Be Made Clean

JUNE 30, 2023 FRIDAY

Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 375

Reading I

Gn 17:1, 9-10, 15-22

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him

and said: “I am God the Almighty.

Walk in my presence and be blameless.”

God also said to Abraham:

“On your part, you and your descendants after you

must keep my covenant throughout the ages.

This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you

that you must keep:

every male among you shall be circumcised.”

God further said to Abraham:

“As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai;

her name shall be Sarah.

I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her.

Him also will I bless; he shall give rise to nations,

and rulers of peoples shall issue from him.”

Abraham prostrated himself and laughed as he said to himself,

“Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old?

Or can Sarah give birth at ninety?”

Then Abraham said to God,

“Let but Ishmael live on by your favor!”

God replied: “Nevertheless, your wife Sarah is to bear you a son,

and you shall call him Isaac.

I will maintain my covenant with him as an everlasting pact,

to be his God and the God of his descendants after him.

As for Ishmael, I am heeding you: I hereby bless him.

I will make him fertile and will multiply him exceedingly.

He shall become the father of twelve chieftains,

and I will make of him a great nation.

But my covenant I will maintain with Isaac,

whom Sarah shall bear to you by this time next year.”

When he had finished speaking with him, God departed from Abraham.

Responsorial Psalm

128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R. (4) See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.

Blessed are you who fear the LORD,

who walk in his ways!

For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;

blessed shall you be, and favored.

R. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine

in the recesses of your home;

Your children like olive plants

around your table.

R. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.

Behold, thus is the man blessed

who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion:

may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life.

R. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.

Alleluia

Mt 8:17

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Christ took away our infirmities

and bore our diseases.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 8:1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.

And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said,

“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”

He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,

“I will do it. Be made clean.”

His leprosy was cleansed immediately.

Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one,

but go show yourself to the priest,

and offer the gift that Moses prescribed;

that will be proof for them.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Much of the life and work of Jesus was spent with the ill and the disabled, and often with people like this leper who nobody wanted. In the mind and heart of Jesus, nobody is unwanted. Throughout our lives, Jesus wants us with him, offering us the gift of love and calling, asking only love and the effort to love in return. ‘How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me?' is a psalm we might pray as we grow in awareness of all that Jesus does for his people.

PRAYER:

Inspired by the man who suffered with leprosy, I begin my prayer not with my demanding a request, but with the phrase. ‘Lord, if you choose to, you can...’

Peter Declares Jesus (SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL APOSTLES - A)

JUNE 29, 2023 THURSDAY

SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES (Red) 

(Mass during the Day)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

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.

True And False Prophets

JUNE 28, 2023 WEDNESDAY

MEMORIAL OF SAINT IRENAUES, BISHOP AND MARTYR (Red)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 373

Reading 1

Gn 15:1-12, 17-18

The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:

"Fear not, Abram!

I am your shield;

I will make your reward very great."

But Abram said,

"O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be,

if I keep on being childless

and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?"

Abram continued,

"See, you have given me no offspring,

and so one of my servants will be my heir."

Then the word of the LORD came to him:

"No, that one shall not be your heir;

your own issue shall be your heir."

He took him outside and said:

"Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.

Just so," he added, "shall your descendants be."

Abram put his faith in the LORD,

who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.

He then said to him,

"I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans

to give you this land as a possession."

"O Lord GOD," he asked,

"how am I to know that I shall possess it?"

He answered him,

"Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat,

a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."

Abram brought him all these, split them in two,

and placed each half opposite the other;

but the birds he did not cut up.

Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses,

but Abram stayed with them.

As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,

and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.

When the sun had set and it was dark,

there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,

which passed between those pieces.

It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,

saying: "To your descendants I give this land,

from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River the Euphrates."

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9

R. (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;

make known among the nations his deeds.

Sing to him, sing his praise,

proclaim all his wondrous deeds.

R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Glory in his holy name;

rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!

Look to the LORD in his strength;

seek to serve him constantly.

R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

or:

R. Alleluia.

You descendants of Abraham, his servants,

sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!

He, the LORD, is our God;

throughout the earth his judgments prevail.

R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

or:

R. Alleluia.

He remembers forever his covenant

which he made binding for a thousand generations—

Which he entered into with Abraham

and by his oath to Isaac.

R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

or:

R. Alleluia.

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 realise 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 27, 2023 TUESDAY

Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

Optional Memorial of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (White)

FEAST OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 372

Reading 1

Gn 13:2, 5-18

Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.

Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,

so that the land could not support them if they stayed together;

their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.

There were quarrels between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock

and those of Lot's.

(At this time the Canaanites and the Perizzites

were occupying the land.)

So Abram said to Lot:

"Let there be no strife between you and me,

or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are kinsmen.

Is not the whole land at your disposal?

