Tuesday June 11, 2019

BARNABAS, APOSTLE

Introduction

St. Paul owed very much to this missionary, for Barnabas involved Paul in his work among the Christians of Antioch, who were of pagan origin. Acts called Barnabas "a prophet and teacher" and "a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith." He was an open spirit, convinced that if one had faith it was enough to let one become eligible to be a Christian. Inspired by the Spirit, the leaders of the community of Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas on their missionary mission.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
prompted by the Holy Spirit,
the church of Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas
on their missionary mission among pagans.
Let your Church everywhere send
good, zealous men and women as missionaries.
Fill them with the Holy Spirit and with faith,
that they may touch the hearts of people
and win them as disciples and friends
of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Reading 1: Acts 11:21b-26; 13:1-3

In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,
and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.
When he arrived and saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,
for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.
And a large number of people was added to the Lord.
Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch.
For a whole year they met with the Church
and taught a large number of people,
and it was in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.

Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger,
Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
"Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them."
Then, completing their fasting and prayer,
they laid hands on them and sent them off.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6

R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Alleluia: Mt 28:19a, 20b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;
I am with you always, until the end of the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Mt 10:7-13

Jesus said to the Twelve:
"As you go, make this proclamation:
'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick.
The laborer deserves his keep.
Whatever town or village you enter,
look for a worthy person in it,
and stay there until you leave.
As you enter a house, wish it peace.
If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it;
if not, let your peace return to you."

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord God,
let the eucharist of Jesus
bring the light and life of your Son and his zeal
to our communities everywhere
to make them missionary
by the way they live
and to make Christ visible to people.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

God of all people,
at the celebration of St. Barnabas we pray:
Make all your missionaries
people of the Holy Spirit and of deep faith,
that they may speak to the people you send them
the words of life and joy of the good news
and cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse those unclean and cast out evil.
May they do so generously, without charge,
for they have received from you without charge
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Commentary

Luke tells us that Barnabas was “a good man, filled with Holy Spirit and faith.” Barnabas rejoiced in the many blessings received by the people of Antioch. Only a good man can so delight in the wellbeing and good fortune of the other. Barnabas was an apostle who realized that whatever grace one has received is a free gift from God and hence is to be freely shared for the benefit of all. Thus, when he saw similar gifts and fruits of the Spirit in others, his heart rejoiced.

What is received freely as gift must be given freely as a gift. The apostles, and we too through them, are reminded that the many blessings and graces we have received—whether it is the gift of prophesy, healing, teaching, et cetera—are given freely and gratuitously to them, and therefore, must be shared generously for the building up of the Kingdom. Let us pray, through the intercession of Barnabas, for the grace to share our resources freely and to rejoice in the blessings of others.

Wednesday June 12, 2019

Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

IN THE NEW COVENANT

Introduction

Paul, defending his ministry against Jewish converts who insist on their prerogatives, states that the new covenant is superior to the old one as the life-giving Spirit is superior to the death-bringing law.
Jesus says something similar in words that at first sight seem to say the opposite: he has come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it, that is, to give it deeper dimensions. What matters for us especially is that we must be aware that we live under the new law of love and that we are guided by the liberating Holy Spirit from servitude to the law.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
you have taken the initiative of loving us
and bringing us your freedom
through your Son Jesus Christ.
Enrich us with the Spirit of Jesus,
pour him out generously, without measure,
that we may no longer hide
behind traditions and the letter of the law,
to extinguish the Spirit of freedom.
Let him enlarge our hearts
and stimulate our fantasy
to discover love’s numerous ways
to fulfill the law to perfection.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Reading 1: 2 Cor 3:4-11

Brothers and sisters:
Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.
Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit
for anything as coming from us;
rather, our qualification comes from God,
who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant,
not of letter but of spirit;
for the letter brings death, but the Spirit gives life.

Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, was so glorious
that the children of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses
because of its glory that was going to fade,
how much more will the ministry of the Spirit be glorious?
For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious,
the ministry of righteousness will abound much more in glory.
Indeed, what was endowed with glory
has come to have no glory in this respect
because of the glory that surpasses it.
For if what was going to fade was glorious,
how much more will what endures be glorious.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 99:5, 6, 7, 8, 9

R.(see 9c) Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his footstool;
holy is he!
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
and Samuel, among those who called upon his name;
they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
From the pillar of cloud he spoke to them;
they heard his decrees and the law he gave them.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
O LORD, our God, you answered them;
a forgiving God you were to them,
though requiting their misdeeds.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.
Extol the LORD, our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for holy is the LORD, our God.
R. Holy is the Lord our God.

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."

Intercessions

– For the Church dear to us, that the Lord may help it to keep renewing itself, so that it may stay on the road of the gospel and that people can live the gospel as good news, we pray:
– For those who leave their nets to follow Jesus the Lord, that they may so live the gospel as to make it visible and tangible, we pray:
– For all of us in our communities, that the Lord may help us to take the gospel seriously and to live it in close union with the Lord, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
in these gifts of bread and wine
we place our goodwill
to follow your Son
wherever he calls us.
Let our encounter here
with your Son and with each other
mark a new beginning for us
of unity and loyal love,
that the seed of your kingdom
may grow among us
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
we know what you can do
with weak, fallible people.
In the strength of your Son,
help us to do what surpasses our forces:
to be your people
and to be to the world
the sign that you love everyone
and that friendship and justice
are no empty words for you and for us.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Blessing

The time is now. Repent and believe the good news. Come and follow me. Be my disciples. Jesus spoke these words long ago. He addresses them here and now to us. May you heed these words, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

It would seem that the Christian community for which Matthew writes is pro-law and religiously conservative. It is certainly true that Jesus held the main lines of the Jewish law in respect, but to argue that he would uphold the law in all its features even to the end of the age exceeds the evidence. That he was God’s agent of fulfillment is certainly the case. But he was to be the author of a different type of observance, which went beyond simply observing the letter of the law.
Paul, as we know, takes a very different tack. For him the law had seen its day and was passing away. Its glory was a fading one. Giving his own interpretation of the brilliant face of Moses when he communed with God, Paul believed that Moses’ face was covered to conceal a glory that was passing away. For this reason he calls the ministry of Moses a ministry of death. The new ministry of the Spirit, however, is a glorious one that will not pass away. Paul does not see the ministry of the law as having permanent value. It is destined to pass away.
It is clear that the new covenant of Jesus, the covenant of the heart not written in stone, far surpasses that which preceded it. It is the covenant of which Jeremiah spoke, a covenant that comes from within. A covenant not written in stone but on the flesh of the heart.
We belong to the Judeo-Christian tradition. Christianity can never be understood if it is detached from its Jewish roots. On the other hand we are not simply a law-observing people. We are made holy not by anything we do but because we have been graced and favored. Christian fulfillment lies in the spirit not the letter. It is the response of a grateful heart.

Points to Ponder

The role of the law in Christian life
Matthew and the law’s lasting value
The new covenant of the heart.

Thursday June 13, 2019

Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

DISCIPLES ARE RECONCILERS

Introduction

In the rather difficult first reading, Paul states that in the New Testament there is the freedom of the Spirit. We see God in the mirror of Christ.
In the gospel Christ tells us that our practice of love should go farther than that of the Scribes and Pharisees. All laws and the whole discipleship are based on love and creating a climate of love in which Christians do not only not kill in acts of violence but not even damage relationships in words and thoughts. Love at its deepest is shown in forgiveness without conditions, even if the one wrong is the other person! That’s not easy at all!

Opening Prayer

Our God of love,
permeate us so deeply with the mentality
of the good news of your Son Jesus Christ
that in us there remains no room
for violence, hatred, or looking down on others.
Help us to create among us
an atmosphere of trust and deep love
that we give first place to the needs of others
and forget ourselves for their sakes
Let there be among us forgiveness without regret
as was taught to us by Christ our Lord.

