Liturgical Leaflet for an Active Participation in the Celebration of the Eucharist

20 September 2020 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

GOD’S SURPRISING GENEROSITY

W
e know that God is tremendously generous, but sometimes His gen-
erosity bewilders us as we realize that His priorities may be so
different from ours. Such is the warning that comes to us from
today’s First proclamation and the Gospel.
God has, indeed, His own way of evaluating our performance and of re-
warding it. If sometimes He seems to show a special attention for “the last
and the least,” it is not for us to question His behavior. We should, rather,
learn from Him to show a special love for the weak, “the losers,” and “the
lost,” without pampering or humiliating them. God’s generosity toward
them should be our inspiration rather than the cause of our envy.
Let this Eucharist encourage us to count our blessings. Let us not be
devoured by jealousy at the sight of the blessings bestowed on others. The
good that we receive from the Lord is always much more than what we deserve.

conscience and realize how and bring us to everlasting life.

Entrance Antiphon
(To be recited only when no
Entrance Hymn is sung.)
I am the salvation of the
people, says the Lord. Should
they cry to me in any distress,
I will hear them, and I will be
their Lord for ever.
Greeting
P –All praise and honor to the
Blessed Trinity who calls us to
work in the vineyard of the King-
dom. May His grace and peace
be with you all!
All – And with your spirit!
Penitential Act
P –As we are about to start
the Eucharistic Sacrifice, let us
pause briefly to examine our
much we need God’s forgiveness
and strength. (Pause)
P –For the times we have al-
lowed our envy of the suc-
cess of others to poison our
hearts and minds, Lord,
have mercy!
All – Lord, have mercy!
P –For the times we have al-
lowed our jealousy to
tarnish the reputation of
people who are more suc-
cessful than us, Christ,
have mercy!
All –Christ, have mercy!
P –For the times we have dared
to accuse you of playing
favorites and being unfair,
Lord, have mercy!
All – Lord, have mercy!
P –May almighty God have
mercy on us, forgive us our sins,
All – Amen!
Gloria
All – Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of
good will. We praise you, we bless
you, we adore you, we glorify
you, we give you thanks for your
great glory, Lord God, heavenly
King, O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Be-
gotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of
God, Son of the Father, you take
away the sins of the world, have
mercy on us; you take away the
sins of the world, receive our
prayer; you are seated at the right
hand of the Father, have mercy
on us. For you alone are the Holy
One, you alone are the Lord, you
alone are the Most High, Jesus
Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the
glory of God the Father. Amen!

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 Collect (Opening Prayer)
P –O God, who founded all
the commands of your sacred
Law upon love of you and of our
neighbor, grant that, by keeping
your precepts, we may merit to
attain eternal life.
Through our Lord Jesus
Christ, your Son, who lives and
reigns with you in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever.
All – Amen!
1st Proclamation Is 55:6-9
Human beings are often
tempted to fashion a God in their
own image and likeness. Today,
we are reminded that God is im-
mensely different from us and
all that we have to do is seek His
mercy for our shortcomings.
R – A proclamation from the
Book of the Prophet Isaiah
Seek the Lord while he
may be found, call him while
he is near. Let the scoundrel
forsake his way, and the wicked
his thoughts. Let him turn to
the Lord for mercy; to our God,
who is generous in forgiving.
“For my thoughts are not
your thoughts, nor are your
ways my ways,” says the Lord.
“As high as the heavens are
above the earth, so high are my
ways above your ways and my
thoughts above your thoughts.”
The Word of the Lord!
All – Thanks be to God!
Responsorial Psalm Ps 145
R –The Lord is near to all who
call upon him!
* Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name for-
ever and ever. Great is the Lord
and highly to be praised; his
greatness is unsearchable. R.
20 September 2020
* The Lord is gracious and
merciful, slow to anger and of
great kindness. The Lord is
good to all and compassionate
toward all his works. R.
* The Lord is just in all his
ways and holy in all his works.
The Lord is near to all who call
upon him, to all who call upon
him in truth. R.
2nd Proclamation Phil 1:20-24.27
Facing the prospect that he
may be sentenced to death, the
apostle Paul states that what
matters most to him is not what
he would prefer but what Christ
wants for the greater good of the
Church.
R – A proclamation from the
Letter of Paul to the Philip-
pians
Brothers and sisters:
Christ will be magnified in
my body, whether by life or by
death. For to me life is Christ,
and death is gain. If I go on
living in the flesh, that means
fruitful labor for me. And I do
not know which I shall choose.
I am caught between the two.
I long to depart this life and
be with Christ, for that is far
better. Yet that I remain in the
flesh is more necessary for your
benefit. Only, conduct your-
selves in a way worthy of the
gospel of Christ.
The Word of the Lord!
All – Thanks be to God!
Gospel Acclamation
All – Alleluia! Alleluia!
Open our hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of
your Son.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Gospel Mt 20:1-16
Today’s parable is not meant
to settle the issue of a fair com-
pensation for those who work
in God’s Kingdom. Rather, it
reminds us that the Kingdom is
open to all and what matters is
not to enter first or last but to do
our duty the best way we can.
P –The Lord be with you!
All –And with your spirit!
P –A proclamation from the
holy Gospel according to
Matthew
All – Glory to you, O Lord!
Jesus told his disciples
this parable: “The kingdom
of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire
laborers for his vineyard. Af-
ter agreeing with them for the
usual daily wage, he sent them
into his vineyard.
Going out about nine
o’clock, the landowner saw oth-
ers standing idle in the mar-
ketplace, and he said to them,
‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
So they went off. And he went
out again around noon, and
around three o’clock, and did
likewise. Going out about five
o’clock, the landowner found
others standing around, and
said to them, ‘Why do you
stand here idle all day?’ They
answered, ‘Because no one has
hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You
too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the
owner of the vineyard said to
his foreman, ‘Summon the la-
borers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and
ending with the first.’ When
those who had started about
five o’clock came, each received
the usual daily wage. So when
the first came, they thought
that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the
usual wage. And on receiving
it they grumbled against the
landowner, saying, ‘These last
ones worked only one hour, and
you have made them equal to
us, who bore the day’s burden
and the heat.’ He said to one
of them in reply, ‘My friend, I
am not cheating you. Did you
not agree with me for the usual
daily wage? Take what is yours
and go. What if I wish to give
this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish
with my own money? Are you
envious because I am gener-
ous?’
Thus, the last will be first,
and the first will be last.”
The Gospel of the Lord!
All – Praise to you, Lord Jesus
Christ!
 Homily
Profession of Faith
(Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed)
All –I believe in one God, the Fa-
ther almighty, maker of heaven
and earth, of all things visible
and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus
Christ, the Only Begotten Son
of God, born of the Father be-
fore all ages. God from God,
Light from Light, true God from
true God, begotten, not made,
consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were
made. For us men and for our
salvation he came down from
heaven, (bow)* and by the Holy
Spirit was incarnate of the Vir-
gin Mary, and became man.*
For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate, he suf-
fered death and was buried, and
rose again on the third day in
accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is
seated at the right hand of the
Father. He will come again in
glory to judge the living and the
dead and his kingdom will have
no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life, who
proceeds from the Father and
the Son, who with the Father
and the Son is adored and glori-
fied, who has spoken through
the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, cath-
olic and apostolic Church. I
confess one Baptism for the
forgiveness of sins and I look
forward to the resurrection of
the dead and the life of the world
to come. Amen!
Prayer of the Faithful
P –Today, we are challenged by
the Gospel to learn from God to
be generous to all. Let us extend
our concern to the needs of all
mankind and present them to the
Lord as we say:
All – Lord, hear our prayer!
C –That all Christians may gen-
erously work in the vineyard of
the Kingdom without expect-
ing material rewards, and with-
out envy for those who achieve
more, let us pray! R.
C –That the Holy Father, our
Bishops and all our religious
leaders may ever more encour-
age and welcome the active in-
volvement of all Catholics in
the apostolic initiatives of the
Church, let us pray! R.
C –That our civil authorities
may take to heart the welfare of
all citizens, and especially the
marginalized, the homeless, the
jobless and the sick, let us pray!
R.
C –That all teachers and cat-
echists may take good care of the
children entrusted to them, and
follow with special love the less
gifted and the weak, let us pray!
R.
C –That all the members of our
community may promote the
spread of God’s Kingdom in our
midst without jealousy or rival-
ries, let us pray! R.
C –Let us pray in silence for our
personal intentions. (Pause)
Let us pray! R.
P –Lord God, we thank You for
giving us the privilege to work
in Your vineyard. Make us mag-
nanimous toward our fellow
workers that we may rejoice with
them when all of us receive our
final reward in the Kingdom of
heaven where You live and reign
for ever and ever.
All – Amen!
Preparation of the Gifts
P –Pray, brethren . . .
All – May the Lord accept the
sacrifice at your hands, for the
praise and glory of his name,
for our good and the good of all
his holy Church.
Prayer over the Offerings
P –Receive with favor, O Lord,
we pray, the offerings of your
people, that what they profess
with devotion and faith may be
theirs through these heavenly
mysteries.
Through Christ our Lord.
All – Amen!
Preface III
P –The Lord be with you!
All –And with your spirit!
P –Lift up your hearts!
All – We lift them up to the Lord!
P –Let us give thanks to the
Lord our God!
All –It is right and just!
P –It is truly right and just, our
duty and our salvation, always
and everywhere to give you
thanks, Lord, holy Father, al-
mighty and eternal God.
For we know it belongs to
your boundless glory, that you
came to the aid of mortal be-
ings with your divinity and even
fashioned for us a remedy out of
mortality itself, that the cause of
our downfall might become the
means of our salvation, through
Christ our Lord.
Through him the host of An-
gels adores your majesty and re-
joices in your presence for ever.
May our voices, we pray, join
with theirs in one chorus of ex-
ultant praise, as we acclaim:
All –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!
Memorial Acclamation
P –The mystery of faith!
All –Save us, Savior of the
world, for by your Cross
and Resurrection you
have set us free.
All – Our Father . . .
P –Deliver us, Lord . . .
All –For the kingdom, the pow-
er, and the glory are yours, now
and forever.
Sign of Peace
Breaking of the Bread
All – Lamb of God . . .
Communion
P –Behold the Lamb of God,
behold him who takes away the
sins of the world. Blessed are
those called to the Supper of the
Lamb.
All –Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under
my roof, but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed.
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
 Communion Antiphon
(To be recited only when no
Communion Hymn is sung.)
You have laid down your
precepts to be carefully kept;
may my ways be firm in keep-
ing your statutes.
Prayer after Communion
P –Graciously raise up, O Lord,
those you renew with this Sac-
rament, that we may come to
possess your redemption both in
mystery and in the manner of our
life.
Through Christ our Lord.
All – Amen!
P –The Lord be with you.
All – And with your spirit!
P –Bow your heads and pray
for God’s blessing. (Pause)
– May the Lord give you a
greater awareness of the im-
portance of your role in the
Church and the grace to play
that role with generosity and
a sense of responsibility.
All –Amen!
P –May He guide you in sowing
the seeds of the Kingdom in
our society and make them
bear fruits of justice, peace
and solidarity.
All–Amen!
P –May He protect you from
all dangers and guide you
into the way of peace and
prosperity.
All–Amen!
P – May almighty God bless
you: the Father, and the
Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All – Amen!
P –Go in peace to work gener-
ously in the vineyard of the
Lord.
All – Thanks be to God!

SHOULD CRUCIFIXES BE
REMOVED FROM HOSPITAL ROOMS?
• Jess P. Balon
(First of Two Parts)

L ast year, precisely in the month of September,

House Bill no. 4633 was filed, the bottomline of
which is the proposal that Crucifixes (and similar
Catholic religious “mementos”) be removed from hos-
pital rooms. The reason? The supposition that a non-
Catholic patient “would be ill at ease to find a Crucifix
hovering in his/her room.”
At the very start of the “Explanatory Note,” signed
by the proponent of this bill, it is stated that the “pres-
ence of Crucifixes in many local hospital suites . . .
raises serious interfaith issues.”
From such statement we may conclude that the
“innocent” concern of the lawmaker seems also to be
the promotion of a positive interfaith relationship.
We can ask: would the removal of the Crucifix
in healthcare institutions improve the relationships
among the different faith? I strongly doubt that such
a bill will achieve this purpose. It may please some
Protestant and Born-again groups, who are noted for
their “allergy” to Crucifixes and Signs of the Cross. But
for sure it won’t improve the relationship between the
Catholic Church and the Iglesia ni Cristo (to whom the
author of the Bill belongs). Most Catholics will consider
the removal of the Crucifix from the hospital rooms an
inimical act because such religious symbol has been
hanging there for decades, to say the least. And the
only reasons for such removal, as stated by the bill’s
proponent, is that “a non-Catholic might feel ill at ease”
to find a Crucifix hovering in his/her room.
We can understand the sensitivity of the lawmaker
toward what a non-Catholic who may feel uncomfort-
able at having a Crucifix in the hospital room where
he/she has been admitted. But we can’t understand
the insensitivity of the same lawmaker toward the
Catholic patients (not to speak of the Catholic doc-
tors, nurses and other hospital personnel), at seeing
removed from their hospital (especially if the hospital is
owned by a Catholic institution) the familiar Crucifixes
they revere and love, just for the sake of some rare
non-Catholic patients.
For sure, many Catholics would feel very seriously
offended in their religious sensitivity by such an act.
Although, at present, we have in the Philippines a va-
riety of religious faiths and denominations, it is a fact
that the Catholic religion is followed by at least 75% of
the total population. In a democratic society, numbers
count. Should they not count when it comes to religious
affiliations and preferences? Would it not be unfair to
the great majority of the population of our country to
be deprived of the sight of an image which means so
much to them just because of the uneasiness which
such an image may cause to some non-Catholics?
If we apply the well-known “Four-Way-Test” of
the Rotarians to our case, we can sadly conclude that
the proposed bill no. 4633 is not fair to the large major-
ity of “all concerned,” and it will hardly “build goodwill
and better friendship” among all those concerned. Will
the removal of Crucifixes from hospitals “be beneficial
to all concerned”? I seriously doubt it, if among those
“concerned” include the Catholics, and not just the
non-Catholics . . . Hence, such bill is to be trashed as
being radically UNFAIR to the great majority of the
Filipinos. (Part Two will be featured next Sunday.)

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