Mary Visits Elizabeth (THE VISITATION - C)

MAY 31, 2022, TUESDAY

FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

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.

 

GOSPEL 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.

Take Courage, I Have Conquered The World

MAY 30, 2022, MONDAY

Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 297

Reading I

Acts 19:1-8

While Apollos was in Corinth,

Paul traveled through the interior of the country

and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples.

He said to them,

“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”

They answered him,

“We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

He said, “How were you baptized?”

They replied, “With the baptism of John.”

Paul then said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance,

telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,

that is, in Jesus.”

When they heard this,

they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

And when Paul laid his hands on them,

the Holy Spirit came upon them,

and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Altogether there were about twelve men.

He entered the synagogue, and for three months debated boldly

with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God.

 

Responsorial Psalm

68:2-3ab, 4-5acd, 6-7ab

R.        (33a)  Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

God arises; his enemies are scattered,

            and those who hate him flee before him.

As smoke is driven away, so are they driven;

            as wax melts before the fire.

R.        Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

But the just rejoice and exult before God;

            they are glad and rejoice.

Sing to God, chant praise to his name;

            whose name is the LORD.

R.        Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

The father of orphans and the defender of widows

            is God in his holy dwelling.

God gives a home to the forsaken;

            he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.

R.        Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Alleluia

Col 3:1

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If then you were raised with Christ,

seek what is above,

where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 16:29-33

The disciples said to Jesus,

“Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech.

Now we realize that you know everything

and that you do not need to have anyone question you.

Because of this we believe that you came from God.”

Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now?

Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived

when each of you will be scattered to his own home

and you will leave me alone.

But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.

In the world you will have trouble,

but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Do you become discouraged by your failures? Do you trust that with God you can overcome obstacles and challenges in your life, and be a unique beneficial presence of God’s love in the world?

PRAYER:

Lord, let me take comfort from your patience with your disciples. You looked past their present failures to see what they would become – bearing steadfast witness to you as they faced torture and death. Grant me the grace to be forever beginning, forever becoming – untrammelled by my past failures, always open to growth and change.

The Ascension Of Jesus (YEAR C)

MAY 29, 2022, SUNDAY

SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD (White)

CATHOLIC COMMUNICATIONS SUNDAY

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 58

Reading I

Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus,

I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught

until the day he was taken up,

after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit

to the apostles whom he had chosen.

He presented himself alive to them

by many proofs after he had suffered,

appearing to them during forty days

and speaking about the kingdom of God.

While meeting with them,

he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,

but to wait for “the promise of the Father

about which you have heard me speak;

for John baptized with water,

but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

When they had gathered together they asked him,

“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons

that the Father has established 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,

and to the ends of the earth.”

When he had said this, as they were looking on,

he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.

While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,

suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.

They said, “Men of Galilee,

why are you standing there looking at the sky?

This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven

will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

R (6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

or:

R Alleluia.

All you peoples, clap your hands,

            shout to God with cries of gladness,

For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,

            is the great king over all the earth.

R God mounts his throne to shouts of joy:  a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

or:

R Alleluia.

God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;

            the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.

Sing praise to God, sing praise;

            sing praise to our king, sing praise.

R God mounts his throne to shouts of joy:  a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

or:

R Alleluia.

For king of all the earth is God;

            sing hymns of praise.

God reigns over the nations,

            God sits upon his holy throne.

R God mounts his throne to shouts of joy:  a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

or:

R Alleluia.

Reading II

Eph 1:17-23

Brothers and sisters:

May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,

give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation

resulting in knowledge of him.

May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,

that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,

what are the riches of glory

in his inheritance among the holy ones,

and what is the surpassing greatness of his power

for us who believe,

in accord with the exercise of his great might:

which he worked in Christ,

raising him from the dead

and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,

far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,

and every name that is named

not only in this age but also in the one to come.

And he put all things beneath his feet

and gave him as head over all things to the church,

which is his body,

the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

OR:

Heb 9:24-28; 10:19-23

Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands,

a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,

that he might now appear before God on our behalf.