Reading 1: 2 Cor 3:15—4:1, 3-6

Brothers and sisters:
To this day, whenever Moses is read,
a veil lies over the hearts of the children of Israel,
but whenever a person turns to the Lord the veil is removed.
Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is freedom.
All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord,
are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory,
as from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Therefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy shown us,
we are not discouraged.
And even though our Gospel is veiled,
it is veiled for those who are perishing,
in whose case the god of this age
has blinded the minds of the unbelievers,
so that they may not see the light of the Gospel
of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord,
and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus.
For God who said, Let light shine out of darkness,
has shone in our hearts to bring to light
the knowledge of the glory of God
on the face of Jesus Christ.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 85:9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14

R. (see 10b) The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD–for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
R. The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.

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."

Intercessions

– For all of us, that we may never put the law above people but practice first the great commandment of loving one another, we pray:
– For those who feel hurt by others, that they may learn the difficult lesson of forgiving wholeheartedly, we pray:
– For our communities, that we may seek God’s will together, accept one another, respect each other’s freedom and bear witness to God’s kindness, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
here are our gifts of bread and wine.
Let there be peace among us,
even if, rightly or wrongly, someone has something against us.
Even if it is very hard,
we want to seek reconciliation with one another
for the sake of him who has brought us
reconciliation with you at the cost of his life,
Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
let our communities be
places of deep love and friendship
and unlimited reconciliation.
For we have listed and accepted the word of your Son
and we have celebrated his sacrifice
for the forgiveness of sins
of the new and everlasting covenant.
May we also celebrate in everyday life
the reconciliation you sent us
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

Remember always these words of Jesus today, to insist that we should be reconcilers: “When you are offering your gifts at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first, be reconciled to your brother or sister and then come and offer your gift.” May almighty God give you this Christian sense and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

Paul continues today with the “veil” imagery. Moses veiled his face so that the Israelites might not see the fading glory of the former covenant. Today, he speaks of another veil, the one that hides the glory of Christ. The unbelievers are thus incapable of seeing the light that shines in the darkness, the light that reveals the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
In failing to see the light, people remain unconvinced of Christ’s teaching. The Gospel today deals with the question of anger. Previously it had been taught, “You shall not kill,” but the Sermon on the Mount goes to the root of violent action, which is anger. There are escalating forms of anger, hateful terms of reference, all of which merit punishment.
Anger is simply counterproductive. Its fruit is pain and hurt for ourselves and for others. To harbor hostility toward another makes us unworthy to come before the Lord in worship or cult. In knowing the person of Jesus, we move away from sin and strive to remain in the spirit of forgiveness, the spirit of him who taught this message even from the cross.

Points to Ponder

The lifted veil and the person of Jesus
Anger and forgiveness
Settling disagreements “out of court”

Friday June 14, 2019

Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

STRENGTH IN WEAKNESS

Introduction

Paul experienced in the marrow of his bones the contradiction of the coexistence within himself of the strength of God working in him for the apostolate and his own human weakness. This is also the experience of the whole Church and each of us personally: it may be the experience of married people, of whom absolute fidelity is demanded even though they are weak. For we bear in us both the death and the resurrection of Christ. But God and the grace of Christ are always stronger than our weakness.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
the world speaks of death,
your death, the death of humans,
the death of myths and of the sacred.
Yet keep us faithful, Lord,
to our mission of announcing life and hope.
Help us, sinful as we ourselves are,
to speak of your mercy.
Though we are neither saints nor heroes,
give us the courage to bear witness
to your steadfast loyalty,
together with him who was loyal to the end,
Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever.

Reading 1: 2 Cor 4:7-15

Brothers and sisters:
We hold this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying about in the Body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.
For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, AI believed, therefore I spoke,"
we too believe and therefore speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 116:10-11, 15-16, 17-18

R. (17a) To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I believed, even when I said,
"I am greatly afflicted";
I said in my alarm,
"No man is dependable."
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia: Phil 2:15d, 16a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Mt 5:27-32

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin,
tear it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

"It was also said,
Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.
But I say to you,
whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful)
causes her to commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

Intercessions

– For the Church, God’s pilgrim people, that its leaders and people may face the tensions of our time with courage, we pray:
– For our country, that we may continue without fear bearing witness to the gospel by working for justice and human dignity, we pray:
– For those who doubt their faith or themselves, that trust in God may restore their inner peace, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
we pretend to be strong,
but we are but vessels of clay,
brittle and vulnerable.
Give us your Son Jesus Christ
and strengthen us with his Spirit,
that when we see no answer to our problems
we may never despair,
that when we are knocked down
we may always stand up
and be raised with Jesus Christ,
who is our Lord for ever.

Prayer after Communion

Our God and Father,
you have given us your Son
and you ask of us
to show to the world your face
and the true human face you showed us in Christ.
Forgive us, Lord,
when we distort this face
or become no more than a coarse reflection of it.
Help us in our clumsy efforts
to be to the world the image
of him who shared our weakness,
Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives now with you for ever.

Blessing

We feel often how weak we are, how we want to lead good and upright lives, and yet easily fail. But the risen Lord is our strength, in him we trust, and with him we thank God for it. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

We are weak but God is strong. The more than fragility shows forth in our human makeup, the more the power of God appears in our all-too-human flesh. In our weak humanity, we re afflicted in every way. All of this is part of the dying of Jesus, now lived out by extension in the life of the Christian. But Jesus dies in order to bring forth life, and it is in our human weakness that this new life appears. Although we are repeatedly beaten down, the life of Jesus, that of the Holy Spirit, becomes ever more evident.
The Gospel today sets forth Jesus’ teaching on adultery and divorce in a very strong statement of opposition. And once again, it goes deeper than the evil act. The seeds of adultery lie in the heart, and therefore we are enjoined to uproot every semblance of lust. And lust, to be sure, means more than impure thoughts, something to which are all prone. Lust is an internal struggle marked by attempts to actualize the evil desire. And it is this that Jesus’ teaching excludes.
We all face the struggle of the Christian life, but we are also assured than in Christ victory will come. Just as the righteousness of God triumphed in Christ, so, too, will in us if we remain faithful.

Points to Ponder

The death of Christ in each of us
The life of Christ in each of us
Our weak human nature.

Saturday June 15, 2019

Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Introduction

The experience of Elijah in God’s word today is a deeply moving human experience, wherein God shows himself as the Lord of life and resurrection as soon as a person discovers who he is when confronted with God whom he begins to understand a bit. Elijah, God’s loyal, formidable, fiery prophet, encounters defeat, despair and persecution the day after his victory.
He doubts himself, his future, his task, the people, and withdraws into the desert of himself. And then Elijah experiences God, not the formidable God of storm, earthquake and fire, which he pictured in his heart, but the God found in the gentle breeze caressing his face. This experience of the living God raises Elijah back to his feet and gives him the strength to return to people and to hope again in people and in the future. For now he takes God on God’s terms. Could this not be our own experience?

Why do people require that at special occasions a statement be backed up by an oath? Is it that they doubt one another’s sincerity and truthfulness, particularly when it matters? And if God invoked in witness of the truth, is it always the truth that is sworn to? In the mind of Jesus, Christians should always be so reliable that there is no need for swearing oaths. We should mean what we say at all occasions.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
we fear to take ourselves as we are,
with our weaknesses and our strength,
with our cowardice, failures, and projections.
God, touch us, seize us,
throw us down to earth if necessary,
that we may discover you as the source of life and strength
and constant resurrection
by the power of Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives with you and with us for ever.

Reading 1: 2 Cor 5:14-21

Brothers and sisters:
The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God,
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and given us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting their trespasses against them
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12

R.(8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Alleluia: Ps 119:36a, 29b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees;
and favor me with your law.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Mt 5:33-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all;
not by heaven, for it is God's throne;
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool;
nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.'
Anything more is from the Evil One."

Intercessions

– That the Church may be the living sign of God’s love for people by its concern for the poorest among us, we pray:
– That the leaders of the world may look after the welfare of the people entrusted to them and bring them peace, justice, and dignity, we pray:
– That we may learn to take ourselves as we are with all our faults and weaknesses and entrust ourselves into the hands of God, were pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our living God,
your Son Jesus taught us
to seek your will not in our way
but in your own way and on your own terms.
As he is with us now,
may he help us with his word and his body
to bend our wills to yours.
And when we feel hurt in our struggles,
and disappointed with people,
do not allow us to withdraw within ourselves
but keep us going your way, not ours, to people.
For this was the way of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord, our God of hope,
we have learned from your Son
and from those who were close to him
that faith and hope grow in us
when they are tested in trials and struggles.
God, help us win our struggles,
for they are your struggles in us.
Let your Spirit storm or breeze in us
and let us experience you as you are.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Blessing

We could end this celebration by saying again: God is with you! Don’t forget this, especially when your life or your task is difficult. God is there, and in him you can trust. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

The principal work of Christ as God’s emissary to the world was reconciliation. This is clear in Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians, in which he speaks of our being ministers of reconciliation. In Christ, we have all died. In dying to the old unregenerated sell, we have now put on a new life, by which we live no longer for ourselves but for God.
We now have the responsibility of proclaiming this to the world. God reconciles the world to himself in Christ because s is his principal work. He who knew no sin was made sin for us, meaning that all the effects of sinful conduct have been heaped upon him, while he himself was innocent. By his vicarious atonement, the burden of sin has been lifted from our shoulders. e midst of all manner of suffering and affliction, he remained the faithful ambassador.
Living in a new era with a new life, there is no need for some of the practices of the past. Oath taking was one of those practices. False oaths were clearly discredited. Now all oaths are excluded. When asked to testify, our answer itself is our testimony to the truth. Truth flows from the new life in Christ that we possess, not from any oath or formulaic affirmation of the truth.

Points to Ponder

Christ as the reconciler
Our sharing in Christ’s reconciling work
Honesty in testifying.

Sunday June 16, 2019

HOLY TRINITY

TRINITY SUNDAY

1. God Is Love
2. “I Am Here for You”
3. Our Blood Relative

Greeting

The love of the Father,
the forgiveness and life of the Son
and the strength of the Holy Spirit
be always with you. R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

1. God Is Love

To most of us today’s feast of the Trinity may not be as stirring and touching as Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, yet it sums up all of these. It is simply the feast of one God who shows three loving faces to us. We can call him Father, even “Daddy,” as Jesus said. We can call him our brother in Jesus. We can call him our breath in the Spirit, who is our force and life and love that keeps us alive and moving and building a Church and a world. And if we want to sum up God in one word, we say with St. John: God is love. If God loves us so much we can do no less than love one another.

2. “I Am Here for You.”

To many people God is all too often a far-away God, very distant and vague, a God apparently not easy to approach, but to whom we turn when all else fails. Would that we were more aware of the reality! Our God is near, very close to us. Already in the Old Testament he gave his name as “I am the on who is there [for you],” the God who feels our miseries and our joys. In Jesus he made himself one of us, a brother, a companion on the road of life. Through the Spirit of love he lives in us and makes us capable of community and love. If we were only aware of all this! Let Jesus awaken us to God’s riches and beauty.

3. Our Blood Relative

Where is God for us? Far away, in his high heaven, and very remote from our everyday life, as someone we fear to make angry? Today, as we celebrate the Blessed Trinity, we honor a God who lives in the community of a covenant relationship with us; that means, a God who makes us like his blood relatives, a God as close to us as a marriage partner, a God who preferred us to his own Son as he let Jesus give his life for us, a God who keeps stirring us through the Spirit with the inspirations of love and tenderness, of compassion and courage. Let this eucharist be a song of thanks to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Note.

This is a good opportunity to use the rite of sprinkling with water, for it reminds us that in baptism we have been immersed in the love of the Blessed Trinity. See the Sacramentary for the text. If there is no rite of sprinkling, use the Penitential Act:

Penitential Act

We ask pardon from the Lord our God
that we have not always answered his love.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you revealed to us
a Father who cares deeply for us:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you loved us all the way
by laying down your life for us:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you pour out on us
the Spirit of unity and love:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Gentle and merciful God,
forgive us all our sins
and help us respond to your boundless love.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

1 and 2: God of Love Here For Us

Let us pray to God
as the sons and daughters he dearly loves
(PAUSE)
God, source of all life and love,
we sing out to you today
the joy of our faith and our love.
You have loved us first
before we could even know you.
Father, with a love as tender as that of a mother,
our hearts recognize your greatness and your mercy.
You let Jesus become your face,
our brother, near and approachable,
saving us by his death and resurrection.
Your Spirit animates us with your love and strength.
Keep alive in us that love and that joy,
let our gratitude resound all over the earth!
All blessing and praise be to you
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

3. Our Blood Relative

Let us thank God wholeheartedly
that he is our loving God
(PAUSE)
Our dear and living, loving God,
you are all tenderness and friendship.
You established a permanent union of life and love
between you and us in the covenant.
Thank you for all your love.
Thank you for giving us your Son Jesus
as our brother to accompany us on the road of life.
Thank you for the Spirit who guides us to you;
Let him lead us also to one another
and make us one heart and mind.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

First Reading: God Is the God of People

God, the creator, guided the destiny of his chosen people Israel to show himself as a saving God and to make this beloved people a sign of salvation to all.

Reading 1: Prv 8:22-31

Thus says the wisdom of God:
"The LORD possessed me, the beginning of his ways,
the forerunner of his prodigies of long ago;
from of old I was poured forth,
at the first, before the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no fountains or springs of water;
before the mountains were settled into place,
before the hills, I was brought forth;
while as yet the earth and fields were not made,
nor the first clods of the world.

"When the Lord established the heavens I was there,
when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep;
when he made firm the skies above,
when he fixed fast the foundations of the earth;
when he set for the sea its limit,
so that the waters should not transgress his command;
then was I beside him as his craftsman,
and I was his delight day by day,
playing before him all the while,
playing on the surface of his earth;
and I found delight in the human race."

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. (2a) O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place —
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
You have made him little less than the angels,
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
putting all things under his feet:
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!
All sheep and oxen,
yes, and the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea,
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
R. O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!

Second Reading: The Spirit Makes Us God’s Children

Through the Holy Spirit of God in us, we know that we are children of the Father in heaven and called with God’s Son, the Risen Christ, to be heirs to a future world.

Reading 2: Rom 5:1-5

Brothers and sisters:
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith
to this grace in which we stand,
and we boast in hope of the glory of God.
Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions,
knowing that affliction produces endurance,
and endurance, proven character,
and proven character, hope,
and hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Alleluia CF. Rv 1:8

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

Gospel: In the Name of Father, Son and Spirit

We are the missionary people of God, baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We come from God, and with Christ alive among us we have to lead the world to God.

Gospel Jn 16:12-15

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

Intercessions

With the Spirit of Jesus alive in us, let us pray to our living and loving God and say: R/ Blessed are you, our God, for ever.
– For having called us by our name, let us thank our Father in heaven; may we give him a faithful response to his love, we pray: R/ Blessed are you, our God, for ever.
– For having saved us by becoming one of us, sharing our human lives and dying for us, let us thank Jesus our Lord; for the strength to follow him let us pray: R/ Blessed are you, our God, for ever.
– For guiding us in our dark hours and strengthening us with his joy and love, let us thank the Holy Spirit; for wisdom and courage, let us pray: R/ Blessed are you, our God, for ever.
– For those who preach the gospel anywhere in the world, that people may receive the Good News of Jesus with eagerness and joy, let us pray: R/ Blessed are you, our God, for ever.
– For fathers and mothers, that through them their children may discover the fatherhood of God and learn to love him without reservations, let us pray: R/ Blessed are you, our God, for ever.
– For those who are discouraged and tired, that they may experience the moving force of the Holy Spirit, let us pray: R/ Blessed are you, our God, for ever.
Our living God, we know and love you as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Make us and our communities and many people grow in this knowledge and love, now and for ever. R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts

God our Father,
our words and the whole wide world
cannot contain or express you
and yet your Son wants to be near to us
in these simple signs of bread and wine.
Be our God-with-us always
through Jesus, alive in our midst,
and give us the strength of your Spirit
to bear witness to the whole world
that you are our living God
and that we are your children,
now and for ever. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

In the Eucharistic Prayer we praise God as Father, Son and Spirit in their greatness and yet nearness to us. Through Jesus, and united by the Holy Spirit we offer our praise and thanks to the Father.

Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer

Moved by the Holy Spirit,
we cry out to God our Father
in the words of Jesus himself: R/ Our Father...

Prayer for Peace

Lord Jesus Christ,
you promised to be with us
until the end of time and of the world.
Grant peace and unity to your Church
and let it be the sign to every person on earth
of your patient, caring love.
You are our Lord for ever and ever. R/ Amen.

Invitation to Communion

This is Christ our Lord,
the Son of God who became man
to make us human children of the Father
by the unifying Spirit.
Happy are we to be invited
to the table of the Lord. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
in this eucharistic celebration
you have let us experience again
how near you wish to be to us through your Son.
Accept our thanks,
and in the strength of his Spirit
help us to be to your people
the lips of your Son that speak
words of compassion and encouragement,
his heart that loves and shares joy,
his will that brings freedom and justice,
his hands that bless
and his feet that go all the way with them
on the dusty road to you,
our Father for ever and ever. R/ Amen.

Blessing

Through our baptism
in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
God has become our God;
he has made our destiny his own
and his life ours.
May he always be near to us and bless you all:
the Father, whose sons and daughters we are,
the Son who is our brother and Savior,
the Holy Spirit who lives in us. R/ Amen.
Let us go in peace
and be near to those around us
as God is near to us. R/ Thanks be to God.

Commentary

Almost the whole world, it seems, is now familiar with Roublev’s famous icon of the Trinity. “Gazing at the three faces raises the question, ‘Who are they? What are they saying?’ and we, in our silence, can perceive something of this secret. The heads leaning towards one another can be seen from a distance—it looks as if they cannot abide being apart at all—each one is there only for the other.… Each one of them is giving himself to the others, defenseless before the other. That is why their faces are full of an infinite tenderness, the tenderness that is without resistance before what the other offers or asks.
And what if in face of humankind they are in this same attitude of total non-resistance, vulnerability and defenseless tenderness…?
In the background, shapes can only just be seen, as if hidden in the golden light: a mountain, a tree, a house. Why not just the three Persons alone? The great wind which returns from the Spirit to the Father through the Son is drawing the landscape after it by its irresistible force. The mountain and the trees are bent in same wind. The great Liturgy which they celebrate among themselves eternally and for evermore, sweeps all creation up in the rhythm of its dance.

Monday June 17, 2019

Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

BREAK THE SPIRAL OF EVIL

Introduction

“Do not accept the grace of God in vain.” Be always open to it. For “today is the acceptable time,” today is the day of grace. Do not let it pass! Are we willing to listen to the voice of Paul?
Jesus tells us not to repay the unjust by revenge. “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” is not Christian. We must rather suffer injustice and let people take advantage of us, at least when the injustice is done against us. But other parts of the scriptures tell us to defend others if they are wronged, like the poor, and to fight injustice through goodness and forgiveness. That is how we must break the spiral of evil.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
the injustice found in the world upsets us.
Forgive us the wrongs we have committed
and do not allow us to add
to the evil in the world
by exploiting our brothers and sisters
and using them for our own purposes.
Rather teach and help us
to stand up for integrity and truth,
not to take revenge
but out of the goodness of our hearts.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

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."

Intercessions

– That in our world people may learn not to repay violence with more violence, but as much as possible resist evil in a nonviolent way, we pray:
– That reconciliation may be the mark of Christians when they have suffered from personal enmity and hurt, we pray:
– That we may have the courage to stand up for the injustice done to the poor and those exploited, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

God, our Father
in these signs of bread and wine
we bring before you our willingness
to be just and fair to every person.
But we ask you even for more.
Give us the dispositions of your Son,
that we may forgive wholeheartedly
those who have wronged us,
and repay evil with kindness.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

God our Father,
you have shown your goodness to us
by giving us your own Son.
With him, we want to be on the side
of the poor and the disinherited.
Do not allow us to remain silent
when people are trampled upon,
but give us the courage and the patience
to make this cold world
a place of justice and respect for people
and warm it with the love
of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

Break the spiral of evil! Each of us, in her or his own place, has to do away with evil, in oneself, and as much as one can in one’s family, occupation and employment and community. May God give you the strength and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

In what might seem to be a series of defeats, Paul sees victory and new life. Paul exhorts the Corinthians not to assume that God’s grace had failed. When he speaks of his ministry, his conscience is clear. He has had more than his share of setbacks—from constraint to outright imprisonment—but his response has always been patience, kindness, unfeigned love, and uprightness. Despite being attacked as a deceiver by those who are against him, Paul knows that he has been truthful and has lived life in God. Though he may appear sorrowful, he rejoices; though he may seem poor, he is enriched; though he has nothing, he possesses everything. are some of the apparent contradictions of the Christian life.
The law of retribution, cited in the Gospel, was known to both the Israelites and the neighboring cultures. Known as the lex taleonis, it sounds worse than it actually was: it put limitations on retaliation for injury. Retribution was not to be excessive. If someone knocked out your tooth, you were not justified in mg them, but only knocking out their tooth! True, this was violent, but it was nevertheless an ancient attempt to control a person s response to evil or criminal acts.
But in the Christian life, there is an entirely different stan¬dard. The only acceptable response is love and forgiveness. When struck, turn the other cheek. When asked for a tunic, give your cloak as well. When asked to walk for a mile, go two.
We live in a violent and vengeful world. But Christians must walk a different path, one that may seem foolhardy at times but is actually replete with its own riches.

Points to Ponder

Sorrowful yet always rejoicing
Living in the day of salvation
Turning the other cheek.

Tuesday June 18, 2019

Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

FROM ENEMY TO NEIGHBOR

Introduction

Paul tells us today that churches that are better off must help those that are poorer. Here he applies this when he asks the Church of Corinth, a church of pagan origin, to help the impoverished poorer church of Jerusalem.
Jesus concludes part of his Sermon on the Mount with the words “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” A goal not easy to attain! Our love must go out to everyone; it must include even enemies and must imitate God’s love, who lets his sun shine on good and bad alike

Opening Prayer

Father in heaven, God of love,
in your Son Jesus Christ
you have shown us your tenderness
and accepted us, sinful people,
as your sons and daughters.
Share your heart with us,
make us merciful and understanding people,
that we may learn from the way you have treated us
to accept everyone without conditions,
to forget and forgive all hurts,
so that we can become more like you.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

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."

Intercessions

– Lord, let your Spirit give us the courage to pray for those who hate or harm us, and to do good to them, we pray:
– Lord, change the hearts of those who cannot forgive or refuse to do so, and remind them how you have forgiven them, we pray:
– Lord, that those in charge of charitable organizations and works may be honest in administering what has been entrusted to them, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Heavenly Father,
these are the gifts of peace
we bring before you
to celebrate the feast of love of your Son.
Help us to discover with him
the best that is in each of us
and to create one another anew
with the same liberating and forgiving love
that you have shown us
in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Father in heaven,
we have celebrated with your Son
the sacrifice that has brought us peace.
By his words and his life he has taught us
to forgive one another wholeheartedly.
Let his Spirit dwell in us,
that our pardon may be without regret
and that we may go with one another
much farther than we are asked
on the way to each other and to you,
our holy God, now and for ever.

Blessing

“Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you.” Difficult to do, very difficult. But that’s what Jesus did. Is it impossible for us? May God give you courage and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

Among the ancient Hebrews it was legitimate to hate certain enemies, but this hatred never appears as a commandment of the Torah. There is no explicit precept that states, “Hate your ene-mies.” Love of neighbor, on the other hand, is mandated, though it refers to love for fellow Israelites. It is not universal in its extension. Christ’s offers us a new mandate: we are enjoined to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. God himself is seen as the model of non-discrimination. The sun rises upon the good and the bad; the rain falls in the same manner. To be selective about those we love makes us no different than anybody in secular society. Christians will be able to effectively promote a more just and forgiving society only when the law of love has primacy in their lives.
This principle of universal caring is concretized in Pauls appeal to the Corinthians on behalf of the poorer churches. He cites the example of the church in Macedonia which, though poor, wanted to be part of the charitable efforts on behalf of the churches in need.
The collection basket is not the sole measure of good will, but it is a barometer. Christ became poor for us that we might become rich through his poverty. We become rich with the grace of Christ when we are generous to those who are poor.

Points to Ponder

Ways in which we show our dislike
God’s universal love
The Christian response to natural disaster.

Wednesday June 19, 2019

Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

GIVING GENEROUSLY

Introduction

Both Jesus and Paul in Year I speak to us today on sincere and generous sharing. To Paul, the generous, spontaneous givers are ministers of God’s goodness; by giving thanks to God for what they themselves have received they are further enriching themselves by sharing. Giving – also praying and doing penance – must be done for the sake of God, says Jesus, not to congratulate oneself or to be admired by others. It would be good for us, for our Catholic organizations and institutions of the Church to remember that we have no monopoly on charity, that God is present in every act of love and sharing, also when not bearing the Catholic label. True love is discreet, like God’s.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
you let your Holy Spirit fill us spontaneously
with every good gift.
You want us to be to everyone
ministers of your generosity.
Help us to express our gratitude to you
and to reveal your goodness
by sharing what we are and have
with joy and in all sincerity,
as Jesus did, your Son,
who lives with you for ever.

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."

Intercessions

– That we may be discreet and unobtrusive in helping people in need, we pray:
– That we may learn to see the unspoken needs of modest, simple, timid people, we pray:
– That the Lord may make us generous of heart and hands, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
you give us not only all things we need
but you give us the best of yourself
in your Son Jesus Christ.
Accept from our hands
these humble gifts of bread and wine,
which we have received from you
and through them let your Son come among us.
May they express that we too
are willing to share with others
without putting labels and price tags on our gifts,
and to give ourselves with Jesus,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit for ever.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God, our Father in heaven,
your own gifts are often humble and veiled,
like the giving to us of your Son
in the signs of bread and wine.
God, who look in the depths of our hearts,
teach us to share without display,
that our left hand not know
what our right hand is giving.
Let it be enough for us to know that you know,
who are our Father
in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Blessing

If we only love those who love us, we merely do what some people do who do not believe. We should not exclude anyone from our love, for that is the mark of the followers of Christ, to love people, as we love ourselves! May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

The clear message of today’s scripture is to avoid ostentation—or prideful showiness—in any form. Whether it is donations, praying, or fasting, what you do should be solely between you and God. There is a great temptation to let others know of our spiritual practices. Of course, there are times when we legitimately speak of our spiritual lives without the intention of drawing attention to ourselves. But if we use religion in any way to advance our personal agenda, the value of our spiritual actions is diminished.
There is nothing in and of itself wrong with publicly performing a action of faith or prayer. Public charitable contributions can be very good, and communal (or public) prayer certainly has its place in our lives. It is when these things are done expressly to attract attention that they are misdirected.
Paul today applauds generosity and concern for others. “God loves a cheerful giver.” God has provided for our needs, and in being generous with them, they are not diminished. If we are the providers of seed for the field and bread for the table, we are assured a good harvest, “the harvest of your righteousness.”
The poor widow who provided food for Elijah in his hunger was rewarded. Her personal store of food, despite drought and famine, was never exhausted. If we give of what we have with love and kindness, whether we are rich or poor, we will never be the losers.

Points to Ponder

Attracting attention in doing good
Doing good for its own sake
The spirit of generosity.

Thursday June 20, 2019

Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

TRUSTFUL PRAYER

Introduction

Paul pleads to the Corinthians to remain faithful to Christ, who had chosen him to be his apostle and had sent him to Corinth.
In the words of Jesus, Matthew gives us today a catechesis on prayer. The reason and basis of our prayer should not only be merely that we need something and we should not think that our prayer is more powerful when we use a stream of words. We pray because Jesus asks us to and because we have trust in our Father who knows what we need even before we ask him. In our prayer we should also place first things first: God and his kingdom, which is manifested and communicated to us by bread, forgiveness and protection.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
you know what we need
even before we can ask you.
We are sure of this
on account of the human experience
of Jesus your Son, who was one of us.
And so we pray you:
Don’t take it amiss
when we use too many words
to cover the emptiness of our hearts,
and teach us through your Spirit in us
to ask for the things that matter,
you and your kingdom,
that will last for ever and ever.

Reading 1: 2 Cor 1:1-11

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."

Intercessions

– For members of contemplative orders, that they may be very attentive to the needs of the Church and of the world and pray for them, we pray:
– For all of us, that we may seek God’s will in our prayer rather than ours, we pray:
– For all of us again, that the Lord may give us a spirit of prayer and intimacy with God, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Father in heaven,
we are certain that you will always hear us
on account of your Son in our midst.
With him we pray
that we may recognize you
and praise your name,
that your kingdom may grow among us
and that we may do your will loyally
together with Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Before the Our Father

Let us do what Jesus told us to do
and pray to our Father in heaven
in Jesus’ own words:
Our Father…

Prayer after Communion

Father,
your Son Jesus, alive among us now,
insists that we forgive one another.
Help us to forgive the way you pardon,
completely and without regrets,
because you have forgiven us much
and paid yourself the penalty for our sins
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

Prayer for us is not a flight from life or from commitment to people but a plea to God to give us the courage to face reality and to care for people. May God give you this insight and strength and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

To the Corinthians, Paul insists that he preaches the gospel free of charge. He either supported himself or was helped by other churches. He preached the authentic gospel and asked only that his hearers remain faithful to the word he preached and not be seduced by those who teach to the contrary.
The Matthean Jesus today teaches us how to pray. It is not a question of how many words we use, but rather the sincerity of the heart. Jesus teaches us only one prayer to pray daily, and it is composed of two sets of three petitions each. The first three petitions deal with the concerns of God: the holiness of his name, the ushering in of his kingdom, and the realization of his will. The second three petitions deal with our needs: the provisions of daily life, forgiveness, and delivery from temptation and all that is evil.
There is only one invocation about which Jesus adds further comment, the oft-repeated lesson of forgiveness. We can only ask God to forgive our misdeeds if we do the same in our dealings with others. If we bear continued hostility toward others, our prayers for forgiveness ring hollow indeed. If we ourselves are forgiving, God is never far from the yearnings of our own heart.

Points to Ponder

Paul’s willingness to serve
Praying that God’s interests be served
The lesson of forgiveness.

Friday June 21, 2019

Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

WHERE IS OUR TREASURE?

Introduction

In defending his ministry, Paul boasts of all he has done and suffered in the service of the Gospel of the young Christian communities. These sufferings affect and hurt him, for they bring out his human frailty. But he goes on single-mindedly, because God is his strength and his treasure, the light brightening his whole being.
What are the things that preoccupy us, that are constantly on our minds? The answer to this question will indicate what our values are, “where our heart is.” For many high-minded and dedicated Christians, these values will rarely be as crude as mere pleasure seeking and a hunger for material wealth and comfort, though these too are not always ruled out completely. But what about the ambition for power and promotion, the tendency to dominate others and to shape others in our own image and likeness rather than God’s? What about making ourselves the center of the world? Where do we look for “the one thing necessary”?

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
you are the origin and purpose of all,
the meaning of our existence
and the goal of all we do.
We pray you today:
draw us out of our little self-created worlds
and open us to you and your kingdom.
Be yourself the precious pearl of our lives
and let each person around us be
the oyster shell in which we find that pearl.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

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."

Intercessions

– For those who worry much about money, that they may learn to be concerned about those who lack the bare essentials, we pray:
– For those who have become the victims of greed and intolerance, that good people restore their faith in God and humankind, we pray:
– For all of us, that we may be grateful that God has given us faith in him and in his love and mercy, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
you let us gather around the table
of your Son Jesus Christ.
The Eucharist is for us
a great and precious treasure.
Let us appreciate Jesus’ presence
and let it always enrich us
with a deep sense of his nearness.
Let us learn from him
to be present to one another.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
from the Words and the presence of Jesus
we learn that nothing is more precious
than your love for us
and the kingdom you want to build with us.
Be our joy and our treasure.
We thank you that you have found us.
Let us always keep finding you
in the different ways you manifest yourself
in the goodness of people
and in the treasures of our faith.
Thank you through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

Our prayer and our whole worship is service of God and neighbor, not service of oneself in the sense of showing off and boasting of what we do for God and neighbor. That is worship in spirit and truth. May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

Strength and weakness. To boast or not to boast. Paul today views features of his life about which he might justifiably boast. With his former co-religionist, he is able to stand on equal ground. A Hebrew and a descendant of Abraham, he is moreover a member of Christ. But he does not boast of these things; rather he speaks of the trials he has endured: beatings, shipwreck, dangers from Jew and Gentile, sleepless nights, hunger and thirst. It is through these moments, when he was most weak, that the power of God is made manifest in Paul. This is his boast.
The Gospel continues along the same line. It is not treasures or human accomplishments that count but rather the spiritual treasures that are stored in heaven. These are the goods that will endure because there is no earthly force that will destroy them. And of this bounty it can be said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Many people we know in life never gain prominence, never are seen in a newspaper headline. Yet their willingness to do good is boundless. They see a need and respond spontaneously. They wear themselves out for the gospel and ask for nothing in return. Their passing away may be largely unheralded, but they have lived lives of limitless good. The grace of God in them has not been fruitless, and now a treasure in heaven awaits them.

Points to Ponder

Glorying in our weakness
Our spiritual treasure
What makes true greatness?

Saturday June 22, 2019

Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

LOOK AT THE BIRDS IN THE SKY

Introduction

Paul speaks of the extraordinary graces and experiences he had been given by God.
Too often we worry much more than we should and about things that, after all, don’t matter much. Are not our fears and worries mostly about things and events of the future, and do they not usually prove groundless? We are in God’s hands. He who cares for the birds in the sky cares for us and knows what we need. Let’s be concerned, then, about making his kingdom a reality now; this is all that matters.

Opening Prayer

Lord God, our Father,
you care about the birds in the sky
and let them find food in due time.
You clothe the flowers in the field
with colors and fragrance.
So, why should we worry?
We thank you for the gift of life,
for loving us and caring for us
free of charge.
Keep us firmly in your hand
on account of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Reading 1: 2 Cor 12:1-10

Brothers and sisters:
I must boast; not that it is profitable,
but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
I know a man in Christ who, fourteen years ago
(whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows),
was caught up to the third heaven.
And I know that this man
(whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows)
was caught up into Paradise and heard ineffable things,
which no one may utter.
About this man I will boast,
but about myself I will not boast, except about my weaknesses.
Although if I should wish to boast, I would not be foolish,
for I would be telling the truth.
But I refrain, so that no one may think more of me
than what he sees in me or hears from me
because of the abundance of the revelations.
Therefore, that I might not become too elated,
a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan,
to beat me, to keep me from being too elated.
Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me,
but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,
for power is made perfect in weakness."
I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses,
in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.
Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults,
hardships, persecutions, and constraints,
for the sake of Christ;
for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34:8-9, 10-11, 12-13

R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
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. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Fear the LORD, you his holy ones,
for nought is lacking to those who fear him.
The great grow poor and hungry;
but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Come, children, hear me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Which of you desires life,
and takes delight in prosperous days?
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Alleluia: 2 Cor 8:9

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Mt 6:24-34

Jesus said to his disciples:
"No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?'
or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?'
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil."

Intercessions

– For journalists and those in the media who denounce the injustices and corruption in our world, that the Lord may strengthen and protect them and that we and all people may listen to them, we pray:
– For the poor and the needy, that they may experience something of God’s concern for them through the generosity of our hearts, we pray:
– For all of us, that we may not burden ourselves with unnecessary worries and artificial needs, but learn to entrust ourselves into the hands of a loving God, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Our God and Father,
you have set for us, your children,
the feast meal of Jesus your Son.
You provide us with food and drink
that give everlasting life.
We offer you our life and efforts,
our worries and our cares.
Accept them as a token of our gratitude
and of our deep and lasting trust
in you, our loving God.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord God, our Father,
in this Eucharist you have reassured us
that you know what we need
better than we ourselves do,
and that you are with us
through Jesus Christ your Son.
Let him always stay with us,
that we may forget our self-created little worries
and give first place to you
and to your kingdom of mercy and goodness,
of integrity and committed justice.
Let these be our genuine concerns
on account of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

God really cares for us. If he cares for the birds in the sky and the flowers in the field, why would he not care for us? We are in his hands. May the God who loves you bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

A priest once asked a Hindu driver who worked for his mission in India and bathed daily in the Ganges what he would like to be when reincarnated.
Without hesitation, the Hindu answered, “A bird. They don’t work hard yet they live very well.” The priest smiled as he thought of today’s Gospel.
Providence is the belief that God cares about us and urges us not to be anxious or concerned. The Gospel today introduces various comparisons. If God provides for the birds of the sky and the lilies of the field, are we not of greater importance than they? Therefore excessive worry about food, drink, and clothing is not consonant with a life of true faith.
Paul today describes his earlier mystical experiences. Caught in rapture and lifted to the third heaven, it was an experience about which he can boast. But he declines to boast and speaks only of his weakness, even of a severe temptation that had managed to keep him humble. Exactly what his “thorn in the flesh” was we are not told, but it was enough to keep him mindful of his need to depend on the power of God.
All of this is but to say, “Whatever I am is due to the good¬ness of God.” The realization of that truth will keep us holy and humble.

Points to Ponder

The experience of God’s providence
Strength in weakness
Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”

Sunday June 23, 2019

BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST

1. My Body and Blood for You
2. The Blood of the Covenant

Greeting (see Second Reading)

Christ has come,
and in his own blood
he took us up in God’s love
in a new and lasting covenant.
May he keep us united with God
and be always with you. R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

1. My Body and Blood for You

We admire great men and women who dedicated their lives to the good of oth¬ers and were even willing to die for them. This is precisely what we celebrate whenever we come together for the eucharist. We celebrate Jesus’ life and death for us, but also his resurrection, for he is alive here among us, in his Church, in our world. But when we do what he told us to do, “Do this in memory of me,” we must also learn to give ourselves to God and to people, the way Jesus gave himself. In this eucharist he gives us this disposition.

2. The Blood of the Covenenat

Many bodies are broken today through the use of brute force and torture; much blood is shed of innocent people and children. Violence leads to hatred and more violence. Today we hear of Someone whose broken body brought us peace, who shed his blood to bring us God’s forgiveness and love. “This is my body given for you. This is my blood of the everlasting covenant. Every eucharist is a message of hope that the love of God is with us now and for ever. Let us thank the Father today for the great gift of Jesus’ eucharist.

Penitential Act

Do we commit ourselves to the good of others,
even when the cost is high?
Let us examine ourselves before the Lord.
(PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you said:
‘‘This is my body, this is I myself
who give myself for you.”
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you said:
‘‘This is my blood of the covenant
shed for you and for all people”:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you said,
‘‘This is my body for the life of the world.
Anyone who eats this has eternal life.”
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord,
and let the eucharist bring us
the forgiveness of all our sins
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

1. My Body and Blood for You

Let us pray that we may offer this eu¬charist
with the commitment of Jesus.
(PAUSE)
Lord our God,
you do not accept our soulless sacrifices
if we do not commit ourelves to you and each other.
We stand before you without any other sacri¬fice
than that of your beloved Son
who shed his blood out of love.
Fill us with his Spirit,
that we too may live for you
and for one another
with a generous, self-forgetting love
that unites all, loves all, serves all.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen.

2. The Blood of the Covenant

Let us pray to God
that we may encounter him in his Son
(PAUSE)
Living God of the covenant,
you have chosen us to make us for ever
blood relatives of you
and brothers and sisters of one another
through the blood of Jesus, your Son.
Let us encounter you
and bind us closely to you
through him who is our food of unity
and our drink of joy,
Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. R/ Amen.

First Reading: Blood Relatives of God

God chooses himself a people and shares its destiny. He unites it to himself by ties of blood and by eating and drinking with them.

Reading 1: 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 forever, 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 forever, 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 forever, 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 forever, 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 forever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Second Reading: God’s New People in the Blood of Christ

By shedding his blood for us, Christ has transfused new life into God’s people. Now we are capable of freedom from sin and of lasting faithfulness to God.

Reading 2: 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: The Meal of our Covenant

Jesus renews the covenant with us when he shares his body and blood with us in every eucharistic celebration.

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.

Intercessions

Let us pray with the fullest trust to God our Father, for he has chosen us as his partners in life set free by the blood of his Son. Let us say: R/ Lord, be close to us, your people.
– For the pope, for bishops and priests, that they may give to their people not only the bread of the eucharist and the word of God but also the bread of themselves, let us pray: R/ Lord, be close to us, your people.
– For all Christian Churches, that they may become one at the table of the Lord, let us pray; R/ Lord, be close to us, your people.
– For the nations who have more than others in food and human resources, that they may consider it a task of justice to share with others peoples that have less and to help them forward on the road of human and economic development, let us pray: R/ Lord, be close to us, your people.
– For our Christian communities, that rich and poor, high and low, tenants and landlords, may share alike in the eucharist and become responsible for one another in one covenant of justice, love and peace, let us pray: R/ Lord, be close to us, your people.
– For all of us, that the eucharist may become more and more the source of our strength and unity and of our commitment to one another, let us pray: R/ Lord, be close to us, your people.
Lord God, be close to us. Keep nourishing us with the body and blood of your Son, that we may grow in your everlasting life, now and for ever. R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God, you are present
wherever people welcome you
and allow you to be one with them.
Let us encounter you in your Son.
Make him today our bread of fidelity
and the wine of life and joy,
that you may be our God
and we your people,
now and for ever. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

In the eucharistic prayer that follows let us express our joyful thanks to the Father for giving us Jesus in the eucharist. This is God’s way of staying today with us, the people he loves.

Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer

Before receiving the Bread of life,
let us bless the Father for his kindness
and pray the table prayer
which Jesus himself has taught us: R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
through Christ, the Lamb of God,
who shed his blood for us.
Unite us in the body and blood of your Son
as the people you have chosen as your own.
Prepare us for the coming in glory
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...

Invitation to Communion

This is Jesus, the Lamb of God,
who shed his blood to take our sins away
and to make us the people of God.
Happy are we to be invited to the meal
wherein the Lord gives us his body and blood.
R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Note. It would be most fitting today to give communion under both kinds.

Prayer after Communion

God, our Father,
you have bound us to yourself
through the body and blood of your Son
in one common destiny.
Accept our thanks
and, as we are one in your Son,
make us share with one another
the bread of ourselves
and pour for one another
the wine of partnership and hope,
that we can journey together to you
as brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ,
your Son and our Lord for ever. R/ Amen.

Blessing

Our Lord found a way
to stay always by our side
and to accompany us on the road of life.
He became our flesh and blood.
Let us too find ways
to support one another in dark days
and to rejoice together in bright days
and may God go all the way with you and bless you:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us go with the Lord and accompany one another in life. R/ Thanks be to God.

Commentary

Recently in a church I noticed that the resident religious community were all sitting as far removed from one another as the architecture and furniture allowed. Since then I’ve noticed it in many other places. We need space, it’s true; but if that’s the only thing we need, it’s the end of community. Children sit away from one another only when there has been a fight. But they soon make it up again. There must be something permanently wrong with adults who do it instinctively and always. The Eucharist is an assembly of the faithful. It brings us together, expressing our union in Christ and our eternal union with God. How can we say these things and still go on sitting far apart? I often think that the farther from the mouth, the more truthful our language. We tell lies with our mouth, we tell the truth with our feet.
The Eucharist is bodily: the truth stands out in it more clearly and powerfully than anywhere else—so powerfully that it is expected to affect our whole subsequent life. But what if it doesn’t affect us even while we are present at it? The feast of the Body and Blood of Christ is a day for meditating on the bodily truth—our own, and that of the Eucharist.

Monday June 24, 2019

Twelve Week in Ordinary Time

BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

Greeting (See the First Reading of the Vigil)

Do not be afraid to speak, says the Lord,
for I am with you to protect you.
I am putting my words into your mouth.
Say whatever I command you.
May the Lord speak through us
and be always be with you. R/ And also with you.

Introduction

As artists have pictured John the Baptist, there are two symbols that typify him very much. One is a mouth that shouts. It is the voice crying in the wilderness, calling people to conversion. It is a voice that could not be silenced, scolding the religious leaders, as well as the common folk, and urging people to change their ways. Without fear he even faces King Herod and tells him to stop his adultery. He paid dearly for it, for it will cost him his head. Then, he is the finger pointing to the coming Messiah, and here too he paid dearly, for his own disciples deserted him to follow Jesus. Still he went ahead: the one he announced must become greater, he John, only smaller. Yes, he was a great man. “The greatest prophet,” says Jesus.

Penitential Act

Christ still needs to be announced today.
Do we make him visible in our lives?
Are our ways leading to Christ?
Let us examine ourselves.
(pause)
Lord, the world today – and that includes us –
is still in need of conversion.
But we lack the courage to change for the better:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, we need to reflect
on our Christian vocation,
but we are afraid of the silence needed
to listen to your challenging Word:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord, we need prophets to speak in your name,
but we silence or ridicule them
when they point out our own inconsistencies:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord, convert us,
let us be people who prepare the way for you,
and when we have borne our witness,
help us to fade away to make room for you.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray to God
that we may prepare the way of the Lord
(pause)
Merciful God,
we celebrate today with joy
the birth of John the Baptist,
your prophet who announced a new era
and prepared the way for your Son.
Help us to proclaim the message of Jesus
in the new language our time demands.
Give us the courage to leave our old ways
and to open resolutely to today’s people
the new road to the future which you offer us
in Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. R/ Amen.

First Reading: Servant of the Lord

Like the Servant of God in this song from Isaiah, John the Baptist is loved and called by God even before he is born. His task as a servant will be to lead people to God.

First Reading: 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: Ps 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.

Second Reading: The Humble Forerunner

John’s task was to prepare people’s hearts for the coming Savior and then humbly to fade away.

Second Reading: 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."

Gospel: What Will This Child Be?

His birth from old parents and the wonders before and after his birth all speak of John as a man chosen by God for a very special mission.

Gospel: Lk 1:57-66, 80

Jesus said to his disciples, "Do not give what is holy to the dogs, or throw your pearls to the pigs: they might trample on them and even turn on you and tear you to pieces. "So, do to others whatever you would that others do to you: there you have the Law and the Prophets. "Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many go that way. How narrow is the gate that leads to life and how rough the road; few there are who find it."

Intercessions

Let us pray to God our Father, who has placed guides on our road leading us home, and let us say: R/ Lord, lead us to you.
– For the Church of Jesus Christ, that the Spirit of Christ may inspire our leaders with prophetic zeal to lead our people to true Christian freedom, let us pray: R/ Lord, lead us to you.
– For those whose task is to guide, such as missionaries, priests, sisters, educators in the faith and leaders of nations, that in these often discouraging times they may continue hoping in God’s strength, let us pray: R/ Lord, lead us to you.
– For those who do not yet know Christ, that there may be teachers and prophets who level for them the way to the Lord, let us pray: R/ Lord, lead us to you.
– For the world of today, that it may not turn a deaf ear to the voices of the prophets who plead for peace and justice for all, let us pray: R/ Lord, lead us to you.
– For all of us here, that Christ may not be among us as someone we do not know, but that he may become recognizable in the humility of our weakness and poverty, let us pray: R/ Lord, lead us to you.
God, you know us as we are. You have formed and called us even before we were born. May we serve you in all humility and prepare the way for the deeper coming of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts

Our God and Father,
you gave to John the Baptist the eyes of faith
needed to recognize and point out Jesus
as the long-promised Savior.
Help us to recognize your Son
in these humble signs of bread and wine.
May Jesus become greater in us
and we smaller,
that he may become visible in us
and that in this way we may build roads
that lead to you, our living God.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

On John the Baptist’s feast we remember how he pointed out to people the way to Jesus the Lord. Now we rejoice that Jesus our Lord is here with us, his people.

Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer

We too have been chosen by the Father
even before we were born.
We pray to him the prayer of his children,
as given us by Jesus, his beloved Son: R/ Our Father ...

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
and liberate us from our pride that keeps us
from showing the true face of your Son.
Make your Church attentive
to the voice of your Spirit
speaking through prophets in our day;
make us attentive to the signs of the times
and to the needs and aspirations of people.
Help us to prepare with joy and hope
for the full coming among us
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom ....

Invitation to Communion

This is Jesus, the Savior,
announced by John the Baptist
as the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world.
Happy are we to be invited
to the table of the Lord. R/ Lord, I am not worthy ....

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
your Son has been with us again
and yet he is not fully recognizable
in our words and in our very being.
Change our hearts,
place on our lips words of faith and courage
and let our deeds speak without fear
the language of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
your Son and our Lord for ever. R/ Amen.

Blessing

Even before we were born
every one of us has been called by God
to be saved by Christ.
Every one of us is called today
to prepare the way of the Lord
for the people we meet.
Every one of us is called today
to point out the presence of Jesus the Lord,
by the way we live his gospel.
May God bless you for this task:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Go in peace and bear witness
to the Good News of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.

Commentary

John the Baptist is like a first draft for Jesus. They were alike in some ways: they were cousins, almost the same age; both came from the desert, urging people to a different way of life; both announced that events were coming to a head. Jesus had called John the greatest man that ever lived (Lk 7:28), and had queued up with the crowds to be baptized by him. Yet they were different.
Despite all his fire, John’s message in the end was rather conventional. “Tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’” (Lk 3:12-14).
He was, you might say, a moralist. Though there are still disciples of John the Baptist in Israel, the impact of Jesus on history has been infinitely greater.
Jesus is more than a moralist. If he were only a moralist, he would be a very poor one, for his claims exceeded those of any moralist. He claimed that he and the Father were one. Any mere moralist making such a claim would not be credible for a moment. We sometimes reduce him to a moralist. But he alone was able to say, “The Kingdom (the Presence) of God is among you.” This is much more powerful than all the moralism in the world. An ounce of “is” is better than a ton of “ought”.

Tuesday June 25, 2019

Twelve Week in Ordinary Time

THE TWO WAYS

Introduction

Lot takes the rich, fertile plain that will be destroyed, Abraham the stony hills that his people will possess.
The moralizing theme of the two ways, familiar to Jewish thought and also to Christian thinking from the early Church to the present – for example, Ignatian spirituality – underlies the readings today. Jesus says that there is an easy and spacious road that leads to perdition and a narrow, arduous road leading to life. Today’s wealthy countries have created themselves a life of comfort that is on the way of becoming self-destructive of nature, resources, and humankind itself. Would greater restraint not allow everyone on earth to live a life worthy of people, of the sons and daughters of God? Which way is ours?

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
you ask us through your Son Jesus Christ:
which road do you want to take:
the one that is undemanding and effortless,
or the road and the gate
that are narrow and difficult
and full of obstacles?
Lord, whatever road or gate it is,
let it be that of your Son,
for he is our Lord for ever.

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."

Intercessions

– That we may not become demanding on others but ask the Lord to make us generous and mild in the way we want others to treat us, we pray:
– That we may never seek an easy way out through lies or passivity when life and the good of our neighbor demand sacrifices, we pray:
– That we may not tolerate people to be exploited or discriminated against, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
your Son Jesus chose the way
of humility and poverty
and he still appears among us today
in the everyday sign of a piece of bread.
Give to us and to your Church, we pray you,
the mentality of Jesus Christ,
that we may not try to impress the world
with power and prestige
but change it from within
with a poverty of means
and the simple gift of humble service.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

God, Lord of life,
you respect our freedom
of choosing between two ways:
the easy road of self-will
that leads to nowhere
and the stony path of your will.
Let your Son stay with us
and walk by our side
on the only road that leads to life,
the road where your will is our will
and your happiness is ours
now and for ever.

Blessing

“The gate is narrow and the road that leads to life is hard.” Yes, sometimes the road of the Lord does not look straight and we don’t know well where it is leading. But our faith tells us to entrust ourselves to Christ. May almighty God lead and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

Abram’s nobility of spirit emerges in his decision to give the first choice in the selection of land to his nephew Lot. As the senior member, the first choice would ordinarily be his. Lot selects the verdant Jordan plain, occupying the cities that border the locale. Yet divine favor is still showered upon Abram, who is promised by God a vast extent of land that will fall to him and his posterity.
In today’s Gospel it is a question of holy things for holy people. The dogs and swine who are to be denied the mysteries of the kingdom may have originally meant the Gentiles, in keeping with Matthew’s emphasis on an exclusively Jewish mission for Jesus during his lifetime. Its use here probably refers to those who dishonor or reject the ministry of the apostles.
In our dealings with others, we must abide by the Golden Rule: Treat others as you would have them treat you. Our treatment of others should match exactly what we expect of them. “Equal justice, equal treatment.”
The Gospel passage closes with a striking antithesis. In entering through the narrow gate, one accepts the teachings and directives of Jesus, which leads to eternal life. To follow false teachers or champion “another gospel” is to set out on a broader road with a broader gate, which may seem more accommodating but which ultimately leads to perdition.

Points to Ponder

Abram’s spirit of generosity
Carelessness with the things of God
Believing in the authentic gospel.

Wednesday June 26, 2019

Twelve Week in Ordinary Time

BEARING GOOD FRUIT

Introduction

The certainty of faith is always a search for a fuller reality, which we do not yet possess. We have to learn to live with partial visions and to place ourselves trustingly into the hands of the God of the covenant, like Abraham.
Christ is our real tree of life. If we pluck the fruits of his message and life, we too can become trees of life that produce good fruits. It is not enough for us to take pride in being the People of God and in boasting that we are disciples of Christ. We must also effectively follow him and lead the life of people of the covenant.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
the present renewal in the Church
and the changes in the world
have upset many of our certainties,
and at times we don’t know where we stand.
Give us a great faith and a deep trust,
and the wisdom of your Spirit.
Help us to retain our critical sense,
that we may not run after false prophets
and yet remain open to all true renewal
that brings us closer to you
and helps us to bear good fruit
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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."

Intercessions

– That we may not be afraid when we meet difficulties, but keep always trusting in God who loves us and wants us to be happy, we pray:
– That the Gospel and the life of Christ may be our guide in all the choices we face, we pray:
– That with all our heart and soul we may love the Lord, who has made with us a covenant uniting us with himself and with one another, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

God, our Father,
in these signs of bread and wine,
signs of communion and sharing,
you let us renew the covenant
made once and for all in the blood of your Son.
All we ask of you, Lord, is:
let your Son be the living bond
between you and us, between us and people.
Then it will be easy to respond to your love
and to bear good fruit
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
through your Son in our midst
help us rediscover what it means
to be loved by you.
Let our whole lives be a disclosure and deepening
of the riches and the potentials
of our faith, of hope and love,
that we may bear lasting fruits
of goodness and justice,
in response to your love that lasts for ever.

Blessing

A tree that bears good fruit is a good tree. Let the sap of Jesus’ Gospel and his union with us and our closeness to him flow in us, and we shall bear fruits of justice, mercy and love, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

In addition to the major covenant between God and Israel (Exod 19-24), there are other subordinate covenants centering on the God-Israel relationship. In today’s Genesis reading, the covenant with Abram is highlighted. God’s promise is that a great progeny will spring from Abram. There is nothing expressly asked of the patriarch except the implicit pledge of unwavering fidelity.
The covenant ritual seems strange to us. A number of animals are split in half. A smoking fire pot and a blazing torch passes between the parts of the dead animals. Originally the contracting parties would walk between the parts, showing their willingness to suffer the same lot as the animals should they not be faithful to the covenant terms. Here Yahweh in the form of pot and flame is the sole negotiator, with Abram close at hand in a trancelike state. Yahweh promises the patriarch the land of Canaan with borders that will extend from Egypt to the Euphrates.
The Gospel today speaks of false prophets preaching an inauthentic gospel, of which the early church had its share. To be honest, faithful, and forthright is to bear good fruit. To do otherwise is to cut oneself off from the tree.
We must also note that the idea of God’s covenant with Abraham is not just a powerful religious concept; it continues to have political ramifications in our modern world. There are no easy answers to resolve the difficulties between the Israelis and the Palestinians in present-day Israel, with passionate feelings on both sides. The solution lies in a peaceful two-state solution. It is a solution for which we should ardently pray.

Points to Ponder

The significance of the covenant with Abram
The dangers from false prophets
The situation in Palestine today.