Tag: faith

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

From the responsorial psalm: “The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him. I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 16:13-19)

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

As Jesus asks his disciples who people think he is, they give various answers, but Peter declares Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God. This realization, Jesus tells Peter, comes not from human understanding but from God. And Jesus declares “you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church” and that it will endure. Finally, Jesus entrusts to Peter the Kingdom of heaven, granting him authority as the head of the Church, our first pope. In the second reading, we hear Paul say, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

God, thank you for the two pillars of the Church, the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul. Thank you for the gift of faith and the promise that the Church will endure forever through the authority with which you entrusted to Peter and the leaders you have called over the ages. Both Peter and Paul suffered and were martyred for the sake of Christ and to spread the Gospel to all nations. By their example, give me the grace to learn from them and grow in faith. At the end of the day at the end of every day, let me say as Paul said, “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.” Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr

From the responsorial psalm: “By the streams of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. On the aspens of that land we hung up our harps. Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 8:1-4)

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I will do it. Be made clean.” His leprosy was cleansed immediately. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”

As the leper approaches Jesus, he finds immediately in the Lord the words and actions that heal him. There is a flowing correspondence between Jesus, the Lord, and the leper who wishes to be made clean. In his homage of Jesus and in stretching out his hand, the leper is in every way receptive to the Lord cleansing him of his leprosy. The result of his faith was immediate healing. Matthew does not make explicit why Jesus says to the man to tell no one, except that showing himself to the priest and offering a gift was in accordance with Mosaic law. In instructing the man to show himself to the priest, Jesus restores his place within the community; in telling him to offer a gift, he sends the man off in a spirit of gratitude. Just as much, Jesus desires us to be grateful for the sake of glory.

God, help me be grateful today for every good gift you give me. Heal me, Lord, in body and spirit so that I can go through the day cleansed of anything that would obscure my sight of you, fully aware that you guide me and will for me to remain in you. Give me the wisdom to hold to this today and always. As Saint Irenaeus said, “Faith is established upon things truly real, that we may believe what really is, as it is. And believing what really is, as it is, we may always keep our conviction of it firm.” Saint Irenaeus, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; Deliver us and pardon our sins for your name’s sake. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 7:21-29)

Jesus said to his disciples: “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

Continuing from yesterday’s Gospel, Jesus teaches the disciples what it means to do the will of the Father. Referring to false prophets, Jesus says of them, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” The miraculous works of the false prophets—prophesying in the Lord’s name, driving out demons—are not in themselves the measure of faith but instead one built on sincerely hearing and doing the will of the Father.

God, help me today as I strive to know and do your will, and give me the grace to be genuine in my relationship with you. I hear in the Gospel acclamation “Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.” Help me live out my faith in truth and in a way that is pleasing to you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Enter through the narrow gate.” | Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Great is the LORD and wholly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, fairest of heights, is the joy of all the earth. God upholds his city for ever.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (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.”

In a few sentences, Jesus relates to the disciples three important teachings: care for and guard holiness, treat others as you would have them treat you, and enter the narrow way that leads to life on earth and to everlasting life. Throwing pearls before swine, among those who outright reject spiritual truths, calls for careful discernment if and when those truths are shared. The Golden Rule is a daily guide in every way we treat others in compassion and respect. To strive for the narrow gate is to strive for holiness, to seek God’s will, commit to it, and do it.

God, help me live in harmony with others as I take in the profound message of today’s Gospel. Help me remain grateful for all of your gifts, including the truth of the Gospel and the opportunity to be a means of your love to others. Throughout the day, I am bound to be drawn to the broad road that leads away from you. Through your grace, help my love for others be sincere even when I feel that it is constricted, ineffectual; through the help of the Holy Spirit and for your glory, Lord, lead me through the narrow gate to bring your gift of joy to those who need it most.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

From the responsorial psalm: “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. I praise you for I am wonderfully made.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 1:57-66, 80)

All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

On this Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, Luke tells us details about the birth of John. His parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah, independently name him John. Unable to speak, Zechariah writes his name on a tablet. When he does, he is able to speak again, blessing God. Luke tells us that the witnesses of this were frightened. “All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, ‘What, then, will this child be?’ For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.” Zechariah, who had been struck mute by the angel Gabriel, praises God for fulfilling his promise in John’s unique role in preparing the way for Jesus.

God, you know me body and soul better than I know myself. Throughout the day, help me be grateful that you always fulfill your promises, and in your goodness I can depend. Just as you sent John to fulfill a special mission, knowing me as you do, you have something unique for me that only I can fulfill. Help me discern what that is, and grant me the fortitude to carry that mission out. Saint John the Baptist, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?” | Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “They rejoiced that they were calmed, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his kindness and his wondrous deeds to the children of men. Give thanks to the Lord, his love is everlasting.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 4:35-41)

They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

As Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee with his disciples to reach the pagan territory of Gerasenes, a sudden gust of wind comes up over their boat. As water began to fill it, the boat was in danger of sinking and the disciples became frightened. In waking Jesus, he speaks with the same power over nature that God displays in the first reading from Job. Jesus speaks, and the sea obeys. So it is with the troubled waters of life, when in times of trial we call into question where God is in the storm. “Do you not care?” Just as God sets the limits of what we can bear, so Christ with a word disperses our storms and says, “Quiet! Be still!” At times like that, we can only pause in thanksgiving at the wondrous deeds God works in our lives.

