Readings for Saturday, May 31 2014. Today is Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lectionary: 572

Reading 1
Zephaniah 3:14-18a

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart, 
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you,
he has turned away your enemies;
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.

or Romans 12:9-16

Brothers and sisters:
Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you,
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Have the same regard for one another;
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly;
do not be wise in your own estimation.

Responsorial Psalm
Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

R. (6) Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.

R. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.

R. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst 
is the Holy One of Israel!

R. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Gospel
Luke 1:39-56

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
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,
“Most 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.”

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.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
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.”

Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: VISITING HOURS

"Be not discouraged!" –Zephaniah 3:16

Recently, I was hospitalized for a short time. No one knew I was in the hospital, as I had no time to call people to pass the word. Naturally, I had no visitors during that brief stay. I could easily relate to Elizabeth's experience on the day that Mary visited her. Elizabeth had gone into seclusion for five months (Lk 1:24), implying that she had no visitors in that interval. She couldn't have expected Mary to visit, since to her knowledge Mary was not aware she was pregnant. God directly informed Mary of Elizabeth's pregnancy, and put it in Mary's heart to visit her (Lk 1:39ff).

This means that the feast of the Visitation of Mary is a great sign of hope. When we need a visitor, God will send Mary to us, even if no one else is aware that we need encouragement (see Zep 3:16). When we seclude ourselves from others, Mary is not subject to our visiting restrictions. She is favored by God (Lk 1:30) with inside information on our condition. She has a motherly heart for us that loves its way into our life. She can't stop from being concerned about her discouraged, suffering child.

Is there any way to keep a mother from visiting her beloved child? No, we can't keep Mary out of our lives. She loves us too much. Our decision is whether or not to welcome her. Mary was rejected by the innkeepers in Bethlehem (Lk 2:7), and is widely rejected by many Christians today. "Open wide your hearts" (2 Cor 6:13) to the mother of Jesus. Let Mary visit and love you.

PRAYER: Jesus, may I love and welcome Mary as You do.

PROMISE: "You have no further misfortune to fear." –Zep 3:15

PRAISE: Mary, the most blessed woman ever, thought only of serving her cousin who was in need (see Lk 1:39ff).

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Readings for Friday, May 30 2014. Today is Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 295

Reading 1
Acts 18:9-18

One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision,
“Do not be afraid.
Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.
No one will attack and harm you,
for I have many people in this city.”
He settled there for a year and a half
and taught the word of God among them.

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia,
the Jews rose up together against Paul
and brought him to the tribunal, saying,
“This man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law.”
When Paul was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews,
“If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud,
I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews;
but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titles
and your own law, see to it yourselves.
I do not wish to be a judge of such matters.”
And he drove them away from the tribunal.
They all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official,
and beat him in full view of the tribunal.
But none of this was of concern to Gallio.

Paul remained for quite some time,
and after saying farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria,
together with Priscilla and Aquila.
At Cenchreae he had shaved his head because he had taken a vow. 

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 47:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (8a) God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth. 

R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

He brings people under us;
nations under our feet.
He chooses for us our inheritance,
the glory of Jacob, whom he loves.

R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.

R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
John 16:20-23

Jesus said to his disciples: 
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn,
while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.
When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived;
but when she has given birth to a child,
she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy
that a child has been born into the world.
So you also are now in anguish.
But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,
and no one will take your joy away from you.
On that day you will not question me about anything.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.” 

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: PRAYING IN LOSSES

"I tell you truly: you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices; you will grieve for a time, but your grief will be turned into joy." –John 16:20

When Jesus' disciples prayed in the upper room after His Ascension and before the first Christian Pentecost, they probably prayed with a sense of loss. Although Jesus had promised that He would not leave them orphaned (Jn 14:18) and that He would be with them always (Mt 28:20), Jesus' disciples couldn't understand what He meant, for the Spirit had not yet been received and the Church not yet born.

