Bible Diary 2009 by marlon rante

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Dedication

M E S S A G E The love that Jesus recommends in the Gospel is not a love that is in the clouds, that is, out of touch of reality. No, it is a love that requires the union of wills, our wills and God’s will: that we want what God wants, that we do what God wants us to do. It is a love that is very concrete: he who does my will loves me. When there is no union of wills there is really no true love, there is only the illusion of love. “He who does not love me does not keep my commandments”. The Church’s vision for life in its fullness has to do with this loving awareness that when we do God’s will, when we carry out God’s plan, we make His presence felt not only in our lives but in our world. And so, we disciples of the Lord are inspired to act, to make choices for those in need, to alleviate the lot of those who suffer, to eliminate confusion about what is right and what is wrong. All of this is to unite ourselves with the will of Christ and His redeeming action. Faith teaches us that my destiny and yours is written in the heart and mind, the will of God, the God who directs the movements of the cosmos as well as the course of history. It is our duty, as believers to live in time and space, side by side with our fellow human beings, sharing their worries and hopes, because Christians are, and must be fully, citizens of their own time, of their world. Attuned to the will of their Lord, they are ready to hurry to wherever there is a brother or sister in need, a tear to be dried, a request for help to be answered. The motivating factor in all this is our loving Faith in our Lord and our willingness to do what He wants. Following the truth that has been made known to us in Christ, we are called to live in a different way, our life must be lived in love, in obedience to God’s Word. The Saviour provides the standards for us. His will, encapsulated in the Gospel, interpreted by the Church, must be our rule of life. With our words and deeds, we must rebel against a civilization of selfishness that often considers the human person a means rather than an end. The Holy Father Benedict XVI encourages us and makes an appeal to us. He tells us that we are people who must announce the message of the God of love, and live it. The way Jesus shows us is not easy. It is the way of faith, which means the way of sacrifice and love, genuine love for God and our fellow human beings. But following it will not disappoint us. By conforming our daily life to the Gospel of the one Teacher who has “the words of eternal life”, to the will of the holy One who has become one of us, and who has enabled us to become part of him, we can become Christ to our world, real workers of justice, real workers for truth.

Archbishop EDWARD JOSEPH ADAMS Apostolic Nuncio in the Philippines

Sunday Reflections by Fr. Daniel Mahan Weekday Reflections by Rev. Paul Gaffey Photographs by Michael Hales

Claretian Publications

BIBLE DIARY® 2009 Copyright © 2008 Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. U.P. P.O. Box 4, Diliman, 1101 Quezon City, Philippines Tel: (6 32) 921-3984 • Fax: (6 32) 921-7429 Email: cci@claret.org www.claretpublications.com The Bible Diary® is a pastoral endeavor of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines. It aims at promoting a renewed spirituality that is rooted in the process of total liberation and the promotion of human dignity, responding to the needs, challenges, and pastoral demands of the Church today. Biblical texts taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition Sunday Reflections by Fr. Daniel J. Mahan Weekday Reflections by Rev. Paul Gaffey Photographs by Michael Hales Cover and creative design by Mark S. Castillo All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without written permission from the publisher. Bible Diary® is a registered trademark of Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. Printed in China. ISSN: 1656-457X (Philippines) ISBN: 971-501-332-5 (USA)

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S E P T E M B E R Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu 1 2 5 6 7 8 9 12 13 14 15 16 19 20 21 22 23 26 27 28 29 30

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Liturgical and Sanctoral Catholic Calendar January

February

1 Mary, Mother of God

1 Psalter IV, Ordinary Time Week 4

2 Basil the Great / Gregory Nazianzen

2 Presentation of the Lord

3 Most Holy Name of Jesus

World Day of Consecrated Life

4 Epiphany of the Lord

3 Blasé / Ansgar

5 John Neumann

6 Bl. André Bessette

5 Agatha

7 Raymond of Peñafort

6 Paul Miki and Companions

Pedro Bautista

9 Black Nazarene (Philippines)

7 Our Lady’s Saturday 8 Psalter I, Ordinary Time Week 5

10 11 Baptism of the Lord

10 Scholastica

13 Hilary

11 Our Lady of Lourdes

World Day of the Sick

17 Anthony, abbot

14 Cyril / Methodius

18 Psalter II, Ordinary Time Week 2

15 Psalter II, Ordinary Time Week 6

Feast of Sto. Niño (Philippines)

17 Seven Founders of the Order of Servites

20 Fabian / Sebastian

21 Agnes

22 Vincent

21 Peter Damian

24 Francis de Sales

22 Psalter III, Ordinary Time Week 7

25 Psalter III, Ordinary Time Week 3

23 Polycarp

26 Timothy and Titus, bishops

27 Angela Merici

25 Ash Wednesday

28 Thomas Aquinas

31 John Bosco

Liturgical and Sanctoral Catholic Calendar March

April

1 Psalter I, Lent Week 1

2 Francis of Paola

3 Katharine Drexel

4 Casimir

4 Isidore

5 Passion (Palm) Sunday

7 Perpetua / Felicity

8 Psalter II, Lent Week 2

9 Frances of Rome 10

9 Holy Thursday 10 Good Friday of the Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Passion

11 The Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter

12 Easter Sunday, Our Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Resurrection

15 Psalter III, Lent Week 3

17 Patrick

18 Cyril of Jerusalem

19 Joseph, Husband of Mary

19 Psalter II, Easter Week 2

Divine Mercy Sunday

22 Psalter IV, Lent Week 4

21 Anselm

23 Toribio de Mogrovejo

23 George / Adalbert

25 Annunciation

24 Fidelis of Sigmaringen

25 Mark, evangelist

26 Psalter III, Easter Week 3

29 Psalter I, Lent Week 5

28 Peter Chanel / Louis Mary de Montfort

29 Catherine of Siena

30 Pius V

Liturgical and Sanctoral Catholic Calendar June

May 1 Joseph the Worker

1 Justin

2 Athanasius

2 Marcellinus / Peter

3 Psalter IV, Easter Week 4

3 Charles Lwanga and Companions

5 Boniface

6 Norbert

Our Ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Saturday

7 Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

10 Psalter I, Easter Week 5

9 Ephrem

12 Nereus and Achilleus / Pancras

11 Barnabas, apostle

13 Our Lady of Fatima

14 Matthias, apostle

13 Anthony of Padua

15 Isidore the Farmer

14 Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ

17 Psalter II, Easter Week 6

18 John 1

20 Bernardine of Siena

19 The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

21 Christopher Magallanes

20 Immaculate Heart of Mary

22 Rita of Cascia

21 Psalter IV, Ordinary Time Week 12

22 Paulinus of Nola / John Fisher / Thomas More

24 Ascension Sunday

25 Venerable Bede / Gregory VII

24 Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist

Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

26 Philip Neri

27 Augustine of Canterbury

27 Cyril of Alexandra

28 Psalter I, Ordinary Time Week 13

29 Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, apostles

30 First Martyrs of the Church of Rome

31 Pentecost Sunday

Liturgical and Sanctoral Catholic Calendar July

August

1 Bl. Junipero Serra

1 Alphonsus Liguori

2 Psalter II, Ordinary Time Week 18

3 Thomas, apostle

4 Elizabeth of Portugal

4 John Mary Vianney

Our Lady’s Saturday

5 Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major

5 Psalter II, Ordinary Time Week 14

6 Our Lord’s Transfiguration

6 Maria Goretti

7 Sixtus II and Companions / Cajetan

8 Dominic

8 9 Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions

9 Psalter III, Ordinary Time Week 19 10 Lawrence

11 Clare

11 Benedict

12 Psalter III, Ordinary Time Week 15

13 Pontian / Hippolytus

13 Henry

14 Maximilian Mary Kolbe

15 Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary

15 Bonaventure

16 Psalter IV, Ordinary Time Week 20

16 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

18 Jane Frances de Chantal

18 Camillus de Lellis

19 John Eudes

19 Psalter IV, Ordinary Time Week 16

20 Bernard

20 Apollinarus

21 Pius X

21 Lawrence of Brindisi

22 Queenship of Mary

22 Mary Magdalene

23 Psalter I, Ordinary Time Week 21

23 Bridget of Sweden

24 Bartholomew, apostle

24 Sharbel Makhluf

25 Louis of France / Joseph Calasanz

25 James, apostle

26 Psalter I, Ordinary Time Week 17

27 Monica

28 Augustine

29 Beheading of John the Baptist

29 Martha

30 Psalter II, Ordinary Time Week 22

30 Peter Chrysologus

31 Ignatius of Loyola

Liturgical and Sanctoral Catholic Calendar September

October

1 Thérèse of the Child Jesus

2 Guardian Angels

3 Gregory the Great

4 Psalter III, Ordinary Time Week 27

6 Psalter III, Ordinary Time Week 23

6 Bruno / Bl. Marie-Rose Durocher

7 Our Lady of the Rosary

8 Birth of Mary

9 Peter Claver 10

9 Denis and Companions / John Leonardi 10

11 Psalter IV, Ordinary Time Week 28

12 Holy Name of Mary

13 Psalter IV, Ordinary Time Week 24

14 Triumph of the Cross

14 Callistus

15 Our Lady of Sorrows

15 Teresa of Jesus

16 Cornelius and Cyprian

16 Hedwig / Margaret Mary Alacoque

17 Robert Bellarmine

17 Ignatius of Antioch

18 Psalter I, Ordinary Time Week 29

19 Januarius

19 Isaac Jogues and John de Brebeuf and Companions / Paul of the Cross

20 Psalter I, Ordinary Time Week 25 21 Matthew, apostle and evangelist 22 23 Pio of Pietrelcina 24

20 21 22 23 John of Capistrano 24 Anthony Mary Claret

25 26 Cosmas and Damian 27 Psalter II, Ordinary Time Week 26 28 Lawrence Ruiz and Companions Wenceslaus 29 Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, archangels 30 Jerome

25 Psalter II, Ordinary Time Week 30 26 27 28 Simon and Jude, apostles 29 30 31 Our Lady’s Saturday

Liturgical and Sanctoral Catholic Calendar November

December

1 All Saints Day

2 All Souls

3 Martin de Porres

3 Francis Xavier

4 Charles Borromeo

4 John of Damascus

6 Psalter II, Advent Week 2

7 Ambrose

8 Psalter IV, Ordinary Time Week 32

8 Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

9 Dedication of St. John Lateran 10 Leo the Great 11 Martin of Tours 12 Josaphat 13 Frances Xavier Cabrini 14 15 Psalter I, Ordinary Time Week 33 16 Margaret of Scotland / Gertrude 17 Elizabeth of Hungary 18 Dedication of the Basilicas of Peter and Paul Rose Philippine Duchesne 19 20 21 Presentation of Mary 22 Solemnity of Christ the King 23 Clement I / Columban 24 Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions 25 Catherine of Alexandria 26 27 28 29 Psalter I, Advent Week 1 30 Andrew, apostle

9 Juan Diego 10 11 Damasus I 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe 13 Psalter III, Advent Week 3 14 John of the Cross 15 16 17 18 19 20 Psalter IV, Advent Week 4 21 Peter Canisius 22 23 John of Kanty 24 25 The Nativity of the Lord 26 Stephen, First Martyr 27 Holy Family 28 Holy Innocents 29 Thomas Becket 30 31 Sylvester I

Daily Prayers Sign of the Cross In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prayer Our Father, in heaven, holy be your name; your Kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us; do not bring us to the test, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Hail Mary Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen. Glory be Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Come Holy Spirit Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your spirit and they shall be created; and you will renew the face of the earth. Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit, you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Benedictus Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! He has visited his people and redeemed them. He has raised up for us a mighty savior in the house of David his servant, as he promised by the lips of holy men, those who were his prophets from of old. A savior who would free us from our foes, from the hands of all who hate us. So his love for our fathers is fulfilled and his holy covenant remembered. He swore to Abraham our father to grant us, that free from fear, and saved from the hands of our foes, we might serve him in holiness and justice all the days of our life in his presence. As for you, little child, you shall be called a prophet of God, the Most High. You shall go ahead of the Lord to prepare his way before him. To make known to his people their salvation through forgiveness of all their sins, the loving-kindness of the heart of our God who visits us like the dawn from on high. He will give light to those in darkness, those who dwell in the shadow of death, and guide us into the way of peace. The Magnificat My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior; because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid; for behold henceforth all ages shall call me blessed. Because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name; and his mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and has exalted the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy, even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever. Amen. Hail Holy Queen Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy; hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; and after this, our exile, show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus; O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Memorare Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly to you, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions but in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.

The Angelus V. The angel of the Lord declared to Mary. R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary… V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord. R. Be it done to me according to your Word. Hail Mary… V. And the Word was made flesh. R. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary… V. Pray for us, holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us Pray: Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we to whom the incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an angel, may, by his passion and cross be brought to the glory of his resurrection, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Queen of Heaven Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia! For Christ, your Son and Son of God, has risen as he said, alleluia! Pray to God for us, alleluia! V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia! R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia! Let us Pray: God of life, you have given joy to the world by the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the prayers of his mother, the Virgin Mary, bring us to the happiness of eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Apostlesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord. Who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Grace Before Meals Bless us, O Lord, and these your gifts which we are about to receive from your bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Grace After Meals We give you thanks almighty God, for all your gifts, through Christ our Lord, who live and reign, now and forever. Amen. Act of Contrition My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy.

Prayer for Peace (St. Francis of Assisi) Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Morning Offering O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you all of my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, reparation for sin, the reunion of all Christians. I offer them for the intentions of our bishops, and of all Apostles of Prayer, and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month. Amen. Prayer for Generosity O Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you deserve; To give and not to count the cost; To fight and not to heed the wounds; To toil and not to seek for rest; To labor and not to ask for reward Save that of knowing that I am doing your holy will. Amen.

Soul of Christ Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within your wounds, shelter me. Permit me not to be separated from you. From the evil one protect me. At the hour of my death call me and bid me come to you, that I may praise you with all your saints for ever and ever. Amen.

The Beatitudes Fortunate are those who have the spirit of the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Fortunate are those who mourn, they shall be comforted. Fortunate are the gentle, they shall possess the land. Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied. Fortunate are the merciful, for they shall find mercy. Fortunate are those with a pure heart, for they shall see God. Fortunate are those who work for peace, they shall be called children of God. Fortunate are those who are persecuted for the cause of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Fortunate are you, when people insult you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you because you are my followers. Be glad and joyful, for a great reward is kept for you in God.

Prayer for Meetings Opening Lord, as we gather in your name, we want to be in your presence. Grant us a spirit of dialogue, illumine our minds with the light of truth and strengthen our fraternal spirit that we may always seek and do your will. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Closing Father of goodness, we thank you for this encounter in which we have shared our dreams and doubts, our projects and our difficulties. Make us always respond efficaciously to our vision and our mission in the world. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Scriptural Rosary Joyful Mysteries Monday and Saturday

1. The Annunciation Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name his Jesus”… Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Verses 30 and 38 of Luke 1:26–38 2. The Visitation When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb… Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Verses 41–42, and 45 of Luke 1:39–45 3. The Birth of Jesus While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Verses 6–7 of Luke 2:1–20 4. The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord. Verse 22 of Luke 2:22–38 5. Finding Jesus in the Temple And [Jesus] said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them. Verses 49–50 of Luke 2:41–50

sorrowful mysteries Tuesday and Friday

1. Jesus’ Agony in the Garden My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, your will be done! Verse 42 of Matthew 26:36–42 2. Jesus is Scourged So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and, after he had Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified. Verse 15 of Mark 15:1–16 3. Jesus is Crowned with Thorns Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking him on the head. Verses 29–30 of Matthew 27:27–31 4. Jesus Carries His Cross So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. Verses 16–17 of John 19:16–22 5. Jesus Dies on the Cross When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit. Verse 30 of John 19:23–30

glorious mysteries Wednesday and Sunday

1. The Resurrection of Jesus Then the angel said to the women in reply, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” Verses 5–6 of Matthew 28:1–10 2. The Ascension of Jesus Then he led them {out} as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. Verses 50–51 of Luke 24:44–53 3. The Coming (or “Descent”) of the Holy Spirit And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Verse 4 of Acts 2:1–13 4. The Assumption of Mary into Heaven A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Verse 1 of Revelation 12:1–6 5. Mary is Crowned Queen of Heaven The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name… He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. Verses 49 and 52 of Luke 1:46–55

luminous Mysteries Thursday

1. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened {for him}, and saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove {and} coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Verses 16–17 of Matthew 3:13–17 2. The Miracle at the Wedding of Cana: Jesus Changes Water into Wine Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. Verse 11 of John 2:1–11 3. Jesus Proclaims the Kingdom of God After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14–15 4. The Transfiguration of Jesus And [Jesus] was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white; such as no fuller on earth could bleach them… Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Verses 3 and 7 of Mark 9:2–10 5. Institution of the Eucharist While they were waiting, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.” Verses 26–28 of Matthew 26:17–35

The Way of the Cross In the church or at home, this prayer will help you to meditate on the last moments of Jesus’ life. To begin each one of the stations, pray: V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. R. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Then, you make a minute or two of silence, meditating on the content of the station. You can end praying Our Father. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

The Last Supper Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus Before the Sanhedrin Jesus Before Pontius Pilate The Whipping and Crowning with Thorns The Carrying of the Cross Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus Carry His Cross

8. Jesus Comforts the Women of Jerusalem 9. The Stripping and Crucifixion of Jesus 10. The Repentant Thief 11. Mary and John Before the Cross of Jesus 12. The Death of Jesus on the Cross 13. The New Sepulchre 14. The Resurrection of Jesus

Praying with the Bible praying the bible in groups First Step Inviting the Lord and his Spirit. The coordinator asks a member of the group to invoke the presence of the Lord and his Spirit. The rest of the group may complete the prayer and share their own prayer. Second Step Reading the text. The coordinator points out the chapter and verses to be read. One member of the group reads the text aloud. After the reading, all observe a moment of silence. Third Step Abiding with the text. Let each participant say aloud a word or a sentence that is of special importance to him or her. After each participant says the word or sentence, there is a short moment of silence. Each one can repeat interiorly two or three times the words that were spoken, allowing them to sink in. Once all have spoken, the whole text is read again, aloud and slowly. Fourth Step Silence. After a second reading of the text, the coordinator invites everybody to keep silent letting them know how long the silence will be (3 to 5 minutes). This silence prepares the participants to reflect together on the text and to pray the text. Fifth Step Sharing what has touched their life. Participants are invited to share spontaneously from their hearts what has touched them. This is the time to put together the words reflected upon from Scripture and the individual feelings and experiences of each participant. Sixth Step Praying together. The coordinator invites the group to pray. Participants respond with spontaneous prayers to God who has spoken to them through the text. The meeting may conclude with a song.

praying the bible alone Begin with this prayer: Father, you created me and put me on earth for a purpose. Jesus, you died for me and called me to complete your work. Holy Spirit, you help me to carry out the work for which I was created and called. In your presence and name—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—I begin my meditation. Follow these steps: 1. Read the meditation prayerfully. (About one minute.) 2. Think about what struck you most as you read the meditation. Why this? (About four minutes.) 3. Speak to God about your thoughts. (About one minute.) 4. Listen to God’s response. Simply rest in God’s presence with an open mind and an open heart. (About four minutes.) 5. End each meditation by praying the Lord’s Prayer slowly and reverently.

Short List of Biblical Prayers that can be used at any time or according to your personal situation. Genesis 15:2–3 Supplication of Abraham for his son. Exodus 5:22–23 Moses complains to God about the situation of his People. Isaiah 12:1–6 Song of thanksgiving for the liberation of the People. Daniel 3:26–49 Prayer of the Three Youths condemned to the furnace, interceding for the People. Luke 1:45–55 Song of Mary, the Magnificat, for what God has made in her and in history. Luke 1:68–79 Zechariah’s thanksgiving song for what God has made for his people. Matthew 6:9–13 The Our Father. John 11:41–42 Jesus’ prayer of thanksgiving at Lazarus’ resurrection. Acts 4:24–30 Communitarian prayer asking for interior fortitude to announce the Word of God.

Biblical Prayers for a Person in Danger or Very Sick Read each supplication slowly, asking the sick person or the person in danger to repeat it, if possible, as a litany. Other supplications from the Bible can be added. • The Lord is my light and my salvation. (Ps 27:1) • My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. (Ps 42:3) • Although I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are beside me. (Ps 23:4) • I stretch out my hands to you, and thirst for you like a parched land. (Ps1 43:6) • To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. (Ps 25:1) • My loving God will come to help me. (Ps 59:11) • Fill me with joy and gladness. (Ps 51:10) • Send forth your light and your truth; let them be my guide. (Ps 43:3) • Come, blessed of my Father! Take possession of the kingdom prepared for you. (Mt 25:34) • We will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thes 4:17) • Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (Rom 8:35) • We love our brothers and sisters, and with this we know that we have passed from death to life. (1 Jn 3:14) • Now has salvation come, with the power and the kingdom of our God. (Rev 12:10) • Yes, I am coming soon. Amen. Come Lord Jesus. (Rev 22:20)

How to use the

Bible Diary®

Some useful tips on how to make fruitful use of the Bible Diary ® • Reserve a particular time daily for reading the day’s biblical texts and commentary. Allow some time for reflection and prayer. God speaks to you. Listen with your heart and you will discover and understand God’s message. • Make the Bible Diary® very personal to you so that you may have the freedom to write on it without reservations. • Put into writing all the feelings you experience through the day: feelings of love, fear, guilt, or anger. Write down your reflections and realizations, your resolutions, little dialogues with yourself; your dreams, wishes, and hopes; your responses to events and to people. • Be creative and compose your own prayers, verses, sayings and poems. • When you look back and read them all over, you will begin to see and discover more about yourself. Then your Bible Diary® becomes a dialogue not only with yourself but with God who always speaks and is present through his Word.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Some portions of several Bible readings have been carefully condensed to enable the one-page per weekday and two-page per Sunday format. Condensed readings have been marked with an asterisk ( * ). Thank you very much.

1st Reading: Num 6:22–27 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons and say to them: This is how you shall bless the people of Israel; you shall say: May Yahweh bless you and keep you! May Yahweh let his face shine on you, and be gracious to you! May Yahweh look kindly on you, and give you his peace! In that way shall they put my name on the people of Israel and I will bless them.”

thursday

january

Mary, Mother of God Psalter: Proper

Ps 67:2a–3, 5, 6, 8 May God bless us in his mercy.

2nd Reading: Gal 4:4–7 But when the fullness of time came, God sent his Son. He came born of woman and subject to the Law, in order to redeem the subjects of the Law, that we might receive adoption as children of God. And because you are children, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of his Son which cries out: Abba! that is, Father! You yourself are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and yours is the inheritance by God’s grace. Gospel: Lk 2:16–21 The shepherds came hurriedly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby lying in the manger. On seeing this they related what they had been told about the child, and all were astonished on hearing the shepherds. As for Mary, she treasured all these messages and continually pondered over them. The shepherds then returned giving glory and praise to God for all they had heard and seen, just as the angels had told them. On the eighth day the circumcision of the baby had to be performed; he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

s it was with Mary, we begin the New Year with grace, blessings and hope. Like her, we receive the same blessings that Yahweh bestowed on His people, Israel, as spoken to Moses. Through her, we are adopted as God’s children. Today, with Mary, let us ponder upon these blessings and learn to nurture them. And like the shepherds, let us return to God all glory and praise for the wondrous things we have heard and seen. This year, Mary inspires us to live a life full of gratitude, generosity, compassion and hope, so that we may return to God, with interest, all the gifts He has given us. There is no doubt that devotion to Mary provides the key both to sanctity and to salvation. There is no better way to advance quickly in holiness, no better way to please God, and no better way to guarantee one’s eternal salvation than through true devotion to Mary. Beloved by countless souls, Mary sums up the entire Christian life, showing a way of holiness that was the way of life, chosen by Christ Himself!

02 january friday

Before Epiphany Basil the Great / Gregory of Nazianzen Psalter: Week 1

Ps 98:1, 2–3ab, 3cd–4 All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

1st Reading: 1 Jn 2:22–28 Who is the liar? The one who denies that Jesus is the Christ. This is an antichrist, who denies both the Father and the Son. The one who denies the Son is without the Father, and those who acknowledge the Son also have the Father. Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you, too, will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise he himself gave us: eternal life. I write this to you thinking of those who try to lead you astray. You received from him an anointing, and it remains in you, so you do not need someone to teach you. His anointing teaches you all things, it speaks the truth and does not lie to you; so remain in him, and keep what he has taught you. And now, my children, live in him, so that when he appears in his glory, we may be confident and not ashamed before him when he comes. Gospel: Jn 1:19–28 This was the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?” John recognized the truth and did not deny it. He said, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “Then who are you? Elijah?” He answered, “I am not.” They said, “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Tell us who you are, so that we can give some answer to those who sent us. How do you see yourself?” And John said, quoting the prophet Isaiah, “I am the voice crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord.” Those who had been sent were Pharisees; so they put a further question to John: “Then why are you baptizing if you are not the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?” John answered, “I baptize you with water, but among you stands one whom you do not know; although he comes after me, I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal.” This happened in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

“W

ho are you?” Just as this question was asked of John the Baptist, it will as often as not be asked of us, especially when it is demanded that we stand up for Christ and testify to the truth. There is no doubt that John prepared the way of the Lord, always by telling the people following the real truth, regardless of how difficult it was for them to hear it, rather than telling them what they wanted to hear. “I am a Christian, a follower of Christ!” This is the truth at the core of our faith. It is the source of our confidence and our commitment to stand up for Christ in our everyday lives. It is the basis of our identity and mission as Christians. This is the source of our compassion, which we must share with the world, especially when we meet those who are crying out in their wilderness of loss, pain and confusion. As it was with John, may ours be the voices that strengthen them, dispel their doubts and give them hope in the eternal command: “Make straight the way of the Lord!”

1st Reading: 1 Jn 2:29–3:6 You know that he is the Just One: know then that anyone living justly is born of God. See what singular love the Father has for us: we are called children of God, and we really are. This is why the world does not know us, because it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children and what we shall be has not yet been shown. Yet when he appears in his glory, we know that we shall be like him, for then we shall see him as he is. All who have such a hope try to be pure as he is pure. Anyone who commits a sin acts as an enemy of the law of God; any sin acts wickedly, because all sin is wickedness. You know that he came to take away our sins, and that there is no sin in him. Whoever remains in him has no sin, whoever sins has not seen or known him.

saturday

january

Before Epiphany Most Holy Name of Jesus Psalter: Week 1

Ps 98:1, 3cd–4, 5–6 All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Gospel: Jn 1:29–34 When John saw Jesus coming towards him, he said, “There is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. It is he of whom I said: A man comes after me who is already ahead of me, for he was before me. I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing to prepare for him, so that he might be revealed in Israel.” And John also gave this testimony, “I saw the Spirit coming down on him like a dove from heaven and resting on him. I myself did not know him but God who sent me to baptize told me: ‘You will see the Spirit coming down and resting on the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ Yes, I have seen! and I declare that this is the Chosen One of God.”

od places an extremely high value on the pursuit of knowledge, especially spiritual knowledge. We grow in the knowledge of God through our own personal adventures as we take our own daily walk with Him, along with learning from other Christians, especially those who are gifted the ability to teach us about true spirituality. When John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching, he realized at once that Jesus was the one for whom he, John, had been working so hard to prepare the people of Israel: “Yes, I have seen and I declare that this is the Chosen One of God!” What prevents many of us from receiving knowledge directly from God is that we have never been taught to listen. We have to be willing to go into some type of seeking-mode with God to hear Him. Oftentimes, we dare not speak of God or His gifts out of fear or timidity. But wisdom and experience tell us that the faith and blessings we have received are not just for us to hold onto, but to share with joy and exuberance. So, as fearlessly as John, let us proclaim our knowledge and love of God to all we meet.

1st Reading: Is 60:1–6 Arise, Jerusalem, shine, for your light has come. The Glory of Yahweh rises upon you. Night still covers the earth and gloomy clouds veil the peoples, but Yahweh now rises and over you his glory appears. Nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes round about and see: they are all gathered and come to you, your sons from afar, your daughters tenderly carried. This sight will make your face radiant, your heart throbbing and full; the riches of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations will come to you. A flood of camels will cover you, caravans from Midian and Ephah. Those from Sheba will come, bringing with them gold and incense, all singing in praise of Yahweh. 2nd Reading: Eph 3:2–3a, 5–6 Brothers and sisters, you may have heard of the graces God bestowed on me for your sake. By a revelation he gave me the knowledge of his mysterious design, as I have explained in a few words. This mystery was not made known to past generations but only now, through revelations given to holy apostles and prophets. Now the non-Jewish people share the Inheritance; in Christ Jesus the non-Jews are incorporated and are to enjoy the Promise. Gospel: Mt 2:1–12 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea, during the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw the rising of his star in the east and have come to honor him.” When Herod heard this he was greatly disturbed and with him all Jerusalem. He immediately called a meeting of all high-ranking priests and the scribes, and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In the town of Bethlehem in Judea,” they told him, “for this is what the prophet wrote: And

Ps 72:1–2, 7–8, 10–11, 12–13 Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the clans of Judah, for from you will come a leader, the one who is to shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod secretly called the wise men and asked them the precise time the star appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem with the instruction, “Go and get precise information about the child. As soon as you have found him, report to me, so that I too may go and honor him.” After the meeting with the king, they set out. The star that they had seen in the East went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. The wise men were overjoyed on seeing the star again. They went into the house and when they saw the child with Mary his mother, they knelt and worshiped him.

sunday

january

Epiphany of the Lord Psalter: Proper

They opened their bags and offered him their n this first Sunday of 2009 we celebrate gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. the Solemnity of the Epiphany. We recall In a dream they were warned not to go back to that the wise men honored the Christ child by Herod, so they returned to their home country bringing him valuable gifts of gold, incense by another way. and myrrh. The generous gifts bestowed upon Jesus by the three kings would prefigure the supremely generous gift that the Lord would give to us, the gift of new and everlasting life, paid for with His very blood upon the cross. As the New Year begins, we rededicate our selves to the task of imitating the Lord Jesus in His self giving. For when we imitate the Lord we become more like Him. And when we become more like Jesus, we grow in holiness. Our spe cific acts of generosity, our good and faithful stewardship of the gifts that the Lord has given to us are means to growing in holiness. As we celebrate the Lord’s generosity to us on this first Sunday of 2009, may we be inspired to imitate Him and become more generous stewards with in our family, within our parish and in taking care of the needs of the poor and less fortunate.

05 january monday

After Epiphany John Neumann Psalter: Week 2

Ps 2:7bc–8, 10–12a I will give you all the nations for an inheritance.

1st Reading: 1 Jn 3:22–4:6* … My beloved, do not trust every inspiration. Test the spirits to see whether they come from God, because many false prophets are now in the world. How will you recognize the spirit of God? Any spirit recognizing Jesus as the Christ who has taken our flesh is of God. But any spirit that does not recognize Jesus is not from God, it is the spirit of the antichrist. You have heard of his coming and even now he is in the world. You, my dear children, are of God and you have already overcome these people, because the one who is in you is more powerful than he who is in the world. They are of the world and the world inspires them and those of the world listen to them. We are of God and those who know God listen to us, but those who are not of God ignore us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error as well. Gospel: Mt 4:12–17, 23–25 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to settle down in Capernaum, a town by the lake of Galilee, at the border of Zebulun and Naphtali. In this way the word of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali crossed by the Road of the Sea, and you who live by the Jordan, Galilee, land of pagans, listen: The people who lived in darkness have seen a great light; on those who live in the land of the shadow of death, a light has shone. From that time on Jesus began to proclaim his message, “Change your ways: the kingdom of heaven is near.” Jesus went around all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, and curing all kinds of sickness and disease among the people. The news about him spread through the whole of Syria, and the people brought all their sick to him, and all those who suffered: the possessed, the deranged, the paralyzed, and he healed them all. Large crowds followed him from Galilee and the Ten Cities, from Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan.

ot only did John the Baptist preach repentance, but so also did our loving Jesus. Today, there is even more reason than ever for us to repent of our sins, to change our minds, to regret and to change our conduct. It is still one of the most important messages that Jesus gave us. Our repentance is a sure sign that we are embracing the Kingdom of God. As the Kingdom of God is with us, Jesus transforms our lives, cures and heals our spiritual sickness, and returns us to wholeness. Jesus was offering a new way of seeing with the mind of the heart. Jesus is the master of repentance, which allows us to go into the larger mind. The more we become ready to repent, the more we welcome the Kingdom of God into our daily lives, penetrating our darkness and totally transforming us.

1st Reading: 1 Jn 4:7–10 My dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Those who do not love have not known God, for God is love. How did the love of God appear among us? God sent his only Son into this world that we might have life through him. This is love: not that we loved God but that he first loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

tuesday

january

After Epiphany Bl. André Bessette Psalter: Week 2

Ps 72:1–2, 3–4, 7–8 Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Gospel: Mk 6:34–44 As Jesus went ashore he saw a large crowd, and he had compassion on them for they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began a long teaching session with them. It was now getting late, so his disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place and it is now late. You should send the people away and let them go to the farms and villages around here to buy themselves something to eat.” Jesus replied, “You yourselves give them something to eat.” They answered, “If we are to give them food, we must go and buy two hundred silver coins’ worth of bread.” But Jesus said, “You have some loaves: how many? Go and see.” The disciples found out and said, “There are five loaves and two fish.” Then he told them to have the people sit down together in groups on the green grass. This they did in groups of hundreds and fifties. And Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish and, raising his eyes to heaven, he pronounced a blessing, broke the loaves and handed them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them. They all ate and everyone had enough. The disciples gathered up what was left and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces of bread and fish. Five thousand men had eaten there.

“I

am loved! I am loving! I am lovable!” Repetition of this eloquent mantra is advised by psychologists for people with self-esteem issues. In fact, it works for all of us. This is because, right from the start, we are all loved by God, whose very spirit is the spirit of love. When we recognize that God has always loved us, we find it possible to be loving of other people. It is in this act of loving others that we discover how lovable we are. In order to show His love for us, God sent Jesus into our world, so that we might take notice of how we should love others. This is His perfect example of love-in-action! Mark’s tale about the miracle of the loaves and fishes was intended as another manifestation of love-in-action, which Jesus demonstrated by supplying food to the crowd who were following him. Jesus saw a need through his eyes of compassion; the people were hungry and needed food. No fuss. No drama. No publicity. Just good, old-fashioned compassion! Let us take this time to contemplate on God’s love-in-action for all of us. We are loved! We are loving! We are lovable!

07 january wednesday

After Epiphany Raymond of Peñafort Psalter: Week 2

Ps 72:1–2, 10, 12–13 Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

1st Reading: 1 Jn 4:11–18 Dear friends, if such has been the love of God, we, too, must love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love comes to its perfection in us. How may we know that we live in God and he in us? Because God has given us his Spirit. We ourselves have seen and declare that the Father sent his Son to save the world. Those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in them and they in God. We have known the love of God and have believed in it. God is love. The one who lives in love, lives in God and God in him. When do we know that we have reached a perfect love? When in this world, we are like him in everything, and expect with confidence the Day of Judgment. There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives away fear, for fear has to do with punishment; those who fear do not know perfect love. Gospel: Mk 6:45–52 After the five thousand men were satiated, Jesus obliged his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, towards Bethsaida, while he himself sent the crowd away. And having sent the people off, he went by himself to the hillside to pray. When evening came, the boat was far out on the lake while he was alone on the land. Jesus saw his disciples straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, and before daybreak he came to them walking on the lake; and he was going to pass them by. When they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw him and were terrified. But at once he called to them, “Courage! It’s me; don’t be afraid.” Then Jesus got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely astonished, for they had not really grasped the fact of the loaves; their minds were dull.

he next important thing for us to learn about love is its power to drive away fear. The disciples, still not understanding the love-in-action of Jesus, even after his multiplication of the loaves and fishes, became terrified when they saw Jesus walking on the waters of the lake. What they didn’t understand terrified them. It wasn’t that they were afraid of the storm, it was the sight of Jesus walking on the lake. It was also the effect Jesus always had upon his world: it feared him because he was different. When we are afraid of someone or something we do not know, or is different from us, we entertain a form of xenophobia and our fear easily turns to hostility. Xenophobia may be directed against a group which has been present for centuries or, in our situation, against those who adhere to other belief-systems besides Christianity. In the past, xenophobia has facilitated hostile and violent reactions, such as mass expulsion of peoples, or genocide. Love has to be expressed in our compassion and our efforts towards understanding. Let us reflect on the one God, who loves us, and who loves all humankind, regardless of adherence to any particular belief-system.

1st Reading: 1 Jn 4:19–5:4 So let us love one another, since God loved us first. If you say, “I love God,” while you hate your brother or sister, you are a liar. How can you love God whom you do not see, if you do not love your brother whom you see? We received from him this commandment: let those who love God also love their brothers. All those who believe that Jesus is the Anointed, are born of God; whoever loves the Father, loves the Son. How may we know that we love the children of God? If we love God and fulfill his commands, for God’s love requires us to keep his commands. In fact, his commandments are not a burden because all those born of God overcome the world. And the victory which overcomes the world is our faith.

thursday

january

After Epiphany Psalter: Week 2

Ps 72:1–2, 14 and 15bc, 17 Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Gospel: Lk 4:14–22 Jesus acted with the power of the Spirit, and on his return to Galilee the news about him spread throughout all that territory. He began teaching in the synagogues of the Jews and everyone praised him. When Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the book of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus then unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed and announce the Lord’s year of mercy.” Jesus then rolled up the scroll, gave it to the attendant and sat down, while the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he said to them, “Today these prophetic words come true even as you listen.” All agreed with him and were lost in wonder, while he kept on speaking of the grace of God. Nevertheless they asked, “Who is this but Joseph’s son?”

nly in the Sermon on the Mount does Jesus declare the reasons for his mission on earth with as much clarity and compassion. He taught these things in the synagogues, places of public worship, where Jewish leaders met to read, to expound, to pray and praise. All the gifts and graces of the Spirit were upon him when he told them that he was sent by God. He was not promising a political solution to the ills of the day…and yet, it was for political reasons that he ended up being put to death by the Romans. When discerning our relationship with the world, Jesus has provided us with instruction, illuminated by his example. In today’s world, where fame and glamour are elevated to almost obscene heights, it is unlikely that Jesus would be any more acceptable to the powers-that-be than he was in his own time. And yet, Jesus’ mission is as relevant to us as it has been to the poor, to those in captivity, to the blind and the oppressed, down through the ages. We do well to reflect upon the central place, which Jesus deserves to occupy in our hearts and our lives.

09 january friday

After Epiphany Black Nazarene Psalter: Week 2

Ps 147:12–13, 14–15, 19–20 Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

1st Reading: 1 Jn 5:5–13 Who has overcome the world? The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus Christ was acknowledged through water, but also through blood. Not only water but water and blood. And the Spirit, too, witnesses to him for the Spirit is truth. There are then three testimonies: the Spirit, the water and the blood, and these three witnesses agree. If we accept human testimony, with greater reason must we accept that of God, given in favor of his Son. If you believe in the Son of God, you have God’s testimony in you. But those who do not believe make God a liar, since they do not believe his words when he witnesses to his Son. What has God said? That he has granted us eternal life and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has life, the one who do not have the Son of God do not have life. I write you, then, all these things that you may know that you have eternal life, all you who believe in the Name of the Son of God. Gospel: Lk 5:12–16 One day in another town, a man came to Jesus covered with leprosy. On seeing him he bowed down to the ground, and said, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.” Stretching out his hand, Jesus touched the man and said, “Yes, I want it. Be clean.” In an instant the leprosy left him. Then Jesus instructed him, “Tell this to no one. But go and show yourself to the priest. Make an offering for your healing, as Moses prescribed; that should be a proof to the people.” But the news about Jesus spread all the more, and large crowds came to him to listen and be healed of their sickness. As for Jesus, he would often withdraw to solitary places and pray.

n the time of Jesus, leprosy was the modern-day equivalent of AIDS, probably the worst disease in the known world. It was a long-term, slow-moving disease that was highly contagious; and for that reason, it prevented people from going to the synagogue to pray. Touching lepers was forbidden, because of how contagious leprosy was. And yet, here we have it that Jesus healed the man’s leprosy, a disease which caused fear and loathing for centuries. Jesus consented to heal this man and then told him to be quiet. His command for the healed man to show himself to the priest and to make an offering followed the law about the cleansing of lepers. Time and time again in the gospels, we see Jesus curing physical diseases so that people could return to God and, through prayer, be cured of their spiritual diseases. Just as leprosy corroded, corrupted and eventually destroyed the body, sin corrodes, corrupts and eventually destroys the spirit. Jesus’ ability to heal was proof that he was sent from God. In our prayer we can find him, willing and able to cleanse us from the sins of our spirit as well as the sins of our body.

1st Reading: 1 Jn 5:14–21 Through him we are fully confident that whatever we ask, according to his will, he will grant us. If we know that he hears us whenever we ask, we know that we already have what we asked of him. If you see your brother committing sin, a sin which does not lead to death, pray for him, and God will give life to your brother. I speak, of course, of the sin which does not lead to death. There is also a sin that leads to death; I do not speak of praying about this. Every kind of wrongdoing is sin, but not all sin leads to death. We know that those born of God do not sin, but the one who was born of God protects them and the evil one does not touch them. We know that we belong to God, while the whole world lies in evil. We know that the Son of God has come and has given us power to know the truth. We are in him who is true, his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. My dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

saturday

january

After Epiphany Psalter: Week 2

Ps 149:1–2, 3–4, 5–6a and 9b The Lord takes delight in his people.

Gospel: Jn 3:22–30 Jesus went into the territory of Judea with his disciples. He stayed there with them and baptized. John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim where water was plentiful; people came to him and were baptized. This happened before John was put in prison. Now John’s disciples had been questioned by a Jew about spiritual cleansing, so they came to him and said, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, and about whom you spoke favorably, is now baptizing and all are going to him.” John answered, “No one can take on anything except what has been given him from heaven. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said: ‘I am not the Christ but I have been sent before him.’ Only the bridegroom has the bride; but the friend of the bridegroom stands by and listens, and rejoices to hear the bridegroom’s voice. My joy is now full. It is necessary that he increase but that I decrease.”

oday’s reading gives rise to the age-old question: why does God allow evil to exist in our world? The answer is that, if there was no suffering or evil throughout the history of the world, there would be no instances of loving goodness in action against that evil. This world of ours would not exist if heaven was the only possible world. Since everyone thinks, and no one thinks only pure thoughts, God would be pretty busy, and we wouldn’t be able to think for ourselves. The mystery is resolved by the fact that love-in-action is more important than words. Some moral acts just could not be performed in a world that had no suffering or evil. It’s one thing to tell someone you love them and would do anything for them; it’s quite another to love them in action and spend decades caring for them, even after they’ve grown old and senile. This furthers the cause of goodness in our world and defeats a little bit of evil. In it, we are making others aware of God’s example, showing them that God is instructing us in love and enabling us to be agents of goodness against evil.

1st Reading: Is 55:1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11 Come here, all you who are thirsty, come to the water! All who have no money, come! Yes, without money and at no cost, buy and drink wine and milk. Why spend money on what is not food and labor for what does not satisfy? Listen to me, and you will eat well; you will enjoy the richest of fare. Incline your ear and come to me; listen, that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, I will fulfill in you my promises to David. See, I have given him for a witness to the nations, a leader and commander of the people. Likewise you will summon a nation unknown to you, and nations that do not know you will come hurrying to you for the sake of Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has promoted you. Seek Yahweh while he may be found; call to him while he is near. Let the wicked abandon his way, let him forsake his thoughts, let him turn to Yahweh for he will have mercy, for our God is generous in forgiving. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are not your ways, says Yahweh. For as the heavens are above the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return till they have watered the earth, making it yield seed for the sower and food for others to eat, so is my word that goes forth out of my mouth: it will not return to me idle, but it shall accomplish my will, the purpose for which it has been sent.

Is 12:2â&#x20AC;&#x201C;3, 4bcd, 5-6 You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

sunday

2nd Reading: 1 Jn 5:1–9 All those who believe that Jesus is the Anointed, are born of God; whoever loves the Father, loves the Son. How may we know that we love the children of God? If we love God and fulfill his commands, for God’s love requires us to keep his commands. In fact, his commandments are not a burden because all those born of God overcome the world. And the victory which overcomes the world is our faith. Who has overcome the world? The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus Christ was acknowledged through water, but also through blood. Not only water but water and blood. And the Spirit, too, witnesses to him for the Spirit is truth. There are then three testimonies: the Spirit, the water and the blood, and these three witnesses agree. If we accept human testimony, with greater reason must we accept that of God, given in favor of his Son. Gospel: Mk 1:7–11 John the Baptist preached to the people saying, “After me comes one who is more powerful than I am; I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit. As for me, I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandals.” At that time Jesus came from Nazareth, a town of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And the moment he came up out of the water, heaven opened before him and he saw the Spirit coming down on him like a dove. And these words were heard from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved, the One I have chosen.”

january

Baptism of the Lord Psalter: Proper

n the original language of the Bible, the word baptism means to submerge, to dunk. In the early Church, the rite of baptism was often conferred through the total immersion of the new convert. This image is powerful and worthy of our reflection. Baptism is entrance into the life of Jesus Christ and His Church. This life is not a hobby, nor is it an avocation. The life of following Jesus entails our total commitment to following Him and living according to His will. We do not dabble in discipleship, nor is holiness a hobby. Following Jesus is a full-time endeavor. As Jesus gave His all in bestowing new life upon us, so are we called to give everything we have to give as we follow Him in this new way of life. May our participation in the Sunday Eucharist sustain our commitment to be good and faithful stewards of the magnanimous gift the Lord bestows upon us, the gift of new and everlasting life.

12 january monday

1st Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 97:1 and 2b, 6 and 7c, 9 Let all his angels worship him.

1st Reading: Heb 1:1–6 God has spoken in the past to our ancestors through the prophets, in many different ways, although never completely; but in our times he has spoken definitively to us through his Son. He is the one God appointed heir of all things, since through him he unfolded the stages of the world. He is the radiance of God’s Glory and bears the stamp of God’s hidden being, so that his powerful word upholds the universe. And after taking away sin, he took his place at the right hand of the divine Majesty in heaven. So he is now far superior to angels just as the name he received sets him apart from them. To what angel did God say: You are my son, I have begotten you today? and to what angel did he promise: I shall be a father to him and he will be a son to me? On sending his Firstborn to the world, God says: Let all the angels adore him. Gospel: Mk 1:14–20 After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began preaching the Good News of God. He said, “The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News.” As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” At once, they left their nets and followed him. Jesus went a little farther on and saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee; they were in their boat mending their nets. Immediately, Jesus called them and they followed him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men.

oday we begin the Ordinary Time of the liturgical year. The term, Ordinary Time, can be misleading. In the context of the liturgical year, the term ‘ordinary’ does not mean usual or average. Ordinary Time occurs outside of other liturgical time periods. It is that time in the liturgical year that lies outside the seasons of Lent-to-Easter and Advent-to-Christmas. In Ordinary Time, the Church celebrates the mystery of Christ in all His aspects. The readings during the liturgies of Ordinary Time help to instruct us on how to live out our Christian faith in our daily lives. Since Ordinary Time does not need to be ordinary, it is not meant to mean that somehow we get a break from the Liturgical Year. The opposite is true: everything that does not fit into Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter is celebrated during Ordinary Time. But, it is easy enough to go through Ordinary Time, mindless of the wonders it holds. Just as when we wake up in the morning, we often forget to thank God for the gift of our life, for the people we love and the possibilities for us to make a difference in the little things that matter.

1st Reading: Heb 2:5–12 The angels were not given dominion over the new world of which we are speaking. Instead someone declared in Scripture: What is man, that you should be mindful of him, what is the son of man that you should care for him? For a while you placed him a little lower than the angels, but you crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over all things. When it is said that God gave him dominion over all things, nothing is excluded. As it is, we do not yet see his dominion over all things. But Jesus who suffered death and for a little while was placed lower than the angels has been crowned with honor and glory. For the merciful plan of God demanded that he experience death on behalf of everyone. God, from whom all come and by whom all things exist, wanted to bring many children to glory, and he thought it fitting to make perfect through suffering the initiator of their salvation. So he who gives and those who receive holiness are one. He himself is not ashamed of calling us brothers and sisters, as we read: Lord, I will proclaim your name to my brothers; I will praise you in the congregation.

tuesday

january

1st Week in Ordinary Time Hilary Psalter: Week 1

Ps 8:2ab and 5, 6–7, 8–9 You have given your Son rule over the works of your hands.

Gospel: Mk 1:21–28 Jesus and his disciples went into the town of Capernaum and Jesus began to teach in the synagogue during the Sabbath assemblies. The people were astonished at the way he taught, for he spoke as one having authority and not like the teachers of the Law. It happened that a man with an evil spirit was in their synagogue and he shouted, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: You are the Holy One of God.” Then Jesus faced him and said with authority, “Be silent and come out of this man!” The evil spirit shook the man violently and, with a loud shriek, came out of him. All the people were astonished and they wondered, “What is this? With what authority he preaches! He even orders evil spirits and they obey him!” And Jesus’ fame spread throughout all the country of Galilee.

esus came to announce and inaugurate God’s reign over the world and human beings. He cast out devils so that man could freely respond to God. Today’s most tenacious devil is our addiction to war and violence. In a sad irony, traditional Christianity has tended to see the world as a battle between good and evil, a battle to be won at all costs. So, when there is conflict, one is dealing with an opponent who is completely the opposite. To survive, one must use more force first before the enemy inevitably does the same. Do we really believe that Christ’s love can exorcise the prowling fiend of global violence? Do we have the faith as Christians to unleash a healing force of personal nonviolence, equal to Christ’s command to testify on his behalf? Only the power of nonviolence, the force of healing, unconditional enemy-love, will banish the demons of humankind’s addiction to war and violence. This is God’s kingdom. Pray that it will soon be realized!

14 january wednesday

1st Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 105:1–2, 3–4, 6–7, 8–9 The Lord remembers his covenant forever.

1st Reading: Heb 2:14–18 And because all those children share one same nature of flesh and blood, Jesus likewise had to share this nature. This is why his death destroyed the one holding the power of death, that is the devil, and freed those who remained in bondage all their lifetime because of the fear of death. Jesus came to take by the hand not the angels but the human race. So he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every respect, in order to be the High Priest faithful to God and merciful to them, a priest able to ask pardon and atone for their sins. Having been tested through suffering, he is able to help those who are tested. Gospel: Mk 1:29–39 As soon as Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue, Jesus went to the home of Simon and Andrew with James and John. As Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with fever, they immediately told him about her. Jesus went to her and taking her by the hand, raised her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. That evening at sundown, people brought to Jesus all the sick and those who had evil spirits: the whole town was pressing around the door. Jesus healed many who had various diseases, and drove out many demons; but he did not let them speak, for they knew who he was. Very early in the morning, before daylight, Jesus went off to a lonely place where he prayed. Simon and the others went out, too, searching for him; and when they found him they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Let’s go to the nearby villages so that I may preach there too; for that is why I came.” So Jesus set out to preach in all the synagogues throughout Galilee; he also cast out demons.

espite Jesus’ busy schedule, he still had time to visit the home of Simon and Andrew and to heal Simon’s mother-in-law. Jesus’ humanity drew thousands of people. He wasn’t distant and removed, but walked among them, serving their needs. He did this because, at the core of who he was, beat a heart of empathy. Empathy is one of the hallmarks of our humanity. It is the ability to walk in the shoes of another and to help that person. Empathy for our fellow men and women—be they believers or not—should permeate the core of who we are. As we walk through life, we should always strive to step into someone else’s shoes. This isn’t a call to overlook sin and how it leads to the shattered lives; only that we should show empathy straight off. We have no idea what a living hell a person has been through. It is better that we empathize with him or her first, because many of us have been through our own hell, of one kind or another. Without Christ we’d all still be living that hell right now. Lead with empathetic love. Feel someone else’s pain and truly mean it.

1st Reading: Heb 3:7–14 Listen to what the Holy Spirit says: If only you would hear God’s voice today! Do not be stubborn, as they were in the place called Rebellion, when your ancestors challenged me in the desert, although they had seen my deeds for forty years. That is why I was angry with those people and said: Their hearts are always going astray and they do not understand my ways. I was angry and made a solemn vow: They will never enter my rest. So, brothers, be careful lest some of you come to have an evil and unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. Encourage one another, day by day, as long as it is called today. Let no one become hardened in the deceitful way of sin. We are associated with Christ provided we hold steadfastly to our initial hope until the end.

thursday

january

1st Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 95:6–7c, 8–9, 10–11 If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Gospel: Mk 1:40–45 A leper came to Jesus and begged him, “If you so will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” The leprosy left the man at once and he was made clean. As Jesus sent the man away, he sternly warned him, “Don’t tell anyone about this, but go and show yourself to the priest and for the cleansing bring the offering ordered by Moses; in this way you will make your declaration.” However, as soon as the man went out, he began spreading the news everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter any town. But even though he stayed in the rural areas, people came to him from everywhere.

t is fair to say that Paul was obsessed with sin. That was probably because, in his early life, he committed so many sins against Christians. Still, there is much truth in what he has to say about the self-destructive nature of sin in our lives. When sin is long persisted in, it destroys the person, for whom there is no resting in the sight of God. If we allow ourselves to distrust God’s power to forgive our sins, we may soon desert him. Since tomorrow may not be ours, we must make the best use of each and every day. There are none of us, not even the strongest of us, who do not need the help of other Christians. And there none of us, so low and despised, who do not need us to care for their standing in faith and of their safety. Sin appears fair, but is vile; it appears pleasant, but is destructive; it promises much, but performs nothing. The deceitfulness of sin hardens the soul; one sin makes way for another; and every deliberate act of sin confirms the sinful habit. So, let us pledge today to beware of letting sin into our lives.

16 january friday

1st Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 78:3 and 4bc, 6c–7, 8 Do not forget the works of the Lord!

1st Reading: Heb 4:1–5, 11* … We received the Gospel exactly as they did, but hearing the message did them no good, because they did not share the faith of those who did listen. We are now to enter this rest because we believed, as it was said: I was angry and made a solemn vow: they will never enter my rest—that is the rest of God after he created the world. In another part it was said about the seventh day: And God rested on the seventh day from all his works. But now it is said: They will not enter my rest. We must conclude that some will enter the rest of God and that those who first received the good news did not, because of their disobedience. Yet God again assigns a day when he says: today, and declares through David many years later: If you hear God’s voice today, do not be stubborn. Let us strive, then, to enter the rest and not to share the misfortune of those who disobeyed. Gospel: Mk 2:1–12 Jesus returned to Capernaum. As the news spread that he was at home, so many people gathered that there was no longer room even outside the door. While Jesus was preaching the Word to them, some people brought a paralyzed man to him. The four men who carried him couldn’t get near Jesus because of the crowd, so they opened the roof above the room where Jesus was and, through the hole, lowered the man on his mat. When Jesus saw the faith of these people, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” Now, some teachers of the Law who were sitting there wondered within themselves, “How can he speak like this insulting God? Who can forgive sins except God?” At once Jesus knew through his spirit what they were thinking and asked, “Why do you wonder? Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man: ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say: ‘Rise, take up your mat and walk?’ But now you shall know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” And he said to the paralytic, “Stand up, take up your mat and go home.” The man rose and, in the sight of all those people, he took up his mat and went out. All of them were astonished and praised God saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

esus knew that teachers of the Law were struggling with their stubbornness, even after they had seen more than enough of Jesus’ power to be convinced of the fact that he was the messiah, foretold in the Old Testament. “Why do you wonder?” Jesus asked in exasperation. And so we should ask of ourselves: would we rather believe that God forgives us and make us whole? Only unquestioning faith and acceptance are an antidote to stubbornness and disobedience. Placing these things in front of our mind’s eye, we can easily see why the world is so filled with stubbornness. Without it, God would not be able to display anything, not His power nor strength, nor His love. When we encounter stubbornness or unbelief as to the truth, we can bow our heads and pray that we don’t despair, but that we will rest at peace with God’s will and mercy to us all.

1st Reading: Heb 4:12–16 For the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword. It pierces to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and judges the intentions and thoughts of the heart. All creation is transparent to Him; everything is uncovered and laid bare to the eyes of Him to whom we render account. We have a great High Priest, Jesus, the Son of God, who has entered heaven. Let us, then, hold fast to the faith we profess. Our high priest is not indifferent to our weaknesses, for he was tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sinning. Let us, then, with confidence approach the throne of grace; we will obtain mercy and, through his favor, help in due time.

saturday

january

1st Week in Ordinary Time Anthony, abbot Psalter: Week 1

Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15 Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Gospel: Mk 2:13–17 When Jesus went out again beside the lake, a crowd came to him and he taught them. As he walked along, he saw a tax collector sitting in his office. This was Levi, the son of Alpheus. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And Levi got up and followed him. And it so happened that while Jesus was eating in Levi’s house, tax collectors and sinners were sitting with him and his disciples for there were indeed many of them. But there were also teachers of the Law of the Pharisees’ party, among those who followed Jesus, and when they saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why! He eats with tax collectors and sinners!” Jesus heard them and answered, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

he attitude of Jesus toward the tax collectors was in stark contrast to that of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were separatists, and did not lower themselves to have anything to do with a tax collector, who was to them no better than a gentile. But Jesus never taught that there was anything inherently wrong with paying tribute to the Roman government or collecting the tax. He was opposed to extortionists, but would fling open the door of repentance and salvation to them. He rejected none, not even the worst. To be a fair-dealing tax collector was regarded as impossible for the Jews; but Jesus didn’t hesitate to converse with them. He wouldn’t withdraw, even though the Pharisees were offended. If the world had been righteous, there would have been no occasion for Jesus’ coming, either to preach repentance, or to purchase forgiveness. We are not advised to keep company with ungodly people out of love of their vain conversation; but we are enjoined to show love for their souls, remembering that Jesus had the power of forgiveness in himself. In trying to do well for others, let us always be careful to acknowledge the power of forgiveness in Christ.

1st Reading: Is 9:1–6 The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. A light has dawned on those who live in the land of the shadow of death. You have enlarged the nation; you have increased their joy. They rejoice before you, as people rejoice at harvest time as they rejoice in dividing the spoil. For the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressors, you have broken it as on the day of Midian. Every warrior’s boot that tramped in war, every cloak rolled in blood, will be thrown out for burning, will serve as fuel for the fire. For a child is born to us, a son is given us; the royal ornament is laid upon his shoulder, and his name is proclaimed: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” To the increase of his powerful rule in peace, there will be no end. Vast will be his dominion, he will reign on David’s throne and over all his

Ps 97:1, 2–3, 3–4, 5–6 All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God. kingdom, to establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time onward and forever. The zealous love of Yahweh Sabaoth will do this. 2nd Reading: Eph 1:3–6, 15–18 Blessed be God, the Father of Christ Jesus our Lord, who in Christ has blessed us from heaven with every spiritual blessing. God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and without sin in his presence. From eternity he destined us in love to be his adopted sons and daughters through Christ Jesus, thus fulfilling his free and generous will. This goal suited him: that his loving-kindness

sunday

which he granted us in his Beloved might finally receive all glory and praise. I have been told of your faith and your affection towards all the believers, so I always give thanks to God, remembering you in my prayers. May the God of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Father of Glory, reveal himself to you and give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation, that you may know him. May he enlighten your inner vision, that you may appreciate the things we hope for, since we were called by God. May you know how great is the inheritance, the glory, God sets apart for his saints.

january

Feast of Sto. Niño Psalter: Proper

Gospel: Mk 10:13–16 People were bringing their little children to him to have him touch them, and the disciples rebuked them for this. When Jesus noticed it, he was very angry and said, “Let the children come to me and don’t stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and laying his hands on them, blessed them.

his feast of Santo Niño is a tremendous gift that the Lord gives to us. As we recall the Christmas mystery of the Lord humbling Himself to share in our humanity, we remember that we are called to imitate the Lord in the virtue of humility. We are invited to become as lowly as children so that we might enter into the fullness of life in the Kingdom. We are called to put aside pretences and posturing and fall into the arms of the loving mercy of our God. With the singular exception of sin, we are to regard everything in our lives as a gift from the Lord, and to offer Him the praise, honor and thanksgiving that are His due. This is the life of stewardship to which we are called. In regard to God’s magnanimous gifts, we are not owners but stewards, called to embrace humbly “the inheritance, the glory, God sets apart for his saints.” That the Lord Himself should enter our world as a child should be cause for us today to give heartfelt and sustained thanks.

19 january monday

2nd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4 You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

1st Reading: Heb 5:1–10 Every High Priest is taken from among mortals and appointed to be their representative before God to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin. He is able to understand the ignorant and erring for he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he is bound to offer sacrifices for his sins as well as for the sins of the people. Besides, one does not presume to take this dignity, but takes it only when called by God, as Aaron was. Nor did Christ become High Priest in taking upon himself this dignity, but it was given to him by the One who says: You are my son, I have begotten you today. And in another place: You are a priest forever in the priestly order of Melchizedek. Christ, in the days of his mortal life, offered his sacrifice with tears and cries. He prayed to him who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his humble submission. Although he was Son, he learned through suffering what obedience was, and once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for those who obey him. This is how God proclaimed him Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Gospel: Mk 2:18–22 One day, when the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees were fasting, some people asked Jesus, “Why is it that both the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but yours do not?” Jesus answered, “How can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them and on that day they will fast. “No one sews a piece of new cloth on an old coat, because the new patch will shrink and tear away from the old cloth, making a worse tear. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, for the wine would burst the skins and then both the wine and the skins would be lost. But new wine, new skins!”

hile the Law of Moses commanded that one need fast only during the Day of Atonement, the Pharisees had made regulations that fasting should be practiced twice a week. Jesus showed that there was no need to fast unless there was a good reason to do so. What purpose would his disciples have had in fasting when he was with them, like a bridegroom at a wedding, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom to come? Would you fast during a wedding? No, for it is a time of joy and celebration. At one time or another, we all have observed how strict adherents to a particular law are apt to blame everyone else, who does not fully come up to their own view. We should be willing to bear slander, as long as we are sure that we have done nothing to cause it. It is good in the sight of God that we attend to every reasonable part of our duty, as long as it is in its proper order and season. Any restrictions, put upon us about fasting or abstaining from meat, should be seen exactly for what they are: invitations to exercise moderation in all things!

1st Reading: Heb 6:10–20 God is not unjust and will not forget everything you have done for love of his name; you have helped and still help the believers. We desire each of you to have, until the end, the same zeal for reaching what you have hoped for. Do not grow careless but imitate those who, by their faith and determination, inherit the promise. Remember God’s promise to Abraham. God wanted to confirm it with an oath and, as no one is higher than God, he swore by himself: I shall bless you and give you many descendants. By just patiently waiting, Abraham obtained the promise. People are used to swearing by someone higher than themselves and their oath affirms everything that could be denied. So God committed himself with an oath in order to convince those who were to wait for his promise that he would never change his mind. Thus we have two certainties in which it is impossible that God be proved false: promise and oath. That is enough to encourage us strongly when we leave everything to hold to the hope set before us. This hope is like a steadfast anchor of the soul, secure and firm, thrust beyond the curtain of the Temple into the sanctuary itself, where Jesus has entered ahead of us—Jesus, High Priest for ever in the order of Melchizedek.

tuesday

january

2nd Week in Ordinary Time Fabian / Sebastian Psalter: Week 2

Ps 111:1–2, 4–5, 9 and 10c The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.

Gospel: Mk 2:23–28 One sabbath he was walking through grainfields. As his disciples walked along with him, they began to pick the heads of grain and crush them in their hands. Then the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look! they are doing what is forbidden on the sabbath!” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did in his time of need, when he and his men were very hungry? He went into the house of God when Abiathar was High Priest and ate the bread of offering, which only the priests are allowed to eat, and he also gave some to the men who were with him.” Then Jesus said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. So the Son of Man is master even of the sabbath.”

ere we have the disciples of Jesus picking corn on the Sabbath day, thus violating the Sabbath laws. They were questioned about this and then Jesus clarified the value of the Sabbath day by declaring, “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.” In other words, God’s intent was that a day be set aside for physical relaxation and spiritual renewal for man’s benefit, not for man’s bondage! The Sabbath is still a divine institution; a privilege and benefit, not a task and drudgery. God never designed it to be a burden to us; therefore we must not make it so to ourselves. The Sabbath was instituted for the good of mankind, as living in society, having many wants and troubles, preparing for a state of happiness. We are not made for the Sabbath, as if the keeping of it could be of service to God, nor are we commanded to keep its outward observances, if they hurt us. Even today, the practice we follow of observing the Sabbath, or going to church on Sundays, is to be interpreted according to the rule of mercy and moderation.

21 january wednesday

2nd Week in Ordinary Time Agnes Psalter: Week 2

Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4 You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

1st Reading: Heb 7:1–3, 15–17 Scripture says that Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, came out to meet Abraham who returned from defeating the kings. He blessed Abraham and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. Let us note that the name Melchizedek means King of Justice, and that king of Salem means king of Peace. There is no mention of father, mother or genealogy; nothing is said about the beginning or the end of his life. In this he is the figure of the Son of God, the priest who remains forever. All this, however, becomes clear if this priest after the likeness of Melchizedek has in fact received his mission, not on the basis of any human law, but by the power of an immortal life. Because Scripture says: You are a priest forever in the priestly order of Melchizedek. Gospel: Mk 3:1–6 Jesus entered the synagogue. A man who had a paralyzed hand was there and some people watched Jesus: Would he heal the man on the sabbath? If he did they could accuse him. Jesus said to the man with the paralyzed hand, “Stand here in the center.” Then he asked them, “What does the Law allow us to do on the sabbath? To do good or to do harm? To save life or to kill?” But they were silent. Then Jesus looked around at them with anger and deep sadness because they had closed their minds. And he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was healed. But as soon as the Pharisees left, they met with Herod’s supporters, looking for a way to destroy Jesus.

nother Sabbath controversy for Jesus! Though some Pharisees were hoping to accuse him of violating the Sabbath law again, when Jesus saw a man with a physical ailment, he called him over. This man had a withered hand, which disabled him from working for his living; and those who were so afflicted were objects of charity. In anticipation of their criticism, Jesus explained why he should heal on the Sabbath; and then he cured the man. But the Pharisees, even when they could say nothing against his truth, yet would not yield to him. Jesus looked at the root of bitterness in their hearts, their blindness and prejudice, and was saddened by them. Nowadays, the great healing day is the Sabbath and the healing place the house of prayer; but our healing is spiritual and the healing power is of Christ. The gospel command is like that recorded here: though our hands are withered, yet if we will not stretch them out, it is our own fault that we are not healed. But we are assured to be healed, if only we will outstretch our hands to Christ and receive his power, grace and blessings.

1st Reading: Heb 7:25—8:6 Jesus is able to save for all time those who approach God through him. He always lives to intercede on their behalf. It was fitting that our High Priest be holy, undefiled, set apart from sinners and exalted above the heavens; a priest who does not first need to offer sacrifice for himself before offering for the sins of the people, as high priests do. He offered himself in sacrifice once and for all. And whereas the Law elected weak men as high priests, now, after the Law, the word of God with an oath appointed the Son, made perfect forever. The main point of what we are saying is that we have a high priest. He is seated at the right hand of the divine majesty in heaven, where he serves as minister of the true temple and sanctuary, set up not by any mortal but by the Lord. A high priest is appointed to offer to God gifts and sacrifices, and Jesus also has to offer some sacrifice. Had he remained on earth, he would not be a priest, since others offer the gifts according to the Law. In fact, the ritual celebrated by those priests is only an imitation and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary. We know the word of God to Moses with regard to the construction of the holy tent. He said: You are to make everything according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain. Now, however, Jesus enjoys a much higher ministry in being the mediator of a better covenant, founded on better promises.

thursday

january

2nd Week in Ordinary Time Vincent Psalter: Week 2

Ps 40:7–8a, 8b–9, 10, 17 Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Gospel: Mk 3:7–12 Jesus and his disciples withdrew to the lakeside and a large crowd from Galilee followed him. A great number of people also came from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, Transjordan and from the region of Tyre and Sidon, for they had heard of all that he was doing. Because of the crowd, Jesus told his disciples to have a boat ready for him, to prevent the people from crushing him. He healed so many that all who had diseases kept pressing towards him to touch him. Even the people who had evil spirits, whenever they saw him, would fall down before him and cry out, “You are the Son of God.” But he warned them sternly not to tell anyone who he was.

emarkably, among the first to witness to Jesus’ divinity were the demons, the unclean spirits. Jesus silenced them with a word. He seemed driven by the need to show us who he really was and at the same time he was restrained by a need for silence. Maybe, the reason for his tension was prophetic, so that it might be played out in our witness now, in the charge we have been given to be bearers of the Word, voices for the Good News. What sort of witnesses does Jesus want us to be? We are witnesses for him by imitating him: speaking a word of healing, of peace, of charity wherever we find ourselves. Shining in our joy! Telling the truth about our forgiveness as freed men and women, and then putting that forgiveness to use as healthy food for our growth in holiness! We are witnesses for Christ by doing everything we can for the greater glory of God, by not seeking first our own benefit but the benefit of others, and always telling the truth about our faith in Him.

23 january friday

2nd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 85:8 and 10, 11–12, 13–14 Kindness and truth shall meet.

1st Reading: Heb 8:6–13 Now, however, Jesus enjoys a much higher ministry in being the mediator of a better covenant, founded on better promises. If all had been perfect in the first covenant, there would have been no need for another one. Yet God sees defects when he says: The days are coming—it is the word of the Lord—when I will draw up a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. They did not keep my covenant, and so I myself have forsaken them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel in the days to come: I will put my laws into their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. None of them will have to teach one another or say to each other: Know the Lord, for they will know me from the least to the greatest. I will forgive their sins and no longer remember their wrongs. Here we are being told of a new covenant; which means that the first one had become obsolete, and what is obsolete and aging is soon to disappear. Gospel: Mk 3:13–19 Jesus went up into the hill country and called those he wanted and they came to him. So he appointed twelve to be with him; and he called them apostles. He wanted to send them out to preach, and he gave them authority to drive out demons. These are the Twelve: Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John his brother, to whom he gave the name Boanerges, which means “men of thunder”; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alpheus, Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

esus called the twelve apostles who now form the inner circle that will help Him proclaim the Word of God. The apostles, just like many of us, are individuals with distinct differences and ways, come from different walks of life, and have different reasons and intentions for coming to Jesus. But then, one thing is certain and common to them, they were all called by Jesus. In this same way, regardless of our background, of our limitations, and of our concerns in life, Jesus continues to call us everyday. He wants us to share in His mission of proclaiming God’s Word to the world. We might have hesitations, worries, and insecurities but we find Jesus’ words so strong that we give our “Yes” to Him. We need not to feel fear for in Jesus every thing is possible; every invitation is a life-changing experience.

1st Reading: Heb 9:2–3, 11–14 A first tent was prepared with the lamp-stand, the table and the bread of the presence, this is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain, there is a second sanctuary called the Most Holy Place. But now Christ has appeared as the high priest with regard to the good things of these new times. He passed through a sanctuary more noble and perfect, not made by hands, that is, not created. He did not take with himself the blood of goats and bulls but his own blood, when he entered once and for all into this sanctuary after obtaining definitive redemption. If the sprinkling of people defiled by sin with the blood of goats and bulls or with the ashes of a heifer provides them with exterior cleanness and holiness, how much more will it be with the blood of Christ? He, moved by the eternal Spirit, offered himself as an unblemished victim to God and his blood cleanses us from dead works, so that we may serve the living God.

saturday

january

2nd Week in Ordinary Time Francis de Sales Psalter: Week 2

Ps 47:2–3, 6–7, 8–9 God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

Gospel: Mk 3:20-21 Jesus and his disciples went home. The crowd began to gather again and they couldn’t even have a meal. Knowing what was happening his relatives came to take charge of him: “He is out of his mind,” they said.

he author of the letter to the Hebrews was trying to show us how their typical ceremonies referred now to Christ. The tabernacle was a movable temple, foreshadowing the unsettled state of the church upon earth, and the human nature of Jesus Christ, in whom the fullness of God dwelt bodily. All good things past, present and to come were and are founded upon the priestly office of Christ; they come to us through His blood, shed for us in His sacrifice, His passion and death. What gave such power to the blood of Christ? It was Christ’s offering of himself without any sinful stain in his nature or life. Christ cleanses the guiltiest conscience from us, sinful mortals, so that we might work to serve God. He pardons sinful works, such as those that pollute the soul, just as dead bodies were said to pollute the persons of the Jews who touched them. We cannot understand the greatness of the sacrifice, the blood of Christ; nor can we ever understand the wisdom, the love and the grace that flows from it. In acknowledging the sacrifice of Christ, our faith finds the strength and refreshment that will sustain us in our hope for lifetime happiness.

1st Reading: Jon 3:1–5, 10 Among the Pharisees there was a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus. He came to Jesus by night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you have come from God to teach us, for no one can perform miraculous signs like yours unless God is with him.” Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again from above.” Nicodemus said, “How can there be rebirth for a grown man? Who could go back to his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you: No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. And Jesus answered, “You are a teacher in Israel, and you don’t know these things! 2nd Reading: 1 Cor 7:29–31 I say this, brothers and sisters: time is running out, and those who are married must live as if not married; those who weep as if not weeping; those who are happy as if they were not happy; those buying something as if they had not bought it, and those enjoying the present life as if they were not enjoying it. For the order of this world is vanishing.

Ps 25:4a–5, 6–7, 8–9 Teach me your ways, O Lord.

sunday

Gospel: Mk 1:14–20 After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began preaching the Good News of God. He said, “The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News.” As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” At once, they left their nets and followed him. Jesus went a little farther on and saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee; they were in their boat mending their nets. Immediately, Jesus called them and they followed him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men.

january

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

“F

ollow me and I will make you fish for people.” Simon and Peter realized that ahead of them was an awesome task and yet without hesitation they went with Jesus. They put their trust in the Lord. For them this was all that mattered. If Jesus were to do the same to us today, would anyone listen to him? Surely this is a crazy idea. How can one leave a way of life he has been used to all these years? What about the family that one will leave behind? Many more arguments can be raised and many justifiable excuses can be given. One will never run out of reasons and excuses. Maybe your trust in the Lord is not as much as that of the apostles. So Jesus has to earn your trust? He gave up his life for all of us—this is the best that one can offer!

26 january monday

Timothy and Titus, bishops Psalter: Proper

Ps 96:1–2a, 2b–3, 7–8a, 10 Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

1st Reading: 2 Tim 1:1–8 (or Tit 1:1–5) From Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of his promise of eternal life in Christ Jesus, to my dear son Timothy. May grace, mercy and peace be with you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I give thanks to God whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my ancestors did, as I remember you constantly, day and night, in my prayers. I recall your tears and I long to see you that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, so like the faith of your grandmother Lois and of your mother Eunice, which I am sure you have inherited. For this reason I invite you to fan into a flame the gift of God you received through the laying on of my hands. For God did not confer on us a spirit of bashfulness, but of strength, love and good judgment. Do not be ashamed of testifying to our Lord, nor of seeing me in chains. On the contrary, do your share in laboring for the Gospel with the strength of God. Gospel: Mk 3:22–30 The teachers of the Law who had come from Jerusalem said, “He is in the power of Beelzebul: the chief of the demons helps him to drive out demons.” Jesus called them to him and began teaching them by means of stories or parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a nation is divided by civil war, that nation cannot stand. If a family divides itself into groups, that family will not survive. In the same way, if Satan has risen against himself and is divided, he will not stand; he is finished. No one can break into the house of the Strong one in order to plunder his goods, unless he first ties up the Strong one. Then indeed, he can plunder his house. “Truly, I say to you, every sin will be forgiven humankind, even insults to God, however numerous. But whoever slanders the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven: he carries the guilt of his sin forever.” This was their sin when they said, “He has an evil spirit in him.”

he teachers of the Law publicly accused Jesus of being in league with Satan, explaining His exorcisms that way. When Jesus conducted an exorcism, he never invoked God! That led them to wonder where He got the authority to pull it off. Jesus’ rebuttal went as follows: Satan can’t cast out Satan, because Satan would be defeating himself. The only alternative was that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit. But, while Jesus cast out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit, the teachers of the Law were trying to convince the people that the Holy Spirit was Satan; thus, they clearly blasphemed against God. Blasphemy is not an ordinary sin. Blasphemy is a deliberate, public slander against God. In order to commit this sin, one has to be in a position of learned authority. So, to those who are worried about the possibility of blaspheming, we say this: the surest sign that you have not committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the very fact that you are worried about it; because that shows the Holy Spirit is very definitely on good terms with you. May God’s peace always be with you!

1st Reading: Heb 10:1–10 The religion of the Law is only a shadow of the good things to come; it has the patterns but not the realities. So, year after year, the same sacrifices are offered without bringing the worshipers to what is the end. If they had been cleansed once and for all, they would no longer have felt guilt and would have stopped offering the same sacrifices. But no, year after year their sacrifices witness to their sins and never will the blood of bulls and goats take away these sins. This is why on entering the world, Christ says: You did not desire sacrifice and offering; you were not pleased with burnt offerings and sin offerings. Then I said: “Here I am. It was written of me in the scroll. I will do your will, O God.” First he says: Sacrifice, offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire nor were you pleased with them— although they were required by the Law. Then he says: Here I am to do your will. This is enough to nullify the first will and establish the new. Now, by this will of God, we are sanctified once and for all by the sacrifice of the body of Christ Jesus.

tuesday

january

3rd Week in Ordinary Time Angela Merici Psalter: Week 3

Ps 40:2, 4ab, 7–8a, 10, 11 Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

Gospel: Mk 3:31–35 Jesus’ mother and brothers came. As they stood outside, they sent someone to call him. The crowd sitting around Jesus told him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.” He replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around at those who sat there he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to me.”

hen Jesus was told that his mother and brothers wanted to see him he seemed strangely unconcerned. In acting this way, Jesus was trying to demonstrate that, in every area of our lives, spiritual things are more important to us than things of this world. Natural things of this world eventually pass away; but spiritual things are for eternity. When we receive Christ into our lives by faith, we are born into a new family—a spiritual family. When his family came to see him, he clearly showed a greater affection for his spiritual family than he did for his natural family. The love we have for the members of our spiritual family should be far greater than the love we have for the members of our natural family, because now we belong to the family of God. It is a great comfort to all of us that, as Christians, we are dearer to Christ than we are to our mother, father, brother or sister, or to any other earthly relations we might have. This great and gracious privilege is ours now; for although Christ’s physical presence cannot be shared by us, his spiritual presence is never denied us.

28 january wednesday

3rd Week in Ordinary Time Thomas Aquinas Psalter: Week 3

Ps 110: 1, 2, 3, 4 You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

1st Reading: Heb 10:11–18 Every priest stands daily by the altar offering repeatedly the same sacrifices that can never take away sins, Christ has offered for all times a single sacrifice for sins and has taken his seat at the right hand of God, waiting until God puts his enemies as a footstool under his feet. By a single sacrifice he has brought those who are sanctified to what is perfect forever. This also was testified by the Holy Spirit. For after having declared: This is the covenant that I will make with them in the days to come—says the Lord—I will put my laws in their hearts and write them on their minds. He says: Their sins and evil deeds I will remember no more. So, if sins are forgiven, there is no longer need of any sacrifice for sin. Gospel: Mk 4:1–20* … “Listen! The sower went out to sow. Some of the seed fell along a path and the birds came and ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil; it sprang up immediately because it had no depth; but when the sun rose and burned it, it withered because it had no roots. Another seed fell among thorn bushes and the thorns grew and choked it, so it didn’t produce any grain. But some seed fell on good soil, grew and increased and yielded grain. … And Jesus added “Listen then if you have ears.” “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But for those outside, everything comes in parables, so that the more they see, they don’t perceive; the more they hear, they don’t understand; otherwise they would be converted and pardoned.” Jesus said to them. Those along the path where the seed fell are people who hear the word, but as soon as they do, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Other people receive the word like rocky ground. As soon as they hear the word, they accept it with joy, but they have no roots so it lasts only a little while. Others receive the seed as among thorns. After they hear the word, they are caught up in the worries of this life, false hopes of riches and other desires. “And there are others who receive the word as good soil. They hear the word, take it to heart and produce: some thirty, some sixty and some one hundred times as much.”

t. Thomas Aquinas is considered to be one of the greatest Catholic thinkers and teachers. He represents the highest forms of Christian scholarship, combining eminent learning with heroic sanctity. He came to be known as “the most saintly of learned men and the most learned of saints”. Here is the basis of what St Thomas Aquinas taught: whether we are the greatest philosopher of the modern age or the simplest child, we have a capacity to know and love God. God came into history as Jesus Christ, taught us of God the Father, who loved Jesus…and us…into being. The actions of that love, and of God’s continuing animation of the world, are understood in the person of the Holy Spirit. This is how we understand God as the Trinity. Our faith and love of God…Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…give us the courage to live out our lives as faithful proponents of love-in-action.

1st Reading: Heb 10:19–25 So, my friends, we are assured of entering the Sanctuary by the blood of Jesus who opened for us this new and living way passing through the curtain, that is, his body. Because we have a high priest in charge of the House of God, let us approach with a sincere heart, with full faith, interiorly cleansed from a bad conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to our hope without wavering, because he who promised is faithful. Let us consider how we may spur one another to love and good works. Do not abandon the assemblies as some of you do, but encourage one another, and all the more since the Day is drawing near.

thursday

january

3rd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 24:1–2, 3–4ab, 5–6 Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Gospel: Mk 4:21–25 Jesus said to his disciples, “When the light comes, is it to be put under a tub or a bed? Surely it is put on a lampstand. Whatever is hidden will be disclosed, and whatever is kept secret will be brought to light. Listen then, if you have ears!” And he also said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. In the measure you give, so shall you receive and still more will be given to you. For to the one who produces something, more will be given, and from him who does not produce anything, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

hen we have the light of God, it affects everything we do. Our works and deeds are filled with love and there’s no stopping us. But, there are times when we choose to hide the light. And yes, people who are happy, people who have joy, people who show love…they tend to stick out like sore thumbs. But then, if we don’t want to shine with the light of God, we become preoccupied with life’s troubles and everything becomes dimmer. Before we know it, we’ve fallen back into darkness again. If we decide to let the light of God shine again, we also decide that we’re tired of trying to struggle in darkness and fear. We need to go to the power-source…God! And no, we don’t have to have everything right in our lives to be able to shine. Just knowing that He is working with us to make us whole gets the light shining. And when we walk in His light and let Him shine through us we wonder: “Why didn’t I do this sooner?” We’re free. We’re beaming. And there’s nothing to contain it. Go ahead. Turn it on. But get ready…it will be truly amazing!

30 january friday

3rd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 37:3–4, 5–6, 23–24, 39-40 The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

1st Reading: Heb 10:32–39 Remember the first days when you were enlightened. You had to undergo a hard struggle in the face of suffering. Publicly you were exposed to humiliations and trials, and had to share the sufferings of others who were similarly treated. You showed solidarity with those in prison; you were dispossessed of your goods and accepted it gladly for you knew you were acquiring a much better and more durable possession. Do not now throw away your confidence that will be handsomely rewarded. Be patient in doing the will of God, and the promise will be yours: A little, a little longer—says Scripture—and he who is coming will come; he will not delay. My righteous one will live if he believes; but if he distrusts, I will no longer look kindly on him. We are not among those who withdraw and perish, but among those who believe and win personal salvation. Gospel: Mk 4:26–34 Jesus also said, “In the kingdom of God it is like this. A man scatters seed upon the soil. Whether he is asleep or awake, be it day or night, the seed sprouts and grows, he knows not how. The soil produces of itself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when it is ripe for harvesting they take the sickle for the cutting: the time for harvest has come.” Jesus also said, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what shall we compare it? It is like a mustard seed which, when sown, is the smallest of all the seeds scattered upon the soil. But once sown, it grows up and becomes the largest of the plants in the garden and even grows branches so big that the birds of the air can take shelter in its shade.” Jesus used many such stories or parables, to proclaim the word to them in a way they would be able to understand. He would not teach them without parables; but privately to his disciples he explained everything.

esus used simple word-pictures, called parables, to help people understand who God is and what His kingdom is like. He used images and characters taken from everyday life to create a miniature play or drama to illustrate his message. This was Jesus’ most common way of teaching. His stories appealed to the young and old, poor and rich, to the learned and unlearned as well. His word-pictures challenged the mind to discover anew what God is like and moved the heart to respond to God’s love and truth. How could ordinary everyday images and stories, such as scattering seed upon the soil or a tiny mustard seed, portray timeless and extraordinary truths? Jesus taught by use of comparisons; and these comparisons have to do with a whole process, not simply with an object or person alone. While his parables are rooted in a specific time and place, they nonetheless speak of timeless realities to people of every time and place. They underline the fact that God works in every age, even today, and that He meets us in the ordinary everyday situations of life. Are we always ready and happy to greet Him?

1st Reading: Heb 11:1–2, 8–19* Faith is the assurance of what we hope for, being certain of what we cannot see. Because of their faith our ancestors were approved. It was by faith that Abraham, called by God, set out for a country that would be given to him as an inheritance; for he parted without knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as a stranger in that promised land. … By faith Sarah herself received power to become a mother, … since she believed that he who had made the promise would be faithful. Therefore, from an almost impotent man were born descendants as numerous as the stars of heavens, as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. Death found all these people strong in their faith. They had not received what was promised, but they had looked ahead and had rejoiced in it from afar, saying that they were foreigners and travelers on earth. … By faith Abraham went to offer Isaac when God tested him. And so he who had received the promise of God offered his only son although God had told him: Isaac’s descendants will bear your name. Abraham reasoned that God is capable even of raising the dead, and he received back his son, which has a figurative meaning.

saturday

january

3rd Week in Ordinary Time John Bosco Psalter: Week 3

Lk 1:69–70, 71–72, 73–75 Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

Gospel: Mk 4:35–41 On that same day when evening had come, Jesus said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side.” So they left the crowd and took him away in the boat he had been sitting in, and other boats set out with him. Then a storm gathered and it began to blow a gale. The waves spilled over into the boat so that it was soon filled with water. And Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. They woke him up and said, “Master, don’t you care if we sink?” As Jesus awoke, he rebuked the wind and ordered the sea, “Quiet now! Be still!” The wind dropped and there was a great calm. Then Jesus said to them, “Why are you so frightened? Do you still have no faith?” But they were terrified and they said to one another, “Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

ne of the greatest trials and acts of faith upon record is the Genesis story of Abraham offering to kill his beloved son, Isaac, as an act of his faith in God. Abraham did this by faith, knowing all along that God, who cannot lie, had promised him a long line of descendants through Isaac and yet, at the time, Isaac had no children. Being in a covenant relationship with God and knowing His nature and character, Abraham trusted God, placing the outcome in His hands. Paul interprets it as a sign that we must stop entertaining our doubts and fears and start having hope, in the almighty power of God. Now is the time to reflect upon just how far our faith has caused in us similar obedience. Have we given what was called for, fully believing that the Lord would make up all our losses, and even bless us with hope in the face of affliction? If we are heirs of Abraham’s faith, there will be times when we shall be called to obey God’s word, without knowing what may happen to us. The trial of Abraham’s faith was that he simply and fully obeyed the call of God. May it be so with us all at all times!

1st Reading: Dt 18:15–20 Moses said, the Lord will raise up for you a prophet like myself from among the people, from your brothers, to whom you shall listen. Remember that in Horeb, on the day of the Assembly, you said: “I am afraid to die and I do not want to hear the voice of Yahweh again or see again that great fire.” So Yahweh said to me: “They have spoken well. I shall raise up a prophet from their midst, one of their brothers, who will be like you. I will put my words into his mouth and he will tell them all that I command. If someone does not listen to my words when the prophet speaks on my behalf, I myself will call him to account for it. But any prophet who says in my name anything that I did not command, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.” 2nd Reading: 1 Cor 7:32–35 I would like you to be free from anxieties. He who is not married is concerned about the things of the Lord and how to please the Lord. While he who is married is taken up with the things of the world and how to please his wife, Ps 95: 1–2, 6–7, 7–9 and he is divided in his interests. If today you hear his voice, Likewise, the unmarried woman and the virgin harden not your hearts. are concerned with the service of the Lord, to be holy in body and spirit. The married woman, instead, worries about the things of the world and how to please her husband.

sunday

February

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

Gospel: Mk 1:21–28 They went into the town of Capernaum and Jesus began to teach in the synagogue during the sabbath assemblies. The people were astonished at the way he taught, for he spoke as one having authority and not like the teachers of the Law. It happened that a man with an evil spirit was in their synagogue and he shouted, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: You are the Holy One of God.” Then Jesus faced him and said with authority, “Be silent and come out of this man!” The evil spirit shook the man violently and, with a loud shriek, came out of him. All the people were astonished and they wondered, “What is this? With what authority he preaches! He even orders evil spirits and they obey him!” And Jesus’ fame spread throughout all the country of Galilee.

hat the words that come from the mouth of Jesus have a powerful and lasting effect should come as no surprise. After all, Jesus is the Word of God. Just as the Bible begins with the account of God creating the universe through the power of His Word, so, too does this account from the first chapter of the Gospel of St. Mark emphasize the restorative power of the words that come from the Lord. Jesus speaks and great things happen. At every celebration of the Holy Eucharist the Gospel is proclaimed and we hear words of Jesus, words that contain within them the power to effect tremendous change within us. May we truly listen to Him. May we take His words to heart and allow them to drive away from us distraction and temptation. His words continue to have authority over anything and anyone who would wish us harm. There are few better ways to express good stewardship than to open our ears and hearts to the power of the Word of God.

02 February monday

Presentation of the Lord / World Day of Consecrated Life Psalter: Proper

Ps 24: 7, 8, 9, 10 Who is this king of glory? It is the Lord!

1st Reading: Mal 3:1–4 The Lord God said: Now I am sending my messenger ahead of me to clear the way; then suddenly the Lord for whom you long will enter the sanctuary. The envoy of the covenant which you so greatly desire already comes, says Yahweh of hosts. Who can bear the day of his coming and remain standing when he appears? For he will be like fire in the foundry and like the lye used for bleaching. He will be as a refiner or a fuller. He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. So Yahweh will have priests who will present the offering as it should be. Then Yahweh will accept with pleasure the offering of Judah and Jerusalem, as in former days. 2nd Reading: Heb 2:14–18 Gospel: Lk 2:22–32 When the day came for the purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary brought the baby up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord: Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to God. And they offered a sacrifice as ordered in the law of the Lord: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. There lived in Jerusalem at this time a very upright and devout man named Simeon; the Holy Spirit was in him. He looked forward to the time when the Lord would comfort Israel, and he had been assured by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before seeing the Messiah of the Lord. So he was led into the Temple by the Holy Spirit at the time the parents brought the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law. Simeon took the child in his arms and blessed God, saying, “Now, O Lord, you can dismiss your servant in peace, for you have fulfilled your word and my eyes have seen your salvation, which you display for all the people to see. Here is the light you will reveal to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.”

he same Spirit that gave Simeon hope also provided for his joy. And so it is with us. Here was a confession of his faith, that the child in his arms was the Messiah, the salvation of God’s people. Joseph and Mary marvelled at the things which were spoken of this child. Simeon showed them what reason they had to rejoice in their firstborn son. And yet today, Christ is still spoken against. His divinity is denied and blasphemed. But, His preached words are still the touchstone of humanity’s character. The secret, good affections in the minds of some will be revealed by their embracing of Christ; the secret corruptions of others will be revealed by their enmity to Christ. We shall be judged by the thoughts of our hearts concerning Christ. No matter how hard life becomes, we shall always find joy and peace in our faith and hope in Christ.

1st Reading: Heb 12:1–4 What a cloud of innumerable witnesses surround us! So let us be rid of every encumbrance, and especially of sin, to persevere in running the race marked out before us. Let us look to Jesus the founder of our faith, who will bring it to completion. For the sake of the joy reserved for him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and then sat at the right of the throne of God. Think of Jesus who suffered so many contradictions from evil people, and you will not be discouraged or grow weary. Have you already shed your blood in the struggle against sin?

tuesday

February

4th Week in Ordinary Time Blasé / Ansgar Psalter: Week 4

Ps 22:26b–27, 28 and 30, 31–32 They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.

Gospel: Mk 5:21–43* … Jairus, an official of the synagogue, came up and threw himself at Jesus’ feet and asked him earnestly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live.” Jesus went with him and many people followed. Among the crowd was a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. … Since she had heard about Jesus, this woman came up behind him and touched his cloak thinking, “If I just touch his clothing, I shall get well.” Her flow of blood dried up at once, and she felt in her body that she was healed. But Jesus was conscious that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” … Then the woman came forward, knelt before him and told him the whole truth. Then Jesus said, “Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace and be free of this illness.” Some people arrived from the official’s house to inform him, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Master any further?” But Jesus ignored what they said and told the official, “Do not fear, just believe.” When they arrived at the house, Jesus entered and said to them, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him. But Jesus sent them outside and went into the room where the child lay. Taking her by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha kumi!” which means: “Little girl, get up!” The girl got up at once and began to walk around. …

t is amazing, but still common among Christians, to only invoke Christ for healing until they have tried in vain all other helpers and have found them to be like physicians with no medicine. Some run to diversions and loud company; others plunge into business or even into addiction. Many die as they are, set in their ways; but none of them ever finds rest for the soul by such devices. Those who allow Christ to heal them disease of sin, discover in themselves that an entire change for the better has transformed them into people of hope. Just as our secret sins are known to God, so too are our secret acts of faith. It is God’s will that His people should be comforted and He has the power to command that troubled spirits be comforted. The more simply we depend on God, the more we find in ourselves that He has become our salvation. Those who, by faith, are healed of their spiritual diseases find that they have every reason to go in peace. And so it is with us!

04 February wednesday

4th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

Ps 103:1–2, 13–14, 17–18a The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

1st Reading: Heb 12:4–7, 11–15 Have you already shed your blood in the struggle against sin? Do not forget the comforting words that Wisdom addresses to you as children: My son, pay attention when the Lord corrects you and do not be discouraged when he punishes you. For the Lord corrects those he loves and chastises everyone he accepts as a son. What you endure is in order to correct you. God treats you like sons and what son is not corrected by his father? All correction is painful at the moment, rather than pleasant; later it brings the fruit of peace, that is, holiness to those who have been trained by it. Lift up, then, your drooping hands, and strengthen your trembling knees; make level the ways for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but healed. Gospel: Mk 6:1–6 Jesus returned to his own country, and his disciples followed him. When the Sabbath came, he began teaching in the synagogue, and most of those who heard him were astonished. They commented, “How did this come to him? What kind of wisdom has been given to him that he also performs such miracles? Who is he but the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joset and Judas and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here among us?” So they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “Prophets are despised only in their own country, among their relatives and in their own family.” And he could work no miracles there, but only healed a few sick people by laying his hands on them. Jesus himself was astounded at their unbelief. Jesus then went around the villages teaching.

hen the countrymen of Jesus took exception to his humble, working-class origins, they were trying to prejudice the minds of the people against him. Who was he but a carpenter? Jesus had probably worked in that business with his father, Joseph and thus bestowed honor upon all carpenters, mechanics and persons who, day after day, put food onto the family table by the labour of their hands and the sweat of their brows. It is the duty of us followers of Jesus to be content and satisfied with knowing that we have done good work, even though we are, more often than not, denied any recognition or praise for it. We can legitimately wonder just how much happiness these critics of Jesus lost by their obstinate prejudice against him and his working-class origins. We should always hope and pray that divine grace will deliver us from that kind of bigotry, which looks upon hard work with distaste, rather than seeing it as a way of pumping life to the soul. Let us, like Jesus, go out of our way to respect and cherish everybody, regardless of their background, race or class.

1st Reading: Heb 12:18–19, 21–24 What you have come to is nothing known to the senses: nor heat of a blazing fire, darkness and gloom and storms, blasts of trumpets or such a voice that the people pleaded that no further word be spoken. The sight was so terrifying that Moses said: I tremble with fear. But you came near to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem with its innumerable angels. You have come to the solemn feast, the assembly of the firstborn of God, whose names are written in heaven. There is God, Judge of all, with the spirits of the upright brought to perfection. There is Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, with the sprinkled blood that cries out more effectively than Abel’s.

thursday

February

4th Week in Ordinary Time Agatha Psalter: Week 4

Ps 48:2–3ab, 3cd–4, 9, 10–11 O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.

Gospel: Mk 6:7–13 Jesus called the Twelve to him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over evil spirits. And he ordered them to take nothing for the journey except a staff; no food, no bag, no money in their belts. They were to wear sandals and were not to take an extra tunic. And he added, “In whatever house you are welcomed, stay there until you leave the place. If any place doesn’t receive you and the people refuse to listen to you, leave after shaking the dust off your feet. It will be a testimony against them.” So they set out to proclaim that this was the time to repent. They drove out many demons and healed many sick people by anointing them.

magine being trained for a career and, when you have completed your training, you are sent out to begin your work. The instructions you are given are to take no money or food or extra clothes. Then you have to find people that you can stay with. This is what happened to the disciples of Jesus. He trained them for their ministry; he taught them as much as they could learn. Still, in order for them to go out with no money or food or clothes, they had to trust him completely. They had enough faith in him to know they would be fine. Today, here and now, we are being trained by Jesus for our role as Christians to try and heal the world. But, before we can do anything, we need to know what we are doing. When we know what we are called to do, we can walk in faith and do it. When Jesus told the disciples to take nothing with them, he wanted them to depend solely on him. He works in the same way with us. So, in faith, hope and love, let us all go forth and meet the world!

06 February friday

4th Week in Ordinary Time Paul Miki and Companions / Pedro Bautista Psalter: Week 4

Ps 27:1, 3, 5, 8b–9abc The Lord is my light and my salvation.

1st Reading: Heb 13:1–8 Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to offer hospitality; you know that some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember prisoners as if you were with them in chains, and the same for those who are suffering. Remember that you also have a body. Marriage must be respected by all and husband and wife faithful to each other. God will punish the immoral and the adulterous. Do not depend on money. Be content with having enough for today for God has said: I will never forsake you or abandon you, and we shall confidently answer: The Lord is my helper, I will not fear; what can man do to me? Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Consider their end and imitate their faith. Christ Jesus is the same today as yesterday and forever. Gospel: Mk 6:14–29 King Herod also heard about Jesus because his name had become well-known. Some people said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” Others thought, “He is Elijah,” and others, “He is a prophet like the prophets of times past.” When Herod was told of this, he thought: “I had John beheaded, yet he has risen from the dead!” For this is what had happened. Herod had ordered John to be arrested and had him bound and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod had married her and John had told him, “It is not right for you to live with your brother’s wife.” So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not.

hen last we saw John the Baptist, he was on a religious mission similar to that of Jesus: preaching, baptizing people, forgiving their sins, and exhorting them to faith in God. After that we learn the rest of the story: Herod feared John while he lived, and feared him still more after he died. Herod did many things which John, in his preaching, had taught him to do. But, it is not enough to do many things; we must also have respect for all the commandments. Herod respected John, until he came up against the hatred and jealousy of his wife, Herodias, who loathed John after he criticized their marriage. It is still a fact today that many love good preachers, as long as they don’t make them feel guilty about their sinful ways. But, it is better that sinners persecute ministers now for being faithful to the word of God, than to curse them eternally for being unfaithful. Death did not come as a surprise or punishment for John the Baptist, and the triumph of the wicked Herod was short. When we are in the state of grace, however, our own death will be neither surprising nor painful.

1st Reading: Heb 13:15–17, 20–21 Let us, then, continually offer through Jesus a sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of lips celebrating his name. Do not neglect good works and common life, for these are sacrifices pleasing to God. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are concerned for your souls and are accountable for them. Let this be a joy for them rather than a burden, which would be of no advantage for you. May God give you peace, he who brought back from among the dead Jesus our Lord, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, whose blood seals the eternal covenant. He will train you in every good work, that you may do his will, for it is he who works in us what pleases him, through Jesus Christ, to whom all glory be for ever and ever. Amen!

saturday

February

4th Week in Ordinary Time Our Lady’s Saturday Psalter: Week 4

Ps 23:1–3a, 3b–4, 5, 6 The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Gospel: Mk 6:30–34 The apostles returned and reported to Jesus all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, “Go off by yourselves to a remote place and have some rest.” For there were so many people coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a secluded area by themselves. But people saw them leaving and many could guess where they were going. So, from all the towns they hurried there on foot, arriving ahead of them. As Jesus went ashore he saw a large crowd, and he had compassion on them for they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began a long teaching session with them.

esus took notice of the people pestering his disciples and he took care that they be taught, without further interrupting his disciples from their rest. Interruptions are bound to happen; they are sometimes necessary and God-ordained. We should never begin work in the morning without thinking that perhaps God may interrupt our work. But, so averse are we to interruptions that it is easy to lose sight of the fact that God may be operating in the interruption to work through us for the benefit of others. We see just that sort of interruption in the passage before us today. The disciples had plans for a little private time, but a crowd of thousands interrupted those plans. And what happened, as a result, was a demonstration of Jesus’ compassion. Jesus came into the world to restore, to preserve and to nourish spiritual life. None were sent away empty from him. His compassion should teach us not to waste any of God’s bounties, remembering how many in the world today are in need. We may, at some time to come, hunger for the fragments that we now throw away.

1st Reading: Job 7:1–4, 6–7 Job spoke saying: Man’s life on earth is a thankless job, his days are those of a mercenary. Like a slave he longs for the shade of evening, like a hireling waiting for his wages. Thus I am allotted months of boredom and nights of grief and misery. In bed I say, “When shall the day break?” On rising, I think, “When shall evening come?” and I toss restless till dawn. My days pass swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, heading without hope to their end. My life is like wind, you well know it, O God; never will I see happiness again. 2nd Reading: 1 Cor 9:16–19, 22–23 Because I cannot boast of announcing the Gospel: I am bound to do it. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel! If I preached voluntarily, I could expect my reward, but I have been trusted this office against my will. How can I, then, deserve a reward? In announcing the Gospel, I will do it freely without making use of the rights given to me by the Gospel. So, feeling free with everybody, I have become

Ps 147:1–2, 3–4, 5–6 Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted. everybody’s slave in order to gain a greater number. To the weak I made myself weak, to win the weak. So I made myself all things to all people in order to save, by all possible means, some of them. This I do for the Gospel, so that I too have a share of it.

Gospel: Mk 1:29–39 As soon as Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue, Jesus went to the home of Simon and Andrew with James and John. As Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with fever, they immediately told him about her. Jesus went to her and taking her by the hand, raised her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. That evening at sundown, people brought to Jesus all the sick and those who had evil spirits: the whole town was pressing around the door. Jesus healed many who had various diseases, and drove out many demons; but he did not let them speak, for they knew who he was. Very early in the morning, before daylight, Jesus went off to a lonely place where he prayed. Simon and the others went out, too, searching for him; and when they found him they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Let’s go to the nearby villages so that I may preach there too; for that is why I came.” So Jesus set out to preach in all the synagogues throughout Galilee; he also cast out demons.

sunday

February

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

e always read that Jesus prays after a day’s work—after healing the sick, driving out demons, preaching the Word of God, and teaching his disciples. In prayer Jesus expresses his intimacy with the Father and draws strength from Him to be able to continue His mission. We find Jesus pray alone and in the silence of the morning. This attitude of Jesus in praying reminds us of the importance of prayer in our Christian life. Prayer opens up the door of communication and intimacy to the Father. In prayer we can raise to our Father in heaven our everyday concerns, our struggles in life, and express our gratitude for the many blessings that He continues to give us. Like Jesus, let us seek God in prayer. In the silence of our hearts in prayer, God speaks the loudest.

09 February monday

5th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 104: 1–2a, 5–6, 10 and 12, 24 and 35c May the Lord be glad in his works.

1st Reading: Gen 1:1–19* In the beginning, when God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth had no form and was void; darkness was over the deep and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘Day’ and the darkness ‘Night’. There was evening and there was morning: the first day. God said, “Let there be a firm ceiling between the waters and let it separate waters from waters.” So God made the ceiling and separated the waters below it from the waters above it. And so it was. God called the firm ceiling ‘Sky’. There was evening and there was morning: the second day. God said, “Let the waters below the sky be gathered together in one place and let dry land appear.” And so it was. God called the dry land ‘Earth’, and the waters gathered together he called ‘Seas’. God saw that it was good. God said, “Let the earth produce vegetation, seed-bearing plants, fruit-trees bearing fruit with seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth.” And so it was. The earth produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kind and trees producing fruit which has seed, according to their kind. God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning: the third day. God said, “Let there be lights in the ceiling of the sky to separate day from night and to serve as signs for the seasons, days and years; and let these lights in the sky shine above the earth.” And so it was. … Gospel: Mk 6:53–56 Having crossed the lake, they came ashore at Gennesaret where they tied up the boat. As soon as they landed, people recognized Jesus and ran to spread the news throughout the countryside. Wherever he was they brought to him the sick lying on their mats. And wherever he went, to villages, towns or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplace and begged him to let them touch just the fringe of his cloak. And all who touched him were cured.

he first words, the first chapter of Genesis! No other passage has given more to the debate about the origins of the earth than this has. In the new creation, the first thing that is wrought in the soul is light: the Holy Spirit works upon our will and affections by enlightening our understanding. Those who by sin were dark characters, by grace become the light of the world. If God had not come and given us the gift of understanding, darkness would always have been our fate. Day and night belong to God; let us use both to His honor, by working for Him every day and resting in Him every night. The earth was emptiness, but by a word spoken it became full of God’s riches. The earth, at God’s command, brings forth grass, herbs, and fruits. God must have the glory for all the benefits we receive from the earth. If we follow God’s love for the earth we may rejoice, even when the streams of temporal mercies dry up.

1st Reading: Gen 1:20–2:4a* … God said, “Let us make man in our image, to our likeness. Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the cattle, over the wild animals, and over all creeping things that crawl along the ground.” So God created man in his image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. … God said, “I have given you every seed-bearing plant which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree that bears fruit with seed. It will be for your food. To every wild animal, to every bird of the sky, to everything that creeps along the ground, to everything that has the breath of life, I give every green plant for food.” So it was. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. There was evening and there was morning: the sixth day. That was the way the sky and earth were created and all their vast array. By the seventh day the work God had done was completed, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had done. …

tuesday

February

5th Week in Ordinary Time Scholastica Psalter: Week 1

Ps 8:4–5,6–7, 8–9 O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth.

Gospel: Mk 7:1–13* One day the Pharisees gathered around Jesus and with them were some teachers of the Law who had just come from Jerusalem. They noticed that some of his disciples were eating their meal with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. Now the Pharisees, and in fact, all the Jews, never eat without washing their hands. … So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law asked him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders, but eat with unclean hands?” Jesus answered, “You, shallow people! How well Isaiah prophesied of you when he wrote: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. … You even put aside the commandment of God to hold fast to human tradition.” And Jesus commented, “You have a fine way of disregarding the commandment of God in order to implant your own tradition. For example, Moses said: Do your duty to your father and your mother, and: Whoever curses his father or his mother is to be put to death. But according to you someone could say to his father or mother: ‘I already declared Corban, which means “offered to God,” what you could have expected from me.’ In this case, you no longer let him do anything for a father or mother. …

rophecy goes like this: man was made last of all the creatures; this was both an honor and a favor to him. Yet, man’s body was made the same as the animals; and he inhabits the same earth with them. God forbid that, by indulging the body and the greedy desires of it, we should deface the image of God, imprinted on our souls, by not caring for the ecological health of this planet. May God renew the health of the earth upon our souls by His grace!

11 February wednesday

Our Lady of Lourdes / World Day of the Sick Psalter: Week 1

Ps 104:1–2a, 27–28, 29bc–30 O bless the Lord, my soul!

1st Reading: Gen 2:4b–9, 15–17 On the day that Yahweh God made the earth and the heavens, there was not yet on the earth any shrub of the fields, nor had any plant yet sprung up, for Yahweh God had not made it rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the earth, but a mist went up from the earth and watered the surface of the earth. Then Yahweh God formed Man, dust drawn from the clay, and breathed into his nostrils a breath of life and Man became alive with breath. God planted a garden in Eden in the east and there he placed Man whom he had created. Yahweh God caused to grow from the ground every kind of tree that is pleasing to see and good to eat, also the tree of Life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Yahweh God took Man and placed him in the garden of Eden to till it and take care of it. Then Yahweh God gave an order to Man saying, “You may eat of every tree in the garden, but of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you will not eat, for on the day you eat of it, you will die.” Gospel: Mk 7:14–23 Jesus called the people to him again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and try to understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can make that person unclean. It is what comes out from within that makes one unclean. Let everyone who has ears listen.” When Jesus got home and was away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about this saying and he replied, “So even you are dull? Do you not see that whatever comes from outside cannot make a person unclean? Since it enters, not the heart but the stomach and is finally passed out.” Thus Jesus declared that all foods are clean. And he went on, “What comes out of a person is what defiles, for evil designs come out of the heart: theft, murder, adultery, jealousy, greed, maliciousness, deceit, indecency, slander, pride and folly. All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean.”

et’s imagine Adam in his state of innocence, uncomprehending of what is being told to him, and certainly uncomprehending of the possible consequences of his actions. Now, flash forward the present time where good and evil are much in the news. The accounts of good and evil, put before us, presume our knowledge of good from evil. But, they often lack the nuance we might find useful in trying to distinguish right from wrong. We recognize that not everything called “good” is good; nor is everything called “evil” not good. There is a fundamental tendency to define “good” as that which is in the interest of the self and to define “evil” as that which stands in the way of self-interest. Good and evil are polar opposites of the best and worst of human behavior. So, how do we know what is good from that which is evil? Our faith as Christians charts the course for us and elucidates the dynamic conflict between good and evil that confronts each and every human being. Only by striving always to do good and avoid evil can we achieve a healthy, happy life, walking hand-in-hand through that life with God.

1st Reading: Gen 2:18–25 Yahweh God said, “It is not good for Man to be alone; I will give him a helper who will be like him.” Then Yahweh God formed from the earth all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air and brought them to Man to see what he would call them; and whatever Man called every living creature, that was its name. So Man gave names to all the cattle, the birds of the air and to every beast of the field. But he did not find among them a helper like himself. Then Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to come over Man and he fell asleep. He took one of his ribs and filled its place with flesh. The rib which Yahweh God had taken from Man he formed into a woman and brought her to the man. The man then said, “Now this is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken from man.” That is why man leaves his father and mother and is attached to his wife, and with her becomes one flesh. Both the man and his wife were naked and were not ashamed.

thursday

February

5th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 128:1–2, 3, 4–5 Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Gospel: Mk 7:24–30 Jesus went to the border of the Tyrian country. There he entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there, but he could not remain hidden. A woman, whose small daughter had an evil spirit, heard of him and came and fell at his feet. Now this woman was a pagan, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. Jesus told her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she replied, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the crumbs from the children’s bread.” Then Jesus said to her, “You may go your way; because of such a reply the demon has gone out of your daughter.” And when the woman went home, she found her child lying in bed and the demon gone.

or the last two thousand years or so, Eve has represented the fundamental character and identity of all women. Whoever she might be and whatever her accomplishments, no woman can escape being identified with Eve. This perception of Eve has endured with remarkable tenacity, and persists today as a major stumbling-block in attempts by women to correct gender-based inequalities between the sexes. But, it has also been argued successfully that Genesis is not inherently patriarchal. The argument is that, far from being a secondary or dependent being, Eve was in fact the culmination of creation. The order of creation, in which Adam was created first and Eve second, indicates hierarchy; and, therefore, Adam’s superiority ignores the fact that the animals were created before him. If Adam is superior to the animals, then the hierarchy of creation should be reversed and Eve should be seen as God’s ultimate creation. At the time of creation, inequality between Adam and Eve entered only as a consequence of disobedience. In other words, inequality between the sexes was not originally part of the divine plan. It, therefore, follows that attempts by women today to restore equality are in keeping with God’s original plan.

13 February friday

5th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 32:1–2, 5, 6, 7 Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.

1st Reading: Gen 3:1–8 Now the serpent was the most crafty of all the wild creatures that Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say: You must not eat from any tree in the garden?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden, but of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden God said: You must not eat, and you must not touch it or you will die.” The serpent said to the woman, “You will not die, but God knows that the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.” The woman saw that the fruit was good to eat, and pleasant to the eyes, and ideal for gaining knowledge. She took its fruit and ate it and gave some to her husband who was with her. He ate it. Then their eyes were opened and both of them knew they were naked. So they sewed leaves of a fig tree together and made themselves loincloths. They heard the voice of Yahweh God walking in the garden, in the cool of the day, and they, the man and his wife, hid from Yahweh God among the trees of the garden. Gospel: Mk 7:31–37 Again Jesus set out; from the country of Tyre, passed through Sidon and, skirting the sea of Galilee, he came to the territory of Decapolis. There a deaf man who also had difficulty in speaking was brought to him. They asked Jesus to lay his hand upon him. Jesus took him apart from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then, looking up to heaven, he groaned and said to him, “Ephphetha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly. Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone, but the more he insisted on this, the more they proclaimed it. The people were completely astonished and said, “He has done all things well; he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.”

he story of Adam and Eve is presented in a mythical form. To treat it as if it were literal truth is, among other errors, to do a great injustice to the Book of Genesis, which was intended as a myth or an allegory, teaching lessons rather than relating historical facts. A specific and concrete act of rebellion by a particular human couple doesn’t seem to be a plausible explanation of the sinful nature of human beings, or of the disorder we see all around us in the world today. Evolutionary biology allows us to find that we are human beings with natures that allow us to be reshaped, so that we can share in God’s life. In adapting ourselves to serve goodness, we show we’re capable of being reshaped to the higher demands of God; demands which culminate in the command: “Be perfect! Be Christ-like!” Cooperate with God as He reshapes us to share in His life. We only have to ask and God will reshape us to be His companions. Through Christ, God is telling us great moral truths, perfect and complete versions of the various moral truths that arose in the course of evolution.

1st Reading: Gen 3:9–24* Yahweh God called the man saying to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree I ordered you not to eat?” The man answered, “The woman you put with me gave me fruit from the tree and I ate it.” God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me and I ate.” Yahweh God said to the serpent, “Since you have done that, be cursed among all the cattle and wild beasts! You will crawl on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life. I will make you enemies, you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head and you will strike his heel.” To the woman, God said, “I will increase your suffering in child-bearing, and you will give birth to your children in pain. You will be dependent on your husband and he will lord it over you.” To the man, He said, “Because you have listened to your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I forbade you to eat, cursed be the soil because of you! … With sweat on your face you will eat your bread, until you return to clay, since it was from clay that you were taken, for you are dust and to dust you shall return.” …

saturday

February

5th Week in Ordinary Time Cyril / Methodius Psalter: Week 1

Ps 90:2–3, 4abc, 5–6, 12–13 In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Gospel: Mk 8:1–10* … Jesus called his disciples and said to them, “I feel sorry for these people because they have been with me for three days and now have nothing to eat. If I send them to their homes hungry, they will faint on the way; some of them have come a long way.” His disciples replied, “Where in a deserted place like this could we get enough bread to feed these people?” He asked them, “How many loaves have you?” And they answered, “Seven.” Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves and giving thanks, he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute. And they distributed them among the people. They also had some small fish, so Jesus said a blessing and asked that these be shared as well. The people ate and were satisfied. …

od passed sentence! He began where sin began, with the serpent, the embodiment of evil in the world. War was proclaimed between the seeds of the woman and of the serpent. It is the fruit of this enmity, that there is continual warfare and corruption in the hearts of people today. After their sin, God told Adam and Eve to leave. The good news for us is that the fall from grace of Adam and Eve set the stage for our own redemption through the humanity, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus, our Savior. And Christ’s sufferings continue in our own sufferings for His name. As Christ gains ground, Satan falls. Just never forget: We all have to die before we can rise!

1st Reading: Lev 13:1–2, 44–46 Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “If someone has a boil, an inflammation or a sore on his skin which could develop into leprosy, he must be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of the priests, his descendants. This means that the man is leprous: he is unclean. The priest shall declare him unclean; he is suffering from leprosy of the head. A person infected with leprosy must wear torn clothing and leave his hair uncombed; he must cover his upper lip and cry, “Unclean, un-clean.” As long as the disease lasts he must be unclean; and therefore he must live away from others: he must live outside the camp. 2nd Reading: 1 Cor 10:31–11:1 Whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. Give no offense to the Jews, or to the Greeks, or to the Church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything. I do not seek my own interest, but that of many, this is: that they be saved. Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ. Gospel: Mk 1:40–45 A leper came to Jesus and begged him, “If you Ps 32:1–2, 5, 11 so will, you can make me clean.” Moved with I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched and you fill me with the joy of salvation. him, saying, “I will; be clean.” The leprosy left the man at once and he was made clean. As Jesus sent the man away, he sternly warned him, “Don’t tell anyone about this, but go and show yourself to the priest and for the cleansing bring the offering ordered by Moses; in this way you will make your declaration.” However, as soon as the man went out, he began spreading the news everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter any town. But even though he stayed in the rural areas, people came to him from everywhere.

sunday

February

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

t seems unusual for Jesus to tell the leper to keep secret the news of his cure. Good news, after all, is for sharing. Yet Jesus had a profound reason for wanting the leper to keep this matter confidential. Jesus is the Messiah, the One who comes to make all things new. His messianic secret was meant to be revealed not at the moment of the leper’s cure, but at the hour when He would stretch out His arms upon the cross. We are to proclaim the Good News of the Lord to the world around us. This is our calling as stew ards and as evangelizers. Yet our proclamation is to be authentic. Our faith does not promise a quick fix to life’s problems. Rather, we invite others into nothing less than a sharing in the suffering and death of the Lord through which, and only through which do we find meaning, purpose and direction for our lives.

16 February monday

6th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 50:1 and 8, 16bc–17, 20–21 Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

1st Reading: Gen 4:1–15, 25* Adam had intercourse with Eve his wife; she became pregnant and gave birth to a child. She named him Cain, for she said, “I have got a man with help from Yahweh.” She later gave birth to Abel, his brother. Abel was a shepherd and kept flocks, and Cain tilled the soil. It happened after a time that Cain brought fruits of the soil as an offering to Yahweh. Abel for his part brought the firstborn of his flock, and some fat as well. Now Yahweh was well pleased with Abel and his offering, but towards Cain and his offering he showed no pleasure. This made Cain very angry and downcast. Then Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry and downcast? … Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go to the fields.” Once there, Cain turned on his brother Abel and killed him. Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is your brother, Abel?” He answered, “I don’t know; am I my brother’s keeper?” Yahweh asked, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now be cursed and driven from the ground that has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood that your hand has shed. … Gospel: Mk 8:11–13 The Pharisees came and started to argue with Jesus. Hoping to embarrass him, they asked for some heavenly sign. Then his spirit was moved. He gave a deep sigh and said, “Why do the people of this present time ask for a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this people.” Then he left them, got into the boat again and went to the other side of the lake.

ain displayed a shameful tone of presumptuous impudence in his insulting reply to God. It was an indication of the state of his heart, leading up to him murdering his brother. He would not have accomplished the brutal deed of fratricide if he had not, at first, cast off any fear of God and been ready to defy his creator. He replied: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” This response goes a long way to explain what has puzzled some people: namely the amazing calmness with which great criminals often appear on trial. Let us note here that we must remember we are not without guilt ourselves. If we look at it without prejudice, every kind of excuse we make to God is a serious case of presumption. When we sin and are guilt-ridden, if we begin denying the sin or providing extenuating circumstances, then we are guilty of the sin of Cain: that of impudence before God. All our knowledge, all our experience, all we have, is God-given and demands a return in the form of service rendered to others.

tuesday 1st Reading: Gen 6:5–8; 7:1–5, 10 Yahweh saw how great was the wickedness of man on the earth and that evil was always the only thought of his heart. 6th Week in Ordinary Time Yahweh regretted having created man on the earth and his Seven Founders of the Order of Servites heart grieved. He said, “I will destroy man whom I created and Psalter: Week 2 blot him out from the face of the earth, as well as the beasts, creeping creatures and birds, for I am sorry I made them.” But Ps 29:1a and 2, 3ac–4, Noah was pleasing to God. 3b and 9c–10 Yahweh said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your The Lord will bless his people household, for I see that you are just in this generation. Of with peace. all the clean animals, you are to take with you seven of each kind, male and female, and a pair of unclean animals, a male and a female. In the same way for the birds of the air, take seven and seven, male and female, to keep their kind alive over all the earth, for in seven days I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. I will blot out from the face of the earth all the living creatures I have created.” Noah did all as Yahweh had commanded. Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters covered the earth. And after seven days the waters of the flood were over the earth.

February

Gospel: Mk 8:14–21 The disciples had forgotten to bring more bread and had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then Jesus warned them, “Keep your eyes open and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” And they said to one another, “He saw that we have no bread.” Aware of this, Jesus asked them, “Why are you talking about the loaves you are short of? Do you not see or understand? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes that don’t see and ears that don’t hear? And do you not remember when I broke the five loaves among five thousand? How many baskets full of leftovers did you collect?” They answered, “Twelve.” “And having seven loaves for the four thousand, how many wicker baskets of leftovers did you collect?” They answered, “Seven.” Then Jesus said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

ne of the most remarkable things concerning the biblical world was the destruction of it by God in the deluge, or flood. We are told of the abounding sinfulness of that wicked world, God’s just wrath and His resolve to punish it. God saw that every heart was deceitful and desperately wicked; their principles were corrupt; their habits and dispositions evil. He saw it all as a tender father sees the stubbornness of a rebellious and disobedient child, who grieves him and makes him wish he had been childless. The words used here are remarkable; they do not, however, mean that God changes or is unhappy. Does God hate our sin? He repented that He had made humankind; but, we never find Him repent that He redeemed us. God spoke resolutely concerning the world, after He had long been struggling with it in vain. Only those who refuse to be reformed by the grace of God will be punished by the justice of God. And that just might be the most remarkable thing to take away from the tale of the destruction of the world in the flood!

18 February wednesday

6th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 116:12–13, 14–15, 18–19 To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

1st Reading: Gen 8:6–13, 20–22* At the end of the forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had built and let the raven out. This went off and kept flying to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. Then Noah let out the dove to see if the waters were receding from the earth. But the dove could not find a place to set its foot and flew back to him in the ark for the waters still covered the surface of the whole earth. … He waited some more days and again sent the dove out from the ark. This time the dove came back to him in the evening with a fresh olive branch in its beak. Then Noah knew the waters had receded from the earth. He waited seven more days and let the dove loose, but it did not return to him any more. … Noah then removed the covering from the ark and looked out and saw that the surface of the earth was dry. Noah built an altar to Yahweh and, taking some of all the clean animals and all the clean birds, he offered burnt offerings on it. Yahweh smelled the pleasing aroma and said to himself: “Never again will I curse the earth because of man, even though his heart is set on evil from childhood; never again will I strike down every living creature as I have done. As long as the earth lasts, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease to be.” Gospel: Mk 8:22–26 When Jesus and his disciples came to Bethsaida, Jesus was asked to touch a blind man who was brought to him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had put spittle on his eyes and laid his hands upon him, he asked, “Can you see anything?” The man, who was beginning to see, replied, “I see people! They look like trees, but they move around.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again and the man could see perfectly. His sight was restored and he could see everything clearly. Then Jesus sent him home saying, “Do not return to the village.”

oah then sent out a dove, which returned the first time without good news; but the second time, she brought an olive leaf in her bill that must have been plucked off a tree, plainly showing that life had begun to appear above water. He sent out the dove for a third time after yet another seven days also…probably on the Sabbath day…and this time the dove, having found a home, did not need to return. The dove is an emblem of a gracious soul, that, finding no solid peace or satisfaction in this deluged, defiling world, returns to Christ as if to the ark, as if to Noah, its haven of rest. Like the raven, we can take up with the world and feeds on the carrion it finds there; but our souls yearn always to return to God, our haven of rest. And as Noah put forth his hand, took the dove, and pulled her to him into the ark, so God will take us, save and help us, and welcome all those who flee to Him for rest. This is also the reason why the dove has become for us the international symbol of peace!

1st Reading: Gen 9:1–13 God blessed Noah and his sons and he said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth. Fear and dread of you will be in all the animals of the earth and in all the birds of the air, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. They are given to you. Everything that moves and lives shall be food for you; as I gave you the green plants, I have now given you everything. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is its blood. But I will also demand a reckoning for your lifeblood. I will demand it from every animal; and from man, too, I will demand a reckoning for the life of his fellow man. He who sheds the blood of man shall have his blood shed by man; for in the image of God has God made man. As for you, be fruitful and increase. Abound on the earth and be master of it.” God spoke to Noah and his son, “See I am making a covenant with you and with your descendants after you; also with every living animal with you: birds, cattle, that is, with every living creature of the earth that came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you. Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I make between me and you, and every animal living with you for all future generations. I set my bow in the clouds and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

thursday

February

6th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 102:16–18, 19–21, 29 and 22-23 From the heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

Gospel: Mk 8:27–33 Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say I am?” And they told him, “Some say you are John the Baptist; others say you are Elijah or one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asked them, “But you, who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” And he ordered them not to tell anyone about him. Jesus then began to teach them that the Son of Man had to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He would be killed and after three days rise again. Jesus said all this quite openly, so that Peter took him aside and began to protest strongly. But Jesus turning around, and looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter saying, “Get behind me Satan! You are thinking, not as God does, but as people do.”

ther people think caring for the environment unimportant, believing that this world will pass away with the final coming of God’s kingdom. However, what is different is that God will prevail, rather than human wickedness. And wickedness is exactly what we are seeing today in global warming. Because of human wickedness, the climate is changing; it is warming slowly but steadily. God cares deeply about the Earth. When we mistreat it or exploit it for our own aims we are failing to care for the Earth as God meant for us to care for it. Caring for the Earth is part of what it means for us to live as children of God!

20 February friday

6th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 33:10–11, 12–13, 14–15 Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

1st Reading: Gen 11:1–9 The whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved from east, they found a plain in the country of Shinar where they settled. They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them in fire.” They used brick for stone and bitumen for mortar. They said also, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top reaching heaven; so that we may become a great people and not be scattered over the face of the earth!” Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of man were building, and Yahweh said, “They are one people and they have one language. If they carry this through, nothing they decide to do from now on will be impossible. Come! Let us go down and confuse their language so that they will no longer understand each other.” So Yahweh scattered them over all the earth and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of the whole earth and from there Yahweh scattered them over the whole face of the earth. Gospel: Mk 8:34–9:1 Jesus called the people and his disciples and said, “If you want to follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. For if you choose to save your life, you will lose it; and if you lose your life for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel, you will save it. “What good is it to gain the whole world but destroy yourself? There is nothing you can give to recover your life. I tell you: If anyone is ashamed of me and of my words among this adulterous and sinful people, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the Glory of his Father with the holy angels.” And he went on to say, “Truly I tell you, there are some here who will not die before they see the kingdom of God coming with power.”

he story of the Tower of Babel is about disobedience, arrogance and the human need to erect symbols of our achievement. As for arrogance in the modern world, if we look back only sixtyfive years, we see terrible arrogance that led to devastating human destruction. The arrogance of Nazi Germans was their belief that they could create a master race. Their arrogance allowed no limits to what they believed they could do to human life. Their hubris led them to conduct horrendous experiments in extermination camps, where millions of people were destroyed, all in the name of racial purity. Arrogance is our way of saying to God, “I don’t need you and I don’t have to answer to you.” But, whenever we put ourselves in the place of God, we’re sure to suffer for it. God reminds us who we are and how we should be leading our lives. We can all recognize times when we’ve been slapped off our pedestals and reminded that we weren’t “all that”. But, sometimes it takes a bigger, more painful slap before we get the message. Let’s never forget that we’re not the master-builders we thought we were!

1st Reading: Heb 11:1–7* Faith is the assurance of what we hope for, being certain of what we cannot see. Because of their faith our ancestors were approved. By faith we understand that the stages of creation were disposed by God’s word, and what is visible came from what cannot be seen. Because of Abel’s faith his offering was more acceptable than that of his brother Cain, which meant he was upright, and God himself approved his offering. … By faith Enoch was taken to heaven, instead of experiencing death: he could not be found because God had taken him. In fact, it is said that before being taken up he had pleased God. Yet without faith it is impossible to please him: no one draws near to God without first believing that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him earnestly. By faith Noah was instructed of events which could not yet be seen and, heeding what he heard, he built a boat in which to save his family. The faith of Noah condemned the world and he reached holiness born of faith.

saturday

February

6th Week in Ordinary Time Peter Damian Psalter: Week 2

Ps 145:2–3, 4–5, 10–11 I will praise your name for ever, Lord.

Gospel: Mk 9:2–13* Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain. There his appearance was changed before their eyes. Even his clothes shone, becoming as white as no bleach of this world could make them. Elijah and Moses appeared to them; the two were talking with Jesus. Then Peter spoke and said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say; they were overcome with awe. But a cloud formed, covering them in a shadow, and from the cloud came this word, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him.” And suddenly, as they looked around, they no longer saw anyone except Jesus with them. As they came down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man be risen from the dead. So they kept this to themselves, although they discussed with one another what ‘to rise from the dead’ could mean. …

n Church tradition, the event in today’s Gospel is called the Transfiguration. It is an account of Jesus being wonderfully changed and being wonderfully owned by God. We sometimes forget that Jesus was human and that he had to struggle mightily against the pressures and temptations that were brought with such force against him. This event, more graphically and more forcefully than any other, demonstrated the superiority of Jesus Christ over all previous, messianic systems and teachers. The Transfiguration has rich meaning for each of us today. It enables us to feel God’s glory and majesty more than we could possibly feel it without this dramatic scene. It helps us to get a little of the spine-tingling, awe-inspiring feeling that we need when we contemplate the greatness of God and Christ. We are more likely to be ready to meet Christ in all his glory at the judgment, if we feel something of it in this life. And our respect for Christ and his teachings becomes all the greater because of this Transfiguration.

1st Reading: Is 43:18–19, 21–22, 24–25 Thus, says the Lord: “Do not dwell on the past, or remember the things of old. “Look, I am doing a new thing: now it springs forth. “Do you not see? I am opening up a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. “I have formed this people for myself; they will proclaim my praise. “You have not called upon me, O Jacob, indeed you were tired of me, O Israel; “You have not spent money on sweet frankincense for me, neither have you satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. “Instead you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your offenses. “Is it I, I am He who blots out your offenses for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” 2nd Reading: 2 Cor 1:18–22 God knows that our dealing with you is not Yes and No, just as the Son of God, Christ Jesus, whom we—Silvanus, Timothy and I—preach to you, was not Yes and No; with him it was simply Yes. In him all the promises of God have come to be a Yes, and we also say in his name: Amen! giving thanks to God. God himself has anointed Ps 41:2–3, 4–5b, 13–14 us and strengthens us with you to serve Christ; Lord, heal my soul, he has marked us with his own seal in a first for I have sinned against you. outpouring of the Spirit in our hearts.

sunday

Gospel: Mk 2:1–12 After some days Jesus returned to Capernaum. As the news spread that he was at home, so many people gathered that there was no longer 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time room even outside the door. While Jesus was Psalter: Week 3 preaching the Word to them, some people brought a paralyzed man to him. The four men who carried him couldn’t get near Jesus because of the crowd, so they opened the roof above the room where Jesus was and, through the hole, lowered the man on his mat. When Jesus saw the faith of these people, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” Now, some teachers of the Law who were sitting there wondered within themselves, “How can he speak like this insulting God? Who can forgive sins except God?” At once Jesus knew through his spirit what they were thinking and asked, “Why do you wonder? Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man: ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say: ‘Rise, take up your mat and walk?’ But now you shall know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” And he said to the paralytic, “Stand up, take up your mat and go home.” The man rose and, esus was moved by the faith of those people in the sight of all those people, he took up his who helped the paralyzed man. In their faith, mat and went out. All of them were astonished Jesus saw their concerns and love for someone and praised God saying, “We have never seen who is really in dire need of healing, so He did anything like this!” not disappoint them. Sometimes we can be in similar situations in life with that of the paralyzed man or with the people who helped him. The paralyzed man is obviously in the mercy of other people. Sometimes we need people who can guide and bring us back to Jesus. Because of the many paralyses in life that we experience—poverty, addiction to any form of vices, depression, etc.—we find it hard to walk back to Jesus and ask Him for healing. Thus we need other people, our family and friends, to carry us. On the other hand, we can be the other people who helped the paralyzed man. The love and concerns we have for our suffering neighbors compel us to help them. This action is pleasing in the eyes of Jesus. So, whether we are the paralyzed man or the people who helped him, Jesus wants us to have faith in him. If we have faith, Jesus will not fail us.

February

23 February monday

7th Week in Ordinary Time Polycarp Psalter: Week 3

Ps 93:1ab, 1cd–2, 5 The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

1st Reading: Sir 1:1–10 All wisdom comes from the Lord and endures with him forever. The grains of sand, the drops of rain and the days of eternity, who can count them? The height of heaven, the extent of the earth and the depths of the abyss, who can measure them? Wisdom was created before all things and the prudent intellect before the beginning of time. To whom was the source of Wisdom revealed? Who has known her secret designs? One alone is wise and greatly to be feared. The One who is seated upon his throne. The Lord himself created Wisdom. He looked on her and knew her value. He poured her out over all his works; upon all mortal beings, in accordance with his goodness. He lavished her on those who love him. Gospel: Mk 9:14–29* … He asked, “What are you arguing about with them?” A man answered him from the crowd, “Master, I brought my son to you for he has a dumb spirit. … I asked your disciples to drive the spirit out, but they could not.” Jesus replied, “You faithless people. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it shook and convulsed the boy who fell on the ground and began rolling about, foaming at the mouth. Then Jesus asked the father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He replied, “From childhood. … If you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “Why do you say: ‘If you can?’ All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe, but help the little faith I have.” Jesus saw that the crowd was increasing rapidly, so he ordered the evil spirit, “Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you: Leave the boy and never enter him again.” The evil spirit shook and convulsed the boy and with a terrible shriek came out. The boy lay like a corpse and people said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him and the boy stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive out the spirit?” And he answered, “Only prayer can drive out this kind, nothing else.”

hat was the problem here? The father of the suffering boy wondered why the disciples were lacking in healing power: why couldn’t they do exactly as Jesus had showed them that they could do? But Jesus wanted to teach them about how little faith they had. The problem was with the faithlessness of the people: lacking sufficient faith, they prevented the miracle of healing from occurring. Very much is promised to us, who believe. If we can’t be physically healed, it is sure that our hard hearts will be softened, our spiritual diseases will be cured and, weak as we are, we will find that we are able to hold out to the end. Those who complain of lack of faith just have to look to Christ for the grace to help them and his grace will be sufficient for them.

1st Reading: Sir 2:1–11 My son, if you have decided to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials. Keep your heart upright and remain resolute; do not be upset in the time of adversity. Hold fast to the Lord, do not separate yourself from him so that you may be successful to the end of your days. Accept all that happens to you, be patient when you are humbled, for as gold is tested in the fire, so those acceptable to God are tested in the crucible of humiliation. Have confidence in him and he will take care of you; follow the right path and hope in him. You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy and do not turn away lest you fall. You who fear the Lord, trust him and you will not lose your reward. You who fear the Lord, hope for all good things; hope for eternal joy and mercy. Remember what happened to your ancestors. Who has ever trusted in the Lord and been confounded? Who has persevered in fear of the Lord and been abandoned? Who has called upon him and not been heard? For the Lord is compassion and loving-kindness; he forgives our sins and saves us in time of distress.

tuesday

February

7th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 37:3–4, 18–19, 27–28, 39–40 Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.

Gospel: Mk 9:30–37 Jesus said to his disciples, “The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him, but three days after he has been killed, he will rise.” The disciples, however, did not understand these words and they were afraid to ask him what he meant. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they did not answer because they had been arguing about who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve and said to them, “If someone wants to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child, placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, “Whoever welcomes a child such as this in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not me but the One who sent me.”

he disciples of Jesus were discussing which among them was the greatest. In other words, they still didn’t get it! Jesus was telling them of his own future suffering and impending death, and they were comparing themselves with each other, trying to work out who was the greatest, the most important among them. Jesus often used children to teach lessons. In the first century, children were especially regarded as insignificant. They had no power and no status, and were not considered full persons. Thus to embrace a child publicly was to embrace one who was insignificant. By associating with the child, Jesus also chose insignificance. In contrast to the disciples’ discussion about who was their greatest, Jesus characterized greatness when he befriended the helpless, insignificant child. Just as children recognize their own insignificance, following Christ and denying ourselves involves becoming insignificant for His sake. So, that’s what we as Christians should do: choose insignificance over recognition, whenever such recognition would lead us away from actively loving God in our daily lives.

25 February wednesday

Ash Wednesday Psalter: Week 4

Ps 51:3–4, 5–6ab, 12–13, 14 and 17 Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

1st Reading: Jl 2:12–18* Yahweh says, “Yet even now, return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning. Rend your heart, not your garment. Return to Yahweh, your God—gracious and compassionate.” Yahweh is slow to anger, full of kindness, and he repents of having punished. Who knows? Probably he will relent once more and spare some part of the harvest from which we may bring sacred offerings to Yahweh, your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion, proclaim a sacred fast, call a solemn assembly. … Between the vestibule and the altar, let the priests, Yahweh’s ministers, weep and say: Spare your people, Yahweh. Do not humble them or make them an object of scorn among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples: Where is their God? Yahweh has become jealous for his land; he has had pity on his people. 2nd Reading: 2 Cor 5:20–6:2 Gospel: Mt 6:1–6, 16–18* Jesus said to his disciples, “Be careful not to make a show of your righteousness before people. If you do so, you do not gain anything from your Father in heaven. When you give something to the poor, do not have it trumpeted before you, as do those who want to be seen in the synagogues and in the streets in order to be praised by the people. I assure you, they have been already paid in full. … “When you pray, do not be like those who want to be seen. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues or on street corners to be seen by everyone. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is with you in secret; and your Father who sees what is kept secret will reward you. “When you fast, do not put on a miserable face as do the hypocrites. … When you fast, wash your face and make yourself look cheerful, because you are not fasting for appearances or for people, but for your Father who sees beyond appearances. And your Father, who sees what is kept secret will reward you.”

oday is Ash Wednesday, the first of forty-six days of the Lenten Fast before Easter. On this day, all the Catholic faithful, according to ancient custom, approach the altar where the priest, dipping his thumb into previously blessed ashes, marks the forehead of each person with the sign of the cross and says these ancient words: “Remember that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return.” This text focuses on our mortality, making it an incentive for us to take the call to repentance seriously. Today’s emphasis on mortality fits well into our experience of life: for all Christians, death should not be something to be feared, but rather welcomed as our entry into heaven, the Kingdom of God. We should observe Ash Wednesday by making it a day of fasting, abstinence from meat, contemplating our transgressions, and repentance.

1st Reading: Dt 30:15–20 See, I set before you on this day life and good, evil and death. I command you to love Yahweh, your God and follow his ways. Observe his commandments, his norms and his laws, and you will live and increase, and Yahweh will give you his blessing in the land you are going to possess. But if your heart turns away and does not listen, if you are drawn away and bow before other gods to serve them, I declare on this day that you shall perish. You shall not last in the land you are going to occupy on the other side of the Jordan. Let the heavens and the earth listen, that they may be witnesses against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life that you and your descendants may live, loving Yahweh, listening to his voice, and being one with him. In this is life for you and length of days in the land which Yahweh swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

thursday

February

Thursday After Ash Wednesday Psalter: Week 4

Ps 1:1–2, 3, 4 and 6 Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Gospel: Lk 9:22–25 Jesus said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the Law, and put to death. Then after three days he will be raised to life.” Jesus also said to all the people, “If you wish to be a follower of mine, deny yourself and take up your cross each day, and follow me. For if you choose to save your life, you will lose it, and if you lose your life for my sake, you will save it. What does it profit you to gain the whole world while you destroy or damage yourself?”

s the Son of Man and by his life, passion, death and resurrection, Jesus was fulfilling the messianic plan, as outlined in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. At the same time, he was taking his place as a true man among men, as the son of a woman. This is the fundamental truth of our Christian revelation and of the faith: Jesus Christ was both human and divine! Then again, when Jesus talked to his disciples about his own sufferings and death, he was trying to tell his disciples not to be thinking of how to prevent his sufferings; rather, they should be preparing for their own. We often meet with crosses in our lives; and though we must not pull them down upon our own heads, yet when they are put in our way, we must take them up and carry them as valiantly as Jesus did. The body cannot be happy if the soul is miserable; but the soul can be happy even when the body is greatly afflicted and oppressed in this world. Whatever happens, we should never be ashamed of our love for Christ and his gospel!

27 February friday

Friday After Ash Wednesday Psalter: Week 4

Ps 51:3–4, 5–6ab, 18–19 A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

1st Reading: Is 58:1–9a* Cry out aloud for all you are worth; raise your voice like a trumpet blast; tell my people of their offenses, Jacob’s family of their sins. … They want to know the just laws and not to drift away from their God. “Why are we fasting,” they complain, “and you do not even see it? We are doing penance and you never notice it.” Look, on your fast days you push your trade and you oppress your laborers. Yes, you fast but end up quarreling, striking each other with wicked blows. … Is fasting merely bowing down one’s head, and making use of sackcloth and ashes? Would you call that fasting, a day acceptable to Yahweh? … Fast by sharing your food with the hungry, bring to your house the homeless, clothe the one you see naked and do not turn away from your own kin. Then will your light break forth as the dawn and your healing come in a flash. Your righteousness will be your vanguard, the Glory of Yahweh your rearguard. Then you will call and Yahweh will answer, you will cry and he will say, I am here. Gospel: Mt 9:14–15 The disciples of John came to Jesus with the question, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast on many occasions, but not your disciples?” Jesus answered them, “How can you expect wedding guests to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? Time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, then they will fast.”

esus rebuked very harshly the religious leaders of his time. He criticized the political leaders. He found fault with his disciples. But he was never angry or annoyed with the people. He did not tell them they were poor because they were lazy and did not make use of the opportunities offered to them. He did not tell them that their suffering was because of their sins. Jesus knew very well that the people who followed him were not saints, holy men and women; and they did not follow him purely for spiritual reasons. When Jesus saw the crowd, his heart was moved with compassion, for they were like sheep without a shepherd. In biblical usage, the word ‘compassion’ is a very strong word. It means a movement of the heart from our own self to another. Our heart takes upon itself the suffering of the other. The suffering of the other becomes more a part of our own suffering than it is of the other person. We stand in the place of the other; we carry the other’s burden. It’s as if God is saying to us: “I have created heaven and earth; now I give you the power to make heaven on earth!”

1st Reading: Is 58:9b–14 If you remove from your midst the yoke, the clenched fist and the wicked word, if you share your food with the hungry and give relief to the oppressed, then your light will rise in the dark, your night will be like noon. Yahweh will guide you always and give you relief in desert places. He will strengthen your bones; he will make you as a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins will be rebuilt, the age-old foundations will be raised. You will be called the Breach-mender, and the Restorer of ruined houses. If you stop profaning the sabbath and doing as you please on the holy day, if you call the sabbath a day of delight and keep sacred Yahweh’s holy day, if you honor it by not going your own way, not doing as you please and not speaking with malice, then you will find happiness in Yahweh, over the heights you will ride triumphantly, and feast joyfully on the inheritance of your father Jacob you. The mouth of Yahweh has spoken.

saturday

February

Saturday After Ash Wednesday Psalter: Week 4

Ps 86:1–2, 3–4, 5–6 Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.

Gospel: Lk 5:27–32 Jesus noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the taxoffice, he said to him, “Follow me.” So Levi, leaving everything, got up and followed Jesus. Levi gave a great feast for Jesus, and many tax collectors came to his house and took their place at table with the other people. Then the Pharisees and their fellow teachers complained to Jesus’ disciples, “How is it that you eat and drink with tax collectors and other sinners?” But Jesus spoke up, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I have come to call to repentance; I call sinners, not the righteous.”

e should never underestimate humankind’s ability to distort and confuse the plainest words written about Jesus. There is no question more repeatedly and clearly answered by him than this: Why did he come into the world? Jesus came into the world to save all of humankind. He came into the world to give his life as a ransom for those who didn’t know how they could be saved. He came to seek and to find those who were lost. Jesus was not saying that there are people who do not need his salvation. But what he is saying is this: as long as we are like the Pharisees, having pride in our heart and not enough grace to know and feel our sins, then we cannot know the salvation that comes from Jesus Christ. Only those who, by a transforming love of Christ, by a work of the Spirit in their heart, only those who see and know themselves as sinners, only they are saved by Christ. He said: “I have come to call to repentance; I call sinners, not the righteous.”

1st Reading: Gen 9:8–15 God spoke to Noah and his son, “See I am making a covenant with you and with your descendants after you; also with every living animal with you: birds, cattle, that is, with every living creature of the earth that came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you. Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I make between me and you, and every animal living with you for all future generations. I set my bow in the clouds and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember the covenant between me and you and every kind of living creature, so that never again will floodwaters destroy all flesh. 2nd Reading: 1 P 3:18–22 Remember how Christ died, once and for all, for our sins. He, the just one, died for the unjust in order to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the Spirit he was raised to life, and it was then that he went to preach to the imprisoned spirits. They were the generation who did not believe when God, in his great patience, delayed punishing the world while Ps 25:4–5, 6–7, 8–9 Noah was building the ark in which a small group Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth of eight persons escaped through water. That to those who keep your covenant. was a type of the baptism that now saves you; this baptism is not a matter of physical cleansing but of asking God to reconcile us through the resurrection of Christ Jesus. He has ascended to heaven and is at the right hand of God, having subjected the angels, Dominations and Powers.

sunday

Gospel: Mk 1:12–15 Then the Spirit drove him in-to the desert. Jesus stayed in the desert forty days and was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, but angels ministered to him. After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began preaching the Good News of God. He said, “The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News.”

March

1st Sunday of Lent Psalter: Week 1

he season of Lent draws us into the desert with our Lord. The disciplines of prayer, fasting, self-denial and almsgiving serve to focus our attention more acutely upon the things that really matter in this life. Jesus Himself invites us to the desert. He calls us to the conversion of heart that has us repent of our sins and find forgiveness through the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. He invites us to take delight in the nourishment we receive from the table of His Word and the table of His Body and Blood. And through the grace that comes throughout the forty days of this sacred season, we are to be strengthened in body, mind and soul to live out our lives in His service: putting into practice the faith we believe as good and faithful stewards. “The time has come,” Jesus says. This is the season to make changes in our lives. This is the moment to turn away from sin and to embrace His way of life. This is the most important Lent of our lives.

02 March monday

1st Reading: Lev 19:1–2, 11–18* Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, “Speak to the entire 1st Week of Lent assembly of the people of Israel and say to them: Be holy for I, Psalter: Week 1 Yahweh, your God, am holy. Do not steal or lie or deceive one another. Do not swear falsely by my name so as to profane Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15 the name of your God; I am Yahweh. Do not oppress your Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life. neighbor or rob him. … You shall not curse a deaf man nor put a stumbling block in the way of the blind; but you shall fear your God; I am Yahweh. Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor nor bow to the great; you are to judge your neighbor fairly so as not to share in his guilt. Do not go about as a slanderer of your people and do not seek the death of your neighbor; I am Yahweh. Do not hate your brother in your heart; rebuke your neighbor frankly so as not to share in his guilt. Do not seek revenge or nurture a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.” Gospel: Mt 25:31–46* Jesus said to his disciples, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all his angels, he will sit on the throne of his Glory. All the nations will be brought before him, and as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, so will he do with them, placing the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “The King will say to those on his right: ‘Come, blessed of my Father! Take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me into your house. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to see me.’ … Then he will say to those on his left: ‘Go, cursed people, out of my sight into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you did not give me anything to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you did not welcome me into your house; I was naked and you did not clothe me; I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ …

hat we inherit is not earned by ourselves. It is God that makes us heirs of heaven. We are not to suppose that acts of bounty will entitle to eternal happiness. Good works done for God’s sake mark the character of Christians and are the effects of grace, bestowed on those who do good works. Thus, life and death, good and evil, are set before us, so that we may choose our way, and as we live in love and peace, so shall we die. As Christians, we know that we must serve the very least with our love and service. We should also welcome the participation of all people, who have a concerned heart for the poor of our world, regardless of their religion or belief-system. We should participate to bring an end to the extreme global poverty in our generation. Working together we can accomplish this amazing goal! Let us take up this exciting new approach to our spiritual journey; and on that great judgment day, we may very well end up with the sheep on God’s right!

1st Reading: Is 55:10–11 Thus says the Lord: As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return till they have watered the earth, making it yield seed for the sower and food for others to eat, so is my word that goes forth out of my mouth: it will not return to me idle, but it shall accomplish my will, the purpose for which it has been sent.

tuesday

March

1st Week of Lent Katharine Drexel Psalter: Week 1

Ps 34:4–5, 6–7, 16–17, 18–19 From all their distress, God rescues the just

Gospel: Mt 6:7–15 Jesus said to his disciples, “When you pray, do not use a lot of words, as the pagans do, for they hold that the more they say, the more chance they have of being heard. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask him. “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, holy be your name, your kingdom come and your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today the kind of bread we need. Forgive us our debts just as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us. Do not bring us to the test but deliver us from the evil one. “If you forgive others their wrongs, your Father in heaven will also forgive yours. If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you either.”

t is taken for granted that all Christians pray. You’re more likely to find a living man who doesn’t breathe, as a living Christian who does not pray. But, what are we praying for when we pray for God’s kingdom to come? This Lord’s Prayer rules out any idea that the Kingdom of God is a purely heavenly reality. We pray that God’s kingdom may come and we pray that God’s design will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Heaven and earth are the two interlocking arenas of God’s world. Heaven is God’s space, where God’s will is complete and His future purposes are waiting in the wings. Earth is our world, our space. The Lord’s Prayer isn’t about humans being snatched up from earth to heaven. It is about the kingdom of God extending from heaven to earth. God’s space and ours are finally married, integrated at last. That is what we pray for! Let us daily be aware of the frame of mind in which we offer our prayers and learn from Christ how to pray.

04 March

wednesday

1st Week of Lent Casimir Psalter: Week 1

Ps 51:3–4, 12–13, 18–19 A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

1st Reading: Jon 3:1–10 The word of Yahweh came to Jonah a second time: “Go to Nineveh, the great city, and announce to them the message I give you.” In obedience to the word of Yahweh, Jonah went to Nineveh. It was a very large city, and it took three days just to cross it. So Jonah walked a single day’s journey and began proclaiming, “Forty days more and Nineveh will be destroyed.” The people of the city believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. Upon hearing the news, the king of Nineveh got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes. He issued a proclamation throughout Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles, no people or beasts, herd or flock, will taste anything; neither will they eat nor drink. But let people and beasts be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call aloud to God, turn from his evil ways and violence. Who knows? God may yet relent, turn from his fierce anger and spare us.” When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened upon them. Gospel: Lk 11:29–32 As the crowd increased, Jesus began to speak in this way, “People of the present time are evil people. They ask for a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign for this generation. The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here there is greater than Solomon. The people of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for Jonah’s preaching made them turn from their sins, and here there is greater than Jonah.”

magine if every terrorist today, who preaches hate and murder, were suddenly to change their minds, lay down their weapons and to pray to God for deliverance from the destruction coming upon them. Imagine if all the pornographers and thieves and environmentally-brutal corporations were to change their minds about how they lived and worked. What a cause for celebration it would be! All of us, all of those in capitals around the world, would sing and dance for joy. But, this was not how Jonah originally felt about the people of Nineveh. Jonah was a man of faith, a man who deeply loved his God and his people. But, the fact that he hated evil more than he loved good meant that he had little faith in the power of repentance. So, he became a model for those of us, who forget the lesson of our own salvation: that we, like Jonah, often flee from God and do not do the things He asks of us. Do we want to see our enemies destroyed? Or do we want to warn them of their peril and sincerely hope that they will respond, repent and turn from their evil ways?

1st Reading: Est C:12, 14–16, 23–25 Seized with anguish in her fear of death, Queen Esther likewise had recourse to the Lord. Then she prayed to the Lord God of Israel: My Lord, you who stand alone, come to my help; I am alone and have no help but you. Through my own choice I am endangering my life. As a child I was wont to hear from the people of the land of my forebears that you, O Lord, chose Israel from among all peoples, and our fathers from among their ancestors to be your lasting heritage; that you did for them, all that you have promised. Remember us, Lord; reveal yourself in the time of our calamity. Give me courage, King of gods and master of all power. Make my words persuasive when I face the lion; turn his heart against our enemy, that the latter and his like may be brought to their end. Save us by your hand; help me who am alone and have none but you, O Lord.

thursday

March

1st Week of Lent Psalter: Week 1

Ps 138:1–2ab, 2cde–3, 7c–8 Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

Gospel: Mt 7:7–12 Jesus said to his disciples, “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; and the door will be opened to him who knocks. Would any of you give a stone to your son when he asks for bread? Or give him a snake, when he asks for a fish? As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! “So, do to others whatever you would that others do to you: there you have the Law and the Prophets.”

rayer is the appointed means for obtaining what we need. Not what we want; what we need! Let us never suppose that God would tell us to pray and then refuse to hear us, or give us what would be hurtful. Pray; pray often; make a business of prayer, and be serious and earnest in it. Ask, as a beggar asks alms. Ask, as a traveller asks the way. Seek, as for a thing of value that we have lost. Sin has shut and barred the door against us; by prayer we knock. So, knock at the door, just as you knock when you want to enter into a house. Whatever you pray for, according to the promise, shall be given to you if God sees that you need it. This applies to all who pray the right way. Everyone who asks will receive, be they young or old, rich or poor, high or low, master or servant, learned or illiterate. Whereas parents can be foolishly over-indulgent, God is all-wise; He knows what we need and what is right for us. Our prayer should also be a way of thanking God for His gifts to us. Let us pray!

06 March friday

1st Week of Lent Psalter: Week 1

Ps 130:1–2, 3–4, 5–7a, 7bc–8 If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?

1st Reading: Ezk 18:21–28 Thus says Yahweh, “If the sinner turns from his sin, observes my decrees and practices what is right and just, he will live, he will not die. None of the sins he committed will be charged against him; he will live as a consequence of his righteous deeds. Do I want the death of the sinner?—word of Yahweh. Do I not rather want him to turn from his ways and live? But if the righteous man turns away from what is good and commits sins as the wicked do, will he live? His righteous deeds will no longer be credited to him, but he will die because of his infidelity and his sins. But you say: Yahweh’s way is not just! Why, Israel! Is my position wrong? Is it not rather that yours is wrong? If the righteous man dies after turning from his righteous deeds and sinning, he dies because of his sins. And if the wicked man does what is good and right, after turning from the sins he committed, he will save his life. He will live and not die, because he has opened his eyes and turned from the sins he had committed. Gospel: Mt 5:20–26 Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you, then, that if you are not righteous in a much broader way than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to our people in the past: Do not commit murder; anyone who does kill will have to face trial. But now I tell you: whoever gets angry with a brother or sister will have to face trial. Whoever insults a brother or sister deserves to be brought before the council; whoever calls a brother or a sister ‘Fool’ deserves to be thrown into the fire of hell. So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with him, and then come back and offer your gift to God. “Don’t forget this: be reconciled with your opponent quickly when you are together on the way to court. Otherwise he will turn you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, who will put you in jail. There you will stay, until you have paid the last penny.”

ometimes society finds it difficult to come to grips with the evils it has done. It tries to make excuses, saying: “it was the best choice we had at the time” or “we didn’t know better”. Jesus says that there’s a link between what we know and what we are responsible for, and that this is true of whatever groups, cliques, neighbourhoods, ethnicities or races we belong to, no less than it is true for each of us as a person. The truth is always out there and some will see it, eventually toppling the house of cards that backs evil. Jesus made it clear that the relationship with our neighbors is the key to the health of our relationship with God. Society needs his kind of reconciliation more than ever. Jesus’ vision of reconciliation is the most important gift that Christian believers can give to the world and to political systems right now.

1st Reading: Dt 26:16–19 On this day, Yahweh, your God, commands you to fulfill these norms and these commandments. Obey them now and put them into practice with all your heart and with all your soul. Today Yahweh has declared to you that he will be your God, and so you shall follow his ways, observing his norms, his commandments and his laws, and listening to his voice. Today Yahweh has declared that you will be his very own people even as he had promised you, and you must obey all his commandments. He, for his part, will give you honor, renown and glory, and set you high above all the nations he has made, and you will become a nation consecrated to Yahweh, your God, as he has declared.

saturday

March

1st Week of Lent Perpetua / Felicity Psalter: Week 1

Ps 119:1–2, 4–5, 7–8 Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

Gospel: Mt 5:43–48 Jesus said to his disciples, “You have heard that it was said: Love your neighbor and do not do good to your enemy. But this I tell you: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. For he makes his sun rise on both the wicked and the good, and he gives rain to both the just and the unjust. “If you love those who love you, what is special about that? Do not even tax collectors do as much? And if you are friendly only to your friends, what is so exceptional about that? Do not even the pagans do as much? For your part you shall be righteous and perfect in the way your heavenly Father is righteous and perfect.”

esus was very serious when he said that it’s hard for us to love our enemies. He realized that it’s difficult to love those persons who seek to defeat us, those persons who say evil things about us. He realized that it was painfully hard. And we cannot dismiss this passage as just another example of biblical hyperbole: some sort of exaggeration to get over the point. This is the basic philosophy of all we hear coming from Jesus’ lips. We have the moral responsibility to discover how we can live out this command and why we should live by it. Within the best of us, there is some evil; and within the worst of us, there is some good. When we come to the point that we can look in the face of others and see deep down within them the image of God, then we begin to love them in spite of ourselves. No matter what they do, we see God’s image there. When we discover the element of good in our enemy, instead of hating, we find the center of goodness in all humankind, place our attention there and we take on a new attitude to life.

1st Reading: Gen 22:1–2, 9a, 10–13, 15–18 God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he answered, “Here I am.” Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I shall point out to you.” They then came to the place to which God had directed them. When Abraham had built the altar and set the wood on it, he bound his son Isaac and laid him on the wood placed on the altar. He then stretched out his hand to seize the knife and slay his son. But the Angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” “Do not lay your hand on the boy; do not harm him, for now I know that you fear God, and you have not held back from me your only son.” Abraham looked around and saw behind him a ram caught by its horns in a bush. He offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. And the Angel of Yahweh called from heaven a second time, “By myself I have sworn, it is Yahweh who speaks, because you have done this and not held back your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the lands of their enemies. All the nations of the earth will be blessed through your descendants because you have obeyed me.” 2nd Reading: Rom 8:31b–34 What shall we say after this? If God is with us, who shall be against us? If he did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not give us all things with him? Who shall accuse those chosen by God: he takes away their guilt. Who will dare to condemn them? Christ who died, and better still, rose and is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for us?

Ps 116:10, 15, 16–17, 18–19 I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living. Gospel: Mk 9:2–10 Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain. There his appearance was changed before their eyes. Even his clothes shone, becoming as white as no bleach of this world could make them. Elijah and Moses appeared to them; the two were talking with Jesus. Then Peter spoke and said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say; they were overcome with awe. But a cloud formed, covering them in a shadow, and from the cloud came this word, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him.” And suddenly, as they looked around, they no longer saw anyone except Jesus with them.

sunday

March

As they came down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man be risen from the dead. So they kept this to themselves, although they discussed with one another what ‘to rise from the dead’ could mean.”

2nd Sunday of Lent Psalter: Week 2

n the Bible, important things happen in high places. The sacrifice of Abraham on Mount Horeb. The giving of the commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. The transfiguration of Jesus upon Mount Tabor. From time to time God leads His chosen ones to mountain tops so that He might reveal to them His love, mercy and even His very identity. Jesus takes three of His apostles to a high place and reveals to them the His divine nature. He does this so that they might be prepared for yet another mountain top experience, the very same mountain to which we are drawn this day for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. For upon Mount Calvary, our Lord shows to His apostles and to us His true identity as redeemer of the world. He gives His body and blood so that we might have life and have it to the full. At the Holy Mass today we draw near to the holy mountain of Calvary so that we might experience anew the saving power of the Lord. And like the three apostles, we descend from that mountain and go out into the world as living witnesses and faithful stewards of all that the Lord has done for us.

09 March monday

2nd Week of Lent Frances of Rome Psalter: Week 2

Ps 79:8, 9, 11 and 13 Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.

1st Reading: Dn 9:4b–10 I prayed to Yahweh, my God, and made this confession: “Lord God, great and to be feared, you keep your Covenant and love for those who love you and observe your commandments. We have sinned, we have not been just, we have been rebels, and have turned away from your commandments and laws. We have not listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, fathers and to all the people of the land. Lord, justice is yours, but ours is a face full of shame, as it is to this day—we, the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the whole of Israel, near and far away, in all the lands where you have dispersed us because of the infidelity we have committed against you. Ours is the shame, O Lord for we, our kings, princes, fathers, have sinned against you. We hope for pardon and mercy from the Lord, because we have rebelled against him. We have not listened to the voice of Yahweh, our God, or followed the laws which he has given us through his servants, the prophets. Gospel: Lk 6:36–38 Jesus said to his disciples, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Don’t be a judge of others and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you, and you will receive in your sack good measure, pressed down, full and running over. For the measure you give will be the measure you receive back.”

s it possible to put this gospel saying into practice? Don’t we have to judge, if we don’t want to give up trying to change what is not right? Jesus didn’t intend to abolish law courts. His words concerned, and still today concern, daily life. Although Christians make the choice to love, they still keep on doing things that are wrong; and this has more or less serious consequences. The spontaneous reaction is to judge those who, by their negligence, weaknesses or oversight, cause harm or setbacks. We can, of course, come up with many excellent reasons to judge our neighbours. Jesus knows the human heart, and he is not taken in by the most hidden motivations. If I’m on the lookout for my neighbour’s smallest mistake, isn’t this just a way of keeping me from facing my own problems? The faults that I find in another don’t prove that I’m worth more than him or her. I’m no longer seeing reality as it is; and I might even be judging someone for an imaginary wrong that he or she has never done. The harshness of my judgment might be hiding my insecurity and my own fear of being judged.

1st Reading: Is 1:10, 16–20 Hear the warning of Yahweh, rulers of Sodom. Listen to the word of God, people of Gomorrah.” Wash and make yourselves clean. Remove from my sight the evil of your deeds. Put an end to your wickedness and learn to do good. Seek justice and keep in line the abusers; give the fatherless their rights and defend the widow.” “Come,” says the Lord, “let us reason together. Though your sins be like scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they be as crimson red, they will be white as wool. If you will obey me, you will eat the goods of the earth; but if you resist and rebel, the sword will eat you instead.” Truly the Lord has spoken.

tuesday

March

2nd Week of Lent Psalter: Week 2

Ps 50:8–9, 16bc–17, 21 and 23 To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Gospel: Mt 23:1–12 Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees sat on the seat of Moses. So you shall do and observe all they say, but do not do as they do, for they do not do what they say. They tie up heavy burdens and load them on the shoulders of the people, but they do not even raise a finger to move them. They do everything in order to be seen by people; so they wear very wide bands of the Law around their foreheads, and robes with large tassels. They enjoy the first place at feasts and reserved seats in the synagogues, and being greeted in the marketplace and being called ‘Master’ by the people. “But you, do not let yourselves be called Master because you have only one Master, and all of you are brothers and sisters. Neither should you call anyone on earth Father, because you have only one Father, he who is in heaven. Nor should you be called leader, because Christ is the only leader for you. Let the greatest among you be the servant of all. For whoever makes himself great shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be made great.”

“W

hen you’re as great as I am, it’s hard to be humble.” Muhammad Ali said that. Jesus did not. Jesus was God in human form…the word made flesh! But, God’s will was that Jesus humble himself and die as a sacrifice for the sins of all humankind. Jesus was God; but chose not to act like God, not to take advantage of who he was. Instead, he humbled himself unto death, because of our sins. And because he was humble, he is now exalted at the right hand of God. God exalts the humble. He did it to Bethlehem. He did it to Mary. He did it to Jesus. All were humble. All were exalted. It’s true that we can be exalted in this world by power, wealth, and status. But there’s one problem with worldly exaltation: it’s temporary, just as Muhammad Ali discovered. So it is with all worldly exaltation and greatness. But, the exaltation that God gives lasts forever. Indeed, on the day of the resurrection, those who have humbled themselves, before God as well as before their fellows, will share in the exaltation of Jesus Christ. God exalts the humble. That’s a promise you can count on!

11 March

wednesday

2nd Week of Lent Psalter: Week 2

Ps 31:5–6, 14, 15–16 Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.

1st Reading: Jer 18:18–20 The people of Judah and the citizen of Jerusalem said, “Come, let us plot against Jeremiah, for even without him, there will be priests to interpret the Teachings of the Law; there will always be wise men to impart counsel and prophets to proclaim the word. Come, let us accuse him and strike him down instead of listening to what he says.” Hear me, O Yahweh! Listen to what my accusers say. Is evil the reward for good? Why do they dig a grave for me? Remember how I stood before you to speak well on their behalf so that your anger might subside. Gospel: Mt 20:17–28 When Jesus was going to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve aside and said to them on the way, “See, we are going to Jerusalem. There the Son of Man will be given over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law who will condemn him to death. They will hand him over to the foreigners who will mock him, scourge him and crucify him. But he will be raised to life on the third day.” Then the mother of James and John came to Jesus with her sons, and she knelt down to ask a favor. Jesus said to her, “What do you want?” And she answered, “Here you have my two sons. Grant that they may sit, one at your right and one at your left, when you are in your kingdom.” Jesus said to the brothers, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They answered, “We can.” Jesus replied, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right or at my left is not for me to grant. That will be for those for whom the Father has prepared it.” The other ten heard all this and were angry with the two brothers. Then Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations act as tyrants, and the powerful oppress them. It shall not be so among you; whoever wants to be more important in your group shall make himself your servant. And if you want to be first, make yourself the servant of all. Be like the Son of Man who has come, not to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many.”

esus questioned James and John about what they thought of their future sufferings. He warned them that oftentimes suffering is a bitter cup that is to be drunk, but that it is not necessarily the cup of tyrants. It is a bitter draught, but, in the overall scheme of things, it is soon emptied. Suffering for Christ is a sign, by which we are joined to Him in covenant and communion. The disciples didn’t understand what Jesus’ sufferings would hold for themselves. It’s always the way: those who are commonly most confident of enduring suffering are usually the least ready for it. But, the person, who labors most diligently and suffers most patiently, most resembles Christ. The suffering and death of Jesus was a sacrifice for the sins of humankind. It was a ransom for many and enough for all. And so, being a sacrifice for many, then our fearful, trembling soul does well to know that it was a sacrifice, fulfilled for us!

1st Reading: Jer 17:5–10 This is what Yahweh says, “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings and depends on a mortal for his life, while his heart is drawn away from Yahweh! He is like a bunch of thistles in dry land, in parched desert places, in a salt land where no one lives and who never finds happiness. Blessed is the man who puts his trust in Yahweh and whose confidence is in him! He is like a tree planted by the water, sending out its roots towards the stream. He has no fear when the heat comes, his leaves are always green; the year of drought is no problem and he can always bear fruit. Most deceitful is the heart. What is there within man, who can understand him? I, Yahweh, search the heart and penetrate the mind. I reward each one according to his ways and the fruit of his deeds.

thursday

March

2nd Week of Lent Psalter: Week 2

Ps 1:1–2, 3, 4 and 6 Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Gospel: Lk 16:19–31* Jesus said to his disciples, “Once there was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted every day. At his gate lay Lazarus, a poor man covered with sores, who longed to eat just the scraps falling from the rich man’s table. Even dogs used to come and lick his sores. It happened that the poor man died and angels carried him to take his place with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. From hell where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham afar off, and with him Lazarus at rest. He called out: ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus with the tip of his finger dipped in water to cool my tongue, for I suffer so much in this fire.’ … The rich man implored once more: ‘Then I beg you, Father Abraham, to send Lazarus to my father’s house where my five brothers live. Let him warn them so that they may not end up in this place of torment.’ Abraham replied: ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ But the rich man said: ‘No, Father Abraham. But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Abraham said: ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the grave.’”

esus’ words seem to challenge the very core of our existence as citizens of this nation and the world. What was the sin of the rich man? What did he do that put him in the torment of hell after he died? The point of the parable was that he did nothing wrong. He simply did nothing! His sin was one that is especially dangerous to those of us who are religiously observant, but fail to act when we see others in need. When we come together, individually and collectively, to help our fellows in time of need, we are aware of our Christian duty. But, what happens when the crisis is over? What does it take to get us to act daily on behalf of the poor, not only to take notice of them at times of crisis? How is it that we can open our hearts and urge massive government intervention in the face of national crisis, yet we can allow millions of people to suffer poverty on a long term basis? Why do we so rarely make a public outcry against poverty, one that is consistent or intense enough to do anything serious about it?

13 March friday

2nd Week of Lent Psalter: Week 2

Ps 105:16–17, 18–19, 20–21 Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

1st Reading: Gen 37:3–4, 12–13a, 17b–28a* Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other children, for he was the son of his old age and he had a coat with long sleeves made for him. His brothers who saw that their father loved him more than he loved them, hated him and could no longer speak to him in a friendly way. His brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flock at Shechem, and Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the flock at Shechem; come along, I’ll send you to them.” … They saw Joseph in the distance and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. They said to one another, “Here comes the specialist in dreams! Now’s the time! Let’s kill him and throw him into a well. We’ll say a wild animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what his dreams were all about!” But Reuben heard this and tried to save him from their hands saying, “Let us not kill him; shed no blood! Throw him in this well in the wilderness, but do him no violence.” This he said to save him from them and take him back to his father. Gospel: Mt 21:33–43, 45–46* Jesus said to the chief priests and elders, “Listen to another example: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. … When harvest time came, the landowner sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the harvest. But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another and stoned another. … “Finally, he sent his son, thinking: ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they thought: ‘This is the one who is to inherit the vineyard. Let us kill him and his inheritance will be ours.’ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “Now, what will the owner of the vineyard do with the tenants when he comes?” They said to him, “He will bring those evil men to an evil end, and lease the vineyard to others who will pay him in due time.” And Jesus replied, “Have you never read what the Scriptures say? The stone which the builders rejected has become the keystone. This was the Lord’s doing; and we marvel at it. Therefore I say to you: the kingdom of heaven will be taken from you and given to a people who will yield a harvest.” …

hat Jesus was saying should also be a cautionary tale to anyone, today, who makes a habit of enjoying the privileges that go with the physical Church. Let us ask ourselves whether we, as a people, who own the vineyard and all of its advantages, do we grow fruits in due season? Jesus shows us a different way to be. Our thinking and talking and worship of Jesus cannot take place in individualistic isolation. Rather, it takes place within the context of the Church, past and present, and in the public sphere of the same kind of greedy world, into which Jesus plunged. We believe that God, in utter humility, became human for us at a particular place and time in firstcentury Palestine. He came and spoke to us and included us all in His family. First century folk looked at Jesus’ followers and knew they had been with Jesus. May it be so with us!

1st Reading: Mic 7:14–15, 18–20 Shepherd your people with your staff, shepherd the flock of your inheritance that dwells alone in the scrub, in the midst of a fertile land. Show us your wonders. Who is a god like you, who takes away guilt and pardons crime for the remnant of his inheritance? Who is like you whose anger does not last? For you delight in merciful forgiveness. Once again you will show us your loving kindness and trample on our wrongs, casting all our sins into the depths of the sea. Show faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, as you have sworn to our ancestors from the days of old.

saturday

March

2nd Week of Lent Psalter: Week 2

Ps 103:1–2, 3–4, 9–10, 11–12 The Lord is kind and merciful.

Gospel: Lk 15:1–3, 11–32* Tax collectors and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what he had to say. But the Pharisees and the scribes frowned at this, muttering, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So Jesus told them this parable: “There was a man with two sons. The younger said to his father: ‘Give me my share of the estate.’ So the father divided his property between them. Some days later, the younger son gathered all his belongings and started off for a distant land where he squandered his wealth in loose living. Having spent everything, he was hard pressed when a severe famine broke out in that land. Finally, he said: ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will go back to my father.’ He set off for his father’s house. His father was so deeply moved with compassion that he ran out to meet him. The son said: ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But the father turned to his servants: ‘Quick! Bring out the finest robe and put it on him. Take the fattened calf and kill it. We shall celebrate and have a feast. Meanwhile, the elder son had been working in the fields. … The servant said: ‘Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father is so happy about it that he has ordered this celebration and killed the fattened calf.’ The elder son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and pleaded with him. …

he most loved parable in the Gospel is The Prodigal Son. We identify with its characters: an ungrateful son who wants to go it alone, an older brother quick to judge others but slow to recognize his own failings, and a forbearing father, eager for his son’s return. Each of us can apply it to our own selves: I received an inheritance, but I thought it was my own and I blew it on things that would make me happy, make other people like me, but it didn’t work. Sad, lonely, cold, hungry I finally wake up. I realize the only place I will find warmth and food is back in my father’s house. So I swallow my pride and decide to go back. The elder brother had convinced himself not only that he was right, but that he had always done right. Just for a moment, smile at his ridiculous pride, his self-justification which was really pathetic. Simply put your hand in the hand of the younger brother and walk through the door. Jesus has stretched his hand out to you at this very moment.

1st Reading: Ex 20:1–17 God spoke all these words. He said, “I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Do not have other gods before me. Do not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven, or on the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God; for the sin of the fathers, when they rebel against me, I punish the sons, the grandsons and the great-grandsons; but I show steadfast love until the thousandth generation for those who love me and keep my commandments. Do not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain for Yahweh will not leave unpunished anyone who takes his name in vain. Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. For six days you will labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath for Yahweh your God. Do not work that day, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter nor your servants, men or women, nor your animals, nor the stranger who is staying with you. For in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day he rested; that is why Yahweh has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. Honor your father and your mother that you may have a long life in the land that Yahweh has given you. Do not kill. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not give false witness against your neighbor. Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his servant, man or woman, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is his.”

Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11 Lord, you have the words of everlasting life. 2nd Reading: 1 Cor 1:22–25 The Jews ask for miracles and the Greeks for a higher knowledge, while we proclaim a crucified Messiah. For the Jews, what a great scandal! And for the Greeks, what nonsense! But he is Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God for those called by God among both Jews and Greeks. In reality, the “foolishness” of God is wiser than humans, and the “weakness” of God is stronger than humans.

Gospel: Jn 2:13–25 As the Passover of the Jews was at hand, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the Temple court he found merchants selling oxen, sheep and doves, and money-changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the Temple court, together with the oxen and sheep. He knocked over the tables of the money-changers, scattering the coins, and ordered the people selling doves, “Take all this away and stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” His disciples recalled the words of Scripture: Zeal for your House devours me as a fire. The Jews then questioned Jesus, “Where are the miraculous signs which give you the right to do this?” And Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then replied, “The building of this temple has already taken forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” Actually, Jesus was referring to the temple of his body. Only when he had risen from the dead did his disciples remember these words; then they believed both the Scripture and the words Jesus had spoken. Jesus stayed in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival and many believed in his Name when they saw the miraculous signs he performed. But Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew all of them. He had no need of evidence about anyone for he himself knew what there was in each one.

sunday

March

3rd Sunday of Lent Psalter: Week 3

xen, sheep and doves were for sale in the Temple precincts because animal sacrifice was performed there. Money changers were present because the law prohibited currency that bore the image of the emperor to be used within the Temple. This begs the question: “What was the cause of Jesus’ rampage?” The answer goes to the very heart of the Lord’s mission on earth and His identity as the Son of God. Jesus comes to usher in a New Covenant, com plete with a new way of life and a new way of worshipping God. The sacrifice of animals would be replaced by a new and perfect sacrifice, the sacrifice of the Lord Himself, the Lamb of God. The temple fashioned by men for the glory of God would be replaced by a new Temple with the stone rejected by the builders serving as the cornerstone, Jesus’ dramatic actions at the Temple in Jerusalem serve as his boldest public declaration thus far of the truth that would be uttered at Calvary by the Roman soldier, “Truly, this man was the Son of God.”

16 March monday

3rd Week of Lent Psalter: Week 3

Ps 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4 Athirst is my soul for the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God?

1st Reading: 2 K 5:1–15b* …One day some Aramean soldiers raided the land of Israel and took a young girl captive who became a servant to the wife of Naaman. She said to her mistress, “If my master would only present himself to the prophet in Samaria, he would surely cure him of his leprosy.” Naaman went to tell the king what the young Israelite maidservant had said. The king of Aram said to him, “Go to the prophet, and I shall also send a letter to the king of Israel.” … So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and stopped before the house of Elisha. Elisha then sent a messenger to tell him, “Go to the river Jordan and wash seven times, and your flesh shall be as it was before, and you shall be cleansed.” … So Naaman went down to the Jordan where he washed himself seven times as Elisha had ordered. His skin became soft like that of a child and he was cleansed. Then Naaman returned to the man of God with all his men. He entered and said to him, “Now I know that there is no other God anywhere in the world but in Israel. …” Gospel: Lk 4:24–30 Jesus added, “No prophet is honored in his own country. Truly, I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens withheld rain for three years and six months and a great famine came over the whole land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow of Zarephath, in the country of Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha, the prophet, and no one was healed except Naaman, the Syrian.” On hearing these words, the whole assembly became indignant. They rose up and brought him out of the town, to the edge of the hill on which Nazareth is built, intending to throw him down the cliff. But he passed through their midst and went his way.

“N

o prophet is honored in his own country.” This happened to Jesus when he passed Nazareth. The people even threatened to throw Jesus down the cliff. There are two possible reasons why the people of Nazareth rejected Jesus, considering that He even grew up there: First, the people are overcome by their pride. Just imagine how could a son of a carpenter can teach and preach these words to them. Second, they are so self-centered and their selfishness does not agree that God’s blessings and gifts should share with others. So Jesus reminded them that God’s benefits are for everyone to share and to receive. Thus Jesus summons us to overcome our pride and not our pride to overcome us. If we are humble enough to welcome His words in our hearts, it will be easy for us to let Jesus enter our lives. At the same time if we have Jesus in our lives, we become generous to share Him to others who are most in need of His love.

1st Reading: Dn 3:25, 34–43* Azariah stood up in the midst of the fire and prayed aloud: Do not abandon us forever, do not reject your covenant for your Name’s sake. … Lord, see, we have become the least among the nations in all the world, and we are humiliated because of our sins. … But at least when we present ourselves with a contrite soul and humbled spirit may we then be acceptable to you, … May this sacrifice of ours today obtain for us your favor for we know that those who trust in you shall never be disappointed. And now, we serve you with our whole heart, we fear you and we seek your face. Do not leave us in our humiliation, but treat us according to your kindness and your great mercy. …

tuesday

March

3rd Week of Lent Patrick Psalter: Week 3

Ps 25:4–5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8–9 Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Gospel: Mt 18:21–35* Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times must I forgive the offenses of my brother or sister? Seven times?” Jesus answered, “No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. … “A king decided to settle the accounts of his servants. Among the first was one who owed him ten thousand gold ingots. As the man could not repay the debt, the king commanded that he be sold as a slave. … “The official threw himself at the feet of the king and said, ‘Give me time, and I will pay you back everything.’ The king took pity on him and not only set him free but even canceled his debt. This official then left the king’s presence and he met one of his companions who owed him a hundred pieces of silver. … ‘Pay me what you owe!’ His companion threw himself at his feet and asked him, ‘Give me time, and I will pay everything.’ The other did not agree, but sent him to prison until he had paid all his debt. “His companions saw what happened. … so they went and reported everything to their lord. Then the lord summoned his official and said, ‘Wicked servant, I forgave you all that you owed when you begged me to do so. Weren’t you bound to have pity on your companion as I had pity on you?’ The lord was now angry, so he handed his servant over to be punished, until he had paid his whole debt.” Jesus added, “So will my heavenly Father.”

lthough we live wholly on mercy and forgiveness, we can be backward in forgiving the offences of our fellows. Just look at the three components of the parable: the master’s wonderful clemency, the servant’s unreasonableness toward his fellow-servant, notwithstanding his master’s clemency toward him, and the master’s resulting punishment of his servant’s cruelty. The parable shows the false conclusions that some people draw about their sins being pardoned, even though their unforgiving conduct towards others shows that they never entered into the proper spirit of forgiveness. We don’t really forgive our offending brother, if we don’t forgive from our heart. Yet this is not enough; we must seek the welfare of those who offend us. The humbled sinner relies on God’s free, abounding forgiveness. We all seek the renewing grace of God; so let’s allow Him to teach us to forgive others, as He forgives us.

18 March

wednesday

3rd Week of Lent Cyril of Jerusalem Psalter: Week 3

Ps 147:12–13, 15–16, 19–20 Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

1st Reading: Dt 4:1, 5–9 Moses said to the people, “And now, Israel, listen to the norms and laws which I teach that you may put them into practice. And you will live and enter and take possession of the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, gives you. See, as Yahweh, my God, ordered me, I am teaching you the norms and the laws that you may put them into practice in the land you are going to enter and have as your own. If you observe and practice them, other peoples will regard you as wise and intelligent. When they come to know of all these laws, they will say, “There is no people as wise and as intelligent as this great nation.” For in truth, is there a nation as great as ours, whose gods are as near to it as Yahweh, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? And is there a nation as great as ours whose norms and laws are as just as this Law which I give you today? But be careful and be on your guard. Do not forget these things which your own eyes have seen nor let them depart from your heart as long as you live. But on the contrary, teach them to your children and to your children’s children. Gospel: Mt 5:17–19 Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not think that I have come to remove the Law and the Prophets. I have not come to remove but to fulfill them. I tell you this: as long as heaven and earth last, not the smallest letter or stroke of the Law will change until all is fulfilled. “So then, whoever breaks the least important of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be the least in the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys them and teaches others to do the same will be great in the kingdom of heaven.”

esus didn’t intend that there be a contrast between what the Law of Moses said with anything he said or taught. He fulfilled the Law by being the ultimate sacrifice. He took no issue with the Law of Moses; but, he did take issue with those falsehoods that the people were hearing from the religious teachers of the day. The scribes and Pharisees were quoting from the Law of Moses, but not following it in their doctrine or practices. Jesus swept all human invention aside and gave his people the words and works of his compassion. Jesus’ fulfillment of the Law does not give us license to sin or to ignore the Old Testament. Our spirit naturally wants to follow God’s law, but our flesh is still weak and open to temptation. The Old Testament Law leads us to Christ and helps us discern the truth. It means that we ought to be certain that the basis of our spiritual practice is the actual word of God and not just someone’s interpretation of it. We should reflect upon the word of God for ourselves and refuse to let any secular group dictate what we are to believe, teach or practice.

1st Reading: 2 S 7:4–5a, 12–14a, 16 But that very night, Yahweh’s word came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, this is what Yahweh says: Are you able to build a house for me to live in? When the time comes for you to rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your son after you, the one born of you and I will make his reign secure. He shall build a house for my name and I will firmly establish his kingship forever. I will be a father to him and he shall be my son. If he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod, as men do. Your house and your reign shall last forever before me, and your throne shall be forever firm.”

thursday

March

Joseph, Husband of Mary Psalter: Proper

Ps 89:2–3, 4–5, 27 and 29 The son of David will live for ever.

2nd Reading: Rom 4:13, 16–18, 22 Gospel: Mt 1:16, 18–21, 24a (or Lk 2:41–51a) Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus who is called the Christ—the Messiah. This is how Jesus Christ was born. Mary his mother had been given to Joseph in marriage but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her. While he was pondering over this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a son. You shall call him ‘Jesus’ for he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do and he took his wife to his home.

f all the men in the world throughout history, a simple village carpenter named Joseph was the one chosen to help raise Jesus to adulthood. Into his faithful, loving care was entrusted the childhood and youth of the Savior of the world. Not much more is actually known about the life of Joseph. But, we are sure that he must have been a good and honorable man to be so favored by God. After Mary, no one has ever been so blessed with spiritual gifts as was Joseph. In purity of heart, in chastity of life, in humility, patience, fortitude, gentleness and manliness of character, he is the perfect model of the true Christian. A model for fathers, Saint Joseph is invoked as a protector of the family. A carpenter by trade, he has been declared the patron saint of all working people, of craftsmen and of the poor. His is the model of a perfect Christian. His patronage also extends over the Christian family, the Christian school, and all individuals who, in their need, appeal to Christ’s charity and powerful intercession, especially at the hour of death. In the Catholic tradition, Joseph is the patron saint of workers.

20 March friday

3rd Week of Lent Psalter: Week 3

Ps 81:6c–8a, 8bc–9, 10–11ab, 14 and 17 I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.

1st Reading: Hos 14:2–10 Return to your God Yahweh, O Israel! Your sins have caused your downfall. Return to Yahweh with humble words. Say to him, “Oh you who show compassion to the fatherless forgive our debt, be appeased. Instead of bulls and sacrifices, accept the praise from our lips. Assyria will not save us: no longer shall we look for horses nor ever again shall we say ‘Our gods’ to the work of our hands.” I will heal their wavering and love them with all my heart for my anger has turned from them. I shall be like dew to Israel like the lily will he blossom. Like a cedar he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow and spread. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance, like a Lebanon cedar. They will dwell in my shade again, they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like a vine, and their fame will be like Lebanon wine. What would Ephraim do with idols, when it is I who hear and make him prosper? I am like an ever-green cypress tree; all your fruitfulness comes from me. Who is wise enough to grasp all this? Who is discerning and will understand? Straight are the ways of Yahweh: the just walk in them, but the sinners stumble. Gospel: Mk 12:28–34 One of the teachers of the Law came up to Jesus and asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is: Hear, Israel! The Lord, our God, is One Lord; and you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And after this comes another one: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these two.” The teacher of the Law said to him, “Well spoken, Master; you are right when you say that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all our heart, with all our understanding and with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves is more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.” Jesus approved this answer and said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

esus told the scribe that the great commandment, which indeed includes everybody, is that of loving God with all our heart. Loving God with all our heart leads us to do everything else He has instructed us to do: particularly, loving our neighbor as ourselves! Is our neighbor more than the guy next door? Could he or she be someone in our community or almost anyone we meet? Could our enemies also be our neighbors? Jesus says that that is exactly what he meant. But how can we love someone who actually hates us? When we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, we grow to recognize that everyone is part of His creation. For us, that is where faith comes in. It is not for us to decide who is following Christ and who is not. We are called to be witnesses to Him and, in order to fulfill that calling, we must love others enough to want their salvation, just as much as Christ does. But, here’s some good news for those who find this teaching difficult: nowhere does it say that we actually have to like our neighbor!

1st Reading: Hos 6:1–6 Come, let us return to Yahweh. He who shattered us to pieces, will heal us as well; he has struck us down, but he will bind up our wounds. Two days later he will bring us back to life; on the third day, he will raise us up, and we shall live in his presence. Let us strive to know Yahweh. His coming is as certain as the dawn; his judgment will burst forth like the light; he will come to us as showers come, like spring rain that waters the earth. O Ephraim, what shall I do with you? O Judah, how shall I deal with you? This love of yours is like morning mist, like morning dew that quickly disappears. This is why I smote you through the prophets, and have slain you by the words of my mouth. For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice; it is knowledge of God, not burnt offerings.

saturday

March

3rd Week of Lent Psalter: Week 3

Ps 51:3–4, 18–19, 20–21ab It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.

Gospel: Lk 18:9–14 Jesus told another parable to some persons fully convinced of their own righteousness, who looked down on others, “Two men went up to the Temple to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and said: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people, grasping, crooked, adulterous, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give the tenth of all my income to the Temple.’ “In the meantime the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast saying: ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’ “I tell you, when this man went down to his house, he had been set right with God, but not the other. For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised.”

s in so many stories of Jesus, this parable culminates in a reversal: the respectable believer… competent and accomplished…was rejected, whereas the sinner…disreputable, inadequate, and incompetent…went home justified before God. Contempt for others lurks in the human heart, bubbling up all too easily and frequently. We imagine that in dumping on others we validate ourselves. The flip side of condescension toward others is self-justification. In thanking God that he was “not like other people”, the Pharisee’s religious narcissism was a form of spiritual selfjustification. There are so many ways for us to try and justify ourselves before God, before others, and even ourselves. To live without self-justification might make us feel vulnerable and naked; but, it is also extraordinarily liberating. As soon as we accept that we’re accepted by God, we never need to prove ourselves to anyone, for any reason. To get to that place, Jesus says we need only seven words, those mumbled by the tax collector as he stood at a distance and stared at the ground: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” The moment we breathe those words and cast our unadorned selves upon God, we experience His love without conditions or limits.

1st Reading: 2 Chr 36:14–16, 19–23 All the heads of the priesthood, and the people, too, were exceedingly unfaithful, following the disgusting example of the nations around them, and so they defiled the house which Yahweh himself had made holy. Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, continued to send prophets to warn his people, since he had compassion on them and on his dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, ignored his words, and laughed at his prophets, until at last the anger of Yahweh rose so high against his people that there was no further remedy. They burned down the house of God, broke down the walls of Jerusalem, set fire to all its palaces, and destroyed everything of value in it. The survivors were deported by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon; they were to serve him and his descendants as slaves until the kingdom of Persia came to power. This is how the work of Yahweh was fulfilled that he spoke through Jeremiah, “The land will lie desolate for seventy years, to make up for its Sabbath rests that have not been observed.” And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill what he had said through the prophet Jeremiah, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to issue the following command and send it out in writing to be read aloud everywhere in his kingdom: “Thus speaks Cyrus king of Persia: Yahweh, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has ordered me to build him a house in Jerusalem, in Judah. Now, all of you who belong to his people, go there and may Yahweh your God be with you.” 2nd Reading: Eph 2:4–10 God, who is rich in mercy, revealed his immense love. As we were dead through our sins, he gave us life with Christ. By grace you have been saved! And he raised us to life with Christ, giving us a place with him in heaven. In showing us such kindness in Christ Jesus, God willed to reveal and unfold in the coming ages the extraordinary riches of his grace. By the grace of God you have been saved through faith. This has not come from you: it is God’s gift. This was not the result of your works, so you are not

Ps 137:1–2, 3, 4–5, 6ab Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you! to feel proud. What we are is God’s work. He has created us in Christ Jesus for the good works he has prepared that we should devote ourselves to them. Gospel: Jn 3:14–21 Jesus said to Nicodemus, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world; instead, through him the world is to be saved. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned. He who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the

sunday

March

Name of the only Son of God. “This is how the Judgment is made: Light has come into the world and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For whoever does wrong hates the light and doesn’t come to the light for fear that his deeds will be shown as evil. But whoever lives according to the truth comes into the light so that it can be clearly seen that his works have been done in God.”

4th Sunday of Lent Psalter: Week 4

he season of Lent is a time to recall our identity as sons and daughters of God, made “bearers of the light” by our baptism into Christ Jesus. The candle given to the newly baptized is a rich symbol of the mission of every Christian: to bring the light of Christ into a world that knows far too much darkness. The baptized Christian shares in the mission of Jesus Christ to bring light where there is darkness, hope where there is despair, truth where there is confusion, love where there is hate. St. John begins his Gospel by speaking of the light so powerful that the darkness could not overcome it. This is the light that we are privileged to bear, the light that our world longs to see. May we be faithful to our baptismal promises and be good stewards of the light that has been entrusted to us.

23 March monday

4th Week of Lent Toribio de Mogrovejo Psalter: Week 4

Ps 30:2 and 4, 5–6, 11–12a and 13b I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

1st Reading: Is 65:17–21* I now create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind again. Be glad forever and rejoice in what I create; for I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people. The sound of distress and the voice of weeping will not be heard in it any more. You will no longer know of dead children or of adults who do not live out a lifetime. One who reaches a hundred years will have died a mere youth, but one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant crops and eat their fruit. Gospel: Jn 4:43–54 In those days Jesus left Samaria for Galilee. Jesus himself said that no prophet is recognized in his own country. Yet the Galileans welcomed him when he arrived, because of all the things he had done in Jerusalem during the Festival and which they had seen. For they, too, had gone to the feast. Jesus went back to Cana of Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. At Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill, and when he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and asked him to come and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus said, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe!” The official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” And Jesus replied, “Go, your son is living.” The man had faith in the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. He was already going down the hilly road when his servants met him with this news, “Your son has recovered!” So he asked them at what hour the child had begun to recover and they said to him, “The fever left him yesterday in the afternoon about one o’clock.” And the father realized that it was the time when Jesus told him, “Your son is living.” And he became a believer, he and all his family. Jesus performed this second miraculous sign when he returned from Judea to Galilee.

eeing as the basis for believing is the way we humans function, the way we operate. We have a difficult time believing in something when we don’t see or experience it for ourselves. The Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, wrote very poignantly about this kind of unbelief when he watched a child hanged and the child wouldn’t die, because he was too light. Wiesel wrote: For more than half an hour he stayed there, struggling between life and death, dying in slow agony under our eyes. And we had to look him full in the face. He was still alive when I passed in front of him. His tongue was still red; his eyes were not yet glazed. Behind me, I heard the same man asking: “Where is God now?” And I heard a voice within me answer him: “Where is He? Here He is…He is hanging here on these gallows.” Faith is that blessing we have when, despite everything the world throws at us, our faith persists; when we believe in Christ’s resurrection, without having ever seen His risen body. To have hope in what seems like a hopeless world and to believe it, this is a blessing in itself.

tuesday 1st Reading: Ezk 47:1–9, 12* The man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple and I saw water coming out from the threshold of the Temple 4th Week of Lent and flowing eastwards. … He then brought me out through Psalter: Week 4 the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing the east and there I saw the stream coming from Ps 46:2–3, 5–6, 8–9 the south side. The man had a measuring cord in his hand. As The Lord of hosts is with us; he went towards the east he measured off a thousand cubits our stronghold is the God of Jacob. and led me across the water which was up to my ankles. … He measured off another thousand cubits and we crossed the water which was up to my waist. When he had again measured a thousand cubits, I could not cross the torrent for it had swollen to a depth which was impossible to cross without swimming. The man then said to me, “Son of man, did you see?” He led me on further and then brought me back to the bank of the river. “This water goes to the east, down to the Arabah, and when it flows into the sea of foul-smelling water, the water will become wholesome. Wherever the river flows, swarms of creatures will live in it. … Wherever it flows, life will abound. …

March

Gospel: Jn 5:1–16* … There is a pool (called Bethzatha in Hebrew) surrounded by five galleries. In these galleries lay a multitude of sick people—blind, lame and paralyzed. There was a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. Jesus saw him, and since he knew how long this man had been lying there, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” And the sick man answered, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed; so while I am still on my way, another steps down before me.” Jesus then said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his mat and walked. Now that day happened to be the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had just been healed, “It is the Sabbath and the Law doesn’t allow you to carry your mat.” He answered them, “The one who healed me said to me: Take up your mat and walk.” They asked him, “Who is the one who said to you: Take up your mat and walk?” But the sick man had no idea who it was who had cured him, for Jesus had slipped away among the crowd that filled the place. …

any of us become impatient, whenever we fall sick, even though we know that soon we shall recover, if we simply attend to our medical condition properly. This man, lying by the pool, had lost the use of his limbs thirty-eight years before. Christ singled this man out from the rest. Those, who have been ill or disabled for a long time long, may be comforted by the fact that God does, indeed, keep account of just how long they have suffered. When God heals our spiritual diseases, we should take up whatever He lays upon us and walk before Him. And just as we should be thankful, so we should be patient!

25 March

wednesday

Annunciation Psalter: Proper

Ps 40:7–8a, 8b–9, 10, 11 Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.

1st Reading: Is 7:10–14; 8:10 Once again Yahweh addressed Ahaz, “Ask for a sign from Yahweh your God, let it come either from the deepest depths or from the heights of heaven.” But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask, I will not put Yahweh to the test.” Then Isaiah said, “Now listen, descendants of David. Have you not been satisfied trying the patience of people, that you also try the patience of my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The Virgin is with child and bears a son and calls his name Immanuel. 2nd Reading: Heb 10:4–10 Gospel: Lk 1:26–38 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth. He was sent to a young virgin who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the family of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean. But the angel said, “Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you. You shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call him Jesus.” He will be great and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the kingdom of David, his ancestor; he will rule over the people of Jacob forever and his reign shall have no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be if I am a virgin?” And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the holy child to be born shall be called Son of God. Even your relative Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child, and she is now in her sixth month. With God nothing is impossible.” Then Mary said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.

he annunciation story is a story of singular beauty and wonder. Mary was a poor peasant girl, in a no-place village, she would have been illiterate, her knowledge of the scriptures limited to what she had heard in the synagogue and committed to memory in her home. But, Mary was the only woman out of all the billions ever to live on our planet who was chosen to carry and nurse God’s son. For that reason alone, we call her blessed! This is a truly remarkable picture. Young and inexperienced as she was, Mary was reflective and meditative. She knew the spiritual power of contemplation. She stood atop the mount of grace and meditated upon what this meant for her, and what it would require from her. In our frenetic, non-contemplative age, Mary’s example has special relevance: only those who take the time to contemplate upon the word of God will experience the birth of Christ in their lives. We must, therefore, all agree that Mary is the most blessed of women, and that “Blessed Virgin Mary” is a fitting designation for her in the life of our Church.

1st Reading: Ex 32:7–14* Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them and have made for themselves a molten calf; they have bowed down before it and sacrificed to it and said: ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.’” And Yahweh said to Moses, “I see that these people are a stiff-necked people. Now just leave me that my anger may blaze against them. I will destroy them, but of you I will make a great nation.” But Moses calmed the anger of Yahweh, his God, and said, “Why, O Yahweh, should your anger burst against your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with a mighty hand? Let not the Egyptians say: ‘Yahweh brought them out with evil intent, for he wanted to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth.’ … Yahweh then changed his mind and would not harm his people.

thursday

March

4th Week of Lent Psalter: Week 4

Ps 106:19–20, 21–22, 23 Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

Gospel: Jn 5:31–47* Jesus said to the Jews, “If I bore witness to myself, my testimony would be worthless. But Another One is bearing witness to me and I know that his testimony is true when he bears witness to me. … “John was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were willing to enjoy his light. But I have greater evidence than that of John—the works which the Father entrusted to me to carry out. The very works I do bear witness: the Father has sent me. Thus he who bears witness to me is the Father who sent me. As long as you do not believe his messenger, his word is not in you. “You search in the Scriptures thinking that in them you will find life; yet Scripture bears witness to me. But you refuse to come to me, that you may live. I am not seeking human praise; but I have known that love of God is not within you, for I have come in my Father’s name and you do not accept me. If another comes in his own name, you will accept him. As long as you seek praise from one another instead of seeking the glory coming from the only God, how can you believe? …

esus was only ever saddened by unbelief and wickedness, neglect of him and his doctrine. Those, who slighted and undervalued him, did so because they admired and overvalued themselves. Jesus reproved their lack of love for God. But for us poor souls, there is life in the love of God. Many, who make a great profession of religion, show that they are lacking in love for God by their neglect and contempt of His commandments. How can anyone say they believe in God, when they make the praise and applause of the world their idol? It is only when we display pure love and compassion that we are worthy of being called Christians. It is our love for God, that living, active love in our hearts, which is our life.

27 March friday

4th Week of Lent Psalter: Week 4

Ps 34:17–18, 19–20, 21 and 23 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

1st Reading: Wis 2:1a, 12–22* Led by mistaken reasons they think, “Life is short and sad and there is no cure for death. It was never heard that anyone came back from the netherworld. Let us set a trap for the righteous, for he annoys us and opposes our way of life; he reproaches us for our breaches of the Law and accuses us of being false to our upbringing. He claims knowledge of God and calls himself son of the Lord. He has become a reproach to our way of thinking; even to meet him is burdensome to us. He does not live like others and behaves strangely. According to him we have low standards, so he keeps aloof from us as if we were unclean. He emphasizes the happy end of the righteous and boasts of having God as father. Let us see the truth of what he says and find out what his end will be. If the righteous is a son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from his adversaries. Let us humble and torture him to prove his self-control and test his patience. When we have condemned him to a shameful death, we may test his words.” … Gospel: Jn 7:1–2, 10, 25–30 Jesus went around Galilee; he would not go about in Judea because the Jews wanted to kill him. Now the Jewish feast of the Tents was at hand. But after his brothers had gone to the festival, he also went up, not publicly but in secret. Some of the people of Jerusalem said, “Is this not the man they want to kill? And here he is speaking freely, and they don’t say a word to him? Can it be that the rulers know that this is really the Christ? Yet we know where this man comes from; but when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” So Jesus announced in a loud voice in the Temple court where he was teaching, “You say that you know me and know where I come from! I have not come of myself; I was sent by the One who is true, and you don’t know him. I know him for I come from him and he sent me.” They would have arrested him, but no one laid hands on him because his time had not yet come.

he leaders of the temple were disgusted when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages to come from Jesus. Jesus proclaimed aloud that they were in error in their thoughts about his origin. He was sent by God; and his declaration that they did not know God, plus his claim to peculiar knowledge, infuriated them. The ordinary people differed about his doctrine and miracles, while those who favored him dared not speak out openly in admiration of him. While ungodly people sometimes undertake to counsel those, employed in the work of God, they only ever advise what appears likely to promote advantages for them. Those, who hate the truth, will be given up to errors that are fatal. Amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any persons seek to do the will of God, they shall know whether the doctrine is of God, or whether it is evil. We simply must not judge others by their outward appearance, but by their worth and by the gifts and graces of God’s Spirit in them.

1st Reading: Jer 11:18–20 Yahweh made it known to me and so I know! And you let me see their scheming: “Take care, even your kinsfolk and your own family are false with you and behind your back they freely criticize you. Do not trust them when they approach you in a friendly way.” But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me that they were plotting, “Let us feed him with trials and remove him from the land of the living and let his name never be mentioned again.” Yahweh, God of hosts, you who judge with justice and know everyone’s heart and intentions, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause.

saturday

March

4th Week of Lent Psalter: Week 4

Ps 7:2–3, 9bc–10, 11–12 O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.

Gospel: Jn 7:40–53 Many who had been listening to these words began to say, “This is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some wondered, “Would the Christ come from Galilee? Doesn’t Scripture say that the Christ is a descendant of David and from Bethlehem, the city of David?” The crowd was divided over him. Some wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. The officers of the Temple went back to the chief priests who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man.” The Pharisees then said, “So you, too, have been led astray! Have any of the rulers or any of the Pharisees believed in him? Only these cursed people, who have no knowledge of the Law!” Yet one of them, Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier, spoke out, “Does our law condemn people without first hearing them and knowing the facts?” They replied, “Do you, too, come from Galilee? Look it up and see for yourself that no prophet is to come from Galilee.” And they all went home.

hy did the Pharisees claim that no prophet ever came from Galilee, when they knew that the prophet Jonah came from there? Galilee received little respect from the rest of Palestine. It was the farthest province from Jerusalem and the most culturally backward. Galileans were portrayed as bumpkins, fodder for ethnic jokes. Galileans pronounced Hebrew so crudely that they were not called on to read the Torah in other synagogues. Jesus spoke Aramaic in the Galilean dialect, no doubt encouraging scepticism about him: “Would the Christ come from Galilee?” So, does it mean anything for us that Jesus came from a small, rural village in Galilee? Having spent his early life there, Jesus understood rejection, poverty, even the pain of oppression. At the time of Jesus, Galilee was treated with contempt; in Galilee, there was anguish and gloom. But, God changed Galilee into a place of glory, a place of honor, the place of Christ’s birth. So, no matter what our past or where we come from, God will bestow upon us the same miracle He bestowed upon Galilee…but only if we turn from sin and turn to Him!

1st Reading: Jer 31:31–34 The time is coming—it is Yahweh who speaks—when I will forge a new covenant with the people of Israel and the people of Judah. It will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. For they broke my covenant although I was their Lord. This is the covenant I shall make with Israel after that time: I will put my Law within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their God and they will be my people. And they will not have to teach each other, neighbor or brother, saying: ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the greatest to the lowliest, for I will forgive their wrongdoing and no longer remember their sin.

Ps 51:3–4, 12a–13, 14–15 Create a clean heart in me, O God. 2nd Reading: Heb 5:7–9 Christ, in the days of his mortal life, offered his sacrifice with tears and cries. He prayed to him who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his humble submission. Although he was Son, he learned through suffering what obedience was, and once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for those who obey him.

sunday

Gospel: Jn 12:20–33 There were some Greeks who had come up to Jerusalem to worship during the feast. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida 5th Sunday of Lent in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Psalter: Week 1 Jesus.” Philip went to Andrew and the two of them told Jesus. Then Jesus said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. “Those who love their life destroy it, and those who despise their life in this world keep it for everlasting life. “Whoever wants to serve me, let him follow me and wherever I am, there shall my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. “Now my soul is in distress. Shall I say: ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But, I have come to this hour to face all this. Father, glorify your Name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and I will glorify it again.” People standing there heard something and said it was thunder; but others said, “An angel was speaking to him.” Then Jesus declared, “This voice did not come for my sake but for yours; now sentence is being passed on this world; now the he Lenten scripture readings in last two ruler of this world is to be cast down. And when weeks of the season draw us closer to the I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all to cross of Jesus. Today the Lord foretells not only myself.” With these words Jesus referred to the the kind of death He was to die, but gives us kind of death he was to die. great insight into the meaning of His life, death and resurrection. Like the buried seed, His death would hold the promise of resurrection and new life. By submitting to a most cruel and humiliating death, Jesus would take upon His own shoulders the weight of our sins and transgressions and open to us the gates of heaven. Never has the world known such unmerited, unconditional love. And when we draw near to the cross of Jesus through the holy sacrifice of the Mass we are embraced and renewed in that love. We could do no better than to spend these last two weeks of Lent meditating upon the image of our crucified Lord, praying always that we might follow Him wherever He leads, being willing to serve and honor Him by our faithful stewardship of His abundant love.

March

30 March monday

5th Week of Lent Psalter: Week 1

Ps 23:1–3a, 3b–4, 5, 6 Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

1st Reading: Dn 13:1–9, 15–17, 19–30, 33–62* (or Dn 13:41c–62) There lived in Babylon a man named Joakim, married to a very beautiful God-fearing woman, Susanna. … A very rich man and greatly respected by all the Jews, Joakim was frequently visited, in his house adjoining a garden. … After the people had left at noon, Susanna would go into her husband’s garden for a walk. The two old men began to lust for her as they watched her enter the garden every day. Their lust grew all the more. One day, Susanna entered the garden, with two maids. She decided to bathe. Nobody else was there except the two elders where they had hidden themselves. She said to the maids, “Bring me oil and ointments, and shut the garden doors while I bathe.” When the maids had left, the two elders hurried to her and said, “Look, the garden doors are shut and no one sees us. We desire to possess you. If you refuse to give in, we will testify that you sent your maids away for there was a young man here with you.” Susanna moaned, “Whatever I do, I am trapped. I would rather be persecuted than sin in the eyes of the Lord.” Susanna shrieked, but the old men shouted, putting the blame on her. The household servants rushed in. … The next day a meeting was held at Joakim’s house. They ordered, “Send for Susanna, Hilkiah’s daughter and Joakim’s wife.” … Gospel: Jn 8:1–11* (or Jn 8:12–20) Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak Jesus appeared in the Temple again. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them. Then the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught of adultery. … “Master,” they said, “this woman has been caught of adultery. Now the Law of Moses orders that such women be stoned to death; but, what do you say?” He said to them, “Let anyone among you who has no sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” … Then Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go away and don’t sin again.”

esus refused to condemn the woman, not because he condoned her sin, but because those, who had brought the woman to him, were hypocrites. And Jesus wasn’t the only one who was set up that day. While they used the woman caught in adultery as a means to entrap him, the man that she was taken in adultery with was never produced. Whoever he was, he was just as guilty and just as subject to be put to death as the woman. Jesus was saying some very profound things: the law applies to both parties, so where is the man? There are many of us, who are, for a time, restrained and who speak highly of the word of God, but then lose their conviction and continue to sin, when they choose to judge the sins of others as greater than theirs. We are all sinners. And we all need to be saved from the arrogance of thinking that someone else’s sin is worse than ours.

1st Reading: Num 21:4–9 From Mount Hor the Israelites set out by the Red Sea road to go around the land of Edom. The people were discouraged by the journey and began to complain against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is neither bread nor water here and we are disgusted with this tasteless manna.” Yahweh then sent fiery serpents against them. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died. Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, speaking against Yahweh and against you. Plead with Yahweh to take the serpents away.” Moses pleaded for the people and Yahweh said to him, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; whoever has been bitten and then looks at it shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a standard. Whenever a man was bitten, he looked towards the bronze serpent and he lived.

tuesday

March

5th Week of Lent Psalter: Week 1

Ps 102:2–3, 16–18, 19–21 O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.

Gospel: Jn 8:21–30 Jesus said to the Pharisees, “I am going away, and though you look for me, you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come.” The Jews wondered, “Why does he say that we can’t come where he is going? Will he kill himself?” But Jesus said, “You are from below and I am from above; you are of this world and I am not of this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. And you shall die in your sins unless you believe that I am He.” They asked him, “Who are you?”; and Jesus said, “Just what I have told you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the One who sent me is truthful and everything I learned from him, I proclaim to the world.” They didn’t understand that Jesus was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He and that I do nothing of myself, but I say just what the Father taught me. He who sent me is with me and has not left me alone; because I always do what pleases him.” As Jesus spoke like this, many believed in him.

he Pharisees seemed to be forever asking who Jesus was. Jesus answered their questions in such a way as to honor God. He encouraged them to listen to his teaching, rely on his promises and obey his commands, notwithstanding all temptations to evil. In so doing, they would truly be his disciples; and by following him, they would learn where their hope and strength lay. Christ spoke of spiritual liberty! But materialistic hearts feel no pain, other than that, which injures their body or upsets their worldly affairs. Talk to them of their liberty and property, tell them of waste committed upon their lands, or damage done to their houses, and they understand very well. But speak of the bondage of sin, of captivity to greed, tell them of the damage they are doing to their precious souls, and you will be saying strange things to their ears. Christ reminds us that those who practise sin are slaves to that sin. Christ offers us freedom; and those whom Christ makes free are really free. Free again! Thank God we’re free again!

01 April

wednesday

5th Week of Lent Psalter: Week 1

Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 Glory and praise for ever!

1st Reading: Dn 3:14–20, 91–92, 95* King Nebuchadnezzar questioned them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden statue I have set up? … If you won’t you know the punishment: you will immediately be thrown into a burning furnace. … Nebuchadnezzar’s face reddened with fury. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of his strongest soldiers to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the burning furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar suddenly rose up in great amazement and asked his counselors, “Did we not throw three men bound into the fire?” They answered, “Certainly.” The king said, “But I can see four men walking about freely through the fire without suffering any harm, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who sent his angel to free his servants.” Gospel: Jn 8:31–42* Jesus went on to say to the Jews who believed in him: “You will be my true disciples if you keep my word. Then you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.” They answered him, “We are the descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves of anyone. What do you mean by saying: You will be free?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave. But the slave doesn’t stay in the house forever; the son stays forever. So, if the Son makes you free, you will be really free. … They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.” Then Jesus said, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do as Abraham did. But now you want to kill me. That is not what Abraham did; what you are doing are the works of your father.” The Jews said to him, “We are not illegitimate children; we have one Father, God.” Jesus replied, “If God were your Father you would love me, for I came forth from God, and I am here. And I didn’t come by my own decision, but it was he himself who sent me.”

piritually, all of humankind serves one of two masters; everyone is either a slave of God or a slave of the devil. How are we to be set free from the slavery of sin and hell? The answer is that we must believe in Christ. Realize that slavery to sin brings about our spiritual death and only Christ can set us free. We depend upon Christ to do what He has promised to do. To believe in Christ is to depend on Him, with hope and trust, to save us from sin and hell. It is not simply about having knowledge of Christ, but should be the daily decision we make to trust Him and walk hand-in-hand with Him through life.

1st Reading: Gen 17:3–9 Abram fell face down and God said to him, “This is my covenant with you: you will be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer will you be called Abram, but Abraham, because I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you more and more famous; I will multiply your descendants; nations shall spring from you, kings shall be among your descendants. And I will establish a covenant, an everlasting covenant between myself and you and your descendants after you; from now on I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you, for generations to come. I will give to you and your descendants after you the land you are living in, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession and I will be the God of your race.” God said to Abraham, “For your part, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you, generation after generation.

thursday

April

5th Week of Lent Francis of Paola Psalter: Week 1

Ps 105:4–5, 6–7, 8–9 The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

Gospel: Jn 8:51–59 Jesus said to the Jews, “Truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never experience death.” The Jews replied, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died and the prophets as well, but you say: ‘Whoever keeps my word will never experience death.’ Who do you claim to be? Do you claim to be greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets also died.” Then Jesus said, “If I were to praise myself, it would count for nothing. But he who gives glory to me is the Father, the very one you claim as your God, although you don’t know him. I know him and if I were to say that I don’t know him, I would be a liar like you. But I know him and I keep his word. As for Abraham, your ancestor, he looked forward to the day when I would come; and he rejoiced when he saw it.” The Jews then said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?” And Jesus said “Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” They then picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.

esus made a series of claims, which were at the heart of his life and mission. His claims challenged the very foundation of the Pharisees’ belief and understanding of God. First, he claimed unique knowledge of God. He claimed that the only way to full knowledge of the mind and heart of God was through himself. He also claimed total obedience to God. In Jesus alone we see what God wants us to know and what He wants us to be. Jesus was not just a man who came, lived, died, and then rose again. He is the immortal timeless one, who always was and always will be. In Jesus, we see the eternal God in visible flesh. His death and rising make it possible for us to share in his eternal life. We must ask of ourselves whether or not we live in the hope and joy of the resurrection. Oftentimes, those who are deaf to the praises of the world, have to bear its contempt. But we need never worry: God seeks the honor of all those, who do not seek their own. We should always be unafraid to profess steadfastly all we know and believe concerning Christ.

03 April friday

5th Week of Lent Psalter: Week 1

Ps 18:2–3a, 3bc–4, 5–6, 7 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.

1st Reading: Jer 20:10–13 I hear many people whispering, “Terror is all around! Denounce him! Yes, denounce him!” All my friends watch me to see if I will slip: “Perhaps he can be deceived,” they say; “then we can get the better of him and have our revenge.” But Yahweh, a mighty warrior, is with me. My persecutors will stumble and not prevail; that failure will be their shame and their disgrace will never be forgotten. Yahweh, God of hosts, you test the just and probe the heart and mind. Let me see your revenge on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to Yahweh! Praise Yahweh and say: he has rescued the poor from the clutches of the wicked! Gospel: Jn 10:31–42 The Jews picked up stones to throw at Jesus; so he said, “I have openly done many good works among you which the Father gave me to do. For which of these do you stone me?” The Jews answered, “We are not stoning you for doing a good work but for insulting God; you are only a man and you make yourself God.” Then Jesus replied, “Is this not written in your Law: I said: you are gods? So those who received this word of God were called gods and the Scripture is always true. Then what should be said of the one anointed and sent into the world by the Father? Am I insulting God when I say: ‘I am the Son of God’? “If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not believe me. But if I do them, even if you have no faith in me, believe because of the works I do, and know that the Father is in me and I in the Father.” Again they tried to arrest him, but Jesus escaped from their hands. He went away again to the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John had baptized, and there he stayed. Many people came to him and said, “John showed no miraculous signs, but he spoke of this man and everything he said was true.” And many became believers in that place.

esus was a human being and was also God. Never was it that he ceased to be who he always was. When he was in Mary’s womb, he was God. When he was a baby boy lying in the manger, he was God. When he was a youngster growing up in Nazareth, he was God. And when he was dying, he was God. Then again, how could Jesus be a perfect example of humanity if he wasn’t tempted exactly as we are? Yet he never gave into temptation. If a person yields to temptation he has not felt its full power, but has given in while he has yet more to resist. Only one who has prevailed against temptation and remained sinless knows the full extent of temptation. Jesus said he didn’t have the ability to perform supernatural works on his own. He could only exercise the attributes of divinity in submission to the will of God. Time and again, Jesus declared that the works he did were not his own, and he pointed to the works as proof that he had been sent from God. And that should be more than good enough for us.

1st Reading: Ezk 37:21–28* You will then say to them: Thus says Yahweh, “I am about to withdraw the Israelites from where they were among the nations. I shall gather them from all around and bring them back to their land. I shall make them into one people on the mountains of Israel and one king is to be king of them all. They will no longer form two nations or be two separate kingdoms, nor will they defile themselves again with their idols, their detestable practices and their sins. … They will settle in the land I gave to my servant Jacob where their ancestors lived. There they will live forever, their children and their children’s children. David my servant will be their prince forever. I shall establish a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. … I shall be their God and they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh who makes Israel holy, having my sanctuary among them forever.”

saturday

April

5th Week of Lent Isidore Psalter: Week 1

Jer 31:10, 11–12abcd, 13 The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.

Gospel: Jn 11:45–56* Many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what he did; but some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called the Sanhedrin Council. They said, “What are we to do? For this man keeps on giving miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, all the people will believe in him and, as a result of this, the Romans will come and sweep away our Holy Place and our nation.” Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all nor do you see clearly what you need. It is better to have one man die for the people than to let the whole nation be destroyed.” … Because of this, Jesus no longer moved about freely among the Jews. He withdrew instead to the country near the wilderness and stayed with his disciples in a town called Ephraim. The Passover of the Jews was at hand and people from everywhere were coming to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover. They looked for Jesus and as they stood in the Temple, they talked with one another, “What do you think? Will he come to the festival?”

here can hardly be any more clear example of the madness in the heart of sinners, or of their desperate enmity towards God, than what is recorded here. It is a fact of life that, whenever people seek to escape calamity by committing sin, they end up bringing calamity down upon their own heads. Goodness always wins out in the end; and the madness of the wicked always comes back to haunt them. That is exactly what happened with the Pharisees after the suffering and death of Jesus. We may be horrified that anyone would go to such limits to silence someone, who has pointed out faults or who has called them to repentance; but the truth is that sometimes we also avoid confrontation with the truth. It may be that we go to great lengths to avoid feeling the pangs of conscience. We should now renew our repentance and allow ourselves to feel the anguish that Jesus felt in knowing what pain lay ahead for him in the manner of his passion and death.

1st Reading: Is 50:4–7 The Lord Yahweh has taught me so I speak as his disciple and I know how to sustain the weary. Morning after morning he wakes me up to hear, to listen like a disciple. The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear. I have not rebelled, nor have I withdrawn. I offered my back to those who strike me, my cheeks to those who pulled my beard; neither did I shield my face from blows, spittle and disgrace. I have not despaired, for the Lord Yahweh comes to my help. So, like a flint I set my face, knowing that I will not be disgraced. 2nd Reading: Phil 2:6–11 Though being divine in nature, Christ Jesus did not claim in fact equality with God, but emptied himself, taking on the nature of a servant, made in human likeness, and in his appearance found as a man. He humbled himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross. That is why God exalted him and gave him the Name which outshines all names, so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend in heaven, on earth and among the dead, and all tongues proclaim that Christ Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father. Gospel: Mt 27:11–54* Jesus stood before the governor who questioned him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “You say so.” … Pilate said to him, “Do you hear all the charges they bring against you?” But he did not answer even a single question, so that the governor wondered. It was customary for the governor to release any prisoner the people asked for on the occasion of the Passover. … As the people had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Whom do you want me to set free: Barabbas, or Jesus called the Messiah?” … The chief priests and the Elders stirred the crowds to ask for the release of Barabbas and the death of Jesus. When the governor asked them again, “Which of the two do you want me to set free?” they answered, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “And what shall I do with Jesus called the Messiah?” All answered, “Crucify him!” Pilate insisted, “What evil has he done?” But they shouted louder, “Crucify him!” Pilate asked for water and washed his hands

Ps 22:8–9, 17–18, 19–20, 23–24 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? before the people, saying, “I am not responsible for his blood. It is your doing.” And all the people answered, “Let his blood be upon us and upon our children.” Then Pilate set Barabbas free, but had Jesus scourged, and handed him over to be crucified. The Roman soldiers took Jesus into the palace. They stripped him and dressed him in a purple military cloak. Then, twisting a crown of thorns, they forced it onto his head, and placed a reed in his right hand. They mocked him, saying, “Long life to the King of the Jews!” They spat on him, took the reed from his hand and struck him on the head with it. When they had finished mocking him, they pulled off the purple cloak and dressed him in his own clothes again, and led him out to be crucified. On the way they met a man from Cyrene called Simon, and forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.

When they reached the place called Golgotha (or Calvary) which means the Skull, they offered him wine mixed with gall. Jesus tasted it but would not take it. There they crucified him and divided his clothes among themselves, casting lots to decide what each should take. The statement of his offense was displayed above his head and it read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” They also crucified two bandits with him, one on his right and one on his left. People passing by shook their heads and insulted him, saying, “Aha! So you will destroy the Temple and build it up again in three days. Now save yourself and come down from the cross, if you are Son of God.” In the same way the chief priests, the Elders and the teachers of the Law mocked him. They said, “The man who saved others cannot save himself. Let the King of Israel now come down from his cross and we will believe in him.” Even the robbers who were crucified with him insulted him. From midday darkness fell over the whole land until mid-afternoon. At about three o’clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lamma Sabbacthani?” which means: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? As soon as they heard this, some of the bystanders said, “He is calling for Elijah.” And one of them went quickly, took a sponge and soaked it in vinegar and, putting it on a reed, gave him to drink.” Then Jesus cried out again in a loud voice and gave up his spirit. Just then the curtain of the Temple sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and several holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after the resurrection of Jesus, entered the Holy City and appeared to many. The captain and the soldiers who guarded Jesus were greatly terrified when they saw the earthquake and all that had happened, and said, “Truly, this man was a Son of God.”

sunday

April

Passion (Palm) Sunday Psalter: Week 2

he man greeted at the gates of Jerusalem with palm branches knew that He was to face the most agonizing week of His life. Cheers would yield to cries for His condemnation, and salutes of honor would give way to buffets and spitting. And all of us are responsible. The palm branches we hold in our hands and place in our homes today remind us that we are called to make a profound decision about the Lord Jesus each and every day of our lives, namely, to follow Him or to mock Him, to serve Him or to ignore Him. Too often our busy and hectic lives spin out of control and we neglect our relationship with Jesus. We think other things or people are more important than Him, and we act as though His teachings are not the least bit important to our everlasting happiness. Sadly, we fail to learn not only from our own mistakes, but from the incredibly generous selfoffering of Jesus upon the cross. Take home the palm branches from church and place them in a place of honor, and do not neglect to think about their meaning each and every day.

06 April monday

Monday, Holy Week Psalter: Week 2

Ps 27:1, 2, 3, 13–14 The Lord is my light and my salvation.

1st Reading: Is 42:1–7* Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight. I have put my spirit upon him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He does not shout or raise his voice … . A broken reed he will not crush, nor will he snuff out the light of the wavering wick. He will make justice appear in truth. … Thus says God, Yahweh, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread the earth and all that comes from it, who gives life and breath to those who walk on it: I, Yahweh, have called you for the sake of justice; I will hold your hand to make you firm; I will make you as a covenant to the people, and as a light to the nations, to open eyes that do not see, to free captives from prison, to bring out to light those who sit in darkness. Gospel: Jn 12:1–11 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where he had raised Lazarus, the dead man, to life. Now they gave a dinner for him, and while Martha waited on them, Lazarus sat at the table with Jesus. Then Mary took a pound of costly perfume made from genuine nard and anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair. And the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Judas, son of Simon Iscariot—the disciple who was to betray Jesus—remarked, “This perfume could have been sold for three hundred silver coins and turned over to the poor.” Judas, indeed, had no concern for the poor; he was a thief and as he held the common purse, he used to help himself to the funds. But Jesus spoke up, “Leave her alone. Was she not keeping it for the day of my burial? (The poor you always have with you, but you will not always have me.)” Many Jews heard that Jesus was there and they came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests thought about killing Lazarus as well, for many of the Jews were drifting away because of him and believing in Jesus.

hat is the significance of the woman washing Jesus’ feet with her hair? By acquiring expensive perfume, anointing his feet and wiping them with her hair, she displayed devotion and humility to the one she loved deeply and sincerely. God places a premium on humility and love. As Mary poured on Jesus the oil of humility, let us pour on him the ointment of our best affections, our faith, hope and love. The chief priests resolved that the man, whom Jesus had raised to life, should die. Lazarus’ very presence was a cold slap in the face to them. How could they deny that Jesus was the Messiah, when he had raised a man from the dead? They couldn’t dismiss this event as a trick. Even today, Christianity can make wicked men so angry, that they act as if they hoped to win a victory over God, Himself. But, when things look their blackest, when we are most under attack, our faith, hope and love will always be victorious over the kind of hate and prejudice, as swirled around Jesus till the day he died.

1st Reading: Is 49:1–6 Listen to me, O islands, pay attention, peoples from distant lands. Yahweh called me from my mother’s womb; he pronounced my name before I was born. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword. He hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into a polished arrow set apart in his quiver. He said to me, “You are Israel, my servant, Through you I will be known.” “I have labored in vain,” I thought and spent my strength for nothing.” Yet what is due me was in the hand of Yahweh, and my reward was with my God. I am important in the sight of Yahweh, and my God is my strength. … He said: “It is not enough that you be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob, to bring back the remnant of Israel. I will make you the light of the nations, that my salvation will reach to the ends of the earth.”

tuesday

April

Tuesday, Holy Week Psalter: Week 2

Ps 71:1–2, 3–4a, 5ab–6ab, 15 and 17 I will sing of your salvation.

Gospel: Jn 13:21–33, 36–38* Jesus was distressed in spirit and said plainly, “Truly, one of you will betray me.” The disciples then looked at one another, wondering who he meant. … And the disciple who was reclining near Jesus asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “I shall dip a piece of bread in the dish, and he to whom I give it, is the one.” So Jesus dipped the bread and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And as Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus then said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” … Judas left as soon as he had eaten the bread. It was night. Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. God will glorify him, and he will glorify him very soon. My children, I am with you for only a little while; you will look for me, but, as I already told the Jews, so now I tell you: where I am going you cannot come.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but afterwards you will.” Peter said, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I am ready to give my life for you.” Jesus answered, “To give your life for me! Truly, I tell you, the cock will not crow before you have denied me three times.”

esus had often spoken of his own suffering and death; but never with such a troubled spirit as he displayed, when he spoke about the betrayals against him that would be perpetrated by his disciples, all of his disciples, within the next twenty-four hours. Jesus’ prophecy of the treachery, which the disciples would undertake against him, applies to all of us, when we enjoy all of God’s mercies, but then treat God’s generosity with ingratitude. Then there is the infidel, who looks at Christianity with the desire to end its authority and its influence; or the hypocrite, who professes to believe in Christ, but will not be governed by Him; and the apostate, who turns aside from Christ for a life of no values. Much of humankind is supported by God’s providence, but refuses to believe in Him! Certainly Judas went out as one weary of Jesus and his disciples. But those, today, whose deeds embrace evil, choose to embrace darkness over light.

08 April

wednesday

Wednesday, Holy Week Psalter: Week 2

Ps 69:8–10, 21–22, 31 and 33–34 Lord, in your great love, answer me.

1st Reading: Is 50:4–9a* … The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear. I have not rebelled, nor have I withdrawn. I offered my back to those who strike me, my cheeks to those who pulled my beard; neither did I shield my face from blows, spittle and disgrace. I have not despaired, for the Lord Yahweh comes to my help. So, like a flint I set my face, knowing that I will not be disgraced. He who avenges me is near. Who then will accuse me? Let us confront each other. Who is now my accuser? Let him approach. If the Lord Yahweh is my help. who will condemn me? All of them will wear out like cloth; the moth will devour them. Gospel: Mt 26:14–25 Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went off to the chief priests and said, “How much will you give me if I hand him over to you?” They promised to give him thirty pieces of silver, and from then on he kept looking for the best way to hand him over to them. On the first day of the Festival of the Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?” Jesus answered, “Go into the city, to the house of a certain man, and tell him: ‘The Master says: My hour is near, and I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples in your house.” The disciples did as Jesus had ordered and prepared the Passover meal. When it was evening, Jesus sat at table with the Twelve. While they were eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you: one of you will betray me.” They were deeply distressed and asked him in turn, “You do not mean me, do you, Lord?” He answered, “He who will betray me is one of those who dips his bread in the dish with me. The Son of Man is going as the Scriptures say he will. But alas for that one who betrays the Son of Man; better for him not to have been born.” Judas, who was betraying him, also asked, “You do not mean me, Master, do you?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.”

rguments about the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot have resonated throughout the centuries. We don’t know exactly why Judas betrayed Jesus; but we do know that, over time, the views of Judas about money clashed with those of Jesus. That might have explained his betrayal. The fact that it was the world’s most notorious betrayal, however, is undeniable. Judas betrayed Jesus. But after being betrayed, Jesus went on to fulfil the messianic prophecy: he would suffer and die in the ultimate act of redemption, to release all humankind from the power of sin and the devil. Surely, we exclaim, we could never betray Jesus as Judas did. However, we can’t expect any society to be totally incorruptible, not on this side of heaven. The more that people profess to adhere to religion, the greater the opportunity they have of betraying God if their hearts are not right with Him. History shows that, when lesser acts of betrayal are allowed to dull the conscience of society, society ends up committing terrible crimes against humanity, which, shamefully, can be taken for granted by us. Honesty in prayer is the only antidote we have against Christ all over again.

1st Reading: Ex 12:1–8, 11–14 2nd Reading: 1 Cor 11:23–26 Gospel: Jn 13:1–15* It was before the feast of the Passover. Jesus realized that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, and as he had loved those who were his own in the world, he would love them with perfect love. They were at supper and the devil had already put into the mind of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray. Jesus knew that the Father had entrusted all things to him, and as had come from God, he was going to God. So he got up from table, removed his garment and taking a towel, wrapped it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing. When he came to Simon Peter, Simon said to him, “Why, Lord, you want to wash my feet!” Jesus said, “What I am doing you cannot understand now, but afterwards you will understand it.” Peter replied, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you can have no part with me.” Then Simon Peter said, “Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus replied, “Whoever has taken a bath does not need to wash (except the feet), for he is clean all over. You are clean, though not all of you.” Jesus knew who was to betray him; because of this he said, “Not all of you are clean.” When Jesus had finished washing their feet, he put on his garment again, went back to the table and said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I, then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also must wash one another’s feet. I have just given you an example that as I have done, you also may do.”

thursday

April

Holy Thursday (Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper) Psalter: Proper

Ps 116:12–13, 15–16bc, 17–18 Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of Christ.

esus washed his disciples’ feet, showing them his humility and the symbolic connection between washing feet to cleansing the soul from the pollution of sin. It was one more instance of the respect and humility that imbued his life, values, which even his own disciples didn’t understand till after his death and resurrection. So it is today: all of us, who are spiritually washed by Christ, have a life in Him; He justifies us and washes us in sanctity. Christ cleanses us from sin and warns us to be on watch against anything that defiles our way of life. From yesterday’s pardon, we are strong against today’s temptation. We should learn the lesson, which Christ taught us here: duty is a mutual obligation. We must accept help from others and give help to others. When we see Jesus serving others, we can but realize how bad we are, whenever we try to dominate others. Divine love, which led Christ to ransom and reconcile his enemies, leads Him to unite us all in peace, today. We only have to try and live as humbly as He did to experience God’s love for us!

10 April friday

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion Psalter: Proper

Ps 31:2, 6, 12–13, 15–16, 17, 25 Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

1st Reading: Is 52:13–53:12 2nd Reading: Heb 4:14–16; 5:7–9 We have a great High Priest, Jesus, the Son of God, who has entered heaven. Let us, then, hold fast to the faith we profess. Our high priest is not indifferent to our weaknesses, for he was tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sinning. Let us, then, with confidence approach the throne of grace; we will obtain mercy and, through his favor, help in due time. Christ, in the days of his mortal life, offered his sacrifice with tears and cries. He prayed to him who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his humble submission. Although he was Son, he learned through suffering what obedience was, and once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for those who obey him. Gospel: John 18:1–19:42* When Jesus had finished speaking, he went with his disciples to the other side of the Kidron Valley. There was a garden there where Jesus entered with his disciples. Now Judas, who betrayed him knew the place since Jesus had often met there with his disciples. He led soldiers of the Roman battalion and guards from the chief priests and Pharisees, who went there with lanterns, torches and weapons. Jesus knew all that was going to happen to him; he stepped forward and asked, “Who are you looking for?” They answered, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Jesus said, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, stood there with them. When Jesus said, “I am he,” they moved back and fell to the ground. He then asked a second time, “Who are you looking for?” and they answered, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, let these others go.” So what Jesus had said came true: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”

oday is the most painful day of the year for Christians of all persuasions: on this day we have to remember how Jesus suffered and was put to death for our sins. Never was any person in history ever so innocent as was Jesus. Attempts to fix blame for His death, however, have led to horrible acts of spiritual depravity. And the Jews have borne the brunt of this blame. Their implication in the death of Christ has resulted in hideous persecutions of them, down through the centuries. “Christ killers!” has been the epithet hurled at them. The Nazis cited this epithet as justification for the genocide of six million Jews, during the Holocaust of World War II. Hitler brainwashed his followers into exterminating the Jews, on the trumpedup charge of murdering Christ. Sadly, though, this concept was not a Nazi invention. For two thousand years, Christianity took an equally anti-semitic position. The truth is that Jesus came into this world knowing he would be killed. Because each of us has sinned, Jesus died for every one of us. None of us are innocent of the crime. Today is the perfect day for us to reflect upon this sad truth!

1st Reading: Gen 1–2:2 2nd Reading: Gen 22:1–18 3rd Reading: Ex 14:15–15:1 4th Reading: Is 54:5–14 5th Reading: Is 55:1–11 6th Reading: Bar 3:9–15, 32–4:4 7th Reading: Ezk 36:16–17a, 18–26 Gospel: Mk 16:1–7 When the Sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint the body. And very early in the morning on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” But as they looked up, they noticed that the stone had already been rolled away. It was a very big stone. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right, and they were amazed. But he said to them, “Don’t be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified; he has been raised and is not here. This is, however, the place where they laid him. Now go and tell his disciples and Peter: Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you.”

saturday

April

The Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter Psalter: Proper

Ps 104:1–2, 5–6, 10, 12, 13–14, 24, 35 Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. Ps 16:5, 9–10, 11 You are my inheritance, O Lord. Ex 15:1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 17–18 Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory. Ps 30:2, 4, 5–6, 11–12, 13 I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. Is 12:2–3, 4, 5–6 You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation. Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11 Lord, you have the works of everlasting life. Is 12:2–3, 4bca, 5–6 You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation. Ps 118:1–2, 16–17, 22–23 Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

he fact that Mark’s gospel has three women as the first persons to learn of the risen Jesus is of great significance. Most Christians see it as evidence that Mark regarded women as equals, whereas, in the Judaism of the era, they were not considered as such. Women were rarely treated with the same dignity and respect, as was accorded to them by Jesus. So, the three women would have been feeling the loss of Jesus particularly keenly. The resurrection catches us off-guard by springing up in the middle of our fears and anxieties. We all try various ways to push back our fears; but eventually they break through. We even try to project our fears about life onto God. But, if we listen, at the point when our fears are most vivid, we can hear Christ saying: “Don’t be alarmed!” That means we can trust Him with everything: marriage, money, work, even death! It’s not just true that the resurrection happened; it also changed everything for us. For those of us, who put all of our hope in Christ, the resurrection is His way of showing us that everything is going to be just fine! Christus surrexit!

1st Reading: Acts 10:34a, 37–43 Peter spoke to the people, “Truly, I realize that God does not show partiality. No doubt you have heard of the event that occurred throughout the whole country of the Jews, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism John preached. You know how God anointed Jesus the Nazarean with Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all who were under the devil’s power, because God was with him; we are witnesses of all that he did throughout the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem itself. Yet they put him to death by hanging him on a wooden cross. “But God raised him to life on the third day and let him manifest himself, not to all the people, but to the witnesses that were chosen beforehand by God—to us who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from death. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to bear witness that he is the one appointed by God to judge the living and the dead. All the prophets say of him, that everyone who believes in him has forgiveness of sins through his Name.” 2nd Reading: Col 3:1–4 (or 1 Cor 5:6b–8) Sisters and brothers, if you are risen with Ps 118:1–2, 16–17, 22–23 Christ, seek the things that are above, where This is the day the Lord has made; Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set let us rejoice and be glad. your mind on the things that are above, not on earthly things. For you have died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, reveals himself, you also will be revealed with him in Glory.

sunday

Gospel: Jn 20:1–9 On the first day after the sabbath, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark and she saw that the stone blocking the tomb had been moved away. She ran to Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved. And she said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they have laid him.” Peter then set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down and saw the linen cloths lying flat, but he did not enter. Then Simon Peter came following him and entered the tomb; he, too, saw the linen cloths lying flat. The napkin, which had been around his head was not lying flat like the other linen cloths but lay rolled up in its place. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and believed. Scripture clearly said that he must rise from the dead, but they had not yet understood that.

April

Easter Sunday, Our Lord’s Resurrection Psalter: Proper

he sound of “Alleluia!” resounds throughout the Church this holy and blessed day. The Lord, who was once dead, is now risen from the tomb, never to die again. And we, by virtue of our baptism, share in His glory. “Do not weep,” Jesus would say to Mary of Magdala, the woman who represents all of us poor sinners. A day of triumph is not a day for tears, save only the tears of joy. We rightly rejoice this day in the vindication of our faith in the Lord Jesus, who proves by His resurrection that those who put their trust in Him will never be disappointed. On this glorious day may our praise of the Lord’s unfathomable mercy echo to the ends of the earth. Alleluia!

13 April monday

Octave of Easter, Monday Psalter: Proper

Ps 16:1–2a and 5, 7–8, 9–10, 11 Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

1st Reading: Acts 2:14, 22–33* Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and, with a loud voice, addressed them, … Fellow Israelites, listen to what I am going to tell you about Jesus of Nazareth. God accredited him and through him did powerful deeds and wonders and signs in your midst, as you well know. You delivered him to sinners to be crucified and killed, and in this way the purpose of God from all times was fulfilled. But God raised him to life and released him from the pain of death, because it was impossible for him to be held in the power of death. … Friends, I don’t need to prove that the patriarch David died and was buried; his tomb is with us to this day. But he knew that God had sworn to him that one of his descendants would sit upon his throne and, as he was a prophet, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah. … This Messiah is Jesus and we are all witnesses that God raised him to life. He has been exalted at God’s right side and the Father has entrusted the Holy Spirit to him; this Spirit he has just poured upon us as you now see and hear. Gospel: Mt 28:8–15 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, left the tomb at once in holy fear, yet with great joy, and they ran to tell the news to the disciples. Suddenly, Jesus met them on the way and said, “Peace.” The women approached him, embraced his feet and worshiped him. But Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to set out for Galilee; there they will see me.” While the women were on their way, the guards returned to the city and some of them reported to the chief priests all that had happened. The chief priests met with the Jewish authorities and decided to give the soldiers a good sum of money, with this instruction, “Say that his disciples came by night while you were asleep, and stole the body of Jesus. If Pilate comes to know of this, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” The soldiers accepted the money and did as they were told. This story has circulated among the Jews until this day.

ow wicked it was to see the soldiers being bought off by love of money! The only comfort we can derive from this story comes the fact that their falsehood disproved itself. Had the soldiers all been asleep, how could they have possibly known what happened to the body of Jesus? And if they had been asleep, they would never have dared to confess it; the priests would have been the first in line to call for their punishment. But surely, had any of them had been awake, they would have aroused the others and prevented the removal of Jesus’ body. The entire charade shows their story as extreme in its hatred and falsehood. We cannot put such a monstrous lie down to any misunderstanding; it was invented in the wickedness of the human heart. The great argument that proves Jesus to be the Son of God is exactly this: his resurrection! And nobody could have had more convincing proof of the truth, than these soldiers. Yet, they took bribes and, in doing so, hindered countless people throughout history from believing in the resurrection, and therefore the divinity, of Jesus Christ. For shame!

1st Reading: Acts 2:36–41 Peter said to the people, “Let Israel then know for sure that God has made Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you crucified.” When they heard this, they were deeply troubled. And they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What shall we do, brothers?” Peter answered: “Each of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise of God was made to you and your children, and to all those from afar whom our God may call.” With many other words Peter gave the message and appealed to them saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who accepted his word were baptized; some three thousand persons were added to their number that day.

tuesday

April

Octave of Easter, Tuesday Psalter: Proper

Ps 33:4–5, 18–19, 20 and 22 The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Gospel: Jn 20:11–18 Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she bent down to look inside; she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, and the other at the feet. They said, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She answered, “Because they have taken my Lord and I don’t know where they have put him.” As she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize him. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and answered him, “Lord, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him, “Rabboni”—which means, Master. Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me; you see I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them: I am ascending to my Father, who is your Father, to my God, who is your God.” So Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord, and this is what he said to me.”

ary’s journey to the tomb resulted in the beginning of a new life for her. It was because of her faithfulness that Jesus called her by name and commissioned her to proclaim the good news of his resurrection. It was because of her faithfulness that we have an example of how important it is to give witness to Christ, even to those who may not believe or dismiss us. Mary’s heart was overjoyed to find Jesus. This is powerfully significant, because women were almost always overlooked during that time. Jesus, however, related to Mary and other women in the true manner of their creation: as equal reflectors of God’s image. Through her relationship with Jesus, Mary left us a legacy: we are called to step out in faith and share the good news that Christ has risen. As Christians, we are required to spend a lifetime, doing exclusively voluntary and unqualified acts of kindness, reinforced by forgiveness. We are called to do this right here and now in the trenches of living, dying, loving, hurting, struggling and welcoming our fellows in a new way: the daring, free, accepting, compassionate way, modelled for us by Christ!

15 April

wednesday

Octave of Easter, Wednesday Psalter: Proper

Ps 105:1–2, 3–4, 6–7, 8–9 Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord.

1st Reading: Acts 3:1–10* Once when Peter and John were going up to the Temple for prayer, a man crippled from birth was being carried in. Every day they would bring him and put him at the temple gate called “Beautiful”; there he begged from those who entered the Temple. When he saw Peter and John on their way into the Temple, he asked for alms. Then Peter with John at his side, said, “Look at us.” So he looked at them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, walk!” Then he took the beggar by his right hand and helped him up. At once his feet and ankles became firm, and jumping up he stood on his feet and began to walk. … All the people saw him walking and praising God. They were all astonished and amazed at what had happened to him. Gospel: Lk 24:13–35* Two disciples of Jesus were going to Emmaus and they talked about what had happened. While they were talking, Jesus came up and walked with them, but their eyes were held and they did not recognize him. He asked, “What is this you are talking about?” The two stood still, looking sad. Then one named Cleophas answered, “Why, it seems you are the only traveler in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what has happened there these past few days.” And he asked, “What is it?” They replied, “It is about Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet, you know, mighty in word and deed before God and the people. But the chief priests and our rulers sentenced him to be crucified. They handed him over to be crucified. We had hoped that he would redeem Israel. It is now the third day since all this took place. It is true that some women of our group have disturbed us. When they went to the tomb at dawn, they did not find his body; they came to tell us that they had seen a vision of angels who told them that Jesus was alive. Some friends went to the tomb and found everything just as the women had said, but they did not see him.” …

he two disciples going to Emmaus did not recognize Jesus. And so, beginning with Moses, Jesus expounded to them the things in the Scriptures concerning himself. We can’t go far in any part, until we meet with something, some prophecy, some promise, or some prayer, that has reference to Christ. Even after his resurrection, Jesus wanted people to know the mystery concerning himself, not by advancing new notions, but by showing how the Scriptures were fulfilled in him. He encouraged his followers in the earnest study of them. Now, there are still people in this world of ours, who do not know of Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection. Christ, in manifesting Himself to all who seek Him, is our hope in life and the perfect example of how we should live a life of love-in-action.

1st Reading: Acts 3:11–26* … When Peter saw the people, he said to them, “Fellow Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us as if it was by some power or holiness of our own that we made this man walk? … You rejected the Holy and Just One, and insisted that a murderer be released to you. You killed the Master of life, but God raised him from the dead and we are witnesses to this. It is his Name, and faith in his Name, that has healed this man whom you see and recognize. … Yet I know that you acted out of ignorance, as did your leaders. God has fulfilled in this way what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. … Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out and the time of refreshment may come by the mercy of God, when he sends the Messiah appointed for you, Jesus. …

thursday

April

Octave of Easter, Thursday Psalter: Proper

Ps 8:2ab and 5, 6–7, 8–9 O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

Gospel: Lk 24:35–48* The two disciples told what had happened on the road and how Jesus made himself known when he broke bread with them. As they went on talking about this, Jesus himself stood in their midst. (And he said to them, “Peace to you.”) In their panic and fright they thought they were seeing a ghost, but he said to them, “Why are you upset and why do such ideas cross your mind? Look at my hands and feet and see that it is I myself. Touch me and see for yourselves that a ghost has no flesh and bones as I have.” (As he said this, he showed his hands and feet.) In their joy they didn’t dare believe and were still astonished. So he said to them, “Have you anything to eat?” and they gave him a piece of broiled fish. He took it and ate it before them. Then Jesus said to them, “Remember the words I spoke to you when I was still with you: Everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms had to be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. …

esus appeared and assured the disciples of his peace towards them, even though they had recently forsaken him. He also spoke with them about their lack of faith. His resurrection had been foretold by the prophets and was necessary for the salvation of sinners. So it is that both they and we need to understand what it means to to be at peace with Christ, to live as one of His followers, to stand up and witness to His forgiveness of our sins. It means drawing no lines between friend or foe, acceptable ones or outcasts! The world is not as Christ would have it. The nations of this world are not yet part of the kingdom of God; but they could become so if they wanted. We have lost the capacity to dream great dreams. We are called to step out in faith and share the good news; that is Christ’s legacy. But, living as Christians is not easy. It requires listening and looking for ways to be Christ’s presence in the lives of others. It requires taking risks and stepping outside of our comfort zones. But, in the end it is perfect…just as Christ is perfect among us!

17 April friday

Octave of Easter, Friday Psalter: Proper

Ps 118:1–2 and 4, 22–24, 25–27a The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.

1st Reading: Acts 4:1–12* … The next day, the Jewish leaders, elders and teachers of the Law assembled in Jerusalem. Annas, the High Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of the high priestly class were there. They brought Peter and John before them and began to question them, “How did you do this? Whose name did you use?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke up, “Leaders of the people! It is a fact that we are being examined today for a good deed done to a cripple. How was he healed? You and all the people of Israel must know that this man stands before you cured through the Name of Jesus Christ the Nazarean. You had him crucified, but God raised him from the dead. Jesus is the stone rejected by you the builders which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other Name given to humankind all over the world by which we may be saved.” Gospel: Jn 21:1–14* … Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.” They replied, “We will come with you” and they went out and got into the boat. But they caught nothing that night. When day had already broken, Jesus was standing on the shore, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus called them, “Children, have you anything to eat?” They answered, “Nothing.” Then he said to them, “Throw the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they had lowered the net, they were not able to pull it in because of the great number of fish. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” At these words, Simon Peter put on his clothes, and jumped into the water. The other disciples came in the boat dragging the net full of fish; … Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed into the boat and pulled the net to shore. It was full of big fish—one hundred and fifty-three—but, in spite of this, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” … Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and he did the same with the fish. …

ohn, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was the first to recognize him: “It’s the Lord!” John had stayed the closest to Jesus during his sufferings and so it is not surprising to find him recognizing Jesus sooner than the rest. But Peter, being the most zealous, jumped overboard and reached Jesus first. Everyone is accepted by Christ and those, who continue working in their boat, are as true in their service of Christ as are those who zealously jump overboard and swim towards Him. Living in fear, the disciples still had to find a way to maintain their livelihood and not be a burden to anyone. Often, Christ decides that the time of making His salvation known to us is when we are most at a loss. Christ manifests Himself to us by doing for us what nobody else can do, and by showing us the most wonderful things and feelings, which we would never have expected to see or feel in a lifetime. He also takes care that those, who have left everything behind for Him, will not want for anything. He really is our divine protector and caregiver!

1st Reading: Acts 4:13–21 The leaders, elders, and scribes were astonished at the boldness of Peter and John, considering that they were uneducated and untrained men. They recognized, also, that they had been with Jesus, but, as the man who had been cured stood beside them, they could make no reply. So they ordered them to leave the council room while they consulted with one another. They asked, “What shall we do with these men? Everyone who lives in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign has been given through them, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them never again to speak to anyone in the name of Jesus.” So they called them back and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s eyes for us to obey you rather than God. We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Then the council threatened them once more and let them go. They could find no way of punishing them because of the people who glorified God for what had happened.

saturday

April

Octave of Easter, Saturday Psalter: Proper

Ps 118:1 and 14–15ab, 16–18, 19–21 I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.

Gospel: Mk 16:9–15 After Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom he had driven out seven demons. She went and reported the news to his followers, who were now mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he lived and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After this he showed himself in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. These men too went back and told the others, but they did not believe them. Later Jesus showed himself to the Eleven while they were at table. He reproached them for their unbelief and stubbornness in refusing to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. Then he told them, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation.”

ou might think that no better news could be brought to the disciples, huddled together as they were in disbelief, than messages telling them about Jesus’ resurrection. But they wouldn’t believe it until they had seen Jesus for themselves. Christ commissioned the disciples to go out into the world and preach the good news of His resurrection to every person. It was, therefore, provident that proof of Jesus’ resurrection was given to them gradually, so that the assurance, with which they would go on to preach his resurrection, might be all the more evident. And this is still our solemn declaration of that true faith, which sees Christ in every person we meet throughout all the world. Christ commissioned the disciples to preach that Christ is risen; this extends to everyone of us, wherever we might be in the world. Let us observe with what power the disciples were charged, so that they might be strong in their confirmation of Christ’s resurrection. It is up to us to carry forward their tradition, to confirm the truth of Christ’s resurrection, and to find the means of spreading this good news among all peoples, whether they have heard it or not.

1st Reading: Acts 4:32–35 The whole community of believers was one in heart and mind. No one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but rather they shared all things in common. With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, for all of them were living in an exceptional time of grace. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned land or houses, sold them and brought the proceeds of the sale. And they laid it at the feet of the apostles who distributed it according to each one’s need. 2nd Reading: 1 Jn 5:1–6 All those who believe that Jesus is the Anointed, are born of God; if you love the Father you also love all those born of him. How may we know that we love the children of God? If we love God and fulfill his commands, for God’s love requires us to keep his commands. In fact, his commandments are not a burden because all those born of God overcome the world. And the victory which overcomes the world is our faith. Who has overcome the world? The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus Christ was acknowledged through water, but also through blood. Ps 118:2–4, 13–15, 22–24 Not only water but water and blood. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, And the Spirit, too, witnesses to him for the his love is everlasting. Spirit is truth. Gospel: Jn 20:19–31 On the evening of that day, the first day after the Sabbath, the doors were locked where the disciples were, because of their fear of the Jews, but Jesus came and stood in their midst. He said to them, “Peace be with you”; then he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples kept looking at the Lord and were full of joy. Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” After saying this he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit; for those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.” Thomas, the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he replied,

“Until I have seen in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, the disciples were inside again and Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors Jesus came and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands; stretch out your hand and put it into my side. Resist no longer and be a believer.” Thomas then said, “You are my Lord and my God.” Jesus replied, “You believe because you see me, don’t you? Happy are those who have not seen and believe.” There were many other signs that Jesus gave in the presence of his disciples, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that

sunday

April

2nd Sunday of Easter Divine Mercy Sunday Psalter: Week 2

you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; believe and you will have life through his Name.

he Church celebrates this day the tremendous blessing of the Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Divine Mercy. No stone could keep the Lord in the tomb, and no locked door could block the Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission of extending His mercy to the Church through His beloved apostles. Can we imagine how the apostles were feeling that day? Their lives had turned upside down within the span of one week, from the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to His agonizing death on the cross just a few days later. They could have done so much better for Jesus, and their hearts were heavily laden with the burden of guilt of leaving Him in His hour of need, not even being able to watch one hour with Him. Lifted and erased that first Easter evening were all of their sins and sorrows, and all of ours as well, all through the Divine Mercy of the Lord, a mercy that knows no bounds.

20 April monday

2nd Week of Easter Psalter: Week 2

Ps 2:1–3, 4–7a, 7b–9 Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.

1st Reading: Acts 4:23–31* As soon as Peter and John were set free, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard it, they raised their voices as one and called upon God, “Sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth, of the sea and everything in them, you have put these words in the mouth of David, our father and your servant, through the Holy Spirit: … The kings of the earth were aligned and the princes gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah. For indeed in this very city Herod with Pontius Pilate, and the pagans together with the people of Israel conspired against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. Thus, indeed, they brought about whatever your powerful will had decided from all time would happen. But now, Lord, see their threats against us and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and to work signs and wonders through the Name of Jesus your holy servant.” When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered together shook, and they were all filled with Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly. Gospel: Jn 3:1–8 Among the Pharisees there was a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus. He came to Jesus by night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you have come from God to teach us, for no one can perform miraculous signs like yours unless God is with him.” Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again from above.” Nicodemus said, “How can there be rebirth for a grown man? Who could go back to his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you: No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Because of this, don’t be surprised when I say: ‘You must be born again from above.’ The wind blows where it pleases and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

ou might think that no better news could be brought to the disciples, huddled together as they were in disbelief, than messages telling them about Jesus’ resurrection. But they wouldn’t believe it until they had seen Jesus for themselves. Christ commissioned the disciples to go out into the world and preach the Good News of His resurrection to every person. And this is still our solemn declaration of that true faith, which sees Christ in every person we meet throughout all the world. Let us observe with what power the disciples were charged, so that they might be strong in their confirmation of Christ’s resurrection. It is up to us to carry forward their tradition, to confirm the truth of Christ’s resurrection, and to find the means of spreading this good news among all peoples, whether they have heard it or not.

1st Reading: Acts 4:32–37 The whole community of believers was one in heart and mind. No one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but rather they shared all things in common. With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, for all of them were living in an exceptional time of grace. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned land or houses, sold them and brought the proceeds of the sale. And they laid it at the feet of the apostles who distributed it according to each one’s need. This is what a certain Joseph did. He was a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas, meaning: “The encouraging one.” He sold a field which he owned and handed the money to the apostles.

tuesday

April

2nd Week of Easter Anselm Psalter: Week 2

Ps 93:1ab, 1cd–2, 5 The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.

Gospel: Jn 3:7b–15 Because of this, don’t be surprised when I say: ‘You must be born again from above.’ The wind blows where it pleases and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus asked again, “How can this be?” And Jesus answered, “You are a teacher in Israel, and you don’t know these things! Truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we witness to the things we have seen, but you don’t accept our testimony. If you don’t believe when I speak of earthly things, what then, when I speak to you of heavenly things? No one has ever gone up to heaven except the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

he apostles loved one another. Such was the fruit of Christ’s dying precept to them, and His dying prayer for all of us. There was evidence of Christ’s grace in everything they said and did. They were dead to this world. They did not take upon themselves the ownership of property; they were totally indifferent to property. They did not call this world their own, because they had forsaken all for Christ. Anyway, they expected to be stripped of all their worldly possessions, simply because of the commitment they had made to follow Christ. No wonder they were of one heart and soul, when they sat so free from the wealth of this world. Even Barnabas, mentioned as a person of remarkably generous charity and destined to preach Christ’s resurrection with them, disentangled himself from the affairs of this life. When such dispositions prevail among Christians, and they are exercised according to the circumstances of the times, such exemplary behavior has a very great influence upon the world. The doctrine they preached was firmly rooted in the resurrection of Christ, a fact, which should be a summary of all the duties, privileges and comforts of Christians everywhere.

22 April

wednesday

2nd Week of Easter Psalter: Week 2

Ps 34:2–3, 4–5, 6–7, 8–9 The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

1st Reading: Acts 5:17–26 The High Priest and all his supporters, that is the party of the Sadducees, became very jealous of the apostles; so they arrested them and had them thrown into the public jail. But an angel of the Lord opened the door of the prison during the night, brought them out, and said to them, “Go and stand in the Temple court and tell the people the whole of this living message.” Accordingly they entered the Temple at dawn and resumed their teaching. When the High Priest and his supporters arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin, that is the full Council of the elders of Israel. They sent word to the jail to have the prisoners brought in. But when the Temple guards arrived at the jail, they did not find them inside, so they returned with the news, “We found the prison securely locked and the prison guards at their post outside the gate, but when we opened the gate, we found no one inside.” Upon hearing these words, the captain of the Temple guard and the high priests were baffled, wondering where all of this would end. Just then someone arrived with the report, “Look, those men whom you put in prison are standing in the Temple, teaching the people.” Then the captain went off with the guards and brought them back, but without any show of force, for fear of being stoned by the people. Gospel: Jn 3:16–21 Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world; instead, through him the world is to be saved. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned. He who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God. “This is how the Judgment is made: Light has come into the world and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For whoever does wrong hates the light and doesn’t come to the light for fear that his deeds will be shown as evil. But whoever lives according to the truth comes into the light so that it can be clearly seen that his works have been done in God.”

t this early stage in the life of the Church, miracles were necessary to attest to the truth that was being taught by the apostles; and the power of miracles was abundantly bestowed upon them. When we pray to God for recovery from sickness, or release from troubles that beset us, and God answers our prayers, it is not so that we may enjoy the comforts of life, but so that God may be honored by the service of Him in our life. We must speak to all, for all are concerned. Speak the words of life, which God puts into our mouths! Speak all the words of this divine life, with which our present, earthly life cannot compare!

1st Reading: Acts 5:27–33 So the temple guards brought them in and made them stand before the Council and the High Priest questioned them, “We gave you strict orders not to preach such a Savior; but you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend charging us with the killing of this man.” To this Peter and the apostles replied, “Better for us to obey God rather than any human authority! “The God of our ancestors raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a wooden post. God set him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses to all these things, as well as the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” When the Council heard this, they became very angry and wanted to kill them.

thursday

April

2nd Week of Easter George / Adalbert Psalter: Week 2

Ps 34:2 and 9, 17–18, 19–20 The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

Gospel: Jn 3:31–36 Jesus said to Nicodemus, “He who comes from above is above all; he who comes from the earth belongs to the earth and his words, too, are earthly. The One who comes from heaven speaks of the things he has seen and heard; he bears witness to this but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever does receive his testimony acknowledges the truthfulness of God. “The one sent by God speaks God’s words and gives the Spirit without measure. For the Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything into his hands. Whoever believes in the Son lives with eternal life, but he who will not believe in the Son will never know life and always faces the justice of God.”

ad Christ been praised for taking Israel out from under the control of the Romans, we should have no doubt that the chief priests would have welcomed Him…far less that history would have so recorded and honored Him, as we know it has and continues to do so today. But repentance and the remission of sins were blessings, which the chief priests didn’t pretend to value. Therefore, there was no way in which they, by any way knowing, were going to admit the truth of Christ’s teachings, or were going to protect the lives of His apostles. Today, many people commit evil with daring; yet they cannot bear to hear of their evil after the fact, nor to be charged with a crime because of it. Whenever we repent, we are granted forgiveness. Christ comes to our aid whenever we repent, awakens our conscience and works towards the end of sin in our lives, by effecting a real change in our hearts. When we live according to the will of God, we are giving ample evidence that we are alive to the life and love of Christ within us. We should always remember to treasure His love for us!

24 April friday

2nd Week of Easter Fidelis of Sigmaringen Psalter: Week 2

Ps 27:1, 4, 13–14 One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.

1st Reading: Acts 5:34–42* Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law highly respected by the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin. He ordered the men to be taken outside and then he spoke to the assembly. “Fellow Israelites, consider well what you intend to do to these men. For some time ago Theudas came forward, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed and all his followers were dispersed or disappeared. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared at the time of the census and persuaded many people to follow him. But he too perished and his whole following was scattered. So, in this present case, I advise you to have nothing to do with these men. Leave them alone. If their project or activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. If, on the other hand, it is from God, you will not be able to destroy it and you may indeed find yourselves fighting against God.” … Gospel: Jn 6:1–15* … Then lifting up his eyes, Jesus saw the crowds that were coming to him and said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread so that these people may eat?” He said this to test Philip, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred silver coins would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a piece.” Then one of Jesus’ disciples, Andrew, said, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass there so the people, about five thousand men, sat down to rest. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks and distributed them to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish and gave them as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten enough, he told his disciples, “Gather up the pieces left over, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with bread, that is with pieces of the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw this sign that Jesus had just given, they said, “This is really the Prophet, he who is to come into the world.” …

oday, we meet Gamaliel, a Pharisee and celebrated scholar of the Mosaic Law. Citing past revolts, Gamaliel advised his fellow members of the Sanhedrin not to put Peter and the other apostles to death, simply for preaching the gospel. His logic was impeccable: if Christianity was of human origin, it would destroy itself. If, on the other hand, it came from God, they wouldn’t be able to destroy it; they might even find themselves fighting against God. Of course, he was right! Christ sometimes directs the worldly-wise to restrain our persecutors. The apostles were teaching the truth about the resurrection of Christ. This is exactly what should be our constant business, today: teach all the lessons we have learned about Christ! Christ crucified! Christ glorified! Whatever our station in life, we should seek to make Christ known and glorify His name!

1st Reading: 1 P 5:5b–14 Beloved: All of you must clothe yourself with humility in your dealings with one another, because God opposes the proud but gives his grace to the humble. Bow down, then, before the power of God so that he will raise you up at the appointed time. Place all your worries on him since he takes care of you. Be sober and alert because your enemy the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Stand your ground, firm in your faith, knowing that our brothers and sisters, scattered throughout the world, are confronting similar sufferings. God, the giver of all grace, has called you to share in Christ’s eternal Glory and after you have suffered a little he will bring you to perfection: he will confirm, strengthen and establish you forever. Glory be to him forever and ever. Amen. I have had these few lines of encouragement written to you by Silvanus, our brother, whom I know to be trustworthy. For I wanted to remind you of the kindness of God really present in all this. Hold on to it. Greetings from the community in Babylon, gathered by God, and from my son, Mark. Greet one another with a friendly embrace. Peace to you all who are in Christ.

saturday

April

Mark, evangelist Psalter: Proper

Ps 89:2–3, 6–7, 16–17 For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Gospel: Mk 16:15–20 Jesus told his disciples, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned. Signs like these will accompany those who have believed: in my Name they will cast out demons and speak new languages; they will pick up snakes and, if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed. They will lay their hands on the sick and they will be healed.” “So then, after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and took his place at the right hand of God. The Eleven went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs which accompanied them.”

ark is the author of the second Gospel in the New Testament, but the first Gospel ever written. In his work, Church History (AD 325), Eusebius of Caesarea wrote the following about the Gospel of Mark: “So greatly did the splendor of piety illumine the minds of Peter’s hearers, that they were not content with the unwritten teaching of the divine Gospel, but with all sorts of entreaties they besought Mark, a follower of Peter, and the one whose Gospel is extant, that he would leave them a written monument of the doctrine which had been orally communicated to them. Nor did they cease until they had prevailed with the man, and had thus become the occasion of the written Gospel which bears the name of Mark.” It is said that a French monk named Bernard carried Mark’s body to Venice in AD 815, where it is buried in a secret place in Saint Mark’s Cathedral!

1st Reading: Acts 3:13–15, 17–19 Peter said to the people, “The God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus whom you handed over to death and denied before Pilate, when even Pilate had decided to release him.” You rejected the Holy and Just One, and you insisted that a murderer be released to you. You killed the Master of life, but God raised him from the dead and we are witnesses to this. “Yet I know that you acted out of ignorance, as did your leaders. God has fulfilled in this way what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. “Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.” 2nd Reading: 1 Jn 2:1–5a My little children, I write to you that you may not sin. But if anyone sins, we have an intercessor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Just One. He is the sacrificial victim for our sins and the sins of the whole world. How can we know that we know him? If we fulfill his commands. If you say, “I know him,” but do not fulfill his commands, you are a liar and the truth is not in you. But if you keep his word, Ps 4:2, 4, 7a–8, 9 God’s love is made complete in you. This is how Lord, let your face shine on us. we know that we are in him.

sunday

Gospel: Lk 24:35–48 Then the two told what had happened on the road and how Jesus made himself known when he broke bread with them. 3rd Sunday of Easter As they went on talking about this, Jesus Psalter: Week 3 himself stood in their midst. (And he said to them, “Peace to you.”) In their panic and fright they thought they were seeing a ghost, but he said to them, “Why are you upset and why do such ideas cross your mind? Look at my hands and feet and see that it is I myself. Touch me and see for yourselves that a ghost has no flesh and bones as I have.” (As he said this, he showed his hands and feet.) In their joy they didn’t dare believe and were still astonished. So he said to them, “Have you anything to eat?” and they gave him a piece of broiled fish. He took it and ate it before them. Then Jesus said to them, “Remember the words I spoke to you when I was still with you: Everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms had to be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he went on, “You see what was written: the Messiah had to suffer and on the third day rise from the dead. Then repentance and he two disciples on the road to Emmaus were forgiveness in his name would be proclaimed to privileged to walk with the Lord Jesus and all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Now experience His wisdom, compassion and mercy. you shall be witnesses to this. They got to know Him through the breaking of the bread. Once they had experienced the powerful presence of the Lord at the table in Emmaus they could hardly contain themselves. They ran back to Jerusalem to tell the apostles what they had seen and heard. We, like them, are given a tremendous gift when we experience the real and substantial presence of the Lord in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. In that powerful sacrament, Jesus gives us everything that He can possibly give, His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. Do not our hearts burn within us as we draw close to Jesus in Holy Communion? May we remember that the gift of the Eucharist is given to us as stewards. We are to pass on to others the Lord whom we receive by bringing to the world His love, compassion and mercy. We are called to be witnesses. May we do so with clarity and integrity.

April

27 April monday

3rd Week of Easter Psalter: Week 3

Ps 119:23–24, 26–27, 29–30 Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

1st Reading: Acts 6:8–15* Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Some persons then came forward, … They argued with Stephen but they could not match the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. As they were unable to face the truth, they bribed some men to say, “We heard him speak against Moses and against God.” So they stirred up the people, the elders and the teachers of the Law; they took him by surprise, seized him and brought him before the Council. Then they produced false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against our Holy Place and the Law. We even heard him say that Jesus the Nazarean will destroy our Holy Place and change the customs which Moses handed down to us.” And all who sat in the Council fixed their eyes on him, and his face appeared to them like the face of an angel. Gospel: Jn 6:22–29 After Jesus has fed the five thousand, his disciples saw him walking on the water. Next day the people who had stayed on the other side realized that only one boat had been there and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples; rather, the disciples had gone away alone. Bigger boats from Tiberias came near the place where all these people had eaten the bread. When they saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Master, when did you come here?” Jesus answered, “Truly, I say to you, you look for me, not because you have seen through the signs, but because you ate bread and were satisfied. Work then, not for perishable food, but for the lasting food which gives eternal life. The Son of Man will give it to you, for he is the one the Father has marked.” Then the Jews asked him, “What shall we do? What are the works that God wants us to do?” And Jesus answered them, “The work God wants is this: that you believe in the One whom God has sent.”

tephen was one of the first seven Christian deacons, and he is generally regarded as the first Christian martyr. The seven deacons were chosen to assist in the service of the new church in Jerusalem. There was no doubt as to Stephen’s exceptionally good character, and the miraculous power that he had been given by God. When the members of the synagogue could not answer Stephen’s arguments, they prosecuted him as a criminal and brought false witnesses against him. It is a virtual miracle of providence that not more Christians have been murdered, by way of perjury and distortion of law, when so many thousands hate Christians. The blame lies within the heart of the sinful person, who, refusing Christ, testifies in a deceitful and desperately wicked fashion. Yet, while we are servants of Christ and, like Stephen, we possess a clear conscience, cheerful hope and divine consolation, we know we can smile in the midst of danger and death.

1st Reading: Acts 7:51–8:1a Stephen said, “But you are a stubborn people, you hardened your hearts and closed your ears. You have always resisted the Holy Spirit just as your fathers did. Was there a prophet whom your ancestors did not persecute? They killed those who announced the coming of the Just One whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the Law through the angels but did not fulfill it.” When they heard this reproach, they were enraged and they gnashed their teeth against Stephen. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus at God’s right hand, so he declared: “I see the heavens open and the Son of Man at the right hand of God.” But they shouted and covered their ears with their hands and rushed together upon him. They brought him out of the city and stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen prayed saying: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and said in a loud voice: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he died. Saul was there, approving his murder. This was the beginning of a great persecution against the Church in Jerusalem.

tuesday

April

3rd Week of Easter Peter Chanel / Louis Mary de Montfort Psalter: Week 3

Ps 31:3cd–4, 6 and 7b and 8a, 17 and 21ab Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

Gospel: Jn 6:30–35 The people said to Jesus, “Show us miraculous signs, that we may see and believe you. What sign do you perform? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert; as Scripture says: They were given bread from heaven to eat.” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven. My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. The bread God gives is the One who comes from heaven and gives life to the world.” And they said to him, “Give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall never be hungry, and whoever believes in me shall never be thirsty.”

tephen was rebuking the crowd for their lack of faith in the gospel. Fairly tactless of him! But, was it cause enough for them to stone him to death? Apparently, they decided it was. Just like their elders, they were stubborn and willful. Stephen was offering them the good news of Christ’s resurrection; but, they wouldn’t embrace it, because they were resolved not to comply with God, either in his law or in his gospel. Their own guilt stung them to the quick and they sought relief from that guilt by murdering their accuser, instead of showing remorse or mercy for him. Stephen prayed in his dying moments. Here he was, a man being stoned to death, actually praying for his murderers. Stephen died as violently as any person ever did; and yet, he died with as much composure as if he had been going to sleep, knowing full well that he would awake again in the morning of the resurrection, and be received into the presence of God, where he would receive his fullness of joy and share in the pleasure of being at God’s right hand, for evermore.

29 April

wednesday

3rd Week of Easter Catherine of Siena Psalter: Week 3

Ps 66:1–3a, 4–5, 6–7a Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

1st Reading: Acts 8:1b–8 All, except the apostles, were scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria. Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. Saul meanwhile was trying to destroy the Church; he entered house after house and dragged off men and women and had them put in jail. At the same time those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to a town of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. All the people paid close attention to what Philip said as they listened to him and saw the miraculous signs that he did. For in cases of possession, the unclean spirits came out shrieking loudly. Many people who were paralyzed or crippled were healed. So there was great joy in that town. Gospel: Jn 6:35–40 Jesus said to the crowd, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall never be hungry, and whoever believes in me shall never be thirsty. Nevertheless, as I said, you refuse to believe, even when you have seen. Yet, all that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me, I shall not turn away. For I have come from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of the One who sent me. “And the will of him who sent me is that I lose nothing of what he has given me, but instead that I raise it up on the last day. This is the will of the Father, that whoever sees the Son and believes in him shall live with eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day.”

he people not only listened to what Philip said, but were convinced that he was sent by God, not by men; so they gave themselves up to be directed by anything he told them to do. Possession by evil spirits was named here as a most difficult affliction that could not be cured by the course of nature, and as the most obvious expression of the disease of sin. All inclinations to lust of the flesh, at war against the soul, were regarded as evil spirits. While not everyone was converted by the gospel as preached by Philip, the people of the town knew that he had within him great strength and power of divine grace, which he called upon to drive out evil spirits. By that grace, many more were brought to believe in Christ. Wherever we Christians are led, we carry the knowledge of the gospel and we make known the preciousness of Christ to us, in every place. Where the simple desire of doing good influences our hearts, we will find it impossible not to welcome Christ as the author of all the opportunities we have of doing those things that are offered to us by God.

1st Reading: Acts 8:26–40* An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south towards the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert road.” So he set out and it happened that an Ethiopian was passing along that way. … He was sitting in his carriage and reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, “Go and catch up with that carriage.” So Philip ran up and heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah; and he asked, “Do you really understand what you are reading?” The Ethiopian replied, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?” He then invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. … The official asked Philip, “Tell me, please, does the prophet speak of himself or of someone else?” Then Philip began to tell him the Good News of Jesus, using this text of Scripture as his starting point. As they traveled down the road they came to a place where there was some water. Then the Ethiopian official said, “Look, here is water; what is to keep me from being baptized?” Then he ordered the carriage to stop; both Philip and the Ethiopian went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The Ethiopian saw him no more, but he continued on his way full of joy. …

thursday

April

3rd Week of Easter Pius V Psalter: Week 3

Ps 66:8–9, 16–17, 20 Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

Gospel: Jn 6:44–51 Jesus said to the crowds, “No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise him up on the last day. It has been written in the Prophets: They shall all be taught by God. So whoever listens and learns from the Father comes to me. “For no one has seen the Father except the One who comes from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. “I am the bread of life. Though your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, they died. But here you have the bread which comes from heaven so that you may eat of it and not die. “I am the living bread which has come from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever. The bread I shall give is my flesh and I will give it for the life of the world.”

et us not be satisfied until we are confirmed in our faith, as the Ethiopian was, by diligently studying the teachings of Christ. We should strive to do good to all those, with whom we come into company as we travel through life. As to those, of whom we know nothing else, we know this: they all have souls! When those, who inquire after salvation and become acquainted with Christ and his gospel, they will also go on their way rejoicing. Their hearts will be filled with love and hope in the resurrection of Christ. May Christ grant that every one of us will go on our way, rejoicing together!

01 May friday

Joseph the Worker Psalter: Proper

Ps 117:1bc, 2 Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

1st Reading: Acts 9:1–20* Meanwhile Saul considered nothing but violence and death for the disciples of the Lord. … As he traveled along and was approaching Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?” And he asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The voice replied, “I am Jesus whom you persecute. Now get up and go into the city; there you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood there speechless; they had heard the sound, but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground and, opening his eyes, he could not see. They took him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. He was blind and he did not eat or drink for three days. … So Ananias left and went to the house. He laid his hands upon Saul and said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me to you so that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he could see; he got up and was baptized. Then he took food and was strengthened. For several days Saul stayed with the disciples at Damascus, and he soon began to proclaim in the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God. Gospel: Mt 13:54–58 Jesus went to his hometown and taught the people in their synagogue. They were amazed and said, “Where did he get this wisdom and these special powers? Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t Mary his mother and aren’t James, Joseph, Simon and Judas his brothers? Aren’t all his sisters living here? How did he get all this?” And so they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “The only place where prophets are not welcome is their hometown and in their own family.” And he did not perform many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

nce again, Jesus was confronted with the issue of “over familiarity” in today’s reading. The people in his hometown could not believe themselves that the son of a carpenter and Mary was actually teaching them in the synagogue! This is why; Jesus felt that there is no use to perform any miracles to them because of their lack of faith. True enough, Jesus lost his relatives but found his true brothers and sisters in those people who have put their trust in Him. In the same way, when we lose our relatives and friends because we commit ourselves to God’s work and have faith in Jesus, we discover new brothers and sisters. And from here, Jesus starts to perform miracles in our lives because of our faith in Him.

1st Reading: Acts 9:31–42* … As Peter traveled around, he went to visit the saints who lived in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas who was paralyzed, and had been bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!” And the man got up at once. All the people living in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. There was a disciple in Joppa named Tabitha, which means Dorcas or Gazelle. She was always doing good works and helping the poor. At that time she fell sick and died. After having washed her body, they laid her in the upstairs room. As Lydda is near Joppa, the disciples, on hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” … So Peter went with them. Peter made them all leave the room and then he knelt down and prayed. Turning to the dead body he said, “Tabitha, stand up.” She opened her eyes, looked at Peter and sat up. Peter gave her his hand and helped her up. …

saturday

May

3rd Week of Easter Athanasius Psalter: Week 3

Ps 116:12–13, 14–15, 16–17 How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?

Gospel: Jn 6:60–69 Many of Jesus’ followers said, “This language is very hard! Who can accept it?” Jesus was aware that his disciples were murmuring about this and so he said to them, “Does this offend you? Then how will you react when you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh cannot help. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. But among you there are some who do not believe.” From the beginning, Jesus knew who would betray him. So he added, “As I have told you, no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.” After this many disciples withdrew and no longer followed him. Jesus asked the Twelve, “Will you also go away?” Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We now believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

esus’ disciples thought some of his words were “hard.” Jesus spoke these words out of love for his disciples, even though they didn’t like what they heard. Love was the foundation of his life. Even after they had heard Jesus speak the hard truth, time and time again, and when his words didn’t register as they ought to have registered, what the disciples needed was a powerful wake-up call. And that was what they got: a swift, gracious kick in the pants from Jesus, who wanted nothing from them so much than that they would change their sinful ways. We all forget or abuse God’s grace at times. When we are poor, when we are struggling, when we have no money, we know what it’s like to be in a tough situation. We often say to ourselves: “If I ever get out of this mess, I’ll always remember what it was like.” But then, when we get out of the mess and our life moves on, we tend to forget what it was like. Let us resolve, therefore, never to forget God’s love, or to share it around…every day of our lives!

1st Reading: Acts 4:8–12 Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke up, “Leaders of the people! Elders! It is a fact that we are being examined today for a good deed done to a cripple. How was he healed? You and all the people of Israel must know that this man stands before you cured through the Name of Jesus Christ the Nazarean. You had him crucified, but God raised him from the dead. Jesus is the stone rejected by you the builders which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other Name given to humankind all over the world by which we may be saved.” 2nd Reading: 1 Jn 3:1–2 See what singular love the Father has for us: we are called children of God, and we really are. This is why the world does not know us, because it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children and what we shall be has not yet been shown. Yet when he appears in his glory, we know that we shall be like him, for then we shall see him as he is.

Ps 118:1, 8–9, 21–23, 26, 28, 29 The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.

sunday

Gospel: Jn 10:11–18 Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Not so the hired hand or any other person who is not the shepherd and to whom the sheep do not belong. They abandon the sheep as soon as they see the wolf coming; then the wolf snatches and scatters the sheep. This is because the hired hand works for pay and cares nothing for the sheep. “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father. Because of this I give my life for my sheep. “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. These I have to lead as well, and they shall listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock since there is one Shepherd. “The Father loves me because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down freely. It is mine to lay down and to take up again: this mission I received from my Father.”

May

4th Sunday of Easter Psalter: Week 4

he image of the Good Shepherd is most compelling, for it gives us an unforgettable mental picture of the abiding presence of Jesus in our lives. As long as we stay within range of the voice of the Good Shepherd, we need not fear the power of the enemy who seeks only to scatter and steal and slaughter. The Good Shepherd attacks the enemy with great force and deadly accuracy, using the weapon of His cross to secure our safety. The love that Jesus has for us is no mere sentiment or feeling. His love is about great fidelity, commitment and sacrifice, “for there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend.” By laying down His life for us upon the cross Jesus establishes with us the new and everlasting covenant, pledging to lead us through the valley of the shadow of death and to guide us to verdant pastures and restful waters. May we always remain near to our good and gentle shepherd.

04 May

monday

1st Reading: Acts 11:1–18* News came to the apostles and the brothers and sisters in 4th Week of Easter Judea that even foreigners had received the Word of God. … Psalter: Week 4 So Peter began to give them the facts as they had happened, “I was at prayer in the city of Joppa when, in a trance, I saw Ps 42:2–3, 43:3, 4 a vision. Something like a large sheet came down from the Athirst is my soul for the living God. sky and drew near to me, landing on the ground by its four corners. As I stared at it, I saw four-legged creatures of the earth, wild beasts and reptiles, and birds of the sky. Then I heard a voice saying to me: ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat!’ I replied, ‘Certainly not, Lord! No common or unclean creature has ever entered my mouth.’ A second time the voice from the heavens spoke, “What God has made clean, you must not call unclean.” This happened three times, and then it was all drawn up into the sky. At that moment three men, who had been sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were staying. The Spirit instructed me to go with them without hesitation; … Gospel: Jn 10:1–10 Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Truly, I say to you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. But the shepherd of the sheep enters by the gate. The keeper opens the gate to him and the sheep hear his voice; he calls each of his sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, rather they will run away from him because they don’t recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this comparison, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, I am the gate of the sheep. All who came were thieves and robbers, and the sheep did not hear them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved; he will go in and out freely and find food. “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have life, life in all its fullness.”

arly Christianity could easily have become just another sect of Judaism; and many believed that was all Christianity was. The concept of taking the Gospel to the gentiles was a monumental event in the life of the Church and the plan of God. But, God knew the first Christians had a terrible problem with prejudice. Even now, in our spiritual lives, we are often determined by prejudice. While we might be zealous about our Christian way of life, we should take care that we don’t stand in God’s way. Those of us, who love God, should glorify Him, especially when we see that He has wrought repentance in the lives of our fellow-sinners. So, let us allow grace to take away our heart of stone and replace it with a heart of warmth and love for everybody in His creation!

1st Reading: Acts 11:19–26 Those who had been scattered because of the persecution over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message, but only to the Jews. But there were some natives of Cyprus and Cyrene among them who, on coming into Antioch, spoke also to the Greeks, giving them the good news of the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them so that a great number believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, so they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the manifest signs of God’s favor, he rejoiced and urged them all to remain firmly faithful to the Lord; for he himself was a good man filled with Holy Spirit and faith. Thus large crowds came to know the Lord. Then Barnabas went off to Tarsus to look for Saul and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they had meetings with the Church and instructed many people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

tuesday

May

4th Week of Easter Psalter: Week 4

Ps 87:1b–3, 4–5, 6–7 All you nations, praise the Lord.

Gospel: Jn 10:22–30 The time came for the feast of the Dedication. It was winter and Jesus walked back and forth in the portico of Solomon. The Jews then gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in doubt? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have already told you but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name proclaim who I am, but you don’t believe because, as I said, you are not my sheep. “My sheep hear my voice and I know them; they follow me and I give them eternal life. They shall never perish and no one will ever steal them from me. What the Father has given me is stronger than everything and no one can snatch it from the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

itherto, the followers of Jesus were called disciples or learners; but from the time of today’s reading, they were called Christians. Properly speaking, this name denotes a follower of Christ, one who, after serious thought and prayer, embraces faith in Christ, believes His promises and makes it a chief concern to live by Christ’s precepts and example. Now, what do we have to do to be a Christian? It’s not what we do, but what Christ does within us. Being a Christian isn’t about rules and regulations to follow. Being a Christian means that we have encountered the true and living God and that we have undergone a change in our heart and soul. Our heart has been changed forever by the love of God. It means having a daily relationship with Christ, that we are changed on the inside, not controlled from the outside. Our heart has been changed forever by the love of God. God finds pleasure in the complete person that we have become. To be a Christian means to follow Christ, to be in fellowship with Him, to live with Him and bring glory to Him in every day of our lives!

06 May

wednesday

4th Week of Easter Psalter: Week 4

Ps 67:2–3, 5, 6, 8 O God, let all the nations praise you!

1st Reading: Acts 12:24–13:5a Meanwhile the word of God was increasing and spreading. Barnabas and Saul carried out their mission and then came back from Jerusalem, taking with them John also called Mark. There were at Antioch—in the Church which was there— prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon known as Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod, and Saul. On one occasion while they were celebrating the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I have called them.” So, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off. These then, sent by the Holy Spirit, went down to the port of Seleucia and from there sailed to Cyprus. Upon their arrival in Salamis they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogue; John was with them as an assistant. Gospel: Jn 12:44–50 Jesus had said, and even cried out, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me, sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him; for I have come, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. The one who rejects me, and does not receive my word, already has a judge: the very word I have spoken will condemn him on the last day. “For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has instructed me in what to say and how to speak. I know that his commandment is eternal life, and that is why the message I give, I give as the Father instructed me.”

oday, we meet some of the leaders of the early church in Antioch. If there was one common thing about them, it was that they had little in common. This diversity described the nature of the Church at that time. There was genuine love among the members that broke down walls of prejudice. The leaders represented the diversity of their congregation. One day, God made it known to them that there was a need for Barnabas and Saul to leave and start on a missionary journey. Here, for the first time, Saul was called Paul, and never again Saul. This shows us that the Holy Spirit uses many ways of prompting us to take action. We might learn of a need that exists. The Holy Spirit places love in our hearts; that love gives us the desire to see that the need is met. When we feel the prompting to pray, that may be the indication of how we can meet that need, inspired as we are to take the need to Christ in prayer. The only thing to know is that prayer is the right way to meet our needs and attain happiness!

1st Reading: Acts 13:13–25* From Paphos, Paul and his companions set sail and came to Perga in Pamphylia. (…) On the Sabbath day they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent this message to them, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the assembly, please speak up.” So Paul said, “Fellow Israelites and also all you who fear God, listen. The God of our people Israel chose our ancestors, and after he had made them increase during their stay in Egypt, he led them out by powerful deeds. For forty years he fed them in the desert, and after he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. All this took four hundred and fifty years. After that, he gave them Judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, and he was king for forty years. After that time, God removed him and raised up David as king, to whom he bore witness saying: I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all I want him to do. It is from the descendants of David that God has now raised up the promised savior of Israel, Jesus. Before he appeared, John proclaimed a baptism of repentance for all the people of Israel. As John was ending his life’s work, he said: ‘I am not what you think I am, for after me another one is coming whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.’”

thursday

May

4th Week of Easter Psalter: Week 4

Ps 89:2–3, 21–22, 25 and 27 For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Gospel: Jn 13:16–20 After Jesus had washed the feet of the disciples he said. “Truly, I say to you, the servant is not greater than his master, nor is the messenger greater than he who sent him. Understand this, and blessed are you if you put it into practice. I am not speaking of you all, because I know the ones I have chosen and the Scripture has to be fulfilled that says, The one who shared my table has risen against me. I tell you this now before it happens, so that when it does happen, you may know that I am He. Truly, I say to you, whoever welcomes the one I send, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the One who sent me.”

et’s look at Jesus’ claim that whoever welcomes him, welcomes God; or, put another way: is Jesus the Son of God? Some say his followers created a myth, in claiming that Jesus was the Son of God. It’s true that Jesus claimed divinity. That was the reason they put him on trial and put him to death. People believed Jesus’ claim to be God, because he was so absolutely trustworthy. He lived a perfect life; he was sinless. And he had more insight into life and people than anyone in history. It would be inconsistent to think that he wouldn’t know his own identity. Jesus referred to his miracles as signs. These signs pointed to Jesus’ divinity. Of the hundreds of miracles, one was especially important: he rose from the dead, never to die again. As Son of God, Jesus Christ continues to touch and transform us people, all over the world!

08 May friday

4th Week of Easter Psalter: Week 4

Ps 2:6–7, 8–9, 10–11ab You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.

1st Reading: Acts 13:26–33 Brothers, children and descendants of Abraham, and you also who fear God, it is to you that this message of salvation has been sent. It is a fact that the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus. Yet in condemning him, they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath but not understood. Even though they found no charge against him that deserved death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. And after they had carried out all that had been written concerning him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days thereafter he showed himself to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They have now become his witnesses before the people. We ourselves announce to you this Good News: All that God promised our ancestors, he has fulfilled for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus, according to what is written in the second psalm: You are my Son, today I have begotten you. Gospel: Jn 14:1–6 Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not be troubled; trust in God and trust in me. In my Father’s house there are many rooms. Otherwise I would not have told you that I go to prepare a place for you. After I have gone and prepared a place for you, I shall come again and take you to me, so that where I am, you also may be. Yet you know the way where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.”

hen Paul delivered his sermons, he was doing all he could to convince the Jews to receive and embrace Christ as the promised Messiah. He made no attempt to concealing the death of Jesus; they always preached Christ crucified. Complete separation from sin is represented by being buried with Christ. But Christ rose from the dead and saw no corruption. This was the great truth that Paul preached. Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah; but first he had to suffer and die for their sins. Later, he would come as conquering king to establish the kingdom of God. The dozens of prophecies, recorded by the prophets, about a Messiah…prophecies fulfilled in Christ…are among the strongest proofs that the Gospels are the inspired word of God. Many writings have been revered by other religions, claiming to be holy and divinely inspired. But none of these other writings prophesied the future and then, hundreds of years later, provided a record of exactly how those prophecies came to pass. Jesus Christ was the Messiah, prophesied throughout the Old Testament. That is the message we convey to an unbelieving world, whenever we proclaim and live out our Christian faith in our daily lives!

1st Reading: Acts 13:44–52* The following Sabbath almost the entire city gathered to listen to Paul, who spoke a fairly long time about the Lord. But the presence of such a crowd made the Jews jealous. So they began to oppose with insults whatever Paul said. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out firmly, saying, “It was necessary that God’s word be first proclaimed to you, but since you now reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we turn to non-Jewish people. For thus we were commanded by the Lord: I have set you as a light to the pagan nations, so that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” Those who were not Jews rejoiced when they heard this and praised the message of the Lord, and all those destined for everlasting life believed in it. Thus the Word spread throughout the whole region. …

saturday

May

4th Week of Easter Psalter: Week 4

Ps 98:1, 2–3ab, 3cd–4 All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

Gospel: Jn 14:7–14 Jesus said to his disciples, “If you know me, you will know the Father also; indeed you know him and you have seen him.” Philip asked him, “Lord, show us the Father and that is enough.” Jesus said to him, “What! I have been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever sees me sees the Father; how can you say: ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? “All that I say to you, I do not say of myself. The Father who dwells in me is doing his own work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; at least believe it on the evidence of these works that I do. “Truly, I say to you, the one who believes in me will do the same works that I do; and he will even do greater than these, for I am going to the Father. Everything you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. And everything you ask in calling upon my Name, I will do.”

aul was once an absolute tyrant, until he received the Holy Spirit and then there was a complete reversal in the message that he preached. It was the Holy Spirit that made all the difference and nothing could stop Paul from preaching the Gospel. That didn’t go over too well with the unconverted Jews, many of whom were filled with envy when they heard Paul and Barnabas preaching the message of eternal life to the multitudes of people following them. The Jews opposed the doctrine the apostles preached; and when they could find no objection, they blasphemed against Christ and His Gospel. While many judge themselves unworthy of eternal life, there are others, who appear less likely, want to hear more of the glad tidings of salvation. It is sad, however, when some people try to show their hatred of Christianity, under cover of being devoted to their concept of God. The more we relish the comforts and encouragements we meet with in the power of Christ, and the fuller our hearts are of them, the better prepared we are to face difficulties in the profession of our Christian faith.

1st Reading: Acts 9:26–31 When Saul came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples there, but they were afraid of him because they could not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He recounted to them how Saul had seen the Lord on his way and the words the Lord had spoken to him. He told them also how Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. Then Saul began to live with them. He moved about freely in Jerusalem and preached openly in the name of the Lord. He also spoke to the Hellenists and argued with them, but they wanted to kill him. When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. Meanwhile, the Church had peace. It was building up throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria with eyes turned to the Lord and filled with comfort from the Holy Spirit. 2nd Reading: 1 Jn 3:18–24 My dear children, let us love not only with words and with our lips, but in truth and in deed. Then we shall know that we are of the truth and we may calm our conscience in his presence. Every time it reproaches us, let us say: God is Ps 22:26a–27, 28, 30, 31–32 greater than our conscience, and he knows I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly everything. of your people. When our conscience does not condemn us, dear friends, we may have complete confidence in God. Then whatever we ask we shall receive, since we keep his commands and do what pleases him. His command is that we believe in the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and that we love one another, as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commands remains in God and God in him. It is by the Spirit God has given us that we know he lives in us.

sunday

Gospel: Jn 15:1–8 Jesus said to his disciples, “I am the true vine and my Father is the vinegrower. If any of my branches doesn’t bear fruit, he breaks it off; and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, that it may bear even more fruit. “You are already made clean by the word I have spoken to you; live in me as I live in you. The branch cannot bear fruit by itself but has to remain part of the vine; so neither can you if you don’t remain in me. “I am the vine and you are the branches. As long as you remain in me and I in you, you bear much fruit; but apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not remain in me is thrown away as they do with branches and they wither. Then they are gathered and thrown into the fire and burned. “If you remain in me and my words in you, you may ask whatever you want and it will be given to you. My Father is glorified when you bear much fruit: it is then that you become my disciples.”

May

5th Sunday of Easter Psalter: Week 1

he Lord Jesus comes so that we might have life and have it to the full. He draws us into a relationship with Him that is as life-giving as the relationship between a vine and its branches. For when we are connected to Jesus through the sacraments of the Church we experience blessings beyond measure. We find in this re lationship comfort in distress, safety in times of trouble and solace in moments of woe. So, too, do we experience the joy of bearing in His name the good fruit of stewardship and evangelization, truly making a positive difference in the world and leading others closer to the Kingdom. May we always be grateful for this close connection with the Lord Jesus, made possible only through His saving death and glorious resurrection. In Him do we have life. Through Him do we bear fruit in good works. With Him do we experience the joy and peace that this world cannot provide.

11 May

monday

5th Week of Easter Psalter: Week 1

Ps 115:1–2, 3–4, 15–16 Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.

1st Reading: Acts 14:5–18* A move was made by pagans and Jews, together with their leaders, to harm the apostles and to stone them. But Paul and Barnabas learned of this and fled to the Lycaonian towns of Lystra and Derbe. … There was a crippled man in Lystra who had never been able to stand or walk. One day, as he was listening to the preaching, Paul looked intently at him and saw that he had the faith to be saved. So he spoke to him in a loud voice, “In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I command you to stand up on your feet!” And the man stood up and began to walk around. When the people saw what Paul had done, they cried out in the language of Lycaonia, “The gods have come to us in human likeness!” They named Barnabas Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, since he was the chief speaker. … When Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their garments to show their indignation and rushed into the crowd, shouting, “Friends, why are you doing this? We are human beings with the same weakness you have and we are now telling you to turn away from these useless things to the living God who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and all that is in them. … Gospel: Jn 14:21–26 Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever keeps my commandments is the one who loves me. If he loves me, he will also be loved by my Father; I too shall love him and show myself clearly to him.” Judas—not the Iscariot—asked Jesus, “Lord, how can it be that you will show yourself clearly to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him; and we will come to him and make a room in his home. But if anyone does not love me, he will not keep my words, and these words that you hear are not mine but the Father’s who sent me. I told you all this while I was still with you. From now on the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of all that I have told you.”

hen Christ appeared in the likeness of men and performed many miracles, people were so far from doing sacrifice to Him that they made Him a sacrifice to their pride and malice. The same power of this world, which closes the human heart against the truth, makes gods of errors and mistakes. Paul and Barnabas did not tear their clothes when the people threatened to stone them; but when the people spoke of worshipping them, they couldn’t bear it. While we might easily obtain undue honors if we wink at the world’s errors and vices, we should dread and detest such false respect much more than we fear any worldly criticism of our faith. The most powerful arguments, or the most earnest and affectionate speeches are scarcely convincing enough to shield some people from absurdity and superstition. Unless we receive special grace from God, we shall never turn the hearts of sinners to God and holiness. That is one of the best arguments for contemplative orders of men and women, who rely upon the power of their prayer to effect in the world the peace and love of God.

1st Reading: Acts 14:19–28 Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and turned the people against them. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, leaving him for dead. But when his disciples gathered around him, he stood up and returned to the town. And the next day he left for Derbe with Barnabas. After proclaiming the gospel in that town and making many disciples, they returned to Lystra and Iconium and on to Antioch. They were strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain firm in the faith, for they said, “We must go through many trials to enter the Kingdom of God.” In each church they appointed elders and, after praying and fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had placed their faith. Then they traveled through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. They preached the Word in Perga and went down to Attalia. From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had first been commended to God’s grace for the task they had now completed. On their arrival they gathered the Church together and told them all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the non-Jews. They spent a fairly long time there with the disciples.

tuesday

May

5th Week of Easter Nereus and Achilleus / Pancras Psalter: Week 1

Ps 145:10–11, 12–13ab, 21 Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Gospel: Jn 14:27–31a Jesus said to his disciples, “Peace be with you; I give you my peace. Not as the world gives peace do I give it to you. Do not be troubled; do not be afraid. You heard me say: ‘I am going away, but I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. “I have told you this now before it takes place, so that when it does happen you may believe. It is very little what I may still tell you, for the ruler of this world is at hand, although there is nothing in me that he can claim. But see, the world must know that I love the Father and that I do what the Father has taught me to do.”

hy doesn’t God take away all of my problems? Didn’t I become a Christian so that I could escape the hardships of this cruel world? Unfortunately, this is the mentality of many Christians these days, because this is the message of many preachers. They often try to attract people to Christ with messages about prosperity and happiness. The avoidance of hardships was definitely not a reason to become a Christian in the first century. In fact, becoming a Christian almost certainly meant hardship and persecution. In many places throughout the world this is true, today. God loves us and doesn’t desire that we experience hardship. He sent His son to us so that we wouldn’t have to endure eternal hardship in hell. But, he doesn’t remove hardship completely from our lives so that we can walk on easy street. Experiencing hardship and trials, and ultimately enduring them, is an integral part of our sanctification process. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean we should look for hardship for hardship’s sake. There is nothing holy about that. When hard times do come, consider them to be a time of refining and a chance for us to give glory to God!

13 May

wednesday

5th Week of Easter Our Lady of Fatima Psalter: Week 1

Ps 122:1–2, 3–4ab, 4cd–5 Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

1st Reading: Acts 15:1–6 Some persons who had come from Judea to Antioch were teaching the brothers in this way, “Unless you are circumcised according to the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Because of this there was trouble, and Paul and Barnabas had fierce arguments with them. For Paul told the people to remain as they were when they became believers. Finally those who had come from Jerusalem suggested that Paul and Barnabas and some others go up to Jerusalem to discuss the matter with the apostles and elders. They were sent on their way by the Church. As they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria they reported how the non-Jews had turned to God, and there was great joy among all the brothers and sisters. On their arrival in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the Church, the apostles and the elders, to whom they told all that God had done through them. Some believers, however, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees, stood up and said that non-Jewish men must be circumcised and instructed to keep the law of Moses. So the apostles and elders met together to consider this matter. Gospel: Jn 15:1–8 Jesus said to his disciples, “I am the true vine and my Father is the vinegrower. If any of my branches doesn’t bear fruit, he breaks it off; and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, that it may bear even more fruit. You are already made clean by the word I have spoken to you; live in me as I live in you. The branch cannot bear fruit by itself but has to remain part of the vine; so neither can you if you don’t remain in me. I am the vine and you are the branches. As long as you remain in me and I in you, you bear much fruit; but apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not remain in me is thrown away as they do with branches and they wither. Then they are gathered and thrown into the fire and burned. “If you remain in me and my words in you, you may ask whatever you want and it will be given to you. My Father is glorified when you bear much fruit: it is then that you become my disciples.”

e need to remember that Jesus was talking to his disciples and, therefore, to us when he said: “I am the vine and you are the branches!” The union of the human and the divine resembles the root of the vine. The root is unseen; the root supports the vine and supplies its life. We believers are branches of this vine. The branches of the vine are many, and yet are all integral parts of the one vine. Thus, all true Christians, although separated by distance and opinion from each other, come together in Christ. We believers, like the branches of the vine, aren’t strong enough to stand on our own. In order to be fruitful, we must abide in Christ and must have union with Him by faith. It is of great concern for all of us that we stay constantly in communion with Him. Let us seek to live more simply in Christ’s fullness and to be fruitful in every one of our good words and works, so that our joy in Him and His salvation may be full.

1st Reading: Acts 1:15–17, 20–26* … “Peter said, “Brothers, it was necessary that the Scriptures referring to Judas be fulfilled. The Holy Spirit had spoken through David about the one who would lead the crowd coming to arrest Jesus. He was one of our number and had been called to share our common ministry. In the book of Psalms it is written: Let his house become deserted and may no one live in it. But it is also written: May another take his office. Therefore we must choose someone from among those who were with us during all the time that the Lord Jesus moved about with us, beginning with John’s baptism until the day when Jesus was taken away from us. One of these has to become, with us, a witness to his resurrection.” Then they proposed two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, also known as Justus, and Matthias. They prayed: “You know, Lord, what is in the hearts of all. Show us, therefore, which of the two you have chosen to replace Judas in this apostolic ministry.” Then they drew lots between the two and the choice fell on Matthias who was added to the eleven apostles.

thursday

May

Matthias, apostle Psalter: Proper

Ps 113:1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 7–8 The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.

Gospel: Jn 15:9–17 Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; remain in my love. You will remain in my love if you keep my commandments, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. “I have told you all this, that my own joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this, to give one’s life for one’s friends; and you are my friends if you do what I command you. “I shall not call you servants any more, because servants do not know what their master is about. Instead I have called you friends, since I have made known to you everything I learned from my Father. You did not choose me; it was I who chose you and sent you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. And everything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. This is my command, that you love one another.”

ove is a word that has been confused for many years now. Society has turned love into what it is not supposed to be. We say we love certain things and we tell people we love them. Love has so many different connotations that we need to be careful how we use the word, so that God’s love can be communicated through our vocabulary. Sometimes the best way to communicate God’s love is simply to speak of how God has made a difference in our lives. Loving others can be very difficult. Jesus knew His disciples would have a hard time loving each other, because they were human and had different personalities. We are all different from each other; that is the beautiful way God made us. However, it brings on challenges when we have to deal with personalities, and that is where love needs to come into the picture. We need to learn to love each other at the same time as we appreciate our differences. We should love more effectively. Not because we have to and are commanded to, but because we want to!

15 May friday

5th Week of Easter Isidore the Farmer Psalter: Week 1

Ps 57:8–9, 10 and 12 I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.

1st Reading: Acts 15:22–31 Then the apostles and elders together with the whole Church decided to choose representatives from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. These were Judas, known as Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men among the brothers. They took with them the following letter: Greetings from the apostles and elders, your brothers, to the believers of non-Jewish birth in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. We have heard that some persons from among us have worried you with their discussions and troubled your peace of mind. They were not appointed by us. But now, it has seemed right to us in an assembly, to choose representatives and to send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have dedicated their lives to the service of our Lord Jesus Christ. We send you then Judas and Silas who themselves will give you these instructions by word of mouth. We, with the Holy Spirit, have decided not to put any other burden on you except what is necessary: You are to abstain from blood from the meat of strangled animals and from prohibited marriages. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” After saying goodbye, the messengers went to Antioch, where they assembled the community and handed them the letter. When they read the news, all were delighted with the encouragement it gave them. Gospel: Jn 15:12–17 Jesus said to his disciples, “This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this, to give one’s life for one’s friends; and you are my friends if you do what I command you. I shall not call you servants any more, because servants do not know what their master is about. Instead I have called you friends, since I have made known to you everything I learned from my Father. You did not choose me; it was I who chose you and sent you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. And everything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. “This is my command, that you love one another.”

t’s important to notice that Jesus links love of God with love of our neighbor. Loving God is all about loving each other. If we love God, then we should love the things that God loves. This is a rallying cry to get out of our self-centered life-styles and take an active part in God’s love for the poor and oppressed in this world. We proclaim these words of hope, the hope of God’s social concern for the needy, when we bring them food to eat, or we visit prisoners, or reach out to the homeless in our land. We make ourselves available to God’s new life, when we give up the securities of life and walk with vulnerable people into what seems like an uncertain future. It is only then that we realize what is remarkable about the Christian life: we believe that we are alive only by the grace of God. Our future happiness is not something we can achieve by ourselves; instead, it’s something we receive while we walk along the path, Christ has shown us.

1st Reading: Acts 16:1–10 Paul traveled on to Derbe and then to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy lived there, whose mother was a believer of Jewish origin but whose father was a Greek. As the believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him, Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him. So he took him and, because of the Jews of that place who all knew that his father was a Greek, he circumcised him. As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions of the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, for the people to obey. Meanwhile, the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number every day. They traveled through Phrygia and Galatia, because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the message in the province of Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to do this. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. There one night Paul had a vision. A Macedonian stood before him and begged him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” When he awoke, he told us of this vision and we understood that the Lord was calling us to give the Good News to the Macedonian people.

saturday

May

5th Week of Easter Psalter: Week 1

Ps 100:1b–2, 3, 5 Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

Gospel: Jn 15:18–21 Jesus said to his disciples, “If the world hates you, remember that the world hated me before you. This would not be so if you belonged to the world, because the world loves its own. But you are not of the world since I have chosen you from the world; because of this the world hates you. “Remember what I told you: the servant is not greater than his master; if they persecuted me, they will persecute you, too. Have they kept my teaching? Will they then keep yours? All this they will do to you for the sake of my name because they do not know the One who sent me.”

uffering persecution is part of the Christian life. If we have never experienced ridicule, criticism, or rejection, because of our walk with God, we have never had reason to examine the genuineness of our walk. Many television ‘preachers’ would love to sell us on how to be happy and avoid trouble. But, it’s simple really: we just have to live like the world and mimic the world’s standards. To go along with the world, to laugh at its jokes when it mocks God and takes His name in vain, or to be ashamed of our life as Christians, does not bring persecution. Faithfulness, on the other hand, always has a cost. The Christian response to persecution should not be to run and hide. We should be glad. In the early days of the church, the price paid for following Christ was often the ultimate price. To choose Christ often meant death by stoning or being wrapped in animal skins and fed to the lions. Today, to be persecuted for the sake of the Gospel is to stand in the ranks of the prophets. To be persecuted for our beliefs verifies that we belong to the family of Christ!

1st Reading: Acts 10:25–26, 34–35, 44–48 As Peter was about to enter, Cornelius went to him, fell on his knees and bowed low. But Peter lifted him up saying, “Stand up, for I too am a human being.” Peter then spoke to them, “Truly, I realize that God does not show partiality, but in all nations he listens to everyone who fears God and does good.” Peter was still speaking when the Holy Spirit came upon all who listened to the Word. And the believers of Jewish origin who had come with Peter were amazed, “Why! God gives and pours the Holy Spirit on foreigners also!” For indeed this happened: they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter declared, “Can we refuse to baptize with water these people who have received the Holy Spirit, just as we have?” So he had them baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. After that they asked him to remain with them for some days. 2nd Reading: 1 Jn 4:7–10 My dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Those who do not love have not known God, for God is love. How did the love of God appear among us? God sent his only Son into this world that we Ps 98:1, 2b–3, 3–4 might have life through him. The Lord has revealed to the nations This is love: not that we loved God but that his saving power. he first loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

sunday

Gospel: Jn 15:9–17 Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; remain in my love. You will remain in my love if you keep my commandments, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. “I have told you all this, that my own joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this, to give one’s life for one’s friends; and you are my friends if you do what I command you. “I shall not call you servants any more, because servants do not know what their master is about. Instead I have called you friends, since I have made known to you everything I learned from my Father. “You did not choose me; it was I who chose you and sent you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. And everything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. “This is my command, that you love one another.”

May

6th Sunday of Easter Psalter: Week 2

n our modern world “love” is a word that is cheapened by its overuse. In modern parlance “love” can mean just about anything we want it to mean, including actions that are steeped in selfishness and hedonism. In the Gospel, the meaning of the word “love” is crystal clear, for Jesus Himself defines the term by stretching His arms out upon the cross, dying to self so that we might live forever. Jesus gives us His great love, the greatest love the world has ever known, and He gives us this love as stewards. As we benefit for all eternity from the love of Jesus, so too are we called to share His love generously with others. In so doing, we bear in abundance the fruit of charity and mercy, bringing into other people’s lives the priceless treasures of faith, hope and love. In the Kingdom of God, “love” is a word whose meaning is unambiguous.

18 May

monday

6th Week of Easter John I Psalter: Week 2

Ps 149:1b–2, 3–4, 5–6a and 9b The Lord takes delight in his people.

1st Reading: Acts 16:11–15 So we put out to sea from Troas and sailed straight across to Samothrace Island, and the next day to Neapolis. From there we went inland to Philippi, the leading city of the district of Macedonia, and a Roman colony. We spent some days in that city. On the sabbath we went outside the city gate to the bank of the river where we thought the Jews would gather to pray. We sat down and began speaking to the women who were gathering there. One of them was a God-fearing woman named Lydia from Thyatira City, a dealer in purple cloth. As she listened, the Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying. After she had been baptized together with her household, she invited us to her house, “If you think I am faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us to accept her invitation. Gospel: Jn 15:26–16:4 Jesus said to his disciples, “From the Father, I will send you the Spirit of truth. When this Helper has come from the Father, he will be my witness, and you, too, will be my witnesses for you have been with me from the beginning. “I tell you all this to keep you from stumbling and falling away. They will put you out of the Jewish communities. Still more, the hour is coming when anyone who kills you will claim to be serving God; they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. I tell you all these things now so that when the time comes you may remember that I told you. “I did not tell you about this in the beginning because I was with you.”

primary role of the Holy Spirit is that He bears witness to Christ. He tells people’s hearts about the truth of Christ. He reveals God’s will and God’s truth to a Christian. The Holy Spirit chose to live inside those who believe in Christ, in order to produce God’s character in the life of a believer. In a way that we cannot do on our own, the Holy Spirit builds into our lives the qualities of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Rather than us trying to be patient and kind on our own, God asks us to rely on Him to produce these qualities in our lives. Thus, Christians are told to walk in the Spirit and be filled with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers Christians to perform duties that promote spiritual growth among us all. The Holy Spirit also performs a function for non-Christians. He convinces people of God’s truth concerning how sinful we are, needing God’s forgiveness, and how righteous Jesus is, in dying for our sins. The Holy Spirit dwells within our hearts and minds, asking us to repent and turn to God for forgiveness and a new life.

1st Reading: Acts 16:22–34* So they set the crowd against them and the officials tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered them to be flogged. And after inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to guard them safely. … About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly a severe earthquake shook the place, rocking the prison to its foundations. Immediately all the doors flew open and the chains of all the prisoners fell off. The jailer woke up to see the prison gates wide open. Thinking that the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword to kill himself, but Paul shouted to him, “Do not harm yourself! We are all still here.” The jailer asked for a light, then rushed in, and fell at the feet of Paul and Silas. After he had secured the other prisoners, he led them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you and your household will be saved.” Then they spoke the word of God to him and to all his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer took care of them and washed their wounds; and he and his whole household were baptized at once. …

tuesday

May

6th Week of Easter Psalter: Week 2

Ps 138:1–2ab, 2cde–3, 7c–8 Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

Gospel: Jn 16:5–11 Jesus said to his disciples, “But now I am going to the One who sent me and none of you asks me where I am going; instead you are overcome with grief because of what I have said. Indeed believe me: It is better for you that I go away, because as long as I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go away, it is to send him to you, and when he comes, he will vindicate the truth in face of the world with regard to sin, to the way of righteousness, and to the Judgment. “What has been the sin? They did not believe in me. What is the way of righteousness? I am on the way to the Father, meanwhile you will not see me. What Judgment? The Ruler of this world has himself been condemned.”

y warning his disciples of bad times ahead, Jesus intended that, when troubles came, as they certainly would, they would not come as a surprise. He didn’t tell them sooner, because he was there with them to teach, guide, and comfort them. The message for us here, as well, is that we shouldn’t worry about when troubles might be coming to us, or when they will end, because we know that troubles can work towards our good spiritual health. In his sufferings, Christ looked towards fulfilling scripture; and so should we, His followers, in ours. It is a common fault and folly of melancholy Christians to look only on the dark side of the cloud, or to turn a deaf ear to the voice of joy and gladness. This is tantamount to surrendering faith and losing hope in God. The main thing, which seemed to fill the hearts of the disciples with the greatest sorrow, was their great affection for this life. Nothing hinders our joy in God more than love of the world and, ironically, the sorrow of the world, which inevitably follows it.

20 May

wednesday

6th Week of Easter Bernardine of Siena Psalter: Week 2

Ps 148:1–2, 11–12, 13, 14 Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

1st Reading: Acts 17:15, 22–18:1* Paul was taken as far as Athens by his escort, who then returned to Beroea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible. Then Paul stood up in the Areopagus hall and said, “Athenian citizens, I note that in every way you are very religious. “As I walked around looking at your shrines, I even discovered an altar with this inscription: To an unknown God. Now, what you worship as unknown, I intend to make known to you. “God, who made the world and all that is in it, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands, being as he is Lord of heaven and earth. Nor does his worship depend on anything made by human hands, as if he were in need. Rather it is he who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone. From one stock he created the whole human race to live throughout all the earth, and he fixed the time and the boundaries of each nation. He wanted them to seek him by themselves, even if it were only by groping for him, succeed in finding him. Yet he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being, as some of your poets have said: for we too are his offspring. If we are indeed God’s offspring, we ought not to think of divinity as something like a statue of gold or silver or stone, a product of human art and imagination. But now God prefers to overlook this time of ignorance and he calls on all people to change their ways. He has already set a day on which he will judge the world with justice through a man he has appointed. And, so that all may believe it, he has just given a sign by raising this man from the dead.” … Gospel: Jn 16:12–15 Jesus said to his disciples, “I still have many things to tell you, but you cannot bear them now. When he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into the whole truth. “He has nothing to say of himself but he will speak of what he hears, and he will tell you of the things to come. He will take what is mine and make it known to you; in doing this, he will glorify me. All that the Father has is mine; because of this I have just told you, that the Spirit will take what is mine and make it known to you.”

fter the death of Jesus, the disciples, like Jesus before them, were anti-authoritarian; they ignored social propriety if it was a hindrance to their spirit-directed work and extended their influence through the ability to deliver charismatic sermons, heal, exorcise demons, and initiate these gifts in others. The message of Jesus was that God is alive and present here in the material world in the person of the Holy Spirit. At its inception, Christianity was never meant solely to be about Jesus. The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost marked the beginning of Christianity. Christianity is about the grace and power that arise when we become an instrument of the living presence of the Holy Spirit.

1st Reading: Acts 18:1–8 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, following a decree of the Emperor Claudius which ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to visit them and then stayed and worked with them because they shared the same trade of tentmaking. Every Sabbath he held discussions in the synagogue, trying to convince both Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was able to give himself wholly to preaching and proving to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. One day when they opposed him and insulted him, he shook the dust from his clothes in protest, saying, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. I am not to blame if from now on I go to the non-Jews.” So Paul left there and went to the house of a Godfearing man named Titus Justus who lived next door to the synagogue. A leading man of the synagogue, Crispus, along with his whole household, believed in the Lord. On hearing Paul, many more Corinthians believed and were baptized.

thursday

May

6th Week of Easter Christopher Magallanes Psalter: Week 2

Ps 98:1, 2–3ab, 3cd–4 The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Gospel: Jn 16:16–20 Jesus said to his disciples, “A little while and you will see me no more; and then a little while, and you will see me.” Some of the disciples wondered, “What does he mean by: ‘A little while and you will not see me, and then a little while and you will see me’? And why did he say: ‘I go to the Father’?” And they said to one another, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.” Jesus knew that they wanted to question him; so he said to them, “You are puzzled because I told you that in a little while you will see me no more, and then a little while later you will see me. Truly, I say to you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.”

he greatest word that can ever be said to a person in sorrow would be the promise that his sorrow will be temporary. Jesus comforted his sorrowful disciples and alleviated their sorrow with promises, wonderful hopes, and the assurance of his presence through the Holy Spirit. He told them they would do greater things than he did and that if they asked for anything in his name, it would be granted. He said they would have the power to be victorious over the world and that they would be his witnesses. Jesus gave them the greatest comfort possible: the promise that their sorrow would be temporary. Jesus told the disciples that he understood their sorrow. He knew they were grieving over the prospect of losing him, that they simply didn’t understand much of what he was saying about his physical death and departure. So, he turned his thoughts and concerns towards them and endeavoured to comfort them. He climaxed his message of comfort with the statement that soon their sorrow would be turned to joy because his departure was only temporary. Equally well, his message is a comfort for each one of us, who desires to follow in his footsteps!

22 May friday

6th Week of Easter Rita of Cascia Psalter: Week 2

Ps 47:2–3, 4–5, 6–7 God is king of all the earth.

1st Reading: Acts 18:9–18 One night, in a vision, the Lord said to Paul, “Do not be afraid, but continue speaking and do not be silent, for many people in this city are mine. I am with you, so no one will harm you.” So Paul stayed a year and a half in that place, teaching the word of God among them. When Gallio was governor of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the court. And they accused him, “This man tries to persuade us to worship God in ways that are against the Law.” Paul was about to speak in his own defense when Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of a misdeed or vicious crime, I would have to consider your complaint. But since this is a quarrel about teachings and divine names that are proper to your own law, see to it yourselves: I refuse to judge such matters.” And he sent them out of the court. Then the people seized Sosthenes, a leading man of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal; but Gallio paid no attention to it. Paul stayed on with the disciples in Corinth for many days; he then left them and sailed off with Priscilla and Aquila for Syria. And as he was no longer under a vow he had taken, he shaved his head before sailing from Cenchreae. Gospel: Jn 16:20–23 Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. A woman in childbirth is in distress because her time is at hand. But after the child is born, she no longer remembers her suffering because of such great joy: a human being is born into the world. “You feel sorrowful now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice. And no one will take your joy from you. When that day comes you will not ask me anything. Truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my Name, he will give you.”

s a man of true feeling, Jesus knew he would need to prepare his disciples for his departure. So, he gave them the promise of prayer answered. This must have been wonderful news for them. Although contact with the visible Jesus would be gone, a deeper, stronger, more inward contact with God was thrown wide open to them. That same privilege, that same inward contact with God, that same speaking to God in word and thought, has also been given to us, so that our joy may be complete. But, because God loves us, He only gives us those things that are for our good, those things that draw us closer to Christ, in whose name we pray. Even when God refuses to give us a particular thing, for which we are asking, our prayers do not go unanswered. God always knows best and He always answers our prayers in His own way, in His own time. Prayer is our whole response to God’s work in our lives: our deliverance from sin by the blood of Christ. As we breathe out our love for God with our prayer, we breathe in His never-ending love and mercy with His answer!

1st Reading: Acts 18:23–28 After spending some time there, he left and traveled from place to place through Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples. A certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived at Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker and an authority on the Scriptures, and he had some knowledge of the way of the Lord. With great enthusiasm he preached and taught correctly about Jesus, although he knew only of John’s baptism. As he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, Priscilla and Aquila heard him; so they took him home with them and explained to him the way more accurately. As Apollos wished to go to Achaia, the believers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly strengthened those who, by God’s grace, had become believers, for he vigorously refuted the Jews, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.

saturday

May

6th Week of Easter Psalter: Week 2

Ps 47:2–3, 8–9, 10 God is king of all the earth.

Gospel: Jn 16:23–28 Jesus said to his disciples, “When that day comes you will not ask me anything. Truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my Name, he will give you. So far you have not asked in my Name; ask and receive that your joy may be full. I taught you all this in veiled language, but the time is coming when I shall no longer speak in veiled language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. When that day comes, you will ask in my Name and it will not be for me to ask the Father for you, for the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and you believe that I came from the Father. As I came from the Father and have come into the world, so I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

itherto, Jesus had spoken in parables, the import of which the disciples did not fully understand. But now, he plainly intended to teach them such things as relate to God and the way to Him, through his intercession. Our praying to God for help shows a sense of spiritual want and a desire for spiritual blessings, with conviction that help is to be had from God alone. Asking in Christ’s name acknowledges our unworthiness to receive any favors from God and shows our full dependence upon Christ. And the frequency, with which we pray to Christ, offering up petitions in His name, shows that His mediation impresses upon us a deep sense of our sinfulness and of the power of His death, whereby we have access to God. Let us remember that, to address the Father in the name of Christ, or to address the Son of God, dwelling in human nature and reconciling the world to the Father, are the same, since the Father and Son are one. Here is a plain declaration of Christ’s coming from the Father. By telling them this, the disciples were able to increase in knowledge and in faith, just as we must do!

1st Reading: Acts 1:1–11 In the first part of my work, Theophilus, I wrote of all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he ascended to heaven. But first he had instructed through the Holy Spirit the apostles he had chosen. After his passion, he presented himself to them, giving many signs that he was alive; over a period of forty days he appeared to them and taught them concerning the kingdom of God. Once when he had been eating with them, he told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the fulfillment of the Father’s promise about which I have spoken to you: John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit within a few days.” When they had come together, they asked him, “Is it now that you will restore the Kingdom of Israel?” And he answered, “It is not for you to

Ps 47:2–3, 6–7, 8–9 God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord. know the time and the steps that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the earth.” After Jesus said this, he was taken up before their eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight. While they were still looking up to heaven where he went, suddenly, two men dressed in white stood beside them and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will return in the same way as you have seen him go there.”

2nd Reading: Eph 4:1–13 (or 4:1–7, 11–13) I, a prisoner of Christ, invite you to live the vocation you have received. Be humble, kind, patient, and bear with one another in love. Make every effort to keep among you the unity of Spirit through bonds of peace. Let there be one body and one spirit, for God, in calling you, gave the same Spirit to all. 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 given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said: When he ascended to the heights, he brought captives and gave his gifts to people. He ascended, what does it mean but that he had also descended to the lower parts of the world? Himself who went down, then ascended far above all the heavens to fill all things. As for his gifts, to some he gave to be apostles, to others prophets, or even evangelists, or pastors and teachers. So he prepared those who belong to him for the ministry, in order to build up the Body of Christ, until we are all united in the same faith and knowledge of the Son of God. Thus we shall become the perfect Man, upon reaching maturity and sharing the fullness of Christ. Gospel: Mk 16:15–20 Jesus said, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned. Signs like these will accompany those who have believed: in my Name they will cast out demons and speak new languages; they will pick up snakes and, if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed. They will lay their hands on the sick and they will be healed.” So then, after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and took his place at the right hand of God. The Eleven went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied them.

sunday

May

Ascension Sunday Psalter: Proper

hrough our baptism we are profoundly connected with the Lord and His apostles. Our Lord entered into the waters of the Jordan River, thereby making holy the water that would be the sign and means of our entrance into the life of the Holy Trinity. Jesus promised the apostles that they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit, a promise that He kept on the day of Pentecost. Before He ascended into heaven, our Lord commanded the apostles to go forth into the world, baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. On the day of our baptism we were configured to Christ Jesus and drawn into the life of the Church. On this Feast of the Ascension, may we be conscious of our baptismal promises: to reject sin, to embrace the Lord Jesus, and to live out our lives as good and faithful stewards of so great a gift as life in Christ. As we strive to bear witness to Jesus in what we say and do, may others be drawn to conversion and new life in Jesus Christ.

25 May

monday

7th Week of Easter Venerable Bede / Gregory VII / Mary Magdalene de Pazzi Psalter: Week 3

Ps 68:2–3ab, 4–5acd, 6–7ab Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

1st Reading: Acts 19:1–8 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior of the country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples whom he asked, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered, “We have not even heard that anyone may receive the Holy Spirit.” Paul then asked, “What kind of baptism have you received?” And they answered, “The baptism of John.” Paul then explained, “John’s baptism was for conversion, but he himself said they should believe in the one who was to come, and that one is Jesus.” Upon hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Paul laid his hands on them and the Holy Spirit came down upon them; and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. There were about twelve of them in all. Paul went into the synagogue and for three months he preached and discussed there boldly, trying to convince them about the Kingdom of God. Gospel: Jn 16:29–33 The disciples said to Jesus, “Now you are speaking plainly and not in veiled language! Now we see that you know all things, even before we question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “You say that you believe! The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. “I have told you all this, so that in me you may have peace. You will have trouble in the world; but, courage! I have overcome the world.”

hrist lives within us today to help us face life and live it victoriously. Being a Christian means having the courage to face life, and facing it as a victor and not a victim. It means singing a song when others are complaining. To live day after day, year after year, with pain or poverty takes enormous courage. If Jesus’ crucifixion looked like a defeat, his resurrection from the dead changed all that. We look back at the cross and realize that it was not a defeat, but a tremendous victory over death. All of us have times of depression when we feel like throwing in the towel and quitting; but those are the times we need to turn to Christ and let His power go to work. It takes courage to live like Christ. In ourselves, we don’t have this courage. But through faith in Christ we can face life with confidence and know that He will see us through. He never leaves us; He never forsakes us. His power will meet every demand of life. He will always give us what we need…patience, wisdom, kindness, love, understanding, and moral courage. He will never fail us!

1st Reading: Acts 20:17–27* From Miletus Paul sent word to Ephesus, summoning the elders of the Church. When they came to him, he addressed them, “You know how I lived among you from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia, how I served the Lord in humility through the sorrows and trials that the Jews caused me. You know that I never held back from doing anything that could be useful for you; I spoke publicly and in your homes and I urged Jews and non-Jews alike to turn to God and believe in our Lord Jesus. But now I am going to Jerusalem, chained by the Spirit, without knowing what will happen to me there. Yet in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that imprisonment and troubles await me. Indeed I put no value on my life, if only I can finish my race and complete the service to which I have been assigned by the Lord Jesus, to announce the good news of God’s grace.” …

tuesday

May

7th Week of Easter Philip Neri Psalter: Week 3

Ps 68:10–11, 20–21 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

Gospel: Jn 17:1–11 Jesus said, “Father, the hour has come; give glory to your Son, that the Son may give glory to you. You have given him power over all mortals, and you want him to bring eternal life to all you have entrusted to him. For this is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and the One you sent, Jesus Christ. I have glorified you on earth and finished the work that you gave me to do. Now, Father, give me in your presence the same Glory I had with you before the world began. “I have made your name known to those you gave me from the world. They were yours and you gave them to me, and they kept your word. And now they know that all you have given me comes indeed from you. I have given them the teaching I received from you, and they received it and know in truth that I came from you; and they believe that you have sent me. I pray for them; I do not pray for the world but for those who belong to you and whom you have given to me— indeed all I have is yours and all you have is mine—and now they are my glory. I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world whereas I am going to you. Holy Father, keep them in your Name (that you have given me,) so that they may be one, just as we are.”

hrist offered this prayer for His people alone; not for the world at large. Everyone, who wants to come to God and knows that he or she is unworthy to come on merit alone, should be encouraged by Christ’s declaration, that He is both willing and able to save the least of us, who come to God through Him. Earnest convictions and desires are hopeful signs of Christ’s work already in us; they begin to show the world that we have been chosen for salvation, through sanctification and belief in the truth of the Gospel. Just look at the foundation, upon which the prayer of Christ is grounded: All I have is yours and all you have is mine! This clearly shows that the Father and Son are one! The Son owns none of us that are not devoted to the service of the Father.

27 May

wednesday

7th Week of Easter Augustine of Canterbury Psalter: Week 3

Ps 68:29–30, 33–35a, 35bc–36ab Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

1st Reading: Acts 20:28–38* “Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock the Holy Spirit has placed into your care. Shepherd the Church of the Lord that he has won at the price of his own blood. I know that after I leave, ruthless wolves will come among you and not spare the flock. And from among you, some will arise corrupting the truth and inducing the disciples to follow them. “Be on the watch, therefore, remembering that for three years, night and day, I did not cease to warn everyone even with tears. Now I commend you to God and to his gracefilled word, which is able to make you grow and gain the inheritance that you shall share with all the saints. “I have not looked for anyone’s silver, gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for both my needs and the needs of those who were with me. In every way I have shown you that by so working hard one must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘Happiness lies more in giving than in receiving.’” … Gospel: Jn 17:11b–19 Jesus prayed, “I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world whereas I am going to you. Holy Father, keep them in your Name (that you have given me,) so that they may be one, just as we are. When I was with them, I kept them safe in your Name, and not one was lost except the one who was already lost, and in this the Scripture was fulfilled. But now I am coming to you and I leave these my words in the world that my joy may be complete in them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world; just as I am not of the world. I do not ask you to remove them from the world but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world; consecrate them in the truth—your word is truth. “I have sent them into the world as you sent me into the world, and for their sake, I go to the sacrifice by which I am consecrated, so that they too may be consecrated in truth.”

hrist didn’t pray that we might be prosperous and great in the world, but that we might be kept free from sin, strengthened for our duty, and brought safely to heaven. He didn’t pray that we should be removed from the world in order that we might escape its rage, since we have great work to do for the glory of God and the benefit of humankind. He prayed that the Father would keep us from evil, from being corrupted by the world and from the power and craft of the devil, so that we might pass through the world as through an enemy’s country, just as He did. The Spirit of God, in true Christians, is opposed to the spirit of the world. Christ prayed for us, so that we might not only be kept from the devil, but turned into good and faithful citizens of this world, in which we live. It is a call for action that means we are made holy and happy, through the work we do in the name of Christ. We must pray for His sanctifying grace, so that we may be set apart for Christ and for His service!

1st Reading: Acts 22:30; 23:6–11* … Paul knew that part of the Council were Sadducees and others Pharisees; so he spoke out in the Council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, son of a Pharisee. It is for the hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial here.” At these words, an argument broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the whole assembly was divided. For the Sadducees claim that there is neither resurrection, nor angels nor spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge all these things. Then the shouting grew louder, and some teachers of the Law of the Pharisee party protested, “We find nothing wrong with this man. Maybe a spirit or an angel has spoken to him.” With this the argument became so violent that the commander feared that Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He therefore ordered the soldiers to go down and rescue him from their midst and take him back to the fortress. That night the Lord stood by Paul and said, “Courage! As you have borne witness to me here in Jerusalem, so must you do in Rome.”

thursday

May

7th Week of Easter Psalter: Week 3

Ps 16:1–2a and 5, 7– 8, 9–10, 11 Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

Gospel: Jn 17:20–26 Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed, “I pray not only for these but also for those who through their word will believe in me. May they all be one as you Father are in me and I am in you. May they be one in us; so the world may believe that you have sent me. “I have given them the Glory you have given me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. Thus they shall reach perfection in unity and the world shall know that you have sent me and that I have loved them just as you 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 has not known you but I have known you, and these have known 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.”

hrist prayed that all of us, as Christians, might be one body beneath one head, animated by one soul, in union with Christ and the Father, through the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Let us endeavor to stay united in the bond of peace, praying that we all may be more and more united in one mind and one judgment. Thus, we shall convince the world of the truth and excellence of our faith, and find sweet communion with God and his saints. He declared the name and character of God, by His doctrine and His Spirit, so that the love of God towards Him might abide with us also. Thus, being joined to Christ and living by the Holy Spirit, we should be consumed with the conviction of our faith and, with joy and hope in God, enjoy a blessed happiness, of which we can form no real idea in our present state.

29 May friday

7th Week of Easter Psalter: Week 3

Ps 103:1–2, 11–12, 19–20ab The Lord has established his throne in heaven.

1st Reading: Acts 25:13b–21* … Festus told the king about Paul’s case and said to him. “We have here a man whom Felix left as a prisoner. When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews accused him and asked me to sentence him. I told them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over a man without giving him an opportunity to defend himself in front of his accusers. So they came and I took my seat without delay on the tribunal and sent for the man. “When the accusers had the floor, they did not accuse him of any of the crimes that I was led to think he had committed; instead they quarreled with him about religion and about a certain Jesus who has died but whom Paul asserted to be alive. I did not know what to do about this case, so I asked Paul if he wanted to go to Jerusalem to be tried there. But Paul appealed to be judged by the emperor. So I ordered that he be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.” Gospel: Jn 21:15–19 After Jesus and his disciples had finished breakfast, he said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” And Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” A second time Jesus said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” And Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Look after my sheep.” And a third time he said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was saddened because Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus then said, “Feed my sheep. Truly, I say to you, when you were young you put on your belt and walked where you liked. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and another will put a belt around you and lead you where you do not wish to go.” Jesus said this to make known the kind of death by which Peter was to glorify God. And he added, “Follow me.”

oday, Christ is calling us to the same vocation He gave to Peter: Feed my lambs; feed my sheep!” He’s calling us to bring the power of His Word to bear in people’s lives. Have we gone out of our way lately to help a homeless person, send food to a food pantry, donate clothing to a thrift shop or clothing bank, or buy a hungry person a meal? Do we encourage our elected officials to find ways to help us reach out with love and compassion, to provide assistance to those in need? While we might realize that we are our brother’s keeper, all too often we fall short of providing the care and concern, which so many hurting people need. Besides the physical hunger people face there is the spiritual hunger, integrally wound into the fabric of human existence. We, who have been called into the light of God’s mercy, love, and forgiveness, have also been called by Him to share that same spiritual food with others. Today, Christ is calling upon us to share His love, grace, mercy and forgiveness with everyone, so they might have life forever in Him.

1st Reading: Acts 28:16–20, 30–31 Upon our arrival in Rome, the captain turned the prisoners over to the military governor but permitted Paul to lodge in a private house with the soldier who guarded him. After three days, Paul called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered, he said to them: “Brothers, though I have not done anything against our people or against the traditions of our fathers, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They examined me and wanted to set me free, for they saw nothing in my case that deserved death. But the Jews objected, so I was forced to appeal to Caesar without the least intention of bringing any case against my own people. Therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I bear these chains.” Paul stayed for two whole years in a house he himself rented, where he received without any hindrance all those who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught the truth about Jesus Christ, the Lord, quite openly and without any hindrance.

saturday

May

7th Week of Easter Psalter: Week 3

Ps 11:4, 5, 7 The just will gaze on your face, O Lord.

Gospel: Jn 21:20–25 Peter looked back and saw that the disciple Jesus loved was following as well, the one who had reclined close to Jesus at the supper and had asked him, “Lord, who is to betray you?” On seeing him Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain until I come, does that concern you? Follow me.” Because of this the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus had not said to Peter, “He will not die,” but “suppose I want him to remain until I come.” It is this disciple who testifies about the things he has recorded here and we know that his testimony is true. But Jesus did many other things; if all were written down, the world itself would not hold the books recording them.

t was the will of Christ that His disciples should attend to their own affairs and not be curious about future events, whether they related to themselves or to others. Likewise, many things we are apt to be anxious about should mean nothing to us. We should work quietly and mind our own business. If we attend to the duty of following Christ, we shall find neither heart nor time to meddle in those things, which do not belong to us. Only a small part of the actions of Jesus have been written in the Gospels. But, let us bless God for all that is in them, and be thankful that there is so much in so small a space. Enough is recorded to direct our faith and regulate our practice; any more than that would have been unnecessary. Much of what is written is overlooked, much is forgotten, and much is made the matter of doubtful dispute. We can, however, receive joy from a thorough knowledge of all that Christ did and said, as well as learning from His generosity and grace, now, in his dealings with each and every one of us. May this be our never-ending happiness!

1st Reading: Acts 2:1–11 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. And suddenly out of the sky came a sound like a strong rushing wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. There appeared tongues as if of fire which parted and came to rest upon each one of them. All were filled with Holy Spirit and began to speak other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak. Staying in Jerusalem were religious Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered, all excited because each heard them speaking in his own language. Full of amazement and wonder, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? How is it that we hear them in our own native language? Here are Parthians, Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and foreigners who accept Jewish beliefs, Cretians and Arabians; and all of us hear them proclaiming in our own language what God, the Savior, does.” 2nd Reading: 1 Cor 12:3b–7, 12–13 (or Gal 5:16–25) I tell you that nobody inspired by the Spirit of Ps 104:1, 24, 29–30, 31, 34 God may say, “A curse on Jesus,” as no one can Lord, send out your Spirit, say, “Jesus is the Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. and renew the face of the earth. There is diversity of gifts, but the Spirit is the same. There is diversity of ministries, but the Lord is the same. There is diversity of works, but the same God works in all. The Spirit reveals his presence in each one with a gift that is also a service. As the body is one, having many members, and all the members, while being many, from one body, so it is with Christ. All of us, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, have been baptized in one Spirit to form one body and all of us have been given to drink from the one Spirit.

sunday

May

Gospel: Jn 15:26–27; 16:12–15 (or Jn 20:19–23) Jesus said to his disciples, “From the Father, I will send you the Spirit of truth. When this Helper has come from the Father, he will be my witness, and you, too, will be my witnesses for you have been with me from the beginning. I still have many things to tell you, but you cannot bear them now. When he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into the whole truth. He has nothing to say of himself but he will speak of what he hears, and he will tell you of the things to come. He will take what is mine and make it known to you; in doing this, he will glorify me. All that the Father has is mine; because of this I have just told you, that the Spirit will take what is mine and make it known to you.”

“C

Pentecost Sunday Psalter: Proper

ome, Holy Spirit!” the Church prays with great fervor. We pray that the fire of the Holy Spirit will bring interior renewal and the conversion of our hearts. We pray that the light of the Gospel might draw all people into the life of Christ and His Church. We pray that the Lord’s unconditional love for sinners will bring back to the fold those who have wandered astray. We pray that the strong, driving wind of the Holy Spirit will transform the prevailing culture of death into a culture of life. “Come, Holy Spirit!” we pray on this Feast of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. We pray that, like the apostles, we will be so filled with zeal for the Gospel that we will never hesitate to proclaim our love for the Lord in our words and deeds, and that by the power of the Holy Spirit working within us, we might draw others closer to the Lord. Please, God, may we become the faithful stewards and the authentic evangelizers that we are called to be.

01 June

monday

9th Week in Ordinary Time Justin Psalter: Week 1

Ps 112:1b–2, 3b–4, 5–6 Blessed the man who fears the Lord.

1st Reading: Tb 1:3; 2:1–8* I, Tobit, have walked in the ways of truth and justice all the days of my life; I have given many alms to my brethren and to those of my countrymen who were deported with me to Nineveh, a city in the country of the Assyrians. When I returned to my house, my wife Anna and my son Tobias were given back to me. … I saw the many dishes and said to my son: “Go and bring as many as you can find of our relatives who are in need and who remember the Lord. I will wait here for them.” When Tobias returned, he said: “Father, one of ours has been strangled and thrown into the public square.” Before I ate anything I hurried out and carried this man into the house and waited till sunset to bury him. When I returned home I washed myself and ate my food in sorrow. … Gospel: Mk 12:1–12* Jesus said, “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a hole for the wine press and built a watch tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenants and went abroad. “In due time he sent a servant to receive from the tenants his share of the fruit. But they seized the servant, struck him and sent him back empty-handed. Again the man sent another servant. They also struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent another and they killed him. In the same way they treated many others; some they struck and others they killed. One was still left, his beloved son. And so, last of all, he sent him to the tenants, for he said: ‘They will respect my son.’ “But those tenants said to one another: ‘This is the one who is to inherit the vineyard. Let’s kill him and the property will be ours.’ So they seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. Now, what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” …

he Jewish people, the holy people of God, lived in expectation of the messiah. This sense of expectation was a major part of their tradition through the centuries. The “stone” was the messiah; the “builders” were the Jews. When the messiah did come, those very Jewish people rejected him. And so, in Jesus: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” In ancient times, the cornerstone was the stone at the corner of two walls that united them. To cast aside the cornerstone would be to resist any future building on that foundation. The cornerstone was the place where the building was joined and also the place where it rested. The rejected stone of our personality provides a key to our self-awareness and understanding. Indeed, our rejected side may indeed be a cornerstone for our very being. Could it actually be that the stones that we have rejected…in our relationships, in our lives, in ourselves…could it be that these rejected stones might share a place in the completeness of God’s marvelous order? One day, when we proclaim all of this creation, may we accept one another and ourselves completely and may we then proclaim our faith with joy!

1st Reading: Tb 2:9–14* On the night of Pentecost, after I had buried the body, I returned home. I washed myself and went out into the courtyard to sleep against the wall; my face was uncovered because of the heat. I did not see that there were sparrows on the wall of the courtyard and, as my eyes were open, the hot droppings from the sparrows fell into my eyes and formed a white film on my eyes. I went to find doctors to attend to me for medical treatment but the more ointments they smeared on my eyes, the more blind I became because of the film. … My wife Anna worked hard at a woman’s task, weaving. On the seventh day of the month of March she cut the cloth and delivered it to her employers. They paid her wages and gave her, over and above, a young goat for food. When she returned home the kid began to cry. I said to her, “Where does the little kid come from? Did you steal it? Return it to its owners for we are not allowed to eat anything that is stolen.” But she said, “It is a gift which has been given to me in addition to my wages.” “I don’t believe it. I tell you to return it to its owners.” I was ashamed of her. She replied, “What about your own almsgiving and your good deeds? I have to put up with all this from you.”

tuesday

June

9th Week in Ordinary Time Marcellinus / Peter Psalter: Week 1

Ps 112:1–2, 7–8, 9 The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord.

Gospel: Mk 12:13–17 Jewish leaders sent to Jesus some Pharisees with members of Herod’s party, with the purpose of trapping him in his own words. They came and said to Jesus, “Master, we know that you are true; you are not influenced by anyone, and your answers do not vary according to who is listening to you but you truly teach God’s way. Tell us, is it against the Law to pay taxes to Caesar? Should we pay them or not?” But Jesus saw through their trick and answered, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a silver coin and let me see it.” They brought him one and Jesus asked, “Whose head is this, and whose name?” They answered, “Caesar’s.” Then Jesus said, “Return to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

esus’ enemies hoped that they might find an occasion to accuse him. Jesus was saying that his religious teachings were separate from earthly politics. This reflects traditional Christian thought, whereby Church and State are separate. It could also be that Jesus was advocating a life of voluntary poverty. After all, the less we have of Caesar’s, the less we have to give back to him. And again, if we rendered unto God all the things that belong to God, there would be nothing left for Caesar. Are we to heed Caesar, when he says to go to war or support war-making, when Jesus said that we must not kill? No! We may refuse to serve Caesar as soldiers and even try to resist paying for Caesar’s army. But, the fact is that, by our lifestyles, we’ve made a deal with Caesar to support our lifestyle. Now, when he wants to be paid back, it’s a little late to say that we don’t owe him anything. Whatever our interpretation, one thing is for sure: nothing is more likely to ensnare the followers of Christ, than encouraging them to meddle in disputes about worldly politics.

03 June

wednesday

9th Week in Ordinary Time Charles Lwanga and Companions Psalter: Week 1

Ps 25:2–3, 4–5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8–9 To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

1st Reading: Tb 3:1–11a, 16–17a* Distressed, I, Tobit wept and prayed and expressing my sorrow, I said, “You are just, O Lord; all your actions and all your ways are merciful and just; your judgments are always true and just. Remember me, Lord, and look on me. Do not punish me for my sins nor for the wrongs I have committed through ignorance. Pardon the sins which my fathers have committed in your sight, for they disobeyed your commandments. You have allowed us to suffer pillage, captivity and death. You have allowed us to be mocked by all the pagan nations among whom we have been dispersed. Ah well! All your judgments are just when you choose to punish me for my sins and those of my fathers, because we have not accomplished your will, … Do with me as you will. Order my life taken from me, and turn me into dust, because I prefer death to life. In this way free me and let me return to dust. It is better for me to die than to live, because these unjust reproaches have caused me great distress. Command that I be now released from trials, and let me enter my eternal dwelling place. Do not turn your face away from me.” … Gospel: Mk 12:18–27 The Sadducees came to Jesus. Since they claim that there is no resurrection, they questioned him in this way, “Master, in the Scriptures Moses gave us this law: ‘If anyone dies and leaves a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife and give her a child who will be considered the child of his deceased brother.’ Now, there were seven brothers. The first married a wife, but he died without leaving any children. … Finally the seven died leaving no children. Last of all the woman died. Now, in the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife? For the seven had her as wife.” Jesus replied, “You could be wrong in this regard because you understand neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. When they rise from the dead, men and women do not marry but are like the angels in heaven. “Now, about the resurrection of the dead, have you never reflected on the chapter of the burning bush in the book of Moses? God said to him: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now, he is the God, not of the dead but of the living. You are totally wrong.”

hat does this Gospel have to do with the kind of life we live? We come to a point, where our lives can be lived with a certain amount of hope, a certain amount of daring, a certain amount of adventure, a certain amount of confidence. These are qualities in our lives because we know there is something beyond our lives. There is a paradox to our living on this earth. We can have true qualities, because we know that the things that are of value in this life are not things of value in the life hereafter.

1st Reading: Tb 6:10–11; 7:1bcde, 9–17; 8:4–9a* When the angel Raphael and Tobiah had entered Media and were already approaching Ecbatana, Raphael said to Tobias, “Friend, we shall spend the night at the house of Ragouel. He is a relative of yours. He has no son, just an only daughter called Sara. When they arrived in Ecbatana Tobias said to Raphael, “Friend Azarias, take me straightaway to our friend Ragouel.” So Raphael led Tobias to Ragouel’s house and they found Ragouel sitting by the door of the courtyard. They killed a sheep and served them numerous dishes. … Tobias said, “I shall eat nothing if you do not stop now and bring this matter to a conclusion.” Ragouel said to Tobias, “Take her from now on; I give her to you according to the Law of Moses and you have to understand that God himself gives her to you. … He called his daughter Sara and taking her by the hand, he gave her to Tobias as his wife. …

thursday

June

9th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 128:1–2, 3, 4–5 Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Gospel: Mk 12:28–34 A teacher of the Law had been listening to this discussion and admired how Jesus answered them. So he came up and asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is: Hear, Israel! The Lord, our God, is One Lord; and you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And after this comes another one: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these two.” The teacher of the Law said to him, “Well spoken, Master; you are right when you say that he is one and there is no other. To love him with all our heart, with all our understanding and with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves is more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.” Jesus approved this answer and said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

ove the Lord and love one another! What a tall order for any Christian to do. Where does one start showing love for God? How can you love God with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength when you do not see him? That is why one should see God in one’s neighbor. This is where God manifests himself to everyone. We have to look at our neighbor with compassion, with understanding, and with forgiveness that comes from the heart. This is only be possible when we have God’s presence in our life. For when we have his presence, we feel God’s love in our hearts, and then we learn to teach ourselves to love others.

05 June friday

9th Week in Ordinary Time Boniface Psalter: Week 1

Ps 146:1b–2, 6c–7, 8–9a, 9bc–10 Praise the Lord, my soul!

1st Reading: Tb 11:5–17* Now Anna was sitting there, scanning the road along which her son should return. She saw Tobias and Raphael coming in the distance and said to the father of Tobias, “Your son is coming with the man who accompanied him.” While Tobias and Raphael were still going along the road, Raphael said to Tobias, “I am sure that your father will regain his sight. Rub his eyes with the fish gall and when he feels his eyes itching, he will rub them and the film will come away like scales from his eyes. He will regain his sight and see the light.” Anna ran to meet Tobias and threw her arms around his neck saying, “At last I have seen you again, my child. Now I can die!” … Tobias told his father about the successful outcome of his journey, how he got the money, and how he married Sara, daughter of Ragouel, who just then was approaching the gates of Nineveh. Tobit, happy and praising God, went out to meet his daughter-in-law at the gates of Nineveh. All those who saw him, walking alone and unaided, were amazed that he could see. Tobit proclaimed to them that God had taken pity on him and cured him. Then he went to Sara and blessed her saying, “Welcome, daughter! May God be blessed for having brought you to us and may your father and mother also be blessed.” It was a day of great rejoicing for all Tobit’s relatives who lived in Nineveh. Gospel: Mk 12:35–37 As Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he said, “The teachers of the Law say that the Messiah is the son of David. How can that be? For David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit declared: The Lord said to my Lord: sit at my right until I put your enemies under your feet. If David himself calls him Lord, in what way can he be his son?” Many people came to Jesus and listened to him gladly.

lthough the teaching ministry of Jesus lasted only three and a half years, during that time he showed that he was the world’s master teacher. He used words, which the common people could understand and took his illustrations from the things, with which his listeners were familiar. For Jesus, moral teaching required a transformation in the underlying attitudes of self-righteousness, complacency, arrogance, egoism, resentment and hopelessness, all of which must be unlearned before morality can take root. The most difficult barrier to his teaching was the prevailing attitude of moral self-righteousness. Jesus invited his hearers to discard conventional wisdom, in order to live by an alternative wisdom. His alternative wisdom undermined the social boundaries generated by the conventional wisdom of his day and ours. His aphorisms and parables invite us to see life differently. Seeing life is central to the teaching of Jesus. The reason Jesus sees differently is because he knows differently; and the radical change in perspective, which characterizes the teaching of Jesus, comes from a radically different experience of reality, the experience of the spirit of God. The path Jesus travels, and invites us to travel, is radically centered in God and not in worldly culture!

1st Reading: Tb 12:1, 5–15, 20* When the wedding feast was over, Tobit called Tobias, his son, and said to him, “Be sure you give the wages to the man who accompanied you, and we should add something extra.” Then Tobias called the angel and said to him, “Please take half of all that you have brought.” The angel took Tobit and Tobias to one side and said to them, “Bless God, return thanks to him, proclaim his glory and render him thanks before all the living for all he has done for you. It is good to praise God and to exalt his Name, by making known in a worthy manner the story of God’s deeds. Do not be slow in giving him thanks. It is good to hide the secrets of kings but to make known publicly the works of God. Do the works of God. Do good, and evil will not harm you. It is a good thing to accompany prayer with fasting, almsgiving and justice. It is better to do a little with honor than much with injustice. It is better to give alms than to treasure up gold. Alms-giving preserves from death; it purifies from all sin. …

saturday

June

9th Week in Ordinary Time Norbert / Our Lady’s Saturday Psalter: Week 1

Tb 13:2, 6efgh, 7, 8 Blessed be God, who lives for ever.

Gospel: Mk 12:38–44 As Jesus was teaching, he said, “Beware of those teachers of the Law who enjoy walking around in long robes and being greeted in the marketplace, and who like to occupy reserved seats in the synagogues and the first places at feasts. They even devour the widow’s and the orphan’s goods while making a show of long prayers. How severe a sentence they will receive!” Jesus sat down opposite the Temple treasury and watched the people dropping money into the treasury box; and many rich people put in large offerings. But a poor widow also came and dropped in two small coins. Then Jesus called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all those who gave offerings. For all of them gave from their plenty, but she gave from her poverty and put in everything she had, her very living.”

e should give thanks to God as a response to the love God gives us. Let us consider our families, our parents, siblings, spouses, children and grandchildren. They are wonderful blessings from God. But, how often do we take these blessings for granted. In fact, we don’t view them as blessings at all; instead we often view them as rights and things we deserve. It’s no wonder we fail to give God the thanks He deserves. We swallow materialism hook, line and sinker. We fall for the philosophy that we deserve this; it is our right to have that. What we fail to understand is that our sinful nature slaps God in the face every day. We blatantly break His commandments, we knowingly reject His word, and we selfishly satisfy our bodies. Despite all of this, God not only provides us with health, family, food, clothing and shelter—God provides Himself. When we realize this, we can all live a life that is filled with God’s love and we can thank Him for all those blessings. Let us also give Him thanks as proof that our heart belongs to Him alone.

1st Reading: Dt 4:32–34, 39–40 Moses said to the people, “Ask of the times past. Inquire from the day when God created man on earth. Ask from one end of the world to the other: Has there ever been anything as extraordinary as this? Has anything like this been heard of before? Has there ever been a people who remained alive after hearing as you did the voice of the living God from the midst of the fire? “Never has there been a God who went out to look for a people and take them out from among the other nations by the strength of trials and signs, by wonders and by war, with a firm hand and an outstretched arm. Never has there been any deed as tremendous as those done for you by Yahweh in Egypt, which you saw with your own eyes. “Therefore, try to be convinced that Yahweh is the only God of heaven and earth, and that there is no other. “Observe the laws and the commandments that I command you today, and everything will be well with you and your children after you. So you will live long in the land which Yahweh, your God, gives you forever.” 2nd Reading: Rom 8:14–17 All those who walk in the Spirit of God are sons and daughters of God. Then, no more fear: you did not receive a spirit of slavery, but the Spirit that makes you sons and daughters and Ps 33:4–5, 6, 9, 12b, 18–19, 20, 22 every time we cry, “Abba! (this is Dad!) Father!” Blessed the people the Lord has chosen the Spirit assures our spirit that we are sons and to be his own. daughters of God. If we are children, we are heirs, too. Ours will be the inheritance of God and we will share it with Christ; for if we now suffer with him, we will also share Glory with him.

sunday

Gospel: Mt 28:16–20 The Eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Jesus, they bowed before him, although some doubted. Then Jesus approached them and said, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples from all nations. Baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to fulfill all that I have commanded you. I am with you always until the end of this world.”

June

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Psalter: Proper

hrough the intelligent use of our human reason we can come to know that God exists. By looking at the way in which our universe works we can determine that it had to have been designed by an intelligent and powerful God. But who is this God? What else can we know about Him? Through our human reason alone we can know very little more about God than His exis tence. Yet God does not intend for us to remain ignorant of His love for the human race. For this reason, God intervenes in the history of the people of Israel, revealing Himself as a God of compassion, understanding and patience. In the fullness of time, God would send into the world His only begotten Son who would, by His death and resurrection, reveal to us the depth of the Father’s love for us. By sending the Holy Spirit into our world and into our lives we are made capable of living our lives not only with the knowledge that God exists, but with the confidence that comes from knowing that we are called to live as sons and daughters of a God who will stop at nothing to show us His merciful love.

08 June

monday

10th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 34:2–3, 4–5, 6–7, 8–9 Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

1st Reading: 2 Cor 1:1–7 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the church of God in Corinth, and to all the saints in the whole of Achaia. May you receive grace and peace from God our Father and from Christ Jesus, the Lord. Blessed be God, the Father of Christ Jesus, our Lord, the all-merciful Father and the God of all comfort! He encourages us in all our trials, so that we may also encourage those in any trial, with the same comfort that we receive from God. For whenever the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so, through Christ, a great comfort also overflows. So, if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we receive comfort it is also for you. You may experience the same comfort when you come to endure the same sufferings we endure. Our hope for you is most firm; just as you share in our sufferings, so shall you also share in our consolation. Gospel: Mt 5:1–12 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. He sat down and his disciples gathered around him. Then he spoke and began to teach them: “Fortunate are those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Fortunate are those who mourn, they shall be comforted. Fortunate are the gentle, they shall possess the land. Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied. Fortunate are the merciful, for they shall find mercy. Fortunate are those with a pure heart, for they shall see God. Fortunate are those who work for peace, they shall be called children of God. Fortunate are those who are persecuted for the cause of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Fortunate are you, when people insult you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you because you are my followers. Be glad and joyful, for a great reward is kept for you in God. This is how this people persecuted the prophets who lived before you.”

t seems certain that the Beatitudes were pointed directly at the disciples…and, therefore, as Christians, they are directed at us. This was Jesus’ longest sermon; it was also his most important. In the Gospels, we have recorded a lot of his teachings; but the Beatitudes are one unbroken tradition of eight inspirations. The disciples no longer had a place to lay their head. They had no prestige, no job; they were opposed by the religious and civil leaders, yet they were blessed, because they were the disciples of Jesus. They heard the call and they answered, even if they didn’t yet understand what it meant. We often reject the Beatitudes on practical grounds. Few of us think we could carry them out and, if we could, what would other people think of us? Then again, if we choose to be Jesus’ disciples, that’s what we are called to do! In the Beatitudes, Jesus gives us eight character-types of blessed people, which represent the principal graces of a Christian. So, over the next couple of days, we shall be taking time out to reflect upon the wisdom of the Beatitudes, and upon their relevance to our lives in the world, today!

1st Reading: 2 Cor 1:18–22 God knows that our dealing with you is not Yes and No, just as the Son of God, Christ Jesus, whom we—Silvanus, Timothy and I—preach to you, was not Yes and No; with him it was simply Yes. In him all the promises of God have come to be a Yes, and we also say in his name: Amen! giving thanks to God. God himself has anointed us and strengthens us with you to serve Christ; he has marked us with his own seal in a first outpouring of the Spirit in our hearts.

tuesday

June

10th Week in Ordinary Time Ephrem Psalter: Week 2

Ps 119:129–133, 135 Lord, let your face shine on me.

Gospel: Mt 5:13–16 Jesus said to his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its strength, how can it be made salty again? It has become useless. It can only be thrown away and people will trample on it. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a mountain cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and covers it; instead it is put on a lamp-stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine before others, so that they may see the good you do and praise your Father in heaven.”

The first four Beatitudes: 1. The poor in spirit are blessed. They bring their faith to their condition, even when it is a low condition. In their own eyes, they are humble and lowly. They see their want, confess their guilt, and thirst after hope. The kingdom of God is for them. 2. Those that mourn are blessed. The sorrow which works true repentance, watchfulness, a humble mind and continual dependence on the mercy of God, is here intended. Heaven is a mountain of joy, to which our way winds through a vale of tears. Such mourners shall be comforted by God. 3. The meek are blessed. The meek are those who quietly submit to God; who can bear insult; are silent, or return a soft answer; who, in their patience, keep possession of their own souls, when they can scarcely keep possession of anything else. These meek ones are happy, even in this world. Meekness promotes wealth, comfort and safety, even in this world. 4. Those, who hunger and thirst after justice, are blessed. Justice is the bedrock of all our spiritual blessings. Our desire for spiritual blessings must be accompanied by our daily desire to do God’s will.

10 June

wednesday

10th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 99:5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Holy is the Lord our God.

1st Reading: 2 Cor 3:4–11 This is how we are sure of God, through Christ. As for us we would not dare consider that something comes from us: our ability comes from God. He has even enabled us to be ministers of a new covenant no longer depending on a written text but on the Spirit. The written text kills, but the Spirit gives life. The ministry of the Law carved on stones brought death; it was nevertheless surrounded by glory and we know that the Israelites could not fix their eyes on the face of Moses, such was his radiance, though fleeting. How much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be! If there is greatness in a ministry which uses to condemn, how much more will there be in the ministry that brings holiness? This is such a glorious thing that in comparison the former’s glory is like nothing. That ministry was provisory and had only moments of glory; but ours endures with a lasting glory. Gospel: Mt 5:17–19 Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not think that I have come to remove the Law and the Prophets. I have not come to remove but to fulfill them. I tell you this: as long as heaven and earth last, not the smallest letter or stroke of the Law will change until all is fulfilled. So then, whoever breaks the least important of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be the least in the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys them and teaches others to do the same will be great in the kingdom of heaven.”

The final four Beatitudes: 5. The merciful are blessed. We must not only bear our own afflictions patiently, but we must do all we can to help those who are in misery. We must have compassion for others and do all in our power to help them. 6. The pure in heart are blessed. They shall see God. Here holiness and happiness are fully described and put together. The heart must be purified by faith, and kept for God. None but the pure are capable of seeing God. 7. The peace-makers are blessed. They love and desire and delight in peace. They keep the peace, so that it might be not broken; they recover it when it is broken. If the peace-makers are blessed, woe to the peace-breakers! 8. Those who are persecuted for the cause of justice are happy. This saying is more firmly insisted upon than the others. God provides that those, who are persecuted for Him through life, shall not be lost to Him in the end. With hope, we can cheerfully welcome any painful circumstances that come our way. May we find mercy from God; may we be owned as His children and inherit His kingdom.

1st Reading: Acts 11:21b–26; 13:1–3 The hand of the Lord was with them so that a great number believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, so they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the manifest signs of God’s favor, he rejoiced and urged them all to remain firmly faithful to the Lord; for he himself was a good man filled with Holy Spirit and faith. Thus large crowds came to know the Lord. Then Barnabas went off to Tarsus to look for Saul and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they had meetings with the Church and instructed many people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. There were at Antioch—in the Church which was there— prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon known as Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod, and Saul. On one occasion while they were celebrating the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I have called them.” So, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

thursday

June

Barnabas, apostle Psalter: Proper

Ps 98:1, 2–3ab, 3cd–4, 5–6 The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Gospel: Mt 10:7–13 Jesus said to his disciples, “Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. You received this as a gift, so give it as a gift. Do not carry any gold, silver or copper in your purses. Do not carry a traveler’s bag, or an extra shirt, or sandals, or walking stick: workers deserve their living. “When you come to a town or a village, look for a worthy person and stay there until you leave. “As you enter the house, wish it peace. If the people in the house deserve it, your peace will be on them; if they do not deserve it, your blessing will come back to you.”

his was the first mission for the disciples. Wherever they went, they were instructed by Jesus to proclaim the nearness of the kingdom of heaven. They were to preach in order to inspire the love of heavenly things and contempt of the earthly. This was to show that the intent of the doctrine they preached was to heal sick souls and to raise those, who were spiritually dead. Jesus told them how they should act in strange towns and cities: in proclaiming the healing and the saving of souls, they had to avoid the appearance either of hubris or of false humility. So it is with us, the servants of Christ. We are to be ambassadors of peace into whichever place we are sent or we find ourselves. We should conduct ourselves courteously to all. Like the disciples, we are told how to act towards those, who refuse the whole message of God. Those, who choose not to accept the gracious message, should be shown that their position is dangerous. And all of this should be seriously taken to heart by us, who are accustomed to hearing the Gospel, lest our neglect of privilege will serve to increase our downfall.

12 June friday

10th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 116:10–11, 15–16, 17–18 To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

1st Reading: 2 Cor 4:7–15 However, we carry this treasure in vessels of clay, so that this all-surpassing power may not be seen as ours but as God’s. Trials of every sort come to us, but we are not discouraged. We are left without answer, but do not despair; persecuted but not abandoned, knocked down but not crushed. At any moment we carry in our person the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in us. For we, the living, are given up continually to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may appear in our mortal existence. And as death is at work in us, life comes to you. We have received the same spirit of faith referred to in Scripture that says: I believed and so I spoke. We also believe and so we speak. We know that He who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and bring us, with you, into his presence. Finally, everything is for your good, so that grace will come more abundantly upon you and great will be the thanksgiving for the glory of God. Gospel: Mt 5:27–32 Jesus said to his disciples, “You have heard that it was said: Do not commit adultery. But I tell you this: anyone who looks at a woman to satisfy his lust has in fact already committed adultery with her in his heart. “So, if your right eye causes you to sin, pull it out and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. “It was also said: anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce. But what I tell you is this: If a man divorces his wife except in the case of unlawful union, he causes her to commit adultery. And the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

esus’ advice about dismembering one’s right eye or right hand is not meant to be taken literally. The important little word is “if.” If it were literally true that a member of our body could cause us to sin, then we would be better off to dispose of the offending part. The members of our body do not cause us to sin, however. It is the lust in our heart that is the problem. The members of our bodies can only be the instruments of sin, not the causes of it. It is lust that causes sin; and lust is not a function of the physical organism, but of the inward person. Everything is given to us to save us from sin, not to cause it. All our senses and powers must be kept from those things, which lead to transgression. Those, who lead others into temptation to sin, or expose them to it, are themselves guilty of that sin and will be rendered accountable for it. But we should turn our attention away from temptation, no matter how difficult that is, when the salvation of our souls is concerned. With God’s mercy, we are able to do just that!

1st Reading: 2 Cor 5:14–21 Indeed the love of Christ holds us and we realize that if he died for all, all have died. He died for all so that those who live may live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and rose again for them. And so from now on, we do not regard anyone from a human point of view; and even if we once knew Christ personally, we should now regard him in another way. For that same reason, the one who is in Christ is a new creature. For him the old things have passed away; a new world has come. All this is the work of God who in Christ reconciled us to himself, and who entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation. Because in Christ God reconciled the world with himself, no longer taking into account their trespasses and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we present ourselves as ambassadors in the name of Christ, as if God himself makes an appeal to you through us. Let God reconcile you; this we ask you in the name of Christ. He had no sin, but God made him bear our sin, so that in him we might share the holiness of God.

saturday

June

10th Week in Ordinary Time Anthony of Padua Psalter: Week 2

Ps 103:1–2, 3–4, 9–10, 11–12 The Lord is kind and merciful.

Gospel: Mt 5:33–37 Jesus said to his disciples, “You have also heard that people were told in the past: Do not break your oath; an oath sworn to the Lord must be kept. But I tell you this: do not take oaths. Do not swear by the heavens, for they are God’s throne, nor by the earth, because it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem because it is the city of the great king. Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Say yes when you mean yes and say no when you mean no. Anything else you say comes from the devil.”

e need to be people, who mean what we say and say what we mean. Sure, we’ll make some people angry in the process; we can’t please everyone. When we try to please everyone, we catch the politician’s disease of promising people whatever they desire, with no intention of keeping their promises. Do we want to be seen as having the same credibility as politicians? No? Then, we need to be plain-speaking! People will respect us far more if they know they can trust whatever we say…even if they disagree with us…than if they take us for slick-talking deceivers. We shouldn’t have to take an oath to feel obligated to fulfill our word. When we make a promise, we should mean it, without resorting to some kind of impressive-sounding oath. Love does not deceive, but honors another person enough to be honest with him or her. We all want to know the truth, no matter how painful it is. So, we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves, speaking the truth in the same way as we’d like to have the truth told to us, ourselves. If we would be Christians, we must speak the truth as Christ did!

1st Reading: Ex 24:3–8 Moses came and told the people all the words of Yahweh and all his laws. The people replied with one voice: “Everything that Yahweh has said, we shall do.” Moses wrote down all the words of Yahweh, then rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve raised stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. He then sent young men from among the sons of Israel to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice bullocks as peace offerings to Yahweh. And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins; and with the other half of the blood he sprinkled the altar. He then took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. They said, “All that Yahweh said we shall do and obey.” Moses then took the blood and sprinkled it on the people saying, “Here is the blood of the covenant that Yahweh has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

Ps 116:12–13, 15–16, 17–18 I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord. 2nd Reading: Heb 9:11–15 Christ has appeared as the high priest with regard to the good things of these new times. He passed through a sanctuary more noble and perfect, not made by hands, that is, not created. He did not take with himself the blood of goats and bulls but his own blood, when he entered once and for all into this sanctuary after obtaining definitive redemption. If the sprinkling of people defiled by sin with the blood of goats and bulls or with the ashes of a heifer provides them with exterior cleanness and holiness, how much more will it be with the blood of Christ? He, moved by the eternal Spirit, offered himself as an unblemished victim to God and his blood cleanses us from dead works, so that we may serve the living God.

sunday

So Christ is the mediator of a new covenant or testament. His death made atonement for the sins committed under the old testament, and the promise is handed over to all who are called to the everlasting inheritance. Gospel: Mk 14:12–16, 22–26 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the day when the Passover Lamb was killed, the disciples asked him, “Where would you have us go to prepare the Passover meal for you?” So Jesus sent two of his disciples with these instructions, “Go into the city and there a man will come to you carrying a jar of water. Follow him to the house he enters and say to the owner, ‘The Master says: Where is the room where I may eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ Then he will show you a large room upstairs, already arranged and furnished. There you will prepare for us.” The disciples went off. When they reached the city, they found everything just as Jesus had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. And he said, “Take this, it is my body.” Then he took a cup and after he had given thanks, passed it to them and they all drank from it. And he said, “This is my blood, the blood of the Covenant, which is to be poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not taste the fruit of the vine again until the day I drink the new wine in the kingdom of God.” After singing psalms of praise, they went out to the Hill of Olives.

June

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ Psalter: Proper

esus could not have possibly given more to us than His Body and Blood. Jesus gives every thing that He has to give by allowing Himself to be nailed to the cross. Through His sacrificial death Jesus cancels the debt of our sins and opens to us the new and everlasting covenant of His love. Jesus gives his life that we might have life and have it to the full. The sacrificial death that Jesus endured for us upon the cross is perpetuated through the holy sacrifice of the Mass. When we participate in the Holy Eucharist, we take our place at Calvary at the foot of the cross, and we experience the greatest love the world has ever known. What is more, we have the awesome privilege of receiving in to our persons through Holy Communion the very Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of the Lord. Instituted by the Lord at the Last Supper in anticipation of His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, the Holy Eucharist is our greatest treasure. It is the sacrament through which the Lord Jesus keeps His solemn promise, “I am with you always, even until the end of the age.”

15 June

monday

11th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 98:1, 2b, 3ab, 3cd–4 The Lord has made known his salvation.

1st Reading: 2 Cor 6:1–10 Being God’s helpers we beg you: let it not be in vain that you received this grace of God. Scripture says: At the favorable time I listened to you, on the day of salvation I helped you. This is the favorable time, this is the day of salvation. We are concerned not to give anyone an occasion to stumble or criticize our mission. Instead we prove we are true ministers of God in every way by our endurance in so many trials, in hardships, afflictions, floggings, imprisonment, riots, fatigue, sleepless nights and days of hunger. People can notice in our upright life, knowledge, patience and kindness, action of the Holy Spirit, sincere love, words of truth and power of God. So we fight with the weapons of justice, to attack as well as to defend. Sometimes we are honored, at other times insulted; we receive criticism as well as praise. We are regarded as liars although we speak the truth; as unknown though we are well known; as dead and yet we live. Punishments come upon us but we have not, as yet, been put to death. We appear to be afflicted, yet always joyful; we seem to be poor, but we enrich many; we have nothing, but we possess everything! Gospel: Mt 5:38–42 Jesus said to his disciples, “You have heard that it was said: An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you this: do not oppose evil with evil; if someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn and offer the other. If someone sues you in court for your shirt, give your coat as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give when asked and do not turn your back on anyone who wants to borrow from you.”

urn the other cheek! Possibly more than any other saying of Jesus, this sums up what it means to be a Christian. Does Jesus want us to be doormats, suckers who allow ourselves to be taken advantage of by every bully and gangster, who walk into our lives? Tough love sometimes demands we say tough words. What no human being can or should do is judge the ultimate standing of a person before God, based on the hidden motivations of his or her heart. We can judge whether objective behavior is good or bad, right or wrong. Sometimes, it is even our duty to tell people that it is wrong and condemn it. God’s call is for us to love them and care enough about them enough to speak the truth to them; and then to help them get the support they need to live according to that truth. While we hate the sin, we must love the sinner. Such love is amazing; but can we expect it to change anyone? The example of Judas and the Pharisees would argue not. And yet, by our example, we can often show that, since our hearts are open, our love is irresistible!

1st Reading: 2 Cor 8:1–9 Now I want you to know about a gift of divine grace among the Churches of Macedonia. While they were so afflicted and persecuted, their joy overflowed and their extreme poverty turned into a wealth of generosity. According to their means—even beyond their means—they wanted to share in helping the saints. They asked us for this favor spontaneously and with much insistence and, far beyond anything we expected, they put themselves at the disposal of the Lord and of us by the will of God. Accordingly, I urged Titus to complete among you this work of grace since he began it with you. You excel in everything: in the gifts of faith, speech and knowledge; you feel concern for every cause and, besides, you are first in my heart. Excel also in this generous service. This is not a command; I make known to you the determination of others to check the sincerity of your fraternal concern. You know well the generosity of Christ Jesus, our Lord. Although he was rich, he made himself poor to make you rich through his poverty.

tuesday

June

11th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 146:2, 5–6ab, 6c–7, 8–9a Praise the Lord, my soul!

ove your enemies! Over the centuries, many persons have argued that this is an extremely difficult command. Many would go so far as to say that it just isn’t possible to move into the actual practice of this glorious command. But, far from being an impractical idealist, Jesus was the practical realist. And now, the words of this text glitter in our eyes with a new urgency. This command is an absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. Yes, it is love that will save our world and our civilization, love even for our enemies! It’s also necessary that we go into the question of why we should love our enemies: because hate for hate’s sake only intensifies the existence of evil in the world. Somewhere, somebody must have a little sense and that’s the strong person. The strong person is the person who can cut off the chain of hate, the chain of evil. The tragedy of hate is that it intensifies the existence of evil in the universe. We simply must have enough faith to cut it off and inject, within the very structure of the universe, that strong and powerful element of love for our enemies.

17 June

wednesday

11th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 112:1bc–2, 3–4, 9 Blessed the man who fears the Lord.

1st Reading: 2 Cor 9:6–11* Remember: the one who sows meagerly will reap meagerly, and there shall be generous harvests for the one who sows generously. Each of you should give as you decided personally, and not reluctantly as if obliged. God loves a cheerful giver. … God who provides the sower with seed will also provide him with the bread he eats. He will multiply the seed for you and also increase the interests of your good works. Become rich in every way, and give abundantly. What you give will become, through us, a thanksgiving to God. Gospel: Mt 6:1–6, 16–18 Jesus said to his disciples, “Be careful not to make a show of your righteousness before people. If you do so, you do not gain anything from your Father in heaven. When you give something to the poor, do not have it trumpeted before you, as do those who want to be seen in the synagogues and in the streets in order to be praised by the people. I assure you, they have been already paid in full. If you give something to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift remains really secret. Your Father who sees what is kept secret, will reward you. When you pray, do not be like those who want to be seen. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues or on street corners to be seen by everyone. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is with you in secret; and your Father who sees what is kept secret will reward you. “When you fast, do not put on a miserable face as do the hypocrites. They put on a gloomy face, so people can see they are fasting. I tell you this: they have been paid in full already. When you fast, wash your face and make yourself look cheerful, because you are not fasting for appearances or for people, but for your Father who sees beyond appearances. And your Father, who sees what is kept secret will reward you.

rayer isn’t some secret language of fancy phrases; there aren’t any magic formulae to make God hear us, or act upon our requests. When we speak to God in our everyday normal speaking language, we are praying. Jesus prayed constantly and talked a lot about prayer. He knew that prayer releases God’s power into any situation and renews our spiritual strength to handle anything in life. Whenever the pressure on him became overwhelming, Jesus went to a private place and prayed. But, just as he knew that God was the source of his strength, Jesus knew, equally well, that God is always poised, ready to help us in times of trouble. He may not release us from a trial; but we have His promise that He will strengthen us and He will stand with us as we go through it. We may be in dire circumstances; but we should always know that God is there with us, whenever we genuinely pray for Him to be there. If we really, really trust Him, God has promised that everything will work out for our ultimate welfare. So, when we pray, we must remember to thank God for His work in our lives!

1st Reading: 2 Cor 11:1–11* May you bear with me in some little foolishness! But surely you will. I confess that I share the jealousy of God for you, for I have promised you in marriage to Christ, the only spouse, to present you to him as a pure virgin. And this is my fear: the serpent that seduced Eve with cunning could also corrupt your minds and divert you from the Christian sincerity. Someone now comes and preaches another Jesus different from the one we preach, or you are offered a different spirit from the one you have received, with a different Gospel from the one you have accepted—and you agree! … Perhaps my fault was that I humbled myself in order to uplift you, or that I gave you the Gospel free of charge. I called upon the services of other churches and served you with the support I received from them. When I was with you, although I was in need, I did not become a burden to anyone. The friends from Macedonia gave me what I needed. I have taken care not to be a burden to you in anything and I will continue to do so. By the truth of Christ within me, I will let no one in the land of Achaia stop this boasting of mine. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!

thursday

June

11th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 111:1b–2, 3–4, 7–8 Your works, O Lord, are justice and truth.

hroughout history, today’s Gospel reading has been known as The Lord’s Prayer! Jesus taught us how to pray in word and deed, in so many ways. When we pray his prayer, his spirit becomes our own. Every word has a lesson in it. By calling God, Father, we are describing ourselves and our relationship with God. Jesus teaches that we have a filial relationship with God; God sees us as if we were a daughter or a son. And we, on our part, can approach God in the familiar, confident way a child approaches a loving parent. Not only do we ask God’s forgiveness for our daily offenses, but we link God’s forgiveness of us with our forgiveness of others. Forgiving others is not always easy to do. We need God’s help to do it. Life is a daily battle. Trials like sickness and failure can crush our spirit. False values and easy promises can entice us and even destroy our souls. And so, we ask God to keep us from failing when we are tested, to help us to know the right thing to do, and to deliver us from any evil, which might await us in life. Amen!

19 June friday

The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Psalter: Proper

Is 12:2–3, 4, 5–6 You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

1st Reading: Hos 11:1, 3–4, 8c–9 I loved Israel when he was a child; out of Egypt I called my son. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; yet little did they realize that it was I who cared for them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with leading strings of love, and I became for them as one who eases the yoke upon their neck and stoops down to feed them. How can I give you up, Ephraim? Can I abandon you like Admah or make you like Zeboiim? My heart is troubled within me and I am moved with compassion. I will not give vent to my great anger; I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not human. I am the Holy One in your midst and I do not want to come to you in anger. 2nd Reading: Eph 3:8–12, 14–19 Gospel: Jn 19:31–37 As it was Preparation Day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross during the Sabbath, for this Sabbath was a very solemn day. They asked Pilate to have the legs of the condemned men broken, so they might take away the bodies. The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who had been crucified with Jesus. When they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead; so they did not break his legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a lance and immediately there came out blood and water. The one who has seen here gives his witness so that you may believe: his witness is true and He knows that he speaks the truth. All this happened to fulfill the words of Scripture, Not one of his bones shall be broken. Another text says: They shall look on him whom they have pierced.

evotion to the Sacred Heart is but a special form of devotion to Jesus. His heart is, above all, the emblem of love and whatever in Jesus is connected with this love. Devotion to the Sacred Heart, being directed to the living heart of Jesus, thus becomes familiar with his whole inner life, with all his virtues and sentiments, and finally, with his infinitely loving and lovable nature. There is still another extension, very naturally made: when speaking of a big heart, our allusion is to a person, just as when we mention the Sacred Heart we mean Jesus. When the word “heart” is used to designate a person, it is because that person is considered in relation to his or her generosity and moral life. The love of Jesus, his heart, embraces us all; and the better we understand it, the more firmly shall we be convinced that nothing can vie with it, for making Jesus live in us and for bringing us, who live by it, to love God with all our heart, with all our soul and all our strength. No other practice can ever exhaust the riches of our devotion to the Sacred Heart!

1st Reading: 2 Cor 12:1–10* … I know a certain Christian: fourteen years ago he was taken up to the third heaven. … Of that man I can indeed boast, but of myself I will not boast except of my weaknesses. If I wanted to boast, it would not be foolish of me, for I would speak the truth. However, I better give up lest somebody think more of me than what is seen in me or heard from me. Lest I become proud after so many and extraordinary revelations, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a true messenger of Satan, to slap me in the face. Three times I prayed to the Lord that it leave me, but he answered, “My grace is enough for you; my great strength is revealed in weakness.” Gladly, then, will I boast of my weakness that the strength of Christ may be mine. So I rejoice when I suffer infirmities, humiliations, want, persecutions: all for Christ! For when I am weak, then I am strong.

saturday

June

Immaculate Heart of Mary Psalter: Week 3

Ps 34:8–9, 10–11, 12–13 Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Gospel: Lk 2:41–51 Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, as was customary. And when Jesus was twelve years old, he went up with them according to the custom for this feast. After the festival was over, they returned, but the boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem and his parents did not know it. They thought he was in the company and after walking the whole day they looked for him among their relatives and friends. As they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem searching for him, and on the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. And all the people were amazed at his understanding and his answers. His parents were very surprised when they saw him and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I were very worried while searching for you.” Then he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Do you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand this answer. Jesus went down with them, returning to Nazareth, and he continued to be subject to them. As for his mother, she kept all these things in her heart.

n order that there may be devotion to the heart of Mary, our attention and homage must acknowledge all that her human heart suggests. Her heart is the symbol and living reminder of Mary’s interior life, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and her hidden perfections. Above all, we venerate her virginal love for God, her maternal love for her divine son, and her motherly and compassionate love for us. What seems to attract us above all else is the love in Mary’s heart for Jesus and for God. She kept all the sayings and doings of Jesus in her heart, so that she might ponder upon them and live by them. Thus the object of our devotion is to love God and Jesus better, by uniting ourselves to Mary for this purpose and by imitating her virtues, in our devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

1st Reading: Job 38:1, 8–11 Then Yahweh answered Job out of the storm: Who shut the sea behind closed doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling clothes; when I set its limits with doors and bars in place, when I said, “You will not go beyond these bounds; here is where your proud waves must halt?” 2nd Reading: 2 Cor 5:14–17 Indeed the love of Christ holds us and we realize that if he died for all, all have died. He died for all so that those who live may live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and rose again for them. And so from now on, we do not regard anyone from a human point of view; and even if we once knew Christ personally, we should now regard him in another way. For that same reason, the one who is in Christ is a new creature. For him the old things have passed away; a new world has come. Gospel: Mk 4:35–41 On that same day when evening had come, Jesus said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side.” So they left the crowd and took him away in the boat he had been sitting in, and other boats set out with him. Then a storm gathered and it began to blow a gale. The waves spilled over into the boat so that it was soon filled with Ps 107:23–24, 25–26, 28–29, 30–31 water. And Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the Give thanks to the Lord, his love is everlasting. cushion. They woke him up and said, “Master, don’t you care if we sink?” As Jesus awoke, he rebuked the wind and ordered the sea, “Quiet now! Be still!” The wind dropped and there was a great calm. Then Jesus said to them, “Why are you so frightened? Do you still have no faith?” But they were terrified and they said to one another, “Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

sunday

June

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

hose who venture out upon the sea are conscious of the great risk that they are undertaking. Even on our modern cruise liners the presence of life boats and life jackets is unmistakable. The risky and dangerous sea is a metaphor for our lives. We are never far from the rare virus or freak accident that could leave us clinging to life. In fact, this very day your life could be taken from you, for we know neither the day nor the hour. Far more significantly, we are never far from the cunning influence of the evil one, who prowls about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Dangerous waters indeed. Yet we are not without hope, for amidst the crashing of the waves and howling of the wind the Lord Jesus sails with us. He is never far from us and is always ready to save those who call upon Him. His very name has the power to calm the storms that threaten body and soul. May the abiding presence of Jesus give us peace of heart and courage to face the challenges of life.

22 June

monday

12th Week in Ordinary Time Paulinus of Nola / JohnFisher / Thomas More Psalter: Week 4

Ps 33:12–13, 18–19, 20 and 22 Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

1st Reading: Gen 12:1–9 Yahweh said to Abram, “Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse, and in you all peoples of the earth will be blessed.” So Abram went as Yahweh had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took Sarai, his wife, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran. They set out for the land of Canaan. They arrived at Canaan. Abram traveled through the country as far as Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” There he built an altar to Yahweh who had appeared to him. From there he went on to the mountains east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There also he built an altar to Yahweh and called on the name of Yahweh. Then Abram set out in the direction of Negeb. Gospel: Mt 7:1–5 Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not judge and you will not be judged. In the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and the measure you use for others will be used for you. Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye and not see the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother: ‘Come, let me take the speck from your eye,’ as long as that plank is in your own? Hypocrite, take first the plank out of your own eye, then you will see clear enough to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

oday, Jesus speaks to us about seeing our faults. This time it’s a little humorous, yet with a sober message, as he contrasts the “speck” and the “plank” in our eyes. We must cultivate the ability to see. Jesus wants to open our eyes to see what he sees, not just with our physical eyes, but with the eyes of our hearts. Let’s not be in that group that Jesus speaks about: those who, having eyes, do not see. It’s difficult, but our culture, for all its image-based, video orientation, is flat out blind! Yes, we should judge ourselves; but we shouldn’t make our word a law for everybody else. We must not judge rashly, nor pass judgment upon others for no reason. We must not think the worst of people. Here, Jesus offers a reproof to those who would quarrel with others for small faults, while they’d allow for greater ones in themselves. It would be strange if we were in a sinful condition and not be aware of it, just as it would be if we had a beam in our eye and not see it. Here is a good rule for critics of others: first reform yourself!

1st Reading: Gen 13:2, 5–18* Now Abram was very rich in flocks, silver and gold. Lot who went with Abram also had flocks, cattle and tents. The land was not sufficient to allow them to stay together, for their possessions were too great for them to live together. A quarrel arose between the herdsmen of Abram’s flock and those of Lot. (The Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at the time.) Abram said to Lot, “Don’t let there be a dispute between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and yours, since we are brothers! Isn’t the whole land there before you? Let us part company. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.” … Lot chose for himself all the Jordan valley and journeyed eastward. In this way they separated from each other. Abram settled in the country of Canaan while Lot lived among the towns of the plain and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against Yahweh. Yahweh said to Abram after Lot had left him, “Raise your eyes and look from where you are, towards the north, the south, the east and the west; all the land you see I will give to you and your descendants forever. I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; if the grains of the dust can be counted, then your descendants may be counted. Come, travel through the length and breadth of the land, for it is to you that I am giving it.” So Abram moved his tent and came to live by the oak of Mamre at Hebron. There he built an altar to Yahweh.

tuesday

June

12th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

Ps 15:2–3a, 3bc–4ab, 5 He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Gospel: Mt 7:6, 12–14 Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs, or throw your pearls to the pigs: they might trample on them and even turn on you and tear you to pieces. So, do to others whatever you would that others do to you: there you have the Law and the Prophets. Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many go that way. How narrow is the gate that leads to life and how rough the road; few there are who find it.”

oday, Jesus tells us not to cast our pearls before swine. As we preach the true message of the Gospel to everyone, we must understand that we are not convert-makers. As we do so, we should leave the results up to God and not judge self-righteously and write people off, deciding that they don’t need the Gospel because they wouldn’t respond anyway. But, at the same time, we must make a judgment-call about what to say, when, and how to say it. To know and admit that someone is a sinner is not the same thing as judging them. To know that someone needs help is not to look down on them. Jesus told the disciples that some would heed their message, others would not. Not every person we talk to will believe what we tell them about Christ. If a person does not heed our warning about the judgment to come and if they reject the good news…there is nothing else we can do!

24 June

wednesday

Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist Psalter: Proper

Ps 139:1b–3, 13–14ab, 14c–15 I praise you for I am wonderfully made.

1st Reading: Is 49:1–6* … Yahweh called me from my mother’s womb; he pro nounced my name before I was born. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword. He hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into a polished arrow set apart in his quiver. He said to me, “You are Israel, my servant, Through you I will be known.” “I have labored in vain,” I thought and spent my strength for nothing.” Yet what is due me was in the hand of Yahweh, and my reward was with my God. I am important in the sight of Yahweh, and my God is my strength. And now Yahweh has spoken, he who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, to gather Israel to him. He said: “It is not enough that you be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob, to bring back the remnant of Israel. I will make you the light of the nations, that my salvation will reach to the ends of the earth.” 2nd Reading: Acts 13:22–26 Gospel: Lk 1:57–66, 80 When the time came for Elizabeth, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the merciful Lord had done a wonderful thing for her and they rejoiced with her. When on the eighth day they came to attend the circumcision of the child, they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.” They said to her, “No one in your family has that name”; and they asked the father by means of signs for the name he wanted to give. Zechariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote on it, “His name is John,” and they were very surprised. Immediately Zechariah could speak again and his first words were in praise of God. A holy fear came on all in the neighborhood, and throughout the Hills of Judea the people talked about these events. All who heard of it pondered in their minds and wondered, “What will this child be?” For they understood that the hand of the Lord was with him. As the child grew up, he was seen to be strong in the Spirit; he lived in the desert till the day when he appeared openly in Israel.

he greatness of John the Baptist is seen in the great emphasis given to the announcement of his birth and the event itself: both made prominently parallel to the same occurrences in the life of Jesus. Except for Mary, no one had a higher function in the unfolding of salvation. Yet, the least in the kingdom, Jesus said, is greater than John the Baptist, for the gift of salvation that God gives. John challenges us Christians to the fundamental attitude of Christianity: total dependence on God, in Christ. The attractiveness as well as the austerity of John, his fierce courage in denouncing evil, all stem from his fundamental placement of his life within the will of God. And this is not something, which was only true long ago in the past. It is always true, because the repentance, which he preached, always remains the way into the kingdom which he announced. John is always relevant because he calls for a preparation and a repentance, which all of us need to make on a daily basis!

1st Reading: Gen 16:6b–12, 15–16* … Abram said to Sarai, “Your servant is in your power; do with her as you please.” Then Sarai treated her so badly that she ran away. The angel of Yahweh found her near a spring in the wilderness and said to her, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I’m running away from Sarai, my mistress.” The angel of Yahweh said to her, “Go back to your mistress and humbly submit yourself to her.” The angel of Yahweh said to her, “I will so increase your descendants, that they will be too numerous to be counted.” Then the angel of Yahweh said to her, “Now you are with child and you will have a son, and you shall name him Ishmael, for Yahweh has heard your distress. He shall be a wild ass of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, defiant towards all his brothers.” …

thursday

June

12th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

Ps 106:1b–2, 3–4a, 4b–5 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

Gospel: Mt 7:21–29 Jesus said to his disciples, “Not everyone who says to me: Lord! Lord! will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my heavenly Father. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not speak in your name? Did we not cast out devils and perform many miracles in your name?’ Then I will tell them openly: I have never known you; away from me, you evil people! “So, then, anyone who hears these words of mine and acts accordingly is like a wise man, who built his house on rock. The rain poured, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew and struck that house, but it did not collapse because it was built on rock. But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not act accordingly, is like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain poured, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew and struck that house; it collapsed, and what a terrible fall that was!” When Jesus had finished this discourse, the crowds were struck by the way he taught, because he taught with authority unlike their teachers of the Law.

esus taught that it isn’t enough to acknowledge him in word alone; it is necessary that we repent of sin, that we live a holy life, that we love one another. There are others, whose faith relies solely upon hearing a message and nothing more. Two kinds of hearers are represented as two builders. Today’s parable teaches us to hear and act upon the sayings of Jesus; some may seem difficult to follow, but they must be done. Some build their hopes upon worldly prosperity; others upon outward professions of religion. But their hopes are all built on sand, too weak to bear the demands of the faith, upon which we build our hopes of heaven. The coming storm will try everyone’s faith. The crowds were astonished at the wisdom and power of Jesus’ doctrine. And this sermon, which is often read over and again, is always new. Let us be more and more decided and earnest, making Christ the main subject of our thoughts. Let us not confuse our faith with worldly rewards, whereby we grasp at everything, but catch nothing. May God make us wise builders for eternity; then nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ!

26 June friday

12th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

Ps 128:1–2, 3, 4–5 See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.

1st Reading: Gen 17:9–10, 15–22 God said to Abraham, “For your part, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you, generation after generation. This is my covenant with you, that you will keep, you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised; God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai, your wife, no longer are you to call her Sarai, but Sarah. I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her. I will bless her and from her will come nations; kings and peoples shall come from her.” Then Abraham fell face down, and he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? And can Sarah who is ninety have a child?” And Abraham said to God, “If only you would accept Ishmael as yours!” But God said, “Not at all! It is Sarah, your wife, who will give birth to your son and you will name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him and his descendants after him forever. As for Ishmael, I heard you. I will bless him and make him fruitful, and I will multiply his race. He shall be the father of twelve princes and I will make of him a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, the child Sarah will have this time next year.” When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went away from him. Gospel: Mt 8:1–4 When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. Then a leper came forward. He knelt before him and said, “Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I want to, be clean again.” At that very moment the man was cleansed from his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you do not tell anyone, but go to the priest, have yourself declared clean, and offer the gift that Moses ordered as proof of it.”

oday, we have another account of Jesus cleansing a leper. There is a part of each one of us that is like the leper, in need of healing. Once we recognize that we are all in need of healing, God will have compassion on us. Then again, once God shows compassion to us, we should want to show compassion to each other…in fact, to everyone on the planet. We have a whole new set of lepers today, people whom we ostracize, whom we exclude and excommunicate, declare unclean and push aside. In our culture, we ostracize people on death row, people with AIDS, people with disabilities, people who are Muslim, or people who are just different. We often think they’re the cause of our problems: let’s push them aside or imprison them or ignore their sufferings; or kill them and get rid of them. Then, we’ll be OK; we’ll be safe; we’ll be secure. But, like Jesus, we must side with the lepers of our time, cultivate a heart of compassion, stretch out our hands and welcome them into our community. We have to reconcile with everyone everywhere. Only then, like Jesus, will we become people of infinite compassion!

1st Reading: Gen 18:1–15* … Abraham then ran to the herd, took a fine, tender calf, gave it to the servant who hurried to prepare it. He took butter and milk and together with the calf he had prepared laid it all before them. And while he remained standing, they ate. They then asked, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” Abraham answered, “She is in the tent.” And the visitor said, “At this same time next year I will return and Sarah by then will have a son.” … Is there anything that is impossible for God? At this same time next year I will return and Sarah by then will have a son.” …

saturday

June

12th Week in Ordinary Time Cyril of Alexandria Psalter: Week 4

Lk 1:46–47, 48–49, 50 and 53, 54–55 The Lord has remembered his mercy.

Gospel: Mt 8:5–17 When Jesus entered Capernaum, an army captain approached him to ask his help, “Sir, my servant lies sick at home. He is paralyzed and suffers terribly.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The captain answered, “I am not worthy to have you under my roof. Just give an order and my boy will be healed. For I myself, a junior officer, give orders to my soldiers. And if I say to one: ‘Go,’ he goes, and if I say to another: ‘Come,’ he comes, and to my servant: ‘Do this,’ he does it.” When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those who were following him, “I tell you, I have not found such faith in Israel. I say to you, many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven; but the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown out into the darkness; there they will wail and grind their teeth.” Then Jesus said to the captain, “Go home now. As you believed, so let it be.” And at that moment his servant was healed. Jesus went to Peter’s house and found Peter’s motherin-law in bed with fever. He took her by the hand and the fever left her; she got up and began to wait on him. Towards evening they brought to Jesus many possessed by evil spirits, and with a word he drove out the spirits. He also healed all who were sick. In doing this he fulfilled what was said by the prophet Isaiah: He bore our infirmities and took on himself our diseases.

oday’s centurion was a heathen, a Roman soldier, hated by the Jews of the time. Though he was a soldier, yet he was a godly man. It just goes to show that no person’s calling or place should be an excuse for unbelief and sin. The centurion realized that Jesus had divine power and full command of all the creatures and powers of nature. A profession of our faith may allow us to be called children of God; but, it’s not enough to rely on that, with nothing else to show for our beliefs. The servant got a cure of his disease, and his master got the approval of his faith in Jesus. What was said to the centurion is said to all of us: believe and you will receive! When we see the power of our faith in Christ, the healing of our souls becomes both the effect and the evidence of that faith in our daily lives!

1st Reading: Wis 1:13–15; 2:23–24 God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living. Since he has created everything, all creatures of the universe are for our good; there is no deadly poison in them and the netherworld has no dominion over the earth, because immortal is not submitted to death. Indeed God created man to be immortal in the likeness of his own nature, but the envy of the devil brought death to the world, and those who take his side shall experience death. 2nd Reading: 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13–15 You excel in everything: in the gifts of faith, speech and knowledge; you feel concern for every cause and, besides, you are first in my heart. Excel also in this generous service. You know well the generosity of Christ Jesus, our Lord. Although he was rich, he made himself poor to make you rich through his poverty. I do not mean that others should be at ease and you burdened. Strive for equality; at present give from your abundance what they are short of, and in some way they also will give from their abundance what you lack. Then you will be equal and what Scripture says shall come true: To the one who had much, nothing was in excess; to the one who had little, nothing was lacking. Gospel: Mk 5:21–43* Jesus then crossed to the other side of the lake and while he was still on the shore, a large crowd gathered around him. Jairus, an official of the synagogue, came up and seeing Jesus, threw himself at his feet and asked him earnestly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live.” Jesus went with him and many people followed, pressing from every side. … Her flow of blood dried up at once, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her complaint. … While Jesus was still speaking, some people arrived from the official’s house to inform him, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Master any further?” But Jesus ignored what they said and told the official, “Do not fear, just believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house, Jesus saw a

Ps 30:2a, 4, 5–6, 11, 12, 13 I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. great commotion with people weeping and wailing loudly. Jesus entered and said to them, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him. But Jesus sent them outside and went with the child’s father and mother and his companions into the room where the child lay. Taking her by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha kumi!” which means: “Little girl, get up!” The girl got up at once and began to walk around. (She was twelve years old.) The parents were astonished, greatly astonished. Jesus strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat.

sunday

June

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

aith is powerful. The faith of Jairus brought Jesus into his home and saved his daughter from death. The faith of the woman with the chronic bleeding brought her healing and a renewed lease on life. These accounts are given to us in the Gospel so that our faith might be strengthened and that we, too, might be saved from death and brought to the fullness of life. Faith is not an abstraction. Our faith rests in a person, the person of Jesus Christ. Faith is not wishful thinking. Faith is a conviction that with God, all things are possible. Faith is not contrary to reason. Faith is the means by which our human reason is elevated so that we can know the world the way it truly is, charged with the grandeur of God. Faith will not last forever. Faith will one day give way to sight. We will no longer need faith when we behold our God and see Him face to face. Then will our faith be vindicated. Then will we reach our faithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal, our salvation.

29 June

monday

Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, apostles Psalter: Proper

Ps 34:2–3, 4–5, 6–7, 8–9 The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

1st Reading: Acts 12:1–10* About that time King Herod decided to persecute some members of the Church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword, and when he saw how it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This happened during the festival of the Unleavened Bread. Herod had him seized and thrown into prison with four squads, each of four soldiers, to guard him. He wanted to bring him to trial before the people after the Passover feast, but while Peter was kept in prison, the whole Church prayed earnestly for him. On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound by a double chain, while guards kept watch at the gate of the prison. Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood there and a light shone in the prison cell. The angel tapped Peter on the side and woke him saying, “Get up quickly!” At once the chains fell from Peter’s wrists. The angel said, “Put on your belt and your sandals.” Peter did so, and the angel added, “Now, put on your cloak and follow me.” … 2nd Reading: 2 Tim 4:6–8, 17–18 Gospel: Mt 16:13–19 Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples, “What do people say of the Son of Man? Who do they say I am?” They said, “For some of them you are John the Baptist, for others Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Jesus asked them, “But you, who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “It is well for you, Simon Barjona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. “And now I say to you: You are Peter (or Rock) and on this rock I will build my Church; and never will the powers of death overcome it. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven.”

aints Peter and Paul each played a unique part in setting the foundations of the Church as we know it today. The all-too-human Peter ensured Christianity’s roots were anchored firmly in Jewish Old Testament tradition. Peter, as leader of the apostles, was chosen by Jesus to have a special relationship with him. He was sent with John to prepare for the last Passover before Jesus’ death. Quite rightly, his name is first on every list of apostles. His choice as the rock, upon which Christ would build the Church, established a fresh tradition that has extended down through history to the present Pope. Paul’s experience of the risen Christ on the road to Damascus ensured that the Church would be extended to the gentiles worldwide, as Christ had commanded. Paul’s central conviction was simple and absolute: only Christ can save humanity. No human effort, not even the most scrupulous observance of law, can create a state of human goodness, which we can bring to God as reparation for sin and payment for grace. To be saved from itself, to be saved from sin, from the devil and from death, humanity must open itself completely to the saving power of Christ.

1st Reading: Gen 19:15–29* At daybreak the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and two daughters who are here, lest they perish because of the sin of the town.” As he hesitated, the men took him by the hand and his wife and two daughters with him, because Yahweh had mercy on him. And they led him outside the town. When they were outside, the men said to him, “Flee for your life and don’t look back and don’t stop anywhere in the plain. Flee to the mountain lest you perish.” But Lot replied, “My lords, your servant has found favor with you, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot flee to the mountains for fear the disaster will overtake me and I die. See, there is a town near enough for me to flee to and it’s a small one. Let me flee there: it is very small (that is why the town is called Zoar). So I will be safe.” And the angel answered, “I grant you this favor as well by not destroying the town you speak of. But flee fast for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” The sun had risen on the earth when Lot reached Zoar. Then Yahweh rained on Sodom and Gomorrah burning sulphur out of the heavens from Yahweh, and he completely destroyed those towns and all the valley and all the inhabitants of the towns and everything that grew there. Lot’s wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt. …

tuesday

June

13th Week in Ordinary Time First Martyrs of the Church of Rome Psalter: Week 1

Ps 26:2–3, 9–10, 11–12 O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.

Gospel: Mt 8:23–27 Jesus got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning a fierce storm hit the lake, with waves sweeping the boat. But Jesus was asleep. They woke him and cried, “Lord save us! We are lost!” But Jesus answered, “Why are you so afraid, you of little faith?” Then he stood up and ordered the wind and sea; and it became completely calm. The people were astonished. They said, “What kind of man is he? Even the winds and the sea obey him.”

otwithstanding all her opportunities, notwithstanding all her special warnings from heaven, Lot’s wife lived and died godless, impenitent and unbelieving. She kept up a form of religion for fashion’s sake and not from feeling. She did as others did around her in Lot’s house; she conformed to her husband’s religion; she allowed herself to be towed along in his wake. But, all this time, her heart was wrong in the sight of God. The world was in her heart, and her heart was in the world. In this state she lived, and in this state she died. There is a lesson here of the greatest importance in the present day. We live in times when there are many persons just like Lot’s wife. Let us value our religious privileges; but let us not rest entirely upon them. Let us use them thankfully, if God gives them to us; but let us take care that they produce fruit in our heart and life. One of the things that can harden our heart is barren familiarity with sacred things. It is not privileges, which make us Christians, but the grace of Christ. Without that, we will never experience salvation or happiness!

01 July

wednesday

13th Week in Ordinary Time Bl. Junipero Serra Psalter: Week 1

Ps 34:7–8, 10–11, 12–13 The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

1st Reading: Gen 21:5, 8–20a* … Sarah saw the child that Hagar, the Egyptian had borne to Abraham, mocking her son and she said to Abraham, “Send this slave girl and her son away; the child of this slave must not share the inheritance with my son, Isaac.” This matter distressed Abraham, but God … said to him, “Don’t be worried about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to Sarah, because the race which is called by your name will spring from Isaac. But from the son of your servant I will also form a nation.” … Abraham rose early next morning and gave bread and a skin bag of water to Hagar. He put the child on her back and sent her away. … When there was no more water in the skin, she pushed the boy under one of the bushes, and then went and sat down about a hundred yards away, for she thought, “I cannot bear to see my son die.” But as she sat there, the child began to wail. God heard him and the Angel of God called to Hagar from heaven … Don’t be afraid. God has heard the boy crying. Get up, pick the boy up and hold him safely, for I will make him into a great nation.” God then opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin and gave the boy a drink. … Gospel: Mt 8:28–34 When Jesus reached Gadara on the other side, he was met by two demoniacs who came out from the tombs. They were so fierce that no one dared to pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, “What do you want with us, you, Son of God? Have you come to torture us before the time?” At some distance away there was a large herd of pigs feeding. So the demons begged him, “If you drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs.” Jesus ordered them, “Go.” So they left and went into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the cliff into the lake and drowned. The men in charge of them ran off to the town, where they told the whole story, also what had happened to the men possessed with the demons. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their area.

oday’s Genesis story describes a lonely wilderness place, where Hagar and her son were sent. In wilderness, one experiences both the presence and the absence of God. When we find ourselves in the wilderness, we quickly learn that we are not alone. No matter what makes our life a wilderness, it can be lonely. But, in the wilderness, God does hear. When everything about us looks like wilderness and threat of death, God opens our eyes, and we see new life. Then again, we know that all of life’s stories don’t have happy endings. Some end in the deathly wilderness, without a sign of the life-giving water of new life. We can also recognize all the ways we alienate ourselves and retreat into places of isolation. But, in our despair, we must not shut God out of our lives or close our hearts to love. We must be comforted by God, who hears our weeping. In our prayer, we can sense God’s unconditional love. When we harden our spirits to avoid pain, we must pray to God for help to allow His penetrating love to break through our shell of self-protection.

1st Reading: Gen 22:1b–19* Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, … “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering.” … Abraham rose early next morning … and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He chopped wood for the burnt offering and set out for the place to which God had directed him. … Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. …As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke to Abraham, his father, “Father!” … “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” Abraham replied, “God himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice.” … When Abraham had built the altar and set the wood on it, he bound his son Isaac and laid him on the wood placed on the altar. He then stretched out his hand to seize the knife and slay his son. But the Angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” … “Do not lay your hand on the boy; do not harm him, for now I know that you fear God, and you have not held back from me your only son.” … “By myself I have sworn, … I will surely bless you and … All the nations of the earth will be blessed through your descendants because you have obeyed me.” …

thursday

July

13th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 115:1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 8–9 I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.

Gospel: Mt 9:1–8 Jesus got back into the boat, crossed the lake again, and came to his hometown. Here they brought a paralyzed man to him, lying on a bed. Jesus saw their faith and said to the paralytic, “Courage, my son! Your sins are forgiven.” Then some teachers of the Law said to themselves, “This man insults God.” Jesus was aware of what they were thinking, and said, “Why have you such evil thoughts? Which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? You must know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” He then said to the paralyzed man, “Stand up! Take your stretcher and go home.” The man got up, and went home. When the crowds saw this, they were filled with awe and praised God for giving such power to human beings.

ome believe that God wanted to test Abraham, which indicated that He did not intend him to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham’s faith in God was of such magnitude that he knew, if God told him to sacrifice his son, then God would be able to resurrect the slain Isaac. Such faith in God’s word and promise is regarded by many Christians as an incredibly significant and exemplary one. This episode shows how God works: both stories portray the participants carrying the wood for their own sacrifice up a mountain. And, just as Abraham shared his vision of sacrifice with his son, God the Father allowed people to go ahead and carry out the death of Jesus. Abraham’s willingness to his own son is seen as foreshadowing the willingness of the Father to sacrifice his Son. Also, since no struggle is mentioned in Genesis, a contrast is made between Isaac’s submission with that of Christ: the two of them choose to lay down their own lives to fulfill the will of God.

03 July friday

Thomas, apostle Psalter: Proper

Ps 117:1, 2 Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

1st Reading: Eph 2:19–22 Now you are no longer strangers or guests, but fellow citizens of the holy people: you are of the household of God. You are the house whose foundations are the apostles and prophets, and whose cornerstone is Christ Jesus. In him the whole structure is joined together and rises to be a holy temple in the Lord. In him you too are being built to become the spiritual sanctuary of God. Gospel: Jn 20:24–29 Thomas, the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he replied, “Until I have seen in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” Eight days later, the disciples were inside again and Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors Jesus came and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands; stretch out your hand and put it into my side. Resist no longer and be a believer.” Thomas then said, “You are my Lord and my God.” Jesus replied, “You believe because you see me, don’t you? Happy are those who have not seen and believe.”

aint Thomas was a pessimist. Some people rejoice to see a glass half-full, but Thomas saw it half-empty. He was full of courage; but he also possessed a streak of fatalism. On Good Friday, he had lost all hope as they hung his master on a cross on the Roman killing fields of Golgotha. Then again, Thomas…”Doubting Thomas”, as he is sometimes called…was the first disciple to put into words the truth that Jesus is both God and man. We Christians know that Jesus was divine; human, of course, but not only that: he was unique, the one human being in whom God was incarnate. Because of that, we must never lose hope! Forgiveness of our sins is found through our identification with Jesus’ self-sacrifice. We need to think of Christianity as more inclusive than any single doctrine. There have been many movements in human history, initiated by those simple but wonderful events in Palestine, centering around the person of Jesus. The older we become, the more we grow in wonder at the enormous and diverse effects in human history that can be traced to the teachings, the deeds, the death, and the resurrection of that one, single man…Jesus Christ!

1st Reading: Gen 27:1–5, 15–29* When Isaac was old…he called Esau, his older son, … “You see I am old and I don’t know when I shall die; … go out into the country and hunt some game for me. Then prepare some of the savory food I like and bring it to me so that I may eat and give you my blessing before I die.” Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. She took the best clothes of her elder son Esau … and put them on Jacob, her younger son. With the goatskin she covered his hands and handed to him the bread and food she had prepared. He went to his father and said, “Father!” … “It is Esau, your firstborn; I have done what you told me to do. Come, sit up and eat my game so that you may give me your blessing.” … “The smell of my son is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed. May God give you of the dew of heaven; and of the richness of the earth; and abundance of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you and nations bow down before you. Be lord over your brothers, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone that curses you and blessed be everyone that blesses you!”

saturday

July

13th Week in Ordinary Time Elizabeth of Portugal / Our Lady’s Saturday Psalter: Week 1

Ps 135:1–2, 3–4, 5–6 Praise the Lord for the Lord is good!

Gospel: Mt 9:14–17 The disciples of John came to him with the question, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast on many occasions, but not your disciples?” Jesus answered them, “How can you expect wedding guests to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? Time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, then they will fast. “No one patches an old coat with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for the patch will shrink and tear an even bigger hole in the coat. Besides you don’t put new wine in old wineskins. If you do, the wineskins will burst and the wine be spilt. No, you put new wine in fresh skins; then both are preserved.”

e all operate on two levels of consciousness: the first consciousness, or the Esau personality, propels our physical life and focuses on the self. Its actions and desires are motivated by the quest for self-preservation and self-gratification. The second consciousness, or the Jacob personality, is drawn to its divine source, striving to become one with the all-pervading truth of God. When we have two distinct personalities living within the same body, it is hard to expect our inner workings to be an inviolable whole. Through prayer, reflection and meditation, an intense, divine energy can overcome our animal personality. The animal personality desperately needs the continuous guidance and discipline of its divine counterpart for cultivation and refinement. But, in this process, the animal personality grants the spiritual personality a boundless creativity and passion that it could never attain on its own. It is only through union that our twin personalities can reach their ultimate potential; and it is in our collaboration with God that we fulfill the objective for which we were created!

1st Reading: Ezk 2:2–5 A spirit came upon me as he spoke and kept me standing and then I heard him speak, “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a people who have rebelled against me; they and their fathers have sinned against me to this day. Now I am sending you to these defiant and stubborn people to tell them ‘this is the Lord Yahweh’s word.’ So, whether they listen or not this set of rebels will know there is a prophet among them. 2nd Reading: 2 Cor 12:7–10 However, I better give up lest somebody think more of me than what is seen in me or heard from me. Lest I become proud after so many and extraordinary revelations, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a true messenger of Satan, to slap me in the face. Three times I prayed to the Lord that it leave me, but he answered, “My grace is enough for you; my great strength is revealed in weakness.” Gladly, then, will I boast of my weakness that the strength of Christ may be mine. So I rejoice when I suffer infirmities, humiliations, want, persecutions: all for Christ! For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Ps 123:1–2, 2, 3–4 Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.

sunday

Gospel: Mk 6:1–6 Jesus returned to his own country, and his disciples followed him. When the Sabbath came, he began teaching in the synagogue, and most of those who heard him were astonished. They commented, “How did this come to him? What kind of wisdom has been given to him that he also performs such miracles? Who is he but the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joset and Judas and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here among us?” So they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “Prophets are despised only in their own country, among their relatives and in their own family.” And he could work no miracles there, but only healed a few sick people by laying his hands on them. Jesus himself was astounded at their unbelief.

July

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

esus’ experience of rejection by his countrymen would foreshadow the events that would take place in Jerusalem at the end of His earthly ministry. Jesus would experience betrayal by one apostle and denial by another. He would be mocked by His own people who would cry out for His crucifixion. All this He would endure so that we might have life and have it to the full. We are never alone in our sufferings. Should we ever experience the anguish of being ridiculed or put down by family or friends, we are never alone. The Lord Jesus stands with us in our times of trial, giving us the grace we need to bear patiently with our suffering, never stooping to the same level as those who would cause us pain. Through the Holy Eucharist we participate in the saving death and glorious resurrection of the Lord. May the grace of the Holy Eucharist bring us forbearance and courage as we carry our crosses.

06 July

monday

14th Week in Ordinary Time Maria Goretti Psalter: Week 2

Ps 91:1–2, 3–4, 14–15ab In you, My God, I place my trust.

1st Reading: Gen 28:10–22a* … While Jacob was sleeping, he had a dream in which a ladder stood on the earth with its top reaching to heaven and on it were angels of God going up and coming down. And Yahweh was standing there near him and said, “I am Yahweh, the God of your father, Abraham, and the God of Isaac. The land on which you sleep, I give to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be numerous like the specks of dust of the earth and you will spread out to the west and the east, to the north and the south. Through you and your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. See, I am with you and I will keep you safe wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land and not leave you until I have done what I promised.” Jacob woke from his dream and said, “Truly Yahweh was in this place and I was not aware of it.” … Then Jacob rose early and took the stone he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. … This stone which I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me, I will give back a tenth.” Gospel: Mt 9:18–26* While Jesus was speaking, an official of the synagogue came up to him, bowed before him and said, “My daughter has just died, but come and place your hands on her, and she will live.” … Then a woman who had suffered from a severe bleeding for twelve years came up from behind and touched the edge of his cloak. For she thought, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned, saw her and said, “Courage, my daughter, your faith has saved you.” And from that moment the woman was cured. When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the excited crowd, he said, “Get out of here! The girl is not dead. She is only sleeping!” And they laughed at him. But once the crowd had been turned out, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up. The news of this spread through the whole area.

oday’s reading from Genesis records what may be the world’s best-known dream: Jacob’s Ladder. It is the ladder to heaven, Jacob envisioned during his flight from his brother Esau. According to Jewish tradition, the ladder signified the exiles, which the Jewish people would have to suffer before the coming of the messiah. In the Christian interpretation, Christ is the ladder that bridges the gap between heaven and earth. The angels, going up and coming down, represent the providence of God, by which there is a constant intercourse kept up between heaven and earth. Christ is our ladder, the foot of the ladder on earth being His human nature, the top in heaven His divine nature. Christ is our ladder, the way by which we can climb to God, by which we can draw near to the throne of grace. We climb to heaven through Christ. By faith, we perceive Christ and in prayer we approach Him. And when our soul realizes these things, then every place becomes pleasant, every prospect joyful and filled with hope. All that we receive from God comes through Christ, Jacob’s Ladder, the great blessing of the world!

1st Reading: Gen 32:23–32 He took them and sent them across the stream and likewise everything he had. And Jacob was left alone. Then a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he could not get the better of Jacob, he struck him in the socket of his hip and dislocated it as he wrestled with him. The man said, “Let me go, for day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go until you have given me your blessing.” The man then said, “What is your name?” “Jacob” was the reply. He answered, “You will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have been strong-with-God as you have been with men and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “What is your name?” He answered, “Why do you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Penuel, saying, “I have seen God face to face and survived.” The sun rose as he passed through Penuel, limping because of his hip. That is why to this day the Israelites do not eat the sciatic nerve which is in the hip socket because the sciatic nerve in Jacob’s hip had been touched.

tuesday

July

14th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 17:1b, 2–3, 6–7ab, 8b and 15 In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord.

Gospel: Mt 9:32–38 Some people brought to Jesus a man who was dumb because he was possessed by a demon. When the demon was driven out, the dumb man began to speak. The crowds were astonished and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” (But the Pharisees said, “He drives away demons with the help of the prince of demons.”) Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, and he cured every sickness and disease. When he saw the crowds he was moved with pity, for they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the workers are only few. Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest.”

oday’s Genesis story is remarkably free of pretence. We see Jacob with his strengths as well as his flaws. There’s no attempt here to spin an idyllic story of the genesis of the nation of Israel. Jacob was flawed, yet nonetheless God chose him. God didn’t choose Jacob because he had an excellent character. At first, it is unclear who the man is who is wrestling with Jacob. It became apparent only through the course of the night that the man wrestling with Jacob was God, who has assumed human form. In fact, God probably initiated the wrestling match. When God chooses us, He often overturns customary ways of doing things. God doesn’t express concern about the flaws of people. God chooses to work in and through flawed people. Here, God stooped to encounter Jacob at his own level. He engaged Jacob with the kind of power that would not overpower. God chose to have a power that was in some sense comparable to the power that Jacob had brought to this moment. The implication is that, when God encounters us, He truly mixes it up with us. God gets involved in our lives in ways we cannot ignore!

08 July

wednesday

14th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 33:2–3, 10–11, 18–19 Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

1st Reading: Gen 41:55–57; 42:5–7a, 17–24a* … So the sons of Israel were among those going to buy grain, for there was famine in Canaan. It was Joseph, as governor of the land, who sold the grain to all the people. When his brothers arrived they bowed before him, … Joseph recognized his brothers but did not make himself known and, instead, said harshly to them, “Where do you come from?” And they answered, “We come from the land of Canaan to buy grain for food.” And so he put them all in prison for three days. On the third day Joseph said to them, “I will help you to save yourselves, for I am a man who fears God. If you are sincere, let one of your brothers remain prisoner … and the rest of you take the grain to save your families from famine. Then you will bring back your youngest brother; so the truth of what you say will be proved and your lives spared.” They did as they were ordered and said among themselves, “Alas! We are guilty because of the way we treated our brother when he pleaded with us for mercy, but we didn’t listen. That is why this trouble has come upon us.” Reuben answered them, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy. But you did not listen and now we are brought to account for his blood.” Now they did not know that Joseph understood them as there was an interpreter between them. As for Joseph, he withdrew and wept. Gospel: Mt 10:1–7 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over the unclean spirits to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon, the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, the man who would betray him. Jesus sent these twelve on mission with the instruction: “Do not visit pagan territory and do not enter a Samaritan town. Go instead to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. “Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near.”

oseph, son of Jacob, is famous for his coat of many colors and his ability to interpret dreams. Out of jealousy, his brothers had sold him into slavery, but was freed and became chief adviser to the Egyptian pharaoh. When his brothers came to Egypt to buy corn, it was Joseph, with whom they had to deal. He spoke harshly to them, so that they might repent of their misdeeds towards him. God sometimes seems harsh with those He loves, for whom He has yet great mercy in store. The role of our conscience is to bring to mind things long since said and done. Whenever we think we have had wrong done towards us, we should remember the wrongs we have done to others. When we share in others’ sufferings, it is essential that we have a clear conscience, so that we don’t compound the sins committed against our suffering fellows. With those who fear God, we may expect a fair deal!

thursday 1st Reading: Gen 44:18–21, 23b–29; 45:1–5* Judah then went forward and said, “My lord, allow your servant to speak. Do not be angry with your servant, although 14th Week in Ordinary Time you are equal to Pharaoh himself. … Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions You then told us that if our youngest brother did not come Psalter: Week 2 with us, we would not be admitted to your presence. All this we said to our father on returning there. So when he told us Ps 105:16–17, 18–19, 20–21 to come back and buy a little food, we said: ‘We cannot go Remember the marvels down again unless our youngest brother is with us.’ … Then the Lord has done. my father said: ‘You know that my wife had two children. One went away from me and has surely been torn to pieces … If you take this one from me and something happens to him you will bring my gray hair in sorrow to the grave.’ Now Joseph could no longer control his feelings in the presence of all those standing by and he called out, “Leave my presence, everyone!” And only his brothers were with him when Joseph made himself known to them. … “I am Joseph your brother, yes, it’s me, the one you sold to the Egyptians. Now don’t grieve and reproach yourselves for selling me, because God has sent me before you to save your lives.

July

Gospel: Mt 10:7–15 Jesus said to his disciples, “Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. You received this as a gift, so give it as a gift. Do not carry any gold, silver or copper in your purses. Do not carry a traveler’s bag, or an extra shirt, or sandals, or walking stick: workers deserve their living. “When you come to a town or a village, look for a worthy person and stay there until you leave. “As you enter the house, wish it peace. If the people in the house deserve it, your peace will be on them; if they do not deserve it, your blessing will come back to you. “And if you are not welcomed and your words are not listened to, leave that house or that town and shake the dust off your feet. I assure you, it will go easier for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than it will for the people of that town.”

oseph loved his brothers in spite of themselves. He let Judah go on and on and listened to all he had to say. He found his brothers humbled by their sins against himself. Now they were ripe for the comfort he offered, when he made himself known to them as their long lost brother. Joseph shed tears of tenderness and strong affection and, with these, threw off the anger, with which he had hitherto behaved toward his brothers. Christ is the great antitype of Joseph. He humbles us, even after we’ve had a taste of His loving kindness. He shows us our sins, so that we might repent and realize how much we owe to His mercy. Christ makes Himself known to us out of the sight and hearing of the world, and encourages us to draw near to Him with a true heart. Whereas we must be angry with ourselves for our sins, Christ is so armed against despair that we can rejoice in whatever God, through Christ, has brought about in our lives.

10 July friday

14th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 37:3–4, 18–19, 27–28, 39–40 The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

1st Reading: Gen 46:1–7, 28–30* Israel left with all he owned and reached Beersheba where he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in visions that he had during the night, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he said. “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I will go with you to Egypt and I will bring you back again and Joseph’s hand will close your eyes.”… And so it was that Jacob came to Egypt and with him all his family, his sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters, in short all his children he took with him to Egypt. Jacob sent Judah ahead to let Joseph know he was coming and that he would soon arrive in the land of Goshen. Joseph got his chariot ready in order to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself, threw his arms around his father and wept on his shoulder for a long time. Israel said to Joseph, “Now I can die, for I have seen your face and know you are alive.” Gospel: Mt 10:16–23 Jesus said to his disciples, “Look, I send you out like sheep among wolves. You must be clever as snakes and innocent as doves. Be on your guard with respect to people, for they will hand you over to their courts and they will flog you in their synagogues. You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings because of me, and so you may witness to them and the pagans. “But when you are arrested, do not worry about what you are to say and how you are to say it; when the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. For it is not you who will speak; but it will be the Spirit of your Father in you. “Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child; children will turn against parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved. “When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For sure, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

hen Jacob and his family moved to Egypt, Joseph met his father and his brothers after so many years of separation. He let the pharaoh know that his family has come to settle there. But Joseph was worried about how they would adapt. Time was when they contrived to be rid of him; now he was contriving to settle them, so that they could prosper as shepherds, the only way of life they understood. In this way, Joseph was rendering good for evil. An honest calling is no disgrace. There is only shame in being bone lazy, or not seeking to have something to do. The devil makes work for idle hands. Whatever we do, let’s do it well. Whatever employment God in his providence has allotted for us, let’s adapt ourselves to it and be satisfied with it. It is better to be the credit of a minor career, than the shame of a high one. If we wish to destroy our souls, or those of our children, then let us seek for ourselves, and for them, great things. But if we have sufficient food and shelter, let us thank God and be content with our lot in life.

1st Reading: Gen 49:29–32; 50:15–26a* … When Joseph’s brothers realized that their father was dead they said, “What if Joseph turns against us in hate because of the evil we did him?” So they sent word to Joseph saying, “Before he died your father told us to say this to you: Please forgive the crime and the sin of your brothers in doing evil to you. Forgive the crime of the servants of your father’s God.” When he was given the message, Joseph wept. His brothers went and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said. But Joseph reassured them, “Don’t be afraid! … I will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he touched their hearts and consoled them. Joseph remained in Egypt together with all his father’s family. … Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am going to die, but God will surely remember you and take you from this country to the land he promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” … “When God comes to bring you out from here, carry my bones with you.” …

saturday

July

14th Week in Ordinary Time Benedict Psalter: Week 2

Ps 105:1–2, 3–4, 6–7 Be glad you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad!

Gospel: Mt 10:24–33 Jesus said to his apostles, “A student is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master. A student should be glad to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If the head of the family has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of the family! So, do not be afraid of them. “There is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. What I am telling you in the dark, you must speak in the light. What you hear in private, proclaim from the housetops. “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but have no power to kill the soul. Rather be afraid of him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. … As for you, every hair of your head has been counted. So do not be afraid: you are worth much more than many sparrows. “Whoever acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. Whoever rejects me before others I will reject before my Father in heaven.”

t the end of his life, Jacob blessed his people according to the blessings God intended to bestow upon them. He spoke about the promise of God, that Canaan should be the inheritance of his seed. When he had finished his blessing, he freely gave up his spirit into the hand of God. Then, when Joseph saw his own death approaching, he also comforted his people with the assurance of their return to Canaan. The deaths of these two eminent patriarchs were truly excellent. Both furnish us with strong encouragement to persevere in the service of God. When death is upon us and we have trusted in God, we shall meet Him who is the strength of our heart. If God’s people are our people, death will gather us to them. Under the care of God, we shall lack nothing for body or soul. We shall remain unmoved until our work is finished; then, committing our souls into God’s hands, we shall depart in peace and leave a blessing for our children after us.

1st Reading: Amos 7:12–15 Amaziah then said to Amos, “Off with you, seer, go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there by prophesying. But never again prophesy at Bethel for it is a king’s sanctuary and a national shrine.” Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet or one of the fellow-prophets. I am a breeder of sheep and a dresser of sycamore trees. But Yahweh took me from shepherding the flock and said to me: Go, prophesy to my people Israel.” 2nd Reading: Eph 1:3–14 Blessed be God, the Father of Christ Jesus our Lord, who in Christ has blessed us from heaven with every spiritual blessing. God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and without sin in his presence. From eternity he destined us in love to be his sons and daughters through Christ Jesus, thus fulfilling his free and generous will. This goal suited him: that his loving-kindness which he granted us Ps 85:9–10, 11–12, 13–14 in his Beloved Lord, let us see your kindness, might finally receive all glory and praise. and grant us your salvation. For in Christ we obtain freedom, sealed by his blood, and have the forgiveness of sins. In this appears the greatness of his grace, which he lavished on us. In all wisdom and understanding, God has made known to us his mysterious design, in accordance with his loving-kindness in Christ. In him and under him God wanted to unite, when the fullness of time had come, everything in heaven and on earth.

By a decree of Him who disposes all things according to his own plan and decision we, the Jews, have been chosen and called and we were awaiting the Messiah, for the praise of his glory. You, on hearing the word of truth, the Gospel that saves you, have believed in him. And, as promised, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit, the first pledge of what we shall receive, on the way to our deliverance as a people of God, for the praise of his glory.

sunday

July

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

n sending The Twelve out into the world, Jesus instructed them to rely entirely upon the grace of God. They were not to bring items customary for a journey, not even money! Rather, they were to place their complete trust in God who would provide for all of their needs. This vivid image of the apostles going in pairs out into the world with firm reliance upon the help of God should be of consolation to us as we strive to put into practice the faith we profess, as we strive to accomplish the Lord’s will in our daily living. God does have a plan for our lives, a plan that He fully intends to accomplish through us. We can count upon Him to give us the means by which to live good and holy lives, bearing fruit in abundance through our words and deeds. As we are nourished this day at the sacrificial banquet of the Holy Eucharist, may we find reassurance that the Lord gives us all that we need when He gives us the precious gift of His Body and Blood.

13 July

monday

1st Reading: Ex 1:8–14, 22* Then a new king who had not known Joseph came to 15th Week in Ordinary Time power and said to his people, “The Israelites are more Henry numerous and stronger than we are. Let us deal warily with Psalter: Week 3 them lest they increase still more and, in case of war, side with our enemy, fight against us and escape from the land.” So Ps 124:1b–3, 4–6, 7–8 they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced Our help is in the name of the Lord. labor. … But the more they oppressed the Hebrews the more they increased and spread, until the Egyptians dreaded the Israelites and became ruthless in making them work. They made life bitter for them in hard labor with bricks and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields. In all their work the Egyptians treated them harshly. Pharaoh then gave this order to all the people: “Every infant boy born to the Hebrews must be thrown into the Nile, but every girl may live.” Gospel: Mt 10:34—11:1* Jesus said to his apostles, “Do not think that I have come to establish peace on earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father and daughter against her mother; a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. … “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take up his cross and come after me is not worthy of me. One who wants to benefit from his life will lose it; one who loses his life for my sake will find it. “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. The one who welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive the reward of a prophet; the one who welcomes a just man because he is a just man will receive the reward of a just man. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones, because he is a disciple of mine, I assure you, he will not go unrewarded.” …

he land of Egypt had become for Israel a house of bondage, where the Egyptians tried to destroy Israel by murdering their children. The Egyptians feared that the children of Israel would join their enemies and drive them out of the land. God’s people had hard taskmasters set over them, to burden them and afflict them with every manner of hardship. They became slaves in the service of the pharaoh. But, despite the fact that their lives had become bitter, the Israelites increased wonderfully. The place where we have been happy, can become a place of affliction and can become the greatest cross for us to bear. The main offence of the Israelites was that they prospered. There is no sight more hateful to a wicked person than the prosperity of the righteous. Christianity has always spread most when it was persecuted. The enemies, who attempt to destroy the Church, are busy trying to stifle the rise of serious reflections in our hearts. Let those, who would escape hardship, nevertheless be afraid of sinning and cry fervently to God for assistance. Our great care must be to love God and to transform our life and work into labors of love.

1st Reading: Ex 2:1–15a* … Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile; …When she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to fetch it. She opened the basket and saw the child … She felt sorry for him, for she thought: “This is one of the Hebrew children.” Then the sister of the child said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter agreed. … So the woman took the child and nursed him and, when the child had grown, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter who adopted him as her son. And she named him Moses to recall that she had drawn him out of the water. After a fairly long time, Moses, by now a grown man, wanted to meet his fellow Hebrews. He noticed how heavily they were burdened and he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew … He looked around and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day he saw two Hebrews quarreling. Moses said to the man in the wrong, “Why are you striking a fellow countryman?” But he answered, “Who has set you prince and judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must be known.” When Pharaoh heard about it he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian.

tuesday

July

15th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 69:3, 14, 30–31, 33–34 Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.

Gospel: Mt 11:20–24 Jesus began to denounce the cities in which he had performed most of his miracles, because the people there did not change their ways, “Alas for you Chorazin and Bethsaida! If the miracles worked in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I assure you, for Tyre and Sidon it will be more bearable on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be thrown down to the place of the dead! For if the miracles which were performed in you had taken place in Sodom, it would still be there today! But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

rom an early age, Moses was bold in championing the cause of God’s people in exile, the Israelites. All his deeds pointed towards his readiness to leave behind the honors, wealth, and pleasures of his rank among the Egyptians. He was willing, to risk and to suffer persecution for the sake of Israel. Moses also tried to end a dispute between two of the Israelites. The rebuke that he gave to them can still be applied to those who, divide and weaken the Church. They tend to forget that they are members of the same community under God. It is often a sign of guilt to get angry at a rebuke. People don’t realize what enemies they are to themselves, when they resist rebuke. If disputation was the only spirit of the Israelites, Moses could have decided to go back to court and be the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. We must be careful that we aren’t setting ourselves against the people of God by our peevishness. It is always wise to accept life on God’s terms!

15 July

wednesday

15th Week in Ordinary Time Bonaventure Psalter: Week 3

Ps 103:1b–2, 3–4, 6–7 The Lord is kind and merciful.

1st Reading: Ex 3:1–6, 9–12 Moses pastured the sheep of Jethro, his father-in-law, priest of Midian. One day he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the Mountain of God. The Angel of Yahweh appeared to him by means of a flame of fire in the middle of a bush. Moses saw that although the bush was on fire it did not burn up. Moses thought, “I will go and see this amazing sight, why is the bush not burning up?” Yahweh saw that Moses was drawing near to look, and God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He replied, “Here I am.” Yahweh said to him, “Do not come near; take off your sandals because the place where you are standing is holy ground.” And God continued, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face lest his eyes look on God. The cry of the sons of Israel has reached me and I have seen how the Egyptians oppress them. Go now! I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt?” God replied, “I will be with you and this will be the sign that I have sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Gospel: Mt 11:25–27 On one occasion Jesus said, “Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise you, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to simple people. Yes, Father, this is what pleased you. “Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

ne day Moses saw something very unusual. He saw a bush that appeared to be on fire, but it wasn’t burning down. Moses was afraid because he realized it was God speaking to him. God was calling him to service. He wanted Moses to be the leader of the Israelites and take them away from slavery in Egypt to serve God in the Promised land. Moses made excuses but finally he realized he could not turn down God’s call to serve Him. As Christians, we are called to serve God. We can make excuses and disappoint God, or we can do all we can to serve Him. Some Christians are called into special areas of work for God and become pastors or missionaries. But, every Christian is called by God to serve him at home, at school, at work or play. We can serve God no matter where we are. When we approach God, we recognize His greatness, His holiness, His authority. When God gives us an assignment, He provides the resources and strength we need. It’s not just up to us. It is God who does the work, through us. Moses didn’t free Israel, God did!

1st Reading: Ex 3:13–20 Moses answered God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them: ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ they will ask me: ‘What is his name?’ What shall I answer them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO AM. This is what you will say to the sons of Israel: ‘I AM sent me to you.” God then said to Moses, “You will say to the Israelites: ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has sent me.’ That will be my name forever, and by this name they shall call upon me for all generations to come. Go! Call together the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob appeared to me and said: I have seen and taken account of how the Egyptians have treated you, and I mean to bring you out of all this oppression in Egypt and take you to the land of the Canaanites, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ The elders of Israel will listen to you and, with them, you shall go to the palace of the king of Egypt and say to him: ‘The God of the Hebrews, Yahweh, has met with us. Now let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to Yahweh our God.’ I well know that the king of the Egyptians will not allow you to go unless he is forced to do so. I will therefore stretch out my hand and strike Egypt in extraordinary ways, after which he will let you go.

thursday

July

15th Week in Ordinary Time Our Lady of Mount Carmel Psalter: Week 3

Ps 105:1 and 5, 8–9, 24–25, 26–27 The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

Gospel: Mt 11:28–30 Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my burden is light.”

oses, thinking himself able to deliver Israel out of bondage, set himself to the work too hastily. His self-confidence was mingled with great zeal, before he came to his senses. All of his objections were answered by God, who promised to be with him at all times. After Moses, God would be known by the name: I AM WHO AM. This name still signifies that God is self-existent. He is eternal and unchangeable, always the same, yesterday, today and forever. Here was a name that denoted what God meant to his people. It was up to Moses to revive among them their faith in God, which had almost been lost by them. But, Moses was in a classic good news/ bad news situation: the good news was that God was going to do something about the Israelites; the bad news was that God wanted Moses to take charge. That’s how God is: when He confronts us, God isn’t going to bring up a lot of things that we’ve never thought about. We know what the subject is going to be: it will be a matter of just how well we have lived as Christians, hating the sin, but loving the sinner!

17 July friday

15th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 116:12–13, 15 and 16bc, 17–18 I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.

1st Reading: Ex 11:10—12:14* … Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt and said, … On the tenth day of this month let each family take a lamb, a lamb for each house. … You will select a perfect lamb without blemish, a male born during the present year, taken from the sheep or goats. Then you will keep it until the fourteenth day of the month. On that evening all the people will slaughter their lambs and take some of the blood to put on the doorposts and on top of the doorframes of the houses where you eat. … Do not eat the meat lightly cooked or boiled in water but roasted entirely over the fire—the head, the legs and the inner parts. Do not leave any of it until the morning. If any is left till morning, burn it in the fire. … On that night I shall go through Egypt and strike every firstborn in Egypt, men and animals; and I will even bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt, I, Yahweh! The blood on your houses will be the sign that you are there. I will see the blood and pass over you; and you will escape the mortal plague when I strike Egypt. … Gospel: Mt 12:1–8 It happened that Jesus walked through the wheat fields on a sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and began to pick some heads of wheat and crush them to eat the grain. When the Pharisees noticed this, they said to Jesus, “Look at your disciples; they are doing what is prohibited on the sabbath!” Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and his men were hungry? He went into the house of God, and they ate the bread offered to God, although neither he nor his men had the right to eat it, but only the priests. And have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath rest, yet they are not guilty? “I tell you, there is greater than the Temple here. If you really knew the meaning of the words: It is mercy I want, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. “Besides the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

assover is one of the most important festivals in the Jewish year. At this time Jews remember how the children of Israel left slavery behind them when they left Egypt. God told Moses that they should mark their doorposts with lamb’s blood, so that God could ‘pass over’ their houses. This is why the festival is called Passover. They left Egypt in such a rush that their bread didn’t have time to rise. This is why, during Passover, Jews eat unleavened bread called Matzah. On the evening before Passover, a special service called a Seder (‘Order’) takes place over a meal around a table at home. Wine, symbolizing joy, freedom and happiness is drunk. An extra goblet is provided for Elijah, the forerunner of the Messiah, and, at one point, the front door is opened to greet him. The story of the Israelites fleeing from Egypt is retold from a book called the Haggadah (‘Narration’). Everyone at the Seder each has a cushion to lean on, to remind them that they are now free people no longer enslaved in Egypt. Passover is a feast of charity, without the leaven of malice; and of sincerity, without the leaven of hypocrisy!

saturday 1st Reading: Ex 12:37–42 The Israelites left Rameses for Succoth, about six hundred thousand of them on the march, counting the men only, and 15th Week in Ordinary Time not the children. Camillus de Lellis A great number of other people of all descriptions went Psalter: Week 3 with them, as well as sheep and cattle in droves. With the dough they had brought with them from Egypt, Ps 136:1 and 23–24, 10–12, 13–15 they made cakes of unleavened bread. It had not risen, for His mercy endures forever. when they were driven from Egypt they could not delay and had not even provided themselves with food. The Israelites had been in Egypt for four hundred and thirty years. It was at the end of these four hundred and thirty years to the very day that the armies of Yahweh left Egypt. This is the watch for Yahweh who brought Israel out of Egypt. This night is for Yahweh, and all the Israelites are also to keep vigil on this night, year after year, for all time.

July

Gospel: Mt 12:14–21 The Pharisees went out and made plans to get rid of Jesus. As he was aware of the plot, he went away from that place. Many people followed him and he cured all who were sick. Then he gave them strict orders not to make him known. In this way Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled: “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, and with whom I am pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him and he will announce my judgment to the nations. “He will not argue or shout, nor will his voice be heard in the streets. The bruised reed he will not crush, nor snuff out the smoldering wick. He will persist until justice is made victorious and in him all the nations will put their hope.”

ne of the most important events in the history of Israel occurred immediately following the Passover: the Exodus! The Israelites set forth without delay. A mixed crowd went with them. Some wanted to leave their country, laid waste by plagues; others went out of love for the Israelites and their God. But, it would be a long time before God’s promise of settlement was fulfilled. We should learn from this Exodus that, although God’s promises are not performed quickly, they will be, in God’s own time. The great things God does for his people are not to be only a few days’ wonder, but are to be remembered throughout the ages; especially the work of our redemption by Christ. This first Passover night was a night to be observed. But now, the last Passover night, in which Christ was betrayed, is a night when much more should be observed. A yoke, heavier than that of Egypt, is taken off our shoulders, and a land, better than that of Canaan, is set before us. It is a redemption to be celebrated in heaven, forever and ever. All of us, who share in God’s mercies, should be ever thankful for them!

1st Reading: Jer 23:1–6 “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” This is the message of Yahweh, God of Israel, to the shepherds in charge of my people, “You have scattered my sheep and driven them away instead of caring for them. Now I will deal with you because of your evil deeds. “I will gather the remnant of my sheep from every land to which I have driven them and I will bring them back to the grasslands. They will be fruitful and increase in number. I will appoint shepherds who will take care of them. No longer will they fear or be terrified. No one will be lost.” Yahweh further says, “The day is coming when I will raise up a king who is David’s righteous successor. He will rule wisely and govern with jus tice and righteousness. That will be a grandiose era when Judah will enjoy peace and Israel will live in safety. He will be called Yahweh-ourjustice!” 2nd Reading: Eph 2:13–18 In Christ Jesus and by his blood, you who were once far off have come near. For Christ is our peace, he who has made the two peoples one, destroying in his own flesh the wall—the hatred—which separated us. He abolished the Law with its commands and precepts. He made peace in uniting the two Ps 23:1–3, 3–4, 5, 6 peoples in him, creating out of the two one New The Lord is my shepherd, Man. He destroyed hatred and reconciled us there is nothing I shall want. both to God through the cross, making the two one body. He came to proclaim peace; peace to you who were far off, peace to the Jews who were near. Through him we—the two peoples—approach the Father in one Spirit.

sunday

July

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

he Good Shepherd is ever attentive to the needs of His flock. He gathers them to Himself and keeps them safe from predators who seek to scatter and steal and slaughter. He seeks them out when they are lost and rejoices when they are found. He leads them through the valley of the shadow of death to the restful waters and verdant pastures where they might find rest. The Good Shepherd is not to be outdone in taking care of His sheep. How can we not be moved by this account of the vast crowds hanging on Jesus’ every word as He preaches at length about the Kingdom of God? His words speak to the heart of every person, for they truly give life to the soul. How blessed we are to have access not only to the words of Jesus as they are presented to us in the Bible, but also to have access to the Word of God, living and breathing in the heart of the Church. Like the members of the large crowd that gathered that day so many years ago, we are privileged to experience in every celebration of the Holy Eucharist the Word of God who becomes flesh and dwells among us.

20 July

monday

16th Week in Ordinary Time Apollinarus Psalter: Week 4

Ex 15:1bc–2, 3–4, 5–6 Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

1st Reading: Ex 14:5–18* … Yahweh had hardened the mind of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who set out in pursuit of the Israelites as they marched forth triumphantly. The Egyptians—all the chariots and horses of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army—gave chase and caught up with them when they had encamped by the sea near Pihahiroth, facing Baalzephon. The Israelites saw the Egyptians marching after them: Pharaoh was drawing near. They were terrified and cried out to Yahweh. … Moses said to the people, “Have no fear! Stay where you are and see the work Yahweh will do to save you today. The Egyptians whom you see today, you will never see again! Yahweh will fight for you and all you have to do is to keep still.” Yahweh said to Moses, … Tell the people of Israel to go forward. You will raise your staff and stretch your hand over the sea and divide it to let the Israelites go dryfoot through the sea. I will so harden the minds of the Egyptians that they will follow you. And I will have glory at the expense of Pharaoh, his army, his chariots and horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I gain glory for myself at the cost of Pharaoh and his army!” Gospel: Mt 12:38–42 Some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” Jesus answered them, “An evil and unfaithful people want a sign, but no sign will be given them except the sign of the prophet Jonah. In the same way that Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the monster fish, so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the depths of the earth. “At the judgment, the people of Niniveh will rise with this generation and condemn it, because they reformed their lives at the preaching of Jonah, and here there is greater than Jonah. At the judgment, the Queen of the South will stand up and condemn you. She came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and here there is greater than Solomon.”

hile Pharaoh had the greatest reason to let the Israelites leave Egypt, now he was angry with himself for so relenting. But, there was no way open to Israel but to trust in God and Moses. Fear led some of them to pray, and that was good. Others cried out against Moses; fear set them murmuring as if God were not able to work miracles. They were angry with God for the greatest kindness ever done them. Such are the gross absurdities of unbelief. When times are tough for us, when we can’t get out of trouble, it is in our interest to get on top of our fear, never letting it silence our faith or hope. Sometimes, God allows us to stray into troubled waters, just so that He might see us brought to our knees in prayer. When we are intent on living life as Christians, we must expect to be set upon by temptations and terrors. It’s possible for us to be following Christ, yet be mightily troubled on every side. Still, we should compose ourselves, having confidence in the great salvation that God is about to work in us!

1st Reading: Ex 14:21—15:1* Moses stretched his hand over the sea and Yahweh made a strong east wind blow all night and dry up the sea. The waters divided and the sons of Israel went on dry ground through the middle of the sea, with the waters forming a wall to their right and to their left. The Egyptians followed them and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and horsemen moved forward in the middle of the sea. It happened that in the morning watch, Yahweh in the pillar of cloud and fire, looked towards the Egyptian camp and threw it into confusion. He so clogged their chariot wheels that they could hardly move. Then the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites for Yahweh is fighting for them against Egypt.” Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch your hand over the sea and let the waters come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and horsemen.” Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. At daybreak the sea returned to its place. As the Egyptians tried to flee, Yahweh swept them into the sea. … On that day Yahweh delivered Israel from the power of the Egyptians and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore. They believed in Yahweh and in Moses, his servant. Then Moses and the people sang this song to Yahweh: I will sing to Yahweh, the glorious one, horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.

tuesday

July

16th Week in Ordinary Time Lawrence of Brindisi Psalter: Week 4

Ex 15:8–9, 10 and 12, 17 Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

Gospel: Mt 12:46–50 While Jesus was still talking to the people, his mother and his brothers wanted to speak to him and they waited outside. So someone said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are just outside; they want to speak with you.” Jesus answered, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look! Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is for me brother, sister, or mother.”

oday’s reading recounts the parting of the Red Sea and the crossing over of the Israelites from Egypt. The episode prefigures our redemption: the Israelites escape from the clutches of the pharaoh when his troops are engulfed by the Red Sea; similarly, the Christian escapes from sin and the power of Satan by the waters of baptism. Here is an analogy of freedom from the pharaoh to freedom from sin. Thus, the waters of the sea, through which the Israelites passed, are symbolic of those waters through which we pass. Let us pass from the old to the new, from the events of the Book of Exodus to the symbolism in our faith. There Moses was sent by God to Egypt; here Christ was sent from God into the world. Moses’ mission was to lead a persecuted people out from Egypt; Christ’s mission is to rescue the people of the world from the tyranny of sin. That pharaoh was engulfed and drowned in the Red Sea; this devil is destroyed in the saving waters of baptism. A remembrance of these themes should increase in us the desire to continue in our new life in Christ, through the waters of baptism.

22 July

wednesday

Mary Magdalene Psalter: Week 4

Ps 63:2, 3–4, 5–6, 8–9 My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

1st Reading: Sg 3:1–4b (or Ex 16:1–5, 9–15) On my bed at night I looked for the one I love, I sought him without finding him; I called him and he did not answer. I will rise and go about the city, through the streets and the squares; I will seek the love of my heart… I sought him without finding him; the watchmen came upon me, those who patrol the city. “Have you seen the love of my heart?” As soon as I left them, I found the love of my heart. I held him and would not let him go till I had brought him to my mother’s house to the room of her who conceived me. Gospel: Jn 20:1–2, 11–18* (or Mt 13:1–9) … Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she bent down to look inside; she saw two angels in white. … They said, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She answered, “Because they have taken my Lord and I don’t know where they have put him.” As she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize him. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and answered him, “Lord, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him, “Rabboni”—which means, Master. Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me; you see I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them: I am ascending to my Father, who is your Father, to my God, who is your God.” So Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord, and this is what he said to me.”

t. Mary Magdalene is called “the Penitent”. She was given the name ‘Magdalene’ because, although a Jewish girl, she lived in a gentile town called Magdale, in northern Galilee, and her culture and manners were those of a gentile. Was well known as a sinner when she first saw Jesus; but, after she met Jesus, she felt great sorrow for her evil life. From then on, with the other holy women, Mary humbly served Jesus and His Apostles. When Jesus was crucified, she was there at the foot of the cross, unafraid for herself, and thinking only of his sufferings. Early on Easter Sunday morning after Jesus’ body had been placed in the tomb, Mary went to anoint it with spices. Not finding his body, she began to weep, and seeing someone, whom she thought was the gardener, she asked him if he knew where Jesus’ body had been taken. But then the person spoke to her in a voice she knew so well: “Mary!” It was Jesus, risen from the dead. Because Jesus had chosen to show himself first to Mary Magdalene, the repentant sinner, she has been fittingly venerated as a saint throughout Church history.

1st Reading: Ex 19:1-2, 9–11, 16–20b* … Yahweh spoke to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud so that the people may hear me speaking with you and trust you always.” Then Moses related to Yahweh what the people had said. Again Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Go to the people and have them sanctified today and tomorrow; let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day Yahweh will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning and a dense cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast was heard. … Moses then made the people leave the camp. … Mount Sinai was completely covered in smoke because Yahweh had come down in fire, and the smoke rose as from a furnace. The whole mountain shook violently, while the blast of the trumpet became louder and louder. Moses spoke and God replied in thunder. …

thursday

July

16th Week in Ordinary Time Bridget of Sweden Psalter: Week 4

Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 Glory and praise for ever!

Gospel: Mt 13:10–17 Jesus’ disciples came to him with the question, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” Jesus answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but not to these people. For the one who has, will be given more and he will have in abundance. But the one who does not have will be deprived of even what he has. That is why I speak to them in parables, because they look and do not see; they hear, but they do not listen or understand. “In them the words of the prophet Isaiah are fulfilled: Much as you hear, you do not understand; much as you see, you do not perceive. “For the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears hardly hear and their eyes dare not see. If they were to see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand with their heart, they would turn back and I would heal them. “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears, because they hear. “For I tell you that many prophets and upright people would have longed to see the things you see, but they did not, and to hear the things you hear, but they did not hear it.”

oses was called up to Mount Sinai, as the messenger of a covenant with God. This was a national covenant, by which the Israelites were to become a people under God’s government. And, as a nation, they broke this covenant. It wasn’t that they knew nothing of repentance, faith in a mediator, forgiveness of sins, or grace. They were all under God’s protection; they had outward privileges and advantages for salvation. But, like so many of us, they gave into their fears and stopped living in faith and love. Therefore, God declared that He would make a new covenant with the Israelites, writing His law, not upon tables of stone, but in their hearts. The covenant with the Israelites at Mount Sinai was an archetype of the new covenant made with us, as Christ’s believers. Christ, as mediator and prophet, reveals God’s will to us, His precepts and promises. And then, as priest, offers up to God our spiritual sacrifices, not only of prayer and praise, but of devout affection towards all of His creation, the work of His Holy Spirit in us.

24 July friday

16th Week in Ordinary Time Sharbel Makhluf Psalter: Week 4

Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11 Lord, you have the words of everlasting life

1st Reading: Ex 20:1–17* God spoke all these words. He said, “I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Do not have other gods before me. Do not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven, or on the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them. … Do not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain for Yahweh will not leave unpunished anyone who takes his name in vain. Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. For six days you will labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath for Yahweh your God. … Honor your father and your mother that you may have a long life in the land that Yahweh has given you. Do not kill. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not give false witness against your neighbor. Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, … or anything that is his.” Gospel: Mt 13:18–23 Jesus said to his disciples, “Now listen to the parable of the sower. When a person hears the message of the Kingdom but without taking it to himself, the devil comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed that fell along the footpath. The seed that fell on rocky ground stands for the one who hears the word and accepts it at once with joy. But this fickle and has no roots. No sooner is he harassed or persecuted because of the word, than he gives up. The seed that fell among the thistles is the one who hears the word, but then the worries of this life and the love of money choke the word, and it does not bear fruit. As for the seed that fell on good soil it is the one who hears the word and understands it; this bears fruit and produces a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times more.”

lthough God gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelites, more than three thousand years ago, they are still relevant today. They have an abiding significance, since God’s character is unchangeable. Originating from God’s eternal character, the moral value of the Ten Commandments does not change. God never intended for them to be a set of regulations by which the people of Israel would earn salvation. God’s favor had already been freely granted, as overwhelmingly demonstrated by His deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Jesus actually placed the Ten Commandments on a higher plane, by demanding that the spirit as well as the legal aspects of the law be kept. The Ten Commandments are spiritual. Their grand demand is love, without which outward obedience is mere hypocrisy. They are still the best guidelines for practical daily living known to us. The world needs to see the name and character of God displayed in the lives of those of us, who take God’s word seriously. For this reason alone, applying the Ten Commandments to our lives is a desirable practice for us to observe!

1st Reading: 2 Cor 4:7–15 However, we carry this treasure in vessels of clay, so that this all surpassing power may not be seen as ours but as God’s. Trials of every sort come to us, but we are not discouraged. We are left without answer, but do not despair; persecuted but not abandoned, knocked down but not crushed. At any moment we carry in our person the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in us. For we, the living, are given up continually to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may appear in our mortal existence. And as death is at work in us, life comes to you. We have received the same spirit of faith referred to in Scripture that says: I believed and so I spoke. We also believe and so we speak. We know that He who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and bring us, with you, into his presence. Finally, everything is for your good, so that grace will come more abundantly upon you and great will be the thanksgiving for the glory of God.

saturday

July

James, apostle Psalter: Proper

Ps 126:1bc–2ab, 2cd–3, 4–5, 6 Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.

Gospel: Mt 20:20–28 The mother of James and John came to Jesus with her sons, and she knelt down to ask a favor. Jesus said to her, “What do you want?” And she answered, “Here you have my two sons. Grant that they may sit, one at your right and one at your left, when you are in your kingdom.” Jesus said to the brothers, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They answered, “We can.” Jesus replied, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right or at my left is not for me to grant. That will be for those for whom the Father has prepared it.” The other ten heard all this and were angry with the two brothers. Then Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations act as tyrants, and the powerful oppress them. It shall not be so among you; whoever wants to be more important in your group shall make himself your servant. And if you want to be first, make yourself the servant of all. “Be like the Son of Man who has come, not to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many.”

t is evident that James held a special place in Jesus’ life. To be named one of the twelve, James must have had great faith; but even among the apostles he held a special place. When Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, he wanted James, John, and Peter to go with him. And there on the mountain, they were privileged to witness what no one else had seen: Jesus transfigured in all his glory! To be so singled out, James must have been a close friend of Jesus. Jesus chose James, Peter, and John to join him in prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane. It must have hurt Jesus that the three fell asleep on this agonizing evening. James, however, did drink of the cup Jesus drank of because he was one of the first Christian martyrs, killed by a sword in an early persecution of the Church. Today, we pray to Saint James that we may be willing to leave everything to follow Jesus, and for help that we may become special friends of Jesus!

1st Reading: 2 K 4:42–44 A man came from Baal-shalishad bringing bread and wheat to the man of God. These were from the first part of the harvest, twenty loaves of barley and wheat. Elisha told him, “Give the loaves to these men that they may eat.” His servant said to him, “How am I to divide these loaves among one hundred men?” Elisha insisted, “Give them to the men that they may eat, for Yahweh says: They shall eat and have some left over.” So the man set it before them; and they ate and had some left, as Yahweh had said. 2nd Reading: Eph 4:1–6 I, the prisoner of Christ, invite you to live the vocation you have received. Be humble, kind, patient, and bear with one another in love. Make every effort to keep among you the unity of Spirit through bonds of peace. Let there be one body and one spirit, for God, in calling you, gave the same Spirit to all. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God, the Father of all, who is above all and works through all and is in all.

Ps 145:10–11, 15–16, 17–18 The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.

Gospel: Jn 6:1–15 Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, near Tiberias, and large crowds followed him because of the miraculous signs they saw when he healed the sick. So he went up into the hills and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Then lifting up his eyes, Jesus saw the crowds that were coming to him and said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread so that these people may eat?” He said this to test Philip, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred silver coins would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a piece.” Then one of Jesus’ disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass there so the people, about five thousand men, sat down to rest. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks and distributed them to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish and gave them as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten enough, he told his disciples, “Gather up the pieces left over, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with bread, that is with pieces of the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw this sign that Jesus had just given, they said, “This is really the Prophet, he who is to come into the world.” Jesus realized that they would come and take him by force to make him king; so he fled to the hills by himself.

sunday

July

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

his Sunday begins five weeks of consecutive readings from Chapter Six of the Gospel of St. John. This chapter is known for its Eucharistic emphasis, for it begins with this account of the multiplication of loaves and fish and continues with our Lord’s famous “Bread of Life” discourse. From the five loaves and two fish brought by a young boy Jesus provides a banquet requiring twelve baskets for all of the leftovers. In a manner foreshadowing His institution of the Holy Eucharist, Jesus takes bread, blesses and breaks it and distributes it to the crowd. Just as Jesus nourished the crowd with His powerful, heartfelt teaching, so too would He feed them with the bread that satisfied their bodily hunger. What Jesus did for the large crowd at the Sea of Galilee He continues to do for you and me. Every time we participate in the Holy Eucharist we are nourished from the Lord’s two-fold table. We experience the Lord’s teaching through the table of the Word. We experience the substantial presence of the Lord through the table and altar of His sacrificial banquet. How blessed we are to participate in so great a feast!

27 July

monday

17thWeek in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 106:19–20, 21–22, 23 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

1st Reading: Ex 32:15–24, 30–34* Moses then returned and came down from the mountain carrying in his hand the two slabs of the Statement. … When he drew near to the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burst forth and he threw the slabs from his hands and shattered them against the base of the mountain. … Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you brought such a great sin on them?” And Aaron said, … They said to me: ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’ I then said to them that whoever had gold was to give it over to me. I threw it in the fire and out came this calf!” The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a very grave sin, but now I am going up to Yahweh; perhaps I will obtain pardon for your sin.” … Yahweh said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot him out from my book. Go now! Lead the people where I told you. My Angel will walk before you and on the day of punishment I will punish them for their sin.” Gospel: Mt 13:31–35 Jesus put another parable before the people, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, that a man took and sowed in his field. “It is smaller than all other seeds, but once it has fully grown, it is bigger than any garden plant; like a tree, the birds come and rest in its branches.” He told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast that a woman took and buried in three measures of flour until the whole mass of dough began to rise.” Jesus taught all this to the crowds by means of parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So what the Prophet had said was fulfilled: I will speak in parables. I will proclaim things kept secret since the beginning of the world.

he Israelites reasoned: If Moses isn’t coming back, we must craft ourselves a replacement. And so the Golden Calf was born. Not as an idol; but as a figurehead. A mere shrine to replace the missing Moses. And before long, they became full-blown idolaters. Idolatry is not a single step; rather it’s a process. In olden days, people might carve a piece of stone and call it the “sun god.” They wanted to pay tribute to God as creator of the sun. But before long, they were worshipping the sun itself. Today, some people start off focused and clear on the priorities of life, but then get sidetracked. It’s not uncommon to believe that money, fame, stock options, a fast computer, or good looks is the source of fulfillment and happiness. Treating something of relative importance as though it were of ultimate significance: that’s idolatry! How often do we see someone continuing a destructive relationship simply because they’re deeply invested and stuck in it. The lesson of the golden calf is to think about what we’re doing. Have we lost sight of our true priorities? Idolatry is alive and well in the 21st century. Let’s try and eradicate the disease!

1st Reading: Ex 33:7–11; 34:5b–9, 28* Moses then took the Tent and pitched it for himself outside the camp, at a distance from it, and called it the Tent of Meeting. … And Yahweh came down in a cloud and stood there with him, and Moses called on the name of Yahweh. Then Yahweh passed in front of him and cried out, “Yahweh, Yahweh is a God full of pity and mercy, slow to anger and abounding in truth and loving-kindness. He shows loving-kindness to the thousandth generation and forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin; yet he does not leave the guilty without punishment, even punishing the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” Moses hastened to bow down to the ground and worshiped. He then said, “If you really look kindly on me, my Lord, please come and walk in our midst and even though we are a stiff-necked people, pardon our wickedness and our sin and make us yours.”

tuesday

July

17th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 103:6–7, 8–9, 10–11, 12–13 The Lord is kind and merciful.

Gospel: Mt 13:36–43 Jesus sent the crowds away and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered them, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed are the people of the Kingdom; the weeds are those who follow the evil one. The enemy who sows them is the devil; the harvest is the end of time and the workers are the angels. “Just as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom all that is scandalous and all who do evil. And these will be thrown in the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. If you have ears, then hear.”

n today’s passage from Exodus, we find that proximity is very important if we’re going to develop a deep relationship with God. Moses erected a tent for the purpose of meeting with God and to develop deep intimacy with God, away from other people. It is no different for us: unless we are willing to spend quality time alone with God, we will never develop a deep relationship with Him. Moses simply wanted a place where he could meet and fellowship with his friend and creator. To him, God was more than a source of strength or an unlimited pool of resources: He was a friend. We must never forget God is not a distant cosmic power in the heavens; He loves time and fellowship with us, whom He has created. When we understand God’s ardent desire to bring us into a relationship with Him, it changes, for the rest of our lives, how we look at our time with Him. Although the components of our relationship with God may vary from day to day, things like worship, prayer, and reflection upon the word of God are at the heart of getting to know our creator on an intimate basis.

29 July

wednesday

17thWeek in Ordinary Time Martha Psalter: Week 1

Ps 99:5, 6, 7, 9 Holy is the Lord our God.

1st Reading: Ex 34:29–35 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two slabs of the Statement in his hands, he was not aware that the skin of his face was radiant after speaking with Yahweh. Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw that Moses’ face was radiant and they were afraid to go near him. But Moses called them, and Aaron with all the leaders of the community drew near, and Moses spoke to them. Afterwards all the Israelites came near and he told them all that Yahweh had commanded him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses went before Yahweh to speak with him, he took off the veil until he came out again. And when he came out and told them what he had been commanded, the Israelites saw that his face was radiant. Moses would then replace the veil over his face until he went again to speak with Yahweh. Gospel: Mt 13:44–46 Jesus said to the crowds, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. The one who finds it buries it again; and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field. “Again the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who is looking for fine pearls. Once he has found a pearl of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything he has and buys it.”

he glory on Moses’ face was a reminder that Moses had been with God. Israel in the wilderness saw the glory of God as a searing and unapproachable light. The glory on Moses’ face spoke to all the people of the fact that Moses, alone among them, had the privilege of speaking directly to God for the people. So Moses put a veil over his face, only removing it when he went into the tent of meeting to talk to God. Moses could talk to God face-to-face; but the glory on his face was too much for the people. The glory on Moses’ face can be compared with the abiding glory of God, imparted through the gospels. As Christians, we have the same privilege as Moses: we go before God and lift the veil, confronting His glory directly. In Christ, the glory of God is not a barrier; in Christ, the glory of God is our great hope. Life is going to be glorious, we are going to be glorious, because the shame and dishonor of sin will be gone from us forever. In its place will be glory, the glory which belongs to anyone with a heart like Christ.

1st Reading: Ex 40:16–21, 34–38* Moses did this; he did exactly as Yahweh had commanded him. The Holy Tent was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. … He fixed the bases for it, put up its frames, put its crossbars in position, set up its posts. He spread the tent over the Holy Tent and on top of this the covering for the tent, … He took the Statement and placed it inside the ark. He set the poles to the ark in place and put the mercy Seat on it. He brought the ark into the Holy Tent and put the screening veil in place. … Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the Glory of Yahweh filled the Holy Tent. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because of the cloud that rested on it and because of the Glory of Yahweh that filled the Holy Tent. At every stage of their journey, whenever the cloud rose from the Holy Tent the people of Israel would continue their march. If the cloud did not rise, they waited and would not move their camp until it did. For the cloud rested on the Holy Tent by day, and a fire shone within the cloud by night for all the House of Israel to see. And so it was for every stage of their journey.

thursday

July

17th Week in Ordinary Time Peter Chrysologus Psalter: Week 1

Ps 84:3, 4, 5–6a and 8a, 11 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!

Gospel: Mt 13:47–53* Jesus said to the crowds, “The kingdom of heaven is like a big fishing net let down into the sea, in which every kind of fish has been caught. When the net is full, it is dragged ashore. Then they sit down and gather the good fish in buckets, but throw the worthless ones away. That is how it will be at the end of time; the angels will go out to separate the wicked from the just and throw them into the blazing furnace, where they will weep and gnash their teeth.” Jesus asked, “Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered. So he said to them, “You will see that every teacher of the Law who becomes a disciple of the Kingdom is like a householder who can produce from his store things both new and old.” …

nce the holy tent, or tabernacle, was prepared, the Israelites set it up in the midst of their camp, even after they had arrived in Canaan. The cloud of God covered the tabernacle on the clearest day; it wasn’t a cloud, which the sun could scatter. This cloud was a token of God’s presence, to be seen day and night by all the Israelites, so that they might never again question whether or not God was among them. It guided their camp through the wilderness. When the cloud rested on the tabernacle, they rested; when it moved, they followed it. Those of us, who are unsettled in the world, should know that uncertainty about the future is answered by faith. It doesn’t help to have hope in God, only when we are settled in the world. The thought that so few Israelites entered Canaan should be a warning for us not to put off the care of our souls. God’s glory filled the tabernacle; but what Moses could not do, Christ does: He invites us to draw near. By following the example of Christ, we are kept from losing our way, especially when all around us is unmapped wilderness!

31 July friday

17thWeek in Ordinary Time Ignatius of Loyola Psalter: Week 1

Ps 81:3–4, 5–6, 10–11ab Sing with joy to God our help.

1st Reading: Lev 23:1, 4–11, 15–16, 27, 34b–37* Yahweh spoke to Moses, … At twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month is Yahweh’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of this month it is Yahweh’s feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you shall eat bread without leaven. On the first day there will be a sacred assembly and no work of a worker shall be done. For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to Yahweh and on the seventh day you shall hold a sacred assembly and do no work of a worker.” … The tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. You are to hold a sacred assembly. You must fast, and you must offer a burnt offering to Yahweh. … The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of Tents for Yahweh, lasting seven days. The first day you shall hold an assembly; you must do no work of a worker. For seven days you must offer a burnt offering to Yahweh. On the eighth day you are to hold a sacred assembly and you must offer a burnt offering to Yahweh. It is a day of solemn assembly in which you shall do no work of a worker. These are the appointed feasts of Yahweh in which you are to proclaim holy assemblies. … Gospel: Mt 13:54–58 Jesus went to his hometown and taught the people in their synagogue. They were amazed and said, “Where did he get this wisdom and these special powers? Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t Mary his mother and aren’t James, Joseph, Simon and Judas his brothers? Aren’t all his sisters living here? How did he get all this?” And so they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “The only place where prophets are not welcome is their hometown and in their own family.” And he did not perform many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

he Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, is still the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar and in the life of Israel. The Day of Atonement addressed the need of cleansing from sin and how God may be approached. It included details on what animals to sacrifice, where blood was to be shed, for whom and why. Here was a rich exhibition of priest and people before their offended, yet forgiving God. Guilt was removed and blessing secured. The God who lived in their midst kept them away. They could not enter His presence; and yet He had their representative draw near to Him. In that way, God stayed among His people, and the place of His worship was cleansed from sins. In the Day of Atonement, we see God’s insistence that He be approached in the way He dictates. God is holy and requires the removal of sin as a condition of accepting us, the people He loves. We have an absolute need for a redeemer to go before God and intervene for us…the kind of priest, who will stand before God and take away all our offences. Christ is that priest, our redeemer!

1st Reading: Lev 25:1, 8–17* Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai: When seven sabbaths of years have passed, that is, seven times seven years, there shall be the time of the seven weeks of years, that is forty-nine years. Then on the tenth day of the seventh month sound the trumpet loudly. On this Day of Atonement sound the trumpet all through the land. Keep holy the fiftieth year and proclaim freedom for all the inhabitants of the land. It shall be a jubilation year for you when each one shall recover his property and go back to his family. … In this year of Jubilee each of you shall recover his own property. When you sell something to your neighbor or buy something from him, do not wrong one another. … but you shall fear your God, for I am Yahweh, your God.

saturday

August

17th Week in Ordinary Time Alphonsus Liguori Psalter: Week 1

Ps 67:2–3, 5, 7–8 O God, let all the nations praise you!

Gospel: Mt 14:1–12 On one occasion the news about Jesus reached King Herod. And he said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. John has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” Herod had, in fact, ordered that John be arrested, bound in chains and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had said to him, “It is not right for you to have her as wife.” Herod wanted to kill him but he did not dare, because he feared the people who regarded John as a prophet. On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst of the guests; she so delighted Herod that he promised under oath to give her anything she asked. The girl, following the advice of her mother, said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a dish.” The king was very displeased, but because he had made this promise under oath in the presence of the guests, he ordered it to be given her. So he had John beheaded in prison and his head brought on a dish and given to the girl. The girl then took it to her mother. Then John’s disciples came to take his body and bury it. And they went to bring the news to Jesus.

od told Moses that all cultivation work on the land was to cease in the year of Jubilee. His message to the Israelites was that they should beware of greed, and that their lives didn’t consist in the abundance of their possessions. He gave them His assurance that they would all prosper by observing these years of rest. This was an encouragement to all those, who agreed neither to sow nor reap. Today, we are invited to exercise willing dependence on God’s providence for our support; to consider ourselves as God’s tenants, and to use our possessions accordingly. If we are careful to live by faith, we may trust God with our comfort. Through Him, we are eased of the burdens of worldly care and labor, both of which become sanctified and sweetened for us. But, many Christians waste valuable time anticipating evil, worrying about what they will do and how they will proceed in the way of hope. We should not anticipate evil, nor distress ourselves about the future. Let us remember that the path of hope in God’s will is always the path of safety!

1st Reading: Ex 16:2–4, 12–15 In the desert the whole community of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron and said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of Yahweh in Egypt when we sat down to caldrons of meat and ate all the bread we wanted, whereas you have brought us to this desert to let the whole assembly die of starvation!” Yahweh then said to Moses, “Now I am going to rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to gather what is needed for that day. In this way I will test them to see if they will follow my Teaching or not. “I have heard the complaints of Israel. Speak to them and say: Between the two evenings you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have bread to your heart’s content; then you shall know that I am Yahweh, your God!” In the evening quails came up and covered the camp. And in the morning, dew had fallen around the camp. When the dew lifted, there was on the surface of the desert a thin crust like hoarfrost. The people of Israel upon seeing it said to one another, “What is it?” for they didn’t know what it was. Moses told them, “It is the bread that Yahweh has given you to eat.” 2nd Reading: Eph 4:17, 20–24 I say to you, then, and with insistence I advise you in the Lord: do not imitate the pagans who Ps 78:3–4, 23–24b, 25, 54 live an aimless kind of life. The Lord gave them bread from heaven. But it is not for this that you have followed Christ. For I suppose that you heard of him and received his teaching which is seen in Jesus himself. You must give up your former way of living, the old self, whose deceitful desires bring selfdestruction. Renew yourselves spiritually, from inside, and put on the new self, or self according to God, that is created in true righteousness and holiness.

sunday

Gospel: Jn 6:24–35 When they saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time When they found him on the other side of Psalter: Week 2 the lake, they asked him, “Master, when did you come here?” Jesus answered, “Truly, I say to you, you look for me, not because you have seen through the signs, but because you ate bread and were satisfied. Work then, not for perishable food, but for the lasting food which gives eternal life. The Son of Man will give it to you, for he is the one the Father has marked.” Then the Jews asked him, “What shall we do? What are the works that God wants us to do?” And Jesus answered them, “The work God wants is this: that you believe in the One whom God has sent.” They then said, “Show us miraculous signs, that we may see and believe you. What sign do you perform? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert; as Scripture says: They were given bread from heaven to eat.” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven. My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. The bread God gives is the One who comes from heaven and gives life to the world.” And they said to him, “Give us this bread always.” he miraculous multiplication of loaves and Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whofish is not the first time that the Lord proever comes to me shall never be hungry, and vided food to nourish the bodies of His people. whoever believes in me shall never be thirsty. Throughout the forty years of the Israelites wandering in the desert, the Lord would intervene by providing them with manna, “the bread that came down from heaven.” In fact, the people of Israel would survive in the desert only because of the Lord’s tender care. The manna in the desert foreshadowed an even more impressive accomplishment, greater even than the feeding of the five thousand by the Sea of Galilee. The Lord, who once provided food from heaven to satisfy the hunger of His people, now feeds us with His Body and Blood, the bread of life and the cup of eternal salvation, the food and drink that truly satisfy the hungry heart, the only food and drink that never leave us hungry or thirsty again.

August

03 August monday

18th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 81:12–13, 14–15, 16–17 Sing with joy to God our help.

1st Reading: Num 11:4b–15* Now the rabble that was among them had greedy desires and even the Israelites wept and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish we ate without cost in Egypt, … Now our appetite is gone; there’s no-thing to look at, nothing but manna.” Now the manna was like coriander seed and had the appearance of bedellium. … They boiled it in a pot and made cakes with it which tasted like cakes made with oil. As soon as dew fell at night in the camp, the manna came with it. Moses heard the people crying, family by family at the entrance to their tent and Yahweh became very angry. This displeased Moses. Then Moses said to Yahweh, “Why have you treated your servant so badly? Is it because you do not love me that you burdened me with this people? … Kill me rather than treat me like this, I beg of you, if you look kindly on me, and let me not see your anger.” Gospel: Mt 14:13–21* On hearing about the death of John the Baptist, Jesus set out secretly by boat for a secluded place. … Late in the afternoon, his disciples came to him and said, “We are in a lonely place and it is now late. You should send these people away, so they can go to the villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” But Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fishes.” Jesus said to them, “Bring them here to me.” Then he made everyone sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fishes, raised his eyes to heaven, pronounced the blessing, broke the loaves and handed them to the disciples to distribute to the people. And they all ate, and everyone had enough; then the disciples gathered up the leftovers, filling twelve baskets. About five thousand men had eaten there besides women and children.

he forty years in the desert, living only on manna from heaven, will always be symbolic for us. The Israelites were weary of the manna, which God had made for them, even though it was wholesome and nourishing food. It cost them no money and the labor of gathering it was very little indeed. Yet, they would not be satisfied unless they had flesh to eat. They talked of Egypt’s cheapness and the fish they ate there, as if that had cost them nothing, when they had paid dearly for it all with their freedom and hard servitude. Those of us, who should be happy, often make ourselves miserable by the lack of contentment in our lives. We give way to the carnal mind, when all we seek are the delights and satisfaction of our senses. It is appalling that some of us have too much food, while the large majority of people have too little, even for survival. We need to start planning for a world that is a better place for ourselves and our children. Please God, may it not take another generation before the world is used to living with just enough…neither more nor less of everything!

1st Reading: Num 12:1–13* Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married … And Yahweh heard. … Yahweh came down in the pillar of cloud and, standing at the door of the Tent, called Aaron and Miriam. They both went out and he said, “Listen carefully to what I say, If there is a prophet among you, I reveal myself to him in a vision and I speak to him in a dream. It is not so for my servant, Moses, my trusted steward in all my household. To him I speak face to face, openly, and not in riddles, and he sees the presence of Yahweh. Why then did you not fear to speak against my servant, against Moses?” Yahweh became angry with them and he departed. The cloud moved away from above the Tent and Miriam was there white as snow with leprosy. … Then Moses cried to Yahweh, “Heal her, O God, I beg of you.”

tuesday

August

18th Week in Ordinary Time John Vianney Psalter: Week 2

Ps 51:3–4, 5–6ab, 6cd–7, 12–13 Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Gospel: Mt 14:22–36* (or Mt 15:1–2, 10–14) … At daybreak, Jesus came to them walking on the lake. When they saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, thinking that it was a ghost. And they cried out in fear. But at once Jesus said to them, “Courage! Don’t be afraid. It’s me!” Peter answered, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you walking on the water.” Jesus said to him, “Come.” And Peter got out of the boat, walking on the water to go to Jesus. But, in face of the strong wind, he was afraid and began to sink. So he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and took hold of him, saying, “Man of little faith, why did you doubt?” As they got into the boat, the wind dropped. Then those in the boat bowed down before Jesus saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God!” They came ashore at Gennesareth. The local people recognized Jesus and spread the news throughout the region. …

oses felt overwhelmed by his leadership responsibilities. He was tired and discouraged and he often lacked the faith that God would continue to provide for his people. Miriam and Aaron’s criticism took place at a time when the responsibilities of leading so many people in such harsh conditions were wearing Moses down. What he needed most was encouragement and help with leadership. He should have received these things from Aaron and Miriam. But they were too focused on improving their own position by belittling Moses. God saw the devastating effect this was having on Moses and wanted them to hear His opinion of Moses. As God declared Moses’ value, the hurt feelings and self-doubt Moses carried must have melted away. The application of this passage is clear for us: why are we not afraid to speak against God’s servants? Those, who serve as leaders in our Church, should command our respect and support, not our criticism, especially if that criticism is intended to inflate our own position or opinion. As God’s servants, God is the one with final responsibility for them. A little praise helps keep the machinery of leadership well oiled. When our words are displeasing, God’s anger burns!

05 August wednesday

18th Week in Ordinary Time Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major Psalter: Week 2

Ps 106:6–7ab, 13–14, 21–22, 23 Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

1st Reading: Num 13:1–2, 25—14:1, 26a–29a, 34–35* Yahweh then spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men to explore the land of Canaan that I am giving to the Israelites; … They gave an account to them and the whole community and showed them the fruit of this land. … And they spread an unfavorable report … “The land we went through to explore is a land that devours its inhabitants and all the people we saw there are men of great size. … Then all the community broke out in loud cries and wept during the night. Then Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron saying, “How long will this wicked community grumble against me?” … All of you of twenty years or more, … who grumbled against me, your corpses will fall in the desert. I, Yahweh, have spoken. Surely this is what I will do to this wicked community that has conspired against me. In this wilderness they shall be destroyed and this is where they shall die.” Gospel: Mt 15:21–28 Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Now a Canaanite woman came from those borders and began to cry out, “Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But Jesus did not answer her, not even a word. So his disciples approached him and said, “Send her away: see how she is shouting after us.” Then Jesus said to her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel.” But the woman was already kneeling before Jesus and said, “Sir, help me!” Jesus answered, “It is not right to take the bread from the children and throw it to the little dogs.” The woman replied, “It is true, sir, but even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said, “Woman, how great is your faith! Let it be as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

e may wonder why the Israelites waited for forty days for the return of their spies, when they were ready to enter Canaan, under all the assurances of success they could have from God. But they distrusted God’s power and promise. After the messengers returned, they discouraged the people from going into Canaan, and the people refused to believe that it was as fruitful as God had said it was. They gave into the temptation of putting confidence in the judgment of humans, when they had the word of God, in which to trust. How often do we depend solely upon ourselves for survival, rather than hand our lives entirely over to God? Many of life’s difficulties dwindle and vanish before a lively, active faith in the power and promise of God. All things are possible to those of us, who believe; but lessons offered by the world are not always to be trusted. Lack of trust and belief overlooks the promises and the power of God, magnifies every danger and difficulty and fills our heart with discouragement. When we actually believe that God will help us overcome all our problems, then we find that all things are, indeed, possible!

1st Reading: Dn 7:9–10, 13–14 Daniel said, “I looked and saw the following: Some thrones were set in place and One of Great Age took his seat. His robe was white as snow, his hair white as washed wool. His throne was flames of fire with wheels of blazing fire. A river of fire sprang forth and flowed before him. Thousands upon thousands served him and a countless multitude stood before him. “Those in the tribunal took their seats and opened the book. “I continued watching the nocturnal vision: “One like a son of man came on the clouds of heaven. He faced the One of Great Age and was brought into his presence. “Dominion, honor and kingship were given him, and all the peoples and nations of every language served him. His dominion is eternal and shall never pass away; his kingdom will never be destroyed.”

thursday

August

Our Lord’s Transfiguration Psalter: Proper

Ps 97:1–2, 5–6, 9 The Lord is king, the most high over all the earth.

2nd Reading: 2 P 1:16–19 Gospel: Mk 9:2–10 Jesus took Peter, John and James and led them up a high mountain. There his appearance was changed before their eyes. Even his clothes shone, becoming as white as no bleach of this world could make them. Elijah and Moses appeared to them; the two were talking with Jesus. Then Peter spoke and said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say; they were overcome with awe. But a cloud formed, covering them in a shadow, and from the cloud came this word, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him.” And suddenly, as they looked around, they no longer saw anyone except Jesus with them. As they came down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man be risen from the dead. So they kept this to themselves, although they discussed with one another what ‘to rise from the dead’ could mean.

he Transfiguration of Christ is the culminating point of His public life, just as His Baptism is its starting point and His Ascension its end. The dazzling brightness which emanated from His whole body was produced by an interior shining of His divinity. By this glorious manifestation, Christ strengthened the faith of his three friends and prepared them for the terrible struggle ahead, by giving them a foretaste of the glory to be attained through suffering. Here is a prediction of the near approach of Christ’s kingdom: it is good to be away from the world and be alone with Christ; and to be with Christ, glorified in heaven. God accepts Christ as His beloved Son and is ready to accept us in Him. When we give of ourselves to Him, our souls are transformed. We are more open to the influences of God when we are engaged in prayer. We should try to spend time, everyday, in reflective prayer. The way for our soul to be transformed by God’s love is frequently to converse with God. Then, just as Christ’s garments became white and glittering, so shall our souls get a little of God’s light to shine upon them!

07 August friday

18th Week in Ordinary Time Sixtus II and Companions / Cajetan Psalter: Week 2

Ps 77:12–13, 14–15, 16 and 21 I remember the deeds of the Lord.

1st Reading: Dt 4:32–40* Ask of the times past. Inquire from the day when God created man on earth. Ask from one end of the world to the other: Has there ever been anything as extraordinary as this? Has anything like this been heard of before? Has there ever been a people who remained alive after hearing as you did the voice of the living God from the midst of the fire? Never has there been a God who went out to look for a people and take them out from among the other nations by the strength of trials and signs, by wonders and by war, with a firm hand and an outstretched arm. Never has there been any deed as tremendous as those done for you by Yahweh in Egypt, which you saw with your own eyes. You saw this that you might know that Yahweh is God and that there is no other besides him. He let you hear his voice from heaven that you might fear him; on earth he let you see his blazing fire and from the midst of the fire you heard his word. Because of the love he had for your fathers, he chose their descendants after them, and he himself made you leave Egypt with his great power. He expelled before you peoples more numerous and stronger than you, and he has made you occupy their land: today he has given this to you as an inheritance. Therefore, try to be convinced that Yahweh is the only God of heaven and earth, and that there is no other. … Gospel: Mt 16:24–28 Jesus said to his disciples, “If you want to follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. For whoever chooses to save his life will lose it, but the one who loses his life for my sake will find it. What will one gain by winning the whole world if he destroys himself? There is nothing you can give to recover your own self. “Know that the Son of Man will come in the Glory of his Father with the holy angels, and he will reward each one according to his deeds. Truly, I tell you, there are some here who will not die before they see the Son of Man coming as king.”

oses urged the Israelites to honor the greatness, glory, and goodness of God, as well as His authority over them and their obligations to Him. In keeping God’s commandments, they were be acting wisely for themselves. They showed that they were characters of wisdom and honor and that, in observing the law, they were glorifying God. Those, who called upon God, certainly found him ready to answer their prayers of peace, faith, and hope. All judgments of the divine law were above the laws of any nation. God manifests Himself to us in the works of creation. Whenever we consider how good God is to us, we owe it to Him to make a conscious decision never to sin against Him. Whenever we allow that our spiritual prosperity depends upon our piety, we enjoy the certain benefits and advantage of obedience. Whenever afflictions urge us to seek God, as long as we seek Him with all our hearts, we find that He is our comfort. As long as we are faithful to Him, by the grace of God working within us, His mercy will never forsake us. Let us, forever, be held by the bonds of His love and mercy!

1st Reading: Dt 6:4–13 Listen, Israel: Yahweh, our God, is One Yahweh. And you shall love Yahweh, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. Engrave on your heart the commandments that I pass on to you today. Repeat them over and over to your children, speak of them when you are at home and when you travel, when you lie down and when you rise. Brand them on your hand as a sign, and keep them always before your eyes. Engrave them on your doorposts and on your city gates. Do not forget Yahweh when he has led you into the land which he promised to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; for he will give you great and prosperous cities which you did not build, houses filled with everything good which you did not provide, wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant. So when you have eaten and have been satisfied, do not forget Yahweh who brought you out from Egypt where you were enslaved. Fear Yahweh, your God, serve him and call on his Name when you have to swear an oath.

saturday

August

18th Week in Ordinary Time Dominic Psalter: Week 2

Ps 18:2–3a, 3c–4, 47 and 51 I love you, Lord, my strength.

Gospel: Mt 17:14–20 A man approached Jesus, knelt before him and said, “Sir, have pity on my son who is an epileptic and is in a wretched state. He has often fallen into the fire and at other times into the water. I brought him to your disciples but they could not heal him.” Jesus replied, “You, faithless and evil people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus commanded the evil spirit to leave the boy, and the boy was immediately healed. The disciples then gathered around Jesus and asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive out the spirit?” Jesus said to them, “Because you have little faith. I say to you: if only you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could tell that mountain to move from here to there, and the mountain would obey. Nothing would be impossible to you.”

oses challenged the new generation of Israelites to rededicate their lives to God. He reminded them of their covenant with God, and how all aspects of life were to be regulated for the good of all. Today, we are also challenged to keep our relationship with God always fresh in our minds. God is concerned with every area of our lives; He wants us to love Him and all our fellows. We should never forget to protect our faith in God, as the only living and true God. It is better to have one fountain than a thousand cisterns; one all-sufficient God than a thousand insufficient friends! The first and the greatest commandment of God’s law is that we love Him, and that everything we do must come from the principle of this love. We are to love God with all our heart and soul and might. That means that we are to love with sincere love; not in word and mouth only, but inwardly in truth. We must love God above any creature. We must love Him with all our heart and all our understanding. Our hearts must be united in His love!

1st Reading: 1 K 19:4–8 Elijah disappeared into the desert going on a day’s journey. Then he sat down under a broom tree and prayed to die, “That is enough, Yahweh, take away my life for I am dying.” He lay down and went to sleep under the broom tree. Then an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” Elijah looked and saw, at his head, a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. He ate and drank and went back to sleep. The angel of Yahweh came a second time to him, saying, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too long for you.” He got up, ate and drank, and on the strength of that food, he traveled for forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God. 2nd Reading: Eph 4:30—5:2 Do not sadden the Holy Spirit of God which you were marked with. It will be your distinctive mark on the day of salvation. Do away with all quarreling, rage, anger, insults and every kind of malice: be good and understanding, mutually forgiving one another as God forgave you in Christ. As most beloved children of God, strive to imitate him. Follow the way of love, the example of Christ who loved you. He gave himself up for us and became the offering and sacrificial victim whose fragrance rises to God. Ps 34:2–3, 4–5, 6–7, 8–9a Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

sunday

Gospel: Jn 6:41–51 The Jews murmured because Jesus had said, “I am the bread which comes from heaven.” And they said, “This man is the son of Joseph, isn’t he? We know his father and mother. How can he say that he has come from heaven?” Jesus answered them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise him up on the last day. It has been written in the Prophets: They shall all be taught by God. So whoever listens and learns from the Father comes to me. “For no one has seen the Father except the One who comes from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. “I am the bread of life. Though your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, they died. But here you have the bread which comes from heaven so that you may eat of it and not die. “I am the living bread which has come from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever. The bread I shall give is my flesh and I will give it for the life of the world.”

August

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

esus introduces a new element into His “Bread of Life” discourse. He equates the bread of life with His flesh, the flesh that He will give for the life of the world. Jesus’ choice of words is deli berate, for it makes crystal clear the meaning of His discourse. After all, the term “bread of life” could easily be interpreted as a metaphor for His teaching. One could easily come to the conclusion that the phrase “bread of life” referred simply to his verbal instruction. Jesus clearly intends the phrase “bread of life” to have a much more particular meaning. In fact, he identifies the phrase with His flesh, His corporeal flesh and blood. When He says that His flesh will be given for the life of the world, Jesus is referring to His body being nailed to the cross, His blood being poured out in the perfect sacrifice of Calvary. There can be no doubt that these powerful words point both to His sacrificial death and to the Holy Eucharist, the means by which His sacrifice would be represented on altars around the world until He comes in glory.

10 August monday

19th Week in Ordinary Time Lawrence Psalter: Week 3

Ps 112:1–2, 5–6, 7–8, 9 Blessed the man who fears the Lord.

1st Reading: 2 Cor 9:6–10 Remember: the one who sows meagerly will reap meagerly, and there shall be generous harvests for the one who sows generously. Each of you should give as you decided personally, and not reluctantly as if obliged. God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to fill you with every good thing, so that you have enough of everything at all times, and may give abundantly for any good work. Scripture says: He distributed, he gave to the poor, his good works last forever. God who provides the sower with seed will also provide him with the bread he eats. He will multiply the seed for you and also increase the interests of your good works. Gospel: Jn 12:24–26 Jesus said, Truly, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Those who love their life destroy it, and those who despise their life in this world keep it for everlasting life. Whoever wants to serve me, let him follow me and wherever I am, there shall my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

oday’s parable by Jesus of the grain of wheat, dying in order to produce a crop, highlights the truth of a very old epithet: we have to die, before we can rise! Often, when we look at ourselves and the evil that we have done when our flesh was weak, we can despair that our flesh will be weak again and we will do evil things again, that God will measure us by them and we will suffer. But Christ, Himself, descended from the throne of God, all the way down to a handkerchief-sized country, into the womb of a young virgin of working class. He was born in a stinking stable and laid in an itchy manger. He suffered the indignity of the cross. He descended very low, indeed. We should remember that, when we acknowledge our sins to Christ, not hiding out of shame, He forgives our sins and erases our guilt. When we acknowledge how low we have gone, He measures our soul by how high we can rise…and He lifts us up, very high indeed. Christ knows that the measure of our soul is not how low we can go, but how high we can rise!

1st Reading: Dt 31:1–8* When Moses finished telling all Israel these words, he said, “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I can no longer deal with anything—Remember that Yahweh told me that I shall not cross the Jordan River. Now Joshua shall be at your head, as Yahweh has said. He, your God, will go before you to destroy these nations before you, and you will drive them away. … After this, Moses called Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel: “Be valiant and strong, you shall go with this people into the land which Yahweh swore to their ancestors he would give them and you shall give it to them as their possession. Yahweh shall go before you. He shall be with you; he shall not leave you or abandon you. Do not fear, then, or be discouraged.”

tuesday

August

19th Week in Ordinary Time Clare Psalter: Week 3

Dt 32:3–4ab, 7, 8, 9 and 12 The portion of the Lord is his people.

Gospel: Mt 18:1–5, 10, 12–14 The disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child, set the child in the midst of the disciples, and said, “I assure you that unless you change and become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes lowly like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whoever receives such a child in my name receives me. “See that you do not despise any of these little ones, for I tell you: their angels in heaven continually see the face of my heavenly Father. “What do you think of this? If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, won’t he leave the ninetynine on the hillside, and go to look for the stray one? And I tell you: when he finally finds it, he is more pleased about it than about the ninety-nine that did not get lost. It is the same with your Father in heaven: there they don’t want even one of these little ones to be lost.”

oses assured Israel of God’s constant presence. It should be remembered that the ancient world was not interested in gods as some abstract theological concept. They would have thought of modern theologians, by and large, as crazy. God was only of value as He acted in the lives of the people, protecting them, providing for them, and meeting their daily needs. In a strangely eerie way, this is still how we are, today: we are God’s spiritual Israel. He encourages our faith and hope; He will never fail us. When Moses commended Joshua as their leader, whose wisdom, courage and affection they had long known, the thing to notice was the fact that it didn’t matter who their leader was, because God would be with them, protecting them. That is still the deciding factor: it doesn’t matter who our leader is, or who we are, when we have God with us. Therefore, we ought to be of good cheer; through God, we shall be victorious. Whenever we step out in obedience to His will, the whole world will come to know that we are, in fact, acting on God’s instruction!

12 August wednesday

19th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 66:1–3a, 5 and 8, 16–17 Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!

1st Reading: Dt 34:1–12* From the barren plain of Moab, Moses went up to Mount Nebo, to the summit of Pisgah, opposite Jericho. And Yahweh showed him all the Land: from Gilead to Dan, the whole of Naphtali, the land of Ephraim, and of Manasseh, the whole land of Judah, as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, the Plains, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. And Yahweh said to him: “This is the land about which I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, promising it to their descendants. I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you shall not enter it.” … Gospel: Mt 18:15–20 Jesus said to his disciples, “If your brother or sister has sinned against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are in private, and if he listens to you, you have won your brother. If you are not listened to, take with you one or two others so that the case may be decided by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he still refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembled Church. But if he does not listen to the Church, then regard such a one as a pagan or a publican. “I say to you: whatever you bind on earth, heaven will keep bound; and whatever you unbind on earth, heaven will keep unbound. “In like manner, I say to you: if on earth two of you are united in asking for anything, it will be granted to you by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered in my Name, I am there among them.”

oses died after standing atop Mount Nebo and surveying Canaan, the Promised Land. He died within sight of heaven and the future life. But, however unique his death may have been, in many ways it was like our own. By God’s grace and by all that God tells us about heaven and how death brings us there, the same opportunity is afforded to us as was afforded to Moses, before his death. In Moses’ death, we have a picture of every Christian’s death: as an appointment, made by God, at a definite time; as a step that we might take with some regrets, but with wonderful confidence; as a step that we take within sight of the world to come; as a step, which God will attend and which we will not make alone; and as a step that is not the end, but the beginning of our lives. Death is the beginning of the soul’s perfect and sinless life in the presence of God’s glory. We should not miss the point that Moses’ death and burial are, a symbol of the death that awaits all of us, who die, believing in Christ.

1st Reading: Jos 3:7–10a, 11, 13–17* Then Yahweh said to Joshua: “Today I will begin to make you great in the eyes of Israel and they shall know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Give this order to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: As soon as you come to the banks of the Jordan, stand still in the river.” …When the priests who carry the Ark of the Lord of all the earth put their feet into the water of the Jordan, the water coming from upstream shall stop flowing and stand in one single mass.” When those who carried the Ark went down to the river and their feet touched the edge of the water, the water from upstream stopped flowing. The water stood still, forming something like a dam very far from that place. … The priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant remained in the middle of the river which dried up, until all the Israelites had crossed the Jordan.

thursday

August

19th Week in Ordinary Time Pontian / Hippolytus Psalter: Week 3

Ps 114:1–2, 3–4, 5–6 Alleluia!

Gospel: Mt 18:21—19:1* Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times must I forgive the offenses of my brother or sister? Seven times?” Jesus answered, “No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. … A king decided to settle the accounts of his servants. Among the first was one who owed him ten thousand gold ingots. As the man could not repay the debt, the king commanded that he be sold as a slave… The official threw himself at the feet of the king and said, ‘Give me time, and I will pay you back everything.’ The king took pity on him and not only set him free but even canceled his debt. “This official then left the king’s presence and he met one of his companions who owed him a hundred pieces of silver. … ‘Pay me what you owe!’ His companion threw himself at his feet and asked him, ‘Give me time, and I will pay everything.’ The other did not agree, but sent him to prison until he had paid all his debt. His companions saw what happened. … so they went and reported everything to their lord. Then the lord summoned his official and said, ‘Wicked servant, I forgave you all that you owed when you begged me to do so. Weren’t you bound to have pity on your companion as I had pity on you?’ The lord was now angry, so he handed his servant over to be punished, until he had paid his whole debt.” Jesus added, “So will my heavenly Father do with you unless each of you sincerely forgive your brother or sister.”

s we travel through life, we are encouraged to walk as far as we can, always depending on God for directions. We must expect and prepare to travel along pathways that we have not passed before; but, along the pathway of hope, we may proceed with boldness and cheerfulness. Whether we are called to suffer poverty, pain, labor, or persecution, we are following the author and the object of our faith. The miracle of God’s love and power is repeated in us. God’s love for us ought to encourage our hope that peace will be with us, just as it always was with the Israelites.

14 August friday

19th Week in Ordinary Time Maximilian Mary Kolbe Psalter: Week 3

Ps 136:1–3, 16–18, 21–22 and 24 His mercy endures forever.

1st Reading: Jos 24:1–13* … Addressing the people, Joshua said to them: “Yahweh, the God of Israel, commands me to say to you: Your ancestors lived beyond the Euphrates River—Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor—serving other gods. But I brought Abraham your father from beyond the Euphrates and led him through the whole land of Canaan. … Then I sent Moses and Aaron to punish Egypt in the way that you know, that you might leave. Then I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and you came to the sea. … … I gave you lands which you have not tilled, cities which you did not build but in which you now live. I gave you vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant but from which you now eat. Gospel: Mt 19:3–12* Some Pharisees approached Jesus. They wanted to test him and asked, “Is a man allowed to divorce his wife for any reason he wants?” Jesus replied, “Have you not read that in the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and he said: Man has now to leave father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one body? So they are no longer two but one body; let no one separate what God has joined.” They asked him, “Then, why did Moses command us to write a bill of dismissal in order to divorce?” Jesus replied, “Moses knew your stubborn heart, so he allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not so in the beginning. … The disciples said, “If that is the condition of a married man, it is better not to marry.” Jesus said to them, “Not everybody can accept what you have just said, but only those who have received this gift. Some are born incapable of marriage. Some have been made that way by others. But there are some who have given up the possibility of marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who can accept it, accept it.”

ike Joshua and the Israelites, we can renew our commitment to God and his Word. In Canaan, there were seven nations greater and mightier than Israel that had to be dispossessed and destroyed. But, just as no nation could defeat Joshua and Israel under God, so no being in the spirit realm can withstand the power of Christ, who has defeated Satan, and is now at God’s right hand. Joshua spoke to the Israelites in God’s name. The doctrinal part of his sermon was a history of the great things God had done for his people. The application of this history was an exhortation to fear and serve God. As Christians, we must remember that spiritual victory lies in obedience to God through the power of His resurrected Son, Jesus Christ. We must never think our work for God is done, until our life is done. If He lengthens out our days beyond what we expected, it is because He has some further service for us to do.

1st Reading: Rev 11:19a; 12:1–6a, 10ab* A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain, looking to her time of delivery. Then another sign appeared: a huge, red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and wearing seven crowns on its heads. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour the child as soon as it was born. She gave birth to a male child, the one who is to rule all the nations with an iron scepter; then her child was seized and taken up to God and to his throne while the woman fled to the desert where God had prepared a place for her. …

saturday

August

Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary Psalter: Proper

Ps 45: 10, 11, 12, 16 The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

2nd Reading: 1 Cor 15:20–27 Gospel: Lk 1:39–56* Mary entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with holy spirit, and giving a loud cry, said, “You are most blessed among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! … And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God my savior! He has looked upon his servant in her lowliness, and people forever will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is his Name! He has acted with power and done wonders, and scattered the proud with their plans. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He held out his hand to Israel, his servant, for he remembered his mercy, even as he promised our fathers, Abraham and his descendants forever.” Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned home.

y promulgating the bull, Munificentissimus Deus, on 1 November, 1950, Pope Pius XII infallibly declared that the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was a dogma of the Catholic faith. Likewise, the Second Vatican Council, in its dogmatic constitution, Lumen Gentium, taught that ‘the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, when her earthly life was over, and exalted by the Lord as queen over all things.’ It is not surprising that the Holy Spirit has led the Church to believe in Mary’s share in His glorification. So close was she to Christ on earth, she is with him, body and soul, in heaven. In the light of the Assumption of Mary, it is easy to pray to her with new meaning. She found joy in God her savior. She was the lowly handmaid, who deeply worshipped God and was raised to the heights. From her position of strength, she helps the lowly and the poor find justice on earth, and challenges the rich and powerful to distrust wealth and power as a source of happiness.

1st Reading: Pro 9:1–6 Wisdom has built her house set upon seven pillars; she has slaughtered her beasts, prepared her wine and laid her table. Next, she sent her servants to call from the central square of the city, “Pass by here, you who are fools.” To the senseless she says, “Come, eat and drink of the bread and wine I have prepared. Give up your foolishness and you will live; take the straight path of discernment.” 2nd Reading: Eph 5:15–20 Pay attention to how you behave. Do not live as the unwise do, but as responsible persons. Try to make good use of the present time, because these days are evil. So do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk: wine leads to levity; but be filled with the Holy Spirit. Gather together to pray with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and celebrate the Lord in your heart, giving thanks to God the Father in the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord, always and for everything.

Ps 34:2–3, 10–11, 12–13, 14–15 Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

sunday

Gospel: Jn 6:51–58 Jesus said to the crowds, “I am the living bread which has come from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever. The bread I shall give is my flesh and I will give it for the life of the world.” The Jews were arguing among themselves, “How can this man give us flesh to eat?” So Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood live with eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day. My flesh is really food and my blood is drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood, live in me and I in them. Just as the Father, who is life, sent me and I have life from the Father, so whoever eats me will have life from me. This is the bread which came from heaven; unlike that of your ancestors, who ate and later died. Those who eat this bread will live forever.”

August

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

n the beginning, the Lord gave breath to all living creatures and created man and woman in His own image and likeness. Now, the Lord stands before the assembled multitudes and states unabashedly that He is the Lord of life, and that those who come to Him in faith will live forever. Jesus institutes the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist so that we might live with Him for all eternity. By drawing near to the Lord Jesus in the sacraments we approach the source of everlasting life and place our trust that He alone can lead us through the valley of the shadow of death into the joys of eternal life. Food and drink are necessary for any journey; Jesus makes it abundantly clear that only the food and drink of His Body and Blood will give us the nourishment we need to experience the good life here on earth and the joy of eternal life in heaven.

17 August monday

20th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

Ps 106:34–35, 36–37, 39–40, 43ab and 44 Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

1st Reading: Jdg 2:11–19* … When Yahweh saw that they had abandoned him to serve Baal and Ashtaroth, he became angry with his people and gave them into the hands of plunderers who left them in misery. He himself sold them to their enemies who completely surrounded the Israelites, so that these Israelites could no longer withstand them. Whenever they felt strong for an offensive, Yahweh would turn against them and send evil upon them, as he had warned them and sworn to do. And this caused much distress and anguish for the Israelites. Yahweh raised up “judges” (or liberators) who saved the Israelites from their exploiters. But neither did they obey those “judges” for they still prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. … When Yahweh made a judge appear among his people, Yahweh was with him and saved them from their enemies. … But when the judge died, they again became worse than their ancestors—worshiping and serving other gods. They would not renounce their pagan practices and stubborn ways. Gospel: Mt 19:16–22 A young man approached him and asked, “Master, what good work must I do to receive eternal life?” Jesus answered, “Why do you ask me about what is good? Only one is Good. If you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments.” The young man said, “Which commandments?” Jesus replied, “Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “I have kept all these commandments, what is still lacking?” Jesus answered, “If you wish to be perfect, go and sell all that you possess and give the money to the poor and you will become the owner of a treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me.” On hearing this answer, the young man went away sad for he was a man of great wealth.

e have a general idea of the course of things with the Israelites, during the time of the Judges. By forsaking God, they made themselves mean and miserable, just as they would have been great and happy, if they had continued to be faithful to Him. They served the meanest gods and the meanest princes of the nations around them. They would not reform; so crazy were they about their idols that they obstinately continued to backslide. God might, in justice, have abandoned them; but he wouldn’t do it to them, out of pity for them. When people cherish and indulge their corrupt appetites and passions, God justly leaves them to themselves and the power of their sins, which will be their ruin. God has told us how deceitful and desperately wicked our hearts can be; but, often, we aren’t willing to believe it, until, by sad experience, we find that it’s true. We need to examine how matters stand with ourselves and to pray without ceasing, so that we may be grounded in love and that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith. Let us declare war against sin, and follow after holiness for all of our days!

1st Reading: Jdg 6:11–24a* … The Angel of Yahweh said to him, “Yahweh be with you, valiant warrior.” Gideon answered, “Please, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why is all this happening to us? Where are the wonders which our fathers recounted to us? … Yahweh then turned to him and said, “Go, and with your courage, save Israel from the Midianites. It is I who send you.” … Then the Angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the bread; put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” Gideon did so. At that moment, the Angel of Yahweh extended the staff he was holding and touched the meat and the bread. Suddenly, fire blazed from the rock. The fire consumed the meat and the bread, and the Angel of Yahweh disappeared. Gideon realized that he was the Angel of Yahweh and said, “Alas, O Lord Yahweh! I have seen the Angel of Yahweh face to face.” …

tuesday

August

20th Week in Ordinary Time Jane Frances de Chantal Psalter: Week 4

Ps 85:9, 11–12, 13–14 The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Gospel: Mt 19:23–30 Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I say to you: it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yes, believe me: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.” On hearing this the disciples were astonished and said, “Who, then, can be saved?” Jesus looked steadily at them and answered, “For humans it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Then Peter spoke up and said, “You see we have given up everything to follow you: what will be our lot?” Jesus answered, “You who have followed me, listen to my words: on the Day of Renewal, when the Son of Man sits on his throne in glory, you, too, will sit on twelve thrones to rule the twelve tribes of Israel. As for those who have left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or property for my Name’s sake, they will receive a hundredfold and be given eternal life. Many who are now first will be last, and many who are now last will be first.”

ideon was a brave man, who had led a life of obscurity; and yet he was stirred up to undertake something great. Even though he might have known that God was with him, Gideon was weak in faith. This made it difficult for him to reconcile the assurances of God with the distress, into which the Israelites were plunging headlong. The angel of God told him to act as Israel’s deliverer; and that was that. When the angel called the lowly Gideon a valiant warrior, God made him so. God takes delight in strengthening the humble and humbling the proud. Gideon wanted to have his faith confirmed. Now, while we don’t expect signs before our eyes as Gideon wanted, we must pray earnestly to God that, having found grace in His sight, He will show us a sign in our heart, by the powerful working of His spirit there. By such a sign of peace in our heart, we shall know that we have found grace in God’s sight. Even if our courage fails us, when we hear God’s words of peace within us, we shall know, for sure, that we shall persevere against all odds!

19 August wednesday

20th Week in Ordinary Time John Eudes Psalter: Week 4

Ps 21:2–3, 4–5, 6–7 Lord, in your strength the king is glad.

1st Reading: Jdg 9:6–15* … The trees once set out to find and anoint a king. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’ The olive tree answered, ‘Am I going to renounce the oil by which—thanks to me— gods and people are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’ The trees said to the fig tree: ‘Come and reign over us.’ The fig tree answered them, ‘Am I going to renounce my sweetness and my delicious fruit, to hold sway over the trees?’ … Then the trees said to the bramble bush: ‘Come, reign over us.’ The bramble bush answered the trees, ‘If you come in sincerity to anoint me as your king, then come near and take shelter in my shade; but if not, let fire break out of the bramble bush to devour even the cedars of Lebanon.’ Gospel: Mt 20:1–16* Jesus said to his disciples, “This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven. A landowner went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay the workers a salary of a silver coin for the day, and sent them to his vineyard. “He went out again at about nine in the morning, and seeing others idle in the square, he said to them: ‘You, too, go to my vineyard and I will pay you what is just.’ So they went. “The owner went out at midday and again at three in the afternoon, and he did the same. Finally he went out at the last working hour—it was the eleventh— and he saw others standing there. The master said: ‘Go and work in my vineyard.’ “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager: ‘Call the workers and pay them their wage,… ’Those who had come to work at the eleventh hour turned up and were given a denarius each (a silver coin). When it was the turn of the first, they thought they would receive more. But they, too, received a denarius each. … “They said: ‘These last hardly worked an hour, yet you have treated them the same as us who have endured the day’s burden and heat.’ The owner said to one of them: ‘Friend, I have not been unjust to you. Did we not agree on a denarius a day? So take what is yours and go. I want to give to the last the same as I give to you. …’ “So will it be: the last will be first, the first will be last.”

n ethical matters, humility means something like putting others first. If someone slaps us in rage, we don’t reciprocate rage, but we turn the other cheek, so that their rage can work itself out. If we don’t like someone slapping us, we are first to learn to love our enemy and then figure out the loving way to respond. If someone needs clothes, we don’t give them just the minimum; we see that they are cared for properly. Perhaps, it would be better for us to change the economic conditions that make people needy in the first place. The humility motif also has a psychological dimension that is the opposite of arrogance and the desire for glory, at the expense of others. Rather, our ambition should be to have a child-like mindset, focused on getting the job done with a minimum of fuss!

1st Reading: Jdg 11:29–39a* … Jephthah made a vow to Yahweh: “If you make me victorious, I shall sacrifice to you whoever first comes out of my house to meet me when I return from battle. He shall be for Yahweh and I shall offer him up through the fire.” Jephthah crossed the territory of the Ammonites to fight against them, and Yahweh gave him victory. … When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him. …When Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and cried out, “My daughter, you have shattered me; you have brought me misfortune. For I have made a foolish vow to Yahweh, and now I cannot take it back.” She answered him, “Father, even if you have made such a foolish vow, you have to do to me just as you promised, for Yahweh has avenged you and crushed your enemies. I only beg of you to give me two months to live with my companions in the mountains. There I shall lament because I will never marry.” … At the end of two months, she returned to her father and he fulfilled the vow he had made. …

thursday

August

20th Week in Ordinary Time Bernard Psalter: Week 4

Ps 40:5, 7–8a, 8b–9, 10 Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Gospel: Mt 22:1–14* Jesus went on speaking to them in parables: “This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven. A king celebrated the wedding of his son. He sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding feast, but the guests refused to come. “Again he sent other servants ordering them to say to the invited guests: ‘I have prepared a banquet, … come then, to the wedding feast.’ But they paid no attention and went away. … “The king became angry. He sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city. Then he said to his servants: ‘The wedding banquet is prepared, but the invited guests were not worthy. Go, then, to the crossroads and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast.’ “The servants went out at once into the streets and gathered everyone they found, good and bad alike, …“The king came in to see those who were at table, and he noticed a man not wearing the festal garment. So he said to him: ‘Friend, how did you get in without the wedding garment?’ But the man remained silent. So the king said to his servants: ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the dark where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “Know that many are called, but few are chosen.”

hat did Jesus mean when he said: “Many are called, but few are chosen”? Was he teaching that God offered salvation to many by giving it to a few? In a word: “No!” He was saying that many were invited to follow him, but that only a few would give him the respect due to him, and that they alone would be welcome in the kingdom. The most striking thing about this saying is that Jesus was defining the standard, set by God, of being a part of the kingdom: only by accepting Jesus would they come to God. In other words, Jesus was saying: “Many are invited, but only a few of those invited have met the criteria of paying proper respect for God to be fully accepted.”

21 August friday

1st Reading: Ru 1:1, 3–6, 14b–16, 22 There was a famine in the land during the time of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Judges, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah departed with Pius X his wife and two sons to sojourn in the country of Moab. Psalter: Week 4 Naomi’s husband Elimelech died. She was left with her two sons, who married Moabite women, one named Orpah and Ps 146:5–6ab, 6c–7, 8–9a, 9bc–10 the other Ruth. Praise the Lord, my soul! After living in Moab for about ten years, Mahlon and Chilion also died and Naomi was left bereft of husband and two sons. Having heard that Yahweh had come to help his people by giving them food, Naomi prepared to return home. Again they sobbed and wept. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth clung to her. Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law returns to her people and her gods. You too must return. Go after her.” Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you. For I will go where you go and stay where you stay. Your people will be my people and your god, my God. Thus it was that Naomi returned from Moab with her Moabite daughter-in-law and arrived in Bethlehem as the barley harvest began. Gospel: Mt 22:34–40 When the Pharisees heard how Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. One of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to test him with this question, “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the Law?” Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the most important of the commandments. But after this there is another one very similar to it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole Law and the Prophets are founded on these two commandments.”

aomi wanted her daughters-in-law to return with her and live with the Israelites; but if they went with her, she didn’t want them to go on her account. She would have them make it their deliberate choice to sit down first and count the cost. Ruth was resolved to return with her, even when it involved making a new profession of faith in God. While Orpah was loath to part from her, she did not love Naomi well enough to leave Moab for her sake. Those, who take upon themselves a profession of faith, only to oblige their friends or family, generally end up being souls of little faith. As soon as their faith is tried by hardship, they tend to quit it, though perhaps with some sorrow. Thus, many have a value and affection for Christ, yet come up short of salvation by Him, when they refuse to forsake worldly things for Him. They don’t love Christ enough; they love worldly attractions better. Those, who adopt religious ways without resolve, stand like a door half-open, inviting in a thief; but, resolve in faith shuts and bolts the door, resists the devil and finds peace in God’s protection!

1st Reading: Ru 2:1–3, 8–11; 4:13–17* … Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go away from here to glean in anyone else’s field. Stay here with my women servants. See where the harvesters are and follow behind. I have ordered the men not to molest you. They have filled some jars with water. Go there and drink when you are thirsty.” Bowing down with her face to the ground, she exclaimed, “Why have I, a foreigner, found such favor in your eyes?” Boaz answered, “I have been told all about you—what you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death, how you have gone with her, leaving your own father and mother and homeland, to live with a people you knew nothing about before you came here. So Ruth was taken by Boaz and became his wife. Yahweh made her conceive and give birth to a son. …

saturday

August

20th Week in Ordinary Time Queenship of Mary Psalter: Week 4

Ps 128:1b–2, 3, 4, 5. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.

Gospel: Mt 23:1–12* Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees sat on the seat of Moses. So you shall do and observe all they say, but do not do as they do, for they do not do what they say. They tie up heavy burdens and load them on the shoulders of the people, but they do not even raise a finger to move them. … They enjoy the first place at feasts and reserved seats in the synagogues, and being greeted in the marketplace and being called ‘Master’ by the people. “But you, do not let yourselves be called Master because you have only one Master, and all of you are brothers and sisters. Neither should you call anyone on earth Father, because you have only one Father, he who is in heaven. Nor should you be called leader, because Christ is the only leader for you. Let the greatest among you be the servant of all. For whoever makes himself great shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be made great.”

oday, we have a heartwarming story, as remarkable for its simplicity as for the excellence of its values. The characters are models of virtue and goodness, to be emulated. Naomi is notable for the way she was concerned about the welfare of her daughter-in-law. Ruth displayed absolute loyalty to her mother-in-law and her adopted family. She was never motivated out of self-interest, but faithfully sought to preserve the family. The story demonstrates how ordinary people find peace and security when they behave unselfishly. Indeed Ruth, a foreigner, became the great-grandmother of David, the greatest monarch of Israel, and the linear ancestor of Jesus, through whom myriads of us were re-born into God. God’s heritage extends to all of us…gentiles as well as those of Jewish descent! In becoming the ancestor of David and Jesus, Ruth was instrumental in the happiness of all of us, who are saved by God. She was a witness for God to the whole world; so much so that, no matter who we are, we can accept God’s invitation to salvation.

1st Reading: Jos 24:1–2a, 15–17, 18b Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel in Shechem, and assembled the elders, leaders, judges and secretaries. And together they presented themselves before God. Addressing the people, Joshua said to them: “Yahweh, the God of Israel, commands me to say to you: Your ancestors lived beyond the Euphrates River Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor serving other gods. But if you do not want to serve Yahweh, make known this very day whom you shall serve whether they be the gods your ancestors served in Mesopotamia or the gods of the Amorites who formerly occupied the land in which you now live. As for me, I and my household will serve Yahweh.” The people answered: “May God not permit that we ever abandon Yahweh to serve other gods! For it was he who brought us and our ancestors out of Egypt, the house of slavery. It was he who did those great wonders that we have seen; he protected us on the way and through all the land where we passed, driving away before us all the nations especially the Amorites who lived in this land. So we shall also serve Yahweh: he is our God!” 2nd Reading: Eph 5:21–32 Let all kinds of submission to one another become obedience to Christ. So wives to their husbands: as to the Lord. The husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head of the Church, his body, of whom he is also the Savior. And as the Church submits to Christ, so let a wife submit in everything to her husband. As for you, husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her. He washed her and made her holy by baptism in the Word. As he wanted a radiant Church without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless, he himself had to prepare and present her to himself. In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. And no one has ever hated his body; he feeds and takes care of it. That is just what Christ does for the Church, because

Ps 34:2–3, 16–17, 18–19, 20–21, 22–23 Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. we are a part of his body. Scripture says: Because of this a man shall leave his father and mother to be united with his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a very great mystery, and I refer to Christ and the Church.

sunday

Gospel: Jn 6:60–69 After hearing his doctrine, many of Jesus’ followers said, “This language is very hard! Who can accept it?” Jesus was aware that his disciples were murmuring about this and so he said to them, “Does this offend you? Then how will you react when you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh cannot help. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. But among you there are some who do not believe.” From the beginning, Jesus knew who would betray him. So he added, “As I have told you, no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.” After this many disciples withdrew and no longer followed him. Jesus asked the Twelve, “Will you also go away?” Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We now believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

August

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

hat are we to make of the Bread of Life Discourse? How are we to interpret the claim of Jesus that His flesh is real food and His blood real drink? Some interpret that saying of Jesus merely as a metaphor for His life-giving Word. Still others follow the lead of those who left Jesus upon hearing those words, never being able to accept the literal interpretation of those words, and never to follow Him again. St. Peter acts for the apostles and for the whole Church when He chooses to stay with the Lord, absolutely staking his faith on the Lord Jesus as the Holy One of God, and upon His words being completely reliable and true. At the heart of our Catholic faith is the Holy Eucharist, the sacrament through which we encounter the substantial presence of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of the Lord. Through the Holy Eucharist we meet the Lord and receive the great gift that He gives us, the gift of His Body and Blood. Even if our minds struggle to comprehend this sublime mystery our hearts can say with St. Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go” You have the words of eternal life.?”

24 August monday

Bartholomew, apostle Psalter: Proper

Ps 145:10–11, 12–13, 17–18 Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

1st Reading: Rev 21:9b–14 Then one of the seven angels came to me, one of those with the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues. And he said, “Come, I am going to show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” He took me up in a spiritual vision to a very high mountain and he showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shines with the glory of God, like a precious jewel with the color of crystal-clear jasper. Its wall, large and high, has twelve gates; stationed at them are twelve angels. Over the gates are written the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. Three gates face the east; three gates face the north; three gates face the south and three face the west. The city wall stands on twelve foundation stones on which are written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Gospel: Jn 1:45–51 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the one that Moses wrote about in the Law, and the prophets as well: he is Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come from Naza reth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, he said of him, “Here comes an Israelite, a true one; there is nothing false in him.” Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” And Jesus said to him, “Before Philip called you, you were under the fig tree and I saw you.” Nathanael answered, “Master, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” But Jesus replied, “You believe because I said: ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ But you will see greater things than that. Truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

athanael made a prejudicial remark about Jesus coming from Nazareth, but was quick to withdraw it, after he had met Jesus. All of us, who want to follow the word of God, must beware of prejudices against places of birth, racial or denominational differences in others. When we look closely for ourselves, we will sometimes find good in places, where we looked for none. Many people are kept from the ways of God by the unreasonable prejudices they conceive. At least, in Nathanael there was no guile. He was not hypocritical, nor was he dishonest. He was of sound character, an upright, godly man. Jesus witnessed true character when Nathanael was under the fig tree. He might have been in prayer, seeking direction as to the hope and consolation of Israel. But Jesus knew what he was, and this showed him that Jesus knew the secrets of his heart. Likewise, we should seek to be one of those, of whom it is said: there is no guile. While imperfections are found in all of us, hypocrisy doesn’t belong to our Christian character. When Christ communes with us in prayer, things in heaven and things on earth are reconciled and united together.

1st Reading: 1 Thes 2:1–8 You well know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not in vain. We had been ill-treated and insulted in Philippi but, trusting in our God, we dared announce to you the message of God, and face fresh opposition. Our warnings did not conceal any error or impure motive, nor did we deceive anyone. But as God had entrusted his Gospel to us as to faithful ministers, we were anxious to please God who sees the heart, rather than human beings. We never pleased you with flattery, as you know, nor did we try to earn money, as God knows. We did not try to make a name for ourselves among people, either with you or anybody else, although we were messengers of Christ and could have made our weight felt. On the contrary, we were gentle with you, as a nursing mother who feeds and cuddles her baby. And so great is our concern that we are ready to give you, as well as the Gospel, even our very lives, for you have become very dear to us.

tuesday

August

21st Week in Ordinary Time Louis of France / Joseph Calasanz Psalter: Week 1

Ps 139:1–3, 4–6 You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

Gospel: Mt 23:23–26 Jesus said, “Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You do not forget the mint, anise and cumin seeds when you pay the tenth of everything, but then you forget what is most fundamental in the Law: justice, mercy and faith. These you must practice, without neglecting the others. Blind guides! You strain out a mosquito, but swallow a camel. “Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You fill the plate and the cup with theft and violence, and then pronounce a blessing over them. Blind Pharisee! Purify the inside first, then the outside too will be purified.”

he scribes and Pharisees extended the law into every aspect of life. It filled their lives and became the purpose of their being. They reflected their expansion of the law and left off the search for the heart of God. In the process, their lives no longer reflected the way, the love, the life, of God’s heart. This was why Jesus said that they were blind guides leading the blind. They knew the surface of the law, but not that which supported the law, God’s heart…God’s love. Because of this lack of understanding they went astray. If the law was a bowl of soup they could pick out the smallest thing that didn’t belong and yet the biggest themes would be swallowed whole. Upon swallowing a camel, it then became a part of the body of law. It was in the applying of this new false understanding of the law that led to their mistakes in thinking, to which Jesus referred. We are what we are inside of us. Our outward motives may keep the outside clean, while the inside is filthy. But if we want to achieve newness of life, we must begin by cleansing our interior selves.

26 August wednesday

21st Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 139:7–8, 9–10, 11–12ab You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

1st Reading: 1 Thes 2:9–13 Remember our labor and toil; when we preached the Gospel, we worked day and night so as not to be a burden to you. You are witnesses with God that we were holy, just and blameless toward all of you who now believe. We warned each of you as a father warns his children; we encouraged you and urged you to adopt a way of life worthy of God who calls you to share his own glory and kingdom. This is why we never cease giving thanks to God for, on receiving our message, you accepted it, not as human teaching, but as the word of God. That is what it really is, and as such it is at work in you who believe. Gospel: Mt 23:27–32 Jesus said, “Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs beautiful in appearance, but inside there are only dead bones and uncleanness. In the same way you appear as religious to others, but you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness within. “Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous. You say: Had we lived in the time of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in the blood of prophets. So, you yourselves confess to be kins of those who murdered the prophets. And now, finish off what your ancestors began!”

ypocrisy is the deliberate affectation of more virtue than one actually has. In our minds, the word hypocrisy suggests the outward display of piety, goodness, or sincerity when one is, in reality, irreligious, corrupt, and insincere. Therefore, it connotes more than pretense or affectation, but the assumption of goodness and piety when one is neither good nor pious and does not want to be. Thus hypocrisy, in the modern sense, should be understood as a kind of purposeful, selfserving, and deceitful play acting. When Jesus called the scribes and certain of the Pharisees hypocrites, he put a different emphasis on the word than we usually do. Their sin was not primarily dissembling, of feigning piety and righteousness, though that certainly revealed a deeper illness. Rather, he was chiding them for an obstinate, self-righteous conviction of their own goodness. To emphasize, Jesus attacked them because of their insistence that their standard of righteousness was correct when, in reality, it was nothing short of apostasy. Their perversion destroyed the works of God and actually led people into unrighteousness. Because of their self-perceived correctness, they could not repent; and because they could not repent, they could not receive the Spirit of God.

1st Reading: 1 Thes 3:7–13 What a consolation for us, brothers and sisters, in the midst of our troubles and trials, this faith of yours! It is a breath of life for us when you stand firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for all the joy that we feel before God because of you? Day and night we beg of him to let us see you again, that we may complete the instruction of the believers. May God our Father and Jesus our Lord prepare the way for us to visit you. May the Lord increase more and more your love for each other and for all people, as he increases our love for you. May he strengthen you internally to be holy and blameless before God, our Father, on the day that Jesus, our Lord, will come with all his saints.

thursday

August

21st Week in Ordinary Time Monica Psalter: Week 1

Ps 90:3–5a, 12–13, 14 and 17 Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Gospel: Mt 24:42–51 Jesus said to his disciples, “Stay awake, then, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Just think about this: if the owner of the house knew that the thief would come by night around a certain hour, he would stay awake to prevent his house to be broken into. So be alert, for the Son of Man will come at the hour you least expect. “Imagine a capable servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give them food at the proper time. Fortunate indeed is that servant whom his master will find at work when he comes. Truly, I say to you, his lord will entrust that one with everything he has. “Not so with the bad servant who thinks: My master is delayed. And he begins ill-treating his fellow servants while eating and drinking with drunkards. But his master will come on the day he does not know and at the hour he least expects. He will dismiss that servant and deal with him as with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

o watch for Christ’s coming, is to maintain that frame of mind, in which we would be hoping that He would find us. We cannot know how much time we have to live, much less can we know the time fixed for the last judgment. Christ’s coming will be happy for those of us, who are found ready. But those, who choose the world for their portion in this life, will have hell for their portion in the other life. May Christ, when He comes, pronounce us blessed and present us to God, fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in heaven. We must not become numb to this. We must not become numb to the deaths of those who die as a consequence of poverty, through lack of food or health care or shelter, for lack of hope or possibility, in our own country or elsewhere in the world. “How can I give you up?” God cries, knowing the consequences of us continuing on as we are. Our Christian tradition does not soften the reality of crucifixion. What it does affirm is that devastation, loss, and crucifixion do not have the last word. That belongs to God!

28 August friday

21st Week in Ordinary Time Augustine Psalter: Week 1

Ps 97:1 and 2b, 5–6, 10, 11–12 Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

1st Reading: 1 Thes 4:1–8 For the rest, brothers, we ask you in the name of Jesus, the Lord, and we urge you to live in a way that pleases God, just as you have learned from us. This you do, but try to do still more. You know the instructions we gave you on behalf of the Lord Jesus: the will of God for you is to become holy and not to have unlawful sex. Let each of you behave towards his wife as a holy and respectful husband, rather than being led by lust, as are pagans who do not know God. In this matter, let no one offend or wrong a brother. The Lord will do justice in all these things, as we have warned and shown you. God has called us to live, not in impurity but in holiness, and those who do not heed this instruction disobey, not a human, but God himself who gives you his Holy Spirit. Gospel: Mt 25:1–13 Jesus told his disciples this parable: “This story throws light on what will happen in the kingdom of heaven. Ten bridesmaids went out with their lamps to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were careless while the others were sensible. “The careless bridesmaids took their lamps as they were and did not bring extra oil. But those who were sensible, brought with their lamps flasks of oil. As the bridegroom delayed, they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. “But at midnight, a cry rang out: ‘The bridegroom is here, come out and meet him!’ All the maidens woke up at once and trimmed their lamps. Then the careless ones said to the sensible ones: ‘Give us some oil, for our lamps are going out.’ The sensible ones answered: ‘There may not be enough for both you and us. You had better go to those who sell and buy for yourselves.’ “They were out buying oil when the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him to the wed-ding feast, and the doors were shut. “Later the rest of the bridesmaids arrived and called out: ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But he answered: ‘Truly, I do not know you.’ “So, stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour.”

ur world has an urgent need for witnesses. We must witness that our identity is centered on true spirituality, and that our morality derives from that spirituality. We must witness that our faith challenges many of the values of the dominant secular culture. We must witness that our traditions have great meaning for us. We must witness that challenging commitments offer firm principles by which we may live our lives. We must witness that adherence to traditional morality often comes at a considerable personal cost: perhaps of losing family, friends, even jobs. We must witness that what we have found in Christ is true and real. We must witness by seeking our lasting happiness. We must witness by striving for personal holiness and authenticity. Witness has no room for complacency, hypocrisy, or self-indulgence. For all those who wish to be authentic witnesses, a life of prayer and reflection is crucial. As effective witnesses, we must have an unambiguous mind, a well-formed conscience and a passion for the way of life that leads us to eternity.

1st Reading: Jer 1:17–19 But you, get ready for action; stand up and say to them all that I command you. Be not scared of them or I will scare you in their presence! See, I will make you a fortified city, a pillar of iron with walls of bronze, against all the nations, against the kings and princes of Judah, against the priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but shall not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue you—it is Yahweh who speaks.”

saturday

August

Beheading of John the Baptist Psalter: Week 1

Ps 71:1–2, 3–4a, 5–6b, 15ab and 17 I will sing your salvation.

Gospel: Mk 6:17–29* Herod had ordered John the Baptist to be arrested and had him bound and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod had married her and John had told him, “It is not right for you to live with your brother’s wife.” So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not because Herod respected John. He knew John to be an upright and holy man and kept him safe. … Herodias had her chance on Herod’s birthday, when he gave a dinner for all the senior government officials, military chiefs and the leaders of Galilee. On that occasion the daughter of Herodias came in and danced; and she delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you.” And he went so far as to say with many oaths, “I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.” She went out to consult her mother, “What shall I ask for?” The mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl hurried to the king and made her request: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist, here and now, on a dish.” The king was very displeased, but he would not refuse in front of his guests because of his oaths. So he sent one of the bodyguards with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded John in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl. And the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and buried it.

he drunken oath of a king with a shallow sense of honor, a seductive dance and the hateful heart of a queen combined to bring about the martyrdom of John the Baptist. The “voice crying in the desert” did not hesitate to accuse the guilty, did not hesitate to speak the truth. John’s life and death were a giving-over of self for God and other people. His simple style of life was one of complete detachment from earthly possessions. His heart was centered on God and the call that he heard from the Spirit of God speaking to his heart. Confident of God’s grace, he had the courage to speak words of condemnation or repentance, of salvation. Each of us has a calling, to which we must listen. It is our role to witness to Christ’s love in our lives. Whatever our position in this world, we are called to be Christ’ disciples. By our words and deeds, others should realize that we live in the joy of knowing Christ. We don’t have to depend upon our own limited resources, but we can draw strength from the vastness of Christ’s saving grace.

1st Reading: Dt 4:1–2, 6–8 And now, Israel, listen to the norms and laws which I teach that you may put them into practice. And you will live and enter and take possession of the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, gives you. Do not add anything to what I command you nor take anything away from it. But keep the commandments of Yahweh, your God, as I command you. If you observe and practice them, other peoples will regard you as wise and intelligent. When they come to know of all these laws, they will say, “There is no people as wise and as intelligent as this great nation.” For in truth, is there a nation as great as ours, whose gods are as near to it as Yahweh, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? And is there a nation as great as ours whose norms and laws are as just as this Law which I give you today? 2nd Reading: Jas 1:17–18, 21–22, 27 Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of Light, in whom there is no change or shadow of a change. By his own will he gave us life through the Word of Truth, that we might be a kind of offering to him among his creatures. So get rid of any filth and reject the prevailing evil, and welcome the Word that has been Ps 15:2–3, 3–4, 4–5 planted in you and has the power to save you. The one who does justice will live Be doers of the Word and not just hearers, lest in the presence of the Lord. you deceive yourselves. In the sight of God, our Father, pure and blameless religion lies in helping the orphans and widows in their need and keeping oneself from the world’s corruption.

Gospel: Mk 7:1–8, 14–15, 21–23 One day the Pharisees gathered around Jesus and with them were some teachers of the Law who had just come from Jerusalem. They noticed that some of his disciples were eating their meal with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. Now the Pharisees, and in fact, all the Jews, never eat without washing their hands for they follow the tradition received from their ancestors. Nor do they eat anything when they come from the market without first washing themselves. And there are many other traditions they observe, for example, the ritual washing of cups, pots and plates. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law asked him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders, but eat with unclean hands?” Jesus answered, “You, shallow people! How well Isaiah prophesied of you when he wrote: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless, for what they teach are only human rules. You even put aside the commandment of God to hold fast to human tradition.” Jesus then called the people to him again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and try to understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can make that person unclean. It is what comes out from within that makes unclean. For evil designs come out of the heart: theft, murder, adultery, jealousy, greed, maliciousness, deceit, indecency, slander, pride and folly. All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean.”

sunday

August

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

he discussion about cleanliness in today’s Gospel centers around Jewish traditions of washing hands and purifying vessels so as to put them to good and holy use. External rituals are performed so as to signify interior sentiments of piety and holiness. Jesus challenges the Pharisees to make certain that the interior movements of their hearts truly live up to what they profess with their words and ritual gestures. For Jesus, holiness is not just a matter of observing a collection of precepts. Rather, holiness is a way of life, striving to love the Lord with all of one’s heart, mind, soul and strength. How do we become holy? How do we attain the cleanliness spoken of in the Gospel? We do so by drawing near to the One who is all holy, the Lord Jesus who enters our lives through the sacraments of the Church so that we might experience renewal of heart and conversion of life. By drawing near to the Lord Jesus in Word and Sacrament we allow Him to influence our attitudes, thoughts and actions. May we seek the holiness that allows us to be “doers of the Word and not merely hearers.”

31 August monday

1st Reading: 1 Thes 4:13–18 Brothers and sisters, we want you not to be mistaken about 22nd Week in Ordinary Time those who are already asleep, lest you grieve as do those who Psalter: Week 2 have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose; it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus. God will bring Ps 96:1 and 3, 4–5, 11–12, 13 them together with Jesus and for his sake. By the same word The Lord comes to judge the earth. of the Lord we assert this: those of us who are to be alive at the Lord’s coming will not go ahead of those who are already asleep. When the command by the archangel’s voice is given, the Lord himself will come down from heaven, while the divine trumpet call is sounding. Then those who have died in the Lord will rise first; as for us who are still alive, we will be brought along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the celestial world. And we will be with the Lord forever. So, then comfort one another with these words. Gospel: Lk 4:16–30* When Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the book of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus then unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed and announce the Lord’s year of mercy.” … Then he said to them, “Today these prophetic words come true even as you listen.” All agreed with him and were lost in wonder, while he kept on speaking of the grace of God. Nevertheless they asked, “Who is this but Joseph’s son?” … Jesus added, “No prophet is honored in his own country. Truly, I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens withheld rain for three years and six months and a great famine came over the whole land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow of Zarephath, in the country of Sidon. … On hearing these words, the whole assembly became indignant. They rose up and brought him out of the town, to the edge of the hill on which Nazareth is built, intending to throw him down the cliff. But he passed through their midst and went his way.

esus was accepted by some and rejected by others. But the oftentimes most amazing coincidence is that those, who rejected him were those who were closest to him. He didn’t do any miracles before them, because of their lack of faith. Jesus had to leave Nazareth because the people there not only rejected him, they would have killed him, just because he spoke the truth to them. Many think that if we are born into what is considered a Christian land, we are qualified to be called Christians. But this is altogether wrong! Most of the existing knowledge of Jesus is extremely shallow and is greatly corrupted with erroneous views, with respect to his teaching and also his mission. Let us not be likewise: when we see the great miracles of life that are done for us, when we hear Christ’s words of truth and, it’s time to repent and trust Him with our lives!

1st Reading: 1 Thes 5:1–6, 9–11 You do not need anyone to write to you about the delay and the appointed time for these events. You know that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When people feel secure and at peace, the disaster will suddenly come upon them as the birth pangs of a woman in labor, and they will not escape. But you, beloved, are not in darkness; so that day will not surprise you like a thief. All of you are citizens of the light and the day; we do not belong to night and darkness. Let us not, therefore, sleep as others do, but remain alert and sober.

tuesday

September

22nd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 27:1, 4, 13–14 I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

Gospel: Lk 4:31–37 Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and began teaching the people at the Sabbath meetings. They were astonished at the way he taught them, for his word was spoken with authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by an evil spirit who shouted in a loud voice, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I recognize you: you are the Holy One of God.” Then Jesus said to him sharply, “Be silent and leave this man!” The evil spirit then threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him harm. Amazement seized all these people and they said to one another, “What does this mean? He commands the evil spirits with authority and power. He orders, and you see how they come out!” And news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding area.

hrist has promised that He will continue to stand with us, until the worshippers of evil in this world are brought to acknowledge him as the Son of God. Christ has absolutely given us the legal right to use His name. He has given us authority to face the devil in the power of His name. We can go forth using that power of attorney—using His name. The devil has to recognize us when we use the power of Christ. We know that every time Christ met the devil he defeated him, because of the power and the authority that He had. Christ has given us authority through the power of His name. He has not left us alone. There is a difference between power and authority. There is power in the name of Christ and we have authority to use that power, to use that name. It’s not the power of man. It’s not the power of a church, but the power of Christ’s name that brings healing today. So again, we have not the power to heal, but we have the authority to use His name. A desert is no desert, if we are there with Christ!

02 September wednesday

22nd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 52:10, 11 I trust in the mercy of God for ever.

1st Reading: Col 1:1–8 Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God and Timothy our brother, to the saints in Colossae, our faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Receive grace and peace from God our Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord. Thanks be to God, the Father of Christ Jesus, our Lord! We constantly pray for you, for we have known of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints. Indeed you await in hope the inheritance reserved for you in heaven, of which you have heard through the word of truth. This Gospel, already present among you, is bearing fruit and growing through-out the world, as it did among you from the day you accepted it and understood the gift of God in all its truth. He who taught you, Epaphras, our dear companion in the service of Christ, faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, has reminded me of the love you have for me in the spirit. Because of this, from the day we received news of you, we have not ceased praying to God for you, that you may attain the full knowledge of his will through all the gifts of wisdom and spiritual understanding. Gospel: Lk 4:38–44 Leaving the synagogue, Jesus went to the house of Simon. His mother-in-law was suffering from high fever and they asked him to do something for her. Bending over her, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and waited on them. At sunset, people suffering from many kinds of sickness were brought to Jesus. Laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Demons were driven out, howling as they departed from their victims, “You are the Son of God!” He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, for they knew he was the Messiah. Jesus left at daybreak and looked for a solitary place. People went out in search of him and, finding him, they tried to dissuade him from leaving. But he said, “I have to go to other towns to announce the good news of the kingdom of God. That is what I was sent to do.” So Jesus continued to preach in the synagogues of the Jewish country.

hat we believe matters. What we believe determines how we behave. Just look at the current events now transpiring in our nation and around the world. The message of the book of Colossians centers on having a right view of Christ and on how to live the Christian life. To know Christ is to experience the powerful and radical life-changing grace of Almighty God. As Christians, our challenge is to know Christ more. We can never know enough about Christ. We need to focus on him. We need to study about him. We need to grow in our knowledge of him and in our experience of him. Christianity is about life transformation. This is what happens when we come to Christ. We receive faith. We are saved by faith and we live by faith. The truth of the gospel transforms our attitudes. When we receive the truth of the gospel we now can stand by faith. Obedience and faith go together. We must not only believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, we must also commit our lives to live for him, in the light of what he did for us.

1st Reading: Col 1:9–14* Because of this, from the day we received news of you, we have not ceased praying to God for you, that you may attain the full knowledge of his will through all the gifts of wisdom and spiritual understanding. May your lifestyle be worthy of the Lord and completely pleasing to him. May you bear fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God. … Constantly give thanks to the Father who has empowered us to receive our share in the inheritance of the saints in his kingdom of light. He rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. In him we are redeemed and forgiven.

thursday

September

22nd Week in Ordinary Time Gregory the Great Psalter: Week 2

Ps 98:2–3ab, 3cd–4, 5–6 The Lord has made known his salvation.

Gospel: Lk 5:1–11* … He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to pull out a little from the shore. There he sat and continued to teach the crowd. When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon replied, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I will lower the nets.” This they did and caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. They signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats almost to the point of sinking. Upon seeing this, Simon Peter fell at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and his companions were amazed at the catch they had made and so were Simon’s partners, James and John, Zebedee’s sons. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. You will catch people from now on.” So they brought their boats to land and followed him, leaving everything.

e not only stand by faith, we also now walk in love. We are to live a life characterized by love. Love is vital for every true believer. Loving one another is evidence of a right relationship with God. Jesus told us that people would know that we are his disciples by how we love one another. Following God and walking in love are synonymous. You can’t have one without the other. The truth of the gospel transforms our attitudes and our actions. It’s easy to love the lovable. But it takes God’s power to love the unlovable. God has given us the power to love, even those who are difficult to love. Our love ought to be great, because it’s powered by God. The grace of God in our hearts is the power of God; and there is glory in this power. The special use of this strength is for times when we are suffering. We ought to deem it special to be invited to live with Christ, knowing that all our trials will soon end and that our faith, having emerged from great tribulation, will be all the stronger and love-filled.

04 September friday

22nd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 100:1b–2, 3, 4, 5 Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.

1st Reading: Col 1:15–20 He is the image of the unseen God, and for all creation he is the firstborn, for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible: thrones, rulers, authorities, powers… All was made through him and for him. He is before all and all things hold together in him. And he is the head of the body, that is the Church, for he is the first, the first raised from the dead that he may be the first in everything, for God was pleased to let fullness dwell in him. Through him God willed to reconcile all things to himself, and through him, through his blood shed on the cross, God establishes peace, on earth as in heaven. Gospel: Lk 5:33–39 The scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus, “The disciples of John fast often and say long prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why is it that your disciples eat and drink?” Then Jesus said to them, “You can’t make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them. But later the bridegroom will be taken from them and they will fast in those days.” Jesus also told them this parable, “No one tears a piece from a new coat to put it on an old one; otherwise the new will be torn and the piece taken from the new will not match the old. No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed as well. But new wine must be put into fresh skins. Yet no one who has tasted old wine is eager to get new wine, but says: The old is good.”

ow we can rest in hope. We stand in faith, walk in love, and rest in hope. We know that this life is not all there is, that one day we will experience eternal life in all its fullness. This is the hope of every Christian. The philosophy of our world is instant gratification. Buy now, pay later. We are not conditioned to hope for anything. And we certainly don’t want to wait for anything. But our hope of Heaven enables us to endure anything, because we know that nothing will be able to keep us from our inheritance. Hope makes us willing to endure, even sacrifice for future glory. Hope allows us to rest in God’s promises. We don’t focus enough on hope. We don’t focus enough on heaven. It gives us the perspective to live in the here and now. It enables us to recognize what is really important and eternal and what is temporary and fleeting. Christ changes us so that we become world changers ourselves. We become representatives of the power of God to transform a human life, representatives of our faith in Christ, our love for one another, and our hope in God’s eternal life!

1st Reading: Col 1:21–23 You yourselves were once estranged and opposed to God because of your evil deeds, but now God has reconciled you in the human body of his Son through his death, so that you may be without fault, holy and blameless before him. Only stand firm, upon the foundation of your faith, and be steadfast in hope. Keep in mind the Gospel you have heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

saturday

September

22nd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 54:3–4, 6 and 8 God himself is my help

Gospel: Lk 6:1–5 One Sabbath, Jesus was going through the corn fields and his disciples began to pick heads of grain crushing them in their hands for food. Some of the Pharisees asked them, “Why do you do what is forbidden on the sabbath?” Then Jesus spoke, “Have you never read what David did when he and his men were hungry? He entered the house of God, took and ate the bread of the offering and even gave some to his men, though only priests are allowed to eat that bread.” And Jesus added, “The Son of Man is Lord and rules over the sabbath.”

rreconcilable differences: this is a phrase we’ve all heard. It is generally used in our society as a ground for divorce. Irreconcilable differences are a huge problem in our world today. We live in a world in which people feel alienated. Of course, there are many reasons for this alienation. We are all familiar with the common ones—race, education, money, status, and religion. Our world has a sad history of one group looking down upon another group because of issues like these. There are those who may feel justified in their hostility toward others because of some wrong suffered. They may feel justified in hostile attitudes and hostile actions because they have been done wrong. As a result, we see an increasing hostility in our world. Our holiness is the purpose of reconciliation. God wants to present us to Himself as holy people. We are to be holy in his sight. This speaks of the purpose of God in reconciliation. As a part of this process, God is changing us from the inside out. Not only did Christ’s death reconcile us to God, it also works in us to change us into beautiful people in love with God!

1st Reading: Is 35:4–7a Say to those who are afraid: “Have courage, do not fear. See, your God comes, demanding justice. He is the God who rewards, the God who comes to save you.” Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unsealed. Then will the lame leap as a hart and the tongue of the dumb sing and shout. For water will break out in the wilderness and streams gush forth from the desert. The thirsty ground will become a pool, the arid land springs of water. In the haunts where once reptiles lay, grass will grow with reeds and rushes. 2nd Reading: Jas 2:1–5 My brothers and sisters, if you truly believe in our glorified Lord, Jesus Christ, you will not discriminate between persons. Suppose a person enters the synagogue where you are assembled, dressed magnificently and wearing a gold ring; at the same time, a poor person enters dressed in rags. If you focus your attention on the welldressed and say, “Come and sit in the best seat,” while to the poor one you say, “Stay standing or else sit down at my feet,” have you not, in fact, made a distinction between the two? Have you not judged, using a double standard? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters, did God not choose the poor of this world to receive the riches of faith and to inherit the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him?

Ps 146:7, 8–9, 9–10 Praise the Lord, my soul! Gospel: Mk 7:31–37 Again Jesus set out; from the country of Tyre he passed through Sidon and skirting the sea of Galilee he came to the territory of Decapolis. There a deaf man who also had difficulty in speaking was brought to him. They asked Jesus to lay his hand upon him. Jesus took him apart from the crowd, put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then, looking up to heaven, he groaned and said to him, “Ephphetha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly. Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone, but the more he insisted on this, the more they proclaimed it. The people were completely astonished and said, “He has done all things well; he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.”

sunday

September

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

uring the Rite of Baptism the priest or deacon may whisper into the ear of the newly baptized the word “Ephphetha.” This ri tual element holds a prayer that the one who has been baptized will always be open to the life-giving Word of God, the Word that offers direction, meaning and purpose for those who listen to it and put it into practice. The prayer that Jesus uttered over the deaf man in the Gospel is His ardent desire for all of us: that by being open to His Word we might be liberated from our sins and walk in the freedom of the sons and daughters of God. We echo this prayer when we make the sign of the cross over our forehead, lips and heart as the Gospel is proclaimed, praying that God’s powerful Word might always be in our minds and on our lips and in our hearts. Please God, may it be so!

07 September monday

23rd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 62:6–7, 9 In God is my safety and my glory.

1st Reading: Col 1:24—2:3* At present I rejoice when I suffer for you; I complete in my own flesh what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of his body, which is the Church. For I am serving the Church since God entrusted to me the ministry to make the word of God fully known. … God willed to make known to them the riches and even the Glory that his mysterious plan reserved for the pagan nations: Christ is in you and you may hope God’s Glory. This Christ we preach. We warn and teach everyone true wisdom, aiming to make everyone perfect in Christ. For this cause I labor and struggle with the energy of Christ working powerfully in me. I want you to know how I strive for you, for those of Laodicea and for so many who have not met me personally. I pray that all may be encouraged. May you be established in love, that you may obtain all the riches of a full understanding and know the mystery of God, Christ himself. For in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Gospel: Lk 6:6–11 On another Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and began teaching. There was a man with a paralyzed right hand and the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees watched him: Would Jesus heal the man on the Sabbath? If he did, they could accuse him. But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to the man, “Get up and stand in the middle.” Then he spoke to them, “I want to ask you: what is allowed by the Law on the Sabbath, to do good or to do harm, to save life or destroy it?” And Jesus looked around at them all. Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored, becoming as whole as the other. But they were furious and began to discuss with one another how they could deal with Jesus.

e know that Jesus lived without sin under the old covenant requirements, while the old covenant was still in force. He observed old covenant customs such as participating in the sacrifice of Passover lambs and telling people, whom he cleansed, to make offerings as prescribed by Moses. Although we are told that he healed people on the Sabbath, we are never told that he rested. While everything he did and taught on the Sabbath was consistently liberal, he did not break the Sabbath; and he didn’t permit his disciples to break it, either. He healed the poor man, even though he knew the Pharisees would take advantage of him for it. Instead of worrying about a little activity on a holy day, they should have accepted, without question, whatever he did and followed his example. Christ is neither ashamed nor afraid to own His powers of healing. The Sabbath is holy, only because God has designated it so. Christ, however, is more important than the temple and its sacrifices. The logical conclusion is that He is also more important than the Sabbath. And our being true to Christ on a daily basis is definitely more important than any Sabbath observances.

1st Reading: Mic 5:1–4* (or Rom 8:28–30) But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, so small that you are hardly named among the clans of Judah, from you shall I raise the one who is to rule over Israel. For he comes forth from of old, from the ancient times. Yahweh, therefore, will abandon Israel until such time as she who is to give birth has given birth. Then the rest of his deported brothers will return to the people of Israel. He will stand and shepherd his flock with the strength of Yahweh, in the glorious Name of Yahweh, his God. They will live safely while he wins renown to the ends of the earth. He shall be peace. …

tuesday

September

Birth of Mary Psalter: Proper

Ps 13:6ab, 6c With delight I rejoice in the Lord.

Gospel: Mt 1:1–16, 18–23* This is the account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar), Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron of Aram. Aram was the father of Aminadab, Aminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz. His mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed. His mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David, the king. David was the father of Solomon. His mother had been Uriah’s wife. Solomon was the Father of Rehoboam. … After the deportation to Babylon Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel and Salathiel of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud, Abiud of Eliakim, and Eliakim of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, and Akim the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar of Matthan, and Matthan of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus who is called the Christ—the Messiah. All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel which means: God-with-us.

et us honor Mary, especially by imitation of those virtues of hers, which are to us an open book of instruction; let us have recourse to her, who, according to the name ‘Star of the Sea’ with which the Church salutes her, shines for all who sail upon the dangerous sea of the world. For this reason, Saint Bernard calls out to each one of us: “Do not take your eyes from the light of this star, if you would not be overwhelmed by the waves; if the storms of temptation arise, if you are thrown upon the rocks of affliction, look to the star, invoke Mary! In dangers, in distress, in doubt, call on Mary. She will not be far from your mouth, or your heart; and, so that you may obtain her intercession, do not forget to imitate her conduct. When you follow her, you do not go astray; when you invoke her, you are no longer in doubt; when she supports you, you do not fall; when she leads you, you surely come to eternal life and you find, by your own experience, that she is justly called Maria, which means ‘Star of the Sea’.”

09 September wednesday

23rd Week in Ordinary Time Peter Claver Psalter: Week 3

Ps 145:2–3, 10–11, 12–13ab The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.

1st Reading: Col 3:1–11* So then, if you are risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on earthly things. For you have died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, reveals himself, you also will be revealed with him in Glory. Therefore, put to death what is earthly in your life, that is immorality, impurity, inordinate passions, wicked desires and greed which is a way of worshiping idols. These are the things that arouse the wrath of God. … Do not lie to one another. You have been stripped of the old self and its way of thinking to put on the new, which is being renewed and is to reach perfect knowledge and the likeness of its creator. There is no room for distinction between Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, foreigner, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all. Gospel: Lk 6:20–26* Lifting up his eyes to his disciples, Jesus said, “Fortunate are you who are poor, the kingdom of God is yours. Fortunate are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Fortunate are you who weep now, for you will laugh. “Fortunate are you when people hate you, when they reject you and insult you and number you among criminals, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. … “But alas for you who have wealth, for you have been comforted now. “Alas for you who are full, for you will go hungry. “Alas for you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. “Alas for you when people speak well of you, for that is how the ancestors of these people treated the false prophets.”

f you woke up this morning with more health than sickness, you are more blessed than the millions, who won’t survive the week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of twenty million people around the world. If you attend a church, without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world. If you have sufficient food, clothes and a roof over your head, you are richer than three-quarters of the world’s population. If your parents are married and still alive, you are very rare among the children of today’s world. If you can hold your head up with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed, because many can, but most do not. If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God’s healing touch. If you can read this reflective offering, then you are more blessed than over two billion people, who cannot read anything at all. You are, indeed, blessed in ways you may never ever know!

1st Reading: Col 3:12–17* Clothe yourselves, then, as is fitting for God’s chosen people, holy and beloved of him. Put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience to bear with one another and forgive whenever there is any occasion to do so. As the Lord has forgiven you, forgive one another. Above all, clothe yourselves with love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. May the peace of Christ overflow in your hearts; for this end you were called to be one body. And be thankful. … And whatever you do or say, do it in the Name of Jesus, the Lord, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

thursday

September

23rd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 150:1b–2, 3–4, 5–6 Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

Gospel: Lk 6:27–38* Jesus said to his disciples, “But I say to you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you and pray for those who treat you badly. … “Do to others as you would have others do to you. If you love only those who love you, what kind of graciousness is yours? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do favors to those who are good to you, what kind of graciousness is yours? Even sinners do the same. … “But love your enemies and do good to them, and lend when there is nothing to expect in return. Then will your reward be great and you will be sons and daughters of the Most High. For he is kind towards the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Don’t be a judge of others and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you, and you will receive in your sack good measure, pressed down, full and running over. For the measure you give will be the measure you receive back.”

esus’ ethic to bear insults without complaint and to turn the other cheek is related to his ethic that we love our enemies. Here, the emphasis is as much on our internal attitude, as it is upon the other’s welfare. If we respond to evil in anger or self-defense, we run the risk of becoming attached to that evil and letting it dominate us. The anger and hatred of our attacker becomes our own anger and resentment, at being a victim. But, by bearing and accepting insults and abuse, without losing our own goodwill, we can stay above the hatred and preserve a foundation of spiritual independence and self-possession. Only by preserving our spiritual subjectivity in the midst of insults, do we build the strength to love our enemies and win them over…to be victorious without disparaging our abusers. Today, we also deal with the justice of turning the other cheek. This assumes the inexorable principle of God’s justice, which sets things right and even vindicates our passivity. Eventually, misfortune comes to evildoers, especially when we accept their insults without responding to them. On the other hand, we grow in God’s grace by enduring persecution, through the virtue of patience.

11 September friday

23rd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 16:1b–2a and 5, 7–8, 11 You are my inheritance, O Lord.

1st Reading: 1 Tim 1:1–2, 12–14 From Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus by a command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, my true son in the faith. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy and peace. I give thanks to Christ Jesus, our Lord, who is my strength, who has considered me trust-worthy and appointed me to his service, although I had been a blasphemer, a persecutor and a rabid enemy. However he took mercy on me because I did not know what I was doing when I opposed the faith; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, together with faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Gospel: Lk 6:39–42 And Jesus offered this example, “Can a blind person lead another blind person? Surely both will fall into a ditch. A disciple is not above the master; but when fully trained, he will be like the master. So why do you pay attention to the speck in your brother’s eye while you have a log in your eye and are not conscious of it? How can you say to your neighbor: ‘Friend, let me take this speck out of your eye,’ when you can’t remove the log in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the log from your own eye and when you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your neighbor’s eye.

he parable about removing the log from our own eye before the speck in our neighbor’s speaks to us about tackling the tough questions in interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims. There are many good examples from Christian history of our faith behaving with great violence in seeking to spread the word. Colonial Christianity is a centuries’ long example of this. The best way for us Christians to help Muslims address their more violent and extreme elements is to address ourselves to the violent and extreme elements within Christianity. If Christians wish to be helpful to Muslims, who are working for greater peace and justice, they can do no better than to take on the bigots of the world, who promote a distorted and hateful, Christian attitude toward Islam. We should see Christian diatribes against Islam as fodder for reactionary elements within both religions. Those, who wish for war and not peace among religions, are mirrors of each other, actually helping each other bring about what they each claim to fear…a state of permanent war. The good news is that progressive elements in Islam and Christianity are also helping each other, by making bridges to understanding, long-term peace and stability.

1st Reading: 1 Tim 1:15–17 This saying is true and worthy of belief: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. Because of that I was forgiven; Christ Jesus wanted to display his utmost patience so that I might be an example for all who are to believe and obtain eternal life. To the King of ages, the only God who lives beyond every perishable and visible creation—to him be honor and glory forever. Amen! Gospel: Lk 6:43–49 Jesus said to the crowd, “No healthy tree bears bad fruit, no poor tree bears good fruit. And each tree is known by the fruit it bears: you don’t gather figs from thorns, or grapes from brambles. Similarly the good person draws good things from the good stored in the heart, and an evil person draws evil things from the evil stored in the heart. For the mouth speaks from the fullness of the heart. “Why do you call me: ‘Lord! Lord!’ and not do what I say? I will show you what the one who comes to me and listens to my words and acts accordingly, is like. That one is like the builder who dug deep and laid the foundations of his house on rock. The river overflowed and the stream dashed against the house, but could not carry it off because the house had been well built. “But the one who listens and does not act, is like a man who built his house on the ground without a foundation. The flood burst against it, and the house fell at once: and what a terrible disaster that was!”

saturday

September

23rd Week in Ordinary Time Holy Name of Mary Psalter: Week 3

Ps 113:1b–2, 3–4, 5a and 6–7 Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.

ach tree is known by the fruit it bears; and we are known by the words we speak! Today is a day of graceful thinking and graceful words, words of love and words of patience. We are urged always to speak with love, simply because God is love. He doesn’t want us to endure a crop of bad, angry seeds in our heart or the hearts of others. It is easier to speak lovingly, than to spend precious time weeding out anger from the garden of our lives. All the words we speak, even if they bring to light issues of our heart, create a form of life within those who hear us. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. When we adjust the attitude of our heart, our words change. Not only do angry words plant a destructive crop of fear, they cause us to open doors to doubt and unbelief. As ever, God gives us power to overcome any such tendencies, from the smallest to the largest, and to fulfill the highest commandment next to loving God: loving our neighbor as ourselves. When we are loving in what we say, we create life, create hope!

1st Reading: Is 50:5–9a The Lord Yahweh has opened my ear. I have not rebelled, nor have I withdrawn. I offered my back to those who strike me, my cheeks to those who pulled my beard; neither did I shield my face from blows, spittle and disgrace. I have not despaired, for the Lord Yahweh comes to my help. So, like a flint I set my face, knowing that I will not be disgraced. He who avenges me is near. Who then will accuse me? Let us confront each other. Who is now my accuser? Let him approach. If the Lord Yahweh is my help. who will condemn me? All of them will wear out like cloth; the moth will devour them. 2nd Reading: Jas 2:14–18 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, to profess faith without showing works? Such faith has no power to save you. If a brother or sister is in need of clothes or food and one of you says, “May things go well for you; be warm and satisfied,” without attending to their material needs, what good is that? So it is for faith without deeds: it is totally dead. Say to whoever challenges you, “You have Ps 116:1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 8–9 faith and I have good deeds; show me your faith I will walk before the Lord, apart from actions and I, for my part, will show in the land of the living. you my faith in the way I act.”

Gospel: Mk 8:27–35 Jesus set out with his disciples for the villages around Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” And they told him, “Some say you are John the Baptist; others say you are Elijah or one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asked them, “But you, who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” And he ordered them not to tell anyone about him. Jesus then began to teach them that the Son of Man had to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He would be killed and after three days rise again. Jesus said all this quite openly, so that Peter took him aside and began to protest strongly. But Jesus turning around, and looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter saying, “Get behind me Satan! You are thinking not as God does, but as people do.” Then Jesus called the people and his disciples and said, “If you want to follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. For if you choose to save your life, you will lose it; and if you lose your life for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel, you will save it.

sunday

September

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

he revelation of Jesus’ identity as the Christ, the Messiah, is intricately connected with His impending suffering and death. Indeed, Jesus’ mission as the Messiah can only be accom plished by His taking the weight of our sins upon His shoulders and carrying them to Calvary. Through His holy cross He redeems the world. Jesus extends to us the invitation to parti cipate in His mission by taking up our cross and following in His footsteps. Indeed, only by imitating the Lord in His generous self-giving do we find the joy and peace that this world cannot bring. Through self-denial we find our true selves, for generosity brings out the best in us. Aligning our priorities so that we will consciously participate in the life of Jesus is not necessarily the easiest thing to do, but it always brings us closer to our faith’s goal, our salvation.

14 September monday

Triumph of the Cross Psalter: Proper

Ps 78:1bc–2, 34–35, 36–37, 38 Do not forget the works of the Lord!

1st Reading: Num 21:4b–9 From Mount Hor they set out by the Red Sea road to go around the land of Edom. The people were discouraged by the journey and began to complain against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is neither bread nor water here and we are disgusted with this tasteless manna.” Yahweh then sent fiery serpents against them. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died. Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, speaking against Yahweh and against you. Plead with Yahweh to take the serpents away.” Moses pleaded for the people and Yahweh said to him, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; whoever has been bitten and then looks at it shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a standard. Whenever a man was bitten, he looked towards the bronze serpent and he lived. 2nd Reading: Phil 2:6–11 Gospel: Jn 3:13–17 Jesus said to Nicodemus, “No one has ever gone up to heaven except the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world; instead, through him the world is to be saved.”

he original name of this feast was the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, by which name it is still known in the Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. Since 1970, it has been called the Triumph of the Cross. The feast commemorates the finding of the True Cross in 325 by St. Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, during a pilgrimage she made to Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was then built and dedicated at the site of the discovery, by order of Helena and Constantine, with a portion of the cross placed inside it. In 614, that portion of the cross was carried away from the church by the Persians, and remained missing until it was recaptured by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius in 628. The cross was returned to the church the following year, after initially having been taken to Constantinople by Heraclius. The date used for the feast marks the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in 335. In this festival, the cross itself was brought outside the church, so that the clergy and faithful could pray before the True Cross, and all could come forward to venerate it.

1st Reading: 1 Tim 3:1–13 If someone aspires to the over-seer’s ministry, he is without a doubt looking for a noble task. It is necessary that the overseer (or bishop) be beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, responsible, judicious, of good manners, hospitable and skillful in teaching. He must not be addicted to wine or quarrelsome, but gentle and peaceful, and not a lover of money, but a man whose household is well-managed, with obedient and well-mannered children. If he cannot govern his own house, how can he lead the assembly of God? He must not be a recent convert, lest he become conceited and fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must enjoy a good reputation among the outsiders, lest people speak evil about him and he fall into the snare of the devil. Deacons, likewise, must be serious and sincere and moderate in drinking wine, not greedy for money, they must keep the mystery of faith with a clear conscience. Let them be first tried and, if found blameless, be accepted as deacons. In the same way the women must be conscientious, not given to gossip, but reserved and trustworthy. A deacon must be husband of one wife, and must know how to guide his children and manage his household. Those who serve well as deacons will win honorable rank, with authority to speak of Christian faith.

tuesday

September

Our Lady of Sorrows Psalter: Week 4

Ps 101:1b–2ab, 2cd–3ab, 5, 6 I will walk with blameless heart.

Gospel: Lk 2:33–35 (or Jn 19:25–27) His father and mother wondered at what was said about the child. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “See him; he will be for the rise or fall of the multitudes of Israel. He shall stand as a sign of contradiction, while a sword will pierce your own soul. Then the secret thoughts of many may be brought to light.”

e can trace devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows back to apostolic times. St. John the Evangelist, whom we can consider as one of the first devotees of the Mother of Sorrows, witnessed firsthand that Mary stood by the cross of her son. On Calvary she suffered, overwhelmed with grief at seeing her son die an agonizing death by crucifixion. At the presentation of the Infant Jesus at the Temple, Simeon prophesied that Mary’s soul would be pierced by a sword, so that the thoughts of many hearts would be revealed. Mary, as the first and greatest disciple of her Son, participated in a most deep and profound way in the redemptive work of Christ. By commemorating Our Lady of Sorrows, we call to mind the sufferings that Mary endured as part of her vocation as the mother of Christ. No one has participated more intimately in the redemptive suffering of Christ than Mary. She suffered because of her intimate union with Christ, on account of our sins and on behalf of her spiritual children. Devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows inflames our desire to do penance and make reparation, so as to console the hearts of Jesus and Mary.

16 September wednesday

24th Week in Ordinary Time Cornelius and Cyprian Psalter: Week 4

Ps 111:1–2, 3–4, 5–6 How great are the works of the Lord!

1st Reading: 1 Tim 3:14–16 I give you these instructions, although I hope I will see you soon. If I delay, you will know how you ought to conduct yourself in the household of God, that is, the Church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth. How great indeed is the mystery of divine blessing! He was shown in the flesh and sanctified by the Spirit; presented to the angels and proclaimed to all nations. The world believed in him: He was taken up in glory! Gospel: Lk 7:31–35 Jesus said, “What comparison can I use for this people? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace, about whom their companions complain: ‘We piped you a tune and you wouldn’t dance; we sang funeral songs and you wouldn’t cry.’ “Remember John: he didn’t eat bread or drink wine, and you said: ‘He has an evil spirit.’ Next came the Son of Man, eating and drinking, and you say: ‘Look, a glutton for food and wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But the children of Wisdom always recognize her work.”

he Church is the pillar of truth! Humankind’s ingenuity cannot account for this. The Church has remained one, holy, catholic and apostolic, not through man’s effort, but because God preserves the Church. Just as God guided the Israelites on their escape from Egypt by giving them a pillar of fire to light their way across the dark wilderness, today, He guides us by giving us the Church. In this age of countless competing religions, one voice rises above the din: the Church, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Christ assured the apostles and their successors, the popes and the bishops, of His everlasting support. If we want to observe all that Christ commanded, we must follow Him through the Church. This is our great challenge…and our great privilege. One of the most important activities for us in the Church is prayer. Without it there can be no true spiritual life. Through personal prayer and the communal prayer of the Church…especially in the Mass…we worship and praise God, we express sorrow for our sins, and we intercede on behalf of others. Through prayer, we grow in our relationship with Christ and with members of God’s family. Let us pray!

1st Reading: 1 Tim 4:12–16 Let no one reproach you on account of your youth. Be a model to the believers in the way you speak and act, in your love, your faith and purity of life. Devote yourself to reading, preaching and teaching, until I come. Do not neglect the spiritual gift conferred on you with prophetic words when the elders laid their hands upon you. Think about it and practice it so that your progress may be seen by all. Take heed of yourself and attend to your teaching. Be steadfast in doing this and you will save both yourself and your hearers.

thursday

September

24th Week in Ordinary Time Robert Bellarmine Psalter: Week 4

Ps 111:7–8, 9, 10 How great are the works of the Lord!

Gospel: Lk 7:36–50* Jesus went to the Pharisee’s home and as usual reclined on the sofa to eat. And it happened that a woman of this town, known as a sinner, heard that he was in the Pharisee’s house. She brought a precious jar of perfume and stood behind him at his feet, weeping. She wet his feet with tears, she dried them with her hair and kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them. … Then Jesus spoke to the Pharisee and said, “Simon, I have something to ask you.” He answered, “Speak, master.” And Jesus said, “Two people were in debt to the same creditor. One owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other fifty. As they were unable to pay him back, he graciously canceled the debts of both. Now, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, who was forgiven more.” And Jesus said, “You are right. Do you see this woman? You gave me no water for my feet when I entered your house, but she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You didn’t welcome me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since she came in. You provided no oil for my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. This is why, I tell you, her sins, her many sins, are forgiven, because of her great love. But the one who is forgiven little, has little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

oday’s gospel develops the analogy between sin and illness. It opens with the longing of the woman for forgiveness of her sins, and how this is exactly the situation of the penitent sinner, who is sick from sin. The very physical attributes, which had been used to charm the woman’s clients, are the instruments of her salvation. Her humanity is transformed through the correct use of her body, which becomes the sacrifice of a contrite heart, with the tears flowing in place of blood, and the mortified flesh and skin represented by her hair. She washes his feet, the symbol of his incarnation. Christ’s dual nature is mirrored by his receiving both physical and spiritual offerings: the table of food from the Pharisee and the table of penitence from the woman. The healing He gives is of the whole person. The woman’s initiative makes possible the act of forgiveness: through washing she is washed, and in washing something pure she is purified. Christ, in his mercy and wisdom, offers healing to those, who seek Him. He always replies to our faith in Him, whether we be sick or sinner!

18 September friday

24th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

Ps 49:6–7, 8–10, 17–18, 19–20 Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!

1st Reading: 1 Tim 6:2c–12 Those whose masters are Christians should not show less respect under the pretext that they are members of the church. On the contrary, they must give a better service since they are doing good works on behalf of believers and dear friends. Teach and stress these things. Whoever teaches in some other way, not following the sound teaching of our Lord Christ Jesus and true religious instruction, is conceited and understands nothing. This one is crazy about controversies and discussions that result in envy, insults, blows and constant arguments between people of depraved minds and far from the truth. For them, religion is merely for financial gain. In reality, religion is a treasure if we are content with what we have. We brought nothing into the world and we will leave it with nothing. Let us then be content with having food and clothing. Those who strive to be rich fall into temptations and traps. A lot of foolish and harmful ambitions plunge them into ruin and destruction. Indeed, the love of money is the root of every evil. Because of this greed, some have wandered away from the faith, bringing on themselves afflictions of every kind. But you, man of God, shun all this. Strive to be holy and godly. Live in faith and love, with endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith and win everlasting life to which you were called when you made the good profession of faith in the presence of so many witnesses. Gospel: Lk 8:1–3 Jesus walked through towns and countryside, preaching and giving the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve followed him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary called Magdalene, who had been freed of seven demons; Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Suzanna and others who provided for them out of their own funds.

oday, we practice letting go of all those values that we have surrendered to the world. We leave the world free of its purposes and its dreams. We hold it purposeless within our minds, and loosen it from all we wish it were. We lift the chains, which bar the door to our freedom from the world. The world we see has nothing that we need; nothing that we can use in any way, nor anything at all that serves to give us joy. Believing this thought, we are saved from years of misery, from countless disappointments, and from hopes that turn to bitter ashes of despair. We all must accept this thought as true, if we would leave this world behind and soar beyond its petty scope and little ways. Each thing we value here is but a chain that binds us to the world; and it will serve no other end but to bind us in its thrall. We only ever make sense of this world, when we become prepared to pass it by, without delaying to perceive hope, where there is none. Let us be deceived no more: the world we see has nothing that we need!

1st Reading: 1 Tim 6:13–16 Now, in the presence of God who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus who gave the good testimony before Pontius Pilate, I command you to keep the commandment. Keep yourself pure and blameless until the glorious coming of Christ Jesus, our Lord, which God will bring about at the proper time, he, the magnificent sovereign, King of kings and Lord of lords. To him, alone immortal, who lives in unapproachable light and whom no one has ever seen or can see, to him be honor and power for ever and ever. Amen!

saturday

September

24th Week in Ordinary Time Januarius Psalter: Week 4

Ps 100:1b–2, 3, 4, 5 Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.

Gospel: Lk 8:4–15* As a great crowd gathered and people came to him from every town, Jesus began teaching them through stories, or parables, “The sower went out to sow the seed. And as he sowed, some of the grain fell along the way, was trodden on and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and no sooner had it come up than it withered, because it had no water. Some fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with the seed and choked it. But some fell on good soil and grew, producing fruit—a hundred times as much.” And Jesus cried out, “Listen then, if you have ears to hear!” The disciples asked him, “What does this story mean?” … Now, this is the point of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the wayside are people who hear it, but immediately the devil comes and takes the word from their minds, for he doesn’t want them to believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are people who receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe for a while and give way in time of trial. Among the thorns are people who hear the word but as they go their way, are choked by worries, riches, and the pleasures of life; they bring no fruit to maturity. The good soil, instead, are people who receive the word and keep it in a gentle and generous mind, and persevering patiently, they bear fruit.

n order that we be found pure and blameless in God’s sight, let us pause and be still a little while, and see how far we can rise above the world, when we release our mind from its chains. It will be grateful to be free a while. With its wings free, it will fly in sureness and joy to join its holy purpose. Let it rest in God, there to be restored to sanity, to freedom, and to love. Let us give our minds ten minutes rest, each and every day. And when our eyes are opened afterwards, we won’t value anything we see as much as when we looked at it before. Our whole perspective on the world shifts, just a little, every time we let our mind escape its chains. We belong where our mind goes to rest, when we release it from the world. Let nothing which relates to our body delay our progress to salvation, nor permit temptation to hold us back from believing that the world has nothing to hold us back. Nothing here is worth one instant of delay or pain; one moment of uncertainty or doubt.

1st Reading: Wis 2:12, 17–20 The godless say to themselves, “Let us set a trap for the righteous, for he annoys us and opposes our way of life; he reproaches us for our breaches of the Law and accuses us of being false to our upbringing. Let us see the truth of what he says and find out what his end will be. If the righteous is a son of God, God will defend him and deliver him from his adversaries. Let us humble and torture him to prove his self-control and test his patience. When we have condemned him to a shameful death, we may test his words.” 2nd Reading: Jas 3:16—4:3 Wherever there is jealousy and ambition, you will also find discord and all that is evil. Instead, the wisdom that comes from above is pure and peace-loving. Persons with this wisdom show understanding and listen to advice; they are full of compassion and good works; they are impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow peace reap a harvest of justice. What causes these fights and quarrels among you? Is it not your inner longings that make war within your own selves? When you long for something you cannot have, you kill for it and when you do not get what you desire, you squabble and fight. The fact is, you do not have what you want because you do not pray for it. You pray for something and you do not get it Ps 54:3–4, 5, 6b–8 because you pray with the wrong motive of The Lord upholds my life. indulging your pleasures.

Gospel: Mk 9:30–37 Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; but Jesus did not want people to know where he was because he was teaching his disciples. And he told them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him, but three days after he has been killed, he will rise.” The disciples, however, did not understand these words and they were afraid to ask him what he meant. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they did not answer because they had been arguing about who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve and said to them, “If someone wants to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child, placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, “Whoever welcomes a child such as this in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not me but the One who sent me.”

sunday

September

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

eadership is not to be equated with control or domination of others. Rather, leadership is selfless service for the sake of others. A good leader is always a responsible steward of the opportunity that he or she has to make a lasting contribution toward the common good. Jesus’ closest followers seemed to think that their privileged places at the side of the Master would translate into positions of prestige and importance once Jesus established an earthly kingdom. Jesus knows their hearts and wastes no time in setting them straight. Jesus teaches that greatness lies not in receiving a position of authority and honor, but in serving other people. Jesus would teach this through His words and through His actions, especially in humbling Himself to suffer a horrible death, all at the service of our salvation. May we not only be thankful for the Lord accepting the role of suffering servant, but may we imitate His selfgiving through lives of faithful stewardship.

21 September monday

Matthew, apostle and evangelist Psalter: Proper

Ps 19:2–3, 4–5 Their message goes out through all the earth.

1st Reading: Eph 4:1–7, 11–13 Therefore I, the prisoner of Christ, invite you to live the vocation you have received. Be humble, kind, patient, and bear with one another in love. Make every effort to keep among you the unity of Spirit through bonds of peace. Let there be one body and one spirit, for God, in calling you, gave the same Spirit to all. 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 given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. As for his gifts, to some he gave to be apostles, to others prophets, or even evangelists, or pastors and teachers. So he prepared those who belong to him for the ministry, in order to build up the Body of Christ, until we are all united in the same faith and knowledge of the Son of God. Thus we shall become the perfect Man, upon reaching maturity and sharing the fullness of Christ. Gospel: Mt 9:9–13 As Jesus moved on, he saw a man named Matthew at his seat in the custom-house, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And Matthew got up and followed him. Now it happened, while Jesus was at table in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and other sinners joined Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, “Why is it that your master eats with those sinners and tax collectors?” When Jesus heard this he said, “Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do. Go and find out what this means: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

oday, Jesus reminds us that we should need to be merciful towards those, who do not share our religious devotion or the intricacies of our faith. We don’t reflect God’s wishes when we demand that others give up things that we think are incompatible with Christianity, like their own particular form of sexuality. Why should we demand celibacy of others, just because they do not live up to our view of what is normal? Is it possible for anyone to deny their human nature? And is this a sacrifice demanded of them, when it is quite plain that God does not want sacrifices, but mercy? It is easy for us to implore God to be merciful to us, but not to be merciful towards others; or to neglect the fact that we are merciless towards others. Lack of mercy, dressed up in the guise of orthodoxy, is no less merciless. God desires us to be merciful, not orthodox. So today’s words remind us to be merciful towards those, who are, perhaps, unable to live up to our level of religious devotion and intricacies of our faith. God doesn’t ask us to sacrifice anything, except our lack of mercy towards others.

1st Reading: Ezra 6:7–8, 12b, 14–20* Let the governor of the Jews together with their leaders build the House of God on its former site. This is the command I give as to what you should do to help those Jewish leaders rebuild the House of God: pay the expenses in full and without delay, with the income from taxes of the province at the other side of the River which is allotted to the king. And may the God who makes his Name dwell there crush every rebel, king or people, who goes against this and tries to destroy the House of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, give this command. Let it be carried out at once.” And the leaders of the Jews continued to make progress in building, encouraged by what Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, had said; and they finished the work according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus and Darius. The House was finished on the third day of the month of Adar in the sixth year of the reign of Darius. The children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of those who had returned from exile celebrated the consecration of this House of God with rejoicing, offering on this solemnity one hundred young bulls. … Those who had returned from exile celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month,—for the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, and all of them were clean. So, they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all who had returned from exile, for their fellow-priests and for themselves.

tuesday

September

25th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 122:1–2, 3–4ab, 4cd–5 Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Gospel: Lk 8:19–21 The mother and relatives of Jesus came to him, but they could not get to him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and wish to meet you.” Then Jesus answered, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

n the time of Ezra, the temple was the symbol of God’s presence with his people. The temple was the place that told them the God of the universe had pitched his tent in the middle of them. The trouble was that, by the time the Israelites had returned from exile, the temple was in ruins. It had been trashed by the Babylonian invaders. And now the Israelites were starting again, rebuilding, stone by stone, trying to reconstruct the good old days. They lived in hope that, when they had rebuilt the temple, their glory days would return as well. In one way it was never a story about a building. It was more a story about the hearts of the people. The mark of God’s presence in the world isn’t a building of stone any more, but a building made of people…what we’ve come to call the Church. It might be easy to pour scorn on the Church. It might be easy to laugh at what God is building; it might even be tempting to get in the way of it. But, ultimately, God wins; ultimately, it’s God’s project. And He’ll keep on building it. Forever and ever, amen!

23 September wednesday

25th Week in Ordinary Time Pio of Pietrelcina Psalter: Week 1

Tb 13:2, 3–4a, 4befghn, 7-8 Blessed be God, who lives for ever.

1st Reading: Ezra 9:5–9 I remained seated and dismayed until the evening sacrifice; and then, at the time for the evening offering, I rose from my fasting, and with my clothes and mantle torn, I knelt down, spreading out my hands to Yahweh, my God. I said, “My God! I am ashamed and confused, my God, I do not dare raise my eyes to you for our sins have increased over our heads and our crimes reach up to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors to this day, our guilt has been great. We, our kings and priests have been given into the hands of foreign kings because of our crimes; we have been delivered to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and put to shame as on this day. However, for a brief moment, the mercy of Yahweh, our God, has been shown to us. He made a remnant of our people survive, and allowed the survivor to settle once again in his Holy Place; he has given us joy and life, though we are in bondage. We are no more than slaves, but in the midst of our slavery, God has not abandoned us, he has extended a merciful hand over us to support us before the kings of Persia. He has revived our life, enabled us to rebuild the House of our God, and to have walls in Jerusalem and in the other cities of Judah. Gospel: Lk 9:1–6 Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to drive out all evil spirits and to heal diseases. And he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He instructed them, “Don’t take anything for the journey, neither walking stick, nor bag, nor bread, nor silver coins; and don’t even take a spare tunic. Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place. And wherever they don’t welcome you, leave the town and shake the dust from your feet: it will be as a testimony against them.” So they set out and went through the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

zra makes a penitent confession of sin, the sin of his people. Speaking of sin, he speaks as one much ashamed. Holy shame is as necessary in true repentance as holy sorrow. Ezra speaks as one much amazed. The discoveries of guilt cause amazement; the more we think of sin, the worse it looks. Ezra speaks as one much afraid. There is not a surer or sadder presage of ruin, than turning to sin, after great judgments and great deliverances. Everyone of us must wonder that we have not worn out God’s patience and brought destruction upon ourselves. What then must be the case of those, who are ungodly? Although as true penitents, we can do nothing to plead on their behalf, Christ, the heavenly advocate, pleads most powerfully for them. The sacrifice, especially the evening sacrifice, was a type of the blessed Lamb of God, who, in the evening of the world, was to take away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. So, this is a comfort to us, true penitents, that although our sins might reach to the heavens, God’s mercy is there, in those heavens. All we need pray is: God be merciful to me, a sinner!

1st Reading: Hg 1:1–8 In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, a word of Yahweh was directed to the prophet Haggai for the benefit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. “So says Yahweh of hosts: This people claim that the time to rebuild the House of Yahweh has not yet come. Well now, hear what I have to say through the prophet Haggai: Is this the time for you to live in your well-built houses while this House is a heap of ruins? Think about your ways: you have sown much but harvested little, you eat and drink but are not satisfied, you clothe yourselves but still feel cold, and the laborer puts the money he earned in a tattered purse. Now think about what you must do: go to the mountain and look for wood to rebuild the House. This will make me happy and I will feel deeply honored, says Yahweh.

thursday

September

25th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 149:1b–2, 3–4, 5–6a and 9b The Lord takes delight in his people.

Gospel: Lk 9:7–9 King Herod heard of all that Jesus was doing and did not know what to think, for people said, “This is John, raised from the dead.” Others believed that Elijah or one of the ancient prophets had come back to life. As for Herod, he said, “I had John beheaded; who is this man about whom I hear such wonders?” And he was anxious to see him.

he theme of the prophecy of Haggai was: If God commands it, just do it! Get busy and rebuild my house! That was God’s cry in the Old Testament period and it is His continuing cry today. The physical temple was the shadow of the house of God, which is every believer. Collectively, all believers are the house of God, in which He dwells. He has always built up His people. When we are working for God, we may be driven from our work by a storm, but we must go back to it. The Israelites neglected the building of God’s house, so that they might have more time and money for worldly affairs. They didn’t say that they would not build the temple. Just not yet! Likewise, we don’t say we will never repent, reform and be faithful. Just not yet! And so it is that the great business we were sent into the world to do, doesn’t get done. We are prone to think wrongly of discouragements, as if they were meant to discharge us from our duty, when they are only meant to try our courage and faith. So, whatever God commands, we should just do it!

25 September friday

25th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 43:1, 2, 3, 4 Hope in God; I will praise him, my savior and my God.

1st Reading: Hg 2:1–9 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month of the second year of the reign of Darius, this word of Yahweh was sent through the prophet Haggai, “Give this message to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the high priest, and to all the people: Is there left among you one of those who saw this house long ago in the time of its glory? What do they think of what they see now? Is it not a very little thing? But I say to you, Zerubbabel, Joshua and my people: do not be discouraged. Begin to work, for I am with you, says Yahweh. Do not be afraid, for my spirit is in your midst. Thus says Yahweh of hosts, within a short while I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the continents. Then I will shake all the nations and bring in the treasures of the whole world. I will fill this House with glory, says Yahweh. I will have as much silver and gold as I wish. The renown of this Temple will be greater than before, and in this place I will give peace,” says Yahweh of hosts. Gospel: Lk 9:18–22 One day when Jesus was praying alone, not far from his disciples, he asked them, “What do people say about me?” And they answered, “Some say that you are John the Baptist; others say that you are Elijah, and still others that you are one of the former prophets risen from the dead.” Again Jesus asked them, “Who then do you say I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.” Then Jesus spoke to them, giving them strict orders not to tell this to anyone. And he added, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the Law, and put to death. Then after three days he will be raised to life.”

ertainly, there were some old men in Haggai’s time, who had seen Solomon’s temple in its splendor. These kind of comparisons between the good old days and the present day…or between the work of God in various places and times…are rarely beneficial. It didn’t do the people of Haggai’s day any good to think about how magnificent Solomon’s temple had been, when they compared it with their own rebuilding work. God gave the people of Israel three clear commands: be strong, get working and do not fear! Each of these three is essential to getting the work of God done. Nothing will ever be accomplished without strength, hard work and courageous hope. Under the old covenant, God was among the people. Under the new covenant, God is in us, His people. Our spiritual house shall be filled with glory of another nature. If we have silver and gold, we must honor God with it, for it really is His. If we don’t have silver and gold, we must honor Him with whatever we have, and He will accept us as we are. We are to look for no other but Christ. If God is with us, peace is with us!

1st Reading: Zec 2:5–9, 14–15a Raising my eyes again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked, “Where are you going?” He answered, “I’m going to measure Jerusalem, to find its width and its length.” As the angel who spoke to me came forward, another angel met him and said, “Run and tell this to that young man: ‘Jerusalem will remain unwalled because of its multitude of people and live-stock.’ For this is the word of Yahweh: I myself will be around her like a wall of fire, and also within her in Glory.” Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for I am about to come, I shall dwell among you,” says Yahweh. On that day, many nations will join Yahweh and be my people, but my dwelling is among you.”

saturday

September

25th Week in Ordinary Time Cosmas and Damian Psalter: Week 1

Jer 31:10, 11–12ab, 13 The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

Gospel: Lk 9:43b–45 While all were amazed at everything Jesus did, he said to his disciples, “Listen and remember what I tell you now: The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands.” But the disciples didn’t understand this saying; something prevented them from grasping what he meant, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

echariah is the longest and most obscure of the twelve minor prophets. It is the most messianic, the most apocalyptic and the most difficult of any of the Old Testament books to interpret. Zechariah predicted more about the messiah than any other prophet, except Isaiah. Here, today, we have a prediction of the coming of Christ in human nature. Many nations, on that day, will renounce atheism and idolatry; God will own those people, who decide to join Him with clear purpose of heart. And today’s prophecy is quite remarkable; God is about to do something unexpected and very surprising: He is about to plead His people’s cause, which has long seemed neglected. Silently submitting to His holy will and patiently awaiting the event, we can be assured that God will complete all His work. Before long, He will come among us, to complete the salvation of His people and to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their sins. Christ has proclaimed that salvation concerns everyone, all of us who resolve that sin shall not have dominion over us. Those of us, who would be God’s children, must save ourselves from this world. With Christ, we can achieve anything!

1st Reading: Num 11:25–29 Yahweh came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit that was upon him and put it on the seventy elders. Now when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But this they did not do again. Two men had remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad, the name of the other Medad. However, the spirit came on them for they were among those who were registered though they had not gone out to the Tent. As they prophesied inside the camp, a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” Joshua, the son of Nun, who ministered to Moses from his youth said, “My lord Moses, stop them!” But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous on my behalf? Would that all Yahweh’s people were prophets and that Yahweh would send his spirit upon them!” 2nd Reading: Jas 5:1–6 So, now for what concerns the rich! Cry and weep for the misfortunes that are coming upon you. Your riches are rotting and your clothes eaten up by the moths. Your silver and gold have rusted and their rust grows into a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire, for having piled up riches in these the last days. You deceived the workers who harvested your fields but now their wages cry out to the heavens. The reapers’ complaints have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You lived in luxury and pleasure in this world and felt happy while others were murdered. You have easily Ps 19:8, 10, 12–13, 14 condemned and killed the innocent since they The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart. offered no resistance.

Gospel: Mk 9:38–43, 45, 47–48 John said to him, “Master, we saw someone who drove out demons by calling upon your name, and we tried to forbid him because he does not belong to our group.” Jesus answered, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in my name can soon after speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. If anyone gives you a drink of water because you belong to Christ and bear his name, truly, I say to you, he will not go without reward. If anyone should cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble and sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a great millstone around his neck. If your hand makes you fall into sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life without a hand than with two hands to go to hell, to the fire that never goes out. And if your eye makes you fall into sin, tear it out! It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than, keeping both eyes, to be thrown into hell where the worms that eat them never die, and the fire never goes out.

sunday

September

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

esus makes it clear that we are either for Him or against Him. There can be no middle ground. Either the life, teaching, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus compel us to follow Him or they don’t. Discipleship is an option. Stewardship is not. We have a choice in the matter of whether to fo llow Jesus. But once we have made that decision we are committed to follow Him wholeheartedly. We are committed to living our lives as good and faithful stewards of the many gifts God has so generously lavished upon us, especially the great gift of our faith. We are committed to living upright and holy lives, learning every day to prefer nothing to the love of Jesus Christ. Our discipleship commits us to make radical decisions to live out our faith clearly and without ambiguity. One day we will be asked to render an account of our stewardship. We will be asked by the Lord, “What did you do with your life?” Please God may we be able to tell the Lord that we lived so as to love and serve Him with all of our heart, mind, strength and soul. Following Jesus is a full-time endeavor!

28 September monday

26th Week in Ordinary Time Lawrence Ruiz and Companions / Wenceslaus Psalter: Week 2

Ps 102:16–18, 19–21, 29 and 22–23 The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

1st Reading: Zec 8:1–8 The word of Yahweh, the God of hosts was directed to me in this way, “I am intensely jealous for Zion, stirred by a burning anger for her sake. Yahweh says: I will return to Zion and live in her midst. Jerusalem shall be called City of faithfulness and the Mountain of Yahweh of hosts, the Mountain of holiness.” Yahweh, God of hosts speaks, “Old men and women will again sit in the squares, each with a stick in hand on account of their great age. The squares of the city will be filled with girls and boys playing.” Yahweh, God of hosts declares, “If that seems impossible in the eyes of those who have returned from exile, will it be impossible for me as well?”—word of Yahweh. Yahweh, God of hosts says, “See, I am going to save my people, bringing them from the east and from the west and they will live in Jerusalem. They will be my people and I shall be their God in truth and in justice.” Gospel: Lk 9:46–50 One day the disciples were arguing about which of them was the most important. But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he took a little child and stood him by his side. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. And listen: the one who is found to be the least among you all, is the one who is the greatest.” Then John spoke up, “Master, we saw someone who drove out demons by calling upon your name, and we tried to forbid him because he doesn’t follow you with us.” But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him. He who is not against you is for you.”

hrough messages and visions God encouraged His people to repent of their evil, to be faithful and obey Him, because He had a restored, central future for Jerusalem among the nations, with Him dwelling there. He called the people in Jerusalem to repent, in order that they would not be judged as their ancestors were for disobeying His word. When it became a city of truth and a mountain of holiness, Jerusalem was peaceable and prosperous, enjoying a state of great outward calm, attended with plenty, temperance and contentment. The Israelites were brought together from all over the known world. God would never leave nor forsake them, since He had promised them never to do so. His promises were partly fulfilled in the Jewish people, between the captivity and the time of Christ’s coming. But now, the full weight of His promises applies to our future and the future of our Christian Church. For us alone, this is impossible; but with God all things are possible, just because God’s thoughts and ways are way above ours. May we labor in love and be strong. May we serve Christ, assured that, because of Him, our labor shall never be in vain.

1st Reading: Dn 7:9–10, 13–14 (or Rev 12:7–12a) I looked and saw the following: Some thrones were set in place and One of Great Age took his seat. His robe was white as snow, his hair white as washed wool. His throne was flames of fire with wheels of blazing fire. A river of fire sprang forth and flowed before him. Thousands upon thousands served him and a countless multitude stood before him. Those in the tribunal took their seats and opened the book. I continued watching the nocturnal vision: One like a son of man came on the clouds of heaven. He faced the One of Great Age and was brought into his presence. Dominion, honor and kingship were given him, and all the peoples and nations of every language served him. His dominion is eternal and shall never pass away; his kingdom will never be destroyed.

tuesday

September

Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, archangels Psalter: Proper

Ps 138:1–2ab, 2cde–3, 4–5 In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

Gospel: Jn 1:47–51 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, he said of him, “Here comes an Israelite, a true one; there is nothing false in him.” Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” And Jesus said to him, “Before Philip called you, you were under the fig tree and I saw you.” Nathanael answered, “Master, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” But Jesus replied, “You believe because I said: ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ But you will see greater things than that. Truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

rchangels are superior or higher-ranking angels. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam. In Christianity, the only archangels ever clearly named are Michael (patron saint of law enforcement officers), Gabriel (patron saint of dispatchers and emergency communications staff), and Raphael. The New Testament rarely speaks of angels, referring only twice to Michael, when the voice of the archangel will be heard at the return of Christ. Contrary to popular belief, Gabriel is never called an archangel in the gospels. In church tradition, however, there are three archangels: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. It is easy for skeptical minds to see, in these angelic hosts, the mere play of Hebrew fancy and the rank growth of superstition. But records of angels in the Bible supply a most natural and harmonious progression. The angels appear in the course of the chosen people’s history as God’s messengers. All this loving ministry on the part of the angels is solely for the sake of the messiah, on whose face they desire to look. Hence, when the fullness of time arrives, it is the angels, who bring the glad message and sing: “Glory to God in the highest!”

30 September wednesday

26th Week in Ordinary Time Jerome Psalter: Week 2

Ps 137:1–2, 3, 4–5, 6 Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you!

1st Reading: Ne 2:1–8* In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, I was doing my duty as cupbearer. I took up the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad before in the past. So, the king said to me, “Why do you look sad? You don’t look sick. Is there something that bothers you?” I became hesitant. And I said, “May the king live forever! How could I afford not to be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates are burned down?” The king said to me, “What do you want, then?” I asked help of God from heaven and said to the king, “If it seems good to the king and if he is pleased with my work, then may he send me to the land of Judah, to the city where my ancestors are buried, that I may rebuild it.” The queen was sitting beside the king, and the king asked me, “How long will you be gone? When will you be back?” I told him the date and he allowed me to leave. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, may you give me letters for the governors of the province at the other side of the River that I may travel to Judah. … The good hand of God was supporting me, so that the king gave me what I asked. Gospel: Lk 9:57–62 As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another Jesus said, “Follow me.” But he answered, “Let me go back now, for first I want to bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their dead; as for you, leave them and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said to him, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” And Jesus said to him, “Whoever has put his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.”

t is supposed to be good news, this thing called the gospel. But the gospel includes hard news, because that is what our gospel-reading contains today: some of what are often called the hard sayings of Jesus. They are called hard sayings, not so much because they are hard to understand, but because they are hard to hear. To the one who wished to say goodbye to his family before becoming a disciple, Jesus told him not even to think about it. It is often a good idea to state a point in the extreme, in order to get it across to an audience. Jesus was, among other things, a very good teacher by stating his point in such a way as to make us take notice. We cannot help being startled by his suggestion that we have to turn our back on our immediate family in order to join the Christian family. But, Christ does not call us so that we might forget family, friends and those closest to us. Attached to the hard saying is the promise that, by living fully as a follower of Christ, we may trust in His love for us and for our families.

1st Reading: Ne 8:1–4a, 5–6, 7b–12* In the seventh month, all the people gathered as one man in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which Yahweh had given to Israel. … Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was in a higher place; and when he opened it, all the people stood. Ezra blessed Yahweh, the great God; and all the people lifted up their hands and answered, “Amen! Amen!” And they bowed their heads to the ground. … Then Ezra, the teacher of the Law, said to the people, “This day is dedicated to Yahweh, your God, so do not be sad or weep.” He said this because all wept when they heard the reading of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go and eat rich foods, drink sweet wine and share with him who has nothing prepared. This day is dedicated to the Lord, so do not be sad. The joy of Yahweh is our strength.” …

thursday

October

26th Week in Ordinary Time Thérèse of the Child Jesus Psalter: Week 2

Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11 The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

Gospel: Lk 10:1–12 The Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place, where he himself was to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is rich, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest. Courage! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know. Whatever house you enter, first bless them saying: ‘Peace to this house.’ If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you. Stay in that house eating and drinking at their table, for the worker deserves to be paid. Do not move from house to house. When they welcome you in any town, eat what they offer you. Heal the sick who are there and say to them: ‘The kingdom of God has drawn near to you.’ But in any town where you are not welcome, go to the marketplace and proclaim: Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off and leave with you. But know and be sure that the kingdom of God had come to you.’ I tell you that on the Judgment Day it will be better for Sodom than for this town.”

ow often do we meditate on the fact that God is a God of joy? Ezra spoke of the joy of Yahweh as our strength. We are told that, when God created the world, God saw that it was good. When we say that something is good, we are expressing pleasure in experiencing it. God has pleasure and joy as he works with his creation. We should think about the attribute of God’s joy. Without a doubt, it has been a neglected aspect of His character. Yet, it is in God’s joy that we find our strength. Christ came to reveal God’s joy to us. Christ was to be characterized by joy, to be the one in whom God delights. It was prophesied that Christ would be anointed with the oil of joy. He laid down His life for us that we might have the full measure of His joy in us. Christ makes it perfectly clear in that seeking the lost is His greatest joy. We are expected to rejoice with Him as sinners come to Him. The Holy Spirit allows us to enter into the joy of God. So, let us rejoice and be glad in Him!

02 October friday

26th Week in Ordinary Time Guardian Angels Psalter: Proper

Ps 79:1b–2, 3–5, 8, 9 Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning and entered into the sources of the sea?

1st Reading: Bar 1:15–22 You will say: May everyone recognize the justice of our God but, on this day, shame and confusion befit the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem—our kings and princes, our priests, our prophets, and our fathers, because we have sinned before the Lord. We have disobeyed him and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God, nor have we followed the commandments which the Lord had put before us. From the day that the Lord brought our ancestors out of the land of Egypt until this day, we have disobeyed the Lord our God and we have rebelled against him instead of listening to his voice. Because of this, from the day on which the Lord brought our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, so as to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, the evils and the curse which the Lord pronounced by Moses, his servant, have dogged our footsteps right down to the present day. We did not listen to the voice of the Lord our God speaking through the words of the prophets whom he sent to us, but each one of us followed his perverted heart, serving false gods and doing what displeases the Lord our God. Gospel: Lk 10:13–16 (or Mt 18:1–5, 10) Jesus said, “Alas for you Chorazin! Alas for you Bethsaida! So many miracles have been worked in you! If the same miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would already be sitting in ashes and wearing the sackcloth of repentance. Surely for Tyre and Sidon it will be better than for you on the Judgment Day. And what of you, city of Capernaum? Will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be thrown down to the place of the dead. “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me; and he who rejects me, rejects the one who sent me.”

esus was quite plain in telling his disciples that life as his disciples will not be easy. To those who rejected him, Jesus warned that his words would stand as a witness against them on the day of God’s judgment and wrath. So, when a person of God, who is walking with God, speaks the word of God, he or she speaks for God. And to reject that person or that message is to reject God Himself. In other words, Christ tells us that, even though He didn’t come to judge individuals at first, the words that He left with us stand as witnesses against all those, who reject His message, when He returns to judge the living and the dead. Although Christ came to save, not condemn the world, an individual’s rejection of Christ is a sign that such a person will stand condemned on the day, when He will come to judge everyone. We must pray for Christ to take over our lives. Nothing is more important than prayer; it works inside a person. It is the pre-eminent work of a disciple. It has been said that we can do no more than pray, until we have prayed.

1st Reading: Bar 4:5–12, 27–29* Take courage, my people, you who preserve the memory of Israel. You have been sold to the nations but not for your destruction; because you had aroused the anger of God, you were delivered to your enemies. For you displeased your Creator in sacrificing to demons and not to God. You have forgotten the Eternal God, the one who nourished you. You have filled Jerusalem with sadness, she who brought you up. For she saw the anger of God fall on you and she said, “Listen, you neighboring cities of Zion, God has sent me a great sorrow. … Take courage, my children, cry out to God, for he who sent you into exile will remember you. Thus, as you distanced yourself from God, return to him and seek him ten times more earnestly. For he who caused these evils to fall on you will bring you salvation and eternal joy.

saturday

October

26th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 69:33–35, 36–37 The Lord listens to the poor.

Gospel: Lk 10:17–24 The seventy-two disciples returned full of joy. They said, “Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we called on your name.” Then Jesus replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. You see, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the Enemy, so that nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, don’t rejoice because the evil spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.” At that time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and made them known to the little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. I have been given all things by my Father, so that no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and he to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said to them privately, “Fortunate are you to see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings would have liked to see what you see but did not, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

here are three themes intertwined in today’s text: joy, salvation, and the sovereignty of God. Jesus urged the disciples to find their joy in their salvation, not in their authority over the demons. Then, Jesus expressed his own deep joy with them, based upon the sovereignty of God in the salvation of humankind, and in the part he was to play in this salvation. And he turned the disciples’ attention to the saints of old, who yearned to see God’s salvation, but were not privileged to see what the disciples were seeing. Jesus’ response to the enthusiasm and joy of the disciples was warm and affirming. While their joy may have been misplaced, they were not rebuked. Christ always resisted the proud and given grace to the humble. All our victories over evil are obtained by power derived from Christ, and He must have all the praise. The more dependent we are on the help and blessings of Christ, the more we shall know of God. The more we see the glory and hear the words of Christ, the more useful we shall become in promoting His cause.

1st Reading: Gen 2:18–24 Yahweh God said, “It is not good for Man to be alone; I will give him a helper who will be like him.” Then Yahweh God formed from the earth all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air and brought them to Man to see what he would call them; and whatever Man called every living creature, that was its name. So Man gave names to all the cattle, the birds of the air and to every beast of the field. But he did not find among them a helper like himself. Then Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to come over Man and he fell asleep. He took one of his ribs and filled its place with flesh. The rib which Yahweh God had taken from Man he formed into a woman and brought her to the man. The man then said, “Now this is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken from man.” That is why man leaves his father and mother and is attached to his wife, and with her becomes one flesh. 2nd Reading: Heb 2:9–11 Jesus who suffered death and for a little while was placed lower than the angels has been crowned with honor and glory. For the merciful plan of God demanded that he experience death on behalf of everyone. God, from whom all come and by whom all things exist, wanted to bring many children to Ps 128:1–2, 3, 4–5, 6 glory, and he thought it fitting to make perfect May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives. through suffering the initiator of their salvation. So he who gives and those who receive holiness are one. He himself is not ashamed of calling us brothers and sisters.

Gospel: Mk 10:2–16 Some Pharisees came and put him to the test with this question, “Is it right for a husband to divorce his wife?” He replied, “What law did Moses give you?” They answered, “Moses allowed us to write a certificate of dismissal in order to divorce.” Then Jesus said to them, “Moses wrote this law for you, because you are stubborn. But in the beginning of creation God made them male and female, and because of this, man has to leave father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one body. So they are no longer two but one body. Therefore let no one separate what God has joined.” When they were indoors at home, the disciples again asked him about this and he told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against his wife, and the woman who divorces her husband and marries another also commits adultery.” People were bringing their little children to him to have him touch them, and the disciples rebuked them for this. When Jesus noticed it, he was very angry and said, “Let the children come to me and don’t stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and laying his hands on them, blessed them.

sunday

October

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

he title of a recent popular book suggests that Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. The author opines that so different are men and women in the way they think and act that they must be from different planets. The author of that book speaks in hyperbole, of course, but his convictions are clear. The author of the book of Genesis tells a different story. In fact, if Genesis were to be sold as a popular novel it might well be entitled Men and Women Are From Eden. They are created by God in a complementary fashion. They are created to be partners in harmony with each other and to live in a state of blessed mutuality. “They are no longer two, but one body.” Sadly, when sin enters the equation this mutuality is less apparent and is much more difficult to sustain. Divorce and spousal abuse are the painful reminders of the effects of sin. God’s plan for men and women laid out in Genesis is recalled and reaffirmed by the Lord Jesus who elevates matrimony to the level of a sacrament. By His grace can men and women find in holy matrimony a covenant of life-giving love.

05 October monday

27th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Jon 2:3, 4, 5, 8 You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord.

1st Reading: Jon 1:1—2:1–2, 11* The word of Yahweh came to Jonah, son of Amittai, “Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach against it, because I have known its wickedness.” But Jonah decided to flee from Yahweh and go to Tarshish. … Yahweh stirred up a storm wind on the sea, so there was a sea tempest, which threatened to destroy the ship. … The sailors said to each other, “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this disaster.” So they did, and the lot fell on Jonah. … As they knew that he was fleeing from Yahweh, the sailors were seized with great fear and said to him, “What a terrible thing have you done!” “What shall we do with you now to make the sea calm down?” The sea was growing more and more agitated. He said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea. It will quiet down, for I know it is because of me that this storm has come.” … Yahweh provided a large fish which swallowed Jonah. He remained in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. … Gospel: Lk 10:25–37* … Jesus then said, “There was a man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him and went off leaving him halfdead. It happened that a priest was going along that road and saw the man, but passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite saw the man and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, too, was going that way, and when he came upon the man, he was moved with compassion. He went over to him and treated his wounds with oil and wine and wrapped them with bandages. Then he put him on his own mount and brought him to an inn where he took care of him. The next day he had to set off, but he gave two silver coins to the innkeeper and told him: ‘Take care of him and whatever you spend on him, I will repay when I come back.’” Jesus then asked, “Which of these three, do you think, made himself neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The teacher of the Law answered, “The one who had mercy on him.” And Jesus said, “Go then and do the same.”

here are lots of life-lessons for us all in the story of Jonah and the whale. It teaches us about obedience, willingness of spirit, gratitude, compassion and God’s patience and mercy. Jonah confesses that he is running away from God’s will and tells the sailors to throw him overboard to spare their lives. This they do. As Jonah is sinking into the sea, a big fish, a whale, swallows him. Here we see God’s great mercy. He could have let Jonah suffer the consequences of his actions and drown. We often complain to God about the consequences of our sins; but do we ever wonder how often He has spared us from those consequences? Jonah thanked God for saving him and realized the miracle that God had wrought to save him and was truly grateful. This story also shows that miracles still can happen in people’s lives, whenever we share God’s love and compassion with them.

tuesday

October

27th Week in Ordinary Time Bruno / Bl. Marie-Rose Durocher Psalter: Week 3

Ps 130:1b–2, 3–4ab, 7–8 If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?

Gospel: Lk 10:38–42 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he entered a village and a woman called Martha welcomed him to her house. She had a sister named Mary who sat down at the Lord’s feet to listen to his words. Martha, meanwhile, was busy with all the serving and finally she said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the serving?” But the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her.”

onah knew God’s nature. He knew that if he preached repentance to the people of Nineveh, they would repent and God would spare them. So, when Jonah was finally willing to do as he was told and preach repentance, they did repent! Thankfully, God felt sorry for Nineveh and spared its people. He was able to use Jonah to deliver a message, despite Jonah’s unwillingness and distaste for the task. Imagine all the lives spared by one willing voice. Think of all, who would have perished if God’s voice had not been heard. This same issue is with us today. God’s mercy and salvation is for everyone, not just those we think deserve Him. Many of us are afraid to talk about our faith. We don’t want to look foolish or be unpopular. We’re afraid of standing out and being different. So many aren’t saved or have never been told the good news, simply because we Christians have been too fearful to tell it. We have no way of knowing what someone will decide about Christ; we only have the obligation to tell people about Him.

07 October wednesday

27th Week in Ordinary Time Our Lady of the Rosary Psalter: Week 3

Ps 86:3–4, 5–6, 9–10 Lord, you are merciful and gracious.

1st Reading: Jon 4:1–11* … I beseech you now, Yahweh, to take my life, for now it is better for me to die than to live.” But Yahweh replied, “What right have you to be angry?” Jonah then left the city. He went to a place east of it, built himself a shelter and sat under its shade to wait and see what would happen to Nineveh. Then Yahweh God provided a castor-oil plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade over his head and to ease his discomfort. Jonah was very happy about the plant. But the next day, at dawn, God sent a worm which attacked the plant and made it wither. When the sun rose, God sent a scorching east wind; the sun blazed down upon Jonah’s head, and he grew faint. His death wish returned and he said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” Then God asked Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about the castor-oil plant?” Jonah answered, “I am right to be angry enough to wish to die.” Yahweh said, “You are concerned about a plant which cost you no labor to make it grow. Overnight it sprang up, and overnight it perished. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot distinguish right from left and they have many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned for such a great city?” Gospel: Lk 11:1–4 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” And Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say this: Father, hallowed be your name, may your kingdom come, give us each day the kind of bread we need, and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive all who do us wrong, and do not bring us to the test.”

onah’s complaint about God’s mercy is unbelievable. As if showing mercy were an imperfection of the divine nature, instead of being God’s greatest glory. It is to God’s pardoning mercy, that we all owe our salvation and happiness. Jonah then wished for death; such was his language of folly, passion, and strong corruption. Jonah neither expected nor desired the welfare of the people of Nineveh; he wanted to watch over their destruction. He wasn’t willing to trust God with the salvation of others. In this frame of mind, he neglected to recognize the glorious mercy of God, of which he had been called to reflect. We should often remind ourselves how good it is to speak and act with mercy. Is it spiritually healthy to be so angry, so easily and so often, or to give others a taste of our anger? Is it healthy to become angered by God’s mercy towards repenting sinners? That was Jonah’s problem. We do well to be happy, whenever we see God’s mercy in action; it is a sign of the advancement of His kingdom. May the conversion of sinners, which is the joy of heaven, be our own joy and never our grief.

1st Reading: Mal 3:13–20b* You say very harsh things about me, says Yahweh, and yet you say: “What harsh things did we say against you?” You say: “It is useless to serve God. There is no benefit in observing his commandments or in leading an austere life for his sake. Happy are the shameless! Those who do evil succeed in everything; though they provoke God, they remain unharmed.” Those were the very words of those who fear Yahweh. Yahweh listened and heard what they said. He ordered at once that the names of those who respect him and reverence his Name be written in a record. And he declared, “They will be mine on the day I have already set. Then I shall care for them as a father cares for his obedient son. And you will see the different fates of the good and the bad, those who obey God and those who disobey him. …

thursday

October

27th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 1:1–2, 3, 4 and 6 Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Gospel: Lk 11:5–13 Jesus said to his disciples, “Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to his house in the middle of the night and says: ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine who is traveling has just arrived and I have nothing to offer him.’ Maybe your friend will answer from inside: ‘Don’t bother me now; the door is locked and my children and I are in bed, so I can’t get up and give you anything.’ But I tell you, even though he will not get up and attend to you because you are a friend, yet he will get up because you are a bother to him, and he will give you all you need. “And so I say to you, ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For the one who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to him who knocks the door will be opened. “If your child asks for a fish, will you give a snake instead? And if your child asks for an egg, will you give a scorpion? Even you evil people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more then will the Father in heaven give holy spirit to those who ask him!”

od will take care that His children don’t perish with those who don’t believe in Him. We are all very dear to Him. It is our duty to serve God with the disposition of children; but, He doesn’t want to find His children caught up in idleness. We are, therefore, encouraged to live according to the principle of love-in-action. We can often become deceived in our opinions; but, with Christ, everyone’s character is known. So, we need to decide, with whom we are going to cast our lot; and we must not judge others in matters concerning God. In the end, the world will come to realize that we are at our happiest, when we serve God and trust only Him.

09 October friday

1st Reading: Jl 1:13–15; 2:1–2* … Proclaim a fast, call an assembly. Summon the elders 27th Week in Ordinary Time and all who live in the land into the house of your God, and Denis and Companions / John Leonardi cry out to Yahweh, “What a dreadful day—the day of Yahweh Psalter: Week 3 that draws near and comes as ruin from the Almighty!” Blow the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Ps 9:2–3, 6 and 16, 8–9 Let all dwellers in the land tremble, for the day of Yahweh is The Lord will judge the world coming. Yes, the day is fast approaching—a day of gloom and with justice. darkness, a day of clouds and blackness. … Gospel: Lk 11:15–26 When Jesus was casting out a devil some of the people said, “He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons.” So others wanted to put him to the test by asking him for a heavenly sign. But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every nation divided by civil war is on the road to ruin, and will fall. If Satan also is divided, his empire is coming to an end. How can you say that I drive out demons by calling upon Beelzebul? If I drive them out by Beelzebul, by whom do your fellow members drive out demons? They will be your judges, then. “But suppose I drive out demons by the finger of God; would not this mean that the kingdom of God has come upon you? As long as the strong and armed man guards his house, his goods are safe. But when a stronger one attacks and overcomes him, the challenger takes away all the weapons he relied on and disposes of his spoils. “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me, scatters. “When the evil spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through dry lands looking for a resting place. And finding none, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds the house swept and everything in order. Then it goes to fetch seven other spirits even worse than itself. They move in and settle there, so that the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

he world has been “on the road to ruin” for a long time now. The history of the world is one of power, self-destruction, war, greed and ignorance. Only by God’s grace is anything resembling a peaceful or loving society in existence anymore. We will only ever have a world that resembles a moral one, if we the people exercise our right to vote for the welfare of all the people of the world. Unfortunately, many people are not politically astute enough to see the ways, in which they are being tricked into voting for corrupt, single issues, rather than looking past the corruption in government and seeing the moral issues of the larger picture involved and at play. While the focus of world leaders continues to be on nationalistic self-interest, they continue sidelined moral issues, like peace and non-violence. Then they proceed to steal our future by sending us to war, just to make themselves richer. Their wars destroy our livelihood and our homes, wreaking havoc on the environment and turning us and our family into slaves to pay back their debt. God help us all!

1st Reading: Jl 4:12–21 Rise up, O peoples, and come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, nations. Bring a sickle for the harvest is ripe; come and tread for the winepress is full and the vats overflow, so great is their wickedness! Multitudes and more multitudes in the Valley of Verdict! The day of Yahweh is near in the Valley of Verdict! The sun and the moon become dark, the stars lose their radiance. Yahweh roars from Zion and raises his voice from Jerusalem; heaven and earth are shaken. Indeed Yahweh is a refuge for his people, a strong-hold for the Israelites. You will know that I am Yahweh, your God, dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be a holy place, and foreigners will never pass through there again. On that day the mountains shall drip wine and the hills flow with milk; all the streams of Judah will run with water and a fountain will spring from the House of Yahweh, and water the valley of Shittim. On the other hand, Egypt will be devastated and Edom will become a deserted wasteland because they committed violence against Judah, and shed innocent blood in their country. But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem through all generations. And I shall avenge their blood and not leave it unpunished, for Yahweh dwells in Zion.

saturday

October

27th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 97:1–2, 5–6, 11–12 Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Gospel: Lk 11:27–28 As Jesus was speaking, a woman spoke from the crowd and said to him, “Blessed is the one who bore you and nursed you!” Jesus replied, “Surely blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it as well.”

any people think faith and belief are the same thing, but this is wrong. We can believe something and not have faith in it. Let’s imagine that a man staggers up to us, dying of starvation. When we put food in front of him, he just looks at it. You tell him that this food will nourish him and keep him alive “Do you believe that?” we ask. “Yes!” he replies. But, the man looks at it until he dies. Why did he die? Because he didn’t eat the food. The eating of the food is like faith. Faith is acting on what we believe. Many Christians today believe God’s promises. If, however, they don’t have faith and act on the word of God they will not receive all that He wants them to have, all that He has promised. We have to do more than just believe; we have to act on what we believe. We have to act on God’s word! And that action is what faith is. The word of God only works when we do what it says. If we believe God’s word, but don’t act upon it, God’s word will never do us any good.

1st Reading: Wis 7:7–11 I prayed and understanding was given to me; I asked earnestly and the spirit of Wisdom came to me. I preferred her to scepters and thrones and I considered wealth as nothing compared with her. I preferred her to any jewel of inestimable value, since gold beside her is nothing but a few grains of sand, and silver but mud. I loved her more than wealth and beauty and even preferred her to light, because her radiance never dies. She brought with her all other good things, untold riches in her hands. 2nd Reading: Heb 4:12–13 The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword. It pierces to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and judges the intentions and thoughts of the heart. All creation is transparent to Him; everything is uncovered and laid bare to the eyes of Him to whom we render account. Gospel: Mk 10:17–30 Just as Jesus was setting out on his journey again, a man ran up, knelt before him and asked, “Good Master, what must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus answered, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat, honor your father and mother.” The man replied, “I have obeyed all these commandments since my childhood.” Then Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him and he said, “For you, one thing is lacking. Go, sell what you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me.” On hearing these words, his face fell and he went away sorrowful for he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were shocked at these words, but Jesus insisted, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom

Ps 90:12–13, 14–15, 16–17 Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy! of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were more astonished than ever and wondered, “Who, then, can be saved?” Jesus looked steadily at them and said, “For humans it is impossible, but not for God; all things are possible with God.” Peter spoke up and said, “We have given up everything to follow you.” Jesus answered, “Truly, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters, or father or mother, or children, or lands for my sake and for the Gospel, who will not receive his reward. I say to you: even in the midst of persecution he will receive a hundred times

sunday

October

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

ow ironic that the man went away sorrowful because of his great wealth. The earthly possessions that had been the cause of great joy in that man’s life were now the source of his sorrow. Why? Because they were keeping as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, him from the adventure of a lifetime. They were children, and lands in the present time and in keeping him from following Jesus. Jesus clearly the world to come eternal life.” identified the knot that was tied around that man’s heart. In the same way Jesus wants us to be aware of anything that would keep us bound from living the good life. Money and material possessions are important to us to be sure. Yet sometimes they become too important. Sometimes it is a matter not of what I own but what owns me. The remedy for this inordinate attachment to money and material possessions is a life of faithful stewardship. A good steward is grateful to the Lord for all of the blessings He has bestowed. A good steward is responsible in taking care of those blessings and using them prudently. A good steward is generous in sharing God’s gifts in justice and in love. Finally, a good steward makes a return to the Lord with increase, using his or her gifts to make a positive difference in the world.

12 October monday

28th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

Ps 98:1, 2–3ab, 3cd–4 The Lord has made known his salvation.

1st Reading: Rom 1:1–7 From Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, an apostle called and set apart for God’s Good News, the very promises he foretold through his prophets in the sacred Scriptures, regarding his Son, who was born in the flesh a descendant of David, and has been recognized as the Son of God endowed with Power, upon rising from the dead through the Holy Spirit. Through him, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and for the sake of his Name, we received grace and mission in all the nations, for them to accept the faith. All of you, the elected of Christ, are part of them, you, the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy: May God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, give you grace and peace. Gospel: Lk 11:29–32 As the crowd increased, Jesus began to speak in this way, “People of the present time are evil people. They ask for a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign for this generation. The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here there is greater than Solomon. The people of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for Jonah’s preaching made them turn from their sins, and here there is greater than Jonah.”

hat would Jesus say about our generation? Jesus gave a rather stern warning to his generation, when they demanded a sign from him. It was characteristic of the Jews that they demanded signs from God’s messengers to authenticate their claims. But, unfortunately, the religious leaders rejected the signs right before their eyes. They had rejected the message of John the Baptist and now they rejected Jesus. Jesus confirmed his message with many miracles, in preparation for the greatest sign of all: his resurrection on the third day. Christ offers us freedom from sin and wisdom for our lives, if we listen to him. Do you thirst for Godly wisdom? The wisdom from above is pure, gentle, full of mercy, without uncertainty or insincerity. Double-minded persons cannot receive this kind of wisdom. Those, who are single of mind, desire one thing alone: that which is good and ordered, according to God’s wise plan. Let us ask God to increase our thirst for His wisdom. If we ask sincerely, He will give us His wisdom and increase our love for His ways. God will help us to resist temptation, so that we may wholly desire to do what is pleasing to Him.

1st Reading: Rom 1:16–25 For I am not ashamed at all of this Good News; it is God’s power saving those who believe, first the Jews, and then the Greeks. This Good News shows us the saving justice of God; a justice that saves exclusively by faith, as the Scripture says: The upright one shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of those who have silenced the truth by their wicked ways. For everything that could have been known about God was clear to them: God himself made it plain. Because his invisible attributes—his everlasting power and divinity—are made visible to reason by means of his works since the creation of the world. So they have no excuse, for they knew God and did not glorify him as was fitting, nor did they give thanks to him. On the contrary, they lost themselves in their reasoning and darkness filled their minds. Believing themselves wise, they became foolish: they exchanged the Glory of the immortal God for the likes of mortal human beings, birds, animals and reptiles. Because of this God gave them up to their inner cravings; they did shameful things and dishonored their bodies. They exchanged God’s truth for a lie; they honored and worshiped created things instead of the Creator, to whom be praise for ever, Amen!

tuesday

October

28th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

Ps 19:2–3, 4–5 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

Gospel: Lk 11:37–41 As Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to have a meal with him. So he went and sat at table. The Pharisee then wondered why Jesus did not first wash his hands before dinner. But the Lord said to him, “So then, you Pharisees, you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside yourselves you are full of greed and evil. Fools! He who made the outside, also made the inside. But according to you, by the mere giving of alms everything is made clean.”

hen Paul decried the worship of greed for more and more created things, he was taking his lead from Jesus, who had often warned his disciples about the difficulty of the salvation of those, who have an abundance of riches in this world. People have tried to water down Jesus’ statement about it being harder for a rich man to enter heaven than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. But Jesus meant what he said. The illustration of the camel going through the eye of a needle was perfect for those he was addressing. What he was saying was that the rich have to be willing to give up their possessions, and only then will God save them. Those who eagerly seek the wealth of the world will never rightly prize Christ and his grace. But, Christ is equally insistent that rich people can be saved like anyone else, if their attitude to their wealth is not one of greed. The rich can be saved and enter heaven, but only if they put their faith in Christ rather than in their riches.

14 October wednesday

28th Week in Ordinary Time Callistus Psalter: Week 4

Ps 61 Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works.

1st Reading: Rom 2:1–11* Therefore, you have no excuse, whoever you are, if you are able to judge others. For in judging your neighbor, you condemn yourself, for you practice what you are judging. We know that the condemnation of God will justly reach those who commit these things, and do you think that by condemning others you will escape from the judgment of God, you who are doing the same? … He will give each one his due, according to his actions. He will give everlasting life to those who seek glory, honor and immortality and persevere in doing good. But anger and vengeance will be the lot of those who do not serve truth but injustice. There will be suffering and anguish for everyone committing evil, first the Jew, then the Greek. But God will give glory, honor and peace to whoever does good, first the Jew then the Greek, because one is not different from the other before God. Gospel: Lk 11:42–46 Jesus said, “A curse is on you, Pharisees; for the Temple you give a tenth of all, including mint and rue and the other herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. This ought to be practiced, without neglecting the other. A curse is on you, Pharisees, for you love the best seats in the synagogues and to be greeted in the marketplace. A curse is on you for you are like tombstones of the dead which can hardly be seen; people don’t notice them and make themselves unclean by stepping on them.” Then a teacher of the Law spoke up and said, “Master, when you speak like this, you insult us, too.” And Jesus answered, “A curse is on you also, teachers of the Law. For you prepare unbearable burdens and load them on the people, while you yourselves don’t move a finger to help them.”

esus utters a series of woes against the Pharisees. The negative implications of these woes are substantial. First the Pharisees tithe mint, rue, and every herb, which they should do, but they have neglected the more important things: justice and the love of God. The Pharisees’ love of money and their love of honor prevent them from loving God and God’s justice. Jesus’ judgment of their actions clearly portrays them as being greedy for social prominence. The grasping after honors is an essential part of their greediness. The seat of honor in the synagogue was, of course, a place of prominence, as was sitting at the head table at dinner. To be greeted first by another person was a sign of respect that acknowledged the honor of another. The Pharisees’ abused social relationships; they were especially indifferent to the plight of the poor. Their greediness for social honors also explains more fully why Christ’s public rebuke to them was so strong. Persons who grasp after honor indiscreetly are still today reprimanded so that their pretensions to superiority may be illuminated and effectively eliminated. Today, Christ emphatically declares that religious standing should not be used to enhance one’s status in society.

1st Reading: Rom 3:21–30* But, now it has been revealed altogether apart from the Law, as it was already foretold in the Law and the Prophets: God makes us righteous by means of faith in Jesus Christ, and this is applied to all who believe, without distinction of persons. Because all have sinned and all fall short of the Glory of God; and all are graciously forgiven and made righteous through the redemption effected in Christ Jesus. … Then what becomes of our pride? It is excluded. How? Not through the Law and its observances, but through another law which is faith. For we hold that people are in God’s grace by faith and not because of all the things ordered by the Law. Otherwise, God would be the God of the Jews; but is he not God of pagan nations as well? Of course he is, for there is only one God and he will save by faith the circumcised Jews as well as the uncircumcised nations.

thursday

October

28th Week in Ordinary Time Teresa of Jesus Psalter: Week 4

Ps 130:1b–2, 3–4, 5–6ab With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

Gospel: Lk 11:47–54 Jesus said to the Pharisees, “A curse is on you, for you build memorials to the prophets your ancestors killed. So you approve and agree with what your ancestors did. Is it not so? They got rid of the prophets, and now you can build!” (The Wisdom of God also said,) “I will send prophets and apostles and this people will kill and persecute some of them. But the present generation will have to answer for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, the people of this time will have to answer for them all. “A curse is on you, teachers of the Law, for you have taken the key of knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you prevented others from entering.” As Jesus left that place, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to harass him, asking him endless questions, setting traps to catch him in something he might say.

esus offered a devastating attack against Pharisees in particular and lawyers in general. Pharisees, because of their misplaced concern for purity, exploit people. Lawyers, because of their lack of knowledge concerning the wisdom of God, lead people astray. The opposition of the Pharisees and scribes contrasted with the thousands, who came out to see Jesus. The lawyers and teachers of the law, who were concerned about knowledge of the law, had taken away the key of knowledge and hindered those who were seeking Jesus’ truth. They had never bothered to listen to the wisdom of God. Persons of social prominence, rejected Jesus and designated him as a deviant. The scribes and Pharisees failed in their roles as religious brokers, because they actually blocked access to God, instead of facilitating it. When we see the story from Luke’s point of view, we also identify with Jesus. Thus, because of Luke’s characterization of Jesus and his opponents, when Jesus defied cultural expectations, we find that we accept him as the Christ, sent by God to save us all.

16 October friday

28th Week in Ordinary Time Hedwig / Margaret Mary Alacoque Psalter: Week 4

Ps 32:1b–2, 5, 11 I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

1st Reading: Rom 4:1–8 Let us consider Abraham, our father in the flesh. What has he found? If Abraham attained righteousness because of his deeds, he could be proud. But he cannot be this before God. Because Scripture says: Abraham believed God who took it into account and held him to be a just man. Now, when someone does a work, salary is not given as a favor, but as a debt that is paid. Here, on the contrary, someone who has no deeds to show but believes in Him who makes sinners righteous before him: such faith is taken into account and that person is held as righteous. David congratulates in this way those who become righteous by the favor of God, and not by their actions: Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven and whose offenses are forgotten; blessed the one whose sin God does not take into account! Gospel: Lk 12:1–7 Such a numerous crowd had gathered that they crushed one another. Then Jesus spoke to his disciples in this way, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered that will not be uncovered, or hidden that will not be made known. Whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in daylight, and what you have whispered in hidden places, will be proclaimed from the housetops. “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who put to death the body and after that can do no more. But I will tell you whom to fear: Fear the One who after killing you is able to throw you into hell. This one you must fear. Don’t you get five sparrows for two pennies? Yet not one of them has been forgotten by God. Even the hairs of your head have been numbered. So do not fear: are you not worth more than a flock of sparrows?”

esus warns the disciples to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees. Yeast, of course, has a permeating influence, whether for good or for evil; but the warning of Jesus includes the comment that the Pharisees are an example of what to avoid. The dichotomy is evident: he criticized the Pharisees’ hypocritical practice of the law, whereas he correctly expounded the law. The Pharisees, in their zeal for the law, were opposing the purpose of God, whereas Jesus was fulfilling God’s will. All this was not only a confrontation between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees, but also between Jesus’ revolutionary understanding of purity and virtue, versus the system, found in the Jewish culture of the scribes and Pharisees. In fact, Jesus remained a figure of unsurpassed holiness: holy in pedigree, holy in observances; he was classified as a reforming insider. To further this point, Jesus was not only unaffected by contact with impurity, he actually imparted purity and wholeness to the impure. As a limit breaker, Christ today possesses the authority to cross boundaries of purity or impurity and He also invests us with that power to cross boundaries of custom and convention. We only have to ask!

1st Reading: Rom 4:13, 16–18 If God promised Abraham, or rather his descendants, that the world would belong to him, this was not because of his obeying the Law, but because he was just and a friend of God through faith. For that reason, faith is the way and all is given by grace; and the promises of Abraham are fulfilled for all his descendants, not only for his children according to the Law, but also for all the others who have believed. Abraham is the father of all of us, as it is written: I will make you father of many nations. He is our father in the eyes of Him who gives life to the dead, and calls into existence what does not yet exist, for this is the God in whom he believed. Abraham believed and hoped against all expectation, thus becoming father of many nations, as he had been told: See how many will be your descendants.

saturday

October

28th Week in Ordinary Time Ignatius of Antioch Psalter: Week 4

Ps 105:6–7, 8–9, 42–43 The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

Gospel: Lk 12:8–12 Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before people, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But the one who denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. There will be pardon for the one who criticizes the Son of Man, but there will be no pardon for the one who slanders the Holy Spirit. When you are brought before the synagogues, governors and rulers, don’t worry about how you will defend yourself or what to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you have to say.”

e see, in the New Testament, many instances when Jesus talked about God. And yet, the phrase ‘Son of Man’ is found around two hundred times in the bible and eighty-two times in the gospels. Who exactly is this ‘Son of Man’? The gospels make it crystal clear that the term can only refer to Jesus. The Son of Man has power to forgive sins; he is lord of the Sabbath; he is the messiah, the son of the living God; he was to be killed and raised from the dead; he gave his life as a ransom for many; all of us, who believe in him and worship him, are to have eternal life. In light of this, the Christian position on the person of Christ has ample support from the bible. Far from being simply a human prophet of God, He is unique, far above all prophets. So in the gospels the term ‘son of man’ was not simply a way of denoting any old human being, but was used to refer to this special person, Jesus Christ. Those, who confess Christ now, shall be owned by Him on the great day, before the angels of God!

1st Reading: Is 53:10–11 Yet it was the will of Yahweh to crush him with grief. When he makes himself an offering for sin, he will have a long life and see his descendants. Through him the will of Yahweh is done. For the anguish he suffered, he will see the light and obtain perfect knowledge. My just servant will justify the multitude; he will bear and take away their guilt. 2nd Reading: Heb 4:14–16 We have a great High Priest, Jesus, the Son of God, who has entered heaven. Let us, then, hold fast to the faith we profess. Our high priest is not indifferent to our weaknesses, for he was tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sinning. Let us, then, with confidence approach God, the giver of grace; we will obtain mercy and, through his favor, help in due time. Gospel: Mk 10:35–45 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, “Master, we want you to grant us what we are going to ask of you.” And he said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They answered, “Grant us to sit one at your right and one at your left when you come in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink Ps 33: 4–5, 18–19, 20, 22 or be baptized in the way I am baptized?” They Lord, let your mercy be on us, answered, “We can.” And Jesus told them, “The as we place our trust in you. cup that I drink you will drink, and you will be baptized in the way I am baptized. But to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to grant. It has been prepared for others.” On hearing this, the other ten were angry with James and John; Jesus then called them to him and said, “As you know, the so-called rulers of the nations act as tyrants and their great ones oppress them. But it shall not be so among you; whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you shall make himself slave of all. Think of the Son of Man who has not come to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many.”

sunday

October

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

ow does the Lord Jesus lead? The answer provides a model for all who strive to lead others in business, industry, politics, education, health care, the arts and all other fields of human endeavor. The answer also provides a model for parents, called to lead their families along the path of holiness. Jesus leads by being a servant. He backs up His teachings by picking up the cross and shedding His blood so that we might have life and have it to the full. Jesus drinks of the cup of suffering so as to show His followers the path to true greatness. Leaders of nations often act as tyrants to get their way, oppressing their subjects and manipulating their followers. Jesus proposes the model of servant-leadership, kneeling to wash the feet of His followers and stretching out His arms upon the cross to accomplish His mission of redemption. Those who seek to lead others in this world can do no better than to follow the example of Jesus and to extend themselves in selfless service to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

19 October monday

29th Week in Ordinary Time Isaac Jogues and John de Brebeuf and Companions / Paul of the Cross Psalter: Week 1

Lk 1:69–70, 71–72, 73–75 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

1st Reading: Rom 4:20–25 He did not doubt nor did he distrust the promise of God, and by being strong in faith, he gave glory to God: he was convinced that He who had given the promise had power to fulfill it. This was taken into account for him to attain righteousness. This was taken into account: these words of Scripture are not only for him, but for us, too, because we believe in Him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from among the dead, he who was delivered for our sins and raised to life for us to receive true righteousness. Gospel: Lk 12:13–21 Someone in the crowd spoke to Jesus, “Master, tell my brother to share with me the family inheritance.” He replied, “My friend, who has appointed me as your judge or your attorney?” Then Jesus said to the people, “Be on your guard and avoid every kind of greed, for even though you have many possessions, it is not that which gives you life.” And Jesus continued with this story, “There was a rich man and his land had produced a good harvest. He thought: ‘What shall I do? For I am short of room to store my harvest.’ So this is what he planned: ‘I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones to store all this grain, which is my wealth. Then I may say to myself: My friend, you have a lot of good things put by for many years. Rest, eat, drink and enjoy yourself.’ But God said to him: ‘You fool! This very night your life will be taken from you; tell me who shall get all you have put aside?’ This is the lot of the one who stores up riches instead of amassing for God.”

“E

ven though you have many possessions, it is not that which gives you life.” When we hear something like this our natural defense mechanisms kick in, causing us to think that we don’t value possessions much. We say to ourselves that we’re not rich; we don’t have abundant possessions, and we live differently. Most of our lives, however, are engaged in collecting more things and desiring more things. Let’s ask ourselves how we would feel if we lost it all? What if we lost our home, car and bank account? How then would we feel? We certainly recognize that for most of us some possessions as well as shelter are necessary evils for our sheer survival. We should not, however, become unduly attached to them. Who among us can say that, while we accept good things from God, we also accept bad luck? The only way we should live is to realize and accept Christ’s truth: our life is, indeed, worth more than our possessions. It is good to be prudent for our material welfare; but let’s also be prudent spiritually. We will all die and our possessions will go to someone else; so let’s provide for that as well!

1st Reading: Rom 5:12, 15ab, 17–19, 20–21 Therefore, sin entered the world through one man and through sin, death, and later on death spread to all humankind, because all sinned. Such has been the fall, but God’s gift goes far beyond. All died because of the fault of one man, but how much more does the grace of God spread when the gift he granted reaches all, from this unique man Jesus Christ. If death reigned through the disobedience of one and only one person, how much more will there be a reign of life for those who receive the grace and the gift of true righteousness through the one person, Jesus Christ. Just as one transgression brought sentence of death to all, so, too, one man’s good act has brought justification and light to all; and as the disobedience of only one made all sinners, so the obedience of one person allowed all to be made just and holy. The Law itself, introduced later on, caused sin to increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, and as sin caused death to reign, so grace will reign in its own time, and after making us just and friends of God, will bring us to eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

tuesday

October

29th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 40:7–8a, 8b–9, 10, 17 Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Gospel: Lk 12:35–38 Jesus said to his disciples, “Be ready, dressed for service, and keep your lamps lit, like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding. As soon as he comes and knocks, they will open to him. Happy are those servants whom the master finds wide-awake when he comes. Truly, I tell you, he will put on an apron and have them sit at table and he will wait on them. Happy are those servants if he finds them awake when he comes at midnight or daybreak!”

t the start of today’s gospel, a different image breaks in: if the householder had known at what time the burglar was coming, he wouldn’t have let his house be broken into. The one, who is to come, is not only a promise but also a threat: a threat to our autonomy; a threat to the comfortable compromises by which we order our lives. We are the householders; we think we are in control. The day of God’s coming overturns all this. The Son of Man will come at an hour we do not expect. So much for the cosy images of death as a swift escalator up to the pearly gates of heaven. Christ will come, not only at the time we least expect him, but in a form we least expect. The one, who will come in glory, has already been here, many times and in many shapes: hungry and thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick and in prison. He has been here many times and judges us by how we received Him. May we be alert for Christ’s coming and recognize Him in every man, woman and child, and especially in those most in need of our help.

21 October wednesday

1st Reading: Rom 6:12–18* Do not allow sin any control over your mortal bodies; do 29th Week in Ordinary Time not submit yourselves to its evil inclinations, and do not Psalter: Week 1 give your members over to sin, as instruments to do evil. On the contrary, offer yourselves as persons returned from Ps 124:1b–3, 4–6, 7–8 death to life, and let the members of your body be as holy Our help is in the name of the Lord. instruments at the service of God. … Let us give thanks to God for, after having sin as your master, you have been given to another, that is, to the doctrine of faith, to which you listen willingly. And being free from sin, you began to serve true righteousness. Gospel: Lk 12:39–48 Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to this: If the master of the house had known at what time the thief would come, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.” Peter said, “Lord, did you tell this parable only for us, or for everyone?” And the Lord replied, “Imagine, then, the wise and faithful steward whom the master sets over his other servants to give them food rations at the proper time. Fortunate is this servant if his master on coming home finds him doing his work. Truly, I say to you, the master will put him in charge of all his property. “But it may be that the steward thinks: ‘My Lord delays in coming,’ and he begins to abuse the menservants and the servant girls, eating and drinking and getting drunk. Then the master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he doesn’t know. He will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful. “The servant who knew his master’s will, but did not prepare to do what his master wanted, will be punished with sound blows; but the one who did what deserved a punishment without knowing it shall receive fewer blows. Much will be required of the one who has been given much, and more will be asked of the one entrusted with more.”

1st Reading: Rom 6:19–23 You see that I speak in a very human way, taking into account that you are not fully mature. There was a time when you let your members be slaves of impurity and disorder, walking in the way of sin; convert them now into servants of righteousness, to the point of becoming holy. When you were slaves of sin, you did not feel under obligation to righteousness, but what were the fruits of those actions of which you are now ashamed? Such things bring death. Now, however, you have been freed from sin and serve God. You are bearing fruit and growing in holiness, and the result will be life everlasting. So on one side is Sin: its reward, death; on the other side is God: he gives us, by grace, life everlasting in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

thursday

October

29th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 1:1–2, 3, 4 and 6 Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Gospel: Lk 12:49–53 Jesus said to his disciples, “I have come to bring fire upon the earth and how I wish it were already kindled; but I have a baptism to undergo and what anguish I feel until it is over! “Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on, in one house five will be divided; three against two, and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-inlaw against her mother-in-law.”

oday, we hear another one of Christ’s hard sayings: “I have not come to bring peace, but rather division” So our task is to appreciate the division, which Christ has brought. We are instructed to see and learn from the way other people complement us; for since people are different from us by God’s design, then those differences are good and to be acknowledged, not eliminated. Nobody, not even the people God has put around us, is morally pure and thoroughly ethical; and neither are we! The essence of most quarrels between people is that one person feels that another owes him or her something. It would be foolish, however, to try to repay someone when we actually didn’t owe them anything at all, just to keep them happy. Keeping others happy is not what God is about; therefore, it is not what we are about, either. Just as we are foolish, trying to keep others happy, so others take on a life of slavery, trying to keep the world happy with them. They try endlessly to live up to expectations, however well meaning, that the world places upon them. Reflecting back, is this how God wants us to live?

23 October friday

29th Week in Ordinary Time John of Capistrano Psalter: Week 1

Ps 119:66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94 Lord, teach me your statutes.

1st Reading: Rom 7:18–25a I know that what is right does not abide in me, I mean, in my flesh. I can want to do what is right, but I am unable to do it. In fact I do not do the good I want, but the evil I hate. Therefore, if I do what I do not want to do, I am not the one striving towards evil, but Sin which is in me. I discover, then, this reality: though I wish to do what is right, the evil within me asserts itself first. My inmost self agrees and rejoices with the law of God, but I notice in my body another law challenging the law of the spirit, and delivering me as a slave to the law of sin written in my members. Alas, for me! Who will free me from this being which is only death? Let us give thanks to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So, with my conscience I am a servant of the law of God, and with my mortal body I serve the law of sin. Gospel: Lk 12:54–59 Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once: ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when the wind blows from the south, you say: ‘It will be hot’; and so it is. You superficial people! You understand the signs of the earth and the sky, but you don’t understand the present times. “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is fit? When you go with your accuser before the court, try to settle the case on the way, lest he drag you before the judge and the judge deliver you to the jailer, and the jailer throw you in prison. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

esus taught against the court system, built on judgment and condemnation. This issue is also, in many ways, an extension of a larger issue: how we, as Christians, should treat our enemies. Even sinners love those who love them. Jesus promoted a greater love: a love of our enemies. God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked, so we must be kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. God shows mercy towards his enemies, so we must show mercy towards our enemies. God loves his enemies, so we must love our enemies. Indeed, refraining from using self-defense against an approaching enemy does require patience and faithfulness. Followers of Christ are called upon to love their enemies, as Christ loved His. If Christ’s kingdom were of this world, we could use violence when attacked. However, Christ’s kingdom is not of this world. Many argue that Christ’s purpose was to redeem us, and this is why we cannot defend ourselves. It must be noted, however, that the reason for not fighting is not that Christ had to redeem us, but that His kingdom is not of this world. His kingdom is built around our love…and our love for our enemies!

1st Reading: Rom 8:1–11* This contradiction no longer exists for those who are in Jesus Christ. For, in Jesus Christ, the law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death. The Law was without effect because flesh was not responding. Then God, planning to destroy sin, sent his own Son, in the likeness of those subject to the sinful human condition; by doing this, he condemned the sin in this human condition. Since then the perfection intended by the Law would be fulfilled in those not walking in the way of the flesh, but in the way of the Spirit. … Yet your existence is not in the flesh, but in the spirit, because the Spirit of God is within you. If you did not have the Spirit of Christ, you would not belong to him. But Christ is within you; though the body is branded by death as a consequence of sin, the spirit is life and holiness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is within you, He who raised Jesus Christ from among the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies. Yes, he will do it through his Spirit who dwells within you.

saturday

October

29th Week in Ordinary Time Anthony Mary Claret Psalter: Week 1

Ps 24:1–2, 3–4ab, 5–6 Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Gospel: Lk 13:1–9 Some persons told Jesus what had occurred in the Temple: Pilate had Galileans killed and their blood mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus replied, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this? I tell you: no. But unless you change your ways, you will all perish as they did. … And Jesus continued with this story, “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard and he came looking for fruit on it, but found none. Then he said to the gardener: ‘Look here, for three years now I have been looking for figs on this tree and I have found none. Cut it down, why should it use up the ground?’ The gardener replied: ‘Leave it one more year, so that I may dig around it and add some fertilizer; and perhaps it will bear fruit from now on. But if it doesn’t, you can cut it down.”

nthony Mary Claret was born at Vich, in Catalonia, Spain in 1807. In 1829, he entered the seminary at Vich. Ordained to the priesthood in 1835, he went to Rome to work for the Propagation of the Faith. His apostolate consisted of rural preaching, conferences for the clergy and publications…he wrote more than 150 books. But, his patience was tested in the political upheavals of the nineteenth century. His efforts at reform stirred up a great deal of hostility. He promoted Catholic publications and founded an academy for artists and literary persons. In 1849, Anthony gathered together five priests, who formed the basis of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known as Claretians. In 1869, while he was in Rome preparing for the First Vatican Council, he was placed under house arrest in the Cistercian monastery at Fontfroide, where he died at the age of 63. His major work, The Right Way, reached millions of people, promoted fidelity to the gospel among all classes of people, especially among the laity and religious.

1st Reading: Jer 31:7–9 For Yahweh says this: Shout with joy for Jacob; rejoice for the greatest of nations. Proclaim your praise and say: “Yahweh has saved his people, the remnant of Israel!” Look, I will bring them back from the land of the north, gather them from the ends of the earth, the lame and the blind, mothers and women in labor—a great throng will return. They went away weeping, they will return in joy. I will lead them by the streams of water, on a level path so that no one will stumble, for I am Israel’s father and Ephraim is my firstborn. 2nd Reading: Heb 5:1–6 Every High Priest is taken from among mortals and appointed to be their representative before God to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin. He is able to understand the ignorant and erring for he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he is bound to offer sacrifices for his sins as well as for the sins of the people. Besides, one does not presume to take this dignity, but takes it only when called by God, as Aaron was. Nor did Christ become High Priest in taking upon himself this dignity, but it was given to him by the One who says: You are my son, I have begotten you today. And in another place: Ps 126:1–2, 2–3, 4–5, 6 You are a priest forever in the priestly order of The Lord has done great things for us; Melchizedek. we are filled with joy. Gospel: Mk 10:46–52 As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth passing by, he began to call out, “Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!” Many people scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he shouted all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man saying, “Take heart. Get up, he is calling you.” He immediately threw aside his cloak, jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus asked him, “What do you want

me to do for you?” The blind man said, “Master, let me see again!” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way, your faith has made you well.” And immediately he could see, and he followed Jesus along the road.

sunday

October

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

n the company of Jesus, Bartimaeus did not pretend to be someone he was not. He was a blind man who wanted to see, and this is exactly what he told the Lord. The blind Bartimaeus offers an example of simple faith that is deserving of our attention. He persists in crying out for the Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mercy even when told to be quiet. When asked, he tells the Lord exactly what he wants. So it should be with us. We do not need to pretend that we are perfect. Jesus loves us in spite of our sinfulness. Nor should we try to hide our sinfulness from the Lord, for who could ever succeed in keeping anything hidden from the Lord who sees all things? Rather, when we take the occasion to make a good confession we approach Jesus as the Divine Physician and show him our wounds, even if they are in embarrassing locations. By presenting ourselves to the Lord in a contrite and humble manner we open ourselves up to His healing power and come to discover the greatness of His compassion and love.

26 October monday

30th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 68:2 and 4, 6–7ab, 20–21 Our God is the God of salvation.

1st Reading: Rom 8:12–17 Then, brothers, let us leave the flesh and no longer live according to it. If not, we will die. Rather, walking in the Spirit, let us put to death the body’s deeds so that we may live. All those who walk in the Spirit of God are sons and daughters of God. Then, no more fear: you did not receive a spirit of slavery, but the Spirit that makes you sons and daughters and every time we cry, “Abba! (this is Dad!) Father!” the Spirit assures our spirit that we are sons and daughters of God. If we are children, we are heirs, too. Ours will be the inheritance of God and we will share it with Christ; for if we now suffer with him, we will also share Glory with him. Gospel: Lk 13:10–17 Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath and a crippled woman was there. An evil spirit had kept her bent for eighteen years so that she could not straighten up at all. On seeing her, Jesus called her and said, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” Then he laid his hands upon her and immediately she was made straight and praised God. But the ruler of the synagogue was indignant because Jesus had performed this healing on the Sabbath day and he said to the people, “There are six days in which to work; come on those days to be healed and not on the Sabbath.” But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Everyone of you unties his ox or his donkey on the Sabbath and leads it out of the barn to give it water. And here you have a daughter of Abraham whom Satan had bound for eighteen years. Should she not be freed from her bonds on the Sabbath?” When Jesus said this, all his opponents felt ashamed. But the people rejoiced at the many wonders that happened through him.

t is noteworthy that all of the Sabbath healings reported in the gospels are performed by Christ on behalf of chronically sick persons. These intentional healings serve to demonstrate how Christ fulfilled messianic expectations, nourished by the celebration of the Sabbath. The fourth commandment instructed that the seventh day was set apart by God and didn’t instruct people on what they were to do on that day, just what they were not to do. Jewish legalism had created a plethora of laws restricting the very basics of human activity. Yet, even their regulations gave way to emergencies like getting a sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath. Christ declared that the Sabbath was a day in which good should be done. Christ is the great liberator and we should understand God’s intent for Sabbath observance. Even strict Jewish regulations allowed for the feeding of animals on the Sabbath. So, if caring for the life-needs of animals wasn’t breaking the fourth commandment, then how much more is healing appropriate on the Sabbath? Christ’s example reminds us that the Sabbath is an appropriate time to visit the sick and elderly, helping them celebrate the day of renewal, on their life’s journey.

1st Reading: Rom 8:18–25 I consider that the suffering of our present life cannot be compared with the Glory that will be revealed and given to us. All creation is eagerly expecting the birth in glory of the children of God. For if now the created world was unable to attain its purpose, this did not come from itself, but from the one who subjected it. But it is not without hope; for even the created world will be freed from this fate of death and share the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pangs of birth. Not creation alone, but even ourselves, although the Spirit was given to us as a foretaste of what we are to receive, we groan in our innermost being, eagerly awaiting the day when God will give us full rights and rescue our bodies as well. In hope we already have salvation. But if we saw what we hoped for, there would no longer be hope: how can you hope for what is already seen? So we hope for what we do not see and we will receive it through patient hope.

tuesday

October

30th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 126:1b–2ab, 2cd–3, 4–5, 6 The Lord has done marvels for us.

Gospel: Lk 13:18–21 Jesus continued speaking, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? Imagine a person who has taken a mustard seed and planted it in the garden. The seed has grown and become like a small tree, so that the birds of the air shelter in its branches.” And Jesus said again, “What is the kingdom of God like? Imagine a woman who has taken yeast and hidden it in three measures of flour until it is all leavened.”

entral to the gospels is Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom of God. Jesus’ primary mission to his people was to offer them the possibility of salvation, which, for the most part, he expressed by the term, kingdom of God. Jesus also saw the appearance of the kingdom of God as manifested in his exorcisms and healings. Christ compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, or to what happens to a mustard seed. The mustard plant begins as inconspicuous, the smallest of all seeds, but becomes conspicuous, a large tree. The emphasis of the parable is on the contrast between beginning and end. The depiction of the mustard plant as a tree, large enough to support birds in its branches, is a metaphor of the kingdom of God as offering protection to those within it. The emphasis of the parable is on the contrast between beginning and end. Jesus’ point is that the kingdom of God is an historical process, beginning inconspicuously, but leading to conspicuous results. The birds sitting in the branches of the mature mustard plant serve to illustrate how large the plant has become, so as to accentuate the contrast between the beginning and the end.

28 October wednesday

Simon and Jude, apostles Psalter: Proper

Ps 19:2–3, 4–5 Their message goes out through all the earth.

n the various gospel lists of the twelve apostles, the tenth and eleventh places are occupied by Simon the Zealot and by Judas son of James, also called Thaddeus. Some ancient Christian writers say that Simon and Jude went together as missionaries to Persia and were martyred there. If this is true, it explains, to some extent, our lack of historical information on them and also why they are usually put together. Jude is often, in popular usage, referred to as the patron of desperate causes, the saint of last resort, the one you ask for help when all else fails. Some might wonder what this is all about. Since his name reminds hearers of Judas Iscariot, there is a tendency for someone asking a Christian brother, now with God, for intercessory prayers to try one of the other apostles first. Hence, Jude has come to be called “the saint of last resort,” the one, whom we ask only when desperate. Christ wants us to owe our spiritual well-being, not just to Him, but also to one another. Hence, He has told us to pray for one another. And our bond of Christian love will never be broken by death.

1st Reading: Rom 8:31b–39 What shall we say after this? If God is with us, who shall be against us? If he did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not give us all things with him? Who shall accuse those chosen by God: he takes away their guilt. Who will dare to condemn them? Christ who died, and better still, rose and is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Will it be trials, or anguish, persecution or hunger, lack of clothing, or dangers or sword? As the Scripture says: For your sake we are being killed all day long; they treat us like sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all of this we are more than conquerors, thanks to him who has loved us. I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor spiritual powers, neither the present nor the future, nor cosmic powers, were they from heaven or from the deep world below, nor any creature whatsoever will separate us from the love of God, which we have in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

thursday

October

30th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 109:21–22, 26–27, 30–31 Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.

Gospel: Lk 13:31–35 Some Pharisees came to Jesus and gave him this warning, “Leave this place and go on your way, for Herod wants to kill you.” Jesus said to them, “Go and give that fox my answer: ‘I drive out demons and heal today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my course!’ Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and for a little longer, for it would not be fitting for a prophet to be killed outside Jerusalem. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you slay the prophets and stone your apostles! How often have I tried to bring together your children, as a bird gathers her young under her wings, but you refused! From now on you will be left with your temple and you will no longer see me until the time when you will say: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

n today’s gospel, we have a different picture of Jesus. “How often have I tried to bring together your children, as a bird gathers her young under her wings, but you refused!” God is the mother hen, who takes her baby chicks under her wings to protect them. The chicks can be running around the yard, but when danger comes, she clucks and clucks to them to run under her wings and hide in her feathers. That is the way that Christ has promised to protect us also. We are His chicks, His precious children. Jerusalem had been the place where the Old Testament prophets had been killed and stoned. The prophets wanted to protect the people by proclaiming the word of God. But the people were not willing to listen to them, and they would not want to listen to Christ, either. They would kill their savior. We do the same when we refuse to believe in Christ or take protection under his wings. That is to say, if we refuse to listen to God’s word or receive Christ into our lives, it is the same as killing and stoning the prophets…it is crucifying Christ all over again!

30 October friday

30th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Ps 147:12–13, 14–15, 19–20 Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

1st Reading: Rom 9:1–5 I tell you sincerely in Christ, and my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit that I am not lying: I have great sadness and constant anguish for the Jews. I would even desire that I myself suffer the curse of being cut off from Christ, instead of my brethren: I mean my own people, my kin. They are Israelites whom God adopted, and on them rests his Glory. Theirs are the covenants, the Law, the worship and the promises of God. They are descendants of the Patriarchs and from their race Christ was born, he who as God is above all distinctions. Blessed be He forever and ever: Amen! Gospel: Lk 14:1–6 One Sabbath Jesus had gone to eat a meal in the house of a leading Pharisee, and he was carefully watched. In front of him was a man suffering from dropsy; so Jesus asked the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But no one answered. Jesus then took the man, healed him and sent him away. And he addressed them, “If your lamb or your ox falls into a well on a Sabbath day, who among you doesn’t hurry to pull it out?” And they could not answer.

t is much too easy to think of religion as being about us, instead of being about God. It is much too easy to be overwhelmed with our issues, instead of God’s issues. It is much too easy to focus on our priorities, instead of God’s priorities. It is much too easy to superimpose our priorities on God’s priorities and, thereby, to consider our priorities to be God’s priorities. Here is a simple point: a correct understanding of God’s priorities results in us doing good for other people. The man or woman, who belongs to God, recognizes God’s great concern for the suffering of less fortunate people. God’s top priority for His people is their humble compassion. If God, in humble compassion, could give His son to humanity through crucifixion, those of us, who belong to God, can reach out to each other in humble compassion. We help people to see God’s kindness through our kindness. It never violates God’s priorities when we do good. We can always find opportunities to show compassion in ways we cannot imagine. We represent God well, even in the hardest circumstances, when we are prepared to do good, just because we believe in God.

1st Reading: Rom 11:1–2a, 11–12, 25–29* And so I ask: Has God rejected his people? Of course not. I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. No, God has not rejected the people he knew beforehand. Don’t you know what the Scripture says of Elijah when he was accusing Israel before God? Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall? Of course not. Their stumbling allowed salvation to come to the pagan nations and this, in turn, will stir up the jealousy of Israel. If Israel’s shortcoming made the world rich, if the pagan nations grew rich with what they lost, what will happen when Israel is restored? I want you to understand the mysterious decree of God, lest you be too confident: a part of Israel will remain hardened until the majority of pagans have entered. Then the whole of Israel will be saved, as Scripture says: From Zion will come the Liberator who will purify the descendants of Jacob from all sin. And this is the covenant I will make with them: I will take away from them their sins. …

saturday

October

30th Week in Ordinary Time Our Lady’s Saturday Psalter: Week 2

Ps 94:12–13a, 14–15, 17–18 The Lord will not abandon his people.

Gospel: Lk 14:1, 7–11 One Sabbath Jesus had gone to eat a meal in the house of a leading Pharisee, and he was carefully watched. Jesus then told a parable to the guests, for he had noticed how they tried to take the places of honor. And he said, “When you are invited to a wedding party, do not choose the best seat. It may happen that someone more important than you has been invited, and your host, who invited both of you, will come and say to you: ‘Please give this person your place.’ What shame is yours when you take the lowest seat! Whenever you are invited, go rather to the lowest seat, so that your host may come and say to you: ‘Friend, you must come up higher.’ And this will be a great honor for you in the presence of all the other guests. For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised.”

umility, as downward mobility, is clearly seen in Jesus’ picture of taking the lowest seat at the table. Jesus advised the dinner guests not to take the best seats, but the worst. He didn’t put the matter in spiritual terms at first, but appealed to their pragmatism. If a person took a low seat, he might be raised to a higher one, but if he took a high seat to begin with, someone who outranked him might come in and he would then be forced to take a lower seat. The spiritual principles are the same: to exalt oneself is to invite humbling by God, while to humble oneself before God is to be lifted up by Him. Sometimes, we get the idea that humility means eating mud-pies, so to speak, or always being a wallflower. We confuse personality with spiritual virtue. Yet, the world’s greatest example of humility, Jesus Christ, was both humble and assertive. As we reflect on God’s work of humility in our lives, let’s pray that our cultural notions of humility will be replaced by Christian examples. Christ’s downward mobility is the way to the joy of God, a joy that is not of this world.

1st Reading: Rev 7:2–4, 9–14 I saw another angel ascending from the sunrise, carrying the seal of the living God, and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels empowered to harm the earth and the sea, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.” After this I saw a great crowd, from every nation, race, people and tongue, standing before the throne and the Lamb, and they cried out with a loud voice, “Who saves but our God who sits on the throne and the Lamb?” All the angels were around the throne, the elders and the four living creatures; they then bowed before the throne with their faces to the ground to worship God. They said, Amen. Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power and strength to our God forever and ever. Amen! At that moment, one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these people clothed in white, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, it is you who know this.” The elder replied, “They are those who have come out of the great persecution; they have washed and made their clothes white in the blood of the Lamb. 2nd Reading: 1 Jn 3:1–3 See what singular love the Father has for us: we are called children of God, and we really are. This is why the world does not know us, because it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children and what we shall be has not yet been shown. Yet when he appears in his glory, we know that we shall be like him, for then we shall see him as he is. All who have such a hope try to be pure as he is pure.

Ps 24:1b–2, 3–4ab, 5–6 Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. Gospel: Mt 5:1–12 Jesus sat down and his disciples gathered around him. Then he spoke and began to teach them: “Fortunate are those who have the spirit of the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Fortunate are those who mourn, they shall be comforted. Fortunate are the gentle, they shall possess the land. Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied. Fortunate are the merciful, for they shall find mercy. Fortunate are those with a pure heart, for they

sunday

November

A shall see God. Fortunate are those who work for peace, they shall be called children of God. Fortunate are those who are persecuted for the cause of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Fortunate are you, when people insult you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you because you are my followers. Be glad and joyful, for a great reward is kept for you in God.

All Saints Day Psalter: Proper

priest once asked a group of children if anyone could define a saint. One youngster, thinking of the beautiful stained glass windows in her parish church said, “A saint is a person whom the light shines through.” Not bad for a child. Not bad at all. The saints whose images are depicted in stained glass and on holy cards are famous for allowing God’s light to shine through their words and actions. The apostles, martyrs, doctors, virgins, religious and other holy men and women whose feasts are celebrated through the Church year offer examples to us of how to live so as to bring God’s light into a world that knows all too much darkness. This great Feast of All Saints evokes the memories of the countless women and men of faith who abide with the Lord for all eternity. This feast also challenges us to live our lives both with our sights set on the good things that await us in heaven, and with determination to make a positive difference in the lives of the poor and less fortunate. May the light of the Lord shine through us all.

02 November monday

All Souls Day Psalter: Proper

Ps 23:1–3, 3–4, 5, 6 The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

1st Reading: Wis 3:1–9* The souls of the just are in the hands of God and no torment shall touch them. In the eyes of the unwise they appear to be dead. Their glory is held as a disaster; it seems that they lose everything by departing from us, but they are in peace. Though seemingly they have been punished, immortality was the soul of their hope. After slight affliction will come great blessings, for God has tried them and found them worthy to be with him; after testing them as gold in the furnace, he has accepted them as a holocaust. … Those who trust in him will penetrate the truth, those who are faithful will live with him in love, for his grace and mercy are for his chosen ones. 2nd Reading: Rom 6:3–9 Gospel: Mt 25:31–46* Jesus said to his disciples, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all his angels, he will sit on the throne of his Glory. All the nations will be brought before him, and as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, so will he do with them, placing the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “The King will say to those on his right: ‘Come, blessed of my Father! Take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me into your house. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to see me.’ … “Then he will say to those on his left: ‘Go, cursed people, out of my sight into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you did not give me anything to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you did not welcome me into your house; I was naked and you did not clothe me; I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’” … ‘Truly, I say to you: whatever you did not do for one of these little ones, you did not do for me.’ …

he Feast of All Souls commemorates the faithful departed, those who die in God’s faith and friendship. Christians will take this day to offer up prayers, on behalf of their departed relatives and friends. In the Philippines, we celebrate Memorial Day, based loosely on All Souls Day. On the eve of All Souls Day (i.e. the evening of All Saints Day), partiers go door-to-door, requesting gifts and singing a traditional verse representing the liberation of holy souls from purgatory. Our traditions and customs can include: praying novenas for the holy souls, visiting a graveyard for a picnic, decorating relatives’ graves, remembering and praying for departed souls, giving orphans food, clothing and toys and leaving our doors and windows open on All Souls Night. Eternal rest grant unto them, Oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace!

1st Reading: Rom 12:5–16ab* The same with us; being many, we are one body in Christ, depending on one another. Let each one of us, therefore, serve according to our different gifts. Are you a prophet? Then give the insights of faith. Let the minister fulfill his office; let the teacher teach, the one who encourages, convince. … Let love be sincere. Hate what is evil and hold to whatever is good. Love one another and be considerate. Outdo one another in mutual respect. Be zealous in fulfilling your duties. Be fervent in the Spirit and serve God. … Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not wish evil on anyone. Rejoice with those who are joyful, and weep with those who weep. Live in peace with one another. Do not dream of extraordinary things; be humble and do not hold yourselves as wise.

tuesday

November

31st Week in Ordinary Time Martin de Porres Psalter: Week 3

Ps 131:1bcde, 2, 3 In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.

Gospel: Lk 14:15–24 One of those at the table said to Jesus, “Happy are those who eat at the banquet in the kingdom of God!” Jesus replied, “A man once gave a feast and invited many guests. When it was time for the feast he sent his servant to tell those he had invited to come, for everything was ready. But all alike began to make excuses. The first said: ‘Please excuse me. I must go and see the piece of land I have just bought.’ Another said: ‘I am sorry, but I am on my way to try out the five yoke of oxen I have just bought.’ Still another said, ‘How can I come when I have just married?’ “The servant returned alone and reported this to his master. Upon hearing the account, the master of the house flew into a rage and ordered his servant: ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ “The servant reported after a while: ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out, but there is still room.’ The master said: ‘Go out to the highways and country lanes and force people to come in, to make sure my house is full. I tell you, none of those invited will have a morsel of my feast.”

he word of God gives us hope. As Christians, we are in the company of people, who have hope. Out there in the world, there is a fleeting hope that evaporates and disappears, like the mist that appears in the morning that disappears as soon as the sun rises. What hope there is in this world is like that passing mist. God’s word gives us hope. The hope of absolute certainty in our salvation and happiness! Paul enumerates the principle of living a godly upright, holy life. It’s living with others in mind. We are not to be full of our own importance. We may have a right to do something, but the Christian life is not about our rights. I might have a right to do this, but I will deny myself my rights for your sake. For the sake of peace, for the sake of harmony, for the sake of the blessing of the community, we should bear with our neighbors and their perceived weaknesses. We are not to please ourselves. We should build up, strengthen, the rights of our brothers and sisters in Christ!

04 November wednesday

31st Week in Ordinary Time Charles Borromeo Psalter: Week 3

Ps 112:1b–2, 4–5, 9 Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.

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1st Reading: Rom 13:8–10 Do not be in debt to anyone. Let this be the only debt of one to another: Love. The one who loves his or her neighbor fulfilled the Law. For the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not covet and whatever else are summarized in this one: You will love your neighbor as yourself. Love cannot do the neighbor any harm; so love fulfills the whole Law. Gospel: Lk 14:25–33 One day, when large crowds were walking along with Jesus, he turned and said to them, “If you come to me, without being ready to give up your love for your father and mother, your spouse and children, your brothers and sisters, and indeed yourself, you cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not follow me carrying his own cross cannot be my disciple. “Do you build a house without first sitting down to count the cost to see whether you have enough to complete it? Otherwise, if you have laid the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone will make fun of you: This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ “And when a king wages war against another king, does he go to fight without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand can stand against the twenty thousand of his opponent? And if not, while the other is still a long way off he sends messengers for peace talks. In the same way, none of you may become my disciple if he doesn’t give up everything he has.”

et this be the only debt of one to another: love!” Some debts, like taxes, or a mortgage, or a borrowed book, can be repaid; but love can never be repaid. We owe just as much of it after we make a payment as before. But there’s more to it: what Paul is saying is that, every debt we pay…every mortgage payment, every act of duty to anyone…should be acts of love. We shouldn’t put love in a category different from other acts of our lives. We must let everything be done in love. We should owe nobody anything, except this way: that we pay it in love. The debt of love that we have to unbelievers and believers is not because they have done anything for us. Our debt of love exists because Christ has done everything for us, when we did not deserve it, any more than the world deserves our love. When Christ loves us freely, when He gave His life for us, when He took away all our sin and guilt and condemnation, and guaranteed for us everlasting joy in Him…and all of this when we didn’t even know Him…we became loving debtors to all humanity.

1st Reading: Rom 14:7–12 In fact, none of us lives for himself, nor dies for himself. If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Either in life or in death, we belong to the Lord; It was for this purpose that Christ both died and come to life again to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. Then you, why do you criticize your brother or sister? And you, why do you despise them? For we will all appear at the tribunal of God. It is written: I swear by myself—word of the Lord—every knee will bend before me, and every tongue shall give glory to God. So each of us will account for himself before God.

thursday

November

31st Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 27:1bcde, 4, 13–14 I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

Gospel: Lk 15:1–10 Tax collectors and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what he had to say. But the Pharisees and the scribes frowned at this, muttering. “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So Jesus told them this parable: “Who among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and seek out the lost one till he finds it? And finding it, will he not joyfully carry it home on his shoulders? Then he will call his friends and neighbors together and say: ‘Celebrate with me for I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, just so, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine upright who do not need to repent. “What woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one, will not light a lamp and sweep the house in a thorough search till she finds the lost coin? And finding it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say: ‘Celebrate with me for I have found the silver coin I lost!’ I tell you, in the same way there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.”

oday, Paul is asking us to make ourselves presentable to God. When we do things that are damaging to our minds and bodies, we make ourselves less appealing to God. We have an obligation to take care of our bodies, minds, and spirits to the best of our ability, so that we are fit servants of Christ. Beyond that, we have a responsibility to each other. We are to care for each other like true brothers and sisters. When we treat others as Christ treats us, we put others needs before our own. This is a concept that few Christians embrace and fewer still practice; yet, that it is how we should behave. In effect, when we sacrifice something we need for the sake of someone else, we’re trusting God to provide for us. We are not only to provide for those in need but also to protect those who are weaker than us. We ought to take young ones under our wing and we should offer support to those who are struggling with problems like alcoholism and drug abuse. The point is for us always to be there for each other, with a helping hand and a willing heart.

06 November friday

31st Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 98:1, 2–3ab, 3cd–4 The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

1st Reading: Rom 15:14–21* As for me, brothers and sisters, I am convinced that you have goodwill, knowledge and the capacity to advise each other; nevertheless I have written boldly in some parts of this letter to remind you of what you already know. I do this according to the grace God has given to me when I was sent to the pagan nations. I dedicated myself to the service of the Good News of God as a minister of Christ Jesus, in order to present the non-Jews to God as an agreeable offering consecrated by the Holy Spirit. This service of God is for me a cause of pride in Christ Jesus. … I have been very careful, however, and I am proud of this, not to preach in places where Christ is already known, and not to build upon foundations laid by others. Let it be as Scripture says: Those not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand. Gospel: Lk 16:1–8 Jesus told his disciples, “There was a rich man whose steward was reported to him for fraudulent service. He summoned the steward and asked him: ‘What is this I hear about you? I want you to render an account of your service for it is about to be terminated.’ “The steward thought to himself: ‘What am I to do now? My master will surely dismiss me. I am not strong enough to do hard work, and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I will do: I must make sure that when I am dismissed, there will be some people to welcome me into their house.’ “So he called his master’s debtors one by one. He asked the first who came: ‘How much do you owe my master?’ The reply was: ‘A hundred jars of oil.’ The steward said: ‘Here is your bill. Sit down quickly and write there fifty.’ To the second he put the same question: ‘How much do you owe?’ The answer was: ‘A thousand bushels of wheat.’ Then he said: ‘Take your bill and write eighty.’ “The master commended the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the people of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the people of light.”

ritics of the early Christians thought they should be reached through their eyes: by signs and wonders. Or through their ears: by impressive arguments and ideas. But God only reaches us through our hearts: hearts of humble submission to God’s will. A life, motivated by a desire to impress people, fails to be faithful to God’s call. Our lives must always bring people face to face with God and the cross of Christ. We live, not to show that God does what people want, but to call people to do what God wants. To believe in Him! Paul always uses key words: wisdom and foolishness, strength and weakness. What the world thinks is wisdom and strength, God despises. The early Church did not have much to boast about in the world. Neither does any one of us have anything to boast about before God. We are sinful, weak and frail. But that’s not a problem for God; and it doesn’t mean we are without hope. God deliberately chooses us, who are weak. To shame the powerful!

1st Reading: Rom 16:3–9, 16, 22–27 Greetings to Prisca and Aquilas, my helpers in Christ Jesus. To save my life, they risked theirs; I am very grateful to them, as are all the churches of the pagan nations. Greetings also to the church that meets in their house. Greetings to my dear Epaenetus, the first in the province of Asia to believe in Christ. Greet Mary, who worked so much for you. Greetings to Andronicus and Junias, my relatives and companions in prison; they are well known apostles and served Christ before I did. Give greetings to Ampliatus, whom I love so much in the Lord. Greetings to Urbanus, our fellow worker, and to my dear Stachys. Greetings to Apelles, who suffered for Christ, and the family of Aristobulus.

saturday

November

31st Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 3

Ps 145:2–3, 4–5, 10–11 I will praise your name for ever, Lord.

Gospel: Lk 16:9–15 Jesus said to his disciples, “And so I tell you: use filthy money to make friends for yourselves, so that when it fails, these people may welcome you into the eternal homes. “Whoever can be trusted in little things can also be trusted in great ones; whoever is dishonest in slight matters will also be dishonest in greater ones. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling filthy money, who could entrust you with true wealth? And if you have not been trustworthy with things that are not really yours, who will give you the wealth which is your own? “No servant can serve two masters. Either he does not like the one and is fond of the other, or he regards one highly and the other with contempt. You cannot give yourself both to God and to Money.” The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and sneered at Jesus. He said to them, “You do your best to be considered righteous by people. But God knows the heart, and what rises high among humans is loathed by God.”

ome worldly people are quite shrewd. Some can think of many ways to use and make earthly wealth…honestly or dishonestly. Jesus, however, wants his disciples to use their worldly wealth in ways that are spiritually shrewd. We are not to use our wealth to control others or to try to protect our future, but to bless others. Benefiting others and using our earthly resources to be a blessing and a friend to others are our goals. God blesses us so that, in turn, we can be a blessing. As faithful stewards of God’s blessings, we are storing up treasures in heaven. God wants to shower us with blessings; but He waits to give them to us, wanting us to take care of the little things first, so that we can be trusted to be a good steward over the larger blessings. Until we can manage success in the little tasks that He gives us, we are not qualified to take on the bigger roles that He has waiting for us, later in life. It is our job and mission to fulfill God’s purpose to the fullest, otherwise God can’t receive the honor, praise, and glory due to Him.

1st Reading: 1 K 17:10–16 Elijah went to Zarephath. On reaching the gate of the town, he saw a widow gathering sticks. He called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel that I may drink.” As she was going to bring it, he called after her and said, “Bring me also a piece of bread.” But she answered, “As Yahweh your God lives, I have no bread left but only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am just now gathering some sticks so that I may go in and prepare something for myself and my son to eat and die.” Elijah then said to her, “Do not be afraid. Go and do as you have said, but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me; then make some for yourself and your son. For this is the word of Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of meal shall not be emptied nor shall the jug of oil fail, until the day when Yahweh sends rain to the earth.” So she went and did as Elijah told her; and she had food for herself, Elijah and her son from that day on. The jar of flour was not emptied nor did the jug of oil fail, in accordance with what Yahweh had said through Elijah. 2nd Reading: Heb 9:24–28 Christ did not enter some sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself. He is now in the presence of God on our behalf. He had not to offer himself many times, as the High Priest does: he who may return every year, because the blood is not his own. Otherwise he would have suffered many times from the Ps 146:7, 8–9, 9–10 creation of the world. But no; he manifested Praise the Lord, my soul! himself only now at the end of the ages, to take away sin by sacrifice, and, as humans die only once and afterwards are judged, in the same way Christ sacrificed himself once to take away the sins of the multitude. There will be no further question of sin when he comes again to save those waiting for him.

Gospel: Mk 12:38–44 As Jesus was teaching, he also said to the people, “Beware of those teachers of the Law who enjoy walking around in long robes and being greeted in the marketplace, and who like to occupy reserved seats in the synagogues and the first places at feasts. They even devour the widow’s and the orphan’s goods while making a show of long prayers. How severe a sentence they will receive!” Jesus sat down opposite the Temple treasury and watched the people dropping money into the treasury box; and many rich people put in large offerings. But a poor widow also came and dropped in two small coins. Then Jesus called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all those who gave offerings. For all of them gave from their plenty, but she gave from her poverty and put in everything she had, her very living.”

sunday

November

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

an we ever forget the image of the poor widow putting into the treasury all that she had? Even in her poverty she did not neglect to make a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God for blessings received. And we can surmise that this widow, like the widow at Zarephath, would know the Lord’s tender mercies, for God will not be outdone in generosity. The generosity of the poor widow is both an inspiration and a challenge to us as we strive to be good stewards of the blessings we have received from the Lord. As the Lord has been good to us, so too must we be good to others, sharing generously and lovingly with our family, our Church, and the poor. Our model for generosity, of course, is the Lord Jesus. He became poor so that we might become infinitely wealthy. Our Lord gave everything He had to give by stretching out His arms upon the cross so that we might know the joys of heaven. May our care generosity be nothing less than wholehearted, following the example of our Lord and the example of the poor widow.

09 November monday

Dedication of St. John Lateran Psalter: Proper

Ps 46:2–3, 5–6, 8–9 The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High.

1st Reading: Ezk 47:1–2, 8–9, 12* The man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple and I saw water coming out from the threshold of the Temple and flowing eastwards. The Temple faced the east and the water flowed from the south side of the Temple, from the south side of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing the east and there I saw the stream coming from the south side. He said to me, “This water goes to the east, down to the Arabah, and when it flows into the sea of foul-smelling water, the water will become wholesome. Wherever the river flows, swarms of creatures will live in it; fish will be plentiful and the sea water will become fresh. Wherever it flows, life will abound. … 2nd Reading: 1 Cor 3:9c–11, 16–17 Gospel: Jn 2:13–22 As the Passover of the Jews was at hand, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the Temple court he found merchants selling oxen, sheep and doves, and money-changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the Temple court, together with the oxen and sheep. He knocked over the tables of the money-changers, scattering the coins, and ordered the people selling doves, “Take all this away and stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” His disciples recalled the words of Scripture: Zeal for your House devours me as a fire. The Jews then questioned Jesus, “Where are the miraculous signs which give you the right to do this?” And Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then replied, “The building of this temple has already taken forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” Actually, Jesus was referring to the temple of his body. Only when he had risen from the dead did his disciples remember these words; then they believed both the Scripture and the words Jesus had spoken.

ost Catholics think of St. Peter’s as the pope’s main church, but they are wrong. St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, where the bishop of Rome presides. The first basilica on the site was built in the fourth century, when Constantine donated land, he had received from the Lateran family. That structure suffered fire and the ravages of war; but the Lateran remained the church where popes were consecrated, until they returned from Avignon in the 14th century to find the church and the adjoining palace in ruins. Pope Innocent X commissioned the present structure in 1646. One of Rome’s most imposing churches, St John Lateran’s towering facade is crowned with fifteen colossal statues of Christ, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist, and doctors of the Church. Beneath its high altar rest the remains of the small wooden table on which, tradition holds, St. Peter celebrated Mass. St. John Lateran is, in a sense, the parish church of all Catholics, for it is the pope’s parish, the cathedral church of the Bishop of Rome. This church is the spiritual home of all Catholics!

1st Reading: Wis 2:23—3:9 Indeed God created man to be immortal in the likeness of his own nature, but the envy of the devil brought death to the world, and those who take his side shall experience death. The souls of the just are in the hands of God and no torment shall touch them In the eyes of the unwise they appear to be dead. Their going is held as a disaster; it seems that they lose everything by departing from us, but they are in peace. Though seemingly they have been punished, immortality was the soul of their hope. After slight affliction will come great blessings, for God has tried them and found them worthy to be with him; after testing them as gold in the furnace, he has accepted them as a holocaust. At the time of his coming they will shine like sparks that run in the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will be their king forever. Those who trust in him will penetrate the truth, those who are faithful will live with him in love, for his grace and mercy are for his chosen ones.

tuesday

November

32nd Week in Ordinary Time Leo the Great Psalter: Week 4

Ps 34:2–3, 16–17, 18–19 I will bless the Lord at all times.

Gospel: Lk 17:7–10 Jesus said to his disciples, “Who among you would say to your servant coming in from the fields after plowing or tending sheep: ‘Come at once and sit down at table’? No, you tell him: ‘Prepare my dinner. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink; you can eat and drink afterwards.’ Do you thank this servant for doing what you commanded? So for you. When you have done all that you have been told to do, you must say: ‘We are no more than servants; we have only done our duty.’”

e need, today, to learn another lesson: that Christ calls us to be servants of one another, and that this service will be a most blessed one, a new and fuller liberty from sin and self. At first it may appear hard. But, if once we learn that to be nothing before God is the glory of the creature, the spirit of Jesus, the joy of heaven, we shall welcome with our whole heart the discipline we may have in serving even those who trouble us. This was what Jesus said to the disciples who were thinking of being great in the kingdom, and of sitting on His right hand and His left. Seek not, ask not for exaltation; that is God’s work. Jesus means this, we all know. Just as water ever seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds the creature abased and empty, in flows His glory and power. It is godlike, however, to humble ourselves, to become servants of all! Let us study the words we’ve been given, until our hearts are filled with the one thought: my real need is humility. Here is the path to the higher life: down, lower down!

11 November wednesday

32nd Week in Ordinary Time Martin of Tours Psalter: Week 4

Ps 82:3–4, 6–7 Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.

1st Reading: Wis 6:1–11 Listen, O kings, and understand; rulers of the most distant lands, take warning. Pay attention, you who rule multitudes and boast of the numerous subjects in your pagan nations. For authority was given you by the Lord, your kingship is from the Most High who will examine your works and scrutinize your intentions. If, as officials of his kingdom, you have not judged justly or observed his law or walked the way God pointed out, he will oppose you swiftly and terribly; his sentence strikes the mighty suddenly. For the lowly there may be excuses and pardon, but the great will be severely punished. For the Lord of all makes no distinction, nor does he take account of greatness. Both great and lowly are his work and he watches over all, but the powerful are to be judged more strictly. It is to you then, sovereigns, that I speak, that you may learn Wisdom and not stumble. For those who keep the holy laws in a holy way will be acknowledged holy, and those who accept the teaching will find in it their defense. Welcome my words, desire them and they will instruct you. Gospel: Lk 17:11–19 On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus was passing along the border between Samaria and Galilee, and as he entered a village, ten lepers came to meet him. Keeping their distance, they called to him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” Then Jesus said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” Now, as they went their way, they found they were cured. One of them, as soon as he saw he was cleansed, turned back praising God in a loud voice, and throwing himself on his face before Jesus, he gave him thanks. This man was a Samaritan. Then Jesus said, “Were not all ten healed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God but this alien?” And Jesus said to him, “Stand up and go your way; your faith has saved you.”

hen it seems that all we can see is the effect of discrimination, corrupt politicians, and yes, even the policy of our government, it’s hard to see beyond it all to the reign of God. When we go through difficult times, when we are in pain, when society ignores us, it’s hard to see God’s plan. Like the nine lepers, it is hard to see that, because of Christ, we have been healed. It’s hard to look past this world of pain and see that Christ is bringing in a new world, that in heaven there won’t be all this oppression, suffering and pain. We read that, even though society doesn’t see the lepers, Christ sees them! The leper who returned to give thanks to Jesus was a Samaritan, despised by the Jews, which made him the oppressed of the oppressed. Despite all this, he saw past the way the world looked at him and recognized in Jesus’ look the one, who gave him dignity and promised him that dignity had been restored in him. As with the Samaritan leper, may this look bring us to our knees and give us the strength to praise and give thanks to God!

1st Reading: Wis 7:22b—8:1 Because Wisdom, who designed them all, taught me. In her is a spirit that is intelligent, saintly, unique, manifold, subtle, active, concise, pure and lucid. It cannot corrupt, loves what is good and nothing can restrain it; it is beneficent, loving humankind, steadfast, dependable, calm though almighty. It sees everything and penetrates all spirits, however intelligent, subtle and pure they may be. Wisdom, in fact, surpasses in mobility all that moves, and being so pure pervades and permeates all things. She is a breath of the power of God, a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; nothing impure can enter her. She is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of God’s action and an image of his goodness. She is but one, yet Wisdom can do all things and, herself unchanging, she renews all things. She enters holy souls, making them prophets and friends of God, for God loves only those who live with Wisdom. She is indeed more beautiful than the sun and surpasses all the constellations; she outrivals light, for light gives way to night, but evil cannot prevail against Wisdom. Wisdom displays her strength from one end of the earth to the other, ordering all things rightly.

thursday

November

32nd Week in Ordinary Time Josaphat Psalter: Week 4

Ps 119:89, 90, 91, 130, 135, 175 Your word is for ever, O Lord.

Gospel: Lk 17:20–25 The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was to come. He answered, “The kingdom of God is not like something you can observe and say of it: ‘Look, here it is! There it is!’ See, the kingdom of God is among you.” And Jesus said to his disciples, “The time is at hand when you will long to see one of the glorious days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. Then people will tell you: ‘Look there! Look here!’ Do not go, do not follow them. As lightning flashes from one end of the sky to the other, so will it be with the Son of Man. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this people.”

bbe Pierre, the famous rag picker of Paris, lived in a large house with a dozen religious brothers. In the middle of January, when ice and snow covered the ground, a poor freezing family rang the doorbell of the large house and begged for some corner to sleep in; otherwise, they would all freeze to death. Abbe Pierre was worried because every room in the house was filled. Only the little chapel was not. So he took the Blessed Sacrament from the altar and carried it up to the attic, where it was too cold to live. Then he bedded down the family in that only prayer room in the house, which was Christ’s own room, so to speak. The next morning, the brothers were shocked to see the Blessed Sacrament gone and a family sleeping on the floor. They were horrified at this disrespect for the Lord’s room and were angry when Abbe Pierre told them that he had place the Blessed Sacrament in the attic, where snow was blowing in through the roof tiles. Then the Abbe explained, “My brothers, Christ feels no cold or heat in the Blessed Sacrament. But Christ in people feels everything they do!”

13 November friday

32nd Week in Ordinary Time Frances Xavier Cabrini Psalter: Week 4

Ps 19:2–3, 4–5ab The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

1st Reading: Wis 13:1–9* The natural helplessness of humans is seen in their ignorance of God. The experience of good things did not lead them to the knowledge of Him who is. They were interested in his works, but they did not recognize the author of them. Fire, wind, air, the sphere of the stars, rushing water and the lights in the sky were held as the rulers of the world. If, charmed by such beauty, they took them for gods, let them know how far superior is their sovereign. And if they were impressed by their power and activity, let them understand from this how much mightier is he who formed them. For the grandeur and beauty of creatures lead us to ponder on their Author, greater and more magnificent. … Gospel: Lk 17:26–37 Jesus said to his disciples, “As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be on the day the Son of Man comes. Then people ate and drank; they took husbands and wives. But on the day Noah entered the ark, the flood came and destroyed them all. Just as it was in the days of Lot: people ate and drank, they bought and sold, planted and built. But on the day Lot left Sodom, God made fire and sulfur rain down from heaven which destroyed them all. So will it be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. “On that day, if you are on the rooftop, don’t go down into the house to get your belongings, and if you happen to be in the fields, do not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever tries to save his life will lose himself, but whoever gives his life will be born again. “I tell you, though two men are sharing the same bed, it may be that one will be taken and the other left. Though two women are grinding corn together, one may be taken and the other left.” Then they asked Jesus, “Where will this take place, Lord?” And he answered, “Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.”

e should not fret if we are having a difficult time understanding why God the Father would send His Son to die on a cross. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and we know that the cross is probably one of the most agonizing ways to suffer and die. But knowing that God makes the rules, why did He choose this method to reconcile people to Himself? Giving a child is the greatest sacrifice and the greatest demonstration that God could give to show His love for us. God gave us the ultimate gift and the ultimate demonstration of His love in sending Christ to suffer and die for our reconciliation with God. God wanted to give people a dramatic demonstration of His love for them. He also wanted to give His children an example of the kind of love that He wants us to have for Him and for one another. The kind of love that is willing to give the most precious gift that we have. Walking with in obedience to Jesus commands will take us on the path of the cross, dying to our self so that His life will be manifest in us all.

1st Reading: Wis 18:14–16; 19:6–9 While all was in quiet silence and the night was in the middle of its course, your almighty Word leapt down from the Royal Throne—a stern warrior to a doomed world. Carrying your fearful command like a sharpened sword and stretching from heaven to earth, he filled the universe with death. All creation in its different forms was fashioned anew at your command, in order to protect your people. The cloud covered the camp with its shadow, dry land emerged where water had been. A safe passage was opened through the Red Sea, the tempestuous flood became a green plain where the whole nation of those protected by your hand passed across, witnessing your astounding deeds. They were like horses led to pasture, or like frolicking lambs, praising you, their Lord, who had delivered them.

saturday

November

32nd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

Ps 105:2–3, 36–37, 42–43 Remember the marvels the Lord has done!

Gospel: Lk 18:1–8 Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should pray continually and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor people. In the same town was a widow who kept coming to him, saying: ‘Defend my rights against my opponent.’ For a time he refused, but finally he thought: ‘Even though I neither fear God nor care about people, this widow bothers me so much I will see that she gets justice; then she will stop coming and wearing me out.” And Jesus explained, “Listen to what the evil judge says. Will God not do justice for his chosen ones who cry to him day and night even if he delays in answering them? I tell you, he will speedily do them justice. Yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

esus asked the question, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” This question is often thought to apply to a secularization of the world’s population in the last days. In other words, will there be fewer religious people and more pagans as the return of the Son of Man nears? Jesus was very specifically teaching about persistence in prayer, telling a parable to illustrate a God, concerned for his people. Jesus was addressing people who believed in God and prayed – some true believers and some just religious folk who thought they were OK. But they were people like us. This passage is so pertinent because so many in our world do not believe in prayer, or that God answers prayer, in His supernatural involvement with His people. So many grow weary when praying and don’t push through until they receive an answer. This passage is within the larger context of a discussion about faith and people of God. Christ is not asking if there will be any God-fearing people left when the Son of Man returns; He is asking if faith will be found amongst those, who claim to be God’s children! Will He find us?

1st Reading: Dan 12:1–3 At that time, Michael will rise, the Great Commander who defends your people. It shall be a time of anguish as never before since the nations first existed until this very day. Then all those whose names are written in the Book will be saved. Many of those who sleep in the Region of the Dust will awake, some to everlasting life but others to eternal horror and shame. Those who acquired knowledge will shine like the brilliance of the firmament; those who taught people to be just will shine like the stars for all eternity. 2nd Reading: Heb 10:11–14, 18 So, whereas every priest stands daily by the altar offering repeatedly the same sacrifices that can never take away sins, Christ has offered for all times a single sacrifice for sins and has taken his seat at the right hand of God, waiting until God puts his enemies as a footstool under his feet. By a single sacrifice he has brought those who are sanctified to what is perfect forever. So, if sins are forgiven, there is no longer need of any sacrifice for sin. Gospel: Mk 13:24–32 Jesus said to his disciples, “Later on, in those days after that disastrous time, the sun will grow dark, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall out of the sky and the whole universe will be shaken. Then people will see the Son of Ps 16:5, 8, 9–10, 11 Man coming in the clouds with great power and You are my inheritance, O Lord! glory. And he will send the angels to gather his chosen people from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky. “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its branches become tender and it begins to sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the time is near, even at the door. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all this has happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But, regarding that Day and that Hour, no one knows when it will come, not even the angels, not even the Son, but only the Father.”

sunday

November

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 4

“R

emember death daily.” We would do well to follow this monastic instruction and never allow a day to pass without remembering that it could well be our last. We know neither the day nor the hour of our death. The Lord gives us today, but He does not promise us tomorrow. Therefore we must never put off for another day the task of doing good. Jesus teaches His disciples that all good things here on earth must come to an end. Even the world itself is not meant to last forever, but only as long as it serves the Lord’s purpose. For this reason we must not become inordinately attached to the things of this earth. Material possessions attract us when we do not have them, but when we do have them they fail to satisfy us. What a shame that those with great monetary wealth often suffer the most dire spiritual poverty. We know neither the day nor the hour of our death. Why then, should we spend so much time on things that do not really matter? “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” the Lord tells us. The only lasting treasures are those things that money cannot buy.

16 November monday

33rd Week in Ordinary Time Margaret of Scotland / Gertrude Psalter: Week 1

Ps 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158 Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.

1st Reading: 1 Mac 1:10–15, 41–43, 54–57, 62–63* … Antiochus issued a decree to his whole kingdom. All the peoples of his empire had to renounce their particular customs and become one people. All the pagan nations obeyed and respected the king’s decree, and even in Israel many accepted the imposed cult. They offered sacrifices to idols and no longer respected the Sabbath. On the fifteenth day of the month of Chislev, in the year one hundred and forty-five, Antiochus erected the “abominable idol of the invaders” on the altar of the temple. Pagan altars were built throughout the whole land of Judea; incense was offered at the doors of their houses and in the squares. There wicked men tore up the books of the Law they found and burned them. They killed anyone they caught in possession of the book of the Covenant and who fulfilled the precepts of the Law, as the royal decree had ordered. But in spite of all this, many Israelites still remained firm and determined not to eat unclean food. They preferred to die rather than to make themselves unclean with those foods (prohibited by the Law) that violated the Holy Covenant. Gospel: Lk 18:35–43 When Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road, begging. As he heard the crowd passing by, he inquired what it was, and they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was going by. Then he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The people in front scolded him, “Be quiet!” but he cried out all the more, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him, and when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the man said, “Lord, that I may see!” Jesus said, “Receive your sight, your faith has saved you.” At once the blind man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving praise to God. And all the people who were there also praised God.

hose, who have faith and trust in Christ, find that their sufferings have a purpose and that they also have an end. This is not the time to join the ranks of the discouraged, the cowardly and the fainthearted. Now is the time to let the light of our faith shine forth, not for pride’s sake, but as a beacon for many of us, who are lost. In this, Christ is our strength and His word is our sword. All suffering has a purpose; not a physical purpose as much as a spiritual purpose, for just as gold is tested in the fire and purified, so also we must pass through our own flames of penance and sacrifice here on earth in order to be cleansed of our sins. In today’s gospel, Christ says to us: “Your faith has saved you.” While those, who do not accept Christ and all His teachings, might ridicule and scorn us Christians, those of us, who realize the treasures that Christ brings to our lives, are filled with hope and are willing to undergo whatever suffering God wills for us. God emphasizes that we must all work together to bring goodness into our world.

1st Reading: 2 Mac 6:18–31* Eleazar, one of the prominent teachers of the Law, already old and of noble appearance, was forced to open his mouth to eat the flesh of a pig. But he preferred to die honorably than to live in disgrace, and voluntarily came to the place where they beat him to death. He spit out bravely the piece of meat, as should be done by those who do not want to do things prohibited by the Law, even to save their life. … And he added, “It would be unworthy to pretend at our age, and to lead many young people to suppose that I, at ninety years, have gone over to the pagan customs. If I led them astray for the sake of this short life I would bring disgrace to my old age. Even if I could now be saved from mortals, I cannot—whether living or dead—escape from the hands of the Almighty. I prefer to bravely sacrifice my life now, as befits my old age. So I shall leave an excellent example to the young, dying voluntarily and valiantly for the sacred and holy laws.” Having said this, he gave himself over to death. …

tuesday

November

33rd Week in Ordinary Time Elizabeth of Hungary Psalter: Week 1

Ps 3:2–3, 4–5, 6–7 The Lord upholds me.

Gospel: Lk 19:1–10 When Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the city, a man named Zaccheus was there. He was a tax collector and a wealthy man. He wanted to see what Jesus was like, but he was a short man and could not see because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree. From there he would be able to see Jesus who had to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, come down quickly for I must stay at your house today.” So Zaccheus hurried down and received him joyfully. All the people who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to the house of a sinner as a guest.” But Zaccheus spoke to Jesus, “The half of my goods, Lord, I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay him back four times as much.” Looking at him Jesus said, “Salvation has come to this house today, for he is also a true son of Abraham. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

esus compromised his beliefs for no one. He couldn’t lie, he couldn’t even keep his mouth shut when people around him were judged and condemned. He aligned himself with the downtrodden and stood against tyranny. Would Jesus have made a good soldier? It would be difficult to get anyone in your cross hairs, when you’re turning the other cheek. A pre-emptive strike was the antithesis of Jesus’ foreign policy. There is no proof that Jesus came to start a new religion called “Christianity.” He showed no desire to organize or control others. He displayed no capacity for sending other mother’s sons to die for a power lust. He blessed the meek and the peacemakers. He supported only that which had vitality, not expediency. They could take his life and liberty; but they could not own his soul. He was not afraid of powerful men; this made them afraid of him. He frightened the self-righteous, because he knew the truth about the deceitfulness of power and he refused to kowtow to it. How odd that, today, he is heralded as the icon of the religious right: his manner of living was diametrically opposed to everything the religious right espouses.

18 November wednesday

33rd Week in Ordinary Time Dedication of the Basilicas of Peter and Paul / Rose Philippine Duchesne Psalter: Week 1

Ps 17:1bcd, 5–6, 8b and 15 Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.

1st Reading: 2 Mac 7:1, 20–31* It happened also that seven brothers were arrested with their mother. The king had them scourged and flogged to force them to eat the flesh of a pig which was prohibited by the Law. More than all of them, their mother ought to be admired and remembered. She saw her seven sons die in a single day. But she endured it even with joy for she had put her hope in the Lord. Full of a noble sense of honor, she encouraged each one of them in the language of their ancestors. Her woman’s heart was moved by manly courage, so she told them: I wonder how you were born of me; it was not I who gave you breath and life, nor I who ordered the matter of your body. The Creator of the world who formed man in the beginning and ordered the unfolding of all creation shall in his mercy, give you back breath and life, since you now despise them for love of his laws.” … Gospel: Lk 19:11–28* Jesus went on to tell the people a parable. He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant place to have himself appointed king of his own people, after which he would return. Before he left, he summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds. He said: ‘Put this money to work until I get back.’ … “He returned, however, appointed as king. At once he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money. The first came in and reported: ‘Sir, your pound has earned ten more.’ “The master replied: ‘Well done, my good servant. Since you have proved yourself capable in a small matter, I can trust you to take charge of ten cities.’ The second reported: ‘Sir, your pound earned five more pounds.’ The master replied: ‘Right, take charge of five cities.’ “The third came in and said: ‘Sir, here is your money which I hid for safekeeping. I was afraid of you for you are an exacting person; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’ “The master replied: ‘You worthless servant, I will judge you by your own words. … “Then the master said to those standing by: ‘Take from him that pound, and give it to the one with ten pounds.’ They objected: ‘But, sir, he already has ten!’” I tell you: everyone who has will be given more; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.

t’s a mistake to think that all professing Christians will be saved en masse. We each have to work out our own salvation and we are answerable to Christ, the nobleman, for the way, in which we have managed our lives. Entrance into His kingdom depends on personal effort and identification with the teaching and commandments, placed upon us by Christ. The wicked servant’s end emphasizes the importance of having a balanced knowledge and appreciation of the ways of Christ. Right conduct will be our positive response to the privileges bestowed on those of us, serving in the nobleman’s house, trading with his goods. Christ inspires loyalty and diligence from us because of our indebtedness to Him for giving us the same hope of elevation into His kingdom.

1st Reading: 1 Mac 2:15–29* … The representatives of the king addressed Mattathias, and said to him: “You are one of the leaders of this city, an important and well-known man, and your many children and relatives follow you. Come now and be the first to fulfill the king’s order, as the men of Judah have already done, and the survivors in Jerusalem as well. You and your sons will be named Friends of the King and the king will send you gold, silver and many other gifts.” But Mattathias answered in a loud voice: “Even if all the nations included in the kingdom should abandon the religion of their ancestors and submit to the order of King Antiochus, I, my sons and my family will remain faithful to the Covenant of our ancestors. May God preserve us from abandoning the Law and its precepts. We will not obey the orders of the king nor turn aside from our religion either to the right or to the left.” … Mattathias then began to proclaim loudly in the city: “Everyone who is zealous for the Law and supports the Covenant, come out and follow me!” Immediately he and his sons fled to the mountains and left behind all they had in the city.

thursday

November

33rd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

Ps 50:1b–2, 5–6, 14–15 To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Gospel: Lk 19:41–44 When Jesus had come in sight of Jerusalem, he wept over it and said, “If only today you knew the ways of peace! But now your eyes are held from seeing. Yet days will come upon you when your enemies will surround you with barricades and shut you in and press on you from every side. And they will dash you to the ground and your children with you, and leave not a stone within you, for you did not recognize the time and the visitation of your God.”

artin Luther King once said: “Let us believe that we have cosmic companionship…that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. Truth, crushed to earth, will rise again. No lie can live forever!” All throughout history, the way of peace and love has always won. Sure, there have been, and still are, tyrants and for a time they can seem invincible; but in the end, they always fall. Let’s remember that whenever we’re in doubt as to whether the way of peace and love is God’s way. That’s just the way the world is meant to be. Bad things that happen to us in our lives are trivial, when we consider that God is standing with us on the beach, breathing into the hurricane and yearning to breathe in and through us. In the face of the hurricane of injustice, we must never forget that the message that there is a reality, greater than ourselves, that is making a difference is deeper than the message of us making a difference…and that this reality invites us to say “yes” to participate in the process. So, if peace is the answer, it can’t be a stupid question!

20 November friday

33rd Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 1

1 Chr 29:10bcd, 11abc, 11d–12a, 12bcd We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.

1st Reading: 1 Mac 4:36–37, 52–59 Then Judas and his brothers said: “Our enemies are defeated, so let us go up and purify the Holy Place and consecrate it again.” And all the army assembled and went up to Mount Zion. On the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev, in the year one hundred and forty-eight (164 B.C.) they arose at dawn and offered the sacrifice prescribed by the Law on the new altar of holocausts which they had built. It was precisely at that same time and date that the pagans had profaned it before; but now they consecrated it with songs accompanied by zithers, harps and cymbals. All the people fell prostrate and blessed Heaven that had given them happiness and success. They celebrated the consecration of the altar for eight days, joyfully offering holocausts and celebrating sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise. The front of the temple was adorned with crowns of gold and shields; the gates and the rooms had been restored and fitted with doors. There was no end to the celebration among the people, and so the profanation of the temple by the pagans was forgotten. Finally, Judas, his brothers and the whole assembly of Israel agreed to celebrate the anniversary of the consecration of the altar annually for eight days, from the twenty-fifth of the month of Chislev, in high festivity. Gospel: Lk 19:45–48 Jesus entered the Temple area and began to drive out the merchants. And he said to them, “God says in the Scriptures: My house shall be a house of prayer: but you have turned it into a den of robbers.” Jesus was teaching every day in the Temple. The chief priests and teachers of the Law wanted to kill him and the elders of the Jews as well, but they were unable to do anything, for all the people were listening to him and hanging on his words.

he merchants in the Temple are like all those who, while still practicing the coarsest sins, would like to be respectable and do good works, but only so that God might give them something else in exchange. They want God to repay them with something pleasant; they would be traffickers with God. But it is a mistake to try to carry out business like this. Whatever they are, they are from God; whatever they possess, they receive from God, not themselves. To want to bargain with Christ is to know nothing of the truth. God doesn’t look for his own advantage; in all things He is detached and free; He does everything through love. And the person, who is united to God, does likewise. Through the grace of God, we are also detached and free in all our actions; we live for the honor of God alone and not for our own advantage…or rather, we fulfill our lives in God. So, if we want to be completely detached from a mercenary attitude in spiritual things, we must do everything for God’s praise, without asking anything in return. Then, God is present in our spiritual works…for all the world to see!

1st Reading: 1 Mac 6:1–13* … While King Antiochus was still in Persia, it was reported to him that the armies sent to Judea had been defeated. They told him that although Lysias had gone with a strong army, he had to flee before the Jews who had been strengthened with the weapons and the abundant booty taken from the neighboring armies. … When he received this news, he was terrified and deeply upset. … So he remained overcome by this terrible anguish for many days. He felt that he was dying, so he called his friends and said to them, “Sleep has fled from my eyes and I am greatly crushed by my anxieties. … Now I remember the evils I did in Jerusalem, the vessels of gold and silver that I stole, the inhabitants of Judea I ordered to be killed for no reason at all. I now know that because of this, these misfortunes have come upon me, and I am dying of grief in a strange land.”

saturday

November

33rd Week in Ordinary Time Presentation of Mary Psalter: Week 1

Ps 9:2–3, 4 and 6, 16 and 19 I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord.

Gospel: Lk 20:27–40* Some Sadducees arrived. These people claim that there is no resurrection and they asked Jesus this question, “Master, in the Scripture Moses told us: ‘If anyone dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife, and the child to be born will be regarded as the child of the deceased man.’ Now, there were seven brothers; the first married a wife, but he died without children; and the second and the third took the wife; in fact all seven died leaving no children. Last of all the woman died. On the day of the resurrection, to which of them will the woman be wife? For the seven had her as wife.” And Jesus replied, “Taking husband or wife is proper to people of this world, but for those who are considered worthy of the world to come and of resurrection from the dead, there is no more marriage. Besides, they cannot die for they are like the angels. They too are sons and daughters of God because they are born of the resurrection. “Yes, the dead will be raised, and even Moses implied it in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. For he is God of the living and not of the dead, and for him all are alive.” …

he only thing, in life or in death, that will not fail us is God. The secret to death is that we are to live life as God would have us live it and then trust that this same God, who loves us in life, will also love us in death. Through the work of Christ, we shall be brought through death to a new life with God. But that’s no secret; that’s the gospel. And we’ve already been told about it. But then, there are people who are so pained over losing a loved one that they seek any way possible to get in touch with them. It sounds like a good thing, at least on the surface of it. But this is still a way of avoiding truth. The answers to why something happened are found among the living, not the dead. We have to deal with the death of those we love by living a life which honors them—a life that shows where their love matters. If we are desperate to try to contact the dead, then we aren’t trusting God, but trusting someone who has done nothing in our lives to earn any trust.

1st Reading: Dn 7:13–14 I continued watching the nocturnal vision: One like a son of man came on the clouds of heaven. He faced the One of Great Age and was brought into his presence. Dominion, honor and kingship were given him, and all the peoples and nations of every language served him. His dominion is eternal and shall never pass away; his kingdom will never be destroyed. 2nd Reading: Rev 1:5–8 Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has washed away our sins with his own blood, making us a kingdom and priests for God his Father, to him be the glory and power for ever and ever. Amen. See he comes with the clouds and everyone will see him, even those who pierced him; on his account all the nations of the earth will beat his breast. Yes. It will be so. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, he who is, who was and who is to come: the Master of the universe. Gospel: Jn 18:33b–37 Pilate then entered the court again, called Jesus and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “Does this word come from you, or did you hear it from others?” Ps 93:1a, 1–2, 5 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty. and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingship does not come from this world. If I were king like those of this world, my guards would have fought to save me from being handed over to the Jews. But my kingship is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” And Jesus answered, “Just as you say, I am a king. For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth hears my voice.”

sunday

November

Solemnity of Christ the King Psalter: Proper

he crown our Lord would wear to express His kingship over all creation would not be made of silver or gold, but would be fashioned from thorn branches. No more proof would be needed to verify His words, “My kingship does not come from this world.” Jesus has no need to demonstrate his power before Pontius Pilate. He had already done so by performing countless miracles that would show His command of the elements and his compassion for the sick and suffering. By allowing Himself to suffer buffets and spitting and to carry His cross to Calvary Jesus makes manifest the greatest love the world has ever known. Even the Roman centurion would express the truth for which the Lord came into the world, “Surely, this is the Son of God.” If Jesus shows His kingship, His greatness through suffering, so do we make claim to His kingdom by embracing the way of life He proposes: to take up our cross every day and to follow in His footsteps.

23 November monday

34th Week in Ordinary Time Clement I / Columban Psalter: Week 2

Dn 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 Glory and praise for ever!

1st Reading: Dn 1:1–6, 8–20* … As Daniel was resolved not to make himself unclean with the king’s food or wine, he begged the chief eunuch to spare him this defilement. By the grace of God, the chief eunuch had been sympathetic to Daniel, but he was afraid of the king, and so he said, “If the king, who has allotted your food and drink, sees that you look more emaciated than the other young men of your age, he might think ill of me. It will put my life in danger to give in to your wish.” Daniel then turned to the steward whom the chief eunuch had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. “Please test your servants for ten days. Give us only vegetables to eat and water to drink, and see how we look in comparison with the young men who eat food from the king’s table. Then treat us in accordance with what you see.” The steward agreed and tested them for ten days, at the end of which they looked healthier and better fed than any of the young men who ate the king’s food. So the steward continued to give them vegetables instead of the choice food and wine. To these four youths God gave wisdom and proficiency in literature, and to Daniel the gift of interpreting visions and dreams. At the end of the period set by the king for the youths’ training, the chief eunuch presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them and found none to equal Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. … Gospel: Lk 21:1–4 Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasure box; he also saw a poor widow dropping in two small coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them. For all gave an offering from their plenty, but she, out of her poverty, gave all she had to live on.”

ven though Daniel was submissive to every other requirement laid on the young captives, he drew the line at eating and drinking from the king’s food or wine. Daniel’s objection to the diet was based on an explicit prohibition in the word of God. His chief fear of the king’s food and drink was that they would defile him. He knew that intoxicating wine is defiling both in its moral and physical effects. Daniel also knew very well that the conclusion of his course of action might be death. We see how courageous he was. He was no addled-headed adolescent. He was a young prince with the heart of a lion. We see why God was so pleased with him. If we go through life, with our eyes open to moral questions, we will be careful about what practices we adopt. Scripture is silent concerning many modern vices, because they did not exist in Biblical times. But they are certainly inconsistent with moral principles, based on scripture. His decision is even more remarkable when we consider that he made it all alone. He had no prodding from parents or pastors. How many young people today would have stood with Daniel?

1st Reading: Dn 2:31–45* In your vision you saw a statue—very large, very bright, terrible to look at. Its head was of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. As you watched, a rock cut from a mountain but not by human hands, struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, smashing them. All at once the iron, clay, bronze, silver and gold crumbled into pieces as fine as chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind swept them off and not a trace was left. But the rock that struck the statue became a great mountain that filled the whole earth. That was the dream. … The great God has shown the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation reliable.”

tuesday

November

34th Week in Ordinary Time Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions Psalter: Week 2

Dn 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61 Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Gospel: Lk 21:5–11 While some people were talking about the Temple, remarking that it was adorned with fine stonework and rich gifts, Jesus said to them, “The days will come when there shall not be left one stone upon another of all that you now admire; all will be torn down.” And they asked him, “Master, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” Jesus then said, “Take care not to be deceived, for many will come claiming my title and saying: ‘I am he, the Messiah; the time is at hand.’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and troubled times, don’t be frightened; for all this must happen first, even though the end is not so soon.” And Jesus said, “Nations will fight each other and kingdom will oppose kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and plagues; in many places strange and terrifying signs from heaven will be seen.”

his king’s dream in the Book of Daniel represented the kingdoms of the earth, that would successively rule the nations and influence the affairs of the Jewish people. The head of gold signified the Chaldean empire, then in existence. The breast and arms of silver signified the empire of the Medes and Persians. The belly and thighs of brass signified the Grecian empire, founded by Alexander. The legs and feet of iron signified the Roman empire. The Roman empire branched into ten kingdoms, just like the ten toes of the feet. Some were weak as clay; others strong as iron. The stone cut without hands represented the kingdom of God, which should be set up in the world, upon the ruins of Satan’s kingdom. This was the stone the builders refused, because it was not cut out by their hands; but, it became the cornerstone…Christ! Christ shall reign, not only to the end of time, but when time and days are no more. As far as world events have gone, the fulfillment of this prophetic vision has been most exact and undeniable; future ages will witness this stone, destroying Satan’s image and filling the whole earth with love and hope!

25 November wednesday

34th Week in Ordinary Time Catherine of Alexandria Psalter: Week 2

Dn 3:62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67 Give glory and eternal praise to him.

1st Reading: Dn 5:1–6, 13–14, 16–17, 23–28* … Daniel was brought in and questioned by the king, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father brought from Judah? I have heard that you have the spirit of the gods, that you have insight and extraordinary wisdom. I have heard that you can interpret dreams and solve problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple, wear a gold chain around your neck, and be appointed third in rank in my kingdom.” Daniel replied, … You have defied the Lord of heaven. You had the vessels from his temple brought to you, and together with your nobles, your wives and concubines, you drank wine from them. You praised the idols made of silver and gold, of bronze, iron and stones, which neither see, nor hear, nor understand; but you never glorified God who has power over your life and all your fortunes. So he sent the hand that wrote the inscription which read MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. And these words mean: MENE, God has numbered the days of your reign and put an end to it; TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; PARSIN, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.” Gospel: Lk 21:12–19 Jesus said to his disciples, “People will lay their hands on you and persecute you; you will be delivered to the Jewish courts and put in prison, and for my sake you will be brought before kings and governors. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. “So keep this in mind: do not worry in advance about what to answer, for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. “You will be betrayed even by parents, and brothers, by relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death. But even though you are hated by all for my name’s sake, not a hair of your head will perish. Through perseverance you will possess your own selves.

oday, we learn the origin of the saying: the writing on the wall! The writing on the wall is an expression that suggests a portent of doom or misfortune. To attribute to someone the ability to ‘read the writing on the wall’ has come to signify the ability to foresee…not necessarily supernaturally…an inevitable decline and end. On the night the mighty Babylon fell to the Persians, writing appeared on the palace wall, written with the finger of God. The wicked king and his astrologers were baffled. They could not read nor interpret what the writing meant! Then the terrified king called for Daniel the prophet. By the light of a candlestick, Daniel both decoded and interpreted the writing. It foretold the immediate end of Babylon and her king. On that same night the king of Babylon was slain by the Persian conquers; a new era was born. The writing on the wall is comparable to the greatest writing of all: the Bible. Like the writing on the wall, some things in the Bible are hard to understand, apart from God’s help. Only by the light of the candlestick, that is by the Spirit of God, can we understand its mysteries.

1st Reading: Dn 6:12–28* … The king, therefore, could not help giving the order that Daniel be brought and thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve faithfully, save you.” … Very early next morning, the king rose and hurried to the lions’ den. As he came near he called in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, did your God whom you serve faithfully save you from the lions?” Daniel answered, “Live forever, O king! My God sent his angel who closed the lions’ mouths so that they did not hurt me. God did that because I am innocent in his sight. Neither have I wronged you, O king.” The king felt very glad and ordered Daniel released from the lions’ den. … King Darius wrote to the nations, … “Peace to you all! I decree that throughout my kingdom people should reverence and fear the God of Daniel. …

thursday

November

34th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Dn 3:68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74 Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Gospel: Lk 21:20–28 Jesus said to his disciples, “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you must know that the time has come when it will be reduced to a wasteland. Then, if you are in Judea, flee to the mountains; if you are in the city, leave it; and let those who are in the fields not return to the city. “For these will be the days of its punishment and all that was announced in the Scripture will be fulfilled. How hard will it be for pregnant women and for mothers with babies at the breast! For a great calamity will come upon the land, and divine justice upon this people. They will be put to death by the sword or taken as slaves to other nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled upon by the pagans until the time of the pagans is fulfilled. “Then there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of perplexed nations when they hear the roaring of the sea and its waves. People will faint with fear at the mere thought of what is to come upon the world, for the forces of the universe will be shaken. And at this time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. “Now, when you see the first events, stand erect and lift up your heads, for your deliverance is drawing near.”

he great miracle in the story of Daniel in the lion’s den is that he continued to pray. If we, the people of God, stop praying then no lions will threaten us. The mark of true faith is that we keep praying. It shows that we believe in God more than the world. When it is pitch black all you need is one single light and then darkness no longer prevails. The destiny of the Jews, exiled in Babylon, was decided by Daniel’s prayer. The great battle took place there, with Daniel praying to God. Daniel prayed three times a day. If each one of us prayed as often as he prayed then, we would have prayed more than a thousand times. That will not be easy. Prayer is inconvenient, because there is always something else to do and many things to hinder us. In prayer, there are routine clichés that have to be killed, pious mumbles and rhythms to break down. Yet, prayer is the essential breathing of the soul; without it our soul dies. In prayer we articulate our faith and live it out. Let us pray!

27 November friday

34th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Dn 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81 Give glory and eternal praise to him.

1st Reading: Dn 7:2–14* … I looked and saw the following: Some thrones were set in place and One of Great Age took his seat. His robe was white as snow, his hair white as washed wool. His throne was flames of fire with wheels of blazing fire. A river of fire sprang forth and flowed before him. Thousands upon thousands served him and a countless multitude stood before him. Those in the tribunal took their seats and opened the book. But as I remembered the haughty words of the horn with human eyes and mouth which I had seen before, this animal was killed before my eyes, and its body destroyed and cast into the fire. Dominion was taken from the other animals, though they were allowed to stay alive for a time, until the fixed time. I continued watching the nocturnal vision: One like a son of man came on the clouds of heaven. He faced the One of Great Age and was brought into his presence. Dominion, honor and kingship were given him, and all the peoples and nations of every language served him. His dominion is eternal and shall never pass away; his kingdom will never be destroyed. Gospel: Lk 21:29–33 Jesus told his disciples this comparison, “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. As soon as their buds sprout, you know that summer is already near. In the same way, as soon as you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all this has happened: heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

he vision contained in today’s reading from the Book of Daniel is reminiscent of other apocalyptic passages, found in the Bible. The agitated sea, represented the earth and its dwellers, troubled by ambitious warmongers. New Testament predictions of the judgment to come allude to this vision, especially the Book of Revelation. The four beasts signified the four empires of Babylon, Persia, Greece and pre-Christian Rome, and the hateful features of their leaders. But, the dominion given to each has a limit; they shall be made to praise God and be restrained by Him. These verses are for the comfort and support of the people of God, in reference to the persecutions that could come upon them. The great event, foretold in this passage, is Christ’s glorious coming, to destroy every anti-Christian power and to usher in His kingdom upon earth. Before the solemn time arrives, in manifesting the glory of God to all the world and His creatures, we may expect that the fate of each of us will be determined at the hour of our death; and before the end comes, God will openly give to His incarnate Son the inheritance of the nations as His willing subjects.

1st Reading: Dn 7:15–27* I, Daniel, was deeply troubled, since these visions terrified me. I approached one of those who were standing there, and asked him to tell me what all this meant. He answered me and gave me the interpretation of these things: These four beasts are four kings who will rise from the earth. But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom to possess it eternally, forever and ever.’ Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, different from the others, extraordinarily terrifying, with iron teeth and bronze claws, that ate, tore into pieces and crushed underfoot whatever remained. I also wanted to know about the ten horns it had on its head, and about the other horn which had sprung up, and the three first horns that fell, and about this horn with eyes and a mouth that spoke with arrogance, and that looked greater than the other horns. … Then I was told: The fourth animal shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, different from all the kingdoms. It will devour the earth, crush it and destroy it. The ten horns are ten kings who shall rise from this kingdom. Another one will rise up after them and destroy three kings. This king shall insult the Most High and persecute the holy ones of the Most High. … But judgment will come and dominion will be taken from him; he shall be destroyed and utterly wiped out. The kingship, dominion and leadership of all the kingdoms of the world shall be given to the people of the holy ones of God Most High: his kingdom will be without end. …

saturday

November

34th Week in Ordinary Time Psalter: Week 2

Dn 3:82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87 Give glory and eternal praise to him.

Gospel: Lk 21:34–36 Jesus said to his disciples: “Be on your guard; let not your hearts be weighed down with a life of pleasure, drunkenness and worldly cares, lest that day catch you suddenly as a trap. For it will come upon all the inhabitants of the whole earth. But watch at all times and pray, that you may be able to escape all that is bound to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”

he prophets of the Old Testament dwelt upon the thought that God is the supreme king and that, by Him alone, all other kings rule. This same thought of God’s ultimate rule over His people is brought into clearer relief, until it culminates in the prophecy of Daniel, to which the thoughts of Christ’s hearers turn, when they hear Him speak of His kingdom. In that vision, the ruling power over all the forces of evil is given to the Son of Man. In the New Testament, the advent of this kingdom has the one theme: do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. At every stage in Christ’s teaching, the advent of this kingdom, its various aspects, its precise meaning and the way in which it is to be attained, form the staple of His discourses; so much so that His discourse is called “the gospel of the kingdom”. In the mouth of Christ the kingdom is not so much a goal or a place to be attained; it is rather a state of mind; it stands for an influence which must permeate our minds, if we would be one with Christ and aspire to His ideals.

1st Reading: Jer 33:14–16 The Lord says, “The days are coming when I shall fulfill the promise that I made in favor of Israel and Judah. “In those days and at that time I will cause to sprout the shoot of righteousness from David’s line; he will practice justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will experience salvation and Jerusalem will live in safety. He will be called Yahweh-Our-Righteousness.” 2nd Reading: 1 Thes 3:12—4:2 May the Lord increase more and more your love for each other and for all people, as he increases our love for you. May he strengthen you internally to be holy and blameless before God, our Father, on the day that Jesus, our Lord, will come with all his saints. For the rest, brothers, we ask you in the name of Jesus, the Lord, and we urge you to live in a way that pleases God, just as you have learned from us. This you do, but try to do still more. You know the instructions we gave you on behalf of the Lord Jesus.

Ps 25:4–5, 8–9, 10, 14 To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

Gospel: Lk 21:25–28, 34–36 Jesus said, “Then there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of perplexed nations when they hear the roaring of the sea and its waves. People will faint with fear at the mere thought of what is to come upon the world, for the forces of the universe will be shaken. And at this time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. “Now, when you see the first events, stand erect and lift up your heads, for your deliverance is drawing near.” “Be on your guard; let not your hearts be weighed down with a life of pleasure, drunkenness and worldly cares, lest that day catch you suddenly as a trap. For it will come upon all the inhabitants of the whole earth. But watch at all times and pray, that you may be able to escape all that is bound to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”

sunday

November

1st Sunday of Advent Psalter: Week 1

30 November monday

Andrew, apostle Psalter: Proper

Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11 The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

1st Reading: Rom 10:9–18 You are saved if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart you believe that God raised him from the dead. By believing from the heart, you obtain true righteousness; by confessing the faith with your lips you are saved. For Scripture says: No one who believes in him will be ashamed. Here there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; all have the same Lord, who is very generous with whoever calls on him. Truly, all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call upon the name of the Lord without having believed in him? And how can they believe in him without having first heard about him? And how will they hear about him if no one preaches about him? And how will they preach about him if no one sends them? As Scripture says: How beautiful are the feet of the messenger of good news. Although not everyone obeyed the good news, as Isaiah said: Lord, who has believed in our preaching? So, faith comes from preaching, and preaching is rooted in the word of Christ. I ask: Have the Jews not heard? But of course they have. Because the voice of those preaching resounded all over the earth and their voice was heard to the ends of the world. Gospel: Mt 4:18–22 As Jesus walked by the lake of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. He went on from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them. At once they left the boat and their father and followed him.

ews do not have priority in righteousness or merit. Nor do gentiles. We are all on the same footing. That is one of the main points of Paul’s letter to the Romans. The Jews do not have priority in how they are saved. They are saved in exactly the way gentiles are. Both are saved by faith in Christ, not in any ethnic or religious distinctions. The Jews don’t have priority in participation in God’s covenant blessings. Gentiles are now full partners in the blessings of salvation. Gentiles are full fellow heirs of all the promises of God. To the gentiles, Paul says: salvation is of the Jews. You are not saved by your Greek culture, or by any other culture. You are saved by a salvation that comes through the despised Semitic people, called the Jews. We gentiles are saved by becoming spiritual Jews. This should humble us and strip us of any arrogance in any presumed ethnic superiority. It should also vanquish anti-Semitism. The whole point is that God is the one, who has mercy. Ethnicity is not decisive here. We are all sinners. So the gospel is the power of God to everyone who believes in Him!

1st Reading: Is 11:1–10* From the stump of Jesse a shoot will come forth; from his roots a branch will grow and bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him— a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and power, a Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord. Not by appearances will he judge, nor by what is said must he decide, but with justice he will judge the poor and with righteousness decide for the meek. … The wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will rest beside the kid, the calf and the lion cub will feed together and a little child will lead them. … The child will put his hand into the viper’s lair. No one will harm or destroy over my holy mountain, for as water fills the sea the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. On that day the “Root of Jesse” will be raised as a signal for the nations. The people will come in search of him, thus making his dwelling place glorious.

tuesday

December

1st Week of Advent Psalter: Week 1

Ps 72:1–2, 7–8, 12–13, 17 Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Gospel: Lk 10:21–24 Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and made them known to the little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. I have been given all things by my Father, so that no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and he to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said to them privately, “Fortunate are you to see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings would have liked to see what you see but did not, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

lthough the phrase, the lion shall lie down with the lamb, is one of the more popular quotes from the Bible, it’s really misquoted. In the King James version, it’s the wolf that will dwell with the lamb, and it’s the leopard that will rest beside the kid, while the calf and the lion cub will feed together. But, no matter how we interpret it all, the most remarkable part of this prophecy in Isaiah is the amazing prediction that a little child will lead them! There has always been a tendency to overlook the significance of the child Jesus, finding its way into commentaries on his ministry and teaching. The centrality of childhood, in understanding and entering Christ’s kingdom, has been overlooked or marginalized. We haven’t seen children as signs of the kingdom. Our Christian brothers and sisters must start to see that the parent-child relationship is at its most pervasive, when it describes God’s love for each and every person. Christ taught us to pray: Our Father! As Christians, we have been born again and have become like children. This process deeply interweaves us into the incarnation: the child Christ is in us and we are in Him!

02 December wednesday

1st Week of Advent Psalter: Week 1

Ps 23:1–3a, 3b–4, 5, 6 I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

1st Reading: Is 25:6–10a On this mountain Yahweh Sabaoth will prepare for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, meat full of marrow, fine wine strained. On this mountain he will destroy the pall cast over all peoples, this very shroud spread over all nations, and death will be no more. The Lord Yahweh will wipe away the tears from all cheeks and eyes; he will take away the humiliation of his people all over the world: for Yahweh has spoken. On that day you will say: This is our God. We have waited for him to save us, let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation. For on this mountain the hand of Yahweh rests. Moab instead will be trodden down, as straw trodden down on a dunghill. Gospel: Mt 15:29–37 Jesus went to the shore of Lake Galilee, and then went up into the hills where he sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the dumb, the blind, the lame, the crippled, and many with other infirmities. The people carried them to the feet of Jesus, and he healed them. All were astonished when they saw the dumb speaking, the lame walking, the crippled healed and the blind able to see; so they glorified the God of Israel. Jesus called his disciples and said to them, “I am filled with compassion for these people; they have already followed me for three days and now have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away fasting, or they may faint on the way.” His disciples said to him, “And where shall we find enough bread in this wilderness to feed such a crowd?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They answered, “Seven, and a few small fish.” So Jesus ordered the people to sit on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the small fish and gave thanks to God. He broke them and gave them to his disciples, who distributed them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the leftover broken pieces filled seven wicker baskets.

henever we read today’s verse…This is our God. We have waited for him to save us; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!…we receive the power to comfort our heart so much and thrill our soul. There are many things we can run after in our search for pleasure in this world; but the things of this world never truly satisfy. The pleasure is fleeting, the consequences are devastating, and we end up hating what we may have thought we loved. However, the love of God is so much greater than anything the world could ever offer. God’s mercy is certainly something worth being glad about. God knows our souls in the adversities we go through in life. We are never alone or left by ourselves; God is always there. He sees us, considers what we are going through, and truly cares for us. When we call upon Him and then listen for Him with our heart, He answers and shows us great and mighty things, which we didn’t know, or didn’t realize the value of, before. So yes, let’s be glad and rejoice, because God is working on our behalf!

1st Reading: Is 26:1–6 On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city, he himself has set up walls and fortifications to protect us. Open the gates! Let the righteous nation enter, she who is firm in faithfulness. You keep in perfect peace the one of steadfast mind, the one who trusts in you. Trust in Yahweh forever, for Yahweh is an everlasting Rock. He brought down those who dwell on high, he laid low the lofty city, he razed it to the ground, leveled it to the dust, Now it is trampled the poor and the lowly tread upon it.

thursday

December

1st Week of Advent Francis Xavier Psalter: Week 1

Ps 118:1 and 8–9, 19–21, 25–27a Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Gospel: Mt 7:21, 24–27 Jesus said to his disciples, “Not everyone who says to me: Lord! Lord! will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my heavenly Father. “So, then, anyone who hears these words of mine and acts accordingly is like a wise man, who built his house on rock. The rain poured, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew and struck that house, but it did not collapse because it was built on rock. But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not act accordingly, is like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain poured, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew and struck that house; it collapsed, and what a terrible fall that was!”

ossibly we have watched a child, who is afraid of the water, jump off the side of the pool into the arms of a loving parent. What causes that child to jump? It is trust in the parent. Why does the child trust the parent? The parent has shown, through love, that he or she will not let anything bad happen to the child. We should have that child-like faith in God. It is not a blind, leave-your-brainat-the-door type of trust or faith. God doesn’t want us to check our brains at the door. He has given us plenty of proof, not only of His existence, but also of the truth of His word. Do we trust God with the big things, like our eternal home, but not trust Him in the little things, like our jobs and our finances? We must trust God in the little things as well as the big things. Do we believe that God cares enough about us to look after those things as well? God has shown so much of His love for us, that it is only reasonable to trust that He will take care of the little things in our lives.

04 December friday

1st Week of Advent John of Damascus Psalter: Week 1

Ps 27:1, 4, 13–14 The Lord is my light and my salvation.

1st Reading: Is 29:17–24* … On that day the deaf will hear the words of the book, and out of the dark and obscurity the eyes of the blind will see. The meek will find joy and the poor among men will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. For the tyrant will be no more and the scoffers gone forever, and all who plan to do evil will be cut down— those who by a word make a you guilty, those who for a bribe can lay a snare and send home the just empty-handed. Therefore Yahweh, Abraham’s redeemer, speaks concerning the people of Jacob: No longer will Jacob be ashamed; no longer will his face grow pale. When he sees the work of my hands, his children again in his midst, they will sanctify my name, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and stand in awe of the God of Israel. Those who err in spirit will understand; those who murmur will learn. Gospel: Mt 9:27–31 As Jesus moved on from Capernaum, two blind men followed him, shouting, “Son of David, help us!” When he was about to enter the house, the blind men caught up with him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do what you want?” They answered, “Yes, sir!” Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, “As you have believed, so let it be.” And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus gave them a stern warning, “Be careful and let no one know about this.” But as soon as they went away, they spread the news about him through the whole area.

e know we’re safe in the arms of God; we just have to believe it. As Christians we often fall prey to senseless fears. We tend to worry and fret over things which we cannot control. We’re very aware that God is with us; yet we have difficulty turning over our fears to Him. For some reason, we find it necessary to cling to the things that Christ says to release; we want to handle them ourselves. Christ said it plainly: “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Just believe! It’s easy for us to insist that we trust God completely when, in fact, we fail Him by not fully believing in Him. We know God will care for us, however, we fail to believe what we know. When fear attacks us, whether it be health issues, children or anything else, we should remember what Christ said: “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” We should always keep these words close to our heart: God of all strength and wisdom, help us to believe what we know to be true…that is you, our loving God!

1st Reading: Is 30:19–21, 23–26 O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. When you cry, he will listen; when he hears, he will answer. When the Lord has given you the bread of anguish and the water of distress, he, your teacher will hide no longer. Your own eyes will see him, and your ear will listen to his words behind you: “This is the way, walk in it.” He will then give rain for the seed you sow and make the harvest abundant from the crops you grow. On that day your cattle will graze in wide pastures. Your beasts of burden will eat silage tossed to them with pitchfork and shovel. For on the day of the great slaughter, when fortresses fall, streams of water will flow on every mountain and lofty hill. The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun seven times greater, like the light of seven days, when Yahweh binds up the wounds of his people and heals the bruises inflicted by his blows.

saturday

December

1st Week of Advent Psalter: Week 1

Ps 147:1–2, 3–4, 5–6 Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

Gospel: Mt 9:35—10:1, 5a, 6–8 Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, and he cured every sickness and disease. When he saw the crowds he was moved with pity, for they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the workers are only few. Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest.” Then he called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over the unclean spirits to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness. Jesus sent these twelve on mission with the instruction: “Do not visit pagan territory and do not enter a Samaritan town. Go instead to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. “Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. You received this as a gift, so give it as a gift.”

famine of food is not as great as a famine of the word of God. There are right-handed and lefthanded errors, while the devil is busy courting us into by-paths, away from the way to God. But, to all true penitents, sin becomes very distasteful. This is shown in the conversion of souls, by the power of divine grace. The effect of this brings comfort and joy to the people of God. Light, that is, knowledge, shall increase. This is the light which the gospel brought into the world, and which proclaims healing to the broken-hearted. Obedience is the pathway to God’s blessings upon us. Let’s hope we don’t plug our ears to God and walk down the wrong path, thereby missing His blessings. When we walk in the way of God, we experience the joy of being used as God’s instrument and the quiet joy and contentment that settles in on us. We must always strive to put our egos aside and follow God’s promptings. Words will not explain the ecstasy that will fill our hearts, when we allow God to use us in bringing joy to others.

1st Reading: Bar 5:1–9 Jerusalem, put off your garment of mourning and unhappiness, put on the splendor and glory of God forever. Wrap yourself in the mantle of holiness that comes from God, put on your head the crown of glory of the Eternal One. For God will show your splendor to every being under Heaven. He will call your name forever, “Peace in Justice” and “Glory in the Fear of the Lord.” Rise up, Jerusalem, stand on the heights. Look towards the East and see your children gathered together from the setting of the sun to its rising, by the voice of the Holy One, rejoicing because God has remembered them. They left you on foot, taken away by the enemy. God will lead them back, carried gloriously like royal princes. For God has resolved to bring low every high mountain and the everlasting hills, to fill up the valleys and level out the ground, in order that Israel may walk in safety under the Glory of God. Even the forests and the fragrant trees will give shade to Israel at God’s command. For God will lead Israel with joy by the light of his Glory, Ps 126:1–2, 2–3, 4–5, 6 escorting them with his mercy and justice. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. 2nd Reading: Phil 1:4–6, 8–11 When I pray for you, I pray with joy. I cannot forget all you shared with me in the service of the Gospel, from the first day until now. Since God began such a good work in you, I am certain that he will complete it in the day of Christ Jesus. God knows that I love you dearly with the love of Christ Jesus, and in my prayers I ask that your love may lead you each day to a deeper knowledge and clearer discernment, that you may have good criteria for everything. So you may be pure of heart and come blameless to the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of holiness that comes through Christ Jesus, for the glory and praise of God.

Gospel: Lk 3:1–6 It was the fifteenth year of the rule of the Emperor Tiberius; Pontius Pilatus was governor of Judea; Herod ruled over Galilee, his brother Philip ruled over the country of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias over Abilene. Annas and Caiaphas were the High Priests at that time when the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah in the desert. John proclaimed a baptism for repentant people to obtain forgiveness of sins and he went through the whole country bordering the Jordan River. It was just as is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah: listen to this voice crying out in the desert: prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight. The valleys will be filled and the mountains and hills made low. Everything crooked will be made straight and the rough paths smooth; and every mortal will see the salvation of God.

sunday

December

2nd Sunday of Advent Psalter: Week 2

he season of Advent calls us to conversion of mind and heart so that we might be more open to the presence of the Lord in our lives. We are encouraged to turn away from sin and to leave behind anything in our lives that is contrary to the Gospel. Then are we truly free to embrace the Lord and to put our faith into action. We are often kept from doing what is good, honorable and holy by stumbling blocks of our own making. Habits of selfishness keep us from recognizing the needs of the poor and less fortunate. Indulging ourselves in the culture of hedonism prevents us from experiencing true love and all of the fidelity, commitment and sacrifice that it requires. “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight,” John the Baptist cries. He speaks not only to the people of his day who gathered around him. He speaks to us and invites us to change our ways so that our hearts will be open to the presence of the Lord in our everyday living.

07 December monday

2nd Week of Advent Ambrose Psalter: Week 2

Ps 85:9ab and 10, 11–12, 13–14 Our God will come to save us!

1st Reading: Is 35:1–10* … They, my people, see the glory of Yahweh, the majesty of our God. Give vigor to weary hands and strength to enfeebled knees. Say to those who are afraid: “Have courage, do not fear. See, your God comes, demanding justice. He is the God who rewards, the God who comes to save you.” Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unsealed. Then will the lame leap as a hart and the tongue of the dumb sing and shout. … There will be a highway which will be called The Way of Holiness; no one unclean will pass over it nor any wicked fool stray there. … Only the redeemed will walk there. For the ransomed of Yahweh will return: with everlasting joy upon their heads, they will come to Zion singing, gladness and joy marching with them, while sorrow and sighing flee away. Gospel: Lk 5:17–26 One day Jesus was teaching and many Pharisees and teachers of the Law had come from every part of Galilee and Judea and even from Jerusalem. They were sitting there while the power of the Lord was at work to heal the sick. Then some men brought a paralyzed man who lay on his mat. They tried to enter the house to place him before Jesus, but they couldn’t find a way through the crowd. So they went up on the roof and, removing the tiles, they lowered him on his mat into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “My friend, your sins are forgiven.” At once the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to wonder, “This man insults God! Who can forgive sins but only God? But Jesus knew their thoughts and asked them, “Why are you reacting like this? Which is easier to say: ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or: ‘Get up and walk’? Now you shall know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” And Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” At once the man stood before them. He took up the mat he had been lying on and went home praising God. Amazement seized the people and they praised God. They were filled with a holy fear and said, “What wonderful things we have seen today!”

oday, we get the chance to pray for people, who have yet to believe in God with all their hearts. Some believe in God provisionally, but hesitate to trust Him fully. Their hearts are fearful that nothing will really ever change. For them, God is still on probation. As time passes without dramatic changes, expectations gradually tend to fade. Let’s pray that they receive the courage and strength of heart, they will need to trust God fully. Let’s pray that God will strengthen them to do what they must do. Strength for weak hands to hang on to hope? Let’s ask God to give them gripping power. Imagine them holding on to hope, the lifeline to their future and Christ is the power pulling them up. Boldness for wobbly knees to move forward towards God’s call? Let’s ask God to fortify their readiness to make the decisions they’ll need to answer Christ’s summons and follow Him.

1st Reading: Gen 3:9–15, 20* Yahweh God called the man saying to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree I ordered you not to eat?” The man answered, “The woman you put with me gave me fruit from the tree and I ate it.” God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me and I ate.” Yahweh God said to the serpent, “Since you have done that, you will eat dust all the days of your life. I will make you enemies, you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head and you will strike his heel.” The man called his wife by the name of Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.

tuesday

December

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Psalter: Proper

Ps 98:1, 2–3ab, 3cd–4 Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

2nd Reading: Eph 1:3–6, 11–12 Gospel: Lk 1:26–38 The angel Gabriel came to Mary and said, “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean. But the angel said, “Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you. You shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call him Jesus. He will be great and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the kingdom of David, his ancestor; he will rule over the people of Jacob forever and his reign shall have no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be if I am a virgin?” And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the holy child to be born shall be called Son of God. Even your relative Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child, and she is now in her sixth month. With God nothing is impossible.” Then Mary said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.

n the constitution, Ineffabilis Deus, of 8 December 1854, Pope Pius IX pronounced that the Blessed Virgin Mary, “in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin.” The Blessed Virgin Mary lived her life in the state, in which Adam and Eve lived before their sin. She was as capable of sin as they were. Her life, like ours, was a series of choices between good and bad, self and other, God’s will and her own. Her glory, for which generations will call her blessed, is that in every instance she said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said.” We should not imagine that Mary had an easier time with temptation than we do. The Blessed Virgin Mary, apart from her Son, is the only one who really knew humility, since it was she who, in every instance, chose obedience, who let God’s will trump her own, who refused to be duped into trusting in her own resources. Hail Mary!

09 December wednesday

2nd Week of Advent Juan Diego Psalter: Week 2

Ps 103:1–2, 3–4, 8 and 10 O bless the Lord, my soul!

1st Reading: Is 40:25–31 To whom, then, will you liken me or make me equal? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and see: who has created all this? He has ordered them as a starry host and called them each by name. So mighty is his power, so great his strength, that not one of them is missing. How can you say, O Jacob, how can you complain, O Israel, that your destiny is hidden from me, that your rights are ignored by Yah-weh? Have you not known, have you not heard that Yahweh is an everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth? He does not grow tired or weary, his knowledge is without limit. He gives strength to the enfeebled, he gives vigor to the wearied. Youth may grow tired and faint, young men will stumble and fall, but those who hope in Yahweh will renew their strength. They will soar as with eagle’s wings; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and never tire. Gospel: Mt 11:28–30 Jesus said to the crowds: “Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my burden is light.”

oung people don’t generally realize that their strong energy levels will diminish. They tend to think that they will always feel as good as they do now and always look as good as they do now. But, the reality of growing older, and a mark of maturity, is that we face life squarely as it is. We all grow weary and when we do we can become susceptible to despair and depression. It’s easy to be negative and critical when we’re weary. We become like the man, who had both an identity crisis and energy crisis. He didn’t know who he was, but was too tired to find out. However, we have received God’s promise that…those who hope in Yahweh will renew their strength. The idea is that as we draw near to God and trust in Him, He imparts to us His strength. What we need is new strength and that’s exactly the promise that’s made to us. When we hope in God, we tie ourselves to Him and receive His strength. So, when it says that God will renew our strength, it means that we will exchange our strength for His. What an exchange it is!

1st Reading: Is 41:13–20 For I, Yahweh, your God, take hold of your right hand and say to you: “Fear not, I am your assistance.” Fear not, Jacob, poor worm, and you, people of Israel, so frail. I am your redeemer, says Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, your helper. I will make you a thresher, new and with sharp double teeth: you will thresh hills and mountains, crushing them and reducing them to chaff. You will winnow them, the wind will carry them off and the storm will scatter them. But you will rejoice in Yahweh and glory in the Holy One of Israel. The poor and the afflicted seek water, and find none. Their tongues are parched with thirst. But I, Yahweh, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open up streams over the barren heights and let the rivers flow through all the valleys; I will turn the desert into lakes and brooks and the thirsty earth into a land of springs. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle and the olive; I will plant in the wasteland fir, cypress and pine— that all may see and know, consider and understand, that the hand of Yahweh has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

thursday

December

2nd Week of Advent Psalter: Week 2

Ps 145:1 and 9, 10–11, 12–13ab The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.

Gospel: Mt 11:11–15 Jesus said to the crowds, “No one greater than John the Baptist has come forward among the sons of women, and yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is something to be conquered and the unyielding seize it. “Up to the time of John, there was only prophesy: all the prophets and the Law; and if you believe me, John is this Elijah, whose coming was predicted. Let anyone with ears listen!”

ear binds multitudes of Christians: it is estimated that eighty percent of Christians, today, are oppressed by a spirit of fear. We need a knowledge of God, if we are to be delivered from the spirit of fear. Fear stops people from using their spiritual gifts. The fear of rejection hinders people from beginning wonderful relationships. The fear of failure holds many back from beginning wonderful enterprises. The fear of death paralyzes and torments many. If we are aware of Christ’s presence within us, we really can’t be overcomed by fear. Fear cannot control us. Ultimately, it must be driven out in all its forms. We’ve seen before how perfect love drives out fear; but where does this perfect love come from? One thing to be sure of: it doesn’t come from ourselves. This perfect love comes from God. God is love, and that love drives out the spirit of fear. If we daily make more room for God in our lives, if we make room for Him through prayer and meditation and thanking God in life and death, then fear will find no place inside our hearts.

11 December friday

2nd Week of Advent Damasus I Psalter: Week 2

Ps 1:1–2, 3, 4 and 6 Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

1st Reading: Is 48:17–19 Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, Yahweh, your God, teach you what is best for you; I lead you in the way that you must go. Had you paid attention to my commandments, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Your descendants would have been like the sand, and those born of your stock like its grains, their names never cut off nor blotted out from my presence. Gospel: Mt 11:16–19 Jesus said to the crowds, “Now, to what can I compare the people of this day? They are like children sitting in the marketplace, about whom their companions complain: ‘We played the flute for you but you would not dance. We sang a funeral song but you would not cry!’ “For John came fasting and people said: ‘He is possessed.’ Then the Son of Man came, he ate and drank, and people said: ‘Look at this man! A glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet the outcome will prove Wisdom to be right.”

f there is one lesson that all leaders learn, it is that they cannot please everyone. The most important person for any of us to please is God. When God calls us to a particular mission, He wants us to be faithful to His calling. At times, that means us taking an unpopular route. Often, when we do things based on human respect, we end up becoming unhappy, because we don’t please God and we don’t feel fulfilled. Fulfilment comes when we live a life according to the purpose, for which we were made. God has designed us all with a purpose, a specific mission in life, and has given us the innate desire and the gifts needed to fulfil this mission. When we choose to ignore the longing of our hearts to do God’s will, we choose to ignore the path that brings us fulfillment, the path that brings us happiness. If we want to be happy in this life, then we have to do what God tells us, travel the road that He shows us, because only He, who designed us, knows why He designed us. Let’s take God’s route, even if it means taking the unpopular choice.

1st Reading: Zec 2:14–17 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for I am about to come, I shall dwell among you,” says Yahweh. “On that day, many nations will join Yahweh and be my people, but my dwelling is among you.” The people of Judah will be for Yahweh as his portion in his holy land. He will choose Jerusalem again. Keep still in Yahweh’s presence, for he comes, having risen from his holy dwelling.”

saturday

December

Our Lady of Guadalupe Psalter: Week 2

Jdt 13:18bcde, 19 You are the highest honor of our race.

Gospel: Lk 1:39–47 Mary then set out for a town in the Hills of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit, and giving a loud cry, said, “You are most blessed among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you who believed that the Lord’s word would come true!” And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God my savior!

et’s look briefly at what Mary says in her praise to God. There are three distinct sections in the Magnificat. Firstly, there is Mary’s expression of what she feels in her heart, namely joy. Secondly, she mentions what God has done specifically for her as an individual: He has regarded her lowliness and done great things for her, thus bestowing upon her an enduring reputation for blessedness. And thirdly, she spends most of the time describing the character of God and why she has rejoiced in her own lowliness. It is clear from Mary’s words that God is not partial to the rich, the powerful or the proud. Mary’s spiritual beauty reaches its emotional peak in the first part of her song, where she responds from the heart to all God did for her: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God my savior!” A mouth magnifies God by speaking His praises, but no one hears a soul. No one but God! Here, Mary is not verbalizing a silent prayer. At this moment, her heart and soul feel the greatness and holiness and mercy of God. And the feeling is resoundingly one of joy!

1st Reading: Zeph 3:14–18a Cry out with joy, O daughter of Zion; rejoice, O people of Israel! Sing joyfully with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! Yahweh has lifted your sentence and has driven your enemies away. Yahweh, the King of Israel is with you; do not fear any misfortune. On that day they will say to Jerusalem: Do not be afraid nor let your hands tremble, for Yahweh your God is within you, Yahweh, saving warrior. He will jump for joy on seeing you, for he has revived his love. For you he will cry out with joy, as you do in the days of the Feast.

Is 12:2–3, 4, 5–6 Cry out with joy and gladness, for among you is the great and Holy One of Israel. 2nd Reading: Phil 4:4–7 Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: rejoice and may everyone experience your gentle and understanding heart. The Lord is near: do not be anxious about anything. In everything resort to prayer and supplication together with thanksgiving and bring your requests before God. Then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Gospel: Lk 3:10–18 The people asked John, “What are we to do?” And John answered, “If you have two coats, give one to the person who has none; and if you have food, do the same.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and asked him, “Master, what must we do?” John said to them, “Collect no more than your fixed rate.” People serving as soldiers asked John, “What about us? What are we to do?” And he answered, “Don’t take anything by force or threaten the people by denouncing them falsely. Be content with your pay.” The people were wondering about John’s identity, “Could he be the Messiah?” Then John answered them, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is coming will do much more: he will baptize you with Holy Spirit and fire. As for me, I am not worthy to untie his sandal. He comes with a winnowing fan to clear his threshing floor and gather the grain into his barn. But the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.” With these and many other words John announced the Good News to the people.

sunday

December

3rd Sunday of Advent Psalter: Week 3

his Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday, a name that comes from the latin word that means “Rejoice!” As the rose candle on the Advent wreath is lit, we rejoice that Christmas is near. We rejoice in the fact that our God does not keep His distance from us, but enters into our human experience, shares our sorrows and our struggles, and takes upon His shoulders the weight of our sins so that we might dare to hope for the gift of eternal life. John the Baptist proclaimed Good News to the people of his day. Today we rejoice in the Good News that the Lord’s love is greater than anything we could have ever imagined. He re conciles us poor sinners and abides with us so that we might never again fear the powers of sin and death. He gives us consolation in times of sorrow and courage in times of weakness. He fills our hearts with the “peace of God which surpasses all understanding.” We rejoice this day not simply because of the nearness of the celebration of Christmas, but for the nearness of our God who makes that celebration possible.

14 December monday

3rd Week of Advent John of the Cross Psalter: Week 3

Ps 25:4–5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8–9 Teach me your ways, O Lord.

1st Reading: Num 24:2–7, 15–17a* He looked up and saw Israel camping, tribe by tribe; and the spirit of God came upon him and he uttered his song: … Like valleys stretching far, like gardens beside a stream, like aloes planted by Yahweh, like cedars beside the waters. His buckets are overflowing and his seeds are always watered. His king becomes stronger than Agag, and his kingdom grows.” Then Balaam pronounced his oracle: … I see a figure, but not really. I behold him but not near. A star shall come forth from Jacob, he rises with a staff in his hand; he shatters the forehead of Moab and tears down all the sons of Sheth.” Gospel: Mt 21:23–27 Jesus had entered the Temple and was teaching when the chief priests, the teachers of the Law and the Jewish authorities came to him and asked, “What authority have you to act like this? Who gave you authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “I will also ask you a question, only one. And if you give me an answer, then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. When John began to baptize, was it a work of God, or was it merely something human?” They reasoned out among themselves, “If we reply that it was a work of God, he will say: Why, then, did you not believe him? And if we say: The baptism of John was merely something human, beware of the people; since all hold John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what right I do these things.”

n Advent, the world is awake, decking the halls, and looking to the birth of another infant. The birth of Christ is a part of our identity, reminding us, that we also were born, that we were fragile, that we were celebrated. For those born in December, and for any who remember their own beginnings in the scenes of Advent, the season offers a time of contemplating infant beginnings, a lesson in what it means to be human, like no other. Stories and celebrations of our own birth are juxtaposed with a nativity story, told long before we were born, and one that will continue to be told long after us. The story of God is a story filled with nativity scenes. In a world, where significance and identity are earned by what we do, by what we have accomplished, by what we own, the kingdom of God arrives scandalously, even offensively. In this kingdom, our worth begins before we have said or done the right things, before we have accumulated the right lifestyle or even made the appropriate confessions. In this kingdom, the very God of creation steps into the world as a child as well!

1st Reading: Zep 3:1–2, 9–13 Woe to the rebellious, the defiled, the city that oppresses. She did not pay attention to the call nor accept the correction; she did not trust Yahweh nor did she approach her God. At that time I will give truthful lips to the pagan nations that all of them may call on the name of Yahweh and serve him with the same zeal. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia they will bring offerings to me. On that day you will no longer be ashamed of all your deeds when you were unfaithful to me; I will have removed from your midst the conceited and arrogant and my holy mountain will no longer be for you a pretext for boasting. I will leave within you a poor and meek people who seek refuge in God. The remnant of Israel will not act unjustly nor will they speak falsely, nor will deceitful words be found in their mouths. They will eat and rest with none to threaten them.

tuesday

December

3rd Week of Advent Psalter: Week 3

Ps 34:2–3, 6–7, 17–18, 19 and 23 The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

Gospel: Mt 21:28–32 Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people, “What do you think of this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said to him: ‘Son, today go and work in my vineyard.’ And the son answered: ‘I don’t want to.’ But later he thought better of it and went. Then the father went to the second and gave him the same command. This son replied: ‘I will go, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what the father wanted?” They answered, “The first.” And Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you: the publicans and the prostitutes are ahead of you on the way to the kingdom of heaven. For John came to show you the way of goodness but you did not believe him, yet the publicans and the prostitutes did. You were witnesses of this, but you neither repented nor believed him.”

hildren are not usually the main characters in the stories we tell, yet the story of Christmas begins and ends with a child we don’t quite know what to do with. Here, a vulnerable baby in a dirty stable breaks in as the harbinger of good news, the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, the anointed leader who comes to set the captives free-wrapped in swaddling clothes and resting in a manger. Coming as a child, God radically draws near, while at the same time radically overthrowing our conceptions of status, worth, power, and authority. Jesus is crowned king long before he can sit in a throne. He begins overturning idols and upsetting social order long before he can even speak. Advent, like childhood, reminds us that we are in need of someone sovereign. It also reminds us that, like the baby in a Bethlehem stable, we too are somewhat out of place, homeless and longing for home. For us to be human is to be implicitly religious; for even within our most deeply felt needs for love and refuge, we are reminded that there is one who has come so very far to meet us and protect us.

16 December wednesday

3rd Week of Advent Psalter: Week 3

Ps 85:9ab and 10, 11–12, 13–14 Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior.

1st Reading: Is 45:6c–8, 18, 21c–25* … I am Yahweh, and there is no other. I form the light and create the dark; I usher in prosperity and bring calamity. I, Yahweh, do all this. … I, Yahweh, have created it. Yes, this is what Yahweh says, he who created the heavens, —for he is God, who formed and shaped the earth, —for he himself set it: “I did not let confusion in it, I wanted people to live there instead” —for I am Yahweh and there is no other. … There is no other God besides me, a Savior, a God of justice, there is no other one but me. Turn to me and be saved, all you from the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other. … Gospel: Lk 7:18b–23 The disciples of John gave him all this news. So he called two of them and sent them to the Lord with this message, “Are you the one we are expecting, or should we wait for another?” These men came to Jesus and said, “John the Baptist sent us to ask you: Are you the one we are to expect, or should we wait for another?” At that time Jesus healed many people of their sicknesses or diseases; he freed them from evil spirits and he gave sight to the blind. Then he answered the messengers, “Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind see again, the lame walk, lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the poor are given good news. Now, listen: Fortunate are those who encounter me, but not for their downfall.”

t seems that, as the world supposedly becomes less complicated through technological advances, we still find ourselves waiting. According to researchers, the average person will spend five years of his or her life waiting in line, two years holding onto the telephone, and six months sitting at red lights. That is over seven and a half years, either at best doing nothing, or at worst experiencing great aggravation. The bottom line is that, even in our fast-paced world, with its post-modern conveniences, we are all waiting for something. During the Advent season, we discover purpose in our waiting. We symbolically participate in the waiting of the patriarchs, kings, prophets and priests as, patiently and reflectively, we await Christ’s final and glorious return. Through prayer and reflection, liturgy, Eucharist, and the signs and symbols of Advent, we groan with Isaiah for a day when weapons will be turned into agricultural instruments. We cry out with Zechariah, rejoicing that the dawn from on high is breaking upon us. We pray with many, whose expectations of the future kingdom may have been hazy, yet who still yearn for something more complete and more real.

1st Reading: Gen 49:2, 8–10 “Gather round, sons of Jacob. And listen to your father Israel! Judah, your brothers will praise you! You shall seize your enemies by the neck! Your father’s sons shall bow before you. Judah, a young lion! You return from the prey, my son! Like a lion he stoops and crouches, and like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? The scepter shall not be taken from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs, and who has the obedience of the nations.

thursday

December

3rd Week of Advent Psalter: Week 3

Ps 72:1–2, 3–4ab, 7–8, 17 Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Gospel: Mt 1:1–17* This is the account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar), Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron of Aram. Aram was the father of Aminadab, Aminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon. … Jesse was the father of David, the king. David was the father of Solomon. His mother had been Uriah’s wife. … Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus who is called the Christ—the Messiah.

uring Advent, we legitimately cry out Maranatha! Come Lord! On that first Christmas day, the world was somehow sanctified. Something in the fabric of the cosmos shifted, as creation became a fitting vehicle for God’s redemptive work. As the season of Advent shows, even waiting has become sanctified. As we wait in long lines this Advent, or as we wait for anything really, it is important that we remember the waiting of those, who were expecting the Messiah, and that we always wait with patience, humility and hope. Especially during Advent, to wait, prayerfully and patiently, is not only good spiritual discipline, but also lowers our risk of holiday-induced anxiety. We’re all waiting for something, so why not use these experiences to enhance our Advent disciplines, by waiting prayerfully? If we keep an Advent calendar, we have great opportunities to witness to the secular culture about Christ. But, if we choose not to take part in that office Christmas party, and are asked why we aren’t participating, we can say that, for us, it isn’t Christmas yet: we are observing Advent, quietly waiting for Christ, not just for His birthday on Christmas Day, but for His second coming in glory.

18 December friday

3rd Week of Advent Psalter: Week 3

Ps 72:1–2, 12–13, 18–19 Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

1st Reading: Jer 23:5–8 Yahweh further says, “The day is coming when I will raise up a king who is David’s righteous successor. He will rule wisely and govern with justice and righteousness. That will be a grandiose era when Judah will enjoy peace and Israel will live in safety. He will be called Yahweh-our-justice!” “The days are coming,” says Yahweh, “when people shall no longer swear by Yahweh as the living God who freed the people of Israel from the land of Egypt. Rather, they will swear by Yahweh as the living God who restored the descendants of Israel from the northern empire and from all the lands where he had driven them, to live again in their own land!” Gospel: Mt 1:18–25 This is how Jesus Christ was born. Mary his mother had been given to Joseph in marriage but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her. While he was pondering over this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a son. You shall call him ‘Jesus’ for he will save his people from their sins.” All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel which means: God-with-us. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do and he took his wife to his home. So she gave birth to a son and he had not had marital relations with her. Joseph gave him the name of Jesus.

dvent is when peace becomes something visible. We long for peace, as Christians spend this time preparing for the coming of the Prince of Peace. We long, not solely for peace on earth, the absence of conflict, but also, more deeply, for the peace of Christ. When we celebrate Mass each Sunday, we pray for this peace; and we even exchange a sign of it before we approach the table of the Eucharist. As deep and personal as our desire is, faith tells us that peace is essentially social. As we move toward the feast of Christ among us, we are challenged to broaden our understanding of peace and to open our hearts all the wider. We long for peace in the hearts of those struggling with poverty of all sorts: those in the developing world and those, struggling in the shadows of the developed world. We pray for displaced people everywhere. This Advent, let us open our hearts for peace. Let our prayer for Christ’s coming be a longing for wars to end; for troops to return to their families. But let it also be a longing for justice, a longing that things set awry will be made right.

1st Reading: Jdg 13:2–7, 24–25a* There was a man of Zorah of the tribe of Dan, called Manoah. His wife could not bear children. The Angel of Yahweh appeared to this woman and said to her, “You have not borne children and have not given birth, but see, you are to conceive and give birth to a son. … The woman went to her husband and told him, “A messenger of God who bore the majesty of an angel spoke to me. I did not ask him where he came from nor did he tell me his name. But he said to me: ‘You are to conceive and give birth to a son. … The woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew and Yahweh blessed him. …

saturday

December

3rd Week of Advent Psalter: Week 3

Ps 71:3–4a, 5–6ab, 16–17 My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!

Gospel: Lk 1:5–25* … On seeing the angel, Zechariah was deeply troubled and fear took hold of him. But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah, be assured that your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall name him John. He will bring joy and gladness to you and many will rejoice at his birth. … Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I believe this? I am an old man and my wife is elderly, too.” The angel replied, “I am Gabriel, who stands before God, and I am the one sent to speak to you and bring you this good news! My words will come true in their time. But you would not believe and now you will be silent and unable to speak until this has happened.” … When his time of service was completed, Zechariah returned home and some time later Elizabeth became pregnant. …

he only Christ, whom many people in poverty will see, read or know about, this Advent, is in those who give, not just material gifts, but their time, heart and knowledge. During Advent, we must do more than just write a check; we need to meet with people in poverty and we must hold each other accountable. Christ came and gave the world hope, when there was despair; out there in the cruel world, there are plenty of lives that we should touch. Our children are our future leaders. We fail many of them as they work through their turbulent adolescence, many without the security of a loving family life. The destructive behavior of children often reflects the ills of our society; they are often the scapegoats of those ills. But, that doesn’t excuse them from learning about the accountable consequences of their actions. For them to reach the point of feeling remorseful, they need consistent discipline, limits to their activities and a lot of support from caring people in our community. This Advent, we should seize any opportunity to teach our children respect for the unique persons they are, with their huge gifts from God of potential and talent.

1st Reading: Mic 5:1–4a The Lord says this, “You, Bethlehem Ephrathah, so small that you are hardly named among the clans of Judah, from you shall I raise the one who is to rule over Israel. For he comes forth from of old, from the ancient times. Yahweh, therefore, will abandon Israel until such time as she who is to give birth has given birth. Then the rest of his deported brothers will return to the people of Israel. He will stand and shepherd his flock with the strength of Yahweh, in the glorious Name of Yahweh, his God. They will live safely while he wins renown to the ends of the earth. He shall be peace.” When the Assyrian invades our land and sets foot on our territory, we will raise against him not one but seven shepherds, eight warlords. 2nd Reading: Heb 10:5–10 This is why on entering the world, Christ says: You did not desire sacrifice and offering; you were not pleased with burnt offerings and sin offerings. Then I said: “Here I am. It was written of me in the scroll. I will do your will, O God.” First he says: Sacrifice, offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire nor were you pleased with them—although they were required by the Law. Then he says: Here I am to do your will. This is enough to nullify the first will and Ps 80:2–3, 15–16, 18–19 establish the new. Now, by this will of God, we Lord, make us turn to you; are sanctified at once by the sacrifice of the let us see your face and we shall be saved. body of Christ Jesus.

Gospel: Lk 1:39–45 Mary then set out for a town in the Hills of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit, and giving a loud cry, said, “You are most blessed among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you who believed that the Lord’s word would come true!”

sunday

December

4th Sunday of Advent Psalter: Week 4

he Fourth Sunday of Advent highlights the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the story of our salvation. God chooses to enter into our human experience through the person of the Blessed Mother. By assenting to the invitation of the angel Gabriel, Mary changes the course of human history. Her unconditional “Yes” to God’s will untangle the knot tied by the sin of Adam and Eve. Her example of fidelity and obedience serves as a model for us to follow as we seek the path of holiness and everlasting life. As we prepare to celebrate Christmas in a worthy manner, we ask the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We ask her to pray with us and for us, that we might welcome the saving presence of the Lord into our lives and embrace Him as our Savior and King. We pray that we might know the Lord’s will for our lives and embrace that will with determination and courage. As she was privileged to hold the Lord Jesus in her womb and in her arms, so may we be fashioned by God’s grace into bearers of the Lord.

21 December monday

4th Week of Advent Peter Canisius Psalter: Week 4

Ps 33:2–3, 11–12, 20–21 Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.

1st Reading: Zep 3:14–18a (or Song 2:8–14) Cry out with joy, O daughter of Zion; rejoice, O people of Israel! Sing joyfully with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! Yahweh has lifted your sentence and has driven your enemies away. Yahweh, the King of Israel is with you; do not fear any misfortune. On that day they will say to Jerusalem: Do not be afraid nor let your hands tremble, for Yahweh your God is within you, Yahweh, saving warrior. He will jump for joy on seeing you, for he has revived his love. For you he will cry out with joy, as you do in the days of the Feast. I will drive away the evil I warned you about, and you will no longer be shamed. Gospel: Lk 1:39–45 Mary then set out for a town in the Hills of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with holy spirit, and giving a loud cry, said, “You are most blessed among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you who believed that the Lord’s word would come true!”

dvent is a season that seems to get lost in our culture. Because we so often think of the month of December as the Christmas Season, and we use this time to prepare our homes for the holidays, we often neglect to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. One way to prepare our hearts is by growing our relationship with God. Because God is so much greater than our minds can begin to comprehend, we can only know God through glimpses…through reflections. That is what we offer here: reflections! One day we will see God face-to-face, but now we only see through a mirror, dimly. Nevertheless, these reflections do provide a means of knowing God as best we can. By exploring various images of God, our hope is that God will become more real, and that relationships with God will deepen and grow. As we take time out for prayer and reflection during the season of Advent, may these reflections deepen our relationship with God, so that we may more fully experience the celebration of the coming of Christ. Our hope is that these reflections will provide a way of making the Advent journey more meaningful. Maranatha!

1st Reading: 1 S 1:24–28 When the child was weaned, Hannah took him with her along with a three-year-old bull, a measure of flour and a flask of wine, and she brought him to Yahweh’s house at Shiloh. The child was still young. After they had slain the bull, they brought the child to Eli. Hannah exclaimed: “Oh, my lord, look! I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to Yahweh. I asked for this child and Yahweh granted me the favor I begged of him. Now, I think, Yahweh is asking for this child. As long as he lives, he belongs to Yahweh.” And they worshiped Yahweh there.

tuesday

December

4th Week of Advent Psalter: Week 4

1 S 2:1, 4–5, 6–7, 8abcd My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

Gospel: Lk 1:46–56 And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God my savior! He has looked upon his servant in her lowliness, and people forever will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is his Name! From age to age his mercy extends to those who live in his presence. He has acted with power and done wonders, and scattered the proud with their plans. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He held out his hand to Israel, his servant, for he remembered his mercy, even as he promised our fathers, Abraham and his descendants forever.” Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned home.

dvent is a time for penance. In this, it is similar to Lent. But, it doesn’t have the same rugged intensity as Lent. It’s a bit softer and sweeter. Lent is a more severe penance, aiming at the ultimate extremes of Good Friday and Easter. Advent aims for Christmas and its images of the baby in the manger, with Mary and Joseph, the Shepherds, Wise Men and animals, in peace and calm. Advent is a time of penance, but with the cozy feelings of Christmas. Advent is Lent with a little sugar on top! Nonetheless, Advent remains a very real time of penance. Beneath the peaceful manger scene is the rather harsh reality of the King of Kings born in the rugged poverty of a manger instead of a traveler’s inn. This is where the real penance begins. We must use all of the God-given tools at our disposal to embody the love of Christ in our daily lives. This Advent, let us, please, try to get beneath all the signs and symbols of the celebration, to the reality of Christ in our life. This will cause us all to do penance, or to change…and to change for the better!

23 December wednesday

4th Week of Advent John of Kanty Psalter: Week 4

Ps 25:4–5ab, 8–9, 10 and 14 Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.

1st Reading: Mal 3:1–4, 23–24 Now I am sending my messenger ahead of me to clear the way; then suddenly the Lord for whom you long will enter the sanctuary. The envoy of the covenant which you so greatly desire already comes, says Yahweh of hosts. Who can bear the day of his coming and remain standing when he appears? For he will be like fire in the foundry and like the lye used for bleaching. He will be as a refiner or a fuller. He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. So Yahweh will have priests who will present the offering as it should be. Then Yahweh will accept with pleasure the offering of Judah and Jerusalem, as in former days. I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the day of Yahweh comes, for it will be a great and terrible day. He will reconcile parents with their children, and the children with their parents, so that I may not have to curse this land when I come.” Gospel: Lk 1:57–66 When the time came for Elizabeth, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the merciful Lord had done a wonderful thing for her and they rejoiced with her. When on the eighth day they came to attend the circumcision of the child, they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.” They said to her, “No one in your family has that name”; and they asked the father by means of signs for the name he wanted to give. Zechariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote on it, “His name is John,” and they were very surprised. Immediately Zechariah could speak again and his first words were in praise of God. A holy fear came on all in the neighborhood, and throughout the Hills of Judea the people talked about these events. All who heard of it pondered in their minds and wondered, “What will this child be?” For they understood that the hand of the Lord was with him.

he season of Advent has been a time of fasting and penitence for sins, similar to the season of Lent. However, a different emphasis for the season of Advent has unfolded in much of the Church. Nowadays, Advent has come to be celebrated more in terms of expectation or anticipation in the context of oppression and injustice, the longing for redemption from the systemic evil of the world, expressed in evil empires and tyrants. In that sense, all creation groans for its redemption, as we witness the evil that so dominates our world. There will be time enough, during the rest of the Church year, to remember our sins. So, we celebrate with gladness the great promise in the Advent, knowing that there is also a somber tone as the theme of threat is added to the theme of promise. This is reflected in some of the scripture readings for Advent, in which there is a strong prophetic tone of accountability and judgment on sin. But this is also faithful to the role of the king, who comes to rule, save and judge the world. So, the prayer of Advent remains: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel!

1st Reading: 2 S 7:1–5, 8b–12, 14a, 16* … “Now you will tell my servant David, this is what Yahweh of hosts says: … Now I will make your name great as the name of the great ones on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel and plant them that they may live there in peace. … Yahweh also tells you that he will build you a house. “When the time comes for you to rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your son after you, the one born of you and I will make his reign secure. I will be a father to him and he shall be my son. If he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod, as men do. Your house and your reign shall last forever before me, and your throne shall be forever firm.”

thursday

December

4th Week of Advent Psalter: Week 4

Ps 89:2–3, 4–5, 27 and 29 For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Gospel: Lk 1:67–79* Zechariah, filled with holy spirit, sang this canticle, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has come and redeemed his people. He has raised up for us a victorious Savior in the house of David his servant, as he promised through his prophets of old, salvation from our enemies and from the hand of our foes. He has shown mercy to our fathers and remembered his holy covenant, the oath he swore to Abraham, our father, to deliver us from the enemy, that we might serve him fearlessly as a holy and righteous people all the days of our lives. And you, my child, shall be called prophet of the Most High, for you shall go before the Lord to prepare the way for him and enable his people to know of their salvation when he comes to forgive their sins. …

verything works together to deepen the mystery of a new presence in the solitude of Christmas night, making it more intimate, more divine. Joseph and Mary’s outward poverty is the guardian of this mystery. If Joseph and Mary had looked as if they were rich, people would have made room for them in the inn, because of Mary’s condition. They would have turned out other less important guests; they would have found a way to keep them; and the mystery of the birth of Jesus would no longer have this solitude and silence. It would have happened in the midst of noise. This is not the way, in which God visits our earth! On the contrary, poverty must push aside all those who seek only earthly possessions, all those who think only of settling on earth. When it comes to the mystery of the Incarnate Word’s first visit to this world, poverty has done its job so well that there is no one left, except Mary and Joseph. When poverty is loved and accepted, there is true solitude. It is this solitude of Mary and Joseph that Christ comes to live and to reveal, to give and to surrender Himself!

25 December friday

The Nativity of the Lord Psalter: Proper

Ps 98:1, 2–3, 3–4, 5–6 All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.

1st Reading: Is 52:7–10* How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who herald peace and happiness, who proclaim salvation and announce to Zion: “Your God is king!” Break into shouts of joy, O ruins of Jerusalem, for Yahweh consoles his people and redeems Jerusalem. Yahweh has bared his holy arm in the eyes of the nations; all the ends of the earth, in alarm, will witness God’s salvation. 2nd Reading: Heb 1:1–6 Gospel: Jn 1:1–18 In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God; he was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him nothing came to be. Whatever has come to be, found life in him, life which for humans was also light. Light that shines in the dark: light that darkness could not overcome. A man came, sent by God; his name was John. He came to bear witness, as a witness to introduce the Light so that all might believe through him. For the Light was coming into the world, the true Light that enlightens everyone. He came to his own, yet his own people did not receive him; but all who have received him he empowers to become children of God for they believe in his Name. These are born, but without seed or carnal desire or will of man: they are born of God. And the Word was made flesh; he had his tent pitched among us, and we have seen his Glory, the Glory of the only Son coming from the Father: fullness of truth and loving-kindness. From his fullness we have all received, favor upon favor. For God had given us the Law through Moses, but Truth and Loving-kindness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God-the-Only-Son made him known: the one who is in and with the Father.

hen we are with family and friends at Christmas, we are at our best. Christ’s call is to give to all of us, the opportunity to share in His unconditional love. To let down our defenses and to marvel at all the small growth moments that touch our souls, is to keep us vulnerable and receptive to God’s presence. Above all, Christ invites us to be child-like in our faith and to trust in a creator, who always knows where we are and what we need. A creator, who knows the difference between a fish and a snake, a scorpion and an egg, when it comes to sustenance and nurture. Christmas Day keeps hope alive in our sometimes jaded and weary hearts, by reminding us of the infant Jesus, as we sit quietly, allowing peace and simplicity to seep into our souls. The nativity is God’s blessing personified, our connection to the mystery of the stable. Our prayer, on this Christmas Day, should be that we experience Christ’s birth with an open heart and contemplative vision. Christmas is memorable in that it challenges us to display our spirit of peace on earth and goodwill to all humankind!

1st Reading: Acts 6:8–10; 7:54–59 Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Some persons then came forward, who belonged to the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia and Asia. They argued with Stephen but they could not match the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. When they heard this reproach, they were enraged and they gnashed their teeth against Stephen. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus at God’s right hand, so he declared: “I see the heavens open and the Son of Man at the right hand of God.” But they shouted and covered their ears with their hands and rushed together upon him. They brought him out of the city and stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen prayed saying: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

saturday

December

Stephen, First Martyr Psalter: Proper

Ps 31: 3cd–4, 6 and 8b, 16bc and 17 Into your hands, O Lord, I entrust my spirit.

Gospel: Mt 10:17–22 Jesus said to his disciples, “Be on your guard with respect to people, for they will hand you over to their courts and they will flog you in their synagogues. You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings because of me, and so you may witness to them and the pagans. “But when you are arrested, do not worry about what you are to say and how you are to say it; when the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. For it is not you who will speak; but it will be the Spirit of your Father in you. “Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child; children will turn against parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved.”

n this first day after Christmas, we turn to that first Christian martyr among Jesus’ followers. Stephen was a leader of the Greek-speaking Jewish Christians. He was one of seven deacons, chosen to deal with internal community affairs and thus free up the apostles for preaching. Stephen was described as a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit. The apostles prayed over him and then imposed hands on him. This gesture of human touching bestowed special power and appeared often in the New Testament. The laying-on of hands signified healing, imparting the Holy Spirit, and a commissioning for ministry. The glory of God, which Stephen saw in an opening in the sky, pours out its power over us today. Stephen’s final cry speaks powerfully to us. The apostles’ hands were once laid upon him as a blessing for service. Now, other hands, in rage, propelled the stones that pierced open his flesh. We pray to Stephen for help to control our tempers. As we try to remedy every harmful result of human misdeeds, we try to follow Stephen’s example of suffering meekly. Christ’s love for us reconstructs what has been torn to pieces in our hearts.

1st Reading: 1 S 1:20–22; 24–28 Hannah became pregnant. She gave birth to a son and called him Samuel because she said: “I have asked Yahweh to give him to me.” Once more Elkanah went to the temple with his family to offer his yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow to Yahweh. Hannah would not go along but she said to her husband, “I will bring the child there as soon as he is weaned. He shall be presented to Yahweh and stay there forever.” When the child was weaned, Hannah took him with her along with a three-year-old bull, a measure of flour and a flask of wine, and she brought him to Yahweh’s house at Shiloh. The child was still young. After they had slain the bull, they brought the child to Eli. Hannah exclaimed: “Oh, my lord, look! I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to Yahweh. I asked for this child and Yahweh granted me the favor I begged of him. Now, I think, Yahweh is asking for this child. As long as he lives, he belongs to Yahweh.” And they worshiped Yahweh there. 2nd Reading: 1 Jn 3:1–2, 21–24 See what singular love the Father has for us: we are called children of God, and we really are. This is why the world does not know us, because it did not know him. Ps 84:2–3, 5–6, 9–10 Beloved, we are God’s children and what we Blessed are they who dwell in your house, shall be has not yet been shown. Yet when he O Lord. appears in his glory, we know that we shall be like him, for then we shall see him as he is. When our conscience does not condemn us, dear friends, we may have complete confidence in God. Then whatever we ask we shall receive, since we keep his commands and do what pleases him. His command is that we believe in the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and that we love one another, as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commands remains in God and God in him. It is by the Spirit God has given us that we know he lives in us.

sunday

Gospel: Lk 2:41–52 Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, as was customary. And when Jesus was twelve years Holy Family old, he went up with them according to the Psalter: Proper custom for this feast. After the festival was over, they returned, but the boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem and his parents did not know it. They thought he was in the company and after walking the whole day they looked for him among their relatives and friends. As they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem searching for him, and on the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. And all the people were amazed at his understanding and his answers. His parents were very surprised when they saw him and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I were very worried while searching for you.” Then he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Do you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand this answer. Jesus went down with them, returning to Nazareth, and he continued to be subject to them. As for his mother, she kept all these things in her heart. ven at an early age Jesus had to be about And Jesus increased in wisdom and age, and His Father’s business, for He was born into in divine and human favor. this world to accomplish the Father’s plan for our salvation. At the age of twelve Jesus would speak intelligently about the scriptures, amazing all who listened with His wisdom and understanding. That scene foreshadows the teaching ministry of Jesus that would take place two decades later as crowds would gather from near and far to listen to Him preach. We are also part of the story, for we have the great privilege of listening to the Lord Jesus every time we open the Bible. Now, as then, His words have the capacity to inspire, convert, motivate and console. Jesus continues to be about His Father’s business as He draws us to Himself and bids us to be nourished at the twofold table of Word and Sacrament every time we participate in Holy Mass. May we keep these things in our heart and place our confidence in the Lord Jesus so that we might remain in Him, and He in us.

December

28 December monday

Holy Innocents Psalter: Proper

Ps 124:2–3, 4–5, 7b–8 Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

1st Reading: 1 Jn 1:5—2:2 We heard his message from him and announce it to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him. If we say we are in fellowship with him, while we walk in darkness, we lie instead of being in truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we are in fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, the Son of God, purifies us from all sin. If we say, “We have no sin,” we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all wickedness. If we say that we do not sin, we make God a liar, his word is not in us. My little children, I write to you that you may not sin. But if anyone sins, we have an intercessor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Just One. He is the sacrificial victim for our sins and the sins of the whole world. Gospel: Mt 2:13–18 After the wise men had left, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you for Herod will soon be looking for the child in order to kill him.” Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. In this way, what the Lord had said through the prophet was fulfilled: I called my son out of Egypt. When Herod found out that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was furious. He gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its neighborhood who were two years old or under. This was done in line with what he had learned from the wise men about the time when the star appeared. In this way, what the prophet Jeremiah had said was fulfilled: A cry is heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation: Rachel weeps for her children. She refuses to be comforted, for they are no more.

t is impossible to determine the day or the year of the slaughter of the Holy Innocents, since the chronology of Christ’s birth and subsequent biblical events is most uncertain. All we know is that the infants were slaughtered within two years, following the apparition of the star to the wise men. The Church venerates these children as martyrs; they were the first buds of the Church, killed by the frost of persecution. They died, not only for Christ, but in his stead. The feast of the Holy Innocents is celebrated within the octave of Christmas, because the Holy Innocents gave their life for the newborn Jesus; and these first flowers of the Church accompanied the child Jesus, upon his entering this world on Christmas Day. No matter how many babies were killed, we weep for their murders, no less than we weep for the extremely brutal Holocaust and other genocides, which we have seen around the world, in our own day and age. But, even if there had been only one Innocent, we would recognize the greatest treasure that God put on the earth: a human person, destined for eternity and graced by the death and resurrection of Christ!

1st Reading: 1 Jn 2:3–11* How can we know that we know him? If we fulfill his commands. If you say, “I know him,” but do not fulfill his commands, you are a liar and the truth is not in you. But if you keep his word, God’s love is made complete in you. This is how we know that we are in him: he who claims to live in him must live as he lived. … If you claim to be in the light but hate your brother, you are still in darkness. If you love your brothers and sisters, you remain in the light and nothing in you will make you fall. But if you hate your brother you are in the dark and walk in darkness without knowing where you go, for the darkness has blinded you.

tuesday

December

5th Day in the Octave of Christmas Thomas Becket Psalter: Week 1

Ps 96:1–2a, 2b–3, 5b–6 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Gospel: Lk 2:22–35* … There lived in Jerusalem at this time a very upright and devout man named Simeon; the Holy Spirit was in him. He looked forward to the time when the Lord would comfort Israel, and he had been assured by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before seeing the Messiah of the Lord. So he was led into the Temple by the Holy Spirit at the time the parents brought the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law. Simeon took the child in his arms and blessed God, saying, “Now, O Lord, you can dismiss your servant in peace, for you have fulfilled your word and my eyes have seen your salvation, which you display for all the people to see. Here is the light you will reveal to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.” His father and mother wondered at what was said about the child. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “See him; he will be for the rise or fall of the multitudes of Israel. He shall stand as a sign of contradiction, while a sword will pierce your own soul. Then the secret thoughts of many may be brought to light.”

fter weeks of anticipation, the Christmas celebrations have flashed by us and are suddenly gone. But, it’s possible that this moment of melancholy may be the best teaching moment of the whole season. God gives us gifts to enjoy. They are expressions of his generosity as well as ours; but gifts and celebrations themselves are not designed to satisfy. They’re designed to point us to the giver. Gifts are like sunbeams: we aren’t meant to love sunbeams, but the sun. If we depend on anything in the world to satisfy our soul’s deepest desire, it will eventually leave us with that post-Christmas soul-ache. We will ask if that is all there is, because we know deep down that’s not all there is. We are designed to treasure people, not their things. It is more blessed to give than receive. What kind of happiness felt richer this Christmas: getting the presents that we wanted, or making someone else happy with something that we gave to them? Receiving is a blessing, but Jesus is right: giving is a greater blessing. A greedy soul lives in a lonely world. A generous soul lives in a wide world of love, each and every day!

30 December wednesday

6th Day in the Octave of Christmas Psalter: Week 1

Ps 96:7–8a, 8b–9, 10 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

1st Reading: 1 Jn 2:12–17 My dear children, I write this to you: you have already received the forgiveness of your sins through the Name of Jesus. Fathers, I write this to you: you know him who is from the beginning. Young men, I write this to you: you have overcome the Evil One. My dear children, I write to you because you already know the Father. Fathers, I write to you because you know him who is from the beginning. Young men, I write to you because you are strong and the Word of God lives in you who have indeed overcome the Evil One. Do not love the world or what is in it. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the craving of the flesh, the greed of eyes and people boasting of their superiority—all this belongs to the world, not to the Father. The world passes away with all its craving but those who do the will of God remain for ever. Gospel: Lk 2:36–40 There was a prophetess named Anna, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. After leaving her father’s home, she had been seven years with her husband, and since then she had been continually about the Temple, serving God as a widow night and day in fasting and prayer. She was now eighty-four. Coming up at that time, she gave praise to God and spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem. When the parents had fulfilled all that was required by the law of the Lord, they returned to their town, Nazareth in Galilee. There the child grew in stature and strength and was filled with wisdom: the grace of God was upon him.

o now it’s all over. Too much shopping, too much food…and now, the maxed-out credit-cards! Advent ought to have been a time of reflection; now, Christmas ends with the same frantic opening of presents. But, let’s turn things around. Post-Christmas should also be a time for reflection. It’s time to ease back, measure the year past and consider the year to come. For many of us, it is a period of thinking through incarnation; the central mystery of faith, the divine uniting with the human; the transcendent becoming immanent; humanity enlivened by divinity. Incarnation is ultimately sacramental; the created makes known the uncreated and, through humanity, divinity is glimpsed. This year, the wonder is that all of us are called to this: to be the daughters and sons of God, in whose lives, love, kindness, justice and peace are seen. May we be as Christ, to all those we meet; may we be sacraments; may we be as one with the divine, as one with our ultimate reality…Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, born a child in Bethlehem, lived, suffered, died and rose from the dead, so that we all might have eternal life with Him!

1st Reading: 1 Jn 2:18–21 My dear children, it is the last hour. You were told that an antichrist would come; but several antichrists have already come, by which we know that it is now the last hour. They went out from us though they did not really belong to us. Had they belonged to us, they would have remained with us. So it became clear that not all of us were really ours. But you have the anointing from the Holy One, so that all of you have true wisdom. I write to you, not because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you already know it, and lies have nothing in common with the truth.

thursday

December

7th Day in the Octave of Christmas Sylvester I Psalter: Week 1

Ps 96:1–2, 11–12, 13 Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!

Gospel: Jn 1:1–18* In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God; he was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him nothing came to be. Whatever has come to be, found life in him, life which for humans was also light. Light that shines in the dark: light that darkness could not overcome. A man came, sent by God; his name was John. He came to bear witness, as a witness to introduce the Light so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light but a witness to introduce the Light. For the Light was coming into the world, the true Light that enlightens everyone. He was already in the world and through him the world was made, the very world that did not know him. He came to his own, yet his own people did not receive him; but all who have received him he empowers to become children of God for they believe in his Name. … John bore witness to him openly, saying: This is the one who comes after me, but he is already ahead of me for he was before me. From his fullness we have all received, favor upon favor. For God had given us the Law through Moses, but Truth and Loving-kindness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God-the-Only-Son made him known: the one who is in and with the Father.

n the light of the New Year coming up, here are some practical suggestions to help us maintain the joy in our Christian lives, every day of the coming year: Make reflection a part of daily life; learn something new of God’s word each day. Review the events of the last year and remove any new obstacles that have arisen. Repent of what has hurt or harmed our brothers or sisters; forgive them and mean it. Let go of anger, hurt, and resentment. Resolve to say at least three positive, uplifting things about other people, before saying a single, critical or negative thing. Pray for one another as individuals and as a Church: this will build up our joy, if for no other reason than that, if we truly love God, we shall be more inclined to listen, whenever He tells us what He wants us to do. Perform random acts of kindness; smile, complement, be a friend, encourage, teach, be hospitable, generous and friendly. Draw in others, by being Christ to them, so that they will see Him in us. We are Christ’s gospel: Christ needs to be heard through us!

Abbreviations OLD TESTAMENT Amos Baruch 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Daniel Deuteronomy Ecclesiastes Esther Exodus Ezekiel Ezra Genesis Habakkuk Haggai Hosea Isaiah Jeremiah Job Joel Jonah Joshua Judges Judith

Am Bar 1 Chr 2 Chr Dn Dt Ecl Es Ex Ezk Ezra Gen Hb Hg Hos Is Jer Job Jl Jon Jos Jdg Jdt

1 Kings 2 Kings Lamentations Leviticus 1 Maccabees 2 Maccabees Malachi Micah Nahum Nehemiah Numbers Obadiah Proverbs Psalms Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel Sirach Song of Songs Tobit Wisdom of Solomon Zechariah Zephaniah

1K 2K Lm Lev 1 Mac 2 Mac Mal Mic Nh Ne Num Ob Pro Ps Ru 1S 2S Sir Song Tb Wis Zec Zep

NEW TESTAMENT Acts Colossians 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Ephesians Galatians Hebrews James John 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Luke

Acts Col 1 Cor 2 Cor Eph Gal Heb Jas Jn 1 Jn 2 Jn 3 Jn Jd Lk

Mark Matthew 1 Peter 2 Peter Philemon Philippians Revelation Romans 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus

Mk Mt 1P 2P Phlm Phil Rev Rom 1 Thes 2 Thes 1 Tim 2 Tim Tit

About the Contributors Fr. Daniel J. Mahan, Executive Director of Marian College Center for Catholic Stewardship. He is also the Director of Formation for the Institutes and Conferences of the International Catholic Stewardship Council (ICSC). Ordained as a priest in 1988, Fr. Mahan holds a License in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm (Sant’ Anselmo) in Rome. He is the author of “More Than Silver or Gold: Homilies of a Stewardship Priest”. He is also the owner and publisher of St. Catherine of Sienna Press. He has been conducting retreats and seminars on the Spirituality of Stewardship all over United States, Jamaica and the Philippines

Rev. Paul Gaffey is a retired Australian Catholic Deacon. Paul has spent the majority of his adult life living and working in Southeast Asia. He is a published author, a master communicator, a tireless champion for the dignity of youth and of all that is good and just in this world. His personal take on these daily readings, and his meditations upon them, display his rare depth of humanity, spirituality and compassion. In everything Paul writes here, he talks with us…not at us…since he realizes that he is simply one of us.

Michael “Mick” Hales was born in England and spent his childhood in Devon, England, Pakistan and Nigeria. He studied photography at the London College of Printing and on graduating started freelance photography in Exeter, Devon. He published his first book Secret Landscapes, 1980, about places people had previously lived, worked or fought in which were later abandoned and forgotten. He moved to New York in 1983 and began photographing gardens for magazines. Later he developed the art of interior photography and is renowned for capturing the mode or spirit of a place or location, inside or out. He lives in the Hudson Valley with his wife, Christine Simoneau Hales, an Iconographer and painter.

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