Jesus Forgives And Heals A Paralyzed Man

JUNE 30, 2022, THURSDAY

Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

Optional Memorial of the First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church (Red)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 380

Reading I

Am 7:10-17

Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam,

king of Israel:

“Amos has conspired against you here within Israel;

the country cannot endure all his words.

For this is what Amos says:

Jeroboam shall die by the sword,

and Israel shall surely be exiled from its land.”

To Amos, Amaziah said:

“Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah!

There earn your bread by prophesying,

but never again prophesy in Bethel;

for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.”

Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet,

nor have I belonged to a company of prophets;

I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.

The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me,

‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

Now hear the word of the LORD!”

You say: prophesy not against Israel,

preach not against the house of Isaac.

Now thus says the LORD:

Your wife shall be made a harlot in the city,

and your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword;

Your land shall be divided by measuring line,

and you yourself shall die in an unclean land;

Israel shall be exiled far from its land.

Responsorial Psalm

19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (10cd) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

The law of the LORD is perfect,

refreshing the soul;

The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,

giving wisdom to the simple.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

The precepts of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart;

The command of the LORD is clear,

enlightening the eye.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

The fear of the LORD is pure,

enduring forever;

The ordinances of the LORD are true,

all of them just.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

They are more precious than gold,

than a heap of purest gold;

Sweeter also than syrup

or honey from the comb.

R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

Alleluia

2 Cor 5:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ

and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 9:1-8

After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.

And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,

“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,

“This man is blaspheming.”

Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,

“Why do you harbor evil thoughts?

Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’

or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?

But that you may know that the Son of Man

has authority on earth to forgive sins”–

he then said to the paralytic,

“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

He rose and went home.

When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe

and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus is touched by the trouble which his friends took for the paralysed man. It is their faith and concern that moves him to heal the man both spiritually and physically. Likewise, my prayer of faith for others moves Jesus to meet their needs and gives me a share in the healing mission of Christ and of all Christians.

The paralytic represents the universal human need for God’s forgiveness. In asserting his authority to forgive sins, Jesus comes into conflict for the first time with the religious establishment. I need to allow divine forgiveness to flow through me as it does in Jesus.

PRAYER:

Lord, I believe you had a special word for the carers, the people who carried the paralysed man and placed him where he caught your attention. It was their faith that you noticed. Thank you, Lord, for the work of carers, mostly women, often taken for granted. Sometimes it is the loyal, unmarried daughter who is left to look after a helpless parent. She may even feel guilty when she begs for someone to stand in while she takes a well-earned break. These are the true uncelebrated heroines of our communities; their love is shown in deeds.

Peter Declares Jesus Is The Messiah (SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES - C)

JUNE 29, 2022, WEDNESDAY

SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES (Red)

Mass during the Day

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 591

Reading I

Acts 12:1-11

In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them.

He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword,

and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews

he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

–It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.–

He had him taken into custody and put in prison

under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.

He intended to bring him before the people after Passover.

Peter thus was being kept in prison,

but prayer by the Church was fervently being made

to God on his behalf.

On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial,

Peter, secured by double chains,

was sleeping between two soldiers,

while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison.

Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him

and a light shone in the cell.

He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying,

“Get up quickly.”

The chains fell from his wrists.

The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.”

He did so.

Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”

So he followed him out,

not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real;

he thought he was seeing a vision.

They passed the first guard, then the second,

and came to the iron gate leading out to the city,

which opened for them by itself.

They emerged and made their way down an alley,

and suddenly the angel left him.

Then Peter recovered his senses and said,

            “Now I know for certain

            that the Lord sent his angel

            and rescued me from the hand of Herod

            and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.”

Responsorial Psalm

34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R.        (5) The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

I will bless the LORD at all times;

            his praise shall be ever in my mouth.

Let my soul glory in the LORD;

            the lowly will hear me and be glad.

R.        The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

Glorify the LORD with me,

            let us together extol his name.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me

            and delivered me from all my fears.

R.        The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,

            and your faces may not blush with shame.

When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,

            and from all his distress he saved him.

R.        The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

The angel of the LORD encamps

            around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Taste and see how good the LORD is;

            blessed the man who takes refuge in him.

R.        The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.

Reading II

2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18

I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,

and the time of my departure is at hand.

I have competed well; I have finished the race;

I have kept the faith.

From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,

which the Lord, the just judge,

will award to me on that day, and not only to me,

but to all who have longed for his appearance.

The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,

so that through me the proclamation might be completed

and all the Gentiles might hear it.

And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.

The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat

and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.

