SMC ENGLISH MASS - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A (12 Jul 2026)


SMC English Mass - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A (12 Jul 2026)


Prayer for the 80th Anniversary of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong

Messengers of Hope

O Lord, You are the source of all blessings and you guide the course of human history by your Providence.

With gratitude we thank you for the establishment of our Diocese eighty years ago.

In the footsteps of our predecessors, we have steadfastly kept the heritage of our Faith over the years and so have been able

to experience your unfailing help in the face of challenges;

to regain strength in our weakness;

to restore hope in our discouragement;

to look for your direction when we have lost our way.

As your children, may we always entrust ourselves to you in humility. May we always respond to your calling for us to carry on our mission to spread the Gospel and bear witness to our faith in Hong Kong, sowing the seeds of love and hope while living in joy and peace. 

We ask this in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen


PROCESSIONAL HYMN


Song of good news #276 P.90

* God has spoken to His people, hallelujah
And His words are words of wisdom, hallelujah

1. Open your ears, oh christian people
Open your ears and hear good news
Open your hearts, oh royal priesthood, God has come to you

2. He who has ears to hear His message
He who has ears then let him hear
He who would learn the way of wisdom, let him hear God's words

3. Israel comes to greet the Saviour
Judah is glad to see His day
From east and west the peoples travel. He will show the way


Sign of the cross

Priest ✠ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Greeting

P✠: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

All: And with your spirit.

Penitential Act

P✠: Brethren (brothers and sisters), let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

All: I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, (striking their breast) through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

P✠: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.

All: Amen.

Kyrie Eleison

P✠: You were sent to heal the contrite of heart: Lord, have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

P✠: You came to call sinners: Christ, have mercy.

All: Christ, have mercy.

P✠: You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us: Lord, have mercy.

All: Lord, have mercy.

P✠: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.

All: Amen.

Gloria

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-begotten 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.


Collect 

Let us pray (pause)

O God, who show the light of your truth to those who go astray, so that they may return to the right path, give all who for the faith they profess are accounted Christians the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ and to strive after all that does it honor.

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 Reading – Isaiah 55:10-11

Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.  – The Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14

R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

You have visited the land and watered it; greatly have you enriched it. God's watercourses are filled; you have prepared the grain.

R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows, breaking up its clouds, softening it with showers, blessing its yield.

R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

You have crowned the year with your bounty, and your paths overflow with a rich harvest; the untilled meadows overflow with it, and rejoicing clothes the hills.

R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

The fields are garmented with flocks and the valleys blanketed with grain. They shout and sing for joy.

R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

2nd Reading – Romans 8:18-23

Brothers and sisters: 

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.  – The Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.


Alleluia 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The seed is the word of God, Christ is the shower. All who come to him will have life forever.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel – 

 (Long Form) - Matthew 13:1-23
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear."

The disciples approached him and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted, and I heal them. 

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

"Hear then the parable of the shower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."  – The Gospel of the Lord. 


OR

(Short Form) - Matthew 13:1-9

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear." – The Gospel of the Lord. 

All: Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.


Nicene Creed

I believe in one God,

the Father 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 before 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, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered 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 glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic 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



OFFERTORY HYMN


Morning has broken #205 P.67

1. Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning,
Praise for them, springing fresh from the world

2. Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dew fall on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass

3. Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one Light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day


P✠: Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yours be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.

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

Look upon the offerings of the Church, O Lord, as she makes her prayer to you, and grant that, when consumed by those who believe, they may bring ever greater holiness.

Through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen


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,.... , as with one voice we acclaim:


Sanctus

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. 


P✠: You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the…. 


At the time he was betrayed and entered willingly into his Passion, he took bread and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:


TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT,

FOR THIS IS MY BODY,

WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.


P✠: In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took the chalice and, once more giving thanks, he gave it to his disciples, saying:


TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT,

FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD,

THE BLOOD OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL COVENANT, WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY

FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.

DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.


P✠: The mystery of faith.

All: We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.


P✠: Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his Death and Resurrection,..... 


P✠: Through him, and with him, and in him,

O God, almighty Father,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.

All: Amen.


Lord’s Prayer

P✠: At the Savior’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:


All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.


P✠: Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

All: For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever.


P✠: Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles: Peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will. Who live and reign for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

P✠: The peace of the Lord be with you always.

All: And with your spirit.

P✠: Let us offer each other the sign of peace.


Agnus Dei

All: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.


P✠: Lord Jesus Christ,.... 


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.



COMMUNION HYMN


Here I am, Lord #113 P.37

2. I, the Lord of snow and rain, I have borne My people's pain
I have wept for love of them. They turn away
I will break their hearts of stone, give them hearts for love alone
I will speak My word to them. Whom shall I send?

* Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night
I will go, Lord. If you lead me, I will hold Your people in my heart

3. I, the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame
I will set a feast for them. My hand will save
Finest bread I will provide till their hearts be satisfied
I will give My life to them. Whom shall I send?

(repeat * chorus) 


Come tomorrow #061 P.20

1. If the song of the songbird could reveal God's holy word
Then my friends that's the song I would borrow 

* Just come near, you will hear the greatest song in your ears
And you'll know where to go in your sorrow

2. If the song of the river could go on forever
Then my friends that's the song I would borrow 

* Just come near, you will hear the greatest song in your ears
And you'll know where to go in your sorrow 

# Just come here, when your fears fill your heart with burning tears
Regretting, all of your deeds 


Prayer After Communion

P✠: Let us pray (pause)

Having consumed these gifts, we pray, O Lord, that, by our participation in this mystery, its saving effects upon us may grow.

Through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.   


P✠: The Lord be with you.

All: And with your spirit.

P✠: May almighty God bless you, ✠ the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen

P✠: Go forth, the Mass is ended.

All: Thanks be to God.



RECESSIONAL HYMN


Sing to the mountains #273 P.89

* Sing to the mountains, sing to the sea. Raise your voices, lift your hearts
This is the day the Lord has made, let all the earth rejoice

1. I will give thanks to You, my Lord. You have answered my plea
You have saved my soul from death, You are my strength and my song

2. Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
Heaven and earth are full of Your glory

3. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice
He has turned all death to life, sing of the glory of God

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