Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

“You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition!”

The Pharisees and scribes notice that the disciples of Jesus eat their meals with unwashed hands and return from the marketplace without purifying themselves, according to tradition. They question why Jesus and his disciples don’t follow tradition, and Jesus responds that they are hypocritical, quoting Isaiah: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.” Jesus calls them out for playing the system, making clear to them that their hypocrisy is self-serving rather than a means of serving God and others (even their parents).

God, help me understand what Jesus addresses in today’s Gospel. It is not a question of following or not following tradition of the elders that is wrong but setting aside or nullifying the authentic word of God for the sake of selfishness. Lord, help me understand the reality of the choices placed before me today—whether to follow your word and remain singlehearted or to pretend to do something that appears to be good but is actually self-serving. Help me put aside what is hypocritical and be attentive to your will so that I can carry it out.

Lord, you created me in your divine image. Stay with me today as I look beyond traditions or practices or habits that hinder me from being attentive to you; I want to incline my heart to your decrees. Thank you for the Eucharist and the Blessed Sacrament. Let me remember throughout the day the words of Saint John Paul II: “In the Eucharist we have Jesus, we have his redemptive sacrifice, we have his resurrection, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit, we have adoration, obedience and love of the Father. Were we to disregard the Eucharist, how could we overcome our own deficiency?” Be with me, 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.

Readings

Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.

In today’s Gospel, Mark describes Jesus’ entrance by boat to Gennesaret. The passage follows the story of Jesus walking on water toward the disciples. Mark says that people scurried about the surrounding country to find Jesus, bringing the sick to him on mats. To scurry about means to run hurriedly with excitement. The people from that region who had heard of Jesus knew that something spectacular was happening that no one would want to miss. What was it they sought? His healing. That healing was connected closely to his preaching the Kingdom of God. The Gospel acclamation from Matthew says, “Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people.” Today, the Church remembers Saint Paul Miki and his companions, martyrs of Japan. While hanging on a cross, Paul Miki also preached the Gospel, saying: “The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ. I certainly did teach the doctrine of Christ. I thank God it is for this reason I die.”

God, help me understand your universal call to holiness, no matter our station in life or where we live. It’s unlikely that I would be called to martyrdom. Yet, just as Paul Miki died willingly for the sake of his faith, I must always be willing and prepared to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and be a means of healing.

Lord, grant me the faith of those who brought to Jesus their sick, begging for his healing. When you created the heavens and the earth, you said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. I ask for your grace today, Lord, to bring light to my 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.

Readings

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

“Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

Speaking to the disciples, Jesus offers three comparisons of discipleship: salt of the earth, a city set on a mountain, and a light set on a lampstand. Each of these is for the sake of others who see good deeds and because of it give glory to God. In the second reading, Saint Paul says something similar in his letter to the Corinthians: “I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of Spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.” Just as Jesus taught the disciples to act for the sake of God’s glory, Paul carries this out in his preaching with, as he says, “a demonstration of Spirit and power.”

God, help me understand that as you spoke to the disciples, you also speak to me. When I have opportunities in the very ordinariness of today, help me grasp and carry out your will by being a light to others as a way to give you glory. In the first reading, Isaiah tells us exactly how to care for the oppressed and homeless. “Then,” he says, “your light shall break forth like the dawn.” God, give me the grace and opportunity to be a confident witness in Spirit and power to you and to my faith.

Lord, I want to live in your light and let it shine for others. As in Isaiah, I want to care for the afflicted I encounter today so that when I call you for help I hear you say, “Here I am.” Then, Isaiah says, “light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday.” Help me, Lord, see your light and live in it.

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

Readings

Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says to the Apostles, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” So they go off by boat to a deserted place, but so many people were coming that Jesus and the Apostles had no opportunity to eat. When people saw them leaving for a deserted place, Mark tells us that people hurried there on foot to meet them there beforehand. When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity, “for they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus began teaching them many things. What was going through the minds of the Apostles as they arrived at the deserted place to rest only to find a crowd waiting for them? By teaching the crowd, Jesus showed the Apostles love of the Father’s will and obedience to it.

