ALL ARE CALLED TO THE LIGHT
The reading from the third part of the book of Isaiah has for its keynote a confused universalism; on the one hand, it describes the conditions under which non-Jews will be admitted to worship in the temple and to enter the covenant; on the other hand, it says that all peoples are called to worship God.
In the Gospel, John the Baptist is described as the lamp testifying to Christ. But he himself is not the light. Christ is the Son of God and the light itself: what he does bears witness that he is not only the Messiah but also the Son of the heavenly Father.
Opening Prayer
Lord, our God,
through your Son, Jesus Christ,
you call all people to know you
and to offer you their worship.
Grant your Church,
the community of your people,
to be open to all nations and cultures,
that all may give you glory
in every language on earth
and that every culture may express
that no people is alien to you
in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen!
1 Reading ISAIAH 56:1-3a, 6-8
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. Blessed is the man who does this, the son of man who holds to it; Who keeps the Sabbath free from profanation, and his hand from any evildoing. Let not the foreigner say, when he would join himself to the LORD, “The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.” The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, ministering to him, Loving the name of the LORD, 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. Thus says the Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: Others will I gather to him besides those already gathered.
Responsorial PSALM 67:2-3, 5, 7-8
R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
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.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide. R.
The earth has yielded its fruits;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him! R.
Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia.
Come, Lord, bring us your peace
that we may rejoice before you with a perfect heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel JOHN 5:33-36
Jesus said to the Jews: “You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved. John was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.”
Commentary
God of Bridges, Not Walls
“God bless America” is a bumper sticker you often bump into on the US roads. Whenever I saw one, I used to wonder: “What about other nations?” “What about my country Nigeria?” My concerns were put to rest one day when I saw a car with a bumper sticker: “God bless America. And every other nation. No exceptions!” That was a pretty good gospel, I thought – a message that captured the heart of God in today’s first reading. Yahweh declares that no foreigner will feel excluded in his Kingdom, and his house will be a house of prayer for all nations, none exempted or forgotten. Jesus underscores the same when he says that he has other sheep that do not belong to his current fold and he will gather them so that there will be one flock under one shepherd (cf. Jn 10:16). A key message that shall not be forgotten in these times when we are more eager to build walls rather than bridges between peoples.
Intentions
– That we may keep doing the works of justice, so that everyone has a chance to live in human dignity, we pray:
– That foreigners among us may not be discriminated against but welcomed hospitably and treated well, we pray:
– That the Church may be open to all peoples and all cultures, as a place of universal brotherhood and love, we pray:
– That the works of justice and mercy we do may enlighten and attract many to Christ, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord, our God,
accept in this bread and this wine
our recognition of your Son, Jesus Christ,
as one of us, fully human,
yet our Saviour and our God.
May our thoughts and our way of life
bear witness that he is alive today
and that he is the Lord of all,
now and for ever. Amen!
Prayer after Communion
Lord, our God,
you call us to be lamps
alight and shining
in witness of Jesus your Son.
Let him be the bright flame
warming our hearts
and illuminating our lives,
so that we can draw all people
to walk in the light of your love,
for Jesus Christ is our Lord
and you are our God, for ever and ever. Amen!
Blessing
Let us work and pray that the house of God may be really a house of prayer for all people. We have to witness to all that Christ is alive in our world. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!