Year 34 No.

10 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) — Green September 6, 2020

A Debt Never Fully Paid

O ur reflection today focuses
on the brief, yet profoundly
insightful, second reading where
Saint Paul addresses the Romans,
giving them some very concrete,
practical advice. Paul says: “Owe
no one anything, except to love
one another” (13:8). Indeed,
there is one debt that we will
always owe and never be able
to pay fully. The command to
love remains constant; love can
never say: “I’ve done enough.”
A Central Virtue. A glance at
Scripture reveals the centrality of love
in Christian life. Jesus commands
his disciples to manifest mutual
love: “By this love you have for one
another, everyone will know that you
are my disciples” (Jn 13:35). Paul
tells the Ephesians: “Follow Christ
by loving as he loved you” (Eph
5:2); he advises the Corinthians: “Let
everything you do be done in love”
(1 Cor 16:2). John writes: “Whoever
does not love does not know God,
because God is love” (1 Jn 4:8);
“God lives in us and his love is made
complete in us” (1 Jn 4:12). not deserve or earn the gift of God’s
Of course, one can never forget
Paul’s great “love exhortation”
in the thirteenth chapter of First
Corinthians: “Love is always patient
and kind; it is never jealous; love is
never boastful or conceited…. Love
is always ready to excuse, to trust,
to hope, and to endure whatever
were still sinners” (Rom 5:8). Loving
others is the only way to thank God;
he first loved us—unconditionally!
comes. Love never comes to an end”
Paying the Debt. It is a fact that
(13:4-5, 8). “There are three things
paying off debts is a challenging
that last: faith, hope and love; and
task; it requires discipline and
the greatest of these is love” (13:13).
self-sacrifice. Getting out of debt
Debt of Love. Loving “one demands self-denial to reach
another” includes not only Christian one’s goal. Paying the debt of
believers; this command extends loving others involves personal
to all people. In his parable of the sacrifice and concrete action. As
Good Samaritan (Lk 10:29-37), Jesus the Gospel for today emphasizes,
shows that the command, “You shall we must take all the concrete steps
love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev available to be reconciled with
19:18) extends even to strangers in one another. We ask our heavenly
need. Christians are to love without Father to assist us in paying our debts
distinction; it is of no consequence of mutual love and compassion.
whether people are good or bad,
Love Fulfills the Law. Paul cites
deserving or undeserving, grateful
four of the ten commandments
or ungrateful. We stand in debt
in his message: no to adultery,
to love them all—unselfishly!
murder, stealing, and coveting.
Someone may ask: When did I
He also asserts that loving each
incur this debt of love for others? In
other fulfills the entire law, all the
Baptism, we received the marvelous
commandments. Interestingly, he
gift of God’s unbounded love and
explicitly repeats this insight two
mercy; thus, we are obligated to
times (Rom 13:8, 10). Admittedly, we
generously manifest this same
always fall short of perfectly loving
merciful love to others. We did
each other. Yet, we struggle daily to
live in love, seeking to partially pay
love; it is gratuitously lavished upon
our debt—all with the help of God’s
us. Our “debt of love” flows from
own transforming love and grace!
God’s superabundant love for us;
“what proves God’s love for us is
that Christ died for us while we — Fr. James H. Kroeger, MM

PASTORAL CATECHESIS FOR THE YEAR OF ECUMENISM, INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE, AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Building Society through Dialogue
Fr. James H. Kroeger, MM
Encouraging Muslim-Christian collaboration, Pope
John Paul II, speaking in Davao, noted: “Society cannot
bring its citizens the happiness they expect from it
unless society itself is built upon dialogue. Dialogue
in turn is built upon trust, and trust presupposes not
only justice but mercy. Without doubt, equality and
freedom, which are at the foundation of every society,
require law and justice.”
“Dear Muslims, my brothers, I would like to add
that we Christians, just like you, seek the basis and
model of mercy in God himself, the God to whom your
Book gives the very beautiful name of al-Rahman, while
the Bible calls him al-Rahum, the Merciful One. It is
only within this framework of religion and its shared
premises of faith that one can really speak of mutual
respect, openness, and collaboration between Christians
and Muslims. Then comes willingness to work together,
to build a more fraternal society.”
“My dear friends: I wish you to be convinced of the
fact that your Christian brothers and sisters need you and
they need your love.” All desire “fraternal coexistence
between Christians and Muslims in a modern, believing,
and peaceful Philippine nation.”
 THE INTRODUCTORY RITES
Entrance Antiphon
(Ps 119 [118]:137, 124)
(Recited when there is no opening song.)
You are just, O Lord, and your
judgment is right; treat your
servant in accord with your
merciful love.
Greeting
(The sign of the cross is made here.)
P — The grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and the love of
God, and the communion of
the Holy Spirit be with you all.
All — And with your spirit.
Introduction
(These [or similar words] may be used
to address the assembly.)
P — In the Gospel, Jesus
teaches us to help our erring
brothers and sisters and lead
t hem to co nversio n a n d
reform. Let us pray that the
Lord may soften our hearts
and fill them with patience
and love. And may the Holy
Spirit dispose the hearts of
our erring brethren to our
patient urgings and concerned
admonitions.
Penitential Act
P — Brethren (brothers and
sisters), let us acknowledge
our sins, and so prepare
ourselves to celebrate the
sacred mysteries. (Pause)
All — 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, (striking your breast)
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.
All — Amen.
P — Lord, have mercy.
All — Lord, have mercy.
P — Christ, have mercy.
All — Christ, have mercy.
P — Lord, have mercy.
All — Lord, have mercy.
P — May almighty God have
mercy on us, forgive us our
sins, and bring us to everlasting
life.
All — Amen.
Gloria
All — 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.
Collect
P — Let us pray. (Pause)
O G o d , by wh o m w e
are redeemed and receive
adoption,look graciously
upon your beloved sons
and daughters, that those
who believe in Christ may
receive true freedom and an
everlasting inheritance.
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.
All — Amen.
THE LITURGY
OF THE WORD
First Reading (Ez 33:7–9) (Sit)
God calls Ezekiel a prophet
and watchman to dissuade the
Israelites from their wicked ways
and to lead them to conversion.
In the same way, Jesus invites
us to bring back to the right path
those who have strayed.
A reading from the Book of
the Prophet Ezekiel
THUS SAYS THE LORD: You,
son of man, I have appointed
watchman for the house of
Israel; when you hear me say
anything, you shall warn them
for me. If I tell the wicked, “O
wicked one, you shall surely
die, ” and you do not speak
out to dissuade the wicked
from his way, the wicked shall
die for his guilt, but I will hold
you responsible for his death.
But if you warn the wicked,
trying to turn him from his
way, and he refuses to turn
from his way, he shall die for
his guilt, but you shall save
yourself.
— The word of the Lord.
All — Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm (Ps 95)
R — If today you hear his
voice, harden not your hearts.
Sr. M.C.A. Parco, FSP
  
     
G Em Am
  
 
If to day you hear his voice,
3
     G
D7
       
har den not your hearts.
1. Come, let us sing joyfully to
the LORD;/ let us acclaim the
rock of our salvation./ Let us
come into his presence with
thanksgiving;/ let us joyfully
sing psalms to him.(R)
2. Come, let us bow down in
worship;/ let us kneel before
the LORD who made us./ For
he is our God,/ and we are the
people he shepherds, the flock
he guides.(R)
3. Oh, that today you would
hear his voice:/ “Harden not
your hearts as at Meribah,/ as in
the day of Massah in the desert,/
Where your fathers tempted
me;/ they tested me though
they had seen my works.” (R)
Second Reading
(Rom 13:8–10)
Paul reminds us of the
commandment of love that
fulfills the law. As Christians,
we are called to life of love. Each
of us must look after the welfare
of our neighbor.
A reading from the Letter of
Saint Paul to the Romans
BROTHERS AND SISTERS:
Owe nothing to anyone,
except to love one another;
for the one who loves
another has fulfilled the law.
The commandments, “You
shall not commit adultery;
you shall not kill; you shall
n o t s t e a l ; yo u s h a l l n o t
covet, ” and whatever other
commandment there may be,
are summed up in this saying,
namely, “You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.” Love
does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment
of the law.
— The word of the Lord.
All — Thanks be to God.
Alleluia (2 Cor 5:19) (Stand)
All — Alleluia, alleluia. God
was reconciling the world
to himself in Christ and
entrusting to us the message
of reconciliation.Alleluia,
alleluia.
Gospel (Mt 18:15–20)
P — A reading from the holy
Gospel according to Matthew.
All — Glory to you, O Lord.
JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES:
“If your brother sins against
you, go and tell him his fault
between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have
won over your brother. If he
does not listen, take one or
two others along with you,
so that ‘every fact may be
established on the testimony
of two or three witnesses.’ If
he refuses to listen to them,
tell the church. If he refuses
to listen even to the church,
then treat him as you would a
Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you,
if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they
are to pray, it shall be granted
to them by my heavenly
Father. For where two or three
are gathered together in my
name, there am I in the midst
of them.”
— The Gospel of the Lord.
All — Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ.
Homily (Sit)
Profession of Faith (Stand)
All — 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,
(At the words that follow, up to
and including and became man,
all bow.)
and by the Holy Spirit was
incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
Fo r o u r s a k e h e wa s
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 b e l i e ve i n o n e , h o l y,
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
P — God, our Father, is
generous and patient with us
despite our sins and failings. He
wants us to be the same to our
brethren in sin and error. With
confidence, we pray:
R — Lord, hear our prayer.
C — Give the Pope, bishops,
priests, and deacons a heart
that reaches out to sinners
so that they may be effective
ministers of reconciliation. We
pray: (R)
C — May all of us gathered
here in the Eucharist see the
wisdom in the words of St.
Paul today: “Love does no evil
to the neighbor; hence, love is
the fulfillment of the law.” We
pray: (R)
C — Move judges, soldiers, and
policemen, and those working
in rehabilitation centers to
temper justice with love and
to always respect the inviolable
rights of persons. We pray: (R)
C — May sinners and those
who stray from the right path
come to their senses and ask
pardon from the Lord and be
reconciled with the Christian
community. We pray: (R)
C — May the sick, the elderly,
and the homebound see God’s
comfort and the consolation in
the compassion of those who
care for them. We pray: (R)
C — Let us pray for the urgent
concerns of our community
and our personal intentions
(pause). We pray: (R)
P — Father, hear our prayers.
heal our troubled consciences
and wounded hearts, and unite
us as family in your Church.
Through Christ our Lord.
All — Amen.
THE LITURGY OF
THE EUCHARIST
Presentation of the Gifts
(Stand)
P — Pray, brethren…
All — May the Lord accept the
sacrifice at your hands for the
praise and glory of his name,
for our good, and the good of
all his holy Church.
Prayer over the Offerings
P — O God, who give us the
gift of true prayer and of peace,
graciously grant that through
this offering, we may do fitting
homage to your divine majesty
and, by partaking of the sacred
mystery, we may be faithfully
united in mind and heart.
Through Christ our Lord.
All — Amen.
Preface VI: The pledge of the
eternal Passover
P — The Lord be with you.
All — And with your spirit.
P — Lift up your hearts.
All — We lift them up to the
Lord.
P — Let us give thanks to the
Lord our God.
All — It is right and just.
P — It is truly right and just,
our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give
you thanks, Lord, holy Father,
almighty and eternal God.
For in you we live and
move and have our being,
and while in this body we
not only experience the daily
effects of your care, but even
now possess the pledge of life
eternal.
For, having received the
first fruits of the Spirit, through
whom you raised up Jesus
from the dead, we hope for an
everlasting share in the Paschal
Mystery.
And so, with all the Angels,
we praise you, as in joyful
celebration we acclaim:
All — Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
God of hosts. Heaven and
earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in
the name of the Lord. Hosanna
in the highest. (Kneel)
Acclamation (Stand)
All — When we eat this
Bread and drink this Cup, we
proclaim your Death, O Lord,
until you come again.
THE COMMUNION RITE
The Lord’s Prayer
All — Our Father…
P — Deliver us, Lord…
All — For the kingdom, the
power and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Invitation to Peace
Invitation to Communion
(Kneel)
P — Behold the Lamb of God,
behold him who takes away
the sins of the world. Blessed
are those called to the supper
of the Lamb.
All — Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under
my roof, but only say the
word and my soul shall be
healed.
Communion Antiphon
(Cf. Ps 42 [41]:2–3)
Like the deer that yearns for
running streams, so my soul
is yearning for you, my God;
my soul is thirsting for God,
the living God.
Prayer after Communion
(Stand)
P — Let us pray. (Pause)
Grant that your faithful,
O Lord, whom you nourish
and endow with life through
the food of your Word and
heavenly Sacrament, may so
benefit from your beloved
Son’s great gifts that we may
merit an eternal share in his
life. Who lives and reigns for
ever and ever.
All — Amen.
THE CONCLUDING RITES
P — The Lord be with you.
All — And with your spirit.
Prayer over the People
P — Bow down for the blessing.
(Pause)
Bestow pardon and peace,
O Lord, we pray, upon your
faithful, that they may be
cleansed from every offense
and serve you with untroubled
hearts.
Through Christ our Lord.
All — Amen.
P — And may the blessing
of almighty God, the Father,
and the Son, (†) and the Holy
Spirit, come down on you and
remain with you for ever.
All — Amen.
Dismissal
P — Go forth, the Mass is ended.
All — Thanks be to God.
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 Below is a traditional prayer
of spiritual communion that
many saints have prayed over
the years. It can be prayed if you
find yourself at Mass unable to
receive the Eucharist, or even
in the midst of your daily work,
lifting up your thoughts to God.
The ultimate goal of our
lives should be communion with
God and an act of spiritual
communion can help a person
draw closer to that goal.
Act of Spiritual
Communion
M y Jesus, I believe that
You are present in the
Most Holy Sacrament. 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.
Amen.
ESPIRITUWAL NA
PAKIKINABANG
A king Hesus, nananalig
akong ikaw ay nananahan
sa Pinakabanal na Sakramento.
Mahal kita nang higit sa lahat ng
bagay at nais kong tanggapin
ka sa aking kaluluwa. Subalit
sa sandaling ito ikaw ay hindi
ko matatanggap sa Banal na
Komunyon. Nawa’y tanggapin
kita nang espirituwal sa aking
pagnanais na ito at pumasok ka
sa aking puso. Niyayakap kita na
parang naririto ka na sa akin, at
pinagkakaisa ko ang aking sarili
sa iyo. Huwag mong hayaang
ako ay mawalay sa iyo. Amen.
ORATIO IMPERATA
FOR COVID-19
G od our Father, we come
to you in our need to ask
your protection against the
COVID-19 that has disturbed
and even claimed lives.
We pray that you guide the
people tasked to find cures
for this disease and to stem
its transmission. Protect the
medical experts that they
may minister to the sick with
competence and compassion.
We pray for those afflicted.
May they be restored to health
soon. Protect those who care
for them. Grant eternal rest to
those who have died. Give us
the grace in this trying time to
work for the good of all and to
help those in need. We implore
you to stop the spread of this
virus and to save us from our
fears. Grant all these through
our Lord Jesus Christ your Son
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
We fly to Your protection,
oh Holy Mother of God. Do
not despise our petition in
our necessities, but deliver
us always from all dangers, Oh
glorious and blessed Virgin.
Amen.
Our Lady, health of the sick,
pray for us.
St. Raphael the Archangel,
pray for us.
St. Roch, pray for us.
St. Lorenzo Ruiz, pray for us
St. Pedro Calungsod, pray for us.
ORATIO IMPERATA
PARA SA COVID-19
M
akapangyarihan at
mapagmahal na Ama,
nagsusumamo kami sa iyo
upang hilingin ang iyong
patnubay laban sa COVID-19
na nagpapahirap sa marami
at kumikitil na ng mga
buhay. Gabayan mo ang
mga dalubhasang naatasan
na tumuklas ng mga lunas
at paraan upang ihinto ang
paglaganap nito. Patnubayan
mo ang mga lumilingap sa
maysakit upang ang kanilang
pagkalinga ay malakipan ng
husay at malasakit. Itinataas
namin ang mga nagdurusa.
Makamtan nawa nila ang
mabuting kalusugan. Lingapin
mo rin ang mga kumakalinga
sa kanila. Pagkamtin mo
ng kapayapaang walang
hanggan ang mga pumanaw
na. Pagkalooban mo kami
ng biyaya na magtulong-
tulong tungo sa ikabubuti ng
lahat. Pukawin mo sa amin
ang pagmamalasakit sa mga
nangangailangan. Hinihiling
namin ito sa pamamagitan ni
Hesukristo na nabubuhay at
naghaharing kasama mo at ng
Espiritu Santo, iisang Diyos,
magpasawalang hanggan.
Amen.
Dumudulog kami sa iyong
patnubay, Mahal na Ina ng
Diyos. Pakinggan mo ang
aming mga kahilingan sa
aming pangangailangan at
ipag-adya mo kami sa lahat
ng kasamaan, maluwalhati at
pinagpalang Birhen. Amen.
Mahal na Birhen,
mapagpagaling sa maysakit,
ipanalangin mo kami.
San Rafael Arkanghel,
ipanalangin mo kami.
San Roque,
ipanalangin mo kami.
San Lorenzo Ruiz,
ipanalangin mo kami.
San Pedro Calungsod,
ipanalangin mo kami.
BE A PRIEST OR
A BROTHER OF MASS
MEDIA
If you are a Grade 12
student, a college student,
or a young professional,
male, single, and interested
to become a priest or
a brother involved in
the apostolate of social
communication, we invite
you to journey with us.
Visit our websites:
ssp.ph or stpauls.ph