Mary Visits Elizabeth

May 31, 2021, Monday
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 572

Reading I
Zep 3:14-18a

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
    Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart, 
    O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you,
    he has turned away your enemies;
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
    you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
    Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
    a mighty savior;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
    and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
    as one sings at festivals.

OR:    

Rom 12:9-16

Brothers and sisters:
Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you,
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Have the same regard for one another;
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly;
do not be wise in your own estimation.

Responsorial Psalm
Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

R.    (6)  Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

God indeed is my savior;
    I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
    and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
    at the fountain of salvation.

R.    Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
    among the nations make known his deeds,
    proclaim how exalted is his name.

R.    Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
    let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
    for great in your midst 
    is the Holy One of Israel!

R.    Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Alleluia
See Lk 1:45

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Lk 1:39-56

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
    my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
    for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
    the Almighty has done great things for me,
    and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
    in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
    he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
    and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
    and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
    for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
    the promise he made to our fathers,
    to Abraham and his children for ever.”
Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.

REFLECTION:

Mary was a woman of faith. Elizabeth praises her, not because she has conceived the Christ, but because she believed the angel’s words. Let us pray to her for the strong faith we need in these troubled times. God can do what we think impossible.

PRAYER:

Lord, help me to do your will joyfully and fearlessly. I want to answer your call with an exultant “Yes!” secure in the knowledge that, as I move into the unknown, my journey will be made radiant by your transfiguring presence.

I AM With You....Always (Trinity Sunday B)

May 30, 2021, Sunday
SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY (TRINITY SUNDAY) (White)
BASIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITY SUNDAY
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 165

Reading I
Dt 4:32-34, 39-40

Moses said to the people:
"Ask now of the days of old, before your time,
ever since God created man upon the earth;
ask from one end of the sky to the other:
Did anything so great ever happen before?
Was it ever heard of?
Did a people ever hear the voice of God
speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live?
Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself
from the midst of another nation,
by testings, by signs and wonders, by war,
with strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors,
all of which the LORD, your God,
did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?
This is why you must now know,
and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God
in the heavens above and on earth below,
and that there is no other.
You must keep his statutes and commandments that I enjoin on you today,
that you and your children after you may prosper,
and that you may have long life on the land
which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever."

Responsorial Psalm
33:4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22

R. (12b)  Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Upright is the word of the LORD,
    and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
    of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made;
    by the breath of his mouth all their host.
For he spoke, and it was made;
    he commanded, and it stood forth.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
    upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
    and preserve them in spite of famine.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Our soul waits for the LORD,
    who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
    who have put our hope in you.

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Reading II
Rom 8:14-17

Brothers and sisters:
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you received a Spirit of adoption,
through whom we cry, “Abba, Father!”
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs,
heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ,
if only we suffer with him
so that we may also be glorified with him.

Alleluia
Rv 1:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;
to God who is, who was, and who is to come.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mt 28:16-20

The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
"All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

REFLECTION:

The mystery of the Trinity is difficult to put into words. One important word in considering the Trinity is 'sharing'. The three persons live in the love of sharing their truth and sharing all they are. Prayer introduces us to the mystery of God, the mystery of truth, and the mystery of gift. All of God is a gift; prayer is our time of allowing the gift of Father, Son, and Spirit to reach deeply into our lives.

PRAYER:

In the words of a well-known prayer to the Holy Trinity, we pray: O Everlasting and Triune God, I consecrate myself wholly to you today. Let all my days offer you ceaseless praise, my hands move to the rhythm of your impulses, my feet be swift in your service, my voice sing constantly of you, my lips proclaim your message, my eyes perceive you everywhere, and my ears be attuned to your inspirations. May my intellect be filled with your wisdom, I will be moved by your beauty, my heart be enraptured with your love, and my soul is flooded with your grace. Grant that every action of mine be done for your greater glory and the advancement of my salvation. AMEN.

The Authority Of Jesus Questioned

May 29, 2021, Saturday
Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
Optional Memorial of Saint Paul VI, Pope (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 352

Reading I
Sir 51:12cd-20

I thank the LORD and I praise him;
    I bless the name of the LORD.
When I was young and innocent,
    I sought wisdom openly in my prayer
I prayed for her before the temple,
    and I will seek her until the end,
    and she flourished as a grape soon ripe.
My heart delighted in her,
My feet kept to the level path
    because from earliest youth I was familiar with her.
In the short time I paid heed,
    I met with great instruction.
Since in this way I have profited,
    I will give my teacher grateful praise.
I became resolutely devoted to her—
    the good I persistently strove for.
My soul was tormented in seeking her, 
My hand opened her gate
    and I came to know her secrets.
I directed my soul to her,
    and in cleanness I attained to her.

Responsorial Psalm
19:8, 9, 10, 11

R.     (9ab)  The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

The law of the LORD is perfect,
    refreshing the soul.
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
    giving wisdom to the simple.

R.     The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

The precepts of the LORD are right,
    rejoicing the heart.
The command of the LORD is clear,
    enlightening the eye.

R.    The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

The fear of the LORD is pure,
    enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
    all of them just.

R.    The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

They are more precious than gold,
    than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
    or honey from the comb.

R.    The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

Alleluia
See Col 3:16a, 17c

R.     Alleluia, alleluia.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;
giving thanks to God the Father through him.

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mk 11:27-33

Jesus and his disciples returned once more to Jerusalem.
As he was walking in the temple area,
the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders
approached him and said to him,
“By what authority are you doing these things?
Or who gave you this authority to do them?”
Jesus said to them, “I shall ask you one question.
Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 
Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin?  Answer me.”
They discussed this among themselves and said,
“If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say,
‘Then why did you not believe him?’
But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”–
they feared the crowd,
for they all thought John really was a prophet.
So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.”
Then Jesus said to them,
“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

REFLECTION:

The opponents of Jesus question the source of his authority. They fear it may undermine their own power. Jesus preferred the company of sinners and tax collectors who made no claim to any authority of their own.

True authority is not a personal possession. It comes from God and is to be used always with an eye on God. Whatever authority we have, as parents, teachers, priests, etc, we must use sensitively, so that God would be pleased.

PRAYER:

It is for the good of my heart that Jesus speaks to me in my prayer. As I listen for his word I try to allow my heart to receive it, careful not to let my mind get lost in argument or analysis.

Jesus Curses A Fig Tree

May 28, 2021, Friday
Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 351

Reading I
Sir 44:1, 9-13

Now will I praise those godly men,
    our ancestors, each in his own time.
But of others there is no memory,
    for when they ceased, they ceased.
And they are as though they had not lived,
    they and their children after them.
Yet these also were godly men
    whose virtues have not been forgotten;
Their wealth remains in their families,
    their heritage with their descendants;
Through God’s covenant with them their family endures,
    their posterity, for their sake.
And for all time their progeny will endure,
    their glory will never be blotted out.

Responsorial Psalm
149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

R.    (see 4a)  The Lord takes delight in his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.   

Sing to the LORD a new song
    of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
    let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.

R.    The Lord takes delight in his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
    let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
    and he adorns the lowly with victory.

R.    The Lord takes delight in his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.   

Let the faithful exult in glory;
    let them sing for joy upon their couches;
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
    This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia. 

R.    The Lord takes delight in his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.  

Alleluia
See Jn 15:16

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mk 11:11-26

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area.
He looked around at everything and, since it was already late,
went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry.
Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf,
he went over to see if he could find anything on it.
When he reached it he found nothing but leaves;
it was not the time for figs.
And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!”
And his disciples heard it.
They came to Jerusalem,
and on entering the temple area
he began to drive out those selling and buying there.
He overturned the tables of the money-changers
and the seats of those who were selling doves.
He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area.
Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written:
    My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples?
    But you have made it a den of thieves.”
The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it
and were seeking a way to put him to death,
yet they feared him
because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.
When evening came, they went out of the city.
Early in the morning, as they were walking along,
they saw the fig tree withered to its roots.
Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look!
The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”
Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God.
Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’
and does not doubt in his heart
but believes that what he says will happen,
it shall be done for him.
Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer,
believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.
When you stand to pray,
forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance,
so that your heavenly Father may in turn
forgive you your transgressions.”

REFLECTION:

Today’s gospel describes two actions of Jesus whose meaning goes well beyond the action itself. By these actions, Jesus surprises us and perhaps even disturbs us, and this makes us think. He enters the temple and expels the sellers, using very strong language. The temple was the holiest place for the Jews, and Jesus is asserting his authority even on that place. No wonder the chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to get rid of him, for he was very clearly challenging their authority, and winning the admiration and sympathy of the people.

The other action is even more surprising and disturbing – the cursed fig tree withers in one day, and we can only understand it as a prophetic sign. Jesus comes to Jerusalem to celebrate the Pasch, but finds the city and its leaders sterile, unable to welcome him whom they professed to desire. Like the fig tree without fruit, it will wither and die. Jesus is challenging me to bear fruit, and not just live on nostalgia of the glorious past.

PRAYER:

Merciful Father, purify and cleanse my soul that I may be worthy to be with You forever. AMEN.

Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

May 27, 2021 , Thursday
Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 350

Reading I
Sir 42:15-25

Now will I recall God’s works;
    what I have seen, I will describe.
At God’s word were his works brought into being;
    they do his will as he has ordained for them.
As the rising sun is clear to all,
    so the glory of the LORD fills all his works;
Yet even God’s holy ones must fail
    in recounting the wonders of the LORD,
Though God has given these, his hosts, the strength
    to stand firm before his glory.
He plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart;
    their innermost being he understands.
The Most High possesses all knowledge,
    and sees from of old the things that are to come:
He makes known the past and the future,
    and reveals the deepest secrets.
No understanding does he lack;
    no single thing escapes him.
Perennial is his almighty wisdom;
    he is from all eternity one and the same,
With nothing added, nothing taken away;
    no need of a counselor for him!
How beautiful are all his works!
    even to the spark and fleeting vision!
The universe lives and abides forever;
    to meet each need, each creature is preserved.
All of them differ, one from another,
    yet none of them has he made in vain,
For each in turn, as it comes, is good;
    can one ever see enough of their splendor?

Responsorial Psalm
33:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R.    (6a)  By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.

Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
    with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
    pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.

R.    By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.

For upright is the word of the LORD
    and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
    of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.

R.    By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made;
    by the breath of his mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as in a flask;
    in cellars he confines the deep.

R.    By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all who dwell in the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it was made;
    he commanded, and it stood forth.

R.    By the word of the Lord the heavens were made.

Alleluia
Jn 8:12

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mk 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
“Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” 
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
“Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”
Jesus told him, ‘Go your way; your faith has saved you.”
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.

REFLECTION:

Bartimaeus was an irritation to the crowd; they asked him to keep quiet, they were embarrassed by the attention he was drawing. Might there be some part of me that I prefer to keep silent? I lead all my needs be given expression as I am here in prayer.

I listen to Jesus speak to me as he spoke to Bartimaeus. He asks, ‘What do you want me to do for you?'

PRAYER:

Lord, I sometimes open my eyes in the morning, and do not notice the sunshine, the green of trees, the colours in my room, the warmth or sorrow in the faces around me. If I had been blind, like Bartimaeus in today's gospel, I would long to open my eyes and see all that is to be seen. I could not have enough of this light-filled world around me.

Bound for Greatness

May 26, 2021, Wednesday
Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 349

Reading I
Sir 36:1, 4-5a, 10-17

Come to our aid, O God of the universe,
    look upon us, show us the light of your mercies,
    and put all the nations in dread of you!
Thus they will know, as we know,
    that there is no God but you, O Lord.

Give new signs and work new wonders.

Gather all the tribes of Jacob,
    that they may inherit the land as of old,
Show mercy to the people called by your name;
    Israel, whom you named your firstborn.
Take pity on your holy city,
    Jerusalem, your dwelling place.
Fill Zion with your majesty,
    your temple with your glory.

Give evidence of your deeds of old;
    fulfill the prophecies spoken in your name,
Reward those who have hoped in you,
    and let your prophets be proved true.
Hear the prayer of your servants,
    for you are ever gracious to your people;
    and lead us in the way of justice.
Thus it will be known to the very ends of the earth
    that you are the eternal God.

Responsorial Psalm
79:8, 9, 11 and 13

R.    (Sirach 36:1b)  Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.

Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
    may your compassion quickly come to us,
    for we are brought very low.

R.    Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.

Help us, O God our savior,
    because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
    for your name’s sake.

R.    Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.

Let the prisoners’ sighing come before you;
    with your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,
    will give thanks to you forever;
    through all generations we will declare your praise.

R.    Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.

Alleluia
Mk 10:45

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

The Son of Man came to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mk 10:32-45

The disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem,
and Jesus went ahead of them.
They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.
Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them
what was going to happen to him.
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man
will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, 
and they will condemn him to death
and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him,
spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death,
but after three days he will rise.”
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
came to Jesus and said to him,
‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”
He replied, ‘What do you wish me to do for you?”
They answered him,
“Grant that in your glory
we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.”
Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I drink
or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”
They said to him, ‘We can.”
Jesus said to them, “The chalice that I drink, you will drink,
and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.
Jesus summoned them and said to them,
“You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

REFLECTION:

Anyone who follows Jesus must be, not a slave of Jesus, but ‘a slave of all.’ A slave usually does the bidding of one single owner. By saying that his followers must become the ‘slaves of all, Jesus is emphasizing the idea of indiscriminate love and service. That will be my Passion.

PRAYER: 

Jesus, the words used to describe what will happen to you are appalling: ‘handed over; condemned; handed over again; mocked; spat upon; flogged; killed.’ And you were willing to endure all this for me!

First will be Last, and the Last will be First

May 25, 2021, Tuesday
Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor of the Church - Opt. Mem. (White)
Saint Gregory VII, Pope, Religious - Opt. Mem. (White)
Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Virgin - Opt. Mem. (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 348

Reading I
Sir 35:1-12

To keep the law is a great oblation,
    and he who observes the 
    commandments sacrifices a peace offering.
In works of charity one offers fine flour,
    and when he gives alms he presents his sacrifice of praise.
To refrain from evil pleases the LORD,
    and to avoid injustice is an atonement.
Appear not before the LORD empty-handed,
    for all that you offer is in fulfillment of the precepts.
The just one’s offering enriches the altar
    and rises as a sweet odor before the Most High.
The just one’s sacrifice is most pleasing,
    nor will it ever be forgotten.
In a generous spirit pay homage to the LORD,
    be not sparing of freewill gifts.
With each contribution show a cheerful countenance,
    and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy.
Give to the Most High as he has given to you,
    generously, according to your means.
For the LORD is one who always repays,
    and he will give back to you sevenfold.
But offer no bribes, these he does not accept!
    Trust not in sacrifice of the fruits of extortion.
For he is a God of justice,
    who knows no favorites.

Responsorial Psalm
50:5-6, 7-8, 14 and 23

R.    (23b)  To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Gather my faithful ones before me,
    those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
    for God himself is the judge.

R.    To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Hear, my people, and I will speak;
    Israel, I will testify against you;
    God, your God, am I.
Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
    for your burnt offerings are before me always.”

R.    To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

“Offer to God praise as your sacrifice
    and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
    and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”

R.    To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Alleluia
See Mt 11:25

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mk 10:28-31

Peter began to say to Jesus,
‘We have given up everything and followed you.”
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

REFLECTION:

Disciples must be truly free to follow Jesus and serve his kingdom, even if this means leaving relatives and friends. Jesus promises them instead a community of social and religious fellowship now and in the age to come. Can I help to develop such fellowship with my fellow Christians?

PRAYER:

Lord, grant that I may see you more clearly in the outcasts of this world, love you more dearly in the poor and the rejected, and follow you more nearly by responding to the needs of your deprived sisters and brothers.

“Woman, behold, your son. Behold, your mother.”

May 24, 2021, Monday
Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 572A

Reading I
Gn 3:9-15, 20

After Adam had eaten of the tree,
    the LORD God called to him and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
    but I was afraid, because I was naked,
    so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
    from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—
    she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
    “Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”
Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
    from all the animals
    and from all the wild creatures;
On your belly shall you crawl,
    and dirt shall you eat
    all the days of your life. 
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and hers;
He will strike at your head,
    while you strike at his heel.”
The man called his wife Eve,
    because she became the mother of all the living.

OR:

Acts 1:12-14

After Jesus had been taken up to heaven,
    the Apostles returned to Jerusalem
    from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem,
    a sabbath day’s journey away. 
When they entered the city
    they went to the upper room where they were staying,
    Peter and John and James and Andrew,
    Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew,
    James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot,
    and Judas son of James.
All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer,
    together with some women,
    and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Responsorial Psalm
87:1-2, 3 and 5, 6-7

R. (3) Glorious things are told of you, O city of God.

His foundation upon the holy mountains
    the LORD loves:
The gates of Zion,
    more than any dwelling of Jacob.

R. Glorious things are told of you, O city of God.

Glorious things are said of you,
    O city of God!
And of Zion they shall say:
    “One and all were born in her;
And he who has established her
    is the Most High LORD.”

R. Glorious things are told of you, O city of God.

They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:
    “This man was born there.”
And all shall sing, in their festive dance:
    “My home is within you.”

R. Glorious things are told of you, O city of God.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

O happy Virgin, you gave birth to the Lord;
O blessed mother of the Church,
you warm our hearts with the Spirit of your Son Jesus Christ.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Jn 19:25-34

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
    and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
    and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved,
    he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
    “Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
After this, aware that everything was now finished,
    in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
    Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
    and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
    “It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit. 
Now since it was preparation day,
    in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
    for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
    the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
    and they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
    and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
    they did not break his legs,
    but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
    and immediately Blood and water flowed out.

REFLECTION:

Mary was there at the most important moments of Jesus' life, so she had to be under the Cross too. I try to imagine her deep confusion at what was going on, her reaction as Jesus asks her for more love and openness to others in this moment of such deep suffering.

PRAYER:

I bring to mind some situation of terrible suffering, situations of interpersonal conflict or of war that have been going on for years. I bring them to the Cross, asking Mary to teach me to feel sorrow at such suffering, a sorrow that is illuminated by faithful trust and compassionate love.

Receive the Holy Spirit

May 23, 2021, Sunday
PENTECOST SUNDAY - Mass during the Day (RED)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 63

Reading I
Acts 2:1-11

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.
At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,
but they were confused
because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
They were astounded, and in amazement they asked,
“Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?
Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?
We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites,
inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,
as well as travelers from Rome,
both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,
yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues
of the mighty acts of God.”

Responsorial Psalm
104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34

R. (cf. 30) Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!
    O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
    the earth is full of your creatures.

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

or:

R. Alleluia.

May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
    may the LORD be glad in his works!
Pleasing to him be my theme;
    I will be glad in the LORD.

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

or:

R. Alleluia.

If you take away their breath, they perish
    and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
    and you renew the face of the earth.

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Reading II
1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13

Brothers and sisters:
No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; 
there are different forms of service but the same Lord;
there are different workings but the same God
who produces all of them in everyone.
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for some benefit.
As a body is one though it has many parts,
and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons,
and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

OR:

Gal 5:16-25

Brothers and sisters, live by the Spirit
and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
For the flesh has desires against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh;
these are opposed to each other,
so that you may not do what you want.
But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
immorality, impurity, lust, idolatry,
sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy,
outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness,
dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh
with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.

Sequence

Veni, Sancte Spiritus
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from your celestial home
    Shed a ray of light divine!
Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
    Come, within our bosoms shine.
You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul’s most welcome guest;
    Sweet refreshment here below;
In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
    Solace in the midst of woe.
O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of yours,
    And our inmost being fill!
Where you are not, we have naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
    Nothing free from taint of ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your dew;
    Wash the stains of guilt away:
Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
    Guide the steps that go astray.
On the faithful, who adore
And confess you, evermore
    In your sevenfold gift descend;
Give them virtue’s sure reward;
Give them your salvation, Lord;
    Give them joys that never end. Amen.
    Alleluia.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL

Jn 20:19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

OR:

Jn 15:26-27; 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you.”

REFLECTION:

Here is Jesus, nearing his own death, and he is pouring out the depth of his love for his followers. He spoke these words at the Last Supper, as he gathered with his disciples, sharing life with them. His words and actions comforted and strengthened them in ways that only the Holy Spirit might help them to understand.

The love that the God the Father has for Jesus is the love Jesus has for each of us! Can I ask for this grace, of knowing and experiencing deep down, this tremendous love?

PRAYER:

Jesus still speaks to us: prayer helps us to grow in love, in friendship, in the understanding of the ways of God. The Spirit assists us, mediating God’s message, helping us to recognize how our way of living conforms to what God asks of us, and revealing how it does not. Lord, strengthen my ability to receive and listen to your Spirit, to remember that your Spirit speaks your word to me.