DOUBLE / GREEN
Tempted
by a fallen angel, Adam rebelled and lost his paradisiacal sonship.
That finished Eden's peace. After centuries, Jesus came, undid Satin's
lie and Adam's rebellion, and purchased sonship anew for all men. It is
not so much the fall that matters, as the restoration. "Where the
offense has abounded, grace has abounded yet more" (Rom. 5:20). By this
abundant grace, every adopted child of God can subject the flesh to the
spirit, be a just manager of material affairs, and trust in God's
fatherly providence.
INTROIT Ps. 47:10-11
We
have received Your kindness, O God, within Your temple. As Your name, O
God, is known to the ends of the earth, so also shall Your praise be
voiced to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is just in all things.
Ps. 47:2. Great is the Lord, and worthy of all praise in the city of our God, upon His holy mountain.
V. Glory be . . .
COLLECT
O
Lord, we cannot exist without You. Inspire us to think and act rightly,
that we may always live as You would have us live. Through our Lord . . .
Commemoration of SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA
In the year 1521 a cannon ball fractured the left leg of
Captain Ignatius Loyola, the future founder of the Jesuits. While he was
convalescing, Ignatius read about Christ and His saints and thus turned wholly
to God. He then undertook to equip himself for Christ's service by acquiring a
good classical and theological education. On the feast of the Assumption, 1534,
the seven pioneer Jesuits pronounced their vows in Paris. The members of the
Society of Jesus became the shock troops of the Church in the battle against the
spread of Protestantism in Europe, as well as one of the greatest foreign
mission organizations that the world has known. Ignatius died on July 31,
1556.
O
God, in order to promote the greater glory of Your name, You fortified Your
Church militant with a new army through the work of blessed Ignatius. may his
help and example bring us through our battle on earth to be crowned with him in
heaven. Through our Lord . . .
EPISTLE Rom. 8:12-17
Brethren:
We are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: for if ye
live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death
the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For ye received not the spirit of
bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby
we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself beareth
witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: and if children,
then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we
suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.
GRADUAL Ps. 30:3; 70:1
Be a God of protection to me, a place of shelter to give me safety.
V. I have placed my trust in You, O God; let me never be put to shame.
Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 47:2
Great is the Lord and worthy of all praise in the city of our God, upon His holy mountain. Alleluia!
GOSPEL Luke 16: 1-9
At that time, Jesus spoke to His disciples this parable: "There
was a certain rich man, who had a steward; and the same was accused
unto him that he was wasting his goods. And he called him, and said unto
him, 'What is this that I hear of thee? render the account of thy stewardship; for thou canst be no longer steward.' "And
the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do, seeing that my lord
taketh away the stewardship from me? I have not strength to dig; to beg I
am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the
stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.' And calling to him
each one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, 'How much owest
thou unto my lord?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he
said unto him, 'Take thy bond, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'
Then said he to another, 'And how much owest thou?' And he said, 'A
hundred measures of wheat.' He saith unto him, 'Take thy bond, and write
fourscore.' "And
his lord commended the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely:
for the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the
sons of the light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends by
means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when it shall fail, they
may receive you into the eternal tabernacles."
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Ps. 17:28, 32
You will save the humble, O Lord, but the eyes of the proud You will bring low, for who is God except You, O Lord?
SECRET
Accept
these gifts, which Your bounty makes it possible for us to offer You, O
Lord. May the grace of this sacred rite sanctify our lives on earth and
bring us to eternal happiness. Through our Lord . . .
Commemoration of SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA
We join our offering, O Lord God, to the gracious
prayers of blessed Ignatius so that we may in truth be sanctified by these most
sacred mysteries which were instituted as the source of all holiness. Through
our Lord . . .
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Ps. 33:9
Taste and see how good is the Lord; blessed is the man who trusts in Him.
POSTCOMMUNION
May this heavenly Sacrament bring us health of soul and body, O Lord, and make us feel the power of the sacred rite we have celebrated. Through our Lord . . .
Commemoration of SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA
O Lord, may our offering of this Sacrifice of
praise in thanksgiving for the saint Ignatius bring us through this life in
answer to his prayers, and lead us to heaven where we shall praise Your majesty
for all eternity. Through our Lord . . .