ST PAULS MEDIA F Year 31 No. 12 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) — Green Fishing: God will provide n this nation of around 7,100 lands, the fishing profession comes naturally; the great majority are ‘domestic fishers’ but a significant number have become ‘international fishers’ According to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration in 2009 there were 1,477 legally deployed fishers in international waters; in 2015, this statistic jumped to 7,368. Jaime (not his real name) is ‘one of them. He started fishing in his hometown somewhere in Panay in the Visayas. Being the eldest of four siblings, he provides for his own family and for a brother who has a speech impairment and is currently working as casual boat helper. The opportunity came and Jaime accepted a job on international waters. He left the Philippines on the first week of November 2016 with mixed feelings. In one hand, he was happy with the overseas employment; on the other hand, he was worried about his wife since he left her at the hospital with pregnancy problems. The THE GOSPEL on’ CARE FOR CREATION doctors had assured the couple that all was under control but on November 27 she gave birth toa baby boy at the expense of her own life. ‘One can imagine how Jaime received the shocking news, since this happened just a few weeks after his deployment. He was given the opportunity to return to the Philippines but he chose to remain on board and work as he is the sole family bread-winner. An AOS-Manila staff, member visited his family members and was touched by their determination to carry on and by their “God will provide” attitude. Today’s First Reading begins by saying “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call him while he is near.” Jaime must have called on the Lord endless times for strength and guidance to face his harrowing situation and certainly he must have found solace and comfort in the Lord. His uphill battle to achieve progress and comfort in life might have been given up by others had they been in his place; yet God’s wisdom brings solace and resolve to human weakness. The life of a fisherman is confined between the sea and the sky. The Second Reading may well summarize his thoughts and desires: “Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit. Only, ATi te Isceelfaaice) September 24, 2017 conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.” The simpler the outlook in life, the simpler one’s bliss is. And yet Jaime is aware of the needs of the people for whom he toils. St. Paul provides for us a realistic approach to struggle in his letter: though he long desired to attain the reward of the righteous, he still must work for those he was to leave behind. A greater love is at work, and our Lord certainly knows how to appreciate and reward genuine sacrifice. In today’s Gospel reading, the Lord’s care and compassion toward those invited to work in his vineyard is exceptional. What matters is not the hiring time and the corresponding wages; what ultimately matters is accepting the Lord's offer and challenges without grumbling and complaining. Jaime may be consoled by this divine generosity: even though the little opportunities in his life came rather late and even at great cost, the Lord has not abandoned him. The current vineyard of Jaime is the ship and he has experienced being ‘hired by the Lord” regardless of the hour; the current struggle of his family has been one of “seeking the Lord while he may be found;” their (and our) common journey is “striving together for the faith of the gospel.” The consolation comes from the Responsorial Psalm: “The Lord is near to all whe call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.” — Fr. Paulo H. Prigol, CS pr a Re UE um Cee eet ES Peer ees ky ‘sion, treating natural resources as gifts to care for and share rather than Pe eae le eee ak a ee oc CEBa Lena aaa} Entrance Antiphon (Recited when there is no opening song) I am the salvation of the people, says the Lord. Should they cry to me in any distress, I will hear them, and I will be their Lord for ever. Greeti (The sign of the criss is made here) P —The Lord be with you. All — And with your spirit. Introduction (The priest may address the assembly using these or other similar words) P — God is generous and gives us more than we can ever deserve. In turn we have to mirror this generosity to others, going beyond the limits of strict justice. When we see the “latecomers,” our brothers and sisters who turn to God after living a dissolute life, we must encourage them in their struggle to change their ways rather than wish that they be made to pay for their sinful past. Today, we celebrate the 22" National Seafarers’ Day. Let us remember our Filipino Seafarers who brave the high seas for the love of their families. P tial 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, (sirike 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, P — May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. 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. 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, 0 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 1s} 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 —Letus pray. (Pause) O God, who founded all the commands of your sacred Law upon love of you and of our neighbor, grant that, by keeping your precepts, we may merit to attain eternal life. 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. Bisa te) OF THE WORD The Lord is generous in forgiving and so the wicked person is invited to forsake his wicked ways. It is never too late to return to the Lord. A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah SEEK the Lorp while he may be found, call him while he is near, Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked his thoughts; let him turn to the Lorp for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lorn. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts. — The word of the Lord. All — Thanks be to God. nsorial Psalm (Ps 145) R — The Lord is near to all who call upon him. ‘sr. m.c.a. parco, fsp ‘The Lord is near to all who y Am = call him, 1. Every day will bless you,/ and I will praise your name forever and ever./ Great is the Lorp and highly to be praised;/ his greamess is unsearchable. (R) 2. The Loxo is gracious and merciful,/ slow to anger and of great kindness./ The Lorp is good to all/ and compassionate toward all his works. (R) 3. The Logo is just in all his ways/ and holy in all his works./ The Logo is near to all who call upon him,/ to all who call upon him in truth. (R) Second Reading (Phil 1:20-24, 27) When our life is Christ's, says St. Paul, any option is desirable. While we live, we are happy to serve him, and when we die, we shail be with him. A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or bydeath. For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. If 1 go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose, lam caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit. Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ. — The word of the Lord. All — Thanks be to God. Alleluia [Cf. Acts 16:14b] (Stand) All — Alleluia, alleluia. Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel (Mt 20:1-16a) P —A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew All — Glory to you, O Lord. JESUS told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o'clock, the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. ‘And he went out again around noon, and around three o'clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o'clock, the landowner found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o'clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage, And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous? Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.” —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. 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, Thelieve in one, holy, cathotic, 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 — Jesus reveals to us the Father who is good to all his children and cannot be outdone in generosity. Full of confidence, we pray to the Father: R— Lord, hear our prayer. C— That Church leaders may zealously work in the Lord’s vineyard and give courage to all who lost their jobs because of inequality -and oppresive structures in society, we pray: ® C — That government may provide gainful employment to its citizens so they may attain their full potentials, we pray: (R) C — That the seafarers and their families left behind may remain united in prayer and affection and call on God in all their endeavors, we pray: (R) C—Thatthe families of seafarers who are victims of piracy and still in captivity be comforted from fear and anxiety. May they receive proper assistance to their needs for them to go on with life, we pray: (R) C — That we may undergo a change of heart-and of life- style: truly being stewards of creation, loving and caring for our earth rather than exploiting and abusing it for self'serving ends, we pray: (R) (The urgent concerns of the community gre prayed here.) P — Father, may your providence not lead us to self- righteousness and selfishness, but to selfless love for all. Make us generous like you, that we may live fully and bring others to life. Through Christ our Lord. All — Amen.THE LITURGY OF Mises ag ‘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—Receive with favor, O Lord, we pray, the offerings of your people, that what they profess with devotion and faith may be theirs through these heavenly mysteries. Through Christ our Lord. All — Amen. Preface VIII of the Sundays in Ordinary Time 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 — Itis truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God. For when your children were scattered afar by sin, through the Blood of your Son and the power of the Spirit, you gathered them again to yourself, that a people, formed as one by the unity of the Trinity, made the body of Christ and the temple ofthe Holy Spirit, might, to the praise of your manifold wisdom, be manifest as the Church. And so, in company with the choirs of Angels, we praise you, and with joy we proclaim: . All—Holy, Holy, Holy... (Kncel) Acclamation (Stand) All — We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess oungster the Magazine jor the Young Minister 1 of the p Available in all ST PAULS bookstores nationwide your Resurrection until you come again. THE COMMUNION Ee 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 (Ps 119 [118]:4-5) You have laid down your precepts to be carefully kept; may my ways be firm in keeping your statutes. Prayer after Communion (Stand) P —Let us pray. (Pause) SUNDAY © TV MARIA & Sin] Graciously raise up, O Lord, those you renew with this Sacrament, that we may come to possess your redemption both in mystery and in the manner of our life. Through Christ our Lord. All — Amen. Bee eae) P —The Lord be with you. All — And with your spirit. Prayer over the People P — Bow for the blessing (Pause) Purify your faithful, both in body andinmind, O Lord, we pray, so that, feeling the compunction you inspire, they may be able to avoid harmful pleasures and ever feed upon your delights. Through Christ our Lord. Ail— 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—Goin peace. All — Thanks be to God. 8:30AM oe a) Ch Sky Cable Ch 210