Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
- Why would people ignore an invitation to a great feast? Why would some react with violence to the bearers of such a pleasant invitation? Why feel annoyed and threatened by this extraordinarily generous king? Their behaviour exemplifies the irrationality of sin, a false understanding of freedom, and the refusal to let ourselves be loved and feted by our Creator and Redeemer. Nonetheless, God will never cease preparing and providing this rich feast of his Son. For true happiness comes when we realise, with Saint Paul, that “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” “Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
Entrance Antiphon
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But with you is found forgiveness, O God of Israel.
Gloria
Collect
May your grace, O Lord, we pray,
at all times go before us and follow after
and make us always determined
to carry out good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
- The Lord will make a feast, and he will wipe away tears from all faces.
A reading from the Prophet Isaiah 25:6-10a
On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death for ever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.
The word of the Lord.
Psalm 23
RIn the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for length of days unending.
The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me;
he revives my soul.
RIn the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for length of days unending.
He guides me along the right path,
for the sake of his name.
Though I should walk in the valley of the shadow of death,
no evil would I fear, for you are with me.
Your crook and your staff will give me comfort.
RIn the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for length of days unending.
You have prepared a table before me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.
RIn the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for length of days unending.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for length of days unending.
RIn the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for length of days unending.
- I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Brothers and sisters: I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The word of the Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia. May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, enlighten the eyes of our hearts, so that we may know the hope to which he has called us. Alleluia.
- Invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 22:1-14
[For the shorter form (22:1-10), omit the text in brackets.]
At that time: Jesus again spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people, in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. (“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”)
The Gospel of the Lord.
Credo
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, O Lord, the prayers of your faithful
with the sacrificial offerings,
that, through these acts of devotedness,
we may pass over to the glory of heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.
Preface of Sundays in Ordinary Time
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory,
Hosanna in the highest,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.
Communion Antiphon
The rich suffer want and go hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.
Or:
When the Lord appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Prayer after Communion
We entreat your majesty most humbly, O Lord, that, as you feed us with the nourishment which comes from the most holy Body and Blood of your Son, so you may make us sharers of his divine nature.Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory,
Hosanna in the highest,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.