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

25 June 2023 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

BE NOT AFRAID!

W e live surrounded by the dangers and threats of

all sorts, like robbers, terrorist attacks, chemical
warfare and even mysterious viruses, like the
COVID-19 – the invisible enemy that can force the entire
planet to standstill and leave behind hundreds of thousands
of victims!
In the midst of it all, the Lord Jesus today tells us: “Be
not afraid!” He himself is the brave man who faced Pilate
and all his accusers with a stout heart. He wants us to be
brave in proclaiming our faith in him through a life lived
according to the demands of the Gospel.
We should not be afraid for we are not alone. The Lord
stands by us like a mighty champion and like a faithful friend,
ready to assist us in all our needs. The Eucharist is the source
of our courage and strength. We live under the protection of
our all-loving and omnipotent heavenly Father. If God is with
us, who can overpower us?

Penitential Act to bravely witness to Jesus

Entrance Antiphon
(To be recited only when no Entrance
Hymn is sung.)
The Lord is the strength of
his people, a saving refuge for
the one he has anointed. Save
your people, Lord, and bless
your heritage, and govern
them for ever.
Greeting
P –Blessed be Jesus who
saved us from the curse of sin
and death. May his grace and
peace be with you all!
All – And with your spirit!
P –As we prepare to celebrate and his Gospel in our daily
the Sacred Mysteries, let us call life, Lord, have mercy!
to mind our sins and ask the Lord All – Lord, have mercy!
for pardon and strength. (Pause) P – May almighty God have
P –For the times we have mercy on us, forgive us our sins,
placed all our trust in mate- and bring us to everlasting life.
rial resources rather than in All – Amen!
the grace of our loving God,
Lord, have mercy! Gloria
All – Lord, have mercy!
P –For the times we have All – Glory to God in the high-
caused others to be dis- est, and on earth peace to
couraged, instead of being people of good will. We praise
for them a source of enthu- you, we bless you, we adore
siasm and strength, Christ, you, we glorify you, we give
have mercy! you thanks for your great glory,
All –Christ, have mercy! Lord God, heavenly King, O
P –For the times we have failed God, almighty Father.