To him be glory forever and ever.  Amen.

Alleluia

Mt 16:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church,

and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 16:13-19

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi

he asked his disciples,

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,

still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter said in reply,

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.

For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.

And so I say to you, you are Peter,

and upon this rock I will build my Church,

and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.

Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;

and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Our faith requires that we give a personal answer to the question as to who Jesus (the Son of Man) is. It is not enough to quote the Catechism of the Catholic Church or the views of one or other theologian. "But who do you say that I am?" Try to answer not only from the head but from the heart. You might helpfully rephrase the question as: "Who is Jesus for me?" An answer can only be given in prayer.

PRAYER:

I proclaim Jesus by the way I live as my words and actions, my attitudes and choices demonstrate who influences me.

Jesus Calms The Storm

JUNE 28, 2022, TUESDAY

Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr (Red)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 378

Reading I

Am 3:1-8; 4:11-12

Hear this word, O children of Israel, that the LORD pronounces over you,

over the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt:

            You alone have I favored,

                        more than all the families of the earth;

            Therefore I will punish you

                        for all your crimes.

            Do two walk together

                        unless they have agreed?

            Does a lion roar in the forest

                        when it has no prey?

            Does a young lion cry out from its den

                        unless it has seized something?

            Is a bird brought to earth by a snare

                        when there is no lure for it?

            Does a snare spring up from the ground

                        without catching anything?

            If the trumpet sounds in a city,

                        will the people not be frightened?

            If evil befalls a city,

                        has not the LORD caused it?

            Indeed, the Lord GOD does nothing

                        without revealing his plan

                        to his servants, the prophets.

            The lion roars—

                        who will not be afraid!

            The Lord GOD speaks—

                        who will not prophesy!

            I brought upon you such upheaval

                        as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah:

                        you were like a brand plucked from the fire;

            Yet you returned not to me,

                        says the LORD.

            So now I will deal with you in my own way, O Israel!

                        and since I will deal thus with you,

                        prepare to meet your God, O Israel.

Responsorial Psalm

5:4b-6a, 6b-7, 8

R.        (9a)  Lead me in your justice, Lord.

At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.

For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;

            no evil man remains with you;

            the arrogant may not stand in your sight.

R.        Lead me in your justice, Lord.

You hate all evildoers;

            you destroy all who speak falsehood;

The bloodthirsty and the deceitful

            the LORD abhors.

R.        Lead me in your justice, Lord.

But I, because of your abundant mercy,

            will enter your house;

I will worship at your holy temple

            in fear of you, O LORD.

R.        Lead me in your justice, Lord.

 

Alleluia

Psalm 130:5

R.        Alleluia, alleluia.

I trust in the LORD;

my soul trusts in his word.

R.        Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Mt 8:23-27

As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.

Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,

so that the boat was being swamped by waves;

but he was asleep.

They came and woke him, saying,

“Lord, save us!  We are perishing!”

He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”

Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,

and there was great calm.

The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,

whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

This scene is often pictured and is a favourite for times of stress and of darkness - in the storms of life. We may feel Jesus is asleep, not near us. He woke at the moment he was really needed, and calmed the waters. In prayer he calms us too, maybe not immediately but when we really need him he is there, a hand outstretched to save us from anxiety, darkness and despair. The Lord of wind and sea, the one in whom all was created is the one who creates calm and confidence in everything of life.

PRAYER:

Lord save us, we are perishing!' We are feeling swamped by the waves, while God apparently sleeps, not really interested or aware of our lot. I let my look rest on the desperate situations in my present life, or that of the world, and let this cry well up from the depths of my heart.

The Cost Of Following Jesus

JUNE 27, 2022, MONDAY
Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
Optional Memorial of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (White)
MEMORIAL OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 377

Reading I
Am 2:6-10, 13-16

Thus says the LORD:

For three crimes of Israel, and for four,

I will not revoke my word;

Because they sell the just man for silver,

and the poor man for a pair of sandals.

They trample the heads of the weak

into the dust of the earth,

and force the lowly out of the way.

Son and father go to the same prostitute,

profaning my holy name.

Upon garments taken in pledge

they recline beside any altar;

And the wine of those who have been fined

they drink in the house of their god.

Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorites before them,

who were as tall as the cedars,

and as strong as the oak trees.

I destroyed their fruit above,

and their roots beneath.

It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,

and who led you through the desert for forty years,

to occupy the land of the Amorites.

Beware, I will crush you into the ground

as a wagon crushes when laden with sheaves.

