Tag: evangelio del dia

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.

“So by their fruits you will know them.” | Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Turn away my eyes from seeing what is vain: by your way give me life. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.”

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

Jesus continues to teach his disciples about the way to the Father. Warning them to avoid false profits, he identifies them to the disciples as the ones who bear rotten fruit. “A good tree,” he says, “cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.” In two ways, from the source and by their words and actions, false prophets identify themselves. By this, Jesus teaches us to avoid them and to remain in him to bear good fruit.

God, help me discern the thistles and thorn bushes I come across today, the voices that would lead me away from you into a place of discord and confusion. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down,” Jesus says, “and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.” Give me the grace, Lord, to be drawn to what is good and also to remain in you through my words and actions.

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.

“Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.” |Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant: Forever will I confirm your posterity and establish your throne for all generations.” For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 6:24-34)

“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.”

The comforting words of Jesus unburden us from worries that often never come to fruition. Even more, his words remind us that we are all under one Father as he reminds us of his paternal care of every one of our needs. To take in the words of Jesus as he describes this complete dependence on God is to look on his creation, including his own people, and see all around us his eternal mark of beauty and providential care. “Learn from the way the wild flowers grow,” Jesus says. “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?”

God, help me have faith in your care for me and trust in it even as I work and my mind spins, wondering what’s next. Let me learn from spending some time outdoors today to find that you are everywhere in everything under the sun. “Seek first the Kingdom of God,” Jesus says. Give me the grace to hear those words echo throughout this day and the outcome of seeking you first: “and all these things will be given to you besides.” And if nothing else, help me call to mind the prayer of Saint Padre Pio: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.” 

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 Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious

From the responsorial psalm: “In her will I make a horn to sprout forth for David; I will place a lamp for my anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon him my crown shall shine.” The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

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

Whether it is things or people or concepts, what we most treasure, Jesus says, tells us where our heart is. Then Jesus tells us not to store up the things that can be destroyed, like things or people or ideas. Instead, provide and pile up treasures that belong in heaven and can’t be destroyed. That is where your heart should be, Jesus says. Soundness of sight is how we see what to store up. “The lamp of the body is the eye,” Jesus says. “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.” Throughout the day, what treasures will we see that are truly worth storing up?

God, help me see today the things of this world with an eye that is sound and heart that is filled with your light. The light that I would be filled with is your grace and nothing less. Please supply this. Help me see things in the light of truth, Lord, so that my heart is in treasures that last and ultimately reset in you. Saint Aloysius, 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 Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles be glad. Clouds and darkness are round about him, justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!”

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

Jesus tells the disciples that prayer should be sincere, from the heart, rather than being a mere recitation of words. Then he teaches them what we know as the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father. Asking God for care of our everyday needs, seeking forgiveness for sins and protection from temptation and evil, the Lord’s Prayer aligns our will with God’s so our actions can also be aligned with him. When he finishes, he emphasizes one facet of the prayer: “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.” Showing mercy and grace to others, just as we have received mercy and grace from God, is what the Lord’s prayer empowers us to do.

Heavenly Father, help me see the prayer that Jesus taught the disciples as my model for how to approach you with reverence and trust and a desire to know and do your will. Teach me to love and forgive others as Jesus did in every word of the Lord’s Prayer. 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. Amen.

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.

“And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” | Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones! The LORD keeps those who are constant, but more than requites those who act proudly. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.”

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

Teaching the disciples about almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, Jesus instructs them to avoid doing these for the sake of being seen. The reward for public display of these practices is the adulation of others—an earthly reward. The kind of reward we ought to seek, Jesus tells us, has nothing to do with appearances for the sake of others but instead is about deepening our relationship with the Father, who sees what is hidden and will repay us. Through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving we deepen not only our relationship with God but also work toward strengthening humility and compassion while living out our faith in practical ways to contribute to the well-being of others.

God, help me take to heart the words of Jesus, who says not to perform righteous deeds to win the praise of others. You know, Lord, how much I look to others to receive a loving glance but am called to love them as you love them and not for what they can do for me. Give me the grace to work for what sustains me rather than what fails to satisfy. Help me receive your love today so that I can be a means of giving it to others, not for praise but for the sake of your glory.

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.