When we pray with a sense of loss, our prayer may sound the same but it is prayed on a different level. For instance, after Paul saw Sosthenes violently attacked and beaten by the Corinthians (Acts 18:17), he naturally lost any sense of security. He realized he could be killed at any moment. When he prayed "Come, Holy Spirit," he probably prayed it on a deeper level than most of us are accustomed to. I remember seeing a widow pray, "Come, Holy Spirit," a couple of hours after her husband's death. She received the Spirit as never before since she prayed for the Spirit as never before. I've seen people lose their health and lose the unity in their marriages. When these people, in their loss, pray, "Come, Holy Spirit," all heaven breaks loose.

When we think we've lost everything, we can pray for the Spirit and receive more than we can ever ask for or imagine (Eph 3:20). Come, Holy Spirit!

PRAYER: Father, on this first day of the Pentecost novena, I cry out to You in the pain of loss.

PROMISE: "Do not be afraid. Go on speaking and do not be silenced, for I am with you." –Acts 18:9-10

PRAISE: Valerie spends an afternoon each week visiting a homebound neighbor. Her love has restored her neighbor's faith in God.

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Readings for Thursday, May 29 2014

Reading 1, Acts 1:1-11

¹ In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning

² until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven.

³ He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God.

⁴ While at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. 'It is', he had said, 'what you have heard me speak about:

⁵ John baptised with water but, not many days from now, you are going to be baptised with the Holy Spirit.'

⁶ Now having met together, they asked him, 'Lord, has the time come for you to restore the kingdom to Israel?'

⁷ He replied, 'It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority,

⁸ but you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit which will come on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to earth's remotest end.'

⁹ As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight.

¹⁰ They were still staring into the sky as he went, when suddenly two men in white were standing beside them,

¹¹ and they said, 'Why are you Galileans standing here looking into the sky? ThisJesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way as you have seen him go to heaven.'

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

² For Yahweh, the Most High, is glorious, the great king over all the earth.

³ He brings peoples under our yoke and nations under our feet.

⁶ Let the music sound for our God, let it sound, let the music sound for our king, let it sound.

⁷ For he is king of the whole world; learn the music, let it sound for God!

⁸ God reigns over the nations, seated on his holy throne.

⁹ The leaders of the nations rally to the people of the God of Abraham. The shields of the earth belong to God, who is exalted on high.

Gospel, Matthew 28:16-20

¹⁶ Meanwhile the eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain whereJesus had arranged to meet them.

¹⁷ When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated.

¹⁸ Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

¹⁹ Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

²⁰ and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.'

Reading 2, Ephesians 1:17-23

¹⁷ May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit ofwisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him.

¹⁸ May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, how rich is the glory of the heritage he offers among his holy people,

¹⁹ and how extraordinarily great is the power that he has exercised for us believers; this accords with the strength of his power

²⁰ at work in Christ, the power which he exercised in raising him from the dead and enthroning him at his right hand, in heaven,

²¹ far above every principality, ruling force, power or sovereignty, or any other name that can be named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.

²² He has put all things under his feet, and made him, as he is above all things, the head of the Church;

²³ which is his Body, the fullness of him who is filled, all in all.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: PREPARE THE WAY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (see Lk 3:4)

"A leading man of the synagogue, Crispus, along with his whole household, put his faith in the Lord." –Acts 18:8

Tomorrow begins the Pentecost Novena, nine days of intense prayer in preparation to receive the Holy Spirit in fullness at Pentecost. Today is the traditional feast of the Ascension of Jesus, Who left this earth in body and ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven. Jesus commended His followers to the Holy Spirit, for "within a short time" (Jn 16:16) they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit. The apostles were initially stunned and even grieved when Jesus ascended into heaven and left this earth. Yet they devoted themselves to intense prayer. "Within a short time," they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

The Spirit made all the difference. Many thousands were converted, including the most unlikely synagogue leaders such as Crispus (Acts 18:8), and persecutors like Saul of Tarsus, etc. Who in your mind is the most unlikely to change and convert? "For God all things are possible" (Mt 19:26). Pray the Pentecost Novena and "receive the Holy Spirit" (Jn 20:22).

PRAYER: Father, give me the commitment of the apostles as they prepared for the initial Pentecost novena.

PROMISE: "The Lord has made His salvation known: in the sight of the nations He has revealed His justice." –Ps 98:2

PRAISE: "Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for Him, His holy arm" (Ps 98:1).

