Tag: eucharist

“Lord, help me.” | Wednesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, proclaim it on distant isles, and say: He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, he guards them as a shepherd his flock. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 15:21-28)

But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

The Canaanite woman who calls out to Jesus, calling him Lord, begs him for help. “My daughter is tormented by a demon.” Jesus at first does not answer her, and the disciples tell Jesus to send her away as she continues to call out after them. Then Jesus tells her that he was “sent only for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Again, the woman says, “Lord, help me.” Jesus again seems to resist one who is not a lost sheep—as he called the Israelites—but instead a little dog. Although this sounds harsh, Jesus’ exchange with the woman draws from her a level of faith that causes Jesus to exclaim, “O woman, great is your faith!” For the sake of selfless love, the woman would accept any scrap of mercy from the Lord in order for him to heal her daughter. Will there be occasion today to seek the Lord’s mercy with the same selfless love?

God, help me today as I struggle to stay in your presence. Teach me throughout this day to come to you for my needs and to desire to know your guidance and care. I will forget you, lost in projects and transitory aims. Who will you place before me today that prompts me to go to you out of selfless love. Unless you make that very clear to me, I’m not likely to see it through the fog of distraction and self-absorption. Help me put into action the words of St. Albert the Great: “The greater and more persistent your confidence in God, the more abundantly you will receive all that you ask.” For the sake of your Son’s sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

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.

“This is my beloved Son.” | Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

From the responsorial psalm: “The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the LORD of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 9:2-10)

Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

All of the readings for today’s Feast of the Transfiguration point to the relationship of Jesus to the Father and to the kingship of God. The refrain from the Psalm is “The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.” In the second reading, Peter says, “For he received honor and glory from God the Father
when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, ‘This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ And in the Gospel, the Father speaks to his beloved Son in the presence of Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, and John. In the Gospel, Peter hardly knows what to say. By the time he writes a letter to the first Christians, he knows exactly what to say to them about the Transfiguration: “We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. . . . You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

Father in heaven, you sent your Son for the sake of our salvation. Bringing all who believe in him the hope of eternal life through his death and resurrection, Jesus brings us into relationship with you as your adopted sons and daughters. Give me the grace to receive the gift of the Eucharist, knowing that in receiving it, I unite with your Son to become like him. Help me recall throughout the day the Prayer after Communion: “May the heavenly nourishment we have received, O Lord, we pray, transform us into the likeness of your Son, whose radiant splendor you willed to make manifest in his glorious Transfiguration. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.” Lord, help me listen to your beloved Son.

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 Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Remove from me the way of falsehood, and favor me with your law. Lord, teach me your statutes.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 14:13-21)

When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over—twelve wicker baskets full.

Moved by compassion for the crowd even after hearing of the death of John the Baptist, Jesus cures the sick and then feeds them by multiplying the loaves and fish. What Jesus does as he multiplies the loaves is recalled during the Last Supper and during the consecration of every Mass. At his command, we bring our gifts of bread and wine—and our very selves—as the Lord takes the gifts, blesses them and becomes present in the consecrated host. As the Communion Rite from the Roman Missal states: “As the ministers prepare the altar, representatives of the people bring forward the bread and wine that will become the Body and Blood of Christ. The celebrant blesses and praises God for these gifts and places them on the altar, the place of the Eucharistic sacrifice.”

God, every good gift comes from you. Take from me today the simple gifts I give you so that they become through your blessing the spiritual nourishment that strengthens and sustains me. Jesus tells us that he was sent by you and that to do your work is to believe in him. “This is the work of God,” he says to the crowd, “that you believe in the one he sent.” Strengthen my faith, Lord, in your abiding presence. Give me greater understanding and appreciation of the Eucharist as I see the gifts brought to the altar and recognize Jesus’ presence in the breaking of the bread. 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.

“I am the bread of life.” | Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven; he rained manna upon them for food and gave them heavenly bread. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 6:24-35)

So [the crowd] said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

After Jesus had fed the 5,000, the same crowd approaches, still looking to be fed. Jesus knows their hearts and tells them that they are looking for him not because of signs but because they ate the bread and fishes and were filled. He tells them: “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” They question Jesus about doing the works of God, asking him for a sign. Jesus tells them: “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” Finally, he makes clear that the one sent by the Father is who they are to believe in, that in Jesus the Father sends the true bread from heaven. “I am the bread of life,” Jesus says, “whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Father in heaven, you sent your Son as true food and true drink. Manna was sent as a sign and pointed to you, but Jesus is not the sign but the bread sent from heaven, the Word made flesh—the real presence in the Eucharist. The food that Jesus fed the 5,000 left them hungry for more food, so they followed Jesus. “One does not live on bread alone,” Jesus says, “but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Lord, help me hear the echo of the crowd as I move throughout the day; they asked the right question: “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” And Jesus gave them the perfect answer: believe in the one he sent. Give me the faith, Lord, to hear your every word through Jesus Christ your Son.

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.

“Not as man sees does God see.” | Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 2:23-28)

He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?” Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

The Pharisees see the disciples of Jesus making a path through a field of grain as they pluck the heads of grain, eating them. The Pharisees say to Jesus: “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” In replying to them, Jesus mentions bread, the daily bread that sustains and nourishes the human body. But in relating the story about David sharing the consecrated bread of offering with his companions, he alludes to bread broken and shared, to bread that prepares us for eternal life, to the Eucharistic banquet he would institute at the Last Supper. In addressing the rigidity of unlawful actions done on the sabbath, Jesus reclaims its purpose through his divine authority as the Son of God: “That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

God, help me see as you see, beyond appearances and superficial understanding. The things of this world provide limited access to what is really true. In your words spoken to Samuel: “Not as man sees does God see, because he sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.” You do not judge by appearances, Lord, but know me because you know my heart. For the sake of your people, you made the sabbath not as a means to restrict needs but to provide for spiritual and physical well-being. In work and relaxation, help me recall the words of Jesus throughout the day: “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” Give us this day our daily bread.

From the Gospel acclamation: “May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to our call.”

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.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

So Jesus said, “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

In today’s Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Jesus addresses the Pharisees. He tells them the parable of the Good Shepherd, that whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate is a thief and robber and that whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for them and leads them out, following his voice, and walks ahead of them to lead them. But a stranger, Jesus says, they will not follow because they don’t recognize his voice. The Pharisees don’t understand what Jesus is trying to tell them, so he explains things to them in this way: “I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy.”

God, help me see that Jesus your Son is the only way to salvation, the gate, and that what he offers is eternal life to those who follow him. Jesus says: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” There are choices I can make to steal and slaughter and destroy, but Jesus is the true shepherd who knows his sheep by name, those who choose to follow him to have life and have it more abundantly.

Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd, you call me by name to follow you. Even though I walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

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 Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

Jesus continues talking with the disciples about his relationship with the Father as the bread of life. After telling them that his body and blood are true food and true drink and that they must partake of this to have eternal life, they say to Jesus: “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Jesus tells them, “It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.” And many of his disciples returned to their former way of life, so Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Peter’s reply, “to whom shall we go?” is a question I could ask daily as I make my way through this complicated world. Peter affirms his faith by saying, “We have come to believe and are convinced.” What opportunities today will I have to come to believe that Jesus Christ is the Holy One of God?

God, I am struck by Peter’s words “we have come to believe.” As a pilgrim on this earth, I struggle every day to see you in people and events as the day unfolds. Your grace is at work in the world, but do I come to believe that and stand firm in my faith in you? Help me realize that the world will present me with innumerable alternatives to you. Grant me the grace to pause throughout the day before taking action, to ask myself: If not to you, Lord, to whom shall I go?

Lord, let me come to you today fully aware that in the mystery of the Eucharist you are present body and blood, soul and divinity. Help me recall the words you spoke to some who believed you and some who did not: “Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life.” Strengthen my faith, Lord. Saint Catherine, 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 Third Week of Easter

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said, “Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my Flesh is true food, and my Blood is true drink. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him.”

Speaking to some of the Jews who were quarreling among each other, Jesus says these words. They say, “How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?” Accepted today as a central tenet of the faith, the Eucharist that Jesus describes to the people of his time must have seemed bizarre and gruesome. But by comparing himself to manna that came down from heaven, Jesus brings the exodus into the present. He says to them, “Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” In this way, as the Son of God, Jesus is able to declare himself as the true food and true drink through which he will remain forever with those who believe him.

God, help me understand today’s Gospel. I’ve grown accustomed to hearing spoken at every Mass what must have been shocking to the people of Jesus’ time. Jesus said literally, “Eat my flesh and drink my blood.” As grotesque and bizarre as these words seem, they are the means to eternal life then and today through the love of the Father who draws us to him. From today’s Psalm, we hear: “For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.” Thank you, God, for the Eucharist, the pure gift of fidelity of your Son. In it, Jesus is present unceasingly in the unbloody sacrifice of the Mass.

Thank you, Lord, for sending your Son. His words penetrate the hearts of all who hear him, and some choose not to follow. Give me the grace today to hear his word and follow him.

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 Third Week of Easter

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said to the crowds: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.”

As Jesus speaks to the crowds, he makes clear that no one can come to him unless God draws the soul to him. Modeling his relationship with the Father, Jesus expresses that being taught by God means listening to the Father and learning from him. Since no one has seen the Father but Jesus, belief is the means to eternal life through eating the living bread that Jesus gives through his sacrifice in the Eucharist. “And the bread that I will give,” Jesus tells the crowds, “is my Flesh for the life of the world.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus powerfully declares his unity with the Father and that belief in him as the Son of God is the source of eternal life.

God, knowing that Jesus your Son speaks to me through today’s Gospel reading, how do I respond to the words “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him”? In the darkness of sin, there is a clear powerlessness in seeking you that must first be accepted before being drawn by the light of your love. Give me the grace to recognize the action of the Holy Spirit in accomplishing this, that the love between you and your Son draws me to you. In the first reading, just as Philip instructed the eunuch who was reading Isaiah, teach me to see Jesus through the scriptures and in the living bread of the Eucharist, the body and blood of Christ.

Lord, be with me today; help me desire to be drawn to you. With the words from an ancient Eucharistic liturgy, I pray: “We give you thanks, O Christ, our God, because you have deigned to share with us your Body and your Blood, O Savior; you have drawn to yourself our hearts.”

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.

Holy Thursday—Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’  and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

On this day, the Church celebrates three important events: the institution of the Holy Eucharist, the institution of priestly ordination and service, and the commandment to love one another as God first loved us. In today’s Gospel, Jesus knows that his hour has come to depart from this world to the Father. When Jesus offers to wash the feet of the disciples, Peter objects, saying: “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answers, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” And Peter says, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.” In washing the feet of the disciples, Jesus gives them a model to follow “so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” With this example of the humility and love of the master, what opportunities do I have today and every day to follow as a disciple?

God, my tendency is like Peter’s in objecting to allow Jesus to humble himself before me. Jesus says, “Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over.” Yet, like Judas I have betrayed your Son and feel undeserving of his love. Help me, God, accept that you want my soul to be clean all over. For that, I need to allow you to wash me in ways that are sometimes uncomfortable or inconvenient. In turn, by your Son’s example, teach me to love and serve others when it is inconvenient or when humility toward them seems undeserved.

Lord, help me derive from Holy Thursday a deeper understanding of the graces and sacraments that you pour forth from it. If I am overwhelmed in taking its meaning in, guide me to what aspect of it that is most necessary in my life right now. The Gospel acclamation says simply what today is about: “I give you a new commandment, says the Lord: love one another as I have loved 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.

https://youtu.be/2W-KSOPWWBY

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