Tag: disciples

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 21:28-32)

“What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir, ‘but did not go. Which of the two did his father’s will?” They answered, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.”

Jesus addresses the chief priests and elders of the people through a parable about two sons. The first son initially refuses to work but later changes his mind and goes to work. The second son agrees to work but does not go. Jesus asks which of the two sons did their father’s will, and the chief priests and elders reply that it was the first son. By asking this, Jesus calls attention to their actions, saying that tax collectors and prostitutes, who initially did not believe in John the Baptist, are entering the kingdom of God before them because they did not change their minds and believe in his call for repentance. Today how does the need for repentance draw both the self-righteous and sinners to receive God’s mercy?

Father in heaven, help me respond to you. Help my yes mean yes and my no mean no. You are always present, waiting for me to come back to you. In their judgment of sinners, the chief priests and elders failed to recognize their own need for repentance and your mercy. Give me the grace of humility, of acknowledging that I cannot know the hearts of others as you know them. Through the sacrament of reconciliation, even when I have turned away from you, I have the means of acknowledging my sins in genuine contrition, to turn away from sin, and firmly resolve with the help of your grace to sin no more and do your will. Thank you, Lord, for your abundant mercy!

From the responsorial psalm: “Remember that your compassion, O LORD, and your love are from of old. The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not; in your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O LORD. Remember your mercies, O Lord.”

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 Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 9:43b-45)

While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Jesus performs miraculous works among the people, causing astonishment among them and the disciples. When he speaks to the disciples, Jesus explains that he will be betrayed. Although the disciples do not comprehend his words—perhaps fearful of hearing unnerving details—they were afraid to ask him to tell them more about the saying “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” Jesus asks that the disciples pay attention to him and hear his words. Yet, what they are afraid to learn more about is the beginning of Christ’s suffering and death, the means of reconciling humanity to God through his death and resurrection. What particular message is there in the Gospel, the word of God, that alarms and causes anxiety? Whatever it is, God’s love is there within it.

God, help me understand that you work in ways I fail to comprehend. In the first reading, you say to Zechariah through an angel: “But I will be for [Jerusalem] an encircling wall of fire, says the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst. . . . See, I am coming to dwell among you.” You are always present, Lord, encircling me even when I look ahead and believe there is reason to fear. Again, in the responsorial psalm, you turn mourning into joy and gladden the sorrowful. “The Lord will guard us a shepherd guards his flock.” In yesterday’s reading, Jesus said to Nathanael, indicating the glory of your heavenly kingdom: “You will see greater things than this.” Give me a resolute heart, Lord, to pay attention to your word and trust in your love.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.” Saint Jerome, 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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaVQ82g2C4

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 1:47-51)

Jesus answered and said to Nathanael, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Jesus meets Nathanael and acknowledges his sincere character. “Here is a true child of Israel,” Jesus says. “There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael is surprised by Jesus’ insight about him and recognizes Him as the Son of God and the King of Israel. Jesus assures Nathanael that he will see even greater things through the Son of Man—the angels of God ascending and descending on him. Nathanael is at first impressed with what Jesus is able to see about him. “How do you know me?” he asks Jesus. What Nathanael is able to recognize about Jesus’ divinity is strictly limited to earthly knowledge. Jesus invites Nathanael to see with the eyes of faith, to see as the prophet Daniel sees: “[God’s] dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.”

Father in heaven, you see me as I am and not as I see myself or others. Yet, it is not your will that we are limited to seeing only appearances and physical reality. Help me see as Jesus desired Nathanael to see—beyond outward appearances and into the mystery of your divine presence that suffuses every ordinary moment of the day and that the angels witness unceasingly. That requires faith, the kind of faith Nathanael had when he exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Lord, grant me the grace of quiet, unshaken faith in your dominion, your glory, and your kingship. I believe; help my unbelief!

From the responsorial psalm: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name.” Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, guide and defend 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 Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 9:7-9)

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, “John has been raised from the dead”; others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”; still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.” But Herod said, “John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see him.