God, help me understand your ways. Because you are all loving, people seek you tirelessly. Jesus must have felt exhausted, needing rest and nourishment, but at the same time was moved with pity by the sheep without a shepherd. They sought him to satisfy what food and nourishment could not satisfy: to hear God’s voice, to be in his presence. As the psalmist says, “And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.”

Lord, teach me to be satisfied in you alone. Jesus sought to provide rest for the Apostles, but the needs of others moved his heart to pity. Teach me to be patient today when I have to put aside my own needs to provide for the needs of others. Nourish me with your love, God, to bring your love to others through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

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.

Readings

Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

King Herod heard about Jesus, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; That is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.” But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”

King Herod seems certain he knows who Jesus is. Having beheaded John, Mark tells us that Herod was “deeply distressed,” so he must have felt that there would be grave consequences for his actions. In saying that John has been raised up from the dead, Herod professes a belief in the resurrection. Although he is aware that something extraordinary and supernatural is taking place, he scratches his head and is restlessly caught up in dramatic speculation, blinded to what is taking place before him in the coming of Jesus.

God, open my eyes to understand today’s Gospel. Herod, responsible for John the Baptist’s savage execution and blinded by sin, knew that something extraordinary was happening but couldn’t identify it. Give me the grace to get beyond my own blindness and recognize that it is You who are present throughout every moment of the day.

From today’s Responsorial Psalm: “The Lord is my light and my salvation. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? Your presence, O LORD, I seek.”

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.

Readings

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

Simeon speaks these words as he takes Jesus in his arms, who Mary and Joseph have brought to the temple in Jerusalem to present him in fulfillment of the law of the Lord. Luke says of Simeon: “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.” After blessing Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, he prophesies Jesus’ role in salvation and the suffering that Mary would experience as a result “so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” The prophetess Anna also sees Jesus and, as Luke tells us, “gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.” These two holy people, Simeon and Anna, recognized through a life of faith and prayer that Jesus was the Messiah.

God, thank you for the gift of steadfast faith. Simeon and Anna waited a lifetime to see your Son, and when they did see him recognized the child Emmanuel. Help me understand that your way of revealing yourself in time doesn’t correspond to my expectation of what and when you reveal yourself to me. Eager always to say “my eyes have seen your salvation,” at times I wait for that moment to come and lose heart in the waiting. At other times, I know you are there and at the end of the day can say, like Simeon, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace.” God, give me the grace today to live in the light of revelation.

Lord, strengthen my faith; I want to live in your light. As Carmelite priest Father Stinissen said, “To believe in Jesus Christ makes us look, to the eyes of unbelievers, like children who believe in fairy tales. Jesus was destined to be the fall and the rising of many. Some fall over him, and others are saved by 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.

Readings

Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Today’s Gospel shows Jesus in his hometown. The people see the miracles he performs, yet they doubt his divinity because they acknowledge only his ordinariness, that he is a carpenter and the son of Mary. Jesus, amazed at their lack of faith, says of them: “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” Mark tells us that Jesus was unable to perform any mighty deed there because of their lack of faith; that is, they took offense at Jesus and failed to get beyond Jesus’ ordinariness to see his divine identity. But unclean spirits like those from the Gospel from Monday do recognize it, saying: “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” Having the benefit of the testimony of the risen Christ and the Eucharist (partaking of him body and blood, soul and divinity), I can ask the same question.

God, help me understand the nature of your Son. From the Profession of Faith, we pray: “For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” Lord, give me the grace to know your Son and how he desires trust in him in order to perform mighty deeds in ordinary lives. “What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!”

Mary, Mother of God, pray for me today that I recognize the divinity of your Son and trust in him to perform mighty deeds. You knew him as fully human and fully divine. Let me stop to think throughout the day of the ineffable love of Jesus, Son of the Most High God. “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

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

Readings

Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

So [Jesus] went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him.

Today’s Gospel tells two stories: first, Jesus is on his way to the house of Jarius, to heal his daughter who is dying; second, while on the way, a woman who had been suffering from bleeding for twelve years reached out to Jesus for healing. She touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was immediately healed. Jesus told her she was healed because of her faith, and she went away rejoicing. In the first reading, Saint Paul encourages readers to fix their eyes on Jesus and endure the discipline of the cross. Paul uses Jesus as the ultimate example of perseverance and explains that the discipline we receive will produce a harvest of righteousness and peace. Despite people ridiculing him, Jesus demonstrates his power and ability to heal to the point of raising the dead to life. “Do not be afraid”; Jesus says, “just have faith.”

Lord, help me understand that when you speak, you bring creation itself into being. When you say to the child, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” she immediately gets up and walks around. The woman who touches your clothes is healed instantly because of her faith in reaching out for you. “Daughter, your faith has saved you,” says Jesus, “Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.” Grant me the grace, God, to go in peace today, knowing my life is in your hands. Strengthen my faith in you to avoid sin and let me trust that you “take away our infirmities and bear our diseases.” God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, give me new life today in you.

Lord, look to my needs today just as you cared for all who came to you while you walked the earth. Let me be mindful of you throughout the day, especially in the moments when I feel most alone. From the Responsorial Psalm, “They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.” Saint John Bosco, 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://youtu.be/2W-KSOPWWBY

Readings

Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus encounters a man possessed by many demons, who calls himself Legion because there are many unclean spirits within him. Jesus sends the unclean spirits into a herd of swine that immediately run down a steep bank and die. As people come out to see what happened, they see the possessed man sitting clothed and in his right mind. By telling the man to remain and tell his family what had happened rather than to go with Jesus on the boat, Jesus finds in this an opportunity for the man to show his family the Lord’s mercy. The result was that all who heard him proclaim what Jesus had done for him were filled with amazement. Jesus, help of the helpless, moves this man from a state of wretchedness and possession to health and sanity, all out of pity for him. Where are those areas of wretchedness within myself that disgust me, that isolate me from God and from others?

God, help me understand the nature of your mercy. Many of those who came to your Son sought him out and reached out to him for help. But the most helpless, the gravely ill, the possessed, the decrepit—even the dead—you restored to new life and health out of the free gift of your mercy. Let me invite you to see those areas of my life that wield a level of power over me—unclean desires, impure intentions, sinful habits. Let me bring those into your light through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and through a daily examination of conscience. Come, Lord Jesus, and heal me by your word; let me proclaim like the possessed man what the Lord out of his great mercy has done.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your mercy. Jesus, just as you went on foot and by boat to restore people to sanctity, the Church today brings you through its sacraments to people thirsting for the Eucharist and Reconciliation. From the Responsorial Psalm, we pray: “They will praise you, Lord, who long for 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

Readings

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

In teaching the Beatitudes, Jesus addresses his disciples and the crowds surrounding him. In Matthew’s Gospel, the Sermon on the Mount follows immediately after Jesus ministers to the multitudes following him “from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.” In teaching the Beatitudes, Jesus brings healing to the crowds, just as he healed the physical illnesses of everybody who came to him. Looking into the eyes of the people in the crowd, he must have seen those who were broken, in mourning, meek and humble; those who were wronged and sought justice; those who were merciful and pure and peaceful. And he experienced personally the same thing disciples experienced: insult and persecution because of his name. What he gave once, he still gives. To each of those whose eyes Jesus meets and who hear his words, through his great compassion Jesus gives us the Beatitudes.

God, help me understand the love you have for your people and for me. As the Son of God, you saw the pain and suffering that this world brings and experienced it firsthand. For each facet of that suffering, you bring not merely comforting words but the realization of what is hoped for in the coming of your kingdom. In faith, ours is the kingdom of heaven; comfort; inheritance; satisfaction; mercy; peace; and, one day the reward of seeing you face to face. As the Gospel acclamation says, “Rejoice and be glad; your reward will be great in heaven.”

Lord, let your gaze meet me today as I come to you to learn your love through the Beatitudes. Heal me of any particular illness or hinderance that keeps me from rejoicing and being glad in the life you have given me to come to know you. I know you love me. Lord, look kindly upon 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.

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

Readings