Not that he might offer himself repeatedly,

as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary

with blood that is not his own;

if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly

from the foundation of the world.

But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages

to take away sin by his sacrifice.

Just as it is appointed that men and women die once,

and after this the judgment, so also Christ,

offered once to take away the sins of many,

will appear a second time, not to take away sin

but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since through the blood of Jesus

we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary

by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil,

that is, his flesh,

and since we have "a great priest over the house of God,"

let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust,

with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience

and our bodies washed in pure water.

Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope,

for he who made the promise is trustworthy.

Alleluia

Mt 28:19a, 20b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;

I am with you always, until the end of the world.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 24:46-53

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer

and rise from the dead on the third day

and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,

would be preached in his name

to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

You are witnesses of these things.

And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you;

but stay in the city

until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Then he led them out as far as Bethany,

raised his hands, and blessed them.

As he blessed them he parted from them

and was taken up to heaven.

They did him homage

and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

and they were continually in the temple praising God.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Even as he leaves the disciples and sends them as witnesses Jesus reminds them that he had to suffer, die and rise. As I face the world into which Jesus sends me I acknowledge that the marks of his suffering will identify me as his disciple.

We are invited to enter in to the situation in which the early Christians found themselves. The ‘old’ Jesus whom they knew and loved and yet Jesus is in some way changed, he is ‘new”? How am I in my relating to this Jesus as the Spirit? Do I have a sense of his ‘living’ in me, in others and in our world?

PRAYER:

Lord, strengthen my faith - that faith which will give me eyes that see, and ears that hear; that faith which will reveal your luminous presence at the very heart of myself. Then, I may begin my own long ascent. Grant that one day I may be where you are, and behold the glory the Father gave you before the foundation of the world.

I Am Going Back To The Father

MAY 28, 2022, SATURDAY

Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 296

Reading I

Acts 18:23-28

After staying in Antioch some time,

Paul left and traveled in orderly sequence

through the Galatian country and Phrygia,

bringing strength to all the disciples.

A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria,

an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus.

He was an authority on the Scriptures.

He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and,

with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus,

although he knew only the baptism of John.

He began to speak boldly in the synagogue;

but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him,

they took him aside

and explained to him the Way of God more accurately.

And when he wanted to cross to Achaia,

the brothers encouraged him

and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him.

After his arrival he gave great assistance

to those who had come to believe through grace.

He vigorously refuted the Jews in public,

establishing from the Scriptures that the Christ is Jesus.

Responsorial Psalm

47:2-3, 8-9, 10

R.        (8a)  God is king of all the earth.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

All you peoples, clap your hands;

            shout to God with cries of gladness.

For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,

            is the great king over all the earth.

R.        God is king of all the earth.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

For king of all the earth is God;

            sing hymns of praise.

God reigns over the nations,

            God sits upon his holy throne.

R.        God is king of all the earth.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

The princes of the peoples are gathered together

            with the people of the God of Abraham.

For God’s are the guardians of the earth;

            he is supreme.

R.        God is king of all the earth.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Alleluia

Jn 16:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia..

I came from the Father and have come into the world;

now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 16:23b-28

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Amen, amen, I say to you,

whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.

Until now you have not asked anything in my name;

ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

“I have told you this in figures of speech.

The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures

but I will tell you clearly about the Father.

On that day you will ask in my name,

and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you.

For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me

and have come to believe that I came from God.

I came from the Father and have come into the world.

Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

The Father himself loves you. This is where I fit into the inner dynamic of the Blessed Trinity. As Jesus is joined to the Father through the Holy Spirit, so too are we, because Jesus is our brother.

We ask often in prayer and sometimes prayer is answered very directly. Even when this appears not to happen, no prayer, like no act in love, is wasted. The true gift of prayer is always the Father's love, given to us no matter what we ask for. We are always gifted with the Spirit of Jesus, alive in our lives and in our love. We ask always in his name, knowing that in his name God will always hear us, inspire us, direct us and love us.