Flight shall perish from the swift,

and the strong man shall not retain his strength;

The warrior shall not save his life,

nor the bowman stand his ground;

The swift of foot shall not escape,

nor the horseman save his life.

And the most stouthearted of warriors

shall flee naked on that day, says the LORD.

 

Responsorial Psalm
50:16bc-17, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23

R. (22a) Remember this, you who never think of God.

“Why do you recite my statutes,

and profess my covenant with your mouth,

Though you hate discipline

and cast my words behind you?”

R. Remember this, you who never think of God.

“When you see a thief, you keep pace with him,

and with adulterers you throw in your lot.

To your mouth you give free rein for evil,

you harness your tongue to deceit.”

R. Remember this, you who never think of God.

“You sit speaking against your brother;

against your mother’s son you spread rumors.

When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?

Or do you think that I am like yourself?

I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.”

R. Remember this, you who never think of God.

“Consider this, you who forget God,

lest I rend you and there be no one to rescue you.

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. Remember this, you who never think of God.

Alleluia
Ps 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If today you hear his voice,

harden not your hearts.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 8:18-22

When Jesus saw a crowd around him,

he gave orders to cross to the other shore.

A scribe approached and said to him,

“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,

but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”

Another of his disciples said to him,

“Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”

But Jesus answered him, “Follow me,

and let the dead bury their dead.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

In this reading Jesus challenges us with the seriousness of our decision to follow him. Notice too that the love that lasts is what matters in his commitment to you as it does in yours to him. He does not hide the implications of your decision to follow him and that your commitment to him must go beyond a short term emotional one.

If you wish to dwell with this reading in Jesus’ presence, notice how you feel about Jesus laying it on the line for you in this way. Speak to him about how this challenge makes you feel. For example, a part of you might feel threatened by what he says and another part might feel energized by his honesty.

PRAYER:

Lord you constantly challenge me. I will try to hear your voice in what unsettles me.

Follow Me

JUNE 26, 2022, SUNDAY

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 99

Reading I

1 Kgs 19:16b, 19-21

The LORD said to Elijah:

“You shall anoint Elisha, son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah,

as prophet to succeed you.”

Elijah set out and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat,

as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen;

he was following the twelfth.

Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak over him.

Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said,

“Please, let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,

and I will follow you.”

Elijah answered, “Go back!

Have I done anything to you?”

Elisha left him, and taking the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them;

he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh,

and gave it to his people to eat.

Then Elisha left and followed Elijah as his attendant.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

R (cf. 5a) You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;

            I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.

O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,

            you it is who hold fast my lot.”

R You are my inheritance, O Lord.

I bless the LORD who counsels me;

            even in the night my heart exhorts me.

I set the LORD ever before me;

            with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

R You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,

            my body, too, abides in confidence

because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,

            nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.

R You are my inheritance, O Lord.

You will show me the path to life,

            fullness of joys in your presence,

            the delights at your right hand forever.

R You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Reading II

Gal 5:1, 13-18

Brothers and sisters:

For freedom Christ set us free;

so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters.

But do not use this freedom

as an opportunity for the flesh;

rather, serve one another through love.

For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement,

namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

But if you go on biting and devouring one another,

beware that you are not consumed by one another.

I say, then: 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.

Alleluia

1 Sm 3:9; Jn 6:68c

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Speak, Lord, your servant is listening;

you have the words of everlasting life.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 9:51-62

When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled,

he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,

and he sent messengers ahead of him.

On the way they entered a Samaritan village

to prepare for his reception there,

but they would not welcome him

because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.

When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,

“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven

to consume them?”

Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village.

As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him,

“I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus answered him,

“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,

but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”

And to another he said, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”

But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.

But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,

but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”

To him Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow

and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

What has been the ‘cost of discipleship’ for me? What has been the richness and gift of discipleship for me?

PRAYER:

I look at the quality of my commitments and ask for the grace not to look back as I place my hand on the plough..

.

Finding In The Temple (MEMORIAL OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY - C)

JUNE 25, 2022, SATURDAY 
MEMORIAL OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (White)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 376/573

Reading I
Lam 2:2, 10-14, 18-19

The Lord has consumed without pity

all the dwellings of Jacob;

He has torn down in his anger

the fortresses of daughter Judah;

He has brought to the ground in dishonor

her king and her princes.

On the ground in silence sit

the old men of daughter Zion;

They strew dust on their heads

and gird themselves with sackcloth;

The maidens of Jerusalem

bow their heads to the ground.