Please separate from me.

If you prefer the left, I will go to the right;

if you prefer the right, I will go to the left."

Lot looked about and saw how well watered

the whole Jordan Plain was as far as Zoar,

like the LORD's own garden, or like Egypt.

(This was before the LORD had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)

Lot, therefore, chose for himself the whole Jordan Plain

and set out eastward.

Thus they separated from each other;

Abram stayed in the land of Canaan,

while Lot settled among the cities of the Plain,

pitching his tents near Sodom.

Now the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked

in the sins they committed against the LORD.

After Lot had left, the LORD said to Abram:

"Look about you, and from where you are,

gaze to the north and south, east and west;

all the land that you see I will give to you

and your descendants forever.

I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth;

if anyone could count the dust of the earth,

your descendants too might be counted.

Set forth and walk about in the land, through its length and breadth,

for to you I will give it."

Abram moved his tents and went on to settle

near the terebinth of Mamre, which is at Hebron.

There he built an altar to the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5

R. (1b) He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

He who walks blamelessly and does justice;

who thinks the truth in his heart

and slanders not with his tongue.

R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Who harms not his fellow man,

nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;

By whom the reprobate is despised,

while he honors those who fear the LORD.

R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Who lends not his money at usury

and accepts no bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things

shall never be disturbed.

R. He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

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.

Avoid Judgement

JUNE 26, 2023 MONDAY

Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 371

Reading 1

Gn 12:1-9

The LORD said to Abram:

"Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk

and from your father's house to a land that I will show you.

"I will make of you a great nation,

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

so that you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you

and curse those who curse you.

All the communities of the earth

shall find blessing in you."

Abram went as the LORD directed him, and Lot went with him.

Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

Abram took his wife, Sarai, his brother's son Lot,

all the possessions that they had accumulated,

and the persons they had acquired in Haran,

and they set out for the land of Canaan.

When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land

as far as the sacred place at Shechem,

by the terebinth of Moreh.

(The Canaanites were then in the land.)

The LORD appeared to Abram and said,

"To your descendants I will give this land."

So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.

From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel,

pitching his tent with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east.

He built an altar there to the LORD and invoked the LORD by name.

Then Abram journeyed on by stages to the Negeb.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 33:12-13, 18-19, 20 and 22

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

Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.

From heaven the LORD looks down;

he sees all mankind.

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

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,

upon those who hope for his kindness,

To deliver them from death

and preserve them in spite of famine.

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

Our soul waits for the LORD,

who is our help and our shield.

May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us

who have put our hope in you.

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

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 neighbour'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.

Fear No One (TWELFTH SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME - A)

JUNE 25, 2023 SUNDAY

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 94

Reading 1

Jer 20:10-13

Jeremiah said:

"I hear the whisperings of many:

'Terror on every side!

Denounce! let us denounce him!'

All those who were my friends

are on the watch for any misstep of mine.

'Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,

and take our vengeance on him.'

But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:

my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.

In their failure they will be put to utter shame,

to lasting, unforgettable confusion.

O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,

who probe mind and heart,

let me witness the vengeance you take on them,

for to you I have entrusted my cause.

Sing to the LORD,

praise the LORD,

for he has rescued the life of the poor

from the power of the wicked!"

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35

R. (14c) Lord, in your great love, answer me.

For your sake I bear insult,

and shame covers my face.

I have become an outcast to my brothers,

a stranger to my mother's children,

Because zeal for your house consumes me,

and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

I pray to you, O LORD,

for the time of your favor, O God!

In your great kindness answer me

with your constant help.

Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness;

in your great mercy turn toward me.

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;

you who seek God, may your hearts revive!

For the LORD hears the poor,

and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.

Let the heavens and the earth praise him,

the seas and whatever moves in them!''

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Reading 2

Rom 5:12-15

Brothers and sisters:

Through one man sin entered the world,

and through sin, death,

and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned—

for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world,

though sin is not accounted when there is no law.

But death reigned from Adam to Moses,

even over those who did not sin

after the pattern of the trespass of Adam,

who is the type of the one who was to come.

But the gift is not like the transgression.

For if by the transgression of the one the many died,

how much more did the grace of God

and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ

overflow for the many.

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

Mt 10:26-33

Jesus said to the Twelve:

"Fear no one.

Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,

nor secret that will not be known.

What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;

what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.

And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;

rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy

both soul and body in Gehenna.

Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?

Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.

Even all the hairs of your head are counted.

So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Everyone who acknowledges me before others

I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.

But whoever denies me before others,

I will deny before my heavenly Father."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus reminds me that I do not have to have all the answers or convince everyone. In God's time, not mine, all will be made clear.

But Jesus mentions fear five times here: does fear sometimes make me betray the truth? Perhaps I may know what to do in a situation but I do nothing for fear of the reactions of others. I ask to believe that God knows me fully and values me limitlessly, so I need not fear.