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, you are the way, the model for humankind. You came from the Father, and with your death you left the world and went to the Father. That will be my pattern too. I love this world in which you have placed me; and I love the glimpses which it offers of your transcendent beauty. My life does not end here; this is a beginning.

You Will Weep And Mourn While The World Rejoices

MAY 27, 2022, FRIDAY

Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter (White)

Optional Memorial of Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 295

Reading I

Acts 18:9-18

One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision,

“Do not be afraid.

Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.

No one will attack and harm you,

for I have many people in this city.”

He settled there for a year and a half

and taught the word of God among them.

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia,

the Jews rose up together against Paul

and brought him to the tribunal, saying,

“This man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law.”

When Paul was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews,

“If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud,

I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews;

but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titles

and your own law, see to it yourselves.

I do not wish to be a judge of such matters.”

And he drove them away from the tribunal.

They all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official,

and beat him in full view of the tribunal.

But none of this was of concern to Gallio.

Paul remained for quite some time,

and after saying farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria,

together with Priscilla and Aquila.

At Cenchreae he had shaved his head because he had taken a vow.

Responsorial Psalm

47:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R.        (8a)  God is king of all the earth.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

All you peoples, clap your hands,

            shout to God with cries of gladness,

For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,

            is the great king over all the earth.

R.        God is king of all the earth.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

He brings people under us;

            nations under our feet.

He chooses for us our inheritance,

            the glory of Jacob, whom he loves.

R.        God is king of all the earth.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;

            the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.

Sing praise to God, sing praise;

            sing praise to our king, sing praise.

R.        God is king of all the earth.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Alleluia

See Lk 24:46, 26

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead,

and so enter into his glory.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 16:20-23

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn,

while the world rejoices;

you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.

When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived;

but when she has given birth to a child,

she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy

that a child has been born into the world.

So you also are now in anguish.

But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,

and no one will take your joy away from you.

On that day you will not question me about anything.

Amen, amen, I say to you,

whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus speaks to me today of the sorrow of separation and the joy of reunion. These are concepts within my own human experience. Perhaps right now I am suffering the pain of a separation from a loved one, whether through death or by some other means. I hear Jesus saying that separation is not forever, that a time of joy will come again when we will be with him and with those we have loved, and that when that time comes, our joy will be certain and permanent.

PRAYER: 

Jesus, I ask you now to help me to remain with you always, to be close to you with a passionate heart, and to accept patiently whatever you want of me. And make me a joyous person!

Your Grief Will Become Joy

MAY 26, 2022, THURSDAY

Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter (White)

Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 294

Reading I

Acts 18:1-8

Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus,

who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla

because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.

He went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade,

stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.

Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue,

attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks.

When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia,

Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word,

testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.

When they opposed him and reviled him,

he shook out his garments and said to them,

“Your blood be on your heads!

I am clear of responsibility.

From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

So he left there and went to a house

belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God;

his house was next to a synagogue.

Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord

along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians

who heard believed and were baptized.

Responsorial Psalm

98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

R.        (see 2b)  The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

or:       

R.        Alleluia.

Sing to the LORD a new song,

            for he has done wondrous deeds;

His right hand has won victory for him,

            his holy arm.

R.        The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

The LORD has made his salvation known:

            in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.

He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness

            toward the house of Israel.

R.        The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

All the ends of the earth have seen

            the salvation by our God.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;

            break into song; sing praise.

R.        The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Alleluia

See Jn 14:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord;

I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 16:16-20

Jesus said to his disciples:

“A little while and you will no longer see me,

and again a little while later and you will see me.”

So some of his disciples said to one another,

“What does this mean that he is saying to us,

‘A little while and you will not see me,

and again a little while and you will see me,’

and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”

So they said, “What is this ‘little while’ of which he speaks?

We do not know what he means.”

Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them,

“Are you discussing with one another what I said,

‘A little while and you will not see me,

and again a little while and you will see me’?

Amen, amen, I say to you,

you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices;

you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Our sorrow also will turn to joy. We interpret the troubles of our lives in this way, in the light of the cross. Sorrow is an opportunity to enter into the experience of the cross as the way to eternal life with Christ.

PRAYER:

Reflecting on my life, I realise that there have been times of light and shade. I pray for all of those who are in darkness just now; that they may draw hope from Jesus promises: I pray that all who rejoice may give thanks for God's blessings.

The Spirit's Role

MAY 25, 2022, WEDNESDAY
Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter (White)
Optional Memorial of Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor of the Church (White)
Optional Memorial of Saint Gregory VII, Pope, Religious (White)
Optional Memorial of Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Virgin (White)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 293

Reading I
Acts 17:15, 22—18:1

After Paul’s escorts had taken him to Athens,

they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy

to join him as soon as possible.

Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said:

“You Athenians, I see that in every respect

you are very religious.

For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines,

I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’

What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.

The God who made the world and all that is in it,

the Lord of heaven and earth,

does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands,

nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything.

Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.

He made from one the whole human race

to dwell on the entire surface of the earth,

and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,

so that people might seek God,

even perhaps grope for him and find him,

though indeed he is not far from any one of us.

For ‘In him we live and move and have our being,’

as even some of your poets have said,

‘For we too are his offspring.’

Since therefore we are the offspring of God,

we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image

fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.

God has overlooked the times of ignorance,

but now he demands that all people everywhere repent

because he has established a day on which he will ‘judge the world

with justice’ through a man he has appointed,

and he has provided confirmation for all

by raising him from the dead.”

When they heard about resurrection of the dead,

some began to scoff, but others said,

“We should like to hear you on this some other time.”

And so Paul left them.

But some did join him, and became believers.

Among them were Dionysius,

a member of the Court of the Areopagus,

a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.

 

Responsorial Psalm
148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14

R.        Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Praise the LORD from the heavens;

            praise him in the heights.

Praise him, all you his angels;

            praise him, all you his hosts.

R.        Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,

            the princes and all the judges of the earth,

Young men too, and maidens,

            old men and boys.

R.        Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Praise the name of the LORD,

            for his name alone is exalted;

His majesty is above earth and heaven.

R.        Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

He has lifted up the horn of his people;

Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,

            from the children of Israel, the people close to him.

            Alleluia.

R.        Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Alleluia
Jn 14:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I will ask the Father

and he will give you another Advocate

to be with you always.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples:

“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.”

GOSPEL 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 understanding of the ways of God. The Spirit assists us, mediating God’s message, helping us to recognise 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.

The Coming of the Paraclete

MAY 24, 2022, TUESDAY
Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter (White)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 292

Reading I
Acts 16:22-34

The crowd in Philippi joined in the attack on Paul and Silas,

and the magistrates had them stripped

and ordered them to be beaten with rods.

After inflicting many blows on them,

they threw them into prison

and instructed the jailer to guard them securely.

When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell

and secured their feet to a stake.

About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying

and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened,

there was suddenly such a severe earthquake

that the foundations of the jail shook;

all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.

When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open,

he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,

thinking that the prisoners had escaped.

But Paul shouted out in a loud voice,

“Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.”

He asked for a light and rushed in and,

trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas.

Then he brought them out and said,

“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus

and you and your household will be saved.”

So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.

He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds;

then he and all his family were baptized at once.

He brought them up into his house and provided a meal

and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.

Responsorial Psalm
138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8

R.        (7c)  Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,

            for you have heard the words of my mouth;

            in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;

I will worship at your holy temple,

            and give thanks to your name.

R.        Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Because of your kindness and your truth,

            you have made great above all things

            your name and your promise.

When I called, you answered me;

            you built up strength within me.

R.        Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Your right hand saves me.

The LORD will complete what he has done for me;

            your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;

            forsake not the work of your hands.

R.        Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Alleluia
See Jn 16:7, 13

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord;

he will guide you to all truth.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 16:5-11

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Now I am going to the one who sent me,

and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.

