Tag: daily Gospel readings

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

What struck me on hearing the Gospel reading is that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit as she said “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” She cried out in a loud voice as a prophet might cry out or as one so full of conviction that it was impossible not to cry out. Elizabeth was divinely inspired to express what has become contained in the Hail Mary, prayed countless billions of times generation after generation.

And what did she say that resounds over the millennia? “Blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Because Elizabeth was divinely inspired to say these words as was Mary in proclaiming the Magnificat, the depth and breadth of what they express continue to invite the faithful into the mystery of the Incarnation.

God, thank you for the gift of Mary and Elizabeth’s greeting to each other. They each express a depth of faith that goes beyond what is knowable in the natural world. Elizabeth proclaimed Mary as the Mother of God before Jesus’ birth, and Mary praised God for remembering his promise of mercy. God, help me recognize Mary’s role as an instrument of mercy, both in life and after her assumption. She proclaimed the greatness of the Lord and his holy name: “for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers.”

Stay near me today, Lord. Let me know that you are with me throughout the day. You are the fruit of the womb and the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Destroy any torpor or neglect in me that fails to recognize that you came among the human family to destroy death and give us eternal life with you in heaven. Mary, Queen of Heaven, 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.

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Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

These words of Jesus from the Gospel according to Luke sound awfully close to home when they relate directly to family. A household of five, Jesus says, will be divided three against two and two against three. It describes the state of a family—any family, then as well as now—divided by clashing beliefs or opinions.

God, help me understand that Jesus came to set the earth on fire. It was out of mercy that God sent his Son to die and rise to destroy sin and death. And, yes, he came to divide, if what joins the nuclear family and the larger human family is a façade that crumbles under the weight of truth. Through his crucifixion, Jesus set the fire blazing and it is blazing still—separating lies from truth, false unity from authentic unity, and sin from grace.

Lord, I know you want me to hear your voice and follow you. As the Gospel acclamation says, “My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.” For the times I do not follow you and know that it is not for my good, come to my aid and show me a way past my failings. Help pick me up and set me on the straight path. In the Eucharist, Jesus, you are truly present—body and blood, soul and divinity. Stay close to me today when I stumble and when I fail to recognize your presence.

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.

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Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

“Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

In these words, Jesus speaks not only of children but also of “such as these” to indicate the kind of openness necessary for the Kingdom of heaven. There is also a relation to time and a disregard for age in these words. By saying “such as these,” Jesus extends this invitation to people of any stage of life and to span countless generations.

God, thank you for the gift of your Son. I hear his words and have with me at all times the means to go to him as a child every day of my life, throughout each day, to relate my thoughts, feelings, and desires. Although I resist setting aside time throughout the day to pray, help me understand that there are times when it is my best possible recourse. Help me resolve to return to Jesus in prayer throughout the day, always as a way to be more fully in the moment rather than engaging in a flight from reality.

By saying that the Kingdom of heaven belongs to “such as these,” Jesus gives purpose to my day by going to him and letting nothing prevent me from that. Let me trust that the risen Christ sees me, hears me, and remains beside me when I come to him—now and always—out of my need to have him present.

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.

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Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus said to the Pharisees, “I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.”

These words of Jesus from the Gospel reading reflect the love of God for his people that God had spoken through Ezekiel. Just as God made a covenant with the Israelites, he gave to his human family a covenant to keep in the sacramental bond of marriage. “Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were a girl, and I will set up an everlasting covenant with you.” Jesus responds to his disciples’ question about whether it is better not to marry since divorce does not leave open the possibility—“what God has joined together, man must not separate”—by saying, “Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted.” That is, only those who are inclined not to marry, should not marry, such as those who are incapable or those who instead remain unmarried for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven.

Today’s readings are challenging and difficult to consider. God, help me understand that what Jesus said about marriage and divorce is valid today in a world that confuses the sacramental nature of marriage for types of union between man and woman that in no way relate to God, “the Creator [who] made them male and female.” The Gospel acclamation seems a haven in the midst of the Gospel’s turbulent topic. “Receive the word of God, not as the word of men, but, as it truly is, the word of God.” You name it as it is, Lord, by saying of the sacrament that the two shall become one flesh. How often does divorce result from your being displaced from the sacrament through lack of commitment, infidelity, conflict, domestic violence, or substance abuse? As for hardness of heart, among the innumerable divorces that take place, how often is that the cause?

God, you know me and you love me. I know you love those whose marriages are broken and in darkness. Let the warmth and light of your love shine on those going through divorce and the healing process of annulment. Teach me to return to you throughout the day for the grace to sustain and nourish me, to lift me up when I fall or fail to see you. Father, be before me; Jesus, be at my side; and Holy Spirit, guide 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.

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Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin

Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus responds to Peter’s question about forgiveness. Jesus answers, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” On hearing this reading, I imagine in Peter a kind of childlike approach to Jesus, as if he had asked among this question, hundreds of others to get down to the most granular detail of Jesus’ teachings. In this question, Peter encloses within the big picture (forgiveness) the most particular (how many times?).

In the readings from just a couple of days ago, Jesus brought a child into the midst of the disciples, saying that unless they become like little children, they would not enter the Kingdom of heaven. God, help me understand that and take it to heart in the midst of the day when the full burden of adult responsibility weighs on me. Thank you for Peter’s example, who surely had his own heavy responsibilities to bear, yet turned to Jesus and asked him about both the great and the small.

How good you are, Lord, for being present in various ways—in the Blessed Sacrament, in the Eucharist, in my conscience, and in your forgiveness of my sins. Let the radiance of your presence shine its rays on me today, not for any consolation of your nearness, but to show me how to love and forgive others in the same way you do—in your unfathomable mercy.

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.

