, graciously hear us! for our good and the good of Sign of Peace
all his holy Church.
C –For the universal Church
Prayer over the Offerings Breaking of the Bread
who continues through the cen-
turies the healing mission of P –O Lord our God, who All – Lamb of God . . .
Christ: May she do so with faith- once established these created
ful generosity. Let us pray! R. things to sustain us in our Communion
C –For the Holy Father and all frailty, grant, we pray, that they P –This is the Lord Jesus, the
those involved in the preaching of may become for us now the light of all peoples, the Lamb
the Good News: May they see the Sacrament of eter-nal life. of God who takes away the
fruits of their ministry in the lives Through Christ our Lord. sins of the world. Happy are
of their flocks. Let us pray! R. All – Amen! those who are invited to the
C –For doctors, nurses and all Banquet of the Kingdom.
Preface V All–Lord, I am not worthy
other people involved in the heal-
P –The Lord be with you! that you should enter under
ing ministry: May they see Jesus
in their patients and treat them All –And with your spirit! my roof, but only say the
P –Lift up your hearts! word and my soul shall be
with reverent care. Let us pray!
All – We lift them up to the Lord! healed.
R
P –Let us give thanks to the
. Communion Antiphon
Lord our God!
C –For all the sick and the aged: All –It is right and just! (To be recited only when no
May they find in their relatives P –It is truly right and just, our Com-munion Hymn is sung.)
and the rest of the community the duty and our salvation, al-ways Let them thank the Lord for
loving care that will enable them and everywhere to give you his mercy, his wonders for the
to bear their crosses with dignity thanks, Lord, holy Father, children of men, for he satisfies
and hope. Let us pray! R. almighty and eternal God. the thirsty soul, and the hun-gry
C –For the members of our For you laid the foundations he fills with good things.
community: May we learn from of the world and have arranged
Jesus to be patient with all and the changing of times and sea- Prayer after Communion
be full of zeal for the preaching sons; you formed man in your
P –O God, who have willed
of the Good News. Let us pray! own image and set humanity
over the whole world in all its
that we be partakers in the one
R Bread and the one Chalice,
. wonder, to rule in your name
over all you have made and for grant us, we pray, so to live
C –For all people: May the Holy ever praise you in your mighty that, made one in Christ, we
Spirit instill in us respect for the works, through Christ our Lord. may joyfully bear fruit for the
sacredness of human life from the And so, with all the Angels, salvation of the world.
moment of conception until death, we praise you, as in joyful cel- Through Christ our Lord.
so that we may support all those ebration, we acclaim: All – Amen!
who struggle to uphold this All – Holy, holy, holy Lord,
supreme value. Let us pray! R. God of hosts. Heaven and
C –Let us pray in silence for earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!
our personal intentions. (Pause)
Blessed is he who comes
Let us pray! R. in the name of the Lord. P –The Lord be with you.
P –Lord God, help us to imitate Hosan-na in the highest! All –And with your spirit!
“the Man for Others” who bends
with compassion over those who
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
 P –Bow your heads and pray His healing love. Son, and the Holy Spirit.
for God’s blessing. (Pause) All –Amen! All – Amen!
May the Lord grant you
P –May the Lord give you a P –Go in peace to love and
good health that you may
contribute to the welfare of keen understanding of the serve the Lord in your
your family and the rest of sacredness of all life, and neighbor.
the community. especially human life. May All – Thanks be to God!
All –Amen! He enable you to protect
P –May the Lord give you a and nurture it for the good
compassionate heart toward of all mankind.
all those who suffer, that All –Amen!
you may become for them P –May almighty God bless
signs and instruments of you: the Father, and the

HEALINGS UNLIMITED

cially the one inflicted by demonic pos-

O ne does not need to be pessimistic to

conclude that there is so much suf-fering
sessions. Jesus knew that the ultimate
cause of all suffering was the devil. That
in the world. It is a reality as old as was why, he cast out devils as an
mankind itself; a reality as varied as the integral part of his healing and saving
gradations of gray . . . . We are afflicted by mission.
moral, emotional, spiritual, and physical
suffering . . . . All these forms of suffering But suffering is still with us, even af-
make life miserable – a veritable “Way of ter the coming of Jesus, as a perpetual
the Cross”! Job had all the reasons to reminder of the frailty of the human con-
complain. (See today’s First Reading.) Of dition in the world. It is also a sign that
all types of suffering, the most the Reign of God has not yet come in its
striking is usually the physical one. It is fullness. It is only in the New Jerusalem
always a pitiful sight to see cripples, lep- that “there shall be no more death or
ers, persons devoured by cancer, people mourning, crying or pain . . .”(Rv 21:4).
who are blind, maimed, or immobilized The healings performed by Jesus are
for life on their beds or mats . . . In spite signs that the Reign of God has already
of all the progress of modern medicine, been inaugurated and that the salvation
all those struck by sickness still that Jesus proclaims will surely come in
experience a feeling of helplessness and its fullness when God’s Kingdom reaches
humiliation. The many forms of suffering its completion.
are still with us, and for all we know,
As Christians, we are not only people
they are here to stay, in ever-renewed
who have been mercifully healed by Je-
and baffling forms . . .
sus. We are also sharers in his mission as
When he came to share our human
“the healer” of humankind. As such, we,
condition, Jesus accepted suffering as a
natural consequence of the Incarnation too, are called to show concern for the
and thereby he showed that he was a hu- ailments afflicting mankind, and to do our
man being through and through. But he best to reduce them. It is also our mission
was “a man with a mission” – the mis-sion to cast out the devil from our own lives
to redeem and save every human being and the lives of others. This commitment
from all that degrades, oppresses and of ours will be one of the most effective
disfigures him or her. That was why, part proclamations of the Good News. It will
of his mission was to relieve as many as he be one of the clear signs that the King-
could from any suffering, and espe- dom of God is ever more making inroads
in this pain-ridden world of ours.

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