Worn out from weeping are my eyes,

within me all is in ferment;

My gall is poured out on the ground

because of the downfall of the daughter of my people,

As child and infant faint away

in the open spaces of the town.

In vain they ask their mothers,

“Where is the grain?”

As they faint away like the wounded

in the streets of the city,

And breathe their last

in their mothers’ arms.

To what can I liken or compare you,

O daughter Jerusalem?

What example can I show you for your comfort,

virgin daughter Zion?

For great as the sea is your downfall;

who can heal you?

Your prophets had for you

false and specious visions;

They did not lay bare your guilt,

to avert your fate;

They beheld for you in vision

false and misleading portents.

Cry out to the Lord;

moan, O daughter Zion!

Let your tears flow like a torrent

day and night;

Let there be no respite for you,

no repose for your eyes.

Rise up, shrill in the night,

at the beginning of every watch;

Pour out your heart like water

in the presence of the Lord;

Lift up your hands to him

for the lives of your little ones

Who faint from hunger

at the corner of every street.

 

Responsorial Psalm
74:1b-2, 3-5, 6-7, 20-21

R. (19b) Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Why, O God, have you cast us off forever?

Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?

Remember your flock which you built up of old,

the tribe you redeemed as your inheritance,

Mount Zion, where you took up your abode.

R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Turn your steps toward the utter ruins;

toward all the damage the enemy has done in the sanctuary.

Your foes roar triumphantly in your shrine;

they have set up their tokens of victory.

They are like men coming up with axes to a clump of trees.

R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

With chisel and hammer they hack at all the paneling of the sanctuary.

They set your sanctuary on fire;

the place where your name abides they have razed and profaned.

R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Look to your covenant,

for the hiding places in the land and the plains are full of violence.

May the humble not retire in confusion;

may the afflicted and the poor praise your name.

R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Alleluia
See Lk 2:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of God

and pondered it in her heart.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 2:41-51

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,

and when he was twelve years old,

they went up according to festival custom.

After they had completed its days, as they were returning,

the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,

but his parents did not know it.

Thinking that he was in the caravan,

they journeyed for a day

and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,

but not finding him,

they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.

After three days they found him in the temple,

sitting in the midst of the teachers,

listening to them and asking them questions,

and all who heard him were astounded

at his understanding and his answers.

When his parents saw him,

they were astonished,

and his mother said to him,

“Son, why have you done this to us?

Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”

And he said to them,

“Why were you looking for me?

Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

But they did not understand what he said to them.

He went down with them and came to Nazareth,

and was obedient to them;

and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Like every other mother, Mary was the person who had the greatest influence on her son's heart. She taught him how to love, share, pray, be compassionate. She was the first to speak to him about God, and in her, he could see these values come alive. Mary, shape and teach my heart to be as close to the heart of Jesus as your own heart was.

PRAYER:

Lord, you have tasted human uncertainties and the difficulties of survival. Your mother, so blissfully happy when she prayed the Magnificat, had to adjust rapidly to homelessness and the life of asylum-seekers. Let me be equally unsurprising when you ask me to taste uncertainties and plans going awry.

I Have Found My Lost Sheep (SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS - C)

JUNE 24, 2022, FRIDAY

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS (White)

DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE SANCTIFICATION OF PRIESTS

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 172

Reading I

Ez 34:11-16

Thus says the Lord GOD:

I myself will look after and tend my sheep.

As a shepherd tends his flock

when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,

so will I tend my sheep.

I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered

when it was cloudy and dark.

I will lead them out from among the peoples

and gather them from the foreign lands;

I will bring them back to their own country

and pasture them upon the mountains of Israel

in the land's ravines and all its inhabited places.

In good pastures will I pasture them,

and on the mountain heights of Israel

shall be their grazing ground.

There they shall lie down on good grazing ground,

and in rich pastures shall they be pastured

on the mountains of Israel.

I myself will pasture my sheep;

I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.

The lost I will seek out,

the strayed I will bring back,

the injured I will bind up,

the sick I will heal,

but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,

shepherding them rightly.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6.

R (1)    The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

            In verdant pastures he gives me repose;

beside restful waters he leads me;

            he refreshes my soul.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me in right paths

            for his name's sake.

Even though I walk in the dark valley

            I fear no evil; for you are at my side

with your rod and your staff

            that give me courage.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me

            in the sight of my foes;

you anoint my head with oil;

            my cup overflows.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me

            all the days of my life;

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

            for years to come.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Reading II

Rom 5:5b-11

Brothers and sisters:

The love of God has been poured out into our hearts

through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For Christ, while we were still helpless,

died at the appointed time for the ungodly.

Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,

though perhaps for a good person

one might even find courage to die.

But God proves his love for us

in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood,

will we be saved through him from the wrath.

Indeed, if, while we were enemies,

we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,

how much more, once reconciled,

will we be saved by his life.

Not only that,

but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Alleluia

Mt 11:29ab

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord,

and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

OR:

Jn 10:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord,

I know my sheep, and mine know me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 15:3-7

Jesus addressed this parable to the Pharisees and scribes:

"What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them

would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert

and go after the lost one until he finds it?

And when he does find it,

he sets it on his shoulders with great joy

and, upon his arrival home,

he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,           

'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'

I tell you, in just the same way

there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents

than over ninety-nine righteous people

who have no need of repentance."

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

The message of today's feast and of today's reading is the most basic truth of all: God loves us, and he sent his Son who loved us to the very end, shedding his blood for us. Like all love, in all its forms, it is something we can never contemplate enough, it is beyond our grasp. Yet I know it is there and makes a huge difference in my life.

Christian faith turns this on its head. God loves me, not because of anything good I may have done. God loves be because he loves me. Any good I might do is because of the gift of life given to me. God loves all his creatures first and always. Can I get my head around this?

PRAYER:

Jesus, make my heart similar to yours in its freedom and mercy.

His Name is John (SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST - C)

JUNE 23, 2022, THURSDAY

SOLEMNITY OF THE NATIVITY OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST (White)

Mass during the Day

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 587

Reading I

Is 49:1-6

Hear me, O coastlands,

            listen, O distant peoples.

The LORD called me from birth,

            from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.

He made of me a sharp-edged sword

            and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.

He made me a polished arrow,

            in his quiver he hid me.

You are my servant, he said to me,

            Israel, through whom I show my glory.

Though I thought I had toiled in vain,

            and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,

yet my reward is with the LORD,

            my recompense is with my God.

For now the LORD has spoken

            who formed me as his servant from the womb,

that Jacob may be brought back to him

            and Israel gathered to him;

and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,

            and my God is now my strength!

It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,

            to raise up the tribes of Jacob,

            and restore the survivors of Israel;

I will make you a light to the nations,

            that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

 

Responsorial Psalm

139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15

R.        (14)  I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:

            you know when I sit and when I stand;

            you understand my thoughts from afar.

My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,

            with all my ways you are familiar.

R.        I praise you for I am wonderfully made.

Truly you have formed my inmost being;

            you knit me in my mother’s womb.

I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;

            wonderful are your works.

R.        I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

My soul also you knew full well;

            nor was my frame unknown to you

When I was made in secret,

            when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.

R.        I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.

Reading II

Acts 13:22-26

In those days, Paul said:

“God raised up David as king;

of him God testified,

I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;

he will carry out my every wish.

From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,

has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.

John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance

to all the people of Israel;

and as John was completing his course, he would say,

‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.

Behold, one is coming after me;

I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’

“My brothers, sons of the family of Abraham,

and those others among you who are God-fearing,

to us this word of salvation has been sent.”

Alleluia

See Lk 1:76

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High,

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 1:57-66, 80

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child

she gave birth to a son.

Her neighbors and relatives heard

that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,

and they rejoiced with her.

When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,

they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,

but his mother said in reply,

“No. He will be called John.”

But they answered her,

“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”

So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.

He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”

and all were amazed.

Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,

and he spoke blessing God.

Then fear came upon all their neighbors,

and all these matters were discussed

throughout the hill country of Judea.

All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,

“What, then, will this child be?”

For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.

The child grew and became strong in spirit,

and he was in the desert until the day

of his manifestation to Israel.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Today we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist, a rare distinction he shares with Jesus and Our Lady. Like many Old Testament figures who played an important role in the history of our salvation, John is born to a sterile woman, in her old age. Our salvation is all God's work. Our world is too self-sufficient to admit we need a saviour, but the present situation, with so much violence and pain in relationships, may perhaps move more of us to ask God to save us. Although he does not save us without our collaboration, it is his will that the world be saved, have a happy ending.

PRAYER:

And indeed the hand of the Lord was with me too. Thank you, Lord, for my name, and for the dreams that people invested in me.

True And False Prophets

JUNE 22, 2022, WEDNESDAY
Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
Optional Memorial of Saint John Fisher, Bishop and Saint Thomas More, Martyrs (Red)
Optional Memorial of Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop (White)
Lectionary: 373

Reading I
2 Kgs 22:8-13; 23:1-3

The high priest Hilkiah informed the scribe Shaphan,

“I have found the book of the law in the temple of the LORD.”

Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.

Then the scribe Shaphan went to the king and reported,

“Your servants have smelted down the metals available in the temple

and have consigned them to the master workmen

in the temple of the LORD.”

The scribe Shaphan also informed the king

that the priest Hilkiah had given him a book,

and then read it aloud to the king.

When the king heard the contents of the book of the law,

he tore his garments and issued this command to Hilkiah the priest,

Ahikam, son of Shaphan,

Achbor, son of Micaiah, the scribe Shaphan,

and the king’s servant Asaiah:

“Go, consult the LORD for me, for the people, for all Judah,

about the stipulations of this book that has been found,

for the anger of the LORD has been set furiously ablaze against us,

because our fathers did not obey the stipulations of this book,

nor fulfill our written obligations.”

The king then had all the elders of Judah

and of Jerusalem summoned together before him.

The king went up to the temple of the LORD with all the men of Judah

and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:

priests, prophets, and all the people, small and great.

He had the entire contents of the book of the covenant

that had been found in the temple of the LORD, read out to them.

Standing by the column, the king made a covenant before the LORD

that they would follow him

and observe his ordinances, statutes and decrees

with their whole hearts and souls,

thus reviving the terms of the covenant

which were written in this book.

And all the people stood as participants in the covenant.

Responsorial Psalm
119:33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40

R. (33a) Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Instruct me, O LORD, in the way of your statutes,

that I may exactly observe them.

R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Give me discernment, that I may observe your law

and keep it with all my heart.

R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Lead me in the path of your commands,

for in it I delight.

R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Incline my heart to your decrees

and not to gain.

R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Turn away my eyes from seeing what is vain:

by your way give me life.

R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Behold, I long for your precepts;

in your justice give me life.

R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

 

Alleluia
Jn 15:4a, 5b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord;

whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel
Mt 7:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,

but underneath are ravenous wolves.

By their fruits you will know them.

Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,

and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,

nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.

Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down

and thrown into the fire.

So by their fruits you will know them.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus warns us to beware of false prophets, and gives us a very concrete and practical guideline for our discernment: Knowing them by their fruits. Our world sometimes can be so confusing, making so many promises of happiness and well-being, yet so full of suffering and loneliness. We need to discern, to realize there are not only false prophets, who bear fruit that is not good, but also good prophets whose message is true because it produces good fruit. I pray for the grace of insight and wisdom.

A good tree is well minded. It needs the right soil given at the right time, planted in the place for the weather it needs. It needs to be planted neither too near the other trees nor too far away. We grow if we are well tended - in education, in family, in love. We grow when we mind and nourish ourselves with the food and drink that do not ruin the body. Then the fruit is seen and others can enjoy and benefit from our lives. How we mind others in turn has its effect for many years.

PRAYER:

Jesus promised me the Holy Spirit who enriches my life and is evident in my attitudes, words and actions. As I turn away from false prophets and seek guidance of those who may truly help me, I ask the Spirit for guidance.

Enter Through The Narrow Gate

JUNE 21, 2022, TUESDAY

MEMORIAL OF SAINT ALOYSIUS GONZAGA, RELIGIOUS (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 372

Reading I

2 Kgs 19:9b-11, 14-21, 31-35a, 36

Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sent envoys to Hezekiah

with this message:

“Thus shall you say to Hezekiah, king of Judah:

‘Do not let your God on whom you rely deceive you

by saying that Jerusalem will not be handed over

to the king of Assyria.

You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done

to all other countries: they doomed them!

Will you, then, be saved?’”

Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it;

then he went up to the temple of the LORD,

and spreading it out before him,

he prayed in the LORD’s presence:

“O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned upon the cherubim!

You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.

You have made the heavens and the earth.

Incline your ear, O LORD, and listen!

Open your eyes, O LORD, and see!

Hear the words of Sennacherib which he sent to taunt the living God.

Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations

and their lands, and cast their gods into the fire;

they destroyed them because they were not gods,

but the work of human hands, wood and stone.

Therefore, O LORD, our God, save us from the power of this man,

that all the kingdoms of the earth may know

that you alone, O LORD, are God.”

Then Isaiah, son of Amoz, sent this message to Hezekiah:

“Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,

in answer to your prayer for help against Sennacherib, king of Assyria:

I have listened!

This is the word the LORD has spoken concerning him:

“‘She despises you, laughs you to scorn,

the virgin daughter Zion!

Behind you she wags her head,

daughter Jerusalem.

“‘For out of Jerusalem shall come a remnant,

and from Mount Zion, survivors.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.’

“Therefore, thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria:

‘He shall not reach this city, nor shoot an arrow at it,

nor come before it with a shield,

nor cast up siege-works against it.

He shall return by the same way he came,

without entering the city, says the LORD.

I will shield and save this city for my own sake,

and for the sake of my servant David.’”

That night the angel of the LORD went forth and struck down

one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp.

So Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, broke camp,

and went back home to Nineveh.

Responsorial Psalm

48:2-3ab, 3cd-4, 10-11

R. (see 9d) God upholds his city for ever.

Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised

in the city of our God.

His holy mountain, fairest of heights,

is the joy of all the earth.

R. God upholds his city for ever.

Mount Zion, “the recesses of the North,”

is the city of the great King.

God is with her castles;

renowned is he as a stronghold.

R. God upholds his city for ever.

O God, we ponder your mercy

within your temple.

As your name, O God, so also your praise

reaches to the ends of the earth.

Of justice your right hand is full.

R. God upholds his city for ever.

 

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

Mt 7:6, 12-14

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,

lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.

This is the Law and the Prophets.

“Enter through the narrow gate;

for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction,

and those who enter through it are many.

How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.

And those who find it are few.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Availability of good things and success in life can increase greed. False gods can take over and direction is lost. Being better off does not mean being better in what really matters. I need good values and time to reflect, so that good decisions about God’s bounty may be arrived at.

It is easy to drift, to follow the broad and easy route, but that does not lead to life. Jesus is the way to life and he is the entry point. ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep…whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture’ (John 10:7-9). Lord, help me to be a good follower of you.

PRAYER:

The easy option is to avoid personal responsibilities and to go with the crowd. The choice between right and wrong can often be lonely and narrow. Lord, please show me the road that leads to you. May I follow it with joy, whether it is hard or easy.

Stop Judging

JUNE 20, 2022, MONDAY
Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 371

Reading I
2 Kgs 17:5-8, 13-15a, 18

Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, occupied the whole land

and attacked Samaria, which he besieged for three years.

In the ninth year of Hoshea, king of Israel

the king of Assyria took Samaria,

and deported the children of Israel to Assyria,

setting them in Halah, at the Habor, a river of Gozan,

and the cities of the Medes.

This came about because the children of Israel sinned against the LORD,

their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt,

from under the domination of Pharaoh, king of Egypt,

and because they venerated other gods.

They followed the rites of the nations

whom the Lord had cleared out of the way of the children of Israel

and the kings of Israel whom they set up.

And though the LORD warned Israel and Judah

by every prophet and seer,

“Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments and statutes,

in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your fathers

and which I sent you by my servants the prophets,”

they did not listen, but were as stiff-necked as their fathers,

who had not believed in the LORD, their God.

They rejected his statutes,

the covenant which he had made with their fathers,

and the warnings which he had given them, till,

in his great anger against Israel,

the LORD put them away out of his sight.

Only the tribe of Judah was left.

Responsorial Psalm
60:3, 4-5, 12-13

R. (7b) Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

O God, you have rejected us and broken our defenses;

you have been angry; rally us!

R. Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

You have rocked the country and split it open;

repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering.

You have made your people feel hardships;

you have given us stupefying wine.

R. Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

Have not you, O God, rejected us,

so that you go not forth, O God, with our armies?

Give us aid against the foe,

for worthless is the help of men.

R. Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

Alleluia
Heb 4:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The word of God is living and effective,

able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 7:1-5

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged.

For as you judge, so will you be judged,

and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,

but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?

How can you say to your brother,

‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’

while the wooden beam is in your eye?

You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;

then you will see clearly

to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Arrogance can make us believe that we are morally superior to others and can act as judges over them. As Jesus' imagery suggests it is all too easy to see others' faults and remain blind to our own. Becoming obsessed with a small failing in another person can distract us from being aware of a much greater shortcoming in ourselves.

PRAYER:

Lord, it is not easy always to think the best of other people, though I know I should. Newspaper headlines are pointing the finger of blame every day; they see the speck in every neighbor's eye, and urge me to judge, denounce and sue for damages. But I never know enough of the story to form a proper judgment on anyone. I would rather leave judgment to God, and try to be godlike in thinking well of my fellows.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand (CORPUS CHRISTI SUNDAY - C)

JUNE 19, 2022, SUNDAY
THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST 
(CORPUS CHRISTI) (White)
FATHER'S DAY
CYCLE C - YEAR II 
Lectionary: 169

Reading I
Gn 14:18-20

In those days, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine,

and being a priest of God Most High,

he blessed Abram with these words:

            "Blessed be Abram by God Most High,

                        the creator of heaven and earth;

            and blessed be God Most High,

                        who delivered your foes into your hand."

