Churches of the Day
Pictorial Thought for Today

Photo by Hilary Musgrave
Jun 4 -Charles Lwanga and the Uganda Martyrs

There were martyrs in North Africa at the start of the third century. Two young married women, Perpetua and Felicity, thrown to wild animals in Carthage in 202, are mentioned in the Roman Canon.
The Uganda Martyrs are the first martyrs in the second wave of evangelisation of Africa in the 19th century.
Patrick Duffy tells their story.
Colonisation and Missionary Activity
Although directly the Uganda martyrs were the victims of a cruel dictator, indirectly they were also the victims of the fear of loss of a way of life felt by native societies when colonisers and missionaries move in. The Society of Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) were the first Catholic missionaries to reach southern Uganda in 1879. They were well received by the king, Mtesa, and the mission flourished till he died in 1884.
King Mwanga
His 18 year old son, Mwanga, then became king and though he had attended a mission school, he had not succeeded - for whatever reason - to learn to read and write, which did not help his self-esteem. Exploiting the fear of cultural change, the traditional advisors told him the ancestors were angry at how foreigners were taking over the country.
First Victim: Anglican Bishop
His first victim was an Anglican bishop, James Hannington, who when travelling to Uganda passed through land closed to white people. He was seized on the pretext of spying and, after keeping him for a week as a trophy, Mwanga had him killed. The king was drinking heavily, smoking hemp and given to homosexuality, which he is said to have learned from white traders.
First Indigenous Victims - New converts, Pages of the KingAt Mwanga's court there were a number of Christian converts who acted as pages. Their leader was Joseph Makasa, a newly converted Catholic. He tried to defend the younger pages from the advances of the new king. He also rebuked the king openly for the murder of Bishop Hannington. He was beheaded on 15 November 1885.
Charles Lwanga, another Catholic, took over as master of the pages and for a time protected them from the desires of the king. One day, however, King Mwanga called one of his pages named Mwafu and asked him what he had been doing that kept him away from Mwanga. He replied that he had been receiving religious instruction from Denis Sebuggwawo. Denis was summoned to the king who killed him, thrusting a spear through his throat.
Massacre at Namugongo
Alerted and angered by this catechetical activity, the king ordered all the pages to be rounded up. The Christians were separated from the others and asked if they intended to remain Christians and when they all said they did, Mwanga ordered them to be taken to a traditional place of sacrifice 37 miles away called Namugongo and put to death. Three were killed en route. When the others arrived they were forced to construct a pyre on which they were burned alive, a huge group of Catholics and Protestants, boys and men. Among them was Charles Lwanga and the youngest was a thirteen year old boy whom he had baptised - Kizito, who went to his death "laughing and chattering". Other victims whose names are known were Matthias Murumba, a judge, and Andrew Kagwa, a prominent catechist.
Blood of Martyrs: Seed of Christians
Of the martyrs that could be formally accounted for, twenty-two were Catholics and twenty-three Anglicans. These massacres led to a great increase in converts to Christianity. The Catholic martyrs were beatified in 1920 and canonised in 1964 during the Second Vatican Council by Pope Paul VI. Later in 1969 he was the first pope to visit the Catholic shrine at Namugongo.
Prayer
Father, you have made the blood of the martyrs the seed of Christians. May the witness of St Charles and his companions and their loyalty to Christ in the face of torture inspire countless men and women to live the Christian faith.

____________________________
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Memorable Sayings for Today
“Freedom is a privilege attained through the blood of martyrs.” “Our martyrs may be gone, but their spirit continues to inspire us.”
“On this Shaheed Diwas, salute our selfless heroes
who chose the path of sacrifice.”
“A martyr does not die, their sacrifice lives on forever.”
~ an Ugandan devotee ~
******************************
Thursday of the Ninth Week of Ordinary Time, Year 2
Saints of the Day: 3 June; 1. Charles Lwanga and Companions, martyrs
C/f A short life of be these saints can be found below todays' Readings and Reflection
FIRST READING
A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Timothy 2: 8-15
They cannot chain up God's news. If we have died with him, then we shall live with him.
