Sunday, March 27, 2016 (Easter Sunday (Solemnity))

Easter Sunday (Solemnity)

First Reading

Acts 10:34, 37-43

34And Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, 37the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39And we are witnesses to all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40but God raised him on the third day and made him manifest;41not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

1O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures for ever! 2Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures for ever." 16the right hand of the LORD is exalted, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!" 17I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. 22The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. 23This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

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Second Reading

First Option

Second Option

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Colossians 3:1-4

1If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.3For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

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Gospel

John 20:1-9

1Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 3Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. 4They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; 5and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, 7and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

Sunday, June 03, 2012 {The Most Holy Trinity (Solemnity)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Whenever we suffer some affliction, we should regard it both as punishment and as a correction. Our holy Scriptures themselves do not promise us peace, security and rest. On the contrary, the Gospel makes no secret of the troubles and temptations that await us, but it also says that he who perseveres to the end will be saved. So we must not grumble, my brothers, and for as the Apostle says: some of them murmured and were destroyed by serpents. Is there any affliction now endured by mankind that was not endured by our fathers before us? What sufferings of ours even bear comparison with what we know of their sufferings? How then can you think that past ages were better than your own?
-- St. Augustine

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40
32 “Search the past, the time before you were born, all the way back to the time when God created human beings on the earth. Search the entire earth. Has anything as great as this ever happened before? Has anyone ever heard of anything like this?
33 Have any people ever lived after hearing a god speak to them from a fire, as you have?
34 Has any god ever dared to go and take a people from another nation and make them his own, as the Lord your God did for you in Egypt? Before your very eyes he used his great power and strength; he brought plagues and war, worked miracles and wonders, and caused terrifying things to happen.
39 So remember today and never forget: the Lord is God in heaven and on earth. There is no other god.
40 Obey all his laws that I have given you today, and all will go well with you and your descendants. You will continue to live in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to be yours forever.”

Psalm: Psalm 33:4-6, 9, 18-20, 22
4 The words of the Lord are true, and all his works are dependable.
5 The Lord loves what is righteous and just; his constant love fills the earth.
6 The Lord created the heavens by his command, the sun, moon, and stars by his spoken word.
9 When he spoke, the world was created; at his command everything appeared.
18 The Lord watches over those who obey him, those who trust in his constant love.
19 He saves them from death; he keeps them alive in times of famine.
20 We put our hope in the Lord; he is our protector and our help.
22 May your constant love be with us, Lord, as we put our hope in you.

Second Reading: Romans 8:14-17
14 Those who are led by God's Spirit are God's children.
15 For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God's children, and by the Spirit's power we cry out to God, “Father! my Father!”
16 God's Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God's children.
17 Since we are his children, we will possess the blessings he keeps for his people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for him; for if we share Christ's suffering, we will also share his glory.

Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20
(Jesus Appears to His Disciples)
(Mark 16.14-18; Luke 24.36-49; John 20.19-23; Acts 1.6-8)16 The eleven disciples went to the hill in Galilee where Jesus had told them to go.
17 When they saw him, they worshiped him, even though some of them doubted.
18 Jesus drew near and said to them, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
19 Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
20 and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.”

Sunday, May 27, 2010 Pentecost Sunday (Solemnity)

REFLECTION FOR TODAYPrayer is to our soul what rain is to the soil. Fertilize the soil ever so richly, it will remain barren unless fed by frequent rains.
-- St John Vianney