In today’s Gospel, Herod had heard about Jesus and was puzzled by the various rumors going around. Had John come back to life? Had Elijah or one of the ancient prophets appeared? But Herod knows that he had already beheaded John, so he wondered who this Jesus was. As Luke tells us, Herod was unable to understand Jesus’ divinity and his miraculous works, so he kept trying to see him. Based on one’s religious upbringing or individual experiences, puzzlement and speculation exist today about Jesus—who he is and what his mission was. Elsewhere in the Gospel, is it any wonder that Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”

God, help me understand that at times little distance exists between Herod’s perception of you and mine. When I am unable to see you in the course of a day, I tend toward perplexity and modern-day skepticism. Who is this Jesus, and what is this I hear about him? When I am not able to see you, Lord, what particular obstacle is in my way? When the one, ultimate explanation of causes doesn’t satisfy—that you alone are God—and instead I find myself searching among signs pointing to signs, come to my aid. Give me the grace, Lord, to hear your voice and come back to you with my whole heart. I have known your love; keep me in your care. As the responsorial refrain says, “The Lord takes delight in his people.”

From the Gospel acclamation: “I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.” Lord Jesus Christ, let me live in your truth!

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.

“Take nothing for the journey.” | Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 9:1-6)

Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends out the Twelve to do what he has shown them to do through his words and actions: proclaim the good news and heal the sick. As he sends them out, Jesus gives the apostles power and authority over demons and illnesses. At the same time, he tells them the means to remain within the Kingdom of God even as they proclaim it. “Take nothing for the journey,” he says, and then lays out for them specific details. Just as Jesus proclaimed the Gospel and cured diseases, he sends the Twelve out to do the same, showing them how to sustain themselves along the way by trusting in his Father’s care and remaining in it.

Father in heaven, the words of Jesus your Son are clear: “take nothing for the journey.” When I consider how it is possible to live in the complete trust of your providential care, I realize how far I am from that. I have everything I need; I lack no thing. To the extent that I am able to detach from many things and from plentiful food, how would I see your power and authority to do your will take shape in me? It’s a question I don’t often ask. Lord, give me the grace during the day’s journey to give up something, to make a small sacrifice, for the sake of consciously coming into your presence. Then, help me call to mind, that strengthened by you, you will place in my way something I can do to proclaim your word, heal some hurt or illness, or bring before you someone who especially needs your love.

From the responsorial psalm: “He scourges and then has mercy; he casts down to the depths of the nether world, and he brings up from the great abyss. No one can escape his hand. Blessed be God, who lives for ever.” Saint Vincent de 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.

Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 8:19-21)

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

Today’s Gospel picks up where yesterday’s left off. After Luke relates Jesus’ parable of the lamp, he describes a time when Jesus had before him a great crowd. Someone tells him that his mother and his brothers, or brethren, stand outside, unable to get to him. Jesus’ reply to him seems brusque. Yet, before him at that moment were people intent on hearing the word of God. No one else supported Jesus’ mission and fulfillment as the Messiah as much as Mary did, so how is it possible that Jesus was rejecting Mary and his brethren? A central message of the Gospel is unity, as Jesus prays in John’s Gospel, “so that they may all be one.” Rather than pointing out divisions among those who come to hear him, Jesus has in Mary and the brethren members of a spiritual family united in God.

God, deepen in me the desire to hear your word and act on it. Through your grace, help me see beyond superficial divisions within relationships and nurture unity among people I encounter by acting on your word—your word, which alone is the source of all unity in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Luke says that Mary was unable to join Jesus because of the crowd. Teach me what I need to take to heart: whether I am aware of it, you always take initiative to make your nearness known. In obedience to your word and your Church, Lord, I become your adopted son, confident in your presence.

From the responsorial psalm: “I rejoiced because they said to me, ‘We will go up to the house of the LORD.’ And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.” Lord, guide me in your ways today; teach me to observe your word.

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.

Monday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 8:16-18)

Jesus said to the crowd: “For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus describes what it is like to live in the light of the Gospel and give witness to it. He uses the analogy of a lamp, which is not concealed under a bed but placed on a lampstand so that anyone entering a room may see the light. Living in God’s light is the same way, and Jesus emphasizes that nothing remains hidden forever. What is hidden becomes visible; what is secret comes to light. How is it then that to anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who lacks, even what seems in one’s possession is taken away? In the podcast Catechism in a Year, Father Mike Schmitz describes God’s gifts, that everything we have comes from him. “It’s quite possible,” Father Mike says, “that the only thing that I can point to in this entire world and say, ‘that’s mine,’ is my sin.”