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Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

These words of Jesus from the Gospel according to John echo Matthew’s Gospel from last Friday, when Jesus said to his disciples: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” This spiritual paradox is paired with Jesus’ comparison of a grain of wheat that falls to the ground, dies, and sprouts to produce more wheat. Whoever serves and follows me in this life, Jesus says, the Father will honor in preserving it for eternal life.

Father in heaven, the grain of wheat is the gift of life that you have given me. Help me understand that if I use it to gain only in this life, I will ultimately lose it. But if I let it fall and use it to glorify you, there is life to gain—here and in the life to come. As St. Augustine said of the example St. Lawrence followed, “Christ did not love his life in this age; that’s why he came, in order to lose it here, to lay it down for your sakes.”

Lord, you know me and understand me better than I understand myself. In quiet prayer, my thoughts run wild, and there is no end to it. Yet, I have to smile as you look at me because I know that although you hear and dignify my thoughts in prayer, my troubles and anxieties are nothing to you. It is nothing for you to disperse the worries as easily as one might blow dust off of a table. Help me today in this way, Lord: set in my way the opportunity to laugh at myself, to let fall the seriousness of my attempt to make good out of the life I have in me today. Grant me the grace that I let myself die to the day so to live in the life I gain by losing 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.

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Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? . . . In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.

Jesus tells the disciples the parable of the lost sheep after they approach him and ask, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” Calling a child over, Jesus challenges the disciples to turn and become like children. What comes to mind is the two groups of sheep, the ninety-nine in the flock and the one that strays. How do I identify myself?

God, help me understand today’s Gospel reading. Whether I have been the one stray or among the faithful through various choices I’ve made, there’s no question. Even more, whether I am at the same time with the ninety-nine and a stray also defines me. What matters, though, is the choice. Do I choose to be among the flock and will that the lost sheep are found, or do I remain astray, full of adult longings for the substitute gods of honor, power, pleasure, and wealth?

Lord, you said, “It is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.” By that, I know you include me. I believe, Lord, that you are present with me throughout the day and that your Son intercedes for me in prayer so that I am not led away from you by what I choose to say or do. I know I can ask you at any time to give me the grace to be like a child today and turn to you again and again. Take me and place me in your midst; let me stay near you so that others look just beyond me and see your presence.

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.

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Memorial of Saint Dominic, Priest

God has called you through the Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today’s Gospel acclamation seems much easier to digest than the Gospel reading. In it, the collectors of the temple tax ask Peter if Jesus pays his taxes. Peter replies that he does, and then goes to where Jesus is staying. Already knowing what has just occurred, Jesus then asks Peter who kings take taxes from, subjects or foreigners. Peter replies “from foreigners,” and Jesus tells him, “Then the subjects are exempt.” So that they “may not offend” the tax collectors, Jesus tells Peter to go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the coin out of the fish he catches to give to the collectors.

Thank you, God, for this story from Matthew. I don’t fully understand what it means, so help me bring it to clarity in my own life today and in days to come. I think Jesus is doing here what he did elsewhere by saying, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” That is, be responsible for what the state requires of you but allow God to free you to belong to him.

God, help me realize that you made me to be free so that I can choose to put you first in all things. Biographies of Saint Dominic say that he spoke little unless it was with God in prayer, or about God to others as a way to instruct his brothers. Let my plans be subordinate to your will, and help me see your will in every decision I freely make today.

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.

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Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”

In today’s Gospel reading, after saying these words, Jesus goes on to tell the disciples a parable about vigilance by describing servants who await their master’s return from a wedding. As a reward for their vigilance, the master waits on the servants. Just as a master of a house had known when a thief would come and prevent him from breaking in, so it is with being prepared for the coming of the Son of Man, especially for those disciples he put in charge. “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

Thank you, God, for this parable your Son spoke to the disciples but also to me. Help me understand the meaning of “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” In it, there are two references to time, is and will be and time and eternity. Where my treasure is today and as habit makes daily, there also my heart will be in the future and for all eternity—an inexhaustible treasure in heaven. How am I providing for myself things that don’t wear out and that no thief can destroy? “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?”

I think of the loss of things, things that time erodes—the fading light of a sunset, the end of summer, the end of an era, the end of long-held grief or anxiety. Each of those houses its own treasures and are found again and embraced on return to them. But they finally end, each of them. But you, Lord, are present always, and I find you again every time I journey away and make a return. In you is unending light and warmth and joy—an inexhaustible treasure—even in the midst of suffering. Provide for me today, Lord; let me be ready 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.

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Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

During Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain, his face and clothing changed and became “dazzling white.” Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus before Peter, John, and James. In the second reading from Peter, he makes clear that he himself was an eyewitness to Jesus’ coming in power and that what he proclaimed was not “cleverly devised myths.” Peter himself, along with John and James, heard a voice from heaven say, “This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” In the Gospel reading of the transfiguration according to Luke, Peter was awestruck by the appearance of Moses and Elijah and hardly knew what to say. As he was still speaking, God spoke from heaven, saying, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

God, help me understand the need to listen for your voice. Thank you for the boldness of Peter in proclaiming his faith and insisting that he is not professing made-up accounts. Overwhelmed by what he witnesses, he fails to find words: “But he did not know what he was saying.” It is your voice that quiets Peter and turns his attention back to your Son. Surely, in my life there are moments when I speak for the sake of speaking and act for the sake of acting even as I am an eyewitness to a transformation taking place.

It is the Great I Am who speaks from a cloud in a voice that Peter, James, and John hear. It quiets the hearts of those close to the Lord and directs their attention back to him. The Gospel reading says about the disciples after that moment: “After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.” God, give me the grace today to hear and know your voice in silence and listen to your Son. At the end of today, I hope to be able to look back and know that you were present, that you love me, and that you were well pleased with all my words and actions.

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