PRAYER:

I give thanks to God for what I have learnt in my prayer. I pray for the courage I need to let my experience of God be evident in my life.

"His Name is John" (FEAST OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST - A)

JUNE 24, 2023 SATURDAY

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

Mass during the Day

CYCLE A - YEAR I

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.

The name ‘John’ in Hebrew means ‘The 

Lord is gracious.’ He showed his kindness to Elizabeth and Zechariah, fulfilling their desire to have a child. Think of the ways he has been kind to me.

PRAYER:

I examine my own willingness, or perhaps lack of it, to stand up and be counted when it comes to my Christian faith. I ask for help with this.

Treasures In Heaven

JUNE 23, 2023 FRIDAY
Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE A- YEAR I
Lectionary: 369

Reading 1
2 Cor 11:18, 21-30

Brothers and sisters:
Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.
To my shame I say that we were too weak!
But what anyone dares to boast of
(I am speaking in foolishness)
I also dare.
Are they Hebrews? So am I.
Are they children of Israel? So am I.
Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
Are they ministers of Christ?
(I am talking like an insane person).
I am still more, with far greater labors,
far more imprisonments, far worse beatings,
and numerous brushes with death.
Five times at the hands of the Jews
I received forty lashes minus one.
Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned,
three times I was shipwrecked,
I passed a night and a day on the deep;
on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers,
dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race,
dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city,
dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea,
dangers among false brothers;
in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights,
through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings,
through cold and exposure.
And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me
of my anxiety for all the churches.
Who is weak, and I am not weak?
Who is led to sin, and I am not indignant?
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

Responsorial Psalm
PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (see 18b) From all their distress God rescues the just.

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. From all their distress God rescues the just.

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. From all their distress God rescues the just.

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. From all their distress God rescues the just.

Alleluia
Mt 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 6:19-23

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
“The lamp of the body is the eye.
If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.
And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus once again reminds us that God looks at the heart, and challenges us to ask ourselves where our real priorities lie. Where is my heart? My treasure? Is it something that is durable, that cannot be corrupted by moth or by rust, or is it something merely material or ethereal, like money or success or popularity?

PRAYER:

When I look at my heart, I may find it is a divided one, undecided, torn between different or conflicting loyalties, whose light is weak and does not illuminate my path in life. I look with gratitude on those persons I admire for their integrity, and pray for the grace of an undivided heart.

The Lord's Prayer

JUNE 22, 2023 THURSDAY
Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
Optional Memorial of Saint John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr and Saint Thomas More, Martyr (Red)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 368

Reading 1
2 Cor 11:1-11

Brothers and sisters:
If only you would put up with a little foolishness from me!
Please put up with me.
For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God,
since I betrothed you to one husband
to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning,
your thoughts may be corrupted
from a sincere and pure commitment to Christ.
For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached,
or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received
or a different gospel from the one you accepted,
you put up with it well enough.
For I think that I am not in any way inferior to these ""superapostles.""
Even if I am untrained in speaking, I am not so in knowledge;
in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.
Did I make a mistake when I humbled myself so that you might be exalted,
because I preached the Gospel of God to you without charge?
I plundered other churches by accepting from them
in order to minister to you.
And when I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone,
for the brothers who came from Macedonia
supplied my needs.
So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.
By the truth of Christ in me,
this boast of mine shall not be silenced
in the regions of Achaia.
And why?  Because I do not love you?
God knows I do!

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 111:1b-2, 3-4, 7-8

R.(7a) Your works, O Lord, are justice and truth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.

R. Your works, O Lord, are justice and truth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.

R. Your works, O Lord, are justice and truth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity.

R. Your works, O Lord, are justice and truth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia
Rom 8:15bc

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

You have received a spirit of adoption as sons
through which we cry: Abba! Father!

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
"In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
"This is how you are to pray:

'Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.'

"If you forgive others their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

How has the quality of your prayer time improved over the years?

PRAYER:

Father, as I turn to you in prayer, you already know what I need. I do not change you by asking; I change myself. I love to reflect on Jesus' words: that I may call God my father and work to make his name known and revered. I shall be forgiven as I forgive others. I beg for nourishment enough for the day, and for deliverance from evil.

And Your Father Who Sees What Is Hidden Will Repay You

JUNE 21, 2023 WEDNESDAY
MEMORIAL OF SAINT ALOYSIUS GONZAGA, RELIGIOUS (White)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 367

Reading 1
2 Cor 9:6-11

Brothers and sisters, consider this:
whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work.
As it is written:
He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.
The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food
will supply and multiply your seed
and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
You are being enriched in every way for all generosity,
which through us produces thanksgiving to God.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 112:1bc-2, 3-4, 9

R. (1b) Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.

R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.

R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.

R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia
Jn 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
"When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus calls for generosity - Give! Share! Lend! When somebody is looking for help, do we pass by on the other side, like the priest in the parable of the Good Samaritan? Pope Francis calls on us not to ignore anybody begging on the street, and says the way one reaches out to the person looking for help must be done "by looking them in the eyes and touching their hands".

PRAYER:

I ask the Father to give me the spirit of Jesus, the readiness to walk the extra mile and turn the other cheek.

Love Your Enemies

JUNE 20, 2023 TUESDAY 
Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 366

Reading 1
2 Cor 8:1-9

We want you to know, brothers and sisters, of the grace of God
that has been given to the churches of Macedonia,
for in a severe test of affliction,
the abundance of their joy and their profound poverty
overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
For according to their means, I can testify,
and beyond their means, spontaneously,
they begged us insistently for the favor of taking part
in the service to the holy ones,
and this, not as we expected,
but they gave themselves first to the Lord
and to us through the will of God,
so that we urged Titus that, as he had already begun,
he should also complete for you this gracious act also.
Now as you excel in every respect,
in faith, discourse, knowledge, all earnestness,
and in the love we have for you,
may you excel in this gracious act also.
I say this not by way of command,
but to test the genuineness of your love
by your concern for others.
For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that for your sake he became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 146:2, 5-6ab, 6c- 7, 8-9a

R.(1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Praise the LORD, my soul!
I will praise the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God while I live.

R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Blessed he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD, his God,
Who made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them.

R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Who keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.

R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

The LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who were bowed down;
the LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.

R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia
Jn 13:34

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 5:43-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus teaches his followers about a new criterion of love which is to be the standard for the early Christian community and for us. It is not enough just to ‘love those who love you’. To truly live as disciple of Jesus demands that we reach out to others with an all-embracing love, including those who make life difficult for us.

"If we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us."

(1 John 4:12)

PRAYER:

Lord, you warn us against tribal or racial exclusiveness: that is where we love only our kith and kin, and reject outsiders. For you there are no outsiders. Your sun shines and your rain falls on all alike. We are to open our hearts even to those who hate us.

Eye For An Eye, Tooth For A Tooth

JUNE 19, 2023 MONDAY 
Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 365

Reading 1
2 Cor 6:1-10

Brothers and sisters:
As your fellow workers, we appeal to you
not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:
In an acceptable time I heard you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.
Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
We cause no one to stumble in anything,
in order that no fault may be found with our ministry;
on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves
as ministers of God, through much endurance,
in afflictions, hardships, constraints,
beatings, imprisonments, riots,
labors, vigils, fasts;
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness,
in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech,
in the power of God;
with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left;
through glory and dishonor, insult and praise.
We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;
as unrecognized and yet acknowledged;
as dying and behold we live;
as chastised and yet not put to death;
as sorrowful yet always rejoicing;
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 98:1, 2b, 3ab, 3cd-4

R.(2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.

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 made known his salvation.

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 made known his salvation.

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 made known his salvation.

Alleluia
Ps 119:105

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 5:38-42

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

To this day, the tit-for-tat law, 'lex talionis', is seen as a sensible custom across many cultures, but Jesus raises us beyond it. Nowhere is he more radical than here: challenging us to accept attacks and insults without resentment, and to respond with love. Can I rise to the challenge?

PRAYER:

Give me strength and courage, O Lord! Whatever any circumstances that may come in my life.

Without Cost You Have Received, Without Cost You Are To Give (ELEVENTH SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME - A)

JUNE 18, 2023 SUNDAY
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)
FATHER'S DAY
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 91

Reading 1
Ex 19:2-6a

In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp.
While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain,
Moses went up the mountain to God.
Then the LORD called to him and said,
“Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob;
tell the Israelites:
You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians
and how I bore you up on eagle wings
and brought you here to myself. 
Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant,
you shall be my special possession,
dearer to me than all other people,
though all the earth is mine.
You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5

R. (3c) We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
    serve the LORD with gladness;
    come before him with joyful song.

R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

Know that the LORD is God;
    he made us, his we are;
    his people, the flock he tends.

R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

The LORD is good:
    his kindness endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

Reading 2
Romans 5:6-11

Brothers and sisters:
Christ, while we were still helpless, 
yet 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
Mark 1:15

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent and believe in the Gospel. 

R.   Alleluia, alleluia.
 

Gospel
Matthew 9:36—10:8

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them 
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”
Then he summoned his twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits
to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the twelve apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION: 

Does reading God's word inspire you or confuse you more? Be open to how God can speak to you.

PRAYER: 

Dear God, grant me the grace to read, understand and live by Your Word according to how You want me to live it in my life.