June 1
Sunday

9th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Dt 11:18, 26-28, 32

Engrave these words of mine on your heart and in your soul, brand them on your hand as a sign, and keep them always before your eyes.
See that on this day, I set before you a blessing and a curse. A blessing if you obey the commandments of Yahweh that I command you today; a curse if you disobey these commandments and turn aside from the way that I show you now, to follow strange gods which are not yours.
And be careful to carry out all the laws and precepts which I now set before you.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 31:2-3, 3-4, 17, 25
Lord, be my rock of safety.

Second Reading: Rom 3:21-25, 28

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. For God has given him to be the victim whose blood obtains us forgiveness through faith.
For we hold that people are in God's grace by faith and not because of all the things ordered by the Law.

Gospel Reading: Mt 7:21-27

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!"

Commentary
Notice that the house built upon rock was subjected to the very same wind and rain that would afflict the house built upon sand. The difference between the two houses would lie in their foundations.
In the same way, the follower of Jesus cannot expect to be spared the inevitable tempests and storms that are part of the human condition. The winds will blow and the rains will come! Being rooted in the firm foundation of faith, hope and charity will make all the difference in the world. May we never stray from the One who makes us strong.

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June 2
Monday

9th Week in Ordinary Time
Marcellinus and Peter

First Reading: 2 P 1:2-7

May grace and peace abound in you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and piety. First the knowledge of the One who called us through his own Glory and Might, by which we were given the most extraordinary and precious promises. Through them you share in the divine nature, after repelling the?corruption and evil desires of this world.
So, strive with the greatest determination and increase your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with moderation, moderation with constancy, constancy with piety, piety with mutual affection, mutual affection with charity.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 91:1-2, 14-15b, 15c-16
In you, my God, I place my trust.

Gospel Reading: Mk 12:1-12

Using parables, Jesus went on to say, "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."
And Jesus added, "Have you not read this text of the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the keystone. This was the Lord's doing; and we marvel at it."
They wanted to arrest him for they realized that Jesus meant this parable for them, but they were afraid of the crowd. So they left him and went away.

Commentary
It is amazing that the tenants thought they could get away with the treatment of the master's servants and even his son. They were acting completely irrationally, for no probate court would ever award them their master's property.
Sin is fundamentally irrational, yet we think we can get away with it. What is to be gained by the mistreatment of others, the holding of the petty grudge, or the outright meanness that we can exhibit?
Only foolish tenants would act the way they did in the parable. Only a fool can think himself smarter than God.

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June 3
Tuesday

9th Week in Ordinary Time
Charles Lwanga and Companions

First Reading: 2 P 3:12-15a, 17-18

As you wait for the Day of God and long for its coming, when the heavens will dissolve in fire and the elements melt away in the heat. We wait for a new heaven and a new earth in which justice reigns, according to God's promise.
Therefore, beloved, as you wait in expectation of this, strive that God may find you rooted in peace, without blemish or fault.
And consider that God's patience is for our salvation, as our beloved brother Paul wrote to you, with the wisdom given him.
So then, dearly beloved, as you have been warned, be careful lest those people who have gone astray deceive you in turn and drag you along, making you stumble and finally fall away. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: to him be glory, now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 90:2, 3-4, 10, 14 and 16
In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Gospel Reading: 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." And they were greatly astonished.

Commentary
With a wisdom far greater than Solomon's does Jesus resolve the matter at hand. That same wisdom is what we need in order to settle the vexing question of how we are to act in a society that is increasingly individualistic, materialistic and hedonistic. How are we to remain faithful to the Lord amidst the distractions of our day?
St. Augustine would say that we are to live in the world but not be of the world, advice that is perennially valid. We must keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus, lest we be led astray by the seductive lure of the things of this world.

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June 4
Wednesday

9th Week in Ordinary Time

First Reading: 2 Tim 1:1-3, 6-12

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.
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. He saved us and called us-a calling which proceeds from his holiness. This did not depend on our merits, but on his generosity and his own initiative. This calling given to us from all time in Christ Jesus has just been manifested with the glorious appearance of Christ Jesus, our Lord, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light in his Gospel. Of this message I was made herald, apostle and teacher.
For its sake I now suffer this trial, but I am not ashamed, for I know in whom I have believed and I am convinced that he is capable of taking care of all I have entrusted to him until that day.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 123:1b-2ab, 2cdef
To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes.

Gospel Reading: 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. The second took the wife and he, too, died leaving no children. The same thing happened to the third. 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."

Commentary
Many things lie beyond our ability to understand. We err, in fact, when we try to reduce the mysteries of God to our own size.
What will our relationships with our loved ones be like in heaven? Only God knows! But the Lord does assure us that we will be ourselves in heaven (not absorbed into the energy of the cosmos) and that there exists now a communion of saints that will only be perfected in heaven.
We will know one another in heaven the way the Lord wants us to know one another: freed from the corruption of sin and death.

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June 5
Thursday

9th Week in Ordinary Time
Boniface

First Reading: 2 Tim 2:8-15

Remember Christ Jesus, risen from the dead, Jesus, son of David, as preached in my Gospel. For this Gospel I labor and even wear chains like an evildoer, but the word of God is not chained. And so I bear everything for the sake of the chosen people, that they, too, may obtain the salvation given to us in Christ Jesus and share eternal glory. This statement is true:
If we have died with him, we shall also live with him;
If we endure with him, we shall reign with him;
If we deny him, he will also deny us;
If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful for he cannot deny himself.
Remind your people of these things and urge them in the presence of God not to fight over words, which does no good, but only ruins those who listen. Be for God an active and proved minister, a blameless worker correctly handling the word of truth.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 25:4-5ab, 8-9, 10, 14
Teach me your ways, O Lord.

Gospel Reading: 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." But after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Commentary
All. Not part, but all. This is how we are to love our God, this is how we are to serve the Lord. Following Jesus is nothing less than a full-time commitment. We cannot dabble in discipleship. Holiness is not a hobby! The Lord gives everything that He has to give so that we might have life and have it in abundance. Our response to His incredible love must be nothing less than total.
Sin is holding out on God, giving Him less than His due. May we stay away from sin so that we might never be far from the kingdom of God.

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June 6
Friday

9th Week in Ordinary Time
Norbert

First Reading: 2 Tim 3:10-17

You, instead, have closely followed my teaching, my way of life, my projects, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions and sufferings. You know what happened to me at Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. How many trials I had to bear! Yet the Lord rescued me from them all. All who want to serve God in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil persons and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
As for you, continue with what you have learned and what has been entrusted to you, knowing from whom you received it. Besides, you have known the Scriptures from childhood; they will give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, refuting error, for correcting and training in Christian life. Through Scripture the man of God is made expert and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 119:157, 160, 161, 165, 166, 168
O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.

Gospel Reading: 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.

Commentary
The words spoken by Jesus were compelling, and many came to follow Him through the power of His message. That same message is given to us in the Holy Bible so that we might also listen to Him and be guided by His message.
Through the daily discipline of reading the scriptures we draw near to divine wisdom. It has been said that every time the scriptures are proclaimed they are heard for the very first time. May your keeping of this Bible Diary help you to be even more attentive to God's Word, God's holy will in your life.

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June 7
Saturday

9th Week in Ordinary Time

First Reading: 2 Tim 4:1-8

In the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by the hope I have of his coming and his kingdom, I urge you to preach the Word, in season and out of season, reproving, rebuking or advising, always with patience and providing instruction. For the time is coming when people will no longer endure sound doctrine but following their passions they will surround themselves with teachers to please their itching ears. And they will abandon the truth to hear fables. So be prudent, do not mind your labor, give yourself to your work as an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
As for me, I am already poured out as a libation, and the moment of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness with which the Lord, the just judge, will reward me on that day; and not only me, but all those who have longed for his glorious coming.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 71:8-9, 14-15ab, 16-17, 22
I will sing of your salvation.

Gospel Reading: 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."

Commentary
The poor widow in the Gospel serves as a model for the offering that we make to the Lord through the Church of our time, talent and treasure. Equal gifts would be an unrealistic and unjust goal, for we are all of different means. Equal gifts are not expected, but equal sacrifices are. In sharing our resources with the Church we are simply returning to the Lord what He first gave to us. And as what He gave to us demanded the perfect sacrifice on His part, should not our offerings involve sacrifice on ours?

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June 8
Sunday

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Hos 6:3-6

In their affliction, people will say, "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.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 50:1, 8, 12-13, 14-15
To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Second Reading: Rom 4:18-25

Brothers and sisters, 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. He did not doubt although his body could no longer give life-he was about a hundred years old-and in spite of his wife Sarah being unable to have children. 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 Reading: Mt 9:9-13

As Jesus was walking 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."

Commentary
From the ranks of the most despised class of people did Jesus call His apostle Matthew. Few were hated more than the tax collectors, for they resorted to extortion and cruelty to exact payment from their charges. Yet the call of Jesus forever changed Matthew, and from that day his life was lived not for himself and his own selfish interests, but for the Lord. In that did Matthew find meaning, purpose and direction in his life, in that did Matthew's life take on lasting significance.
Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.

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June 9
Monday

10th Week in Ordinary Time
Ephrem

First Reading: 1 K 17:1-6

Now Elijah, the prophet from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As Yahweh, the God of Israel whom I serve lives, neither dew shall drop nor rain fall except at my command."
Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah, "Leave this place and go eastward. Hide yourself by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook and, for your food, I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." So Elijah obeyed the word of Yahweh and went to live by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. There the ravens brought him bread in the morning and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 121:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Gospel Reading: 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.

Commentary
Today we begin a continuous reading from the Gospel of Matthew that will take us several months to complete. St. Matthew wrote his Gospel to fit the particular needs of Jewish converts to Christianity, and we find in his Gospel many references to and quotes from the Old Testament.
Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises of the prophets of the Old Testament, He is the New Moses who gives the new law, the new way of life through His Sermon on the Mount, a sermon that begins with today's reading of the Beatitudes.

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June 10
Tuesday

10th Week in Ordinary Time

First Reading: 1 K 17:7-16

After a while, the brook dried up because no rain had fallen in the land. Then Yahweh spoke to Elijah, "Go to Zarephath of the Sidonites and stay there. I have given word to a widow there to give you food." So 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.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 4:2-3, 4-5, 7b-8
Lord, let your face shine on us.

Gospel Reading: 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 t