Year 37 No.
7 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) — Green
Presenting Your pains
T he boundaries between Israel
and their pagan neighbors
were porous. People could come
in and go out without much
problem. When Jesus needed to
rest, he would go out of Israel. In
Tyre and Sidon, Jesus thinks that
nobody recognize him. But he
is wrong. A Canaanite woman
approaches, confessing her pain
for the demonic possession of
her daughter. Jesus is hesitant
to grant the wish of the woman.
He tries to dissuade her by
comparing gentiles like this
woman to “dogs,” insisting on
the limits of his mission to the
house of Israel. But the woman
does not stop, presenting louder
her pain: “Have pity on me!” The
woman gets what she wished for:
the healing of her daughter.
No distinction was made
then between insanity and
demonic possession. But her
child’s abnormality may have
brought shame to her other
relatives. The woman carries
this burden as “pain.” She is not
ashamed of her child, suffering
with her. This mother manifests a
compassionate love that feels the
pain of the beloved that in turn
touches the heart of Jesus.
August 20, 2023
to Jesus by Fr. Tim Melliza, SSP
This woman, by calling Jesus and bad conduct. When we fill
the “son of David,” also knows ourselves with negative ideas
something of Israel and Judaism. about ourselves, when we do not
Most probably, she has visited
the temple of Jerusalem and
seek liberation, we narrate a sad
history about ourselves. We lose
worshipped Yahweh. “Son of touch of the value of life, having
discolored it with pain. Such is
David” indicates her belief that
the case of many people who
Jesus is the messiah. It may be the
commit suicide nowadays. They
first time she meets Jesus. Being
do not want to end their lives, but
near him and feeling his special
the pain they suffer makes them
presence convinces her that she
do it. Not having the courage
is before someone who could
to share it with others, or being
save her daughter. Jesus in this
ashamed of the failures and sins,
sense becomes more important
they end up blaming themselves.
than her pain.
Jesus is a friend who would
Our capacity to share our pain
never fail us. Our courage to
Jesus means also that he is close
be persistent in sharing with
to us. Pope Francis writes that
him our pains could be our way
the best way to be near Jesus is to
out from the imprisonment of
have the gospel in our pockets,
desperation and depression. He
the cross in our necks, and a
may not answer at once. But
rosary in our hands. When we
we know from the story of this
manage to pray while sitting or
woman that our persistence will
walking, we can say that Jesus
and does pay off. Presenting our
follows us like a shadow. It comes
pains to Jesus and accepting
naturally for us to share with him
this cross with courage lead us
our pain. We know and believe
to a deeper relationship with
that he alone can deliver us from
him. Consequently, we assume
the darkness of our painful past,
a positive outlook of ourselves,
and we can put our tragic stories
and Jesus becomes a friend who
before him without shame.
carries with us our pains. Since
When we do not know how he is there present because of our
to share our pains, we naturally pains, we may even see them,
absorb them. We keep the pain our tragic stories, as moments of
to ourselves. These pains could grace: God’s way to our hearts
be frustrations and failures, sins and ours to his.
 THE INTRODUCTORY RITES
Entrance Antiphon
(Ps 84[83]:10–11)
(Recited when there is no opening song.)
Turn your eyes, O God, our
shield; and look on the face
of your anointed one; one day
within your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
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 —Great faith conquers
difficulties and sorrows: Jesus
heals a Canaanite woman’s
daughter who is tormented
by a demon. Great faith
overcomes racial and social
barriers: though “sent only to
the lost sheep of the house
of Israel,” Jesus ministers to
the pagan woman. Let us pray
for the gift of faith, so that we
can approach the Lord with
confidence.
Penitential Act
P —Brethren (brothers and
sisters), let us acknowledge our
sins, and so prepare ourselves to
celebrate the sacred mysteries.
(Pause)
P—You were sent to heal the
contrite of heart: Lord, have
mercy.
All—Lord, have mercy.
P—You came to call sinners:
Christ, have mercy.
All—Christ, have mercy.
P — You are seated at the
right hand of the Father to
intercede for us: 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 God, who have prepared
for those who love you good
things which no eye can see,
fill our hearts, we pray, with
the warmth of your love, so
that, loving you in all things
and above all things, we may
attain your promises, which
surpass every human desire.
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.
THE LITURGY
OF THE WORD
First Reading (Is 56:1, 6–7) (Sit)
Isaiah foresees the time when
foreigners or Gentiles join themselves
to the Lord. The prophecy is
fulfilled in Jesus who ministers to a
Canaanite woman in need.
A reading from the Book of
the Prophet Isaiah
THUS says the Lord:
Observe what is right, do what
is just; for my salvation is about
to come, my justice, about to
be revealed.
The foreigners who join
themselves to the L o r d ,
ministering to him, loving
the name of the L ord , and
becoming his servants—all
who keep the sabbath free
from profanation and hold to
my covenant, them I will bring
to my holy mountain and make
joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and
sacrifices will be acceptable
on my altar, for my house shall
be called a house of prayer for
all peoples.
—The word of the Lord.
All—Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm (Ps 67)
R—O God, let all the nations
praise you!
Sr. M.C.A. Parco, fsp
F Dm