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading:  Acts 2:1-11
The Coming of the Holy Spirit 1 When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in one place.
2 Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a
strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there.
4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.
5 There were Jews living in Jerusalem, religious people who had come from every country in the world.
6 When they heard this noise, a large crowd gathered. They were all excited, because all of them heard the believers talking in their own languages.
7 In amazement and wonder they exclaimed, “These people who are talking like this are Galileans!
8 How is it, then, that all of us hear them speaking in our own native languages?
9 We are from Parthia, Media, and Elam; from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia; from Pontus and Asia,
10 from Phrygia and Pamphylia, from Egypt and the regions of Libya near Cyrene. Some of us are from Rome,
11 both Jews and Gentiles converted to Judaism, and some of us are from Crete and Arabia—yet all of us hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things that God has done!”
Psalm:  Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 341 O Lord, my God, how great you are! You are clothed with majesty and glory;
24 Lord, you have made so many things! How wisely you made them all! The earth is filled with your creatures.
29 When you turn away, they are afraid; when you take away your breath, they die and go back to the dust from which they came.
30 But when you give them breath,   they are created; you give new life to the earth.
31 May the glory of the Lord last forever! May the Lord be happy with what he has made!
34 May he be pleased with my song, for my gladness comes from him.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 or  Galatians 5:16-251 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13
3 I want you to know that no one who is led by God's Spirit can say “A curse on Jesus!” and no one can confess “Jesus is Lord,” without being guided by the Holy Spirit.
4  There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them.
5 There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served.
6 There are
different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service.
7 The Spirit's presence is shown in some way in each person for the good of all.
 One Body with Many Parts 12  Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts.
13 In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been given the one Spirit to drink.
OR
Galatians 5:16-25
The Spirit and Human Nature 16 What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature. 
17 For what our human nature wants is opposed
to what the Spirit wants, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to what our human nature wants. These two are enemies, and this means that you cannot do what you want to do.
18 If the Spirit leads you, then you are not subject to the Law.
19 What human nature does is quite plain. It shows itself in immoral, filthy, and indecent actions;
20 in worship of idols and witchcraft. People become enemies and they fight; they become jealous, angry, and ambitious. They separate into parties and groups;
21 they are envious, get drunk, have orgies, and do other things like these. I warn you now as I have before: those who do these things will not possess the Kingdom of God.
22 But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these.
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have put to death their human nature with all its passions and desires.
25 The Spirit has given us life; he must also control our lives.
Gospel: John 20:19-23 or  John 15:26-27;  John 16:12-15; John 20:19-23
Jesus Appears to His Disciples (Promises to Send a Helper)
(Matthew 28.16-20; Mark 16.14-18; Luke 24.36-49) 19 It was late that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” he said.
20 After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.”
22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 
23 If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
OR
John 15:26-2726 “The Helper will come—the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God and who comes from the Father. I will send him to you from the Father, and he will speak about me.
27 And you, too, will speak about me, because you have been with me from the very beginning.
OR
John 16:12-1512 “I have much more to tell you, but now it would be too much for you to bear. 
13 When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he
will lead you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but he will speak of what he hears and will tell you of things to come.
14 He will give me glory, because he will take what I say and tell it to you.
15 All that my Father has is mine; that is why I said that the Spirit will take what I give him and tell it to you.

Sunday, February 05, 2012 (Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time)

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Jesus invited us to be like Him, humble of heart. But what is humility of the heart? It consists in receiving humiliations from God with a submissive love, in accepting one's state of life and one's duties whatever they are, and in not being ashamed of one's condition.
-- St. Peter Julian Eymard

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Job 7:1-4, 6-7
1 “Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?
2 As a servant who earnestly desires the shadow, As a hireling who looks for his wages,
3 So am I made to possess months of misery, Wearisome nights are appointed to me.

Sunday, January 01, 2012 {Octave Day of Christmas: Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God.
-- St. Irenaeus, Adversus haereses

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Numbers 6:22-27
(The Priestly Blessing)
22 The Lord commanded Moses
23 to tell Aaron and his sons to use the following words in blessing the people of Israel:
24 May the Lord bless you and take care of you;

Sunday, December 25, 2010 {The Nativity of the Lord - Christmas (Solemnity)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
A light shall shine upon us this day: for the Lord is born to us: and He shall be called Wonderful, God, the Prince of Peace, the Father of the world to come: of whose reign there shall be no end.
-- Is. ix. 2, 6

READINGS FOR TODAY

Midnight
First Reading: Isaiah 9:1-6
(The Future King)
1 There will be no way for them to escape from this time of trouble.
The land of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali was once disgraced, but the future will bring honor to this region, from the Mediterranean eastward to the land on the other side of the Jordan, and even to Galilee itself, where the foreigners live.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. They lived in a land of shadows, but now light is shining on them.
3 You have given them great joy,  Lord; you have made them happy. They rejoice in what you have done, as people rejoice when they harvest grain or when they divide captured wealth.

Sunday, December 18, 2011 (Fourth Sunday of Advent))

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials.
-- St. Teresa of Avila

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16
(Nathan's Message to David)
1 King David was settled in his palace, and the Lord kept him safe from all his enemies.
2 Then the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Here I am living in a house built of cedar, but God's Covenant Box is kept in a tent!”
3 Nathan answered, “Do whatever you have in mind, because the Lord is with you.”

Sunday, December 11, 2011 (Third Sunday of Advent)

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Holy Mother, on the cross Christ entrusted us to you as your children. Today we join with you in praising Him.
-- Second Antiphon: Morning Prayer

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11
(The Good News of Deliverance)
1 The Sovereign Lord has filled me with his Spirit. He has chosen me and sent me To bring good news to the poor, To heal the broken-hearted, To announce release to captives And freedom to those in prison.
2 He has sent me to proclaim That the time has come When the Lord will save his people And defeat their enemies. He has sent me to comfort all who mourn,
10 Jerusalem rejoices because of what the Lord has done. She is like a bride dressed for her wedding. God has clothed her with salvation and victory.

Sunday, December 04, 2011 (Second Sunday of Advent)

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Whatever you do, think not of yourself, but of God.
-- St Vincent Ferrer

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
(Words of Hope)
1 “Comfort my people,” says our God. “Comfort them!
2 Encourage the people of Jerusalem. Tell them they have suffered long enough and their sins are now forgiven. I have punished them in full for all their sins.”
3 A voice cries out, “Prepare in the wilderness a road for the Lord! Clear the way in the desert for our God!

Sunday, November 27, 2011 (First Sunday of Advent)

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
We know we are traveling together. If our pace is slow, go on ahead of us. We won't envy you but rather will seek to catch up with you. However, if you consider us capable of a quicker pace, run along with us. There is only one goal, and we are all anxious to reach it....some at a slow pace and others at a fast pace. Let everyone's sighs be uttered in longing for Christ. Let us run to Him and cry out for Him.
-- St Augustine

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Isaiah 63:16-17, 19; 64:2-7
16 You are our father. Our ancestors Abraham and Jacob do not acknowledge us, but you, Lord, are our father, the one who has always rescued us.
17 Why do you let us stray from your ways? Why do you make us so stubborn that we turn away from you? Come back, for the sake of those who serve you, for the sake of the people who have always been yours.

Sunday, November 20, 2011 {Christ the King (Solemnity)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
All of us can attain to Christian virtue and holiness, no matter in what condition of life we live and no matter what our life work may be
-- St Francis de Sales

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17
(The Good Shepherd )
11 “I, the Sovereign Lord, tell you that I myself will look for my sheep and take care of them
12 in the same way as shepherds take care of their sheep that were scattered and are brought together again. I will bring them back from all the places where they were scattered on that dark, disastrous day.
15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will find them a place to rest. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.

Sunday, October 23, 2011 (Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time)

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
The Eucharist is a burning coal that sets us on fire. Fire is active by nature and tends to spread. When the soul is under the action of the Eucharist, it is forced to cry out; "O my God, what shall I do in return for so much love?" And Jesus answers; "Thou hast to resemble Me, to live for Me, and to live of Me." The transformation will be easy; when it is a matter of love; one does not walk; one runs and flies.
-- St. Peter Julian Emyard

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Exodus 22:20-26
20 “Condemn to death anyone who offers sacrifices to any god except to me, the Lord.
21 “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner; remember that you were foreigners in Egypt.
22 Do not mistreat any widow or orphan.
23 If you do, I, the Lord, will answer them when they cry out to me for help,

Sunday, October 09, 2011 (Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time)

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
With supernatural intuition, Blessed Josemaria untiringly preached the universal call to holiness and apostolate. Christ calls everyone to become holy in the realities of everyday life. Hence work too is a means of personal holiness and apostolate, when it is done in union with Jesus Christ.
-- Pope John Paul II at the beatification of Josemaria Escriva


READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Isaiah 25:6-10
(God Prepares a Banquet)
6 Here on Mount Zion the Lord Almighty will prepare a banquet for all the nations of the world—a banquet of the richest food and the finest wine. 
7 Here he will suddenly remove the cloud of sorrow that has been hanging over all the nations. 
8 The Sovereign Lord will destroy death forever! He will wipe away the tears from everyone's eyes and take away the disgrace his people have suffered throughout the world. The Lord himself has spoken.

Sunday, August 28, 2011 (Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time)

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Jeremiah 20:7-9
7 O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and thou hast prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; every one mocks me.
8 For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, "Violence and destruction!" For the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision all day long.
9 If I say, "I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name," there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.

Psalms: Psalm 63:2-6, 8-9
2 So I have looked upon thee in the sanctuary, beholding thy power and glory.
3 Because thy steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise thee.
4 So I will bless thee as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on thy name.
5 My soul is feasted as with marrow and fat, and my mouth praises thee with joyful lips,
6 when I think of thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the watches of the night;
8 My soul clings to thee; thy right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;
Second Reading: Romans 12:1-2
1 I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
2 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Gospel: Matthew 16:21-27
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
22 And Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you."
23 But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men."
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
26 For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?
27 For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done.
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
The saints are like the stars. In his providence Christ conceals them in a hidden place that they may not shine before others when they might wish to do so. Yet they are always ready to exchange the quiet of contemplation for the works of mercy as soon as they perceive in their heart the invitation of Christ.

-- St Anthony of Padua

Sunday, August 21, 2011 {Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time}

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Isaiah 22:19-23
19     I will thrust you from your office, and you will be cast down from your station.
20     In that day I will call my servant Eli'akim the son of Hilki'ah,
21     and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your girdle on him, and will commit your authority to his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
22     And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
23     And I will fasten him like a peg in a sure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father's house.

Psalms: Psalm 138:1-3, 6, 8
1     I give thee thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing thy praise;
2     I bow down toward thy holy temple and give thanks to thy name for thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness; for thou hast exalted above everything thy name and thy word.
3     On the day I called, thou didst answer me, my strength of soul thou didst increase.
6     For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he knows from afar.
8     The LORD will fulfil his purpose for me; thy steadfast love, O LORD, endures for ever. Do not forsake the work of thy hands.

Second Reading: Romans 11:33-36
33     O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34     "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?"
35     "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?"
36     For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen.

Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20
13     Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare'a Philip'pi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?"
14     And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli'jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15     He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16     Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17     And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
18     And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.
19     I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
20     Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
One should never deny the body what is due to it, that the body itself may not hinder what is due the soul.

-- St Peter of Alcantara

Sunday, August 07, 2011 (Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time)

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: 1 Kings 19:9, 11-13
9     And there he came to a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Eli'jah?"
11     And he said, "Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;
12     and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
13     And when Eli'jah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Eli'jah?"

Psalms: Psalm 85:9-14
9     Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.
10     Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
11     Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.
12     Yea, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
13     Righteousness will go before him, and make his footsteps a way.

Second Reading: Romans 9:1-5
1     I am speaking the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit,
2     that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
3     For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen by race.
4     They are Israelites, and to them belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
5     to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ. God who is over all be blessed for ever. Amen.

Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33
22     Then he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
23     And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
24     but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them.
25     And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.
26     But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear.
27     But immediately he spoke to them, saying, "Take heart, it is I; have no fear."
28     And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water."
29     He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus;
30     but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me."
31     Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?"
32     And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33     And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary, Joseph's wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying 'Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.'

-- St Bernadine of Siena

Sunday, July 31, 2011 {Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time}

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Isaiah 55:1-3
1     "Ho, every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2     Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Hearken diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in fatness.
3     Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

Psalms: Psalm 145:8-9, 15-18
8     The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9     The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.
15     The eyes of all look to thee, and thou givest them their food in due season.
16     Thou openest thy hand, thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
17     The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.
18     The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.

Second Reading: Romans 8:35,37-39
35 Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death?
37 In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us.
38 I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future,
39 and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21
13     Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.
14     As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick.
15     When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves."
16     Jesus said, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat."
17     They said to him, "We have only five loaves here and two fish."
18     And he said, "Bring them here to me."
19     Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
20     And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.
21     And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Nothing seems tiresome or painful when you are working for a Master who pays well; who rewards even a cup of cold water given for love of Him.

-- St Dominic Savio

Sunday, July 10, 2011 {Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time}

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Isaiah 55:10-11
10 "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it

Psalms: Psalm 65:10-14
10 Thou waterest its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
11 Thou crownest the year with thy bounty; the tracks of thy chariot drip with fatness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness drip, the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.

Second Reading: Romans 8:18-23
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God;
20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope;
21 because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now;
23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23 or Matthew 13:1-9
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.
2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach.
3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow.
4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.
5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil,
6 but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away.
7 Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
9 He who has ears, let him hear."
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"
11 And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
12 For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
14 With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: `You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive.
15 For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.'
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
17 Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
18 "Hear then the parable of the sower.
19 When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path.
20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
OR
Matthew 13:1-9
1 That same day Jesus left the house and went to the lakeside, where he sat down to teach. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and
sat in it, while the crowd stood on the shore. 3 He used parables to tell them many things.
“Once there was a man who went out to sow grain. 4 As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some of it fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted, because the soil wasn't deep. 6 But when the sun came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up. 7 Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants bore grain: some had one hundred grains, others sixty, and others thirty.”
9 And Jesus concluded, “Listen, then, if you have ears!”
REFLECTION FOR TODAY
The liturgy then is rightly seen as an exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ. It involves the presentation of man's sanctification under the guise of signs perceptible by the senses and its accomplishment in ways appropriate to each of these signs. In it full public worship is performed by the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, that is, by the Head and his members. From this it follows that every liturgical celebration, because it is an action of Christ the priest and of his Body which is the Church, is a sacred action surpassing all others. No other action of the Church can equal its efficacy by the same title and to the same degree.

-- Sacrosanctum concilium

Sunday, June 26, 2011 {The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ}

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-162     And you shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments, or not.

3     And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.

14     then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage,

15     who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock,

16     who fed you in the wilderness with manna which your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end.

Psalms: Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20

12     Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!

13     For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your sons within you.

14     He makes peace in your borders; he fills you with the finest of the wheat.

15     He sends forth his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.

19     He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and ordinances to Israel.

20     He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his ordinances. Praise the LORD!

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

16     The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

17     Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

Gospel: John 6:51-58

51     I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."

52     The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

53     So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you;

54     he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

55     For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

56     He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

57     As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.

58     This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever."

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
You never saw Him, and yet believe in Him with sublime and inexpressible joy - a joy which many desire to experience. You are assured that you have been saved by a gratuitous gift, not by our actions -no, but by the will of God through Jesus Christ.

-- St. Polycarp (Letter to Philippians)

Sunday, June 19, 2011 (The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity)

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9
4      So Moses cut two tables of stone like the first; and he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand two tables of stone.
5     And the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.
6     The LORD passed before him, and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
8     And Moses made haste to bow his head toward the earth, and worshiped.
9     And he said, "If now I have found favor in thy sight, O Lord, let the Lord, I pray thee, go in the midst of us, although it is a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thy inheritance."

Psalms: Daniel 3:52-55
52      "Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever; And blessed is your holy and glorious name, praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.
53     Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.
54     Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
55     Blessed are you who look into the depths from your throne upon the cherubim, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

Second Readings: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
11      Finally, brethren, farewell. Mend your ways, heed my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.
12     Greet one another with a holy kiss.
13     All the saints greet you.

Gospel: John 3:16-18
16      For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17     For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
18     He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

READINGS FOR TODAY
What! you say. "Deprive oneself of all action, of all initiative? Why one would become stupid." No, it is God's way with chosen souls. Does He not give them all possible love? Be content to love yourself as God loves you and entrust yourself wholly to Him. Say to Him with St. Bonaventure: "I know Thou lovest me more than I can love myself: therefore I will give no thought to myself any more: I will occupy my thoughts entirely with Thee"

-- St. Peter Eymard