Remember the Good News that I carry, 'Jesus Christ risen from the dead, sprung from the race of David'; it is on account of this that I have my own hardships to bear, even to being chained like a criminal - but they cannot chain up God's news. So I bear it all for the sake of those who are chosen, so that in the end they may have the salvation that is in Christ Jesus and the eternal glory that comes with it.Here is a saying that you rely on:
If we have died with him, then we shall live with him.
If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him.
If we disown him, then he will disown us.
We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful, for he cannot disown his own self.
Remind them of this; and tell them in the name of God that there is to be no wrangling about words: all that this ever achieves is the destruction of those who are listening. Do all you can to present yourself in front of God as a man who has come through his trials, and a man who has no cause to be ashamed of his life's work and has kept a straight course with the message of the truth.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
Responsorial Psalm Ps 24: 4-5. 8-10. 14. R/v 4
Response Lord, make me know your ways.
1. Lord, make me know your ways. Lord, teach me your paths.
Make me walk in your truth, and teach me: for you are God my saviour. Response
2. The Lord is good and upright. He shows the path to those who stray,
he guides the humble in the right path; he teaches his way to the poor. Response
3. His ways are faithfulness and love for those who keep his covenant and will.
The Lord's friendship is for those who revere him; to them he reveals his covenant. Response
Gospel Acclamation Jn 6: 63
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your words are spirit and they are life: you have the message of eternal life
Alleluia!
or 2 Tim 1. 10
Alleluia, alleluia!
Our saviour Christ Jesus abolished death,
and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Mark 12: 28-34 Glory to you, O Lord
This is the first commandment. The second is like it.
One of the scribes came up to Jesus and put a question to him,

'Which is the first of all the commandments?'
Jesus replied, 'This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.
The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.'
The scribe said to him,
'Well spoken, Master; what you have said is true: that he is one and there is no other.
To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself, this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice.'
Jesus, seeing how wisely he had spoken, said, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.'
And after that no one dared to question him any more.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
********************
Gospel Reflection Thursday Ninth Week in Ordinary Time Mark 12:28-34
I am struck by something Paul says in today’s first reading. He refers to himself as ‘being chained like a criminal’. Yet, he immediately goes on to say, ‘but they cannot chain up God’s news’. Paul was aware that the gospel had a power of its own; its impact didn’t depend on whether he was free to preach it or not. Even if Paul was chained up and couldn’t work, the Lord was at work. Even if Paul could not preach the gospel, the gospel was continuing to touch the hearts and lives of many people. Paul was aware that the preaching of the gospel didn’t all depend on him. Even though he was the great apostle to the Gentiles and the Lord needed him, the Lord could work without him. The Lord is bigger than any of us. His gospel is more powerful than any of us. At the end of the day, we are all only servants of the Lord. He needs us to be his servants but if there comes a time when we cannot serve for whatever reason, when we are ‘chained’ in some way, the Lord continues his good work without us. That doesn’t mean that we just down tools.
Indeed, we can work all the more freely, all the more generously, in the service of the Lord, when we know that it doesn’t all depend on us. When we meet with failure of whatever kind, we know the Lord’s good work continues. He can even turn our failures to a good purpose. As Paul says in that reading, ‘we may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful’. Because we know the Lord is always faithful to us, our own moments of unfaithfulness or failure do not leave us demoralized. All the Lord asks of us is that we keep striving to love him with all our being, all our heart, soul, mind and strength, in the words of the gospel reading. When we love the Lord in this way, we will begin to love others with the Lord’s own love. That is a goal worth seeking; it gives meaning and direction to our lives.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd. and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/
The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from his book Reflections on the Weekday Readings : The Word is near to you, on your lips and in your heart by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications, c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/
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Saints of the Day: 3 June; 1. Charles Lwanga and Companions, martyrs
St Charles and his 22 companions : died on this day in 1886. Between 1885 and 1887, these martyrs were among many newly baptised Catholics and Anglicans who were killed for their faith and virtue in Uganda by a debauched and brutal ruler. They included judges, catechists, soldiers, and teenage pages under the leadership of Charles Lwanga, who was burned alive. They were noted for the heroic calm of their fidelity to Christ.

