Monday June 12, 2017

Introduction
“As we have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so do we share in his consolation,” Paul tells us today.
What Jesus proposes in the beatitudes is a turning upside-down of values, (attuned with the message of Paul in Year I). But we are not too eager to take them seriously; they are too uncomfortable... Many say they are utopian, but that can be said of many parts of the Gospel, unless you believe. Followers of Christ are dreamers of a brotherhood of all people, of a better world and a better earth.

Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
when your Son spoke his Good News
to people who were poor and blind, they understood him,
for they knew what it means
not to be satisfied and not to see.
Make us poor with the hungry,
groping with the blind, powerless with the defenseless
and small with the little people,
that we may experience the message of the Gospel
to the marrow of our bones
and share it as good news with all those around,
in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Reading 1 2 COR1:1-7
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
and Timothy our brother,
to the Church of God that is at Corinth,
with all the holy ones throughout Achaia:
grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of compassion and the God of all encouragement,
who encourages us in our every affliction,
so that we may be able to encourage
those who are in any affliction
with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God.
For as Christ's sufferings overflow to us,
so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow.
If we are afflicted,
it is for your encouragement and salvation;
if we are encouraged,
it is for your encouragement,
which enables you to endure the same sufferings that we suffer.
Our hope for you is firm,
for we know that as you share in the sufferings,
you also share in the encouragement.

Responsorial Psalm PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
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. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
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. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
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. 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.

Alleluia MT 5:12A
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad;
for your reward will be great in heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Intentions
– Lord, you call the poor blessed, give us people who know how to live soberly, who find joy in simple things, we pray:
– Lord, God of the gentle, make us peaceful, merciful and compassionate, that your kingdom may be ours, we pray:
– Lord, strength of those persecuted, give perseverance to those who suffer persecution, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts
Lord, our God,
in the poverty and emptiness of our hearts,
we place on this altar
a bit of bread and a mouthful of wine.
It is not much, Lord,
but we know what you can do with simple things
and with people aware of their indigence.
And so we pray you: turn this bread into Jesus Christ
and change us into men and women
rich with your life and enriching themselves
by giving away to others without measure
their time and attention and love.
We ask you this through Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
you write straight with crooked lines.
Let the disturbing words of your Son
wake us up and help us to see
where to find your kind of happiness,
for it is the only one that lasts.
And let your Son here with us
be our nourishment for the road
to you, our God, for ever and ever.

Blessing
The disciples of Jesus are called “blessed,” that is, happy. If we are so open to God we will let him fill us with something of his own happiness. We have to be poor, not filled with ourselves. Then, the happiness of God’s kingdom will be ours, like a foretaste of the happiness of heaven. Put yourselves in God’s hands and ask him to bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Monday June 12, 2017

The world seems to have wholeheartedly embraced this 4th century advice from Flavius Vegetius Renatus: “If you want peace, prepare for war.” How unfortunate! For, every preparation for war in the hope of peace begets only more war. The peace that the world gives—founded on so much violence and bloodshed—is a peace that does not last. We do not seem to learn either from our own historical mistakes or from the teachings of Christ. If we only take the Beatitudes seriously, there is no better and lasting way to peace, the kind of peace that Christ alone offers us. However, Jesus assures us that in the process of living the Beatitudes we will suffer. But as Paul guarantees from his own experience, when sufferings overwhelm us in our struggle for a just cause, the great comfort of Christ, too, will overflow into us. Mahatma Gandhi, a non-Christian, built his entire nonviolent struggle on the Beatitudes and succeeded. Why should we Christians delay founding our lives on the Beatitudes?

Tuesday June 13, 2017

Introduction
During the communist regime in Poland, only a dozen or so Catholic secondary schools for girls remained under the direction of religious sisters. They had to follow the state program without any religion. When asked whether there was still any sense in their work, a sister directress answered: “We stay with the girls, we are a presence among them. If we try to be good Christians, we automatically let the light shine. Light is its own proof. One has not to talk about it.” Her words echo those of Christ in the Gospel. A Christian has not necessarily to preach from a pulpit. Authentic Christian living is a proclamation all by itself.

Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
your Son asks of every disciple
to be the salt and the light of the world.
Season our lives and words
with the salt of the Gospel,
that all those who encounter us
may taste how good it is
to live in your love
and to work in joy and hope
towards a world and a heaven
of justice, peace and friendship.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Lord.

Reading 1 2 COR 1:18-22
Brothers and sisters:
As God is faithful, our word to you is not "yes" and "no."
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed to you by us,
Silvanus and Timothy and me,
was not "yes" and "no," but "yes" has been in him.
For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him;
therefore, the Amen from us also goes through him to God for glory.
But the one who gives us security with you in Christ
and who anointed us is God;
he has also put his seal upon us
and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment.

Responsorial Psalm PS 119:129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 135
R. (135a) Lord, let your face shine on me.
Wonderful are your decrees;
therefore I observe them.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
gives understanding to the simple.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
I gasp with open mouth
in my yearning for your commands.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
Turn to me in pity
as you turn to those who love your name.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
Steady my footsteps according to your promise,
and let no iniquity rule over me.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
Let your countenance shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.

Alleluia MT 5:16
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let your light shine before others
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 5:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples:
"You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father."

Intentions
– That in the Church, there may be men and women today who show us something of the face of God by their goodness and concern for the poor and the little people, we pray:
– That in our communities, we may be like the salt that preserves among us a sense of service and commitment to one another, we pray:
– That we may not be blind to the needs of the poor and those suffering and help them carry their burdens, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts
Our God and Father,
you give taste to our lives
through the bread and wine of your Son,
for they steep us in his love and faithfulness.
Do not allow us to lose our savor/flavor
but give it more vigor to use it to preserve in this world
the goodness and dedicated love
which you’ve shown us in your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
the words spoken by your Son
have been a light on the path of life
and his body, our source of renewal.
Do not allow us to hide the light
of his self-forgetting, faithful love
but let it shine in us,
that people may see in us
a reflection of his goodness
and give praise to you,
our God, for ever and ever.

Blessing
“I am the light of the world,” said Christ, and he says of us, too: “you must be, the light of the world.” Let your faith shine and inspire, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Tuesday June 13, 2017

I once heard a lawyer say in defense of a patently unjust decision, “The courts are not courts of justice, they are courts of law.” One wonders then what they are for. What justifies the existence of a law, if not that it should be in the service of justice? But justice is a difficult search, and life has to go on quickly, so we settle for law.

“We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die” (Jn 19:7). It was this same law that Jesus said he came to fulfill. What could he have meant by “fulfilling the law”? Not its observance to the letter: he defiantly broke the law on many occasions—certainly, as it was understood in his time. By fulfilling the law he meant fulfilling the purpose for which it was made: that is, justice (or “righteousness,” as the Scriptures calls it: that includes a just relationship with God). He may have been thinking of the text in Isaiah (55:11), “My word that goes out from my mouth shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

But why then does he say that “not the smallest letter or stroke of the law will change until all is fulfilled”? It is not the law that is wrong, but its separation from justice. Clever people can even make the law an enemy of justice. This happens daily in the wide world, and sadly, also in the Church.

Wednesday June 14, 2017

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,
your Son asks of every disciple
to be the salt and the light of the world.
Season our lives and words
with the salt of the Gospel,
that all those who encounter us
may taste how good it is
to live in your love
and to work in joy and hope
towards a world and a heaven
of justice, peace and friendship.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, the 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. 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."

Intentions
– For all of us in the Church, that we may have enough love to obey the commandments, to know and practice, that they show our love of God and of neighbor, we pray:
– For priests, that in the sacrament of reconciliation, they may let sinners feel the patience and the compassion of God, we pray:
– For all of us, that we may ask ourselves not what we are obliged to do, but what we can do for God and one another, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father,
in this Eucharist, we celebrate the new covenant
brought us by your Son, Jesus Christ.
All that we can offer you
is our openness to your initiative of love,
freely given and shared.
Make us ministers
of your adventure with us
of intimate and lasting friendship.
We ask you this in the name of Jesus, the Lord.

Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
we have listened to the Word of your Son
and eaten his refreshing bread.
As he was not afraid
of committing himself to fickle people,
we ask you to liberate our faith
from banality and routine
and to help us to commit ourselves to others
without fear or conditions.
For you loved us first
in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Blessing
We live under the law of the new covenant, where the key to all laws and observances is love. May we understand and live by this love, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Wednesday June 14, 2017

Jesus does not abolish the Law; he provides a deeper understanding of the mind and heart of the Lawgiver so that our observance of the Law flows spontaneously from our appreciation of the Lawgiver. Let us take the case of a teenager who is asked to follow the curfew of returning home by 10:00 P.M. Knowing only the text of the Law can be oppressive for the teenager. However, one day she wakes up to the reality of the deep love and care of her parents. From that moment, the Law is no more an oppressive external enforcement, but an expression of the genuine affection of the parents. The teenager then observes the Law not out of compulsion but out of an inner freedom and appreciation for the spirit behind the Law. Similarly, when we wake up to the love of God and contemplate His face in Christ, we will fulfill the Law with internal freedom, moved by His Spirit. God’s glory and holiness will then reflect in our being.

Thursday June 15, 2017

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 sake.
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."

Intentions
– 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.

Thursday June 15, 2017

A “much broader righteousness” than that of the people around is what is expected of the followers of Christ. In other words, a Christian who chooses the narrow path (Matt 7:13) must offer a broad path for his fellow beings, a broader path of greater understanding, tolerance, acceptance, forgiveness, and love. This is not the usual modus operandi of the world: it tends to choose the broader path for itself while making the path of others as narrow and difficult as possible. Jesus invites us to be different. Through our being so, it is he, Christ the Lord, who gets preached. In such broader righteousness the world will come to see the light of God and know the Glory of God.
Does my righteousness reflect the loving mercy of God? Does it help people see and walk in the light of God?

Friday June 16, 2017

Introduction
Paul experienced in the marrow of his bones the contradiction 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."

Get the daily readings sent to you

Intentions
– 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 in 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 often feel 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.

Friday June 16, 2017

“Eyes are the window of the soul” is an ancient proverb. Even science seems to agree: according to recent research studies, patterns in the iris can indicate whether a person is warm and trusting or neurotic and impulsive. Thus there are different types of eyes, and more importantly, different types of looks that reveal the contents of our souls. Today Jesus warns us against the sinful ways of our eyes. Even a lustful glance is sinful as it reduces the other to a mere object of one’s pleasure.
The ethics of the Kingdom demand that we look at the other with compassion and love. Jesus’s own way of looking is the best example to follow: He looked at Peter, affirming him (Jn 1:42); at the rich young man and loved him (Mk 10:21); at people, with compassion (Matt 9:36); at the disciples, with encouragement (Matt 19:26);); at Peter after his denial, with a look that moved Peter to tears (Lk 22:61-62). What sort of eyes and way of looking do I have? What do they reveal about my soul?

Saturday June 17, 2017

Introduction
In a very dense text, Paul speaks of the ministry of reconciliation, of himself and of the Church. God has reconciled us and the world to himself; he does not accept the world in as far as it is sinful but rather draws the world to himself and makes it – and us – a new creation. All this he does through Christ, who brought us reconciliation.
The same ministry of reconciliation between people and God, from person to person too, has been entrusted to the Church, to all of us. Are we agents of reconciliation?
Why do people require that at special occasions a statement be backed up by an oath? Is it because they doubt one another’s sincerity and truthfulness, particularly when it matters? And if God is 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
Reliable God,
your Son was born for this
and for this, he came into this world,
to bear witness to the truth.
Count us among those who listen to him
and who want to be honest seekers of the truth.
Help us to say a firm no to all that is evil
and make our yes a firm yes
to all that is good and worthy,
by the power of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

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 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
R. 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 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."

Intentions
– For Christians, that they may be so reliable that there is no need for swearing oaths, we pray:
– For friends, that they may always be trustworthy and faithful, we pray:
– For all of us, that we may be faithful to the task God has given us in life, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, almighty Father,
you spoke your creative word
and things and people existed;
you saw that your work was good.
Speak here in our midst your mighty word
and your Son will be present among us
as your faithful, reliable word.
Let him fill our hollow words to the brim
with goodness, honesty and peace,
that we may trust one another
and offer you all honor and praise
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion
Loyal and trustworthy God,
your Son has spoken to us
words that never pass away.
He filled his words with himself
and so he could be with us here.
Help us too, to fill again
our worn-out words with ourselves.
Let your own Son speak
in the words we say and the words we hear.
Let him become flesh again in our words,
that we may become free again
in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Blessing
A few days ago, Paul told us that Jesus was always “Yes,” yes to the Father’s will, yes and affirming to people, reliable. May we too, be trustworthy and reliable, in our faith, our friendship, our given word, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Saturday June 17, 2017

Christ makes everything new. In him, I am made into a new creature. My old ways of being and doing give way to new ways. But this newness can be frightening for me as well as others. It may cost me familiar times, places, and persons. My friends may no longer recognize me and walk with me. My own family members may reject me (Lk 12:49-53). The broad roads that I had walked before are no longer an option, and the narrow path I now tread can make me pretty lonesome. It can be tempting to return to the old and the familiar. Unfortunately, there are some who do return. In such moments of temptation, it will help to keep my gaze fixed on Christ and recognize the fruits of the newness that Christ creates in me. The reconciliation that Christ effects between God, human community, and me is worth many times more than the momentary pleasures of the old ways of living. So, let my “yes” to God be yes, and my “no” to lesser goods be a definitive no.

Sunday June 18, 2017

A priest teaching in Manila used to go to a barrio (village) on Sundays to say mass. It happened that there was a baguio (typhoon) and as he went there on the following Sunday he noticed that the house of an old childless couple, Antonio and Maria, living on the edge of the barrio was tilting quite a lot to one side. After his homily he mentioned to the congregation that he had noticed the house of Antonio and Maria was tilting to one side. On the second and third Sunday of that month he noticed the same thing and made the same remarks. On the fourth Sunday he said to the people, "I regret to inform you that this will be the last Sunday on which I will be saying Mass in this barrio." "Why, Father?" they asked, "Are you being transferred or something?" "No," he said, I am not being transferred. It is just that I cannot continue to say mass in this barrio because you are not Christians." "What do you mean?" they asked: "We are not Christians? Can't you see the numbers that come to church, confess, and who eat the Bread of Life?" "Yes," said the priest, "you eat the bread but you do not live the life! For one month now I have been telling you that there have been two old people in this barrio in need of help but not one person lifted a finger to help. You receive the Sacraments but you are not Christians, so why should I continue to give you the Christian Sacraments?"
For the Hebrew, "body" meant the "external expression of the person present." To see the "body" was to know that the person was present. Through Christian history the expression BODY OF CHRIST came to have many meanings but especially it came to express the Church itself, the Mystical Body of Christ, and the Eucharist the sacramental Body of Christ. One was a community and the other was a communion. While both meanings are kept very close together there is little problem. But when, as happened in out story about Antonio and Maria, the idea of community caring and the idea of sacramental communion got seriously separated then indeed the Body of Christ was severely broken.
Christ called for discipleship, a deep personal union with him. This was often expressed in table fellowship. He challenged the culture of his time, and particularly the way of acting of the Pharisees who tended to cut off the unclean, by inviting all sorts of people to table fellowship. He invited Samaritans, tax collectors, and prostitutes to his table. Later, in the early Church the pattern of coming together to share a meal of fellowship was continued. Jesus had said that "when two or three are gathered in my name there am I in the midst of you." In the account of the Eucharist in Corinthians, Paul has Jesus tell the disciples, "do this in memory of me" (1 Cor. 11:24-25). In the same account the Corinthians are castigated for eating and drinking unworthily because of the divisions that are amongst them.
The point comes across repeatedly in the history of the early church, as in our own times, that there can be no true reverence for the sacramental real presence if there is not real reverence for the mystical real presence that is in the heart of each person. Christians would be shocked if someone were to take the sacred host and dance on it in disrespect. Yet the desecration of the human person, through oppression, exploitation, physical or psychological cruelty, can be an even greater desecration of the real presence.
For centuries now we have had vivid and forceful preaching on the real presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus was "produced" at the consecration of the Mass and "was a prisoner of love waiting for us in the tabernacle." I do not question this theology but I sometimes think that an over emphasis on the presence of Christ in the Eucharist may have led to an implicit downplaying of that presence in ourselves and in our neighbor. After all it is much easier to see Jesus in the host than it is to see him in that neighbor who throws his garbage into your garden, steals your chickens, or in those who are striking for a just wage.
"The one who made the universe lives in the cave of our hearts." There is also a real presence of God in the cave of our hearts. It is all the more real for the fact that it is not very controllable or manageable. Moses had a real experience of God in the burning bush but had to live on the memory of it for forty tormenting years in the desert. The disciples on the road to Emmaus had an experience of the Risen Jesus but at the time they did not know it. As soon as they recognized him he was gone. The true experience of God is often a memory, something seen in the rear view mirror. We get a glimpse of it but when we look around it is gone. This is the sort of experience of God that happens, or maybe more accurately does not happen, in meditation. We continue trying to be faithful, to be present to the mantra or prayer word. At the time we feel or experience nothing. But later on we know that God was working in the experience.
There is a story - probably apocryphal - that one of the engineers involved in constructing the huge face of Marcos along the highway going to Baguio City was asked how they did it. "Well," he said. "when we got that huge mass of stone and cement in place we just began to chip away. We chipped away anything that was not Marcos and then he was left." So too in meditation we let go of everything, our thoughts, desires, words, images, even our holding of God himself. When all of these, products of our own egos, are chipped away the only presence remaining is that of God. Meditation brings one to be more really present to all things. It makes us more present to the prayers we may say at other times and to the scriptures that we listen to. It makes us more present too to the sacramental presence and hopefully more sensitive to its meaning and implications. It will make us realize that the fact that the house of Antonio and Maria is tilting to one side has something to do with the Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ.

Monday June 19, 2017

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 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."

Intentions
– 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 disposition 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.

Monday June 19, 2017

“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.

Tuesday June 20, 2017

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.za
Jesus concluded 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 our 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 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."

Intentions
– 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.