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 Lord Jesus Christ, Only Be-
gotten 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 (Opening Prayer)
P –Grant, O Lord, that we may
always revere and love your
holy name, for you never de-
prive of your guidance those
you set firm on the foundation of
your love.
Through our Lord Jesus
Christ, your Son, who lives and
reigns with you in the unity of
the HolySpirit, God, for ever and
ever.
All – Amen!
1st Reading Jer 20:10-13
Weakened by occasional fits
of discouragement and the vi-
cious assaults of his opponents,
the prophet Jeremiah always
found in the Lord the source of
his renewed strength. Such is the
encouraging message we can
derive from our first Biblical
passage.
R –A proclamation from the
Book of the Prophet Jer-
emiah
Jeremiah said: “I hear the
whisperings of many: ‘Ter-
ror on every side! Denounce!
Let us denounce him!’ All
those who were my friends
are on the watch for any mis-
step of mine. ‘Perhaps he will
be trapped; then we can pre-
vail, and take our vengeance
on him.’ But the Lord is with
me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble,
they will not triumph. In their
failure they will be put to utter
25 June 2023
shame, to lasting, unforget-
table confusion.
O Lord of hosts, you who
test the just, who probe mind
and heart, let me witness the
vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my
cause.
Sing to the Lord, praise the
Lord, for he has rescued the
life of the poor from the power
of the wicked!”
The Word of the Lord!
All – Thanks be to God!
Responsorial Psalm Ps 69
R – Lord, in your great love,
answer me!
* For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to
my brothers, a stranger to my
mother’s children, because
zeal for your house consumes
me, and the insults of those
who blaspheme you fall upon
me. R.
* I pray to you, O Lord, for
the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer
me with your constant help.
Answer me, O Lord, for boun-
teous is your kindness; in your
great mercy turn toward me.
R.
* “See, you lowly ones, and
be glad; you who seek God,
may your hearts revive! For
the Lord hears the poor, and
his own who are in bonds he
spurns not. Let the heavens
and the earth praise him, the
seas and whatever moves in
them!” R.
2nd Reading Rom 5:12-15
Adam’s sin has introduced
death and misery into this
world. But the redemption
wrought by Jesus has poured
the life of grace on all human
beings with an even greater
abundance. Such is the good
news bannered by St. Paul in
today’s Second Reading.
R –A proclamation from the
Letter of Paul to the Ro-
mans
Brothers and sisters:
Through one man sin entered
the world, and through sin,
death, and thus death came
to all men, inasmuch as all
sinned – for up to the time of
the law, sin was in the world,
though sin is not accounted
when there is no law. But
death reigned from Adam to
Moses, even over those who
did not sin after the pattern of
the trespass of Adam, who is
the type of the one who was to
come.
But the gift is not like the
transgression. For if by the
transgression of the one the
many died, how much more
did the grace of God and the
gracious gift of the one man
Jesus Christ overflow for the
many.
The Word of the Lord!
All – Thanks be to God!
Gospel Acclamation
All – Alleluia! Alleluia!
The Spirit of truth will
testify to me, says the
Lord; and you also will
testify.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Gospel Mt 10:26-33
Today, Jesus tells his newly
commissioned apostles and us
not to be afraid of anything or
anybody because our heavenly
Father constantly watches over
us with love and power.
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 said to the Twelve:
“Fear no one. Nothing is
concealed that will not be re-
vealed, nor secret that will
not be known. What I say to
you in the darkness, speak in
the light; what you hear whis-
pered, proclaim on the house-
tops. And do not be afraid of
those who kill the body but
cannot kill the soul. Rather,
be afraid of the one who can
destroy both soul and body in
Gehenna.
 Are not two sparrows sold
for a small coin? Yet not one
of them falls to the ground
without your Father’s know-
ledge. Even all the hairs of
your head are counted. So do
not be afraid; you are worth
more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknow-
ledges me before others I will
acknowledge before my heav-
enly Father. But whoever de-
nies me before others, I will
deny before my heavenly Fa-
ther.”
The Gospel of the Lord!
All – Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ!
Homily
Profession of Faith
(Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed)
All –I believe in one God, the Fa-
ther 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 be-
fore 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, (bow)* and by the Holy
Spirit was incarnate of the Vir-
gin Mary, and became man.*
For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate, he suf-
fered 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 glori-
fied, who has spoken through
the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, cath-
olic 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 –Like the prophet Jeremiah
and the apostles, we, too, have
often experienced the difficul-
ty of remaining faithful to the
Lord. Let us then confidently
turn to him for help as we pray:
All – Lord, teach us to trust
in you!
C –For the whole Church, the
community of the disciples of
Christ: May she follow her Mas-
ter faithfully in spite of all op-
positions. Let us pray! R.
C –For the Holy Father and
other leaders of the Church:
May they put their trust in the
Lord as they witness to Him in
their lives. Let us pray! R.
C –For all fathers: May they
mirror to their families the
strength and tenderness of God
the Father, the generous love of
God the Son, and the wisdom
and healing of God the Holy
Spirit. Let us pray! R.
C –For all those who are called
to follow Jesus more closely:
May they have the generosity to
respond to his call and persevere
in the good work. Let us pray!R.
C –For ourselves and all the
people dear to us: May we be
blessed in our undertakings and
protected from all evil. Let us
pray! R.
C –Let us pray in silence for
our personal intentions.
(Pause) Let us pray! R.
P –Lord Jesus, grant us the
grace to overcome our uncer-
tainties and to value you more
than anything else on earth. You
who live and reign for ever and
ever.
All – Amen!
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 –Receive, O Lord, the sacri-
fice of reconciliation and praise
and grant that, cleansed by its
action, we may offer hearts
pleasing to you.
Through Christ our Lord.
All – Amen!
Preface VII
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,
almighty and eternal God. For
you so loved the world that
in your mercy you sent us the
Redeemer, to live like us in all
things but sin, so that you might
love in us what you loved in your
Son. By his obedience we have
been restored to those gifts of
yours that, by sinning, we had
lost in disobedience. And so,
Lord, with all the Angels and
Saints, we, too, give you thanks,
as in exultation 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!
All – Our Father . . .
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
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
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 –This is the Lord Jesus who
strengthens us in our afflic-
tions. He is the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the
world. Blessed are those who
are called to his Supper.
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
(To be recited only when
no Communion Hymn is sung.)
The eyes of all look to you,
Lord, and you give them their
food in due season. strengthen you with His
grace.
Prayer after Communion All – Amen!
P –Renewed and nourished by
P –May He console you in
the Sacred Body and Precious your afflictions and re-
Blood of your Son, we ask of ward you for your perse-
your mercy, O Lord, that what
we celebrate with constant devo-
verance in resisting evil
tion may be our sure pledge of and doing good.
All – Amen!
redemption.
Through Christ our Lord. P –May He make you instru-
All – Amen! ments of His consolation
in your family, work-
place and community.
All – Amen!
P – May almighty God bless
you: the Father, and the
P –The Lord be with you.
All – And with your spirit! Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All – Amen!
P –Bow your heads and P –Go in peace to love and
pray for God’s blessing. serve the Lord.
(Pause) All – Thanks be to God!
–May the Lord stand by
you in all your trials and

STRENGTHENED BY GOD’S PRESENCE

• Jess P. Balon

I
t’s a tough job to be a prophet. It was
never easy. Those who are chosen for
this mission o en realize it only later in
their life. Some mes God seems to leave the
prophet on his own, right when the danger is
greater. That’s the moment when the faithful-
ness of the prophet is tested.
Moses experienced those difficult mo-
ments. So did Jeremiah and the author of
Psalm 22 – the psalm Jesus chose to recite
during his agony on the cross. This shows
that Jesus also experienced the “absence” of
God during the most cri cal moments of his
earthly life.
But every real prophet, deep in his heart,
knows that God is not absent. He does not
abandon those He has chosen and sent,
provided they put all their trust in Him. In His
own me and in ways that He alone knows,
God does reveal His reassuring, consoling,
strengthening, and saving presence. And
through His unfailing grace He brings victory
both over the external enemies and the inter-
nal weakness of the persecuted prophet.
All ChrisƟans are called to share in the
propheƟc role of Christ. They are called to
be “prophets of God” in their own me and
society. This may occasionally entail sharing
in Jesus’ suffering and persecu on for the
sake of the Kingdom, for no disciple is greater
than the Master, as he himself said.
“Be not afraid!” Jesus said to his disciples
in today’s passage, and on several other oc-
casions. (See Lk 5:10 and Mk 4:40.) “Be not
afraid!” says the refrain of the popular song
with the same tle. “Be not afraid!” is also
the message Saint John Paul II kept repea ng
to all men of goodwill. Indeed, we should not
be afraid, but instead, take courage and be
full of confidence, for “God is watching” over
us. We are under His powerful and loving
protec on.
No one should be frightened by sad pros-
pects and threats, as if we were le to our-
selves. God our Father will never abandon His
chosen ones in the power of their enemies.
And even when He allows their bodies to be
destroyed, He s ll has the whole eternity to
reward His prophets for their faithfulness
unto death.

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