There were waves of martyrs in North Africa at the start of the third century. The first were two young married women, Perpetua and Felicity, thrown to wild animals in Carthage in 202. They are mentioned in the Roman Canon.
The Uganda Martyrs are the first martyrs in the second wave of evangelisation of Africa in the 19th century.
Patrick Duffy tells their story.
Colonisation and Missionary Activity
Although directly the Uganda martyrs were the victims of a cruel dictator, indirectly they were also the victims of the fear of loss of a way of life felt by native societies when colonisers and missionaries move in. The Society of Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) were the first Catholic missionaries to reach southern Uganda in 1879. They were well received by the king Mtesa, and the mission flourished till he died in 1884.
King Mwanga
His 18 year old son, Mwanga, then became king and though he had attended a mission school, he had not succeeded - for whatever reason - to learn to read and write, which did not help his self-esteem. Exploiting the fear of cultural change, the traditional advisors told him the ancestors were angry at how foreigners were taking over the country.
First Victim: Anglican Bishop
His first victim was an Anglican bishop, James Hannington, who when travelling to Uganda passed through land closed to white people. He was seized on the pretext of spying and, after keeping him for a week as a trophy, Mwanga had him killed. The king was drinking heavily, smoking hemp and given to homosexuality, which he is thoght to have learned from white traders.
First Indigenous Victims - New converts, pages of the KingAt Mwanga's court there were a number of Christian converts who acted as pages. Their leader was Joseph Makasa, a newly converted Catholic. He tried to defend the younger pages from the advances of the new king. He also rebuked the king openly for the murder of Bishop Hannington. He was beheaded on 15 November 1885.
Charles Lwanga, another Catholic, took over as master of the pages and for a time protected them from the desires of the king. One day, however, King Mwanga called one of his pages named Mwafu and asked him what he had been doing that kept him away from him. He replied that he had been receiving religious instruction from Denis Sebuggwawo. Denis was summoned to the king who killed him, thrusting a spear through his throat.
Massacre at Namugongo
Alerted and angered by this catechetical activity, the king ordered all the pages to be rounded up. The Christians were separated from the others and asked if they intended to remain Christians and when they all said they did, Mwanga ordered them to be taken to a traditional place of sacrifice 37 miles away called Namugongo and put to death. Three were killed en route. When the others arrived they were forced to construct a pyre on which they were burned alive, a huge group of Catholics and Protestants, boys and men. Among them was Charles Lwanga and the youngest was a thirteen year old boy whom he had baptised - Kizito, who went to his death "laughing and chattering". Other victims whose names are known were Matthias Murumba, a judge, and Andrew Kagwa, a prominent catechist.
Blood of Martyrs: Seed of Christians
Of the martyrs that could be formally accounted for, twenty-two were Catholics and twenty-three Anglicans. These massacres led to a great increase in converts to Christianity. The Catholic martyrs were beatified in 1920 and canonised in 1964 during the Second Vatican Council by Pope Paul VI. Later in 1969 he was the first pope to visit the Catholic shrine at Namugongo.
Prayer
Father, you have made the blood of the martyrs the seed of Christians. May the witness of St Charles and his companions and their loyalty to Christ in the face of torture inspire countless men and women to live the Christian faith.
[caption id="attachment_81979" align="alignleft" width="399"]
Annual Martyr's day Celebrations (Shaheed Diwas)[/caption]_******************************
Memorable Sayings for Today
“Freedom is a privilege attained through the blood of martyrs.” “Our martyrs may be gone, but their spirit continues to inspire us.”
“On this Shaheed Diwas, salute our selfless heroeswho chose the path of sacrifice.”
“A martyr does not die,
their sacrifice lives on forever.”
~ an Ugandan devotee ~
******************************
Sliocht as an dara Litir Naomh Pól Tiomóid 2:8-15
Níl aon ghéibheann ar bhriathar Dé, áfach. Má fuaireamar bás in éineacht leis beimid beo in éineacht leis chomh maith.
