Tag: lectio divina

Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

When Jesus’ parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he said to them.

The readings from today’s Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary point to reconciliation with God, his kindness and mercy, and the unity of Jesus with his parents and with God the Father. In the Gospel, Mary and Joseph go with Jesus to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. Drawn to the temple, his Father’s house, Jesus stays behind after the festival is over. Not finding him in the caravan, they return to Jerusalem and three days later find Jesus in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. Luke tells us that Jesus returned with his parents, obedient to them, and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

God, what great anxiety Mary and Joseph must have felt in losing Jesus. After their return home to Nazareth, Mary must have grown deeper in her faith as she pondered the depth of her son’s understanding of you, his Father. Knowing who Jesus was and how he would accomplish your will, what is natural is that he would desire to be with you in the temple. Yet, on losing their young son, Mary and Joseph doubtless must have looked back on his infancy and childhood, wishing to draw him close to them at home in Nazareth. Give me the grace, God, to seek your Son; help me have the same love for your Son as Mary and Joseph did, reconciled to you through him, and anxious always to make a place for him in my home.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Blessed is the Virgin Mary who kept the word of God and pondered it in her heart.” Immaculate Heart of 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.

Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. . . . Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Today’s Gospel describes obedience to Christ as gentle mastery. God the Father reveals himself not to the wise and the learned, the scribes and the Pharisees, but to the childlike in faith. The rest Jesus offers to those who labor and are burdened does not take away work but offers respite from arrogance and self-reliance. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,” Jesus says, “for I am meek and humble of heart.”

God, help me see today when overreliance on myself and my aims drives me away from you. Break through to me when self-reliance inhibits my ability to hear and obey your will. Jesus says, “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” Help me be open to knowing you through the revelation of your Son.

“God is love,” says Saint John, “and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.” Lord, give me the grace today to remain 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.

Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus said to his disciples: “But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. . . . Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

As he addresses the disciples, Jesus tells them that in order to enter the Kingdom of heaven, their righteousness is to surpass that of the scribes and the Pharisees. Jesus refers to the Old Covenant when he tells them, “You shall not kill” and that the result of that is judgment. In telling the disciples to reconcile with their brother before bringing a gift to the altar, he calls them away from the self-imprisonment of unforgiveness to a higher standard of repentance and forgiveness, which comes first from God the Father through Christ.

God, help me understand the prison I make for myself of unforgiveness and failure to reconcile with my brother. You are the just judge, Lord, who knows my heart. You know that my failure to forgive comes from holding on to anger and that reconciliation is a conversion of heart, a freely chosen return to you. Once reconciled, God, give me the grace to know the joy of seeing you in that action. As Saint Paul says in the first reading, “All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

From the Gospel acclamation: “I give you a new commandment: 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W-KSOPWWBY

Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus makes clear to the disciples what Saint Paul describes in the first reading; namely, the Old Covenant with Israel is fulfilled in God’s New Covenant for all who come to Christ in faith. God made the Old Covenant with his people so that the New Covenant could bring him greater glory. As Paul says, “For if what was going to fade was glorious, how much more will what endures be glorious.” The breadth and majesty of God’s kingdom incorporates the glory of the old with the glory of the new until heaven and earth pass away and all things have taken place.

God, help me understand the sweeping breadth of your being—manifest in the Old Covenant and fulfilled through your Son in the New. Jesus says, “I have not come to abolish but to fulfill.” Nothing is lost in these covenants, and whoever is obedient to them and teaches them, as Jesus says, “will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” Help me be obedient to the truth of your glory.

From the Gospel acclamation, “Teach me your paths, my God, and guide me 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.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (Sunday, June 4)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

These words from the Gospel according to John are well known, and often appear in public venues on large posters. Its message is central: God sent his Son not to punish and condemn but to save the world. “Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,” John says, “but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” Faith in him is essential: it is not simply a matter of trusting in God and living our lives according to his will but also a matter of being obedient to his Church on earth.

God, help me understand the role of faith in my life and in that of all Christians. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines faith as “the assent of the mind to the truth revealed by God.” It goes on to say that faith is “a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by God into our souls.” I want to live in the light of your love. I believe, help my unbelief. Most Holy Trinity, strengthen my faith and teach me obedience to the will of the Father.

From the responsorial psalm: “Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.”

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.

Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

Jesus said to [the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders], “I shall ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me.” They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”– they feared the crowd, for they all thought John really was a prophet. So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” Then Jesus said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

In today’s Gospel, the leaders of the temple come to Jesus and ask him by what authority he is doing the things he is doing. Jesus replies by asking them a question: was John’s baptism from heaven or from men? They are afraid to answer. If they say it was from heaven, they will be admitting that Jesus is the Messiah; if they say it was from men, they will be admitting that they have rejected God’s prophet and messenger.

God, help me recognize that the challenge to your Son’s authority continues to this day. In my own life, how well do I accept your authority in making important decisions each day? How often do I reject your will for the sake of self-determinism? I want to recognize and do your will through faith in your authority. Help me, Lord, be humble and repentant before you; help me be grateful in receiving your forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation when I knowingly fail to accept your authority.

Lord, teach me to know your will. From the responsorial psalm: “The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.”

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.

**Announcement: Please join me in praying a novena to Saint Anthony from June 5 to June 13. I’ll return to daily Gospel reflections on June 14.**

Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him. Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.”

Jesus and his disciples are on their way to Jerusalem for Passover. As they approach the city, Jesus sees a fig tree in leaf. He goes to the tree, hoping to find some figs, but there are none. Jesus curses the tree. Later, in the temple area, he drives out those selling and buying there. The next day, the tree he cursed is found to be withered. Jesus’ curse of the fig tree in a way shows that God wants us to be people of faith in his Kingdom—not money changers, not living a life of buying and selling material things—but to bear good fruit in our lives through our words and actions. In my heart, how do I put away doubt, and trust that God has infinite power to accomplish whatever I ask for in prayer?

God, help me understand today’s Gospel. In the pursuit of having enough in this life—and some stored away just in case—it’s easy to make material gain the primary aim. I don’t want that for myself, and I don’t want to be bound by fruitless pursuits. Lord, help me take to heart the words of your Son and trust that what he says doesn’t merely reflect reality but instead shapes it: “Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.” Lord, provide for me where faith is lacking; give me the grace to be bold in what I ask for and believe that it will happen.

Lord, I know that you love me. Help me remain childlike in my trust. From the responsorial psalm: “For the LORD loves his people, and he adorns the lowly with victory. The Lord takes delight in his people.”

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.

**Announcement: Please join me in praying a novena to Saint Anthony from June 5 to June 13. I’ll return to daily Gospel reflections on June 14.**

Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

But [Bartimaeus] kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

As Jesus and his disciples are leaving Jericho, they come across a blind man named Bartimaeus, who hears that Jesus is passing by and begins to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Although people rebuked him, he kept calling out for Jesus all the more. When Jesus calls for him, Bartimaeus asks for sight. With Jesus’ words, “Go your way; your faith has saved you,” Bartimaeus receives sight immediately. Jesus as the Son of God restores his sight because of Bartimaeus’s single-minded persistence, calling out for the Lord until he answered him. With a word, Jesus brings healing present to Bartimaeus. What is one thing I can ask of the Lord today to bring before him my faith?

Lord, help me recognize, as Bartimaeus did, that you can hear me and that I can call out all the more for your mercy to receive the gift of sight. Bartimaeus, though blind, could see you through the eyes of faith; in the same way, although you are not visible to me, grant me the faith and persistence that Bartimaeus had. Help me see that you are present before me always every day. You are present, Lord, in the poor, the sick, and the suffering, who cry out to you. And you are present always in the Eucharist, in your word, in the Church, in the sacraments, and in the prayers of your people through the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Lord, help me gain sight of you through the light of faith. As the Gospel acclamation says, “I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.”

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.

**Announcement: Please join me in praying a novena to Saint Anthony from June 5 to June 13. I’ll return to daily Gospel reflections on June 14.**

Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.”

In today’s Gospel, Mary visits Elizabeth, traveling in haste to Judah. Taking place immediately after the annunciation, the exchange between Mary and her cousin upon greeting each other reflects the action and presence of the Holy Spirit within them. Prompted by the Holy Spirit to cry out loudly, Elizabeth declares Mary’s blessedness. “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Mary’s response, her Magnificat, rejoices in God and gives glory to his holiness: “the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.” Mary continues praising God for fulfilling his promises of justice and mercy and goodness: “He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever.”

God, help me comprehend what the Visitation means, in my life and in the life of the Church, for bringing all of your promises to fulfillment. Help me understand that through Jesus your Son, mercy itself dwelt among us. Through his birth, death, and resurrection, he continuously brings to all who believe in him the hope of the resurrection. Mary, the first disciple of Christ, held that hope within her from the moment Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. “Blessed are you who believed,” Elizabeth said to Mary, “that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

Lord, help me recall throughout the day that the same Holy Spirit whose work Mary and Elizabeth rejoiced in continues to work this very day in my life and in the lives of those I encounter. Give me the grace to see your will for me as I call to mind the great things you have done for 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.

**Announcement: Please join me in praying a novena to Saint Anthony from June 5 to June 13. I’ll return to daily Gospel reflections on June 14.**

Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

Peter began to say to Jesus, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come. But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Peter’s statement about giving up everything for the sake of following Jesus seems stark and absolute. By comparison, Jesus’ response overflows with the blessings that come from following him. The first reading from Sirach says that the Lord repays sevenfold, and Jesus multiplies this many times over by saying that those who give up things for his sake will receive a hundred times more now in this present age. Although persecution may come to those who follow him, Jesus says that they will be rewarded with eternal life.

God, help me understand that in the words “many that are first will be last, and the last will be first,” your Son invites me to a life of service. As high and deep as the list of sacrifices may be in following you, and as fearful as giving up everything for your sake can be, you assure me through the work of your Son that I will receive a hundredfold in return. Lord, I strive to understand the mystery of suffering for the sake of Christ and what it means for my life today and for the days to come. Give me the grace of abandonment to your divine will for the sake of the Gospel. Help me understand what a child knows very well: that you are the source of the beauty that draws me into your mystery.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.”

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.