Tag: evangelio del dia

Monday of the Third Week of Easter


From the responsorial psalm: “I declared my ways, and you answered me; teach me your statutes. Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 6:22-29)

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”

Some of the multitude that Jesus fed come looking for him. Jesus knows their needs and realizes they wish to satisfy a physical hunger for food. He responds by acknowledging that the bread they seek would provide temporary sustenance but that he is the one who offers the true bread from heaven. Encouraging them to work for the food that doesn’t perish, Jesus teaches them to hunger for the very word of God—”the food that endures for eternal life.” They ask him: “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus tells them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”

God, help me focus today on working for true food, the bread of life. And make known to me throughout the day exactly what that means. The Gospel acclamation, the words of Jesus, make clear how I choose to make that happen: “One does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Jesus tells the crowd that to accomplish your works, Lord, we are to believe in the one you sent. To live on your every word, Lord, is to live for love because you yourself are love. In seeking the true bread from heaven, give me the grace to live in your love and be loving to others.

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.

Third Sunday of Easter


From the Gospel acclamation: “Lord Jesus, open the Scriptures to us; make our hearts burn while you speak to us.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 24:35-48)

While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of baked fish; he took it and ate it in front of them.

As the two disciples recount their journey, they describe how Jesus made himself known to them in the breaking of bread. Suddenly he stands among them. Terrified, and not knowing what to make of his presence, they think they are seeing an apparition, a ghost. The risen Christ quietly comforts them with questions and an invitation to look on him, at his nail-pierced hands and feet. By the author of life, the horror of death is trampled on. By the risen Christ, death and its terrifying mask have been torn away. “While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,” Luke tells us, Jesus asks for something to eat. For their sake, the glorified Christ eats in front of them, giving the disciples spiritual nourishment as witnesses to teach repentance and God’s mercy to all the nations.

God, open my mind to understand the Scriptures, as Jesus did among the disciples. When I consider death and its terrible effects on the body, help dispel any fear or anxiety I have, putting in its place the image of the risen Christ standing in the midst of the disciples. Let me consider that the effects of death are not lasting on the body, and that death does not have the last word—the Word Incarnate does in his resurrection. God, you are truth itself, and everything you speak comes into being and is fulfilled. In the words of Christ risen from the dead: “Everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” At all times, Lord, especially when I look on death and am afraid, let your face shine upon me and give me peace.

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 risen Jesus appears to the disciples in the upper room” flickr photo by Nick in exsilio https://flickr.com/photos/pelegrino/4669927869 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-SA) license

Saturday of the Second Week of Easter

From the responsorial psalm: “See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, To deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 6:16-21)

When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea, embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum. It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid. But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” They wanted to take him into the boat, but the boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were heading.

Continuing where yesterday’s Gospel left off, today’s reading describes what happens after Jesus fed the five thousand and then went off to the mountain alone. John describes how the disciples went down to the sea to reach Capernaum. Within moments after embarking, a strong wind stirs up the sea and they see Jesus walking on the sea toward them. Until he says to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid,” the disciples fail to recognize Jesus. They wish to take Jesus into the boat, but they reach the shore immediately. Two miracles—really three—occur as the Gospel unfolds: Jesus walks on water, the disciples reach the shore without human effort, and they recognize the divinity of Jesus in the peace that only he can give.

God, I am certain of the myriad uncertainties I will face today. In the midst of them, give me the grace to call to mind that Jesus your Son is present at all times. Help me trust that as much as uncertainty and fear will be woven into the day, “all your works,” as the psalmist says, “are trustworthy” and preserve me in every trial. “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.” Jesus, I trust in 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.

Friday of the Second Week of Easter

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. One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 6:1-15)

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

Crowds began to follow Jesus because they saw the miracles he performed among the sick. Before feeding the crowd of five thousand that came to him, Jesus asks Philip a question: “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” Knowing what he would do, Jesus asks Philip to test him. Seeing the vast crowd, Andrew tells Jesus there is a boy who has five loaves of bread and two fish. This time, Andrew asks a question, uncertain of the outcome: “but what good are these for so many?” Of the two questions, one affirms God’s superabundant grace; the other is despairing, skeptical. Every day, God tests our faith by giving us countless opportunities to trust him. Where do we go for true food, true drink?

God, open my mind to understand today’s Gospel. When I consider that Jesus broke bread, feeding five thousand, I marvel at how he made that possible. Even more so do I stand in awe at the feeding of millions every day in the Eucharist. It is the same Christ broken and shared but undivided among those most in need of his body and blood, soul and divinity. There is something in Jesus’ question, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” that begs to be answered. We can’t buy what we most need; no one can. Only you, Lord, can supply the Eucharistic meal that makes you present within me and makes me whole.

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.

Bertramz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Memorial of Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr

From the responsorial psalm: “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Taste and see how good the LORD is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 3:31-36)

Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.

What is clear from today’s Gospel is the love of the Father for the Son and the complete abandonment of the Son to the will of the Father. The love of the Father abides fully in the Son. To obey the Son is to trust in God and participate in the fullness of his redemption through the resurrection. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.” “The wrath of God remains upon,” John tells us, whoever disobeys the Son. Not an active divine punishment, wrath is the natural result of suffering through active rejection of belief in Christ. The wrath of God is a continual invitation to return to him wholeheartedly, to trust in his will and be obedient to it.