A clann ionúin, cuimhnigh ar Íosa Críost a rugadh de shliocht Dháivi, agus a tógadh ó mhairbh de réir an dea-scéil a bhímse a fhógairt. Is mar gheall ar an dea-scéal sin atáimse ag fulaingt anró agus mé fiú amháin i ngéibheann ar nós an choirpigh. Níl aon ghéibheann ar bhriathar Dé, áfach. Dá chionn sin cuirimse suas le gach sórt ar mhaithe leis an muintir thofa le hionchas go mbainfidís sin amach chomh maith an slánú agus an ghlóir shíoraí i gCríost Íosa. Is fíor an ráiteas é:Má fuaireamar bás in éineacht leis beimid beo in éineacht leis chomh maith.
Má sheasaimid an fód, beimid inár ríthe leis chomh maith.
Má shéanaimid é, séanfaidh seisean sinn.
Ach má bhímid mídhílis féin, fanfaidh seisean dílis fós, mar nach féidir dó é féin a shéanadh.
Cuir an méid sin i gcuimhne don phobal agus tabhair foláireamh dóibh i bhfianaise Dé gan bheith ag iomarbhá le chéile mar nach mbíonn dá thairbhe ach an lucht éisteachta a chur ar mhíthreoir. Déan do dhícheall bheith diongbháilte i bhfianaise Dé mar oibrí nach náir dó a shaothar agus mar riarthóir ionraic ar bhriathar na fírinne.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le Freagra Sm 24:24: 4-5. 8-10. 14. R/v 4
Freagra Taispeáin do shlite dom, a Thiarna
1. Taispeáin do shlite dom, a Thiarna, agus déan do chosáin a mhúineadh dom.
Déan mo threorú i d’fhírinne, tabhair teagasc dom, óir is tú mo Dhia agus mo shlánaitheoir. Freagra
2. Is grásmhar agus is ionraic é an Tiarna, taispeánann sé an tslí do na peacaigh.
Díríonn sé dream na huirísle san fhíréantacht agus múineann a shlí don duine cneasta. Freagra
3. Buanghrá is dílse cosáin uile an Tiarna dá gcomhlíonann a chonradh agus a aithne.
Tá gean an Tiarna ar lucht a eaglaithe agus is dóibh a fhoilsíonn sé a chonradh. Freagra
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Marcas 12:28-34 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Seo í an chéad aitheanta. Tá and dara ceann cosúil leis and chéad.
San am sin, , tháinig duine de na scríobhaithe chuig Íosa agus chuir sé ceist air:

“Cén chéad aithne de na haitheanta go léir?”
D’fhreagair Íosa:“Seo í an chéad cheann:
‘Cluin, a Iosrael, an Tiarna ár nDia is aon Tiarna ann agus gráóidh tú do Thiarna Dia ó do chroí go hiomlán, agus ó d’anam go hiomlán agus ó d’aigne go hiomlán agus ó do neart go hiomlán.’
Seo í an dara ceann: ‘Gráóidh tú do chomharsa mar thú féin.’ Níl aithne eile is mó ná iadsan.”
Dúirt an scríobhaí leis:
“Maith mar a labhair tú, a Mháistir. Dúirt tú le fírinne gur aon é agus nach bhfuil aon neach eile ann ach é. É a ghráú ón gcroí go hiomlán, ón tuiscint go hiomlán, agus ón neart go hiomlán, agus an chomharsa a ghráú mar an duine féin, is mó sin go mór ná na híobairtí dóite agus na hofrálacha go léir.”
Nuair a chonaic Íosa gur labhair sé go ciallmhar, dúirt sé leis: “Ní fada thú ó ríocht Dé.”
Ní raibh sé de mhisneach ag aon duine ceist a chur air as sin amach.
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
- The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ - Corpus Christi -
FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy 8:2-3. 14-16
He fed you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known.
Moses said to the people:‘Remember how the Lord your God led you for forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, to test you and know your inmost heart - whether you would keep his commandments or not. He humbled you, he made you feel hunger, he fed you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to make you understand that man does not live on bread alone but that man lives on everything that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Do not then forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: who guided you through this vast and dreadful wilderness, a land of fiery serpents, scorpions, thirst;
who in this waterless place brought you water from the hardest rock;
who in this wilderness fed you with manna that your fathers had not known.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 147:12-15. 19-20. R/v 12
Response O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
or Alleluia!