God, help me understand today’s Gospel. To live in your light is to gain more; to cling to sin and keep it hidden, is to lose even the little knowledge of you that I believe I have. There is more here to consider than a few minutes of prayer can unpack. Give me the grace to listen to your word and respond to it and the courage to bring the light of the Gospel to places where truth remains hidden or obscured. Despite my failings and shadow side of sin, let me be a means of letting your superabundant grace shine through in bringing the light of Christ to others.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly 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.

“You too go into my vineyard.” | Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 20:1-16a)

When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, “Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.” When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven to the disciples through the parable of the vineyard. At the end of the day, the landowner pays the workers he hired in a reversal of what is expected. The ones hired last receive payment first, while the ones hired first receive payment last. The landowner asks the workers he hires at five o’clock, “Why do you stand here idle all day?” They tell him that it’s because no one has hired them. So the landowner says, “You too go into my vineyard.” By saying this, Jesus reveals the boundless embrace of God’s mercy. To the ones most in need of it, showing love in ways we did nothing to deserve, he invites us into his kingdom with same equality and dignity as the ones who responded early to his call.

Father in heaven, in saying I am undeserving of your mercy I contradict the contemporary understanding of a healthy sense of self, which would suggest that I have low self-esteem and need psychological help. But as I examine my existence, what have I done to deserve every good gift you pour forth every day? In the morning you are present, in the afternoon you are there when I am occupied, and in the evening you take initiative to bring me under your care. “The Lord is near,” says the psalmist, “to all who call upon him.” God, teach me to use the currency of this world—money, pleasure, honor, power—in accordance with your will. When I consider these pursuits and their empty promises, I want to run to you. Lord, however the succession of days unfold, let me hear you in your mercy: “You too go into my vineyard.”

From the first reading: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.”

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 Pio of Pietrelcina, Priest

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 8:4-15)

Jesus answered his disciples: “The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation. As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.”

After Jesus tells the parable of the sower to a large crowd, Luke tells us that he calls out to them: “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” By saying this, Jesus explicitly states that the message of the Gospel is for everybody, that the word of God is meant to go out to peoples of all nations. And at the end of the parable, what happens to the seed that falls on good soil? They are the ones, Jesus says, who bear the fruit of the word that first blossoms forth through perseverance and grows to produce a bountiful harvest in knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. An abundant harvest means there is more than enough for oneself and others.

Father in heaven, help guide me today to make myself rich soil for your word. Keep me close to you and away from any path that exposes the seed to destruction through temptations, worldly anxieties, or the lure of riches and pleasures. Give me the grace of greater love for the gift of your word, the wisdom to guard it and cultivate it within me. Give me the means to let it take root in my heart.

From the responsorial psalm: “Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.” Saint Padre Pio, 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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaVQ82g2C4

Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 8:1-3)

Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.

In today’s Gospel, Luke describes the role and contribution of women in Jesus’ ministry of proclaiming the Gospel. As Jesus continues traveling through various cities and villages, the Twelve follow him along with Mary, Joanna, and Susanna. Luke notes the relationship Jesus had in healing them from evil spirits and illnesses. As Jesus and his disciples continue to minister to people in the region, these women were not only recipients of Jesus’ healing and teaching but also the first among the disciples who supported his mission with financial means and devotion to him. In the first reading, Saint Paul in his Letter to Timothy warns against the temptation of wealth. He says, “But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith.”

Father in heaven, thank you for the example of these women who followed and supported Jesus. As you always take initiative in your mercy, Jesus healed Mary Magdalene in delivering her from evil spirits and illnesses. Help me see clearly what needs I have of your healing, and help me trust that the foolish pursuit of wealth and the things of this world is, as Paul says, a piercing with many pains. Give me the grace to pursue you instead in devotion, faith, love, patience and gentleness. By your grace heal me and bring me to eternal life.

From the responsorial psalm: “Why should I fear in evil days when my wicked ensnarers ring me round? They trust in their wealth; the abundance of their riches is their boast. Blessed the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!”

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.