But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.

For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.

But if I go, I will send him to you.

And when he comes he will convict the world

in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation:

sin, because they do not believe in me;

righteousness, because I am going to the Father

and you will no longer see me;

condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.”

REFLECTION:

I notice how often Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit during this time after Easter, and as we approach the Ascension. The coming of the Spirit of Truth to us is clearly of great importance to Jesus. How important is it to me? Do I consciously rely on the grace of my confirmation, and recognize the reality of the Holy Spirit in my life?

PRAYER:

As I look at my life, I pray for the grace of the Holy Spirit to shed light, to bring truth and to be the consolation that Jesus promises.

The Work Of The Holy Spirit

MAY 23, 2022, MONDAY

Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 291

Reading I

Acts 16:11-15

We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace,

and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi,

a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.

We spent some time in that city.

On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river

where we thought there would be a place of prayer.

We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.

One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,

from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened,

and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention

to what Paul was saying.

After she and her household had been baptized,

she offered us an invitation,

“If you consider me a believer in the Lord,

come and stay at my home,” and she prevailed on us.

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

Jn 15:26b, 27a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,

and you also will testify.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 15:26—16:4a

Jesus said to his disciples:

“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,

the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,

he will testify to me.

And you also testify,

because you have been with me from the beginning.

“I have told you this so that you may not fall away.

They will expel you from the synagogues;

in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you

will think he is offering worship to God.

They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.

I have told you this so that when their hour comes

you may remember that I told you.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus is telling us these things “that our faith may not be shaken”. The Holy Spirit has come to strengthen our conviction, to keep us secure and at peace. “And all shall be well”.

We are to be his witnesses. Not necessarily by striking words. Remember the though attributed to St Francis of Assisi, that we are to preach by our lives, only occasionally in words.

PRAYER:

To testify and bear witness to something, I must have personal experience, so that I can say: ‘This is true, and I know it.’ Lord, I have not been with you from the beginning. I am one of those who did not see and yet believed. Show me yourself, strengthen your spirit in me, so that my life and my words may testify to you.

The Spirit of Truth (SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER - C)

MAY 22, 2022, SUNDAY

Sixth Sunday of Easter (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 57

Reading I

Acts 15:1-2, 22-29

Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers,

“Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice,

you cannot be saved.”

Because there arose no little dissension and debate

by Paul and Barnabas with them,

it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others

should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders

about this question.

The apostles and elders, in agreement with the whole church,

decided to choose representatives

and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.

The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,

and Silas, leaders among the brothers.

This is the letter delivered by them:

“The apostles and the elders, your brothers,

to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia

of Gentile origin: greetings.

Since we have heard that some of our number

who went out without any mandate from us

have upset you with their teachings

and disturbed your peace of mind,

we have with one accord decided to choose representatives

and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So we are sending Judas and Silas

who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:

‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us

not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,

namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,

from blood, from meats of strangled animals,

and from unlawful marriage.

If you keep free of these,

you will be doing what is right.  Farewell.’”

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8

R (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!

or:

R Alleluia.

May God have pity on us and bless us;

            may he let his face shine upon us.

So may your way be known upon earth;

            among all nations, your salvation.

R O God, let all the nations praise you!

or:

R Alleluia.

May the nations be glad and exult

            because you rule the peoples in equity;

            the nations on the earth you guide.

R O God, let all the nations praise you!

or:

R Alleluia.

May the peoples praise you, O God;

            may all the peoples praise you!

May God bless us,

            and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

R O God, let all the nations praise you!

or:

R Alleluia.

Reading II

Rev 21:10-14, 22-23

The angel took me in spirit to a great, high mountain

and showed me the holy city Jerusalem

coming down out of heaven from God.

It gleamed with the splendor of God.

Its radiance was like that of a precious stone,

like jasper, clear as crystal.

It had a massive, high wall,

with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed

and on which names were inscribed,

the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites.

There were three gates facing east,

three north, three south, and three west.