God, help me trust in you at all times and accept the testimony of your Son, who “testifies to what he has seen and heard” from above all. When I consider the trials and distress of the day that is certain to come, I want to hold fast to my faith. “Many are the troubles of the just man,” the psalmist says, “but out of them all the LORD delivers him.” And “When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them.” Guide me in your ways today, Lord; teach me to persevere in faith in this life so that in the world to come I may one day give you unceasing praise and bless you at all times. Saint Stanislaus, 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.

Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter

From the responsorial psalm: “In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, To do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!” Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 3:16-21)

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.

Today’s Gospel reading picks up where yesterday’s left off. In John’s words, the passage summarizes the conversation Jesus has with Nicodemus. So that everyone might have eternal life and because he loves the world he created, God sent his only-begotten Son “so that everyone who believes in him might not perish.” But because God made us to be free and respects free will, the choice to believe in the Son of God—the choice between light and darkness—is left to each person. “Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,” John says, “but whoever does not believe has already been condemned.” In choosing Christ, we come willingly into the light of truth, seeking to do God’s will.

God, you fashioned the world out of love, and you love the world you created. Help me choose freely today to come toward the light of Christ your Son. Inclined toward sin, it’s not a given that I will choose to live in the truth of that light. Let me remember to call out to you for your help, and aid me today in choosing to do right and rejecting evil. In the words of the psalmist, grant me the grace to call on you in every distress and look to you so that I may be radiant with joy.

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.

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

From the Gospel acclamation: “The Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 3:7b-15)

Jesus answered [Nicodemus] and said to him, “If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus explains to Nicodemus the purpose of being “born from above” in order to enter the kingdom of God. He emphasizes that spiritual rebirth is not something that should be surprising to Nicodemus. And he goes on, saying, “The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Just as the Israelites looked at the bronze serpent, so people look to Jesus lifted up on the cross to receive eternal life.

God, help me understand what Jesus conveys to Nicodemus in teaching him about spiritual rebirth. In the risen Christ, the lifted cross becomes the means not of death but of the way made ready for us to eternal life. Give me the grace to trust in your mercy, that what Jesus says to Nicodemus about heavenly things I can trust with complete assurance. Help me live out today as Jesus instructed Nicodemus: “You must be born from above.”

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 Annunciation of the Lord

From the responsorial psalm: “‘In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, To do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!’” Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 1:26-38)

But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

When the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, he first tells her not to be afraid. Why? Because she has found favor with God. He goes on to tell her how she will conceive a son and name him Jesus and that of his kingdom there will be no end. Mary questions how this will come to be, and the angel answers her. Mary asks no other questions but simply says yes, trusting in the Lord to accomplish his will through her. Mary’s fiat is an example for every person seeking to do the will of God. Not all of the specifics are given; there is no step-by-step manual. But in seeking to do God’s will, two things are necessary: to be unafraid and to trust that nothing is impossible for him.

God, I see in Mary a high standard, even an impossible one, to live up to. Yet, Mary who is the new Eve, was conceived without original sin and conceived and gave virgin birth to Jesus. Give me the grace through Christ your Son to take one step at a time in hearing and responding to your voice. “May it be done to me according to your word.” As you spoke to Ahaz in the first reading, Lord, you also speak to me. In striving for holiness, help me remember the name Emmanuel, “God is with us.” And “nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary, Mother of God, 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.

Second Sunday of Easter | Sunday of Divine Mercy

From the Gospel acclamation: “You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me, says the Lord; Blessed are those who have not seen me, but still believe!”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 20:19-31)

Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

As the disciples are behind locked doors, afraid to come out and face persecution, Jesus appears to them. His first words are “Peace be with you.” Immediately afterward, he tells them, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” He breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” In his appearance to them and in “many other signs done in the presence of the disciples,” Jesus gives them the strength and courage necessary to proclaim the good news of his resurrection. Why was all of this done in this way? It is God’s mercy that all would know that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.”

God, help me take the example of Thomas in exchanging lack of faith with faith professed: “My Lord and my God!” I find myself to be one behind locked doors, yet you come to me in the Eucharist. “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed,” Jesus says. Give me the grace to depend not on material signs to shore up my faith but on believing without seeing. From the sequence from today’s reading: “Yes, Christ my hope is arisen; to Galilee he goes before you.” Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining. Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning! Amen. Alleluia.”

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.

Saturday in the Octave of Easter

From the responsorial psalm: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 16:9-15)

But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised. He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”

Mark summarizes the three appearances of Jesus to the disciples: to Mary Magdalene, to the disciples on the way to Emmaus, and to the Eleven. The risen Christ instructs the disciples to go out and proclaim the Gospel to the whole world. Jesus, who has fulfilled the will of his Father in conquering death and opening the way to salvation for all, commissions the disciples to spread the good news of his resurrection with others. As Peter and John profess in the first reading: “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”

God, I see that Jesus rebuked the disciples for their hardness of heart. It’s easy for me to say that was them but that’s not me. Yet, I know that there are times when my supply of faith runs thin, and I question how you work all things for the good. Help me trust in the risen Christ, that his appearance to the disciples and his presence in the sacraments is always available and effective in daily life. Obedient to the instructions of your Son, may I have the courage and never be ashamed to proclaim the Gospel to others. From the sequence from today’s readings: “Christians, to the Paschal Victim  / Offer your thankful praises! A Lamb the sheep redeems; / Christ, who only is sinless, / Reconciles sinners to the Father.”

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.