Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

General Intercessions

Celebrant: Blessed are the poor, the sorrowing, and those who seek peace and justice. The truth of these words gives us confidence now to pray.

Deacon/Lector:

That the Church may proclaim the Beatitudes with clarity and live them with fidelity, we pray to the Lord...

That the powerful and influential of the world may hear God's word and boast only in the Lord, we pray to the Lord...

That God's people may seek justice by working to save the poorest of the poor, the unborn children in danger of abortion, we pray to the Lord...

That the upcoming Lenten season may be a time of spiritual renewal for our parish and our families, we pray to the Lord...

That the sick may find comfort in the lesson of the Beatitudes, and that in their suffering and loneliness they may find the Lord's consolation, we pray to the Lord...

That those who have died, especially those who were ridiculed for their faith, may rejoice in their heavenly reward, we pray to the Lord...

Celebrant:

Father, 
We hunger and thirst for holiness,
And we long for the peace that comes from you.
As you hear our prayers,
Grant us all that is good,
And keep us in your loving care.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bulletin Insert

Bulletin Insert

"Super-Duper Tuesday"

Religion and politics do mix. In a special document issued in November, our bishops once again echoed the longstanding teaching of the Church that good Christians are called to be good citizens. The bishops wrote, “We are called to bring together our principles and our political choices, our values and our votes, to help build a better world.” This Tuesday, February 5, many states are holding their primaries and caucuses for the Presidential race. Let us pray that all citizens will exercise their duty to vote and that they will do so as people informed of the positions of the candidates and the parties and also informed of the teachings of the faith about the responsibilities of public officials. 

Homily Hints 

Zep 2:3; 3:12-13
1 Cor 1:26-31
Mt 5:1-12a

It would be hard to find a set of readings more appropriate for comment on pro-life themes than those of this weekend. The Beatitudes (Gospel) are all about turning upside-down the way the world evaluates who is important and worthy of attention. The Lord and the Church point us to “those who count for nothing” (Second Reading) in the eyes of the world as those specially favored by God. When the Beatitudes speak of the “poor,” they do not only mean those who are materially deprived. Scripture refers to the “poor” as those who are completely dependent upon God, those who have no worldly help, those who have been marginalized.

The unborn are the poorest of the poor. In the eyes of so many in the world, and in the eyes of the law, they “count for nothing”. They have little or no defense. They are the ones, above all, to whom the words of today’s responsorial psalm can be applied: “The Lord…secures justice for the oppressed; the Lord sets captives free…and raises up those that were bowed down.”

The Lord does this, of course, through his people, who, as the Beatitudes say, “are sorrowing” (because they weep over the injustices of the world, like abortion); “hunger and thirst for justice” (to see the rights of all respected); “show mercy” (particularly to those in danger of death); are “peacemakers” (for, as Mother Teresa said, the greatest destroyer of peace is abortion); and “are insulted and persecuted for my sake” (as many pro-life activists are).

The Lord secures justice, as the psalm says. Therefore, Zephaniah urges the Lord’s people, “seek justice,” and the Beatitudes declare that those who do so are blessed. To be like God we must do the works of God. Today let us call God’s people to active involvement in the pro-life cause.

[For those in states that are having primaries or caucuses on February 5, it would be appropriate to tie this into the responsibility to vote so that we can choose leaders who will advance the protection of life. The words of the bishops, and other reflections on this theme, can be found at our special website, www.PoliticalResponsibility.org.]
 

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