The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation,

on which were inscribed the twelve names

of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

I saw no temple in the city

for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb.

The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it,

for the glory of God gave it light,

and its lamp was the Lamb.

Alleluia

Jn 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord,

and my Father will love him and we will come to him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 14:23-29

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Whoever loves me will keep my word,

and my Father will love him,

and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.

Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;

yet the word you hear is not mine

but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you.

The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,

whom the Father will send in my name,

will teach you everything

and remind you of all that I told you.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives do I give it to you.

Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

You heard me tell you,

‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’

If you loved me,

you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;

for the Father is greater than I.

And now I have told you this before it happens,

so that when it happens you may believe.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

These words are part of Jesus’ great farewell discourse at the Last Supper. The following day will see the immense outpouring of his love on the Cross, a love which remains the same, yesterday, today and forever. This unconditional love calls for an unconditional “Yes”.

Jesus gently tries to prepare the disciples for the day when he will no longer be present to them in bodily form. Unlike us, who know the story, they did not know what was coming next, so they are confused. God helps us to grow even in times of confusion.

PRAYER:

Lord, help me to overcome my guilt, my shame, and my fear. Help me throw open wide the doors to my inmost heart so that my transcendent God can make his home there.

The World Hates You

MAY 21, 2022, SATURDAY

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter (White)

Optional Memorial of Saint Christopher Magallanes, priest, and Companions, Martyrs (Red)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 290

Reading I

Acts 16:1-10

Paul reached also Derbe and Lystra

where there was a disciple named Timothy,

the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer,

but his father was a Greek.

The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him,

and Paul wanted him to come along with him.

On account of the Jews of that region, Paul had him circumcised,

for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

As they traveled from city to city,

they handed on to the people for observance the decisions

reached by the Apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem.

Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith

and increased in number.

They traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian territory

because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit

from preaching the message in the province of Asia.

When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia,

but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them,

so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas.

During the night Paul had a vision.

A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words,

“Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

When he had seen the vision,

we sought passage to Macedonia at once,

concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.

 

Responsorial Psalm

100:1b-2, 3, 5

R.        (2a)  Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;

            serve the LORD with gladness;

            come before him with joyful song.

R.        Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Know that the LORD is God;

            he made us, his we are;

            his people, the flock he tends.

R.        Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

The LORD is good:

            his kindness endures forever,

            and his faithfulness, to all generations.

R.        Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Alleluia

Col 3:1

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If then you were raised with Christ,

seek what is above,

where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 15:18-21

Jesus said to his disciples:

“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.

If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own;

but because you do not belong to the world,

and I have chosen you out of the world,

the world hates you.

Remember the word I spoke to you,

‘No slave is greater than his master.’

If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,

because they do not know the one who sent me.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

“The world” in today’s reading doesn’t mean the physical world but the world of people who have mistakenly made money, success, reputation, power, and control their God. They place their worth solely in how much they own, who they know, and in their capacity to exploit others and the earth to their own exclusive benefit. They are ready to use force to gain their ends. Jesus warns us that they hated Him and his message of putting God and His kingdom first and all these things fall into place.

PRAYER:

Forgive me, Lord; there are times when I slip into voguish nonsense, trying to keep up with the prejudices and fripperies of fashion, or echoing the cynicism and materialism around me. When the worldly love me, I need to look hard at myself, and remember that you, the most lovable of men, suffered hatred and execution. When people are giving me a hard time, it may well be that I am blessed.

I Call You Friends

MAY 20, 2022, FRIDAY

Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter (White)

Memorial of Saint Bernardine of Siena, Priest (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 289

Reading I

Acts 15:22-31

The Apostles and presbyters, in agreement with the whole Church,

decided to choose representatives

and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.

The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,

and Silas, leaders among the brothers.

This is the letter delivered by them:

“The Apostles and the presbyters, your brothers,

to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia

of Gentile origin: greetings.

Since we have heard that some of our number

who went out without any mandate from us

have upset you with their teachings

and disturbed your peace of mind,

we have with one accord decided to choose representatives

and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So we are sending Judas and Silas

who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:

‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us

not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,

namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,

from blood, from meats of strangled animals,

and from unlawful marriage.

If you keep free of these,

you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’“

And so they were sent on their journey.

Upon their arrival in Antioch

they called the assembly together and delivered the letter.

When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation.

 

Responsorial Psalm

57:8-9, 10 and 12

R.        (10a)  I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

My heart is steadfast, O God; my heart is steadfast;

            I will sing and chant praise.

Awake, O my soul; awake, lyre and harp!

            I will wake the dawn.

R.        I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O LORD,

            I will chant your praise among the nations.

For your mercy towers to the heavens,

            and your faithfulness to the skies.

Be exalted above the heavens, O God;

            above all the earth be your glory!

R.        I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Alleluia

Jn 15:15b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I call you my friends, says the Lord,

for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 15:12-17

Jesus said to his disciples:

“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.

No one has greater love than this,

to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command you.

I no longer call you slaves,

because a slave does not know what his master is doing.

I have called you friends,

because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you

and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,

so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.

This I command you: love one another.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

A sign of love is that we share everything with “the beloved”. Jesus holds nothing back from his disciples; he shares with them everything, even his most intimate secrets that were revealed to him by his Father, thereby giving them the dignity and privilege of being friends. He would even lay down his life for their well-being.

Jesus still invites us today into friendship with him – He wants to reveal even more things the Father has revealed to Him.

PRAYER:

Lord, you are inviting me, choosing me, to be your intimate friend, to go out in your name and to make an impact on this precious world, and bear lasting fruit.

Remain In My Love

MAY 19, 2022, THURSDAY

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 288

Reading I

Acts 15:7-21

After much debate had taken place,

Peter got up and said to the Apostles and the presbyters,

“My brothers, you are well aware that from early days

God made his choice among you that through my mouth

the Gentiles would hear the word of the Gospel and believe.

And God, who knows the heart,

bore witness by granting them the Holy Spirit

just as he did us.

He made no distinction between us and them,

for by faith he purified their hearts.

Why, then, are you now putting God to the test

by placing on the shoulders of the disciples

a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?

On the contrary, we believe that we are saved

through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they.”

The whole assembly fell silent,

and they listened

while Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders

God had worked among the Gentiles through them.

After they had fallen silent, James responded,

“My brothers, listen to me.

Symeon has described how God first concerned himself

with acquiring from among the Gentiles a people for his name.

The words of the prophets agree with this, as is written:

            After this I shall return

                        and rebuild the fallen hut of David;

            from its ruins I shall rebuild it

                        and raise it up again,

            so that the rest of humanity may seek out the Lord,

                        even all the Gentiles on whom my name is invoked.

            Thus says the Lord who accomplishes these things,

                        known from of old.

It is my judgment, therefore,

that we ought to stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God,

but tell them by letter to avoid pollution from idols,

unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood.

For Moses, for generations now,

has had those who proclaim him in every town,

as he has been read in the synagogues every sabbath.”

Responsorial Psalm

96:1-2a, 2b-3, 10

R.        (3)  Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Sing to the LORD a new song;

            sing to the LORD, all you lands.

Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

R.        Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Announce his salvation, day after day.

Tell his glory among the nations;

            among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R.        Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Say among the nations: The LORD is king.

He has made the world firm, not to be moved;

            he governs the peoples with equity.

R.        Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

or:

R.        Alleluia.

Alleluia

Jn 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;

I know them, and they follow me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 15:9-11

Jesus said to his disciples:

“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.

Remain in my love.

If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,

just as I have kept my Father’s commandments

and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that

my joy might be in you and

your joy might be complete.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION: 

"There is no love without communicating, there is no isolated love.... True love cannot isolate itself. If it is isolated, it is not love."

(Pope Francis)

PRAYER: 

Give me a humble heart and an unshakable faith in You, Lord. It is in Your love that I always want to be. AMEN.