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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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calendar
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.
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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
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