Be Reconciled

JUNE 09, 2022, THURSDAY
Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
Optional Memorial of Saint Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church (White)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 362

Reading I
1 Kgs 18:41-46

Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink,

for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”

So Ahab went up to eat and drink,

while Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel,

crouched down to the earth,

and put his head between his knees.

“Climb up and look out to sea,” he directed his servant,

who went up and looked, but reported, “There is nothing.”

Seven times he said, “Go, look again!”

And the seventh time the youth reported,

“There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.”

Elijah said, “Go and say to Ahab,

‘Harness up and leave the mountain before the rain stops you.’”

In a trice the sky grew dark with clouds and wind,

and a heavy rain fell.

Ahab mounted his chariot and made for Jezreel.

But the hand of the LORD was on Elijah,

who girded up his clothing and ran before Ahab

as far as the approaches to Jezreel.

Responsorial Psalm
65:10, 11, 12-13

R. (2a) It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.

You have visited the land and watered it;

greatly have you enriched it.

God’s watercourses are filled;

you have prepared the grain.

R. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.

Thus have you prepared the land:

drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods,

Softening it with showers,

blessing its yield.

R. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.

You have crowned the year with your bounty,

and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;

The untilled meadows overflow with it,

and rejoicing clothes the hills.

R. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.

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 5:20-26

Jesus said to his disciples:

“I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that

of the scribes and Pharisees,

you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,

You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.

But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother

will be liable to judgment,

and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,

will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,

and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.

Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,

and there recall that your brother

has anything against you,

leave your gift there at the altar,

go first and be reconciled with your brother,

and then come and offer your gift.

Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.

Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,

and the judge will hand you over to the guard,

and you will be thrown into prison.

Amen, I say to you,

you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Is there anybody who I need to forgive? Pray for the grace to forgive that person in my heart, and let go fully of any feelings of anger or resentment I may have towards them. Ask the Lord for the grace to go to that person and be reconciled with them, and restore the relationship to one of friendship and love.

PRAYER:

You are speaking to my heart here, Lord. I cannot be reconciled to you unless I am reconciled to my neighbour. Forgiveness requires contrition and atonement. If I have stolen, I cannot ask God’s forgiveness unless I have given back what I stole. If I feel a barrier in talking to you, Lord, it may be because I have not tackled the barrier between me and my neighbour.

Lord, grant me the humility to ask forgiveness of anyone I upset.

I Have Come Not To Abolish But To Fulfill

JUNE 08, 2022, WEDNESDAY
Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
CYCLE C - YEAR II
Lectionary: 361

Reading I
1 Kgs18:20-39

Ahab sent to all the children of Israel

and had the prophets assemble on Mount Carmel.

Elijah appealed to all the people and said,

“How long will you straddle the issue?

If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.”

The people, however, did not answer him.

So Elijah said to the people,

“I am the only surviving prophet of the LORD,

and there are four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal.

Give us two young bulls.

Let them choose one, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood,

but start no fire.

I shall prepare the other and place it on the wood,

but shall start no fire.

You shall call on your gods, and I will call on the LORD.

The God who answers with fire is God.”

All the people answered, “Agreed!”

Elijah then said to the prophets of Baal,

“Choose one young bull and prepare it first,

for there are more of you.

Call upon your gods, but do not start the fire.”

Taking the young bull that was turned over to them, they prepared it

and called on Baal from morning to noon, saying,

“Answer us, Baal!”

But there was no sound, and no one answering.

And they hopped around the altar they had prepared.

When it was noon, Elijah taunted them:

“Call louder, for he is a god and may be meditating,

or may have retired, or may be on a journey.

Perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”

They called out louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears,

as was their custom, until blood gushed over them.

Noon passed and they remained in a prophetic state

until the time for offering sacrifice.

But there was not a sound;

no one answered, and no one was listening.

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.”

When the people had done so, he repaired the altar of the LORD

that had been destroyed.

He took twelve stones, for the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob,

to whom the LORD had said, “Your name shall be Israel.”

He built an altar in honor of the LORD with the stones,

and made a trench around the altar

large enough for two measures of grain.

When he had arranged the wood,

he cut up the young bull and laid it on the wood.

“Fill four jars with water,” he said,

“and pour it over the burnt offering and over the wood.”

“Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.

“Do it a third time,” he said,

and they did it a third time.

The water flowed around the altar,

and the trench was filled with the water.

At the time for offering sacrifice,

the prophet Elijah came forward and said,

“LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,

let it be known this day that you are God in Israel

and that I am your servant

and have done all these things by your command.

Answer me, LORD!

Answer me, that this people may know that you, LORD, are God

and that you have brought them back to their senses.”

The LORD’s fire came down

and consumed the burnt offering, wood, stones, and dust,

and it lapped up the water in the trench.

Seeing this, all the people fell prostrate and said,

“The LORD is God! The LORD is God!”

Responsorial Psalm
16:1b-2ab, 4, 5ab and 8, 11

R. (1b) Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

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

I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.”

R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

They multiply their sorrows

who court other gods.

Blood libations to them I will not pour out,

nor will I take their names upon my lips.

R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

O LORD, my allotted portion and cup,

you it is who hold fast my lot.

I set the LORD ever before me;

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

R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

You will show me the path to life,

fullness of joys in your presence,

the delights at your right hand forever.

R. Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

 

Alleluia
Ps 25:4b, 5a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Teach me your paths, my God,

and guide me in your truth.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 5:17-19

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.

I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,

not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter

will pass from the law,

until all things have taken place.

Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments

and teaches others to do so

will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.

But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments

will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

 

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus teaches by word and action, by saying and doing. His example of life is our guide and our encouragement. There is a link between what we say and what we do, and when this link is strong, we are strong in the kingdom of God. We are ‘to walk it as we talk it'. Sincerity and integrity of life is what we are called to.

I ask God to continue to bless me and to lead me into the wisdom that Jesus had. I pray in respect for all who teach the faith that has come to us from the apostles.

PRAYER:

I think of all those who have taught me, calling to mind the people who have helped me to understand God’s ways. I give thanks for them and ask for blessing. I pray that I may be such a person for those around me.

Salt And Light

JUNE 07, 2022, TUESDAY

Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 360

Reading I

1 Kgs 17:7-16

The brook near where Elijah was hiding ran dry,

because no rain had fallen in the land.

So the LORD said to Elijah:

“Move on to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there.

I have designated a widow there to provide for you.”

He left and went to Zarephath.

As he arrived at the entrance of the city,

a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her,

“Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink.”

She left to get it, and he called out after her,

“Please bring along a bit of bread.”

She answered, “As the LORD, your God, lives,

I have nothing baked;

there is only a handful of flour in my jar

and a little oil in my jug.

Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks,

to go in and prepare something for myself and my son;

when we have eaten it, we shall die.”

Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid.

Go and do as you propose.

But first make me a little cake and bring it to me.

Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son.

For the LORD, the God of Israel, says,

‘The jar of flour shall not go empty,

nor the jug of oil run dry,

until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’”

She left and did as Elijah had said.

She was able to eat for a year, and Elijah and her son as well;

the jar of flour did not go empty,

nor the jug of oil run dry,

as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.

Responsorial Psalm

4:2-3, 4-5, 7b-8

R. (7a) Lord, let your face shine on us.

When I call, answer me, O my just God,

you who relieve me when I am in distress;

Have pity on me, and hear my prayer!

Men of rank, how long will you be dull of heart?

Why do you love what is vain and seek after falsehood?

R. Lord, let your face shine on us.

Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one;

the LORD will hear me when I call upon him.

Tremble, and sin not;

reflect, upon your beds, in silence.

R. Lord, let your face shine on us.

O LORD, let the light of your countenance shine upon us!

You put gladness into my heart,

more than when grain and wine abound.

R. Lord, let your face shine on us.

Alleluia

Mt 5:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Let your light shine before others

That they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 5:13-16

Jesus said to his disciples:

“You are the salt of the earth.

But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?

It is no longer good for anything

but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

You are the light of the world.

A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;

it is set on a lampstand,

where it gives light to all in the house.

Just so, your light must shine before others,

that they may see your good deeds

and glorify your heavenly Father.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Riches, power and control are valued highly in our world. But Jesus draws on little things to teach deeper values. Salt preserves food: in the hands of a skilled cook it adds flavour to food. But its work is hidden. As salt of the earth we can be effective in bringing more taste to life for others.

Light does not change a room: it enables us to see what is in it. It helps us appreciate what is good and beautiful, just as it facilitates avoiding pitfalls. We are children of the light: our lives are illumined by Jesus, the light of the world (John 8:12). This light helps us to see the hidden hope of glory that is in us. So we can rejoice even in the darkness of the world.

PRAYER:

Lord, you are telling me something urgent here: in the moral blandness of western culture, you tell me to be counter-cultural, a strong taste, a light on a lampstand, proud not of myself but of the Gospel.