        

O God, let all the
4 F C7 F
      
na tions praise you.
1. May God have pity on us
and bless us;/ may he let his
face shine upon us./ So may
your way be known upon
earth;/ among all nations, your
salvation. (R)
2. May the nations be glad and
exult/ because you rule the
peoples in equity;/ the nations
on the earth you guide. (R)
3. May the peoples praise you,
O God;/ may all the peoples
praise you!/ May God bless
us,/ and may all the ends of
the earth fear him! (R)
Second Reading
(Rom 11:13–15, 29–32 )
The mercy given to the Gentiles is a
sign for St. Paul that someday the
people of Israel, who have rejected
Christ, will be reconciled to God and
to the Lord Jesus.
A reading from the Letter of
Saint Paul to the Romans
BROTHERS AND SISTERS:
I am speaking to you Gentiles.
Inasmuch as I am the apostle
to the Gentiles, I glory in my
ministry in order to make my
race jealous and thus save some
of them. For if their rejection is
the reconciliation of the world,
what will their acceptance be
but life from the dead?
For the gifts and the call of
God are irrevocable. Just as you
once disobeyed God but have
now received mercy because of
their disobedience, so they have
now disobeyed in order that, by
virtue of the mercy shown to
you, they too may now receive
mercy. For God delivered all
to disobedience, that he might
have mercy upon all.
—The word of the Lord.
All—Thanks be to God.
Alleluia (Cf. Mt 4:23) (Stand)
All—Alleluia, alleluia. Jesus
proclaimed the Gospel of
the kingdom and cured every
disease among the people.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel (Mt 15:21–28)
P—A reading from the holy
Gospel according to Matthew
All—Glory to you, O Lord.
AT THAT TIME, Jesus withdrew
to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite
woman of that district came
and called out, “Have pity on
me, Lord, Son of David! My
daughter is tormented by a
demon.” But Jesus did not say
a word in answer to her. Jesus’
disciples came and asked him,
“Send her away, for she keeps
calling out after us.” He said
in reply, “I was sent only to
the lost sheep of the house
of Israel.” But the woman
came and did Jesus homage,
saying, “Lord, help me.” He
said in reply, “It is not right to
take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.” She
said, “Please, Lord, for even
the dogs eat the scraps that
fall from the table of their
masters.” Then Jesus said to
her in reply, “O woman, great
is your faith! Let it be done
for you as you wish.” And the
woman’s daughter was healed
from that hour.
—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 is a merciful and
loving Father who cares for
all his children. No one is
beyond the reach of God’s
loving embrace. We therefore
turn to God, the Father, with
confidence as we pray:
R—Father, come and help your
people.
C —May the Pope, bishops,
priests, and deacons continue
to accompany the poor, the
weak, the marginalized, and
the victims of injustice in their
struggle to achieve justice and
peace. We pray: (R)
C—May government and civil
leaders heed the cries of those
who suffer because of war,
violence, drug addiction, and
disease.We pray: (R)
C—May all the baptized seek
your healing love, O Father,
through the sacrament of
reconciliation and the Church’s
works of mercy. We pray: (R)
C —May all of us who are
gathered persevere in prayer like
the Canaanite woman and keep
your word in ordinary times as
well as in exceptional moments
of our lives. We pray: (R)
C—May those who are losing
hope because of sickness
and death of their loved ones
experience your compassion
through the care of others. May
our beloved dead rest in your
peace. We pray: (R)
C —Let us pray for the urgent
concerns of our community
and our personal intentions
(pause). We pray: (R)
P—With the Canaanite woman,
we raise our voices to you,
Lord, in supplication. Grant, O
heavenly Father, what we ask
for in great faith and confidence
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—Receive our oblation, O
Lord, by which is brought
about a glorious exchange,
that, by offering what you
have given, we may merit to
receive your very self.
Through Christ our Lord.
All—Amen.
Preface (Ordinary Time 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,
always 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 whose
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. (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
(Ps 130 [129]:7)
With the Lord there is mercy;
in him is plentiful redemption.
Prayer after Communion
(Stand)
P—Let us pray. (Pause)
Made partakers of Christ
through these Sacraments, we
humbly implore your mercy,
Lord, that, conformed to
his image on earth, we may
merit also to be his coheirs
in heaven.
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)
May almighty God always
keep every adversity far from
you and in his kindness pour
out upon you the gifts of his
blessing.
All—Amen.
P—May God keep your hearts
attentive to his words, that they
may be filled with everlasting
gladness.
All—Amen.
P—And so, may you always
understand what is good
and right, and be found ever
hastening along in the path
of God’s commands, made
coheirs with the citizens of
heaven.
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—The Mass has been offered.
Go in peace, glorifying the Lord
by your life.
All—Thanks be to God.
SHOP ONLINE
Visit our online store:
stpauls.ph