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R (4b)  You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand

            till I make your enemies your footstool."

R You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:

            "Rule in the midst of your enemies."

R You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;

            before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."

R You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:

            "You are a priest forever, according to the order of  Melchizedek."

R You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

 

Reading II
1 Cor 11:23-26

Brothers and sisters:

I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,

that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,

took bread, and, after he had given thanks,

broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you.

Do this in remembrance of me."

In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,

"This cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,

you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Sequence
Lauda Sion

Laud, O Zion, your salvation,

Laud with hymns of exultation,

            Christ, your king and shepherd true:

Bring him all the praise you know,

He is more than you bestow.

            Never can you reach his due.

Special theme for glad thanksgiving

Is the quick’ning and the living

            Bread today before you set:

From his hands of old partaken,

As we know, by faith unshaken,

            Where the Twelve at supper met.

Full and clear ring out your chanting,

Joy nor sweetest grace be wanting,

            From your heart let praises burst:

For today the feast is holden,

When the institution olden

            Of that supper was rehearsed.

Here the new law’s new oblation,

By the new king’s revelation,

            Ends the form of ancient rite:

Now the new the old effaces,

Truth away the shadow chases,

            Light dispels the gloom of night.

What he did at supper seated,

Christ ordained to be repeated,

            His memorial ne’er to cease:

And his rule for guidance taking,

Bread and wine we hallow, making

            Thus our sacrifice of peace.

This the truth each Christian learns,

Bread into his flesh he turns,

            To his precious blood the wine:

Sight has fail’d, nor thought conceives,

But a dauntless faith believes,

            Resting on a pow’r divine.

Here beneath these signs are hidden

Priceless things to sense forbidden;

            Signs, not things are all we see:

Blood is poured and flesh is broken,

Yet in either wondrous token

            Christ entire we know to be.

Whoso of this food partakes,

Does not rend the Lord nor breaks;

            Christ is whole to all that taste:

Thousands are, as one, receivers,

One, as thousands of believers,

            Eats of him who cannot waste.

Bad and good the feast are sharing,

Of what divers dooms preparing,

            Endless death, or endless life.

Life to these, to those damnation,

See how like participation

            Is with unlike issues rife.

When the sacrament is broken,

Doubt not, but believe ‘tis spoken,

            That each sever’d outward token

            doth the very whole contain.

Nought the precious gift divides,

Breaking but the sign betides

            Jesus still the same abides,

            still unbroken does remain.

The shorter form of the sequence begins here.

Lo! the angel’s food is given

To the pilgrim who has striven;

            see the children’s bread from heaven,

            which on dogs may not be spent.

Truth the ancient types fulfilling,

Isaac bound, a victim willing,

            Paschal lamb, its lifeblood spilling,

            manna to the fathers sent.

Very bread, good shepherd, tend us,

Jesu, of your love befriend us,

            You refresh us, you defend us,

            Your eternal goodness send us

In the land of life to see.

You who all things can and know,

Who on earth such food bestow,

            Grant us with your saints, though lowest,

            Where the heav’nly feast you show,

Fellow heirs and guests to be. Amen. Alleluia.

Alleluia
Jn 6:51

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord;

whoever eats this bread will live forever.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 9:11b-17

Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,

and he healed those who needed to be cured.

As the day was drawing to a close,

the Twelve approached him and said,

"Dismiss the crowd

so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms

and find lodging and provisions;

for we are in a deserted place here."

He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves."

They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have,

unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people."

Now the men there numbered about five thousand.

Then he said to his disciples,

"Have them sit down in groups of about fifty."

They did so and made them all sit down.

Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,

and looking up to heaven,

he said the blessing over them, broke them,

and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.

They all ate and were satisfied.

And when the leftover fragments were picked up,

they filled twelve wicker baskets.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus became bread broken for us. The cup of blessing is the blood of the new covenant that would be poured out for us. Jesus drew on simple everyday signs to present a profound message. His self-giving is complete, as are bread when it is eaten and wine when it is drunk. Nothing is left. As Eucharistic people we are to be taken, blessed, broken and given to others as Jesus was. His continued presence among us gives us nourishment and we in turn nourish others.

PRAYER:

Lord, thank You for allowing us to touch You through the Holy Eucharist. Heal, transform and give me new life whenever I receive You.