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Readings for Wednesday, May 28 2014. Today is Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 293

Reading 1
Acts 17:15, 22-18:1

After Paul’s escorts had taken him to Athens,
they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy
to join him as soon as possible.

Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said:
“You Athenians, I see that in every respect
you are very religious.
For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines,
I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’
What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and all that is in it,
the Lord of heaven and earth,
does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands,
nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything.
Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.
He made from one the whole human race
to dwell on the entire surface of the earth,
and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,
so that people might seek God,
even perhaps grope for him and find him,
though indeed he is not far from any one of us.
For ‘In him we live and move and have our being,’
as even some of your poets have said,
‘For we too are his offspring.’
Since therefore we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image
fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.
God has overlooked the times of ignorance,
but now he demands that all people everywhere repent
because he has established a day on which he will ‘judge the world
with justice’ through a man he has appointed,
and he has provided confirmation for all
by raising him from the dead.”

When they heard about resurrection of the dead,
some began to scoff, but others said,
“We should like to hear you on this some other time.”
And so Paul left them.
But some did join him, and became believers.
Among them were Dionysius,
a member of the Court of the Areopagus,
a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14

R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all you his hosts.

R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,
Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys.

R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven.

R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

He has lifted up the horn of his people;
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him. 
Alleluia.

R. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
John 16:12-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,
he will guide you to all truth.
He will not speak on his own,
but he will speak what he hears,
and will declare to you the things that are coming.
He will glorify me,
because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
Everything that the Father has is mine;
for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine
and declare it to you.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: TRYING, FAILING, AND LEARNING

"When they heard about the raising of the dead, some sneered, while others said, 'We must hear you on this topic some other time.' " –Acts 17:32

When Paul spoke of Jesus and the resurrection to the people of Athens, they called him a "magpie" (Acts 17:18), sneered at him, and brushed him off (Acts 17:32). However, a few became believers (Acts 17:34).

As we read through Acts of the Apostles this Easter season, many Christians can relate to Paul's difficulties at Athens better than to other parts of Acts. The "culture of death" in which we live is similar to that of Athens. Also, sad to say, we may have the weaknesses that Paul showed at Athens. Paul tried the mission at Athens solo because he was too impatient to wait for Silas and Timothy to join him (Acts 17:15-16). Similarly, our excessive individualism and lack of community severely weakens our evangelization. Furthermore, Paul did not get around to proclaiming Jesus crucified in Athens. In our culture, and even in our Church, we also fail to emphasize the cross. Thus, like Paul in Athens, we also have few converts.

However, Paul learned his lesson. When he went to his next mission, at Corinth, he determined to "speak of nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Cor 2:2). Let's be like Paul. Let's try, even if we may fail. Let's learn from our mistakes and lead many to Jesus.

PRAYER: Jesus, I will be Your witness (see Acts 1:8).

PROMISE: "When He comes, however, being the Spirit of truth He will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on His own, but will speak only what He hears, and will announce to you the things to come." –Jn 16:13

PRAISE: The reverence with which Thomas received the Eucharist made others repent of their irreverence.

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Readings for Tuesday, May 27 2014. Today is Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 292

Reading 1
Acts 16:22-34

The crowd in Philippi joined in the attack on Paul and Silas,
and the magistrates had them stripped
and ordered them to be beaten with rods.
After inflicting many blows on them,
they threw them into prison
and instructed the jailer to guard them securely.
When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell
and secured their feet to a stake.

About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying
and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened,
there was suddenly such a severe earthquake
that the foundations of the jail shook;
all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose. 
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open,
he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,
thinking that the prisoners had escaped.
But Paul shouted out in a loud voice,
“Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.”
He asked for a light and rushed in and,
trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas.
Then he brought them out and said,
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus
and you and your household will be saved.”
So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds;
then he and all his family were baptized at once.
He brought them up into his house and provided a meal
and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8

R. (7c) Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name.

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Because of your kindness and your truth,
you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
John 16:5-11

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Now I am going to the one who sent me,
and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’
But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.
But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.
For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.
But if I go, I will send him to you.
And when he comes he will convict the world
in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation:
sin, because they do not believe in me; 
righteousness, because I am going to the Father
and you will no longer see me;
condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: A LAWYER IN HEAVEN!!!

"If I fail to go, the Paraclete will never come to you, whereas if I go, I will send Him to you." –John 16:7

The Greek word "Paraclete," which Jesus uses to refer to the promised Holy Spirit, can be translated as "Defense Lawyer." Picture yourselves in the place of Jesus' disciples. After following the Master for three years, He tells you that He is suddenly leaving you tomorrow. But that's not all: as His replacement, you're getting a lawyer! We can understand why His disciples, who had recently heard Jesus publicly vilify lawyers (see Lk 11:46-52), would be "overcome with grief" (Jn 16:6) at this double-whammy.

However, those who follow Jesus need to be defended. Paul and Silas found this out at Philippi. They were seized and dragged "into the main square before the local authorities," who "turned them over to the magistrates" (Acts 16:19, 20). Before they could speak a word in self-defense, they were flogged severely, thrown into jail in maximum security, and chained to a stake like animals (Acts 16:22-24).

At this point, Paul and Silas placed a call from their "cell-phone" to their Defense Lawyer, the Holy Spirit. Since the Lawyer already understood the specifics of the case, Paul and Silas only had to converse with their Lawyer in His native language: tongues, prayer, and praise (Acts 16:25). The Holy Spirit appealed the case directly to the Judge, the Father, and the verdict "innocent" was reached immediately. The Holy Spirit sent an earthquake to set the prisoners free, converted the jailer and his family, and vindicated Paul and Silas publicly (Acts 16:36ff).

PRAYER: Come, Holy Spirit! Come and set us free!

PROMISE: "When I called, You answered me; You built up strength within me...Your right hand saves me." –Ps 138:3, 7

PRAISE: St. Augustine did not see the fruit of his labors in his lifetime but sowed the word of God even so.

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Readings for Monday, May 26 2014. Today is Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest

Lectionary: 291

Reading 1
Acts 16:11-15

We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace,
and on the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi,
a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.
We spent some time in that city.
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river
where we thought there would be a place of prayer.
We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there.
One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,
from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened,
and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention
to what Paul was saying.
After she and her household had been baptized,
she offered us an invitation,
“If you consider me a believer in the Lord,
come and stay at my home,” and she prevailed on us.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

R. (see 4a) The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.

R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.

R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats.
This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia.

R. The Lord takes delight in his people.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
John 15:26-16:4a

Jesus said to his disciples: 
“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.

“I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes
you may remember that I told you.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: AT HOME WITH JESUS

"If you are convinced that I believe in the Lord, come and stay at my house." –Acts 16:15

Your house is one of your most important resources for evangelization. The Church teaches that your home should be a "domestic church" (Catechism, 1656). You should be able to look at a chair in your kitchen and remember when your neighbor, John, sitting in that chair, gave his life to Jesus. You look out at the porch and remember when Kathy from work was filled with the Holy Spirit in that very spot of your house. Over there is the couch where Ted and Cindy sat, three years ago. They had come to announce their divorce. They left your home forgiving, forgiven, and reconciled.

Next to the family-altar is the table where you taught your children the Scriptures from their infancy (2 Tm 3:15). At the front door, you can see the holy water font where you blessed the kids a thousand times. On the buffet stands the statue of Mary – a little worse for wear. (You told the kids to be more careful.) Above the doorway hangs the crucifix. You still sometimes cry when you see His crucified love.

This is home. This is love. This is life in Jesus. Amen!

PRAYER: Father, make my home a house of prayer (see Is 56:7), evangelization, repentance, healing, hope, love, and life.

PROMISE: "When the Paraclete comes, the Spirit of truth Who comes from the Father – and Whom I Myself will send from the Father – He will bear witness on My behalf. You must bear witness as well." –Jn 15:26-27

PRAISE: St. Philip was so hospitable to the youth of Rome that his room was known as "the home of Christian mirth."

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Readings for Sunday, May 25 2014. Today is Sixