Tag: Lord

Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope

From the responsorial psalm: “He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”

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

“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. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

To describe what the kingdom of heaven is like, Jesus tells a parable about a landowner who goes out at dawn to hire workers for his vineyard and agrees to pay them a for a full day’s work. Later, he returns to the marketplace and hires more workers, promising to pay them what is just. He pays all the workers at the end of the day, starting with those hired last. They are surprised to find—as if given a gift—that like the workers who started early, they receive a full day’s wage. The first ones hired complain, thinking naturally that they deserve more since they worked longer. Emphasizing that God’s ways are not man’s and that he responds to us personally, Jesus teaches that the last will be first, and the first will be last. Human ideas of fairness can prevent us from seeing and understanding that the gift of God’s generosity can never be outdone.

God, I have been the one who comes late to receive your grace, yet you pour out generously what you have given to those who came to you early. You know my heart, Lord, and the limited understanding I have of grace and mercy. In the first reading, you speak through Ezekiel, saying: “For thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will look after and tend my sheep.” In recalling today’s readings, let me see clearly that you shepherd me throughout the day and guide me in your ways—seeking me out, making me whole, giving me being—all freely given. As Jesus says, “What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?” By the love with which you loved me first, Lord, teach me gratitude and humility. Saint Pius X, 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.

Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

From the responsorial psalm: “’Our own hand won the victory; the LORD had nothing to do with it.’ For they are a people devoid of reason, having no understanding. It is I who deal death and give life.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 19:16-22)

Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

Matthew describes the astonishment of the disciples as Jesus emphasizes the impossibility of entering the kingdom of God. Their question, “Who then can be saved?” encompasses people of their time but also all people since the time of Christ. In response to Jesus, Peter says, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” In giving up the wealth that the world offers and seeking it, the Twelve receive a particular reward—twelve thrones in heaven when Jesus is seated on his throne of glory. Jesus takes this further. Everyone who has given up the attachments of this world for the sake of his name will “receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life.” To make explicit his teaching, Jesus says a final word: “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

God, help me understand the Gospel as Jesus taught the apostles. “It will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. . . . For men this is impossible.” Attachment to money is not the only thing the apostles gave up; they also gave up their livelihood, time at home with family, their possessions, physical comfort, and more. These things not only occlude access to you but are building blocks of great delusions. As you say through the prophet Ezekiel in the first reading: “And yet you are a man, and not a god, however you may think yourself like a god.” For you, Lord, all things are possible. Give me the grace to see the actual value of the things of this world, and guide me today on the way to reach your kingdom. Saint Bernard, 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.

“Then come, follow me.” | Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “You were unmindful of the Rock that begot you. You forgot the God who gave you birth. When the LORD saw this, he was filled with loathing and anger toward his sons and daughters. You have forgotten God who gave you birth.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 19:16-22)

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

In today’s Gospel, a young man approaches Jesus, asking what good he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus tells him to keep the commandments. The young man asks which commandments, and Jesus lists several, including the command to honor one’s parents and love one’s neighbor. He tells Jesus that he has kept all these commandments since his youth. Jesus then tells him that if he wants to be perfect, he should sell his possessions, give the money to the poor, and follow him. And this hits hard. The young man is sad on hearing this because he has many possessions and is unwilling to part with them. Jesus asks if the young man wishes to be perfect. In the same way, Jesus calls each of us to be perfect. How is this even possible?

God, as David said in the Psalms, you have probed me, you know me. You know, then, that there is no way on my own that I can be perfect. Yet, that does not prevent Jesus to calling me always to a higher standard. What are the things that get between me and you? For the young man, it was his possessions. Help me, Lord, discern what my obstacles are and have the courage to put them aside. Even if I do all that Jesus commands the young man to do, I will still always fall short in being perfect just as you are perfect. Where that is lacking, supply the grace I need in order to let Christ live in me more and more to fill the gap. Show me the way to understanding and wisdom, and strengthen my love for your Son so that I am able to follow him with single-minded devotion.

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.

“Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” | Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 19:13-15)

“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. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.”

“Forsake foolishness that you may live; advance in the way of understanding,” we hear in the reading from the Book of Proverbs. What is wisdom in relation to God? Jesus declares himself as the true bread from heaven sent by the Father. This bread, unlike the manna that the Israelites ate in the wilderness, gives eternal life. Eating this bread means believing in the one sent by the Father and in his life-giving flesh and blood. Saint Paul tells us, “Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise.” What Jesus says may sound foolish, but consider the wisdom of God spoken by Jesus to the Jews who question him. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they ask. And Jesus tells them: “Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.” And God’s wisdom is this: whoever eats this bread will remain in him and live forever. That same true food and true drink is ours to receive at every celebration of the Eucharist.

God, give me the wisdom of knowing your Son more and more fully in the Eucharist. The true food of the flesh and blood Jesus offers is wisdom taken in to become more like him—now in this life and to prepare me for eternal life with you in your glory. “Come, eat of my food,” I read in Proverbs, “and drink of the wine I have mixed!” The invitation of Jesus to “take this” and “eat of it” is participation in his passion, death, and resurrection but also an invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb, the eternal celebration of your triumphant love. Can I remember just one word from the Gospel today as I partake of the Eucharist even while looking to the hope of everlasting life? Let me come back to you continually in the Eucharist, Lord, where there is true food and true drink for this life and the life of the world to come.

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.

“Let the children come to me.” | Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “A clean heart create for me, O God; and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. Create a clean heart in me, O God.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 19:13-15)

Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After he placed his hands on them, he went away.

In receiving the children and blessing them, Jesus teaches the disciples that the kingdom of heaven is for those whose faith is childlike. To remain childlike in faith is to turn back to Jesus continually as he invites us to come to him. To toil through everyday activities without taking him up on his invitation is joyless; to put off his touch, his healing imposition, is to do it our way or else. And that is misery. As the psalmist puts it, “Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners shall return to you.” The kingdom of heaven is for every one who hears and responds to the invitation of Jesus to come to him.

God, in coming to you in the Eucharist I begin the day in childlike faith that the time I take to go to you will be rewarded with your steadfast presence. Very quickly, as the day moves on, I forget to raise my eyes from the task at hand and realize you first gave me the means to accomplish the task and everything associated with it. Every good gift is yours. Give me the grace to return to you throughout the day in thanksgiving and with the conviction to make a new start. “Create a clean heart in me, O God.”

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 all can accept this word.” | Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

From the Gospel acclamation: “Receive the word of God, not as the word of men, but, as it truly is, the word of God.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 19:3-12)

His disciples said to him, “If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” He answered, “Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”

Jesus teaches the disciples about the sacredness and validity of sacramental marriage. As a sacrament, God joins male and female so that they become one flesh. “Therefore,” Jesus says, “what God has joined together, man must not separate.” While divorce may be permitted in certain circumstances, it is not in line with God’s original plan for marital unity. He challenges believers to uphold the sanctity of marriage and to approach it with commitment and seriousness. In response to the disciples, Jesus tells them that celibacy is not for all but—in the same way as marriage is—granted by God.

God, you are merciful beyond measure. In Jesus there is the perfect model of justice, compassion, and forgiveness. When I find in myself a tendency toward hardness of heart, come to my assistance, Lord. It is not I who forgive but Christ in me. The sacrament of marriage is yours; you made us male and female, and through you man and woman become one flesh. Not all are called to marriage, and Jesus acknowledges this yet does not abandon them. You call all of the human family into your kingdom. You are our God; we, your people. Grant me the grace, Lord, to see the dignity you call us to in every vocation. Saint Stephen of Hungary, 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.

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” | Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

From the Gospel acclamation: “Mary is taken up to heaven; a chorus of angels exults.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 1:39-56)

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. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

After Mary travels quickly to visit her cousin Elizabeth, when Elizabeth hears Mary’s greeting, the baby leaps in her womb. What she says to Mary becomes part of a prayer spoken by countless pilgrims on earth for the intercession of the Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth is in awe that the mother of her Lord comes to visit her. She tells Mary that she is blessed by believing that what the Lord speaks to her—and to all of us—will be fulfilled. God keeps his promises, and nothing is lost that he brings into existence. Mary, conceived without sin, was assumed body and soul into heaven, a hint of the glory that is to come to us through God’s love for the poor and the humble, who will see justice through his grace. In her Magnificat, or Song of Mary, she proclaims for all generations that through the Son of God and the Son of Mary, God’s salvation and redemption is for all people: “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 forever.”

God, every good gift you gave to Mary she attributed to you. “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.” Give me the grace of conviction that your Name is holy and that for those who fear you, you have shown your mercy in every generation. Thank you, Lord, for every good gift you give me. Help me turn unreservedly and in confidence to the Mother of the Word Incarnate for her intercession and assistance in giving you all thanks and praise, trusting in your mercy. “Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners. Mary, Queen assumed into 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.

“There am I in the midst of them.”| Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr

From the Gospel acclamation: “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 18:15-20)

Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church. If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Jesus teaches the disciples how to reconcile within the Christian community. In first approaching the wrongdoing of another toward you to find reconciliation, Jesus hints at the joyful outcome. Seeking reconciliation out of sincerity and goodness multiplies goodness by winning over a brother with it. If private reconciliation is not achieved, then escalating it with the involvement of more witnesses is necessary. In this teaching, Jesus emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation but at the same time calls attention to the need for discipline and accountability when necessary. The aim is unity in the Church through Jesus Christ. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

God, thank you for entrusting to me the means to choose reconciliation and to discern when that is at least temporarily not possible. Jesus acknowledges that brothers and sisters do sin against one another, and he makes explicit the reality of truth in saying “so that every fact may be established.” Grant me the wisdom to reconcile in the light of truth whenever possible for the sake of uniting in prayer with those who gather in the name of Jesus Christ your Son. Through his teachings, help me learn to recognize when I encounter someone who refuses to reconcile, even when listening to the counsels of the Church on repentance and conversion. For the sake of your glory, Lord, guide me as I seek to follow your teachings on reconciliation. Saint Maximilian Kolbe, 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.

“One of these little ones.” | Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

From the Gospel acclamation: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14)

The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.”

Jesus tells the disciples that to become humble like the child, or as he says, “one of these little ones,” is to be constantly in the Lord’s care and under his watch. As the shepherd of a hundred sheep goes in search of the one that is lost, so will our heavenly Father go in search of us, rejoicing when he finds us. Jesus says, “And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.” In the same way, God rejoices when even one lost soul is found and brought back into the fold. If Jesus commands as the Son of God that we become like children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, it is good that we take this to heart and put it into practice today and every day.

God, grant me the wisdom to put aside the well-trodden ways maturity has brought me to and do as Jesus asks. When I call to mind memories of childhood and what it means to trust in the loving care of a father and mother, I understand what Jesus means about becoming like a child—humble and trusting in your lovingkindness and mercy. Suffering and hardship will come; it is inevitable. Ezekiel describes the scroll you gave him to eat, and on it was written lamentation and wailing and woe. Yet, in eating the scroll that you put in his mouth, he found that it was as sweet as honey so that he was able to go out and speak of your goodness to all who would hear your words. Help me, Lord, continually turn to you. Saints Pontian and Hippolytus, 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.

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord | August 6, 2023

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 17:1-9)

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

In the Transfiguration of the Lord, as his face shines like the sun and his clothes become brilliant white, Jesus reveals his divine identity to Peter, James, and John. In conversing with Moses and Elijah, Jesus shows that he is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. At the same time, the Father reveals his relationship with the Son with the words “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” This is the same relationship Jesus invites us into as he prays the Lord’s Prayer with his disciples. In that relationship, the Father of the beloved Son becomes Our Father, who is well pleased in our love for his Son.

God, help me understand that although the Transfiguration occurred in history, it is more than a historical event. After Jesus becomes transfigured before them, the disciples fall to the ground in fear. It is your Son alone they see when they look up and hear him as he touches them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” Peter says of the Transfiguration: “Beloved: 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.” This is the same man who denied Jesus three times. God, help strengthen my faith and my resolve to share in the relationship your Son has with you.

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.” Overshadow me, Lord, with your majestic glory.

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.