God, I know you are present at all times. As the Gospel acclamation says, “A great prophet has risen in our midst. God has visited his people.” When I turn my back on you, I am the one responsible for your apparent absence. But you are there nonetheless, and in times of trouble I have an urgent need to find you again. “Be still,” Jesus says. “Be still and know that I am God!” the psalmist prays, “The LORD of hosts is with us.” Give me the faith, Lord, to keep you in my sight throughout the day so that when night comes I have unshakeable confidence in you at all times—in life’s storms and in the calm of their ceasing.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Give to the one who asks of you.” | Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you. For you, O God, delight not in wickedness; no evil man remains with you; the arrogant may not stand in your sight. Lord, listen to my groaning.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (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.”

Don’t count the cost. That’s what Jesus seems to be saying, even in response to those who don’t like you, demand much of you, and press you unfairly into service. Instead of following the Old Testament law of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” Jesus instructs the disciples that the way to fight evil and aggression is with love, forgiveness, and a willingness to go the extra mile. Turning the other cheek does not mean being a doormat but instead means to overcome evil with good and hatred with love through the strength of God’s grace and mercy. The gifts God gives are ours to give away.

God, I hear what Jesus is saying, yet all of my being resists showing love, generosity, and forgiveness to those who make aggression and malice their way of communicating their wants and needs. Give me the grace to be selfless in the face of this and respond with mercy and compassion to people who have suffered hatred from others and in turn lash out in kind. Help me give your gifts without counting the cost and go the extra mile without expecting anything in return. Lord, hear my prayer and help me.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“The seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.” | Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praise to your name, Most High, To proclaim your kindness at dawn and your faithfulness throughout the night. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 4:26-34)

Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.”

In the Gospel, Jesus echoes the words of the LORD as spoken in the first reading from Ezekiel. “It shall put forth branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.” So it is with the kingdom of God. The little effort we put forth in bringing about his kingdom is supernaturally fortified and imbued by God himself with love of his people, love that in turn goes out horizontally and veristically for the sake of his glory. God’s kingdom is by its authentic definition, bringing low what is high and lifting up what is low. “And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD . . . , make the withered tree bloom.”

God, help me pause throughout the day and hear the words of Jesus as he describes the mystery of your kingdom. Everywhere outside, I see the wild growth of plants under the summer sun and rain. Tomato plants that were no bigger than my hand now stand at waist level. The tiny seeds I planted just weeks ago now have taken root and begin to blossom. As I hold fast to you, Lord, seeking you in the Church and its sacraments, help me remember to be thankful for all your gifts and faithfulness and to witness to it. Glory to you, Lord. As the psalmist prays: “They that are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Let your “Yes” mean “Yes,” and your “No” mean “No.” | Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “I bless the LORD who counsels me; even in the night my heart exhorts me. I set the LORD ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. You are my inheritance, O Lord.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (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.”

Jesus continues instructing the disciples in the ways of God and not man. The teachings extend and transcend Old Testament laws. The law that refers to making a false oath then says “but make good to the Lord all that you vow.” All that we would swear by, whether heaven or earth, is God’s and God’s alone. Jesus suggests that the words of God are as far apart from human words as heaven is from earth. While we are able to talk of heads and the black or white hair on top of them, our words do nothing to change that. While we are able to say the word heaven, it is God’s throne and not ours to swear by. By letting our yes mean yes and our no mean no, we follow Jesus’ teachings as responsible people who recognize our limits and place our intentions parallel to God’s will, grounding them in his truth.

God, with you at the center I have no need of any other vow to support my intentions; there is only your will to be recognized and accomplished. Free from obstructive conditions I am able to follow your Son, free from sin and safe from all distress I am able to participate fully in the sacraments of the Church. Committed to your will, give me the grace to live without fear of how things will turn out. Grant me the fortitude to say yes or no courageously and desire to have you at my right hand. Mary said it first: “Let it be done to me according to your word.” Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD. I long to see your face, O Lord.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (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.”

Describing the radical action needed to preserve purity and avoid sin, Jesus goes on to refer to Jewish law in relation to divorce before explaining how to go further and deeper with this issue than external practice. “But I say to you,” Jesus says, “whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” Jesus speaks to the sanctity and permanence of marriage, challenging the accepted Jewish law. He teaches the significance of avoidance of lustful desires and upholding God’s standard of marriage as a lifelong commitment. By saying “unless the marriage is unlawful,” Jesus refers to unions that were determined to be invalid in the first place, the basis for Catholic teaching on annulments. In speaking to the disciples, Jesus teaches them about the need for purity, faithfulness, and the preservation of marriage that God has joined together.

God, thank you for the gift of sacramental marriage. A sacred union before you and before the Church, it is meant to last a lifetime as a covenant between a man and woman and a visible sign of your unconditional love and grace working through them. Instituted by Christ, it is a continuous sign of his presence throughout a couple’s lifelong journey toward holiness as witnesses to your love. The same selfless love Christ offered in his suffering and death models for married couples the gift of self in laying down their lives for each other in his name. Pour out your grace, Lord, on sacramental marriage, and make it a means of glorifying your name.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.