1. O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! Zion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates, he has blessed the children within you. Response
2. He established peace on your borders, he feeds you with finest wheat.
He sends out his word to the earth and swiftly runs his command. Response
3. He makes his word known to Jacob, to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations; he has not taught them his decrees. Response
SECOND READING
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians 10:16-17

There is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body.
The blessing-cup that we bless is a communion with the blood of Christ,
and the bread that we break is a communion with the body of Christ.
The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us,
we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Sequence
(Choice: We may use the whole sequence or the final three stanzas marked with an asterisk*)
Sing forth, O Zion, sweetly sing
The praises of thy Shepherd-King,
In hymns and canticles divine;
Dare all thou canst, thou hast no song
Worthy his praises to prolong,
So far surpassing powers like thine.
Today no theme of common praise
Forms the sweet burden of thy lays-
The living, life-dispensing food
That food which at the sacred board
Unto the brethren twelve our Lord
His parting legacy bestowed.
Then be the anthem clear and strong,
Thy fullest note, thy sweetest song,
The very music of the breast:
For now shines forth the day sublime
That brings remembrance of the time
When Jesus first his table blessed.
Within our new King's banquet-hall
They meet to keep the festival
That closed the ancient paschal rite:
The old is by the new replaced;
The substance hath the shadow chased;
And rising day dispels the night.
Christ willed what he himself had done
Should be renewed while time should run,
In memory of his parting hour:
Thus, tutored in his school divine,
We consecrate the bread and wine;
And lo - a Host of saving power.
This faith to Christian men is given
Bread is made flesh by words from heaven:
Into his blood the wine is turned:
What though it baffles nature's powers
Of sense and sight? This faith of ours
Proves more than nature e'er discerned.
Concealed beneath the two-fold sign,·
Meet symbols of the gifts divine,
There lie the mysteries adored:
The living body is our food;
Our drink the ever-precious blood;
In each, one undivided Lord.
Not he that eateth it divides
The sacred food, which whole abides
Unbroken still, nor knows decay;
Be one, or be a thousand fed,
They eat alike that living bread
Which, still received, ne'er wastes away.
The good, the guilty share therein,
With sure increase of grace or sin,
The ghostly life, or ghostly death:
Death to the guilty; to the good
Immortal life. See how one food
Man's joy or woe accomplisheth.
We break the Sacrament; but bold
And firm thy faith shall keep its hold;
Deem not the whole doth more enfold
Than in the fractured part resides:
Deem not that Christ doth broken lie;
'Tis but the sign that meets the eye;
The hidden deep reality
In all its fullness still abides.
*Behold the bread of angels, sent
For pilgrims in their banishment,
The bread for God's true children meant,
That may not unto dogs be given:
Oft in the olden types foreshowed;
In Isaac on the altar bowed,
And in the ancient paschal food,
And in the manna sent from heaven.
*Come then, good shepherd, bread divine,
Still show to us thy mercy sign;
Oh, feed us still, still keep us thine;
So may we see thy glories shine
In fields of immortality;
*O thou, the wisest, mightiest, best,
Our present food, our future rest,
Come, make us each thy chosen guest,
Co-heirs of thine, and comrades blest
With saints whose dwelling is with thee.
Gospel Acclamation Jn 6: 51-52
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven says the Lord.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to John 6:51-58 Glory to you, O Lord
My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
Jesus said to the Jews:
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.'
Then the Jews started arguing with one another: 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' they said.

Jesus replied:
I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father, myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven; not like the bread our ancestors ate: they are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.'
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
********************
For homily resources for this Sunday's Gospel click here: https://www.catholicireland.net/sunday-homily/
Taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published and copyright 1966, by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House Inc, and used by permission of the publishers.
- SOLLUNTAS CHORP CHRIOST -
CÉAD LÉACHT
Sliocht as an Leabhar Deotranaimí 8:2-3. 14-16
Chothaigh thú le manna nárbh eol duit féin ná do d’aithreacha
Dúirt Moois leis an bpobal:
‘Cuimhnigh ar an gcaoi go léir ar threoraigh an Tiarna do Dhia thú le daichead bliain san
fhásach, d’fhonn tú a umhlú, tú a phromhadh, agus eolas a chur ar rún do chroí féachaint an gcoimeádfá a aitheanta nó nach ndéanfá. D’umhlaigh sé thú agus d’fhág ocrach thú agus chothaigh thú le manna nárbh eol duit féin ná do d’aithreacha, d’fhonn é a chur in iúl duit nach ar arán amháin a mhaireann an duine, ach go maireann an duine ar gach ní a thagann ó bhéal Dé.Ná déan dearmad ansin ar an Tiarna do Dhia a thug amach thú as tír na hÉigipte, as teach na daoirse; a threoraigh thú tríd an bhfásach mór uafásach seo, dúiche nathracha tintí agus scairpeanna, agus tarta; a thug uisce as an gcarraig chrua san áit róthirim seo; a chothaigh san fhásach thú le manna nárbh eol do d’aithreacha, d’fhonn go n-úmhlódh sé thú agus tú a phromhadh agus tairbhe a dhéanamh duit i ndeireadh na dála.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le Freagra Sm 147: 12-15. 19-20. R/v 12
Freagra Mol an Tiarna, a Iarúsailéim.
Malairt Freagra Alleluia!
I. Mol an Tiarna, a Iarúsailéim, mol do Dhia, a Sión;
toisc gur dhaingnigh sé boltaí do dhoirse, is gur bheannaigh sé do chlann istigh ionat. Freagra
2. Dhaingnigh sé síocháin i do chríocha, bheir sé do sháith duit de smior na cruithneachta.
Cuireann sé a ordú uaidh chun na talún, ritheann a bhriathar go mear. Freagra
3. Foilsíonn sé a bhriathar do lácób, a chánacha is a phroiceapta d’ Isráél
Ní dhearna sé amhlaidh do náisiúin eile; níor nocht sé dóibh a phroiceapta. Alleluia! Freagra
DARA LÉACHT
Sliocht as céad Litir Naomh Pól chuig Coirintigh 10:16-17
Ós aon arán amháin é, níl ionainne dá líonmhaire sinn ach aon chorp amháin.

A bhráithr,:cupa an altaithe a bheannaímid, nach páirtíocht i bhfuil Chríost é? Agus an t-arán a bhrisimid nach páirtiocht i gcorp Chríost é?
Ós aon arán amháin é, níl ionainne dá líonmhaire sinn
ach aon chorp amháin toisc go gcaithimid go léir an t-aon arán amháin.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Rosc
Gabh ag moladh an tSlánaitheora,
a Sión, mol an t-aoire, an treoraí
in iomainn is í gcainticí.
Moltar leat le dícheall croí é,
mar gach moladh sháraigh Iosa,
is ni leor do ghradam dó.
Abhar speisialta molta farat
arán beo agus lón na beatha
go sonrách an taca seo.
An t-arãn is léir gur dáileadh
do dhilbhuion an dârêag bràthar
i naomhphroinn na heaspartan.
Moladh iomlán dó, moladh ceolmhar,
lúchâir dhílis chroiúil chórach,
ardach aoibhinn aigne.
Mar i gcuimhne chruinn an lae seo
céadchaitheadh proinn na féile
a bunaíodh ar mhaithe linn.
Sa phroinn sin an nuareachta
is an nuaRi, chuir nuaPhasca
deireadh leis an seanreacht.
Chuir an nuaiocht an ruaig ar ársacht,
chuir an fhire ar dibirt scáthacht,
chuir an lá an oiche in anbhroid.
An t-éacht a rinne Críost ag bord ann,
ina dhilchuinihne dúinne d’ordaigh
é a dhéanamh fairis sin.
Ag gêileadh d’ordú an té a thug grâ dúinn
arán is fíon go fíor sacrãlam
in iobartach ár leasaithe.
Alt dár gcreideamh fíor go ndéantar
feoil de arãn, den fhion fuil cheart,
don ChrIostai mar a theagasctar.
An rud nach bhfeictear is nach smaoinítear
le dlúthchreideamh daingítear
thar ghnáthréim an aiceanta.
Ceiltear faoi éagsúlaeht gnéithe,
faoi chomharthaí nach nithe in aon chor,
seoda caoine rafara.
Feoil an t-arán, fuil an fíon ann,
in iomlãine fanann Criost ann
faoi gach gné go dearfa.
An caitheoir, gan roinnt gan pléascadh,
gan aon bhriseadh, gan aon réabadh,
glacann slán an tabhartas.
Glacann duine é, glacann míle,
ni mó cion slua de nâ cion aoinfhir,
ná ní idíonn caitheamh é.
Glacann daoine, an t-olc is an maith, é,
glacann fós faoi mhalairt ratha é,
bheireann bâs nó beatha dóibh.
Don dea-thear beatha, bâs don drochfhear
dáiltear; féach nach ionann toradh,
cé gurb ionann caitheamh dóibh.
An tsacraimint faoi dheoigh ma bhristear,
créid go bhfaightear i ngach giota
n méid go cruinn a bhi san uile,
an t-iomlán gan easnamh.
Ar aon ní ni théann an briseadh,
ach amháin ar chomharthaí nithe,
a d’flág an ní faoin gcomhartha againne
slAn i gcló is i gcalmacht.
Féach, arãn na n-aingeal
á thabhairt mar bhia don slua ar marthain:
arán is taca is is lón na leanai
nach caite chun na madraí.
Is léir a réamhchomharthaí le hinsint:
Isác ma iobartach mar a sineadh,
uan na Cásca mar a ídíti,
mar a dháilti manna ó thlaitheasa.
A Aráin chirt, a Aoire dhílis,
dáil do thrócaire orainn, a Iosa,
beathaigh sinn, tabhair ión an chroi dOinn,
las le do thaitneamhacht ár n-intinn
sa saol úd thall na marthana.
A Rí na gcumhacht, an ulle ós léir duit,
ós ár lón thú ar an saol seo,
bímis is na naoimh le chéile
inár gcomhoidhrí ar do naomhríocht
ag an bhfleá in ardbhrú parthais.
Amen! Alleluia!
Alleiuia Vearsa Eo 6:51-52
Alleluia, alleluia!
Is mise an t-arân beo a tháinig anuas ó neamh, a deir an Tiarna.
Má itheann duine an t-arán seo mairfidh sé go deo.
Alleluia
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Eoin 6:51-58 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Is bia go fíor mo chuid feola agus is deoch go fíor mo chuid fola.
San am sin dúirt Íosa leis na sluaite:
Is mise an t-arán beo a tháinig anuas ó neamh. Má itheann duine an t-arán seo mairfidh sé go deo, agus an t-arán a thabharfaidh mé uaim is é m’fheoil é [a thabharfar] ar son bheatha an domhain.”
Bhí na Giúdaigh ansin ag aighneas le chéile á rá: “Conas is féidir don duine seo a fheoil
a thabhairt dúinn le hithe?”

Dúirt Íosa leo:
“Amen, Amen, a deirim libh, mura n-íosfaidh sibh feoil Mhac an Duine,
agus a chuid fola a ól, ní bheidh beatha agaibh ionaibh.
An té a itheann m’fheoil agus a olann m’fhuil, tá an bheatha shíoraí aige,
agus tógfaidh mé suas é an lá deireanach.
Is bia go fíor mo chuid feola agus is deoch go fíor mo chuid fola.
An té a itheann m’fheoil agus a ólann m’fhuil cónaíonn sé ionamsa agus cónaímse ann. Amhail mar a chuir an tAthair beo mise uaidh, agus mar is beo mise tríd an Athair, mar an gcéanna, an té a itheann mise, mairfidh sé tríom.
Is é seo an t-arán a tháinig anuas ó neamh. Ní ionann is an manna ar ith bhur n-aithreacha é agus go bhfuil siad marbh; an té a itheann an t-arán seo, mairfidh sé go deo.”
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart

