Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych
Bishop and Martyr, Memorial
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Introduction
How tragic it is that “Christ is divided” in many denominations and sects… The Polish bishop Josaphat dedicated much of his life in the 17th century to the reunion of the Orthodox Church with Rome. This task cost him his life. The work of Church unity is far from ended. There are still many obstacles in the way. Good progress has been made, though, toward mutual tolerance and respect.
Opening Prayer
One God and Father of all,
St. Josaphat dedicated his life and his death
to unite in one faith and love
those who believe in your Son Jesus Christ.
Let your Holy Sprit pour out his love
in all those for whom Jesus
is the ground and meaning of their lives.
Let this love unite us in one common bond
of understanding and respect of one another
and let this love dispose us
to live for one another and to serve one another
in our brother Jesus Christ our Lord.
First Reading
Unity in the Body
Therefore, I, the prisoner of Christ, invite you to embrace the calling you have received.
Be humble, kind, patient, and bear with one another in love.
Make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit among you through bonds of peace.
Let there be one body and one Spirit, just as one hope is the goal of your calling by God,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God, the Father of all, who is above all, and works through all, and is in all.
But to each of us, divine grace is granted in proportion to Christ’s gift.
Regarding his gifts, to some he gave to be apostles; to others, prophets, evangelists, or pastors and teachers.
So, he prepared those who belong to him for the ministry to build up the Body of Christ,
until we are all united in the same faith and knowledge of the Son of God. In this way, we will become complete persons upon reaching maturity and sharing in the fullness of Christ.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
or:
R. (2a) Blessed are they who delight in the law of the Lord.
or:
R. (92:13-14) The just will flourish like the palm tree in the garden of the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
or:
R. Blessed are they who delight in the law of the Lord.
or:
R. The just will flourish like the palm tree in the garden of the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
or:
R. Blessed are they who delight in the law of the Lord.
or:
R. The just will flourish like the palm tree in the garden of the Lord.
Not so, the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
or:
R. Blessed are they who delight in the law of the Lord.
or:
R. The just will flourish like the palm tree in the garden of the Lord.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain in my love, says the Lord;
whoever lives in me and I in him will bear much fruit.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.
May they all be one just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one:
I in them and you in me. Then they will be perfect in unity, and the world will know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Father, since you have given them to me, I want them to be with me where I am and see the glory you gave me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you have sent me.
As I revealed your name to them, so will I continue to reveal it so that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I also may be in them.”
Prayers of the Faithful
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
at his invitation we gather at the table of your Son
and we prepare ourselves to share his meal together.
As he has united us as his brothers and sisters,
may the Holy Spirit keep us one
in the life of every day.
Let him bind us together
in strong and dedicated communities
in which we accept one another
notwithstanding our differences.
Unite us in the one love
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
the Psalmist rejoices
when even brothers and sisters
can live together in one love.
Let this become a reality among us
who believe in our one Lord Jesus Christ.
Let the deepest witnessing of our faith be
that we live for one another in the same unity
that united your Son Jesus with you,
our living and loving God,
now an for ever.