May 1
Thursday

6th Week of Easter
Joseph the Worker

First Reading: Gen 1:26-2:3

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 blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it, rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky, over every living creature that moves on the ground."
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. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on that day he rested from all the work he had done in his creation.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 90:2, 3-4, 12-13, 14 and 16
Lord, give success to the work of our hands.

Gospel Reading: 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.

Commentary
The Church gives us this feast of St. Joseph the Worker as a reminder to us of the dignity of human labor. God Himself labored for six days to create the world, resting on the seventh. If work is befitting our God, then certainly it befits each of us.
Depending upon our attitude, the work that we do can be a burden or it can be a means by which we give God glory and honor. Unless the work is sinful, no person lacks the opportunity to render to God a great gift through his or her job performance. May St. Joseph who was no stranger to hard work, intercede for all who labor.

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May 2
Friday

6th Week of Easter
Athanasius

First 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.

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

Gospel Reading: 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."

Commentary
Why do we have to endure hardships in this life? Why are followers of the Lord made to suffer so greatly?
Jesus offers great insight into these piercing questions by citing the necessary sufferings of a mother in labor. Though the suffering might be intense, it soon gives way to joy of great measure. So it will be with those who believe and remain steadfast in the faith. St. Paul would put it this way: "I consider the sufferings of the present to be as nothing to the glory to be revealed."

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May 3
Saturday

Philip and James

First Reading: 1 Cor 15:1-8

Let me remind you, brothers and sisters, of the Good News that I preached to you and which you received and on which you stand firm. By that Gospel you are saved, provided that you hold to it as I preached it. Otherwise, you will have believed in vain.
In the first place, I have passed on to you what I myself received: that Christ died for our sins, as Scripture says; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve. Afterwards he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters together; most of them are still alive, although some have already gone to rest. Then he appeared to James and after that to all the apostles. And last of all, he appeared to the most despicable of them, this is to me.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 19:2-3, 4-5
Their message goes out through all the earth.

Gospel Reading: Jn 14:6-14

Jesus said to Thomas, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me. 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."

Commentary
The fact that this Scripture is given to us several times in the Easter Season points to its importance. When the apostles struggled to understand the identity of Jesus and the implications of His message, Jesus invited them to place their absolute trust in Him. Only one who is perfect is deserving of absolute trust, and the Lord is absolutely reliable.
Making an act of faith in Jesus is not always easy. May the Holy Spirit help us to remember the Lord's invitation to trust in him, and may we be confident that those who trust in the Lord are never disappointed.

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May 4
Sunday

Ascension Sunday

First 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 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."

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

Second Reading: Eph 1:17-23

Brothers and sisters, may the God of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Father of Glory, reveal himself to you and give you a spirit of wisdom, 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; may you understand with what extraordinary power he acts in favor of us who believe.
He revealed his almighty power in Christ when he raised him from the dead and had him sit at his right hand in heaven, far above all rule, power, authority, dominion, or any other supernatural force that could be named, not only in this world but in the world to come as well.
Thus has God put all things under the feet of Christ and set him above all things, as head of the Church which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Gospel Reading: Mt 28:16-20

As for the Eleven disciples, they 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."

Commentary
How seemingly strange that the Lord would make a solemn promise to remain with His Church forever, only to then ascend into the heavens. Yet the Lord knew that the Holy Spirit would soon come and make it possible for Him to keep that promise in a magnanimous way.
The Lord does not leave us orphaned, but remains with us most especially in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. He keeps His promise and allows us to find Him exactly where He said He could be found, in the breaking of the bread that is His Body, and in the sharing of the chalice that is His Blood.

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May 5
Monday

7th Week of Easter

First 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.

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

Gospel Reading: 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."

Commentary
Jesus knew the difficulties that His followers would face in living out the faith. Disciples of Jesus are not exempt from suffering. In fact, they are targets of persecution.
Yet suffering for the sake of the Gospel is a privilege, and when we unite our sufferings with His we participate in His work of redemption. We pray not that our sufferings will diminish, but that we will have the strength we need to carry the cross.
Without the cross there can be no resurrection, without suffering there can be no glory.

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May 6
Tuesday

7th Week of Easter

First 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.
"I now feel sure that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom of God will ever see me again. Therefore I declare to you this day that my conscience is clear with regard to all of you. For I have spared no effort in fully declaring to you God's will."

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

Gospel Reading: Jn 17:1-11a

Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and 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."

Commentary
During His last night on earth, amidst the agony in the garden, our Lord prayed for us. He prayed that we might always remain steadfast in our faith, and that we might never give in to the temptation to follow any other road than the one that leads to heaven.
Jesus desires that all men and women be saved, that all be drawn into the fullness of life. May we pray for those who do not yet believe in Him, that they will be enlightened by the truth of the Gospel and come to know the Lord Jesus, who alone is the path of eternal life.

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May 7
Wednesday

7th Week of Easter

First 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 grace-filled 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.'"
After this discourse, Paul knelt down with them and prayed. Then they all began to weep and threw their arms around him and kissed him. They were deeply distressed because he had said that they would never see him again. And they went with him even to the ship.

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

Gospel Reading: Jn 17:11b-19

Jesus looked up to heaven and 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."

Commentary
St. Augustine said so aptly that we are called to be in the world but not of the world. We have here no lasting city, for we are but sojourners, strangers in a strange land. Is it any wonder that we feel at times that we do not belong, that our cares are beyond the limitations of this world, and that we are destined for things greater that what the world can offer?
May we store up for ourselves treasures in heaven, so that we might one day enjoy the fruits of doing the Lord's work here on earth.

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May 8
Thursday

7th Week of Easter

First Reading: Acts 22:30; 23:6-11

The next day the commander wanted to know for certain the charges the Jews were making against Paul. So he released him from prison and called together the High Priest and the whole Council; and they brought Paul down and made him stand before them.
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."

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

Gospel Reading: 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."

Commentary
We profess in the Nicene Creed that the Church is one. We know that the Church does enjoy a certain "one-ness," a unity of belief, and still we pray and work that we will become even more united.
Jesus prays that divisions between us will cease, and that the human race will enjoy the same unity that He experiences with His Father. We must be on guard against attitudes and behaviors that undermine the unity for which the Lord prays, and we must count it a privilege to be able to work to create bridges of understanding between those who would otherwise be separated.

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May 9
Friday

7th Week of Easter

First Reading: Acts 25:13b-21

As they were to stay there several days, 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."

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

Gospel Reading: 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."

Commentary
Three times did St. Peter deny our Lord, and three times does Jesus give Peter the opportunity to express his love. The scene is marked by a tension that gradually gives way to Peter's expression of devotion and the Lord's entrusting him with the care of the Church.
To each of us, Jesus issues the very invitation that He extended to St. Peter: To follow Him wherever He might lead, to follow Him into the greatest adventure we could ever know.
May our response be as wholehearted as was St. Peter's.

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May 10
Saturday

7th Week of Easter
Bl. Damien Joseph de Veuster of Moloka'i

First 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.

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

Gospel Reading: 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.

Commentary
Our faith in the Lord Jesus is based upon the eyewitness testimony of many people, including St. John, the beloved apostle and the writer of today's Gospel. Still, there are many more testimonies of the power of the Lord to do great and wonderful things in the lives of ordinary people like you and me. In fact, your relationship with the Lord is an important volume for the library of which St. John speaks, the collection of accounts of the Lord's mighty deeds.
By God's grace, may your life serve as an inspiration for others. May your faith in Jesus Christ be an open book from which others can read.

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May 11
Sunday

Pentecost Sunday

First Reading: Acts 2:1-11

When the day of Pentecost came, the apostles 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 the 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.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

Second Reading: 1 Cor 12:3-7, 12-13

I tell you that nobody inspired by the Spirit of God may say, "A curse on Jesus," as no one can say, "Jesus is the Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
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.

Gospel Reading: Jn 20:19-23

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."

Commentary
This day the Church sings out the ancient prayer, "Come, Holy Spirit!" We pray that we might experience today the vitality, enthusiasm and courage of the early Church, and that our efforts to evangelize this troubled world of ours will meet with the same success as those who felt the strong, rushing wind of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
The Holy Spirit is no less present today than when the apostles and the Blessed Mother gathered in the upper room. May we open ourselves to the gifts of the Holy Spirit by praying with great fervor, "Come, Holy Spirit!"

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May 12
Monday

6th Week in Ordinary Time
Nereus and Achilleus / Pancras

First Reading: Jas 1:1-11

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sends greetings to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.
Consider yourselves fortunate, my brothers and sisters, when you meet with every kind of trial, for you know that the testing of your faith makes you steadfast. Let your steadfastness become perfect with deeds, that you yourselves may be perfect and blameless, without any defect.
If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God who gives to all easily and unconditionally. But ask with faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave driven and tossed on the sea by the wind. Such a person should not expect anything from the Lord, since the doubter has two minds and his conduct will always be insecure.
Let the believer who is poor boast in being uplifted, and let the rich one boast in being humbled, because he will pass away like the flower of the field. The sun rises and its heat dries the grass; the flower withers and its beauty vanishes. So, too, will the rich person fade away even in the midst of his pursuits.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 119:67, 68, 71, 72, 75, 76
Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.

Gospel Reading: 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.

Commentary
When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert, He was given the opportunity to perform miracles in exchange for food, riches and power. Jesus refused then, just as He refuses to perform a miracle for the Pharisees. The miracles of Jesus are always done for a person's physical or spiritual well-being, and to inspire faith. He never performs a miracle (or sign) when it is simply in His own interest.
Jesus' response to the Pharisees anticipates His triumph over sin and death in the resurrection, the one, great sign that makes it possible for all men and women to believe in Jesus' divinity.

index calendar

May 13
Tuesday

6th Week in Ordinary Time
Our Lady of Fatima

First Reading: Jas 1:12-18

Happy are those who patiently endure trials, because afterwards they will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love him. No one, when tempted, should say, "This temptation comes from God." God is never tempted and he can never tempt anyone. Instead, each of us is lured and enticed by our own evil desire. Once this desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when fully grown, gives birth to death.
Do not be deceived, my beloved. 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.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 94:12-13a, 14-15, 18-19
Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.

Gospel Reading: 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?"

Commentary
A small amount of yeast has powerful effect upon the dough, just as one person yield a powerful influence upon a large group. The negative, disparaging attitude of the Pharisee and the corrupt practices of Herod would exert a corrosive influence upon the people of Israel.
On the contrary, a nation and indeed the human race would be saved by the wisdom and compassion of Jesus, along with His willingness to lay down His life for the flock. Through our baptism, we are configured to Jesus Christ and are become light to the world, salt of the earth, and yeast for this troubled world of ours.

May 14
Wednesday

6th Week in Ordinary Time
Matthias

First Reading: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26

It was during this time that Peter stood up in the midst of the community-about one hundred and twenty in all-and he 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 which he deserted to go to the place he deserved."
Then they drew lots between the two and the choice fell on Matthias who was added to the eleven apostles.

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

Gospel Reading: 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."

Commentary
The Lord sets an incredibly high standard for His disciples in commanding us to love one another as He has loved us. His love is unconditional, ours can only be limited. His love would forgive those who persecuted Him, ours seem to struggle at getting over petty grudges. His love would take Him to the cross, ours hesitates and falters at even the hint of a small sacrifice.
How else but by drawing near to Jesus through Word and Sacrament can we ever hope to fulfill the new commandment to love others as He first loved us?

May 15
Thursday

6th Week in Ordinary Time
Isidore the Farmer

First Reading: Jas 2:1-9

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 well-dressed 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? Yet you despise them! Is it not the rich who are against you and drag you to court? Do they not insult the holy name of Christ by which you are called?
If you keep the Law of the Kingdom, according to Scripture: Love your neighbor as yourself, you do well; but if you make distinctions between persons, you break the law and are condemned by the same law.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

Gospel Reading: Mk 8:27-33

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."

Commentary
Jesus' identity as the Messiah is inextricable from His role as the Suffering Servant spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, the one who will suffer greatly, like a lamb being led to the slaughter. Only by giving everything that He had to give would Jesus fulfill the mission for which He was sent by His Heavenly Father.
This critical connection between Jesus' identity and mission is difficult for us to fathom, let alone follow. To do so, we must think as God does, putting on the mind of Christ and allowing ourselves to be led not by our base desires, but by conformity to the will of the Lord.

May 16
Friday

6th Week in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Jas 2:14-24, 26

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 faith and I have good deeds; show me your faith apart from actions and I, for my part, will show you my faith in the way I act." Do you believe there is one God? Well enough, but do not forget that the demons also believe and tremble with fear!
You foolish one, do you have to be convinced that faith without deeds is useless? Think of our father Abraham. Was he not justified by the act of offering his son Isaac on the altar? So you see, his faith was active along with his deeds and became perfect by what he did. The word of Scripture was thus fulfilled, Abraham believed in God so he was considered a righteous person and he was called the friend of God.
So you see, a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
So, just as the body is dead without its spirit, so faith without deeds