Ninth Sunday in
Ordinary Time, Cycle A
General Intercessions
Celebrant: All have sinned and are
deprived of God's glory. In Christ, however, we find our salvation, and with
confidence in him we bring our petitions to the Father.
Deacon/Lector:
That the pastors of the Church may both live
and teach the solid foundation of the Word of God and guide their people to
build their lives upon it, we pray to the Lord...
That international efforts for peace and
justice may be guided by the commandments of God and transformed by the
redemptive power of Christ's blood, we pray to the Lord...
That we may not only hear but also do the
Lord's will by caring for the poor, the sick, the marginalized, and the
unborn, we pray to the Lord…
For all who have never heard the Gospel, that
they may be reached with this good news of salvation and embrace it with
faith, we pray to the Lord...
That the sick may be healed, and the deceased
freed from sin and admitted to heavenly glory, we pray to the Lord...
Celebrant:
Father,
As we present you our needs,
Keep us firmly rooted
On the solid foundation of your Word.
Fulfill our needs,
And keep us faithful to you.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bulletin Insert
"I come from a family of four. I lived next door
to a family of 10 children, and those children were always happy! They were
happy within themselves. My mother comes from a family of twelve. [Children
in large families] seem to have things that money can’t buy." …From an
interview with Lucille Dippolito, mother of 20 children.
Homily Suggestions
Dt 11:18, 26-28, 32
Rom 3:21-25, 28
Mt 7:21-27
The readings today reveal the theme that the
grace by which we are freely justified (2nd reading) leads to a life of
obedience, and that obedience is linked to life. By following the Lord’s
commandments (1st reading) and by doing the will of the Father (Gospel), God’s
people flourish, withstand the trials of life, and ultimately inherit the life
that never ends.
The first reading comes from the 11th chapter of
Deuteronomy; its theme is repeated in the well-known “Choose life” passage of
Deuteronomy 30.
The scene of the judgment given in Matthew 7
raises a distinction which at first is surprising. One might think that those
who exercised gifts of prophecy or exorcism knew the Lord and were close to him.
But it is not the gifts one is given or the skills one has that make him holy.
It is obedience, union with the will of God.
We see striking examples in the culture of death
where the external symbols of Christianity coexist with actions that take human
lives. More than one set of rosaries have been seen hanging from the rear view
mirrors of cars heading into abortion facilities. The challenge of today’s
readings focuses on allowing the externals of our faith shape our interior
lives, and the source of our decisions.
Liturgical
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