"Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself."


REPONSORIAL PSALM          117:1bc,2
R. Go out to all the world and tell the good news.
Praise the Lord, all you nations;
glorifiy him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world and tell the good news.
For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world and tell the good news.


ALLELUIA
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.


GOSPEL          Matthew 9:35-10:1
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.


PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Father of mercy,
we have these gifts to offer in honor of your saints
who bore witness to your mighty power.
May the power of the Eucharist
bring us your salvation.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.


COMMUNION ANTIPHON I, the Lord, am with you always, until the end of the world. - (Mt. 28:20)


PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Lord,
may the mysteries we receive
prepare us for the eternal joys
Saint John Mary Vianney won by his faithful ministry.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

The Office of Readings


SECOND READING

From the Catechetical Instructions by St. John Mary Vianney, priest

The glorious duty of man: to pray and to love

My little children, reflect on these words: the Christian’s treasure is not on earth but in heaven. Our thoughts, then ought to be directed to where our treasure is. This is the glorious duty of man: to pray and to love. If you pray and love, that is where a man’s happiness lies.

Prayer is nothing else but union with God. When one has a heart that is pure and united with God, he is given a kind of serenity and sweetness that makes him ecstatic, a light that surrounds him with marvelous brightness. In this intimate union, God and the soul are fused together like two bits of wax that no one can ever pull apart. This union of God with a tiny creature is a lovely thing. It is a happiness beyond understanding.

We had become unworthy to pray, but God in his goodness allowed us to speak with him. Our prayer is incense that gives him the greatest pleasure.

My little children, your hearts are small, but prayer stretches them and makes them capable of loving God. Through prayer we receive a foretaste of heaven and something of paradise comes down upon us. Prayer never leaves us without sweetness. It is honey that flows into the soul and makes all things sweet. When we pray properly, sorrows disappear like snow before the sun.

Prayer also makes time pass very quickly and with such great delight that one does not notice its length. Listen: Once when I was a purveyor in Bresse and most of my companions were ill, I had to make a long journey. I prayed to the good God, and believe me, the time did not seem long.

Some men immerse themselves as deeply in prayer as fish in water, because they give themselves totally to God. There is not division in their hearts. O, how I love these noble souls! Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Colette used to see our Lord and talk to him just as we talk to one another.

How unlike them we are! How often we come to church with no idea of what to do or what to ask for. And yet, whenever we go to any human being, we know well enough why we go. And still worse, there are some who seem to speak to the good God like this: “I will only say a couple of things to you, and then I will be rid of you.” I often think that when we come to adore the Lord, we would receive everything we ask for, if we would ask with living faith and with a pure heart.


RESPONSORY      2 Cor. 4:17; 1 Cor 2:9
Our troubles pass quickly,
and their burden seems light
when we compare them to the weight of eternal glory
- which far exceeds the burden of our suffering.

No eye has seen, no ear heard,
nor has the heart of man conceived,
the marvels God has prepared for those who love him.
- Which far exceeds the burden of our suffering.


PRAYER
Father of mercy,
you made Saint John Vianney outstanding
in his priestly zeal and concern for your people.
By his example and prayers,
enable us to win our brothers and sisters
to the love of Christ
and come with them to eternal glory.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.