Greeting (See Second Reading)
It is certain that the grace of God came to us through one man, Jesus Christ, and it came to us as a free gift. May Jesus pour out his grace on you and may he always be with you. R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
- No Room for Fear
Nothing can give us more trust and courage than to know that someone loves us deeply. Faith is really the trust and conviction that God loves us, and loves us deeply. When we are aware of this love, there is no more room for fear. People with deep faith are not afraid to profess that faith, speak out, and commit themselves to all that this faith and love imply. We ask Jesus in this Eucharist to fill us with faith and love, and so to take all fear away from us.
- Witness, Speak Up!
What do we do when we have to speak up about our faith, what we believe in as human persons and as Christians? Do we dare to speak up? Or do we hide our faith or minimise it? The message of today’s celebration is this: Do not be afraid to bear witness to your faith. Speak up, trust in God. For the Lord stands by your side. We ask the Lord present here for this courage.
Penitential Act
Our love of the Lord is still imperfect. This is why we are still afraid of bearing witness to him in word and deed. We ask him now to forgive us. (pause)
Lord Jesus, you ask us to proclaim you without fear: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you want us to trust you and the Father, for we are precious to you: Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you expect us to bear fearless witness to you by our words and the way we live: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Forgive us all our fears, Lord, and give us the courage to respond with trust to your love. Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray that our life and words may speak out for the Lord (pause)
Lord God, our Father, We have experienced much grace and love and forgiving mercy from you And your Son Jesus has brought us an unforgettable message of joy. Do not allow us ever to forget this and make us bold enough to share with others What we have received from you as a free gift. May our very lives bear witness that Jesus walks by our side and that we should never be afraid of proclaiming with our very lives our hope and trusting faith in you. Grant this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
First Reading: Jeremiah 20:10-13
The Lord is at My Side: The tragedy of Jeremiah was that the people rejected him for speaking in God’s name. Still, he kept trusting in the Lord.
Second Reading: Romans 5:12-15
One in the Grace of Christ: When people were one in sin, Jesus came to make them one in grace.
Gospel: Matthew 10:26-33
Do Not Be Afraid: Do not be afraid, says Jesus, but live your faith and bear witness to it without fear, for you are in the hands of God.
Prayers of the Faithful
Let us pray with complete trust to our Father in heaven, that, free from all paralyzing fears, we may have the courage born from faith to build up his kingdom. Let us say: R/ Lord, we place our trust in you.
– For the Church, that our leaders may not be discouraged by the trials and pains of renewal, and that they may count on our prayers and support, let us pray: R/ Lord, we place our trust in you.
– For our country, that we may continue without fear to bear witness to the gospel by working for justice and human dignity, let us pray: R/ Lord, we place our trust in you.
– For the sick and the suffering, the poor and the downtrodden, that they may not lose courage; that they may get out of their apathy and fatalism and that we may give them hope and love, let us pray: R/ Lord, we place our trust in you.
– For all of us, that we may not fear those who threaten or ridicule us but that we may live in trust of God who carries us in his hands, let us pray: R/ Lord, we place our trust in you.
– For our Christian communities, that we may not be divided into factions and not label one another, but that we may trust one another and build God’s kingdom together, let us pray: R/ Lord, we place our trust in you.
Lord our God, with you on our side, there is no reason for fear. Wake us up, make us walk and give us the strength to go all the way to you, with Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
Our God and Father, your Son Jesus Christ showed us how we can believe and pray, live and even die with the fullest trust in you. As he is with us now, help us to trust in ourselves, in people around us, and especially in you, our living God. Reassure us that life is worth living, that love and justice can move this world, and that you lead us to your future. Give us the trust and courage of Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
Jesus carried out his mission and lived trustingly in the hands of the Father. We join him now in his sacrifice and express with him this same deep trust, as we ask for the courage to live our faith.
Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer
Knowing that we are in the Father’s hands, We pray to him with the fullest trust The prayer of Jesus himself: R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from sin and all fear to declare ourselves for you in the presence of people and to commit ourselves to your work of integrity and truth. Fill us with your quiet courage to stand up for the freedom and human dignity of our brothers and sisters, that we may not mar the image of your Son. Help us to prepare with joy and hope the full coming among us of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is the body of our Saviour. Come to him without fear, for he will fill us with his strength to bear witness to him. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Thanksgiving
Instead of the silence after communion, the following prayer of trust by Charles de Foucauld could be slowly read by the leader.
God, I entrust myself to you. Do with me what you want. Whatever you wish to do with me, I thank you.
I am ready for everything, I accept everything. Provided your will be done in me and in all your creatures, I desire nothing else, my God.
I place my soul into your hands, I give it to you, my God, with all the love of my heart, because I love you, because it is to me a demand of love to give myself, to commit myself to you without reserve, with an unlimited trust, For you are my Father.
Prayer after Communion
Our God and Father we know that you love us, for you have given us your Son to go with us through life. Free us from our fears and self-pity, and give us the courage to face life with the loyalty and openness of your Son. Help us to give up our worries, our competition and distrust of one another, and our hesitation to stand up for you and for all that is good. Be with us now and forever through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
Do not be afraid, for the Father loves us. Do not be afraid, for Christ walks by our side. Do not be afraid, for the Holy Spirit will give us courage. Do not be afraid, for we are in God’s hands. Go and face life and bear witness to God’s love with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go in the peace of Christ. R/ Thanks be to God.
REFLECTIONS: Matthew 10:26-33
"Do not be afraid"
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus warns the disciples of the adversities that await them. Jesus is preparing his Apostles for their first experience of proclaiming the Kingdom of God and persistently exhorts them “not to be afraid.”
Matthew was writing the Gospel during the reign of Emperor Domitian, who persecuted Christians for refusing to worship him as "Lord and God." In Ephesus, a temple was constructed with a colossal statue of Domitian. The local authorities wanted everyone to bow down and worship the image of the emperor.
Christians who refused to worship the emperor were tortured, discriminated against, and had their properties confiscated. It was becoming increasingly difficult for many Christians to endure these constant harassments and they were at the point of apostasy. How to help them through this challenging time?
In this historical context, to encourage and comfort the Christians of his community, Matthew wrote the sayings of Jesus regarding the difficulties they would have to bear. The Gospel of today emphasises three times: “Do not be afraid! ”For those who have chosen to follow Christ, fear is their worst enemy. People may be anxious about losing their position, losing their friendships, losing their property, getting punished, demoted, or even dying. Now the disciples are afraid of the violence unleashed by the enemies of Christ. They are scared that their mission might fail.
When Jesus says, "What I say to you in darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops", we might be a little confused unless we understand Jewish customs. Whenever the Rabbis wanted to send their disciples to preach in public, they first trained them in secret. Hence, the disciples, who learned in secret from the Rabbis, kept their knowledge to themselves for a long time before later proclaiming it to the public. That is precisely the role of Jesus' disciples today. The disciples are to proclaim in public what they heard from Jesus.
Jesus' life, suffering, death and resurrection are the best proof for the disciples. After his crucifixion and burial, Jesus' enemies were convinced they had silenced him forever and put a huge, immovable rock on him and his message. However, on Easter day, he is risen, just as the seed, buried in the ground, dies but only to reappear a hundredfold.
Sadly, many people are still killed for the cause of the Gospel today. Even without bloodshed, persecution exists. Sometimes it openly manifests itself through insults, public taunts, subtle and disguised marginalisation, discrimination, and exclusion … Yet the Lord's message is, "Do not be afraid."
