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

15September
August 20162023 First Friday FIRST FRIDAY
Year C

THE EXPECTATION ROOTED IN FAITH

AND FILLED WITH DEEDS OF LOVE

W e Christians are “expectant people.” We are people

who live in the expectation of something very impor-
tant: the coming of the Lord Jesus who will lead his
faithful ones to the banquet of eternal happiness. He himself,
and more than once, assured his disciples that, after his “depar-
ture” (his death and ascension), he would come again to take his
own to the abode he has prepared for them so that, where he is
they also may be. (See Jn 14:3.)
This promise gives our life a dynamic thrust which makes us
look forward to something wonderful that is reserved for us. It
also removes from death the dark cloak of total annihilation, and
portrays it as our encounter with the Divine Bridegroom who will
lead us into the “banquet hall” of eternal happiness.
But the Groom’s coming is to be awaited not in slumbering idleness, but with vigilant
expectation, rooted in faith and rich with deeds of love. Such is the message/challenge that
comes to us on this First Friday of September, the very first day of this month.

you all! P – Lord Jesus, you constant-

Entrance Antiphon
(To be recited only when no
Entrance Hymn is sung.)
The designs of his Heart are
from age to age, to rescue their
souls from death, and to keep
them alive in famine.
Greeting
P – In the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit!
All – Amen!
P –May the peace and joy of Je-
sus, the Divine Bridegroom, who
comes to take us to the eternal
wedding feast of heaven, be with
All – And with your spirit!
Penitential Act
P –My brothers and sisters, to
prepare ourselves to participate
in the Eucharistic banquet pre-
pared for us by the Lord Jesus,
let us call to mind our sins and
humbly implore his forgiveness.
(Pause)
P –Lord Jesus, you have opened
for us the gates of eternal
life. Lord, have mercy!
All – Lord, have mercy!
P – Lord Jesus, you instructed
your disciples to remain
vigilant against all the lures
of the enemy of all good.
Christ, have mercy!
All – Christ, have mercy!
ly remind us that it is not
enough to profess our faith
in you, but also insist that
our faith must be accompa-
nied by appropriate behav-
ior. 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!
Collect (Opening Prayer)
P –Grant, we pray, almighty
God, that we, who glory in the
Heart of your beloved Son and
recall the wonders of his love
for us, may be made worthy to
receive an overflowing measure
of grace from that fount of heav-

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enly gifts.
Through our Lord Jesus
Christ, your Son, who lives and
reigns with you in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, God, for ever
and ever.
All –Amen!
1st Reading 1 Thes 4:1-8
The apostle Paul knew that
the devil is always on the attack.
Hence, in today’s short passage,
with the concern and authority
of a loving father, he reminds the
Thessalonians – and all of us – of
the basic truth that God wants
that we become holy, and refrain
from any form of immorality.
R –A proclamation from the
First Letter of Paul to the
Thessalonians
Brothers and sisters, we
earnestly ask and exhort you in
the Lord Jesus that, as you re-
ceived from us how you should
conduct yourselves to please
God -- and as you are conduct-
ing yourselves -- you do so even
more. For you know what in-
structions we gave you through
the Lord Jesus.
This is the will of God,
your holiness: that you refrain
from immorality, that each of
you know how to acquire a wife
for himself in holiness and hon-
or, not in lustful passion as do
the Gentiles who do not know
God; not to take advantage of
or exploit a brother or sister
in this matter, for the Lord is
an avenger in all these things,
as we told you before and sol-
emnly affirmed. For God did
not call us to impurity but to
holiness. Therefore, whoever
disregards this, disregards not
a human being but God, who
also gives his Holy Spirit to
you.
The Word of the Lord!
All – Thanks be to God!
Responsorial Psalm Ps 97
R –Rejoice in the Lord, you
just!
* The Lord is king; let the
earth rejoice; let the many
1 September 2023
isles be glad. Justice and judg-
ment are the foundation of his
throne. R.
* The mountains melt like
wax before the Lord, before
the Lord of all the earth. The
heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory. R.
* The Lord loves those who
hate evil; he guards the lives
of his faithful ones; from the
hand of the wicked he delivers
them. R.
* Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright
of heart. Be glad in the Lord,
you just, and give thanks to his
holy name. R.
Gospel Acclamation Lk 21:36
All –Alleluia! Alleluia!
Be vigilant at all times
and pray, that you may
have the strength to stand
before the Son of Man.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Gospel Mt 25:1-13
In today’s parable Jesus ex-
horts his audience, and us, to be
always ready to meet him with
“burning lamps” that symbolize
hearts afire with a strong faith,
and rich with virtuous deeds.
P –The Lord be with you!
All –And with your spirit!
P – A proclamation from the
holy Gospel according to
Matthew
All –Glory to you, O Lord!
Jesus told his disciples this
parable: “The Kingdom of
heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went
out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and
five were wise. The foolish
ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them, but
the wise brought flasks of oil
with their lamps. Since the
bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and
fell asleep. At midnight, there
was a cry, ‘Behold, the bride-
groom! Come out to meet him!ʼ
Then all those virgins got up
and trimmed their lamps. The
foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil, for
our lamps are going out.ʼ But
the wise ones replied, ‘No, for
there may not be enough for
us and you. Go instead to the
merchants and buy some for
yourselves.ʼ
While they went off to buy
it, the bridegroom came and
those who were ready went
into the wedding feast with
him. Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins
came and said, ‘Lord, Lord,
open the door for us!ʼ But he
said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to
you, I do not know you.ʼ There-
fore, stay awake, for you know
neither the day nor the hour.”
The Gospel of the Lord!
All –Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ!
Homily
Prayer of the Faithful
P –Exhorted by Jesus to imitate
the wisdom of the five virgins
who welcomed the Divine Bride-
groom with the lighted lamps of
a burning faith and the splendor
of virtuous deeds, let us turn to
him in full trust and say:
All –Lord Jesus, hear our
prayer!
C –That the universal Church
may at all times be ready to wel-
come the Lord with the eager-
ness and preparedness of the five
wise virgins of today’s parable,
let us pray! R.
C –That the Holy Father, our
bishops, and other religious lead-
ers may never tire of remind-
ing their flocks of the duty to be
vigilant in the faith and eager to
witness to it through a life im-
bued with Gospel values, let us
pray! R.
C –That all parents, teachers,
and civil leaders may inspire us
with their constant examples of
a strong faith and a behavior that
gives glory to God, let us pray!R.
C –That our children and young
people may be ever more con-
vinced that faith must always
be accompanied by appropriate
good deeds, let us pray! R.
C –That all the devotees of
the Sacred Heart may prove the
sincerity of their devotion by
upholding and practising the val-
ues taught by Jesus through his
preaching and his behavior, let
us pray! R.
C That all the members of our
community may be like the wise
virgins of today’s parable, rich
in faith, hope, and an exemplary
Christian life, let us pray! R.
C –Let us pray in silence for
our personal intentions. (Pause)
Let us pray! R.
P –Lord Jesus, our Eternal
Bridegroom and source of our
hope, give us the grace that we
need to imitate the wise virgins
in today’s Gospel parable. May
we, like them, have the privilege
to welcome you with joy and ac-
company you into the Wedding
Hall of heaven where you live
and reign for ever and ever.
All –Amen!
poured out blood and water from
his pierced side, the wellspring
of the Church’s Sacraments, so
that, won over to the open heart
of the Savior, all might draw wa-
ter joyfully from the springs of
salvation.
And so, with all the Angels
and Saints, we praise you, as
without end 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!
Memorial Acclamation
P –The mystery of faith!
All –We proclaim your Death,
O Lord, and profess your
Resurrection until you come
again!
P –Deliver us, Lord . . .
All –For the kingdom, the
power, and the glory are
yours, now and for ever.
Sign of Peace
Breaking of the Bread
All – Lamb of God, you take
away the sins of the world: have
mercy on us. (2x)
Lamb of God, you take
away the sins of the world:
grant us peace.
Communion
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.

Preparation of the Gifts
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 –Look, O Lord, we pray, on
the surpassing charity in the
Heart of your beloved Son, that
what we offer may be a gift ac-
ceptable to you and an expiation
of our offenses.
Through Christ our Lord.
All – Amen!
Preface of the Sacred Heart
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, al-
ways and everywhere to give
you thanks, Lord, holy Father, al-
mighty and eternal God, through
Christ our Lord.
For raised up high on the
Cross, he gave himself up for
us with a wonderful love and
Communion Antiphon
(To be recited only when no
All – Our Father . . . Communion Hymn is sung.)
NOVENA PRAYER TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
Divine Jesus, you have said, Ć „Ask, and you shall receive;
Ć seek, and you shall find; Ć knock, and it shall be opened unto
you.‰ Ć Behold me kneeling at your feet, Ć filled with a lively faith
and confidence Ć in the promises dictated by your Sacred Heart Ć
and pronounced by your adorable lips. Ć I come to ask this favor:
(Silently mention your petitions.)
To whom can I turn if not to you Ć whose heart is the source
of all graces and merits? Ć Where should I seek if not in the trea-
sure Ć which contains all the riches of your kindness and mercy?
Ć Where should I knock Ć if not at the door through which God
gives himself to us Ć and through which we go to God? Ć I have
recourse to you, Heart of Jesus. Ć In you I find consolation when
afflicted, Ć protection when persecuted, Ć strength when burdened
with trials, Ć and light in doubt and darkness.
Dear Jesus, I firmly believe Ć that you can grant me the grace I
implore, Ć even though it should require a miracle. Ć You have only
to will it, Ć and my prayer will be granted. Ć I admit that I am most
unworthy of your favors, Ć but this is not a reason for me to be
discouraged. Ć You are the God of mercy Ć and you will not refuse
a contrite heart. Ć Cast upon me a look of mercy, I beg of you, Ć
and your kind heart will find in my miseries and weaknesses Ć a
reason for granting my prayer.
O Sacred Heart, Ć whatever may be your decision with regard
to my request, Ć I will never stop adoring, loving, praising, and
serving you. Ć My Jesus, be pleased to accept this my act of
perfect resignation Ć to the decrees of your adorable heart Ć which
I sincerely desire may be fulfilled Ć in and by me and by all your
creatures for ever.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Ć I know that there is but one thing im-
possible to you: Ć to be without pity for those who are suffering or
in distress. Ć Look upon me, I beg of you, dear Jesus, Ć and grant me
the grace for which I humbly implore you Ć through the Immaculate
Heart of your most sorrowful Mother. Ć You have entrusted me to her
as her child, Ć and her prayers are all-powerful with you. Ć Amen!

First Friday
 Thus says the Lord: Let
whoever is thirsty come to me
and drink. Streams of living
water will flow from within the
one who believes in me.
Prayer after Communion
P –May this sacrament of
charity, O Lord, make us fer-
vent with the fire of holy love, so
that, drawn always to your Son,
we may learn to see him in our
neighbor.
Through Christ our Lord.
All –Amen!
P –The Lord be with you. your dear ones ever closer
All – And with your spirit! to Him in a communion of
P –Bow your heads and pray love and peace.
for God’s blessing. (Pause) All – Amen!
– May the Sacred Heart of P –May almighty God bless
Jesus mold your hearts in you: the Father, and the
imitation of the Immacu- Son, and the Holy Spirit.
late Heart of Mary, the most All – Amen!
faithful and generous of his
partners in the fulfillment P –Go in peace, glorifying the
Lord by your life!
of God’s plan of salvation.
All – Amen! All – Thanks be to God!
P –May the Lord console you
in your afflictions and
strengthen you in your
struggles against all forms
of evil.
All – Amen!
P –May He draw you and all

THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS:

A WARNING AND A CHALLENGE
by Jess P. Balon

A ll too often we hear members of other Chris-

tian denominations claim that we are saved
by faith alone, and not by our good deeds. The
truth is that, as responsible adults, we can attain
salvation only if we believe in Jesus and put his
teaching into practice. He himself stated, “Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter
the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who
DOES the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7:21).
Faith and “good works” (i.e., actions performed
according to God’s will/commandments), then,
are complementary. They are both necessary to
enjoy the eternal life offered by the Lord Jesus.
This important teaching can be applied also
to our devotion to the Sacred Heart. It is not
enough to perform all the acts of piety that are
part of this devotion, such as having a beauti-
ful picture or statue of the Sacred Heart in our
home or office, putting flowers or lighting lamps
in front of them. Our daily life, i.e., the moral
choices we make, must be in accordance with
the demands of our devotion.
This is also the message of today’s parable of
the ten virgins, five of whom were foolish, while
the other five were wise. The first five are called
“foolish” by Jesus because they were concerned
only about their lamps (which symbolize their
faith or their devotion) but did not bother to
bring along also enough oil (which symbolizes
their good works). The other five were, instead,
considered “wise” by Jesus and were admitted
to the banquet of heaven because they provided
themselves with both lamps and sufficient oil –
i.e., faith/devotional practices and good deeds.
Today’s parable contains also the warning to
not postpone doing the good that we should do.
The unwise virgins could have bought the oil that
they needed long before the arrival of the Bride-
groom. They did so only when it was too late.
That delay caused them the exclusion from the
feast of heaven. (See vv. 11-12 in today’s Gospel
text.)
There is a lesson for all of us in this. Someone
has expressed the same truth through the saying,
“Don’t put off till tomorrow the good you can do
today.” “Tomorrow” (= the future) is not in our
hands. The “cut-off” time of our life is in God’s
hands, and it is not for us to know the precise day
and hour. Hence, Jesus’ warning, “Be always
prepared, for the Son of Man will come at an
hour you do not expect” (Lk 24:34). (See also the
conclusion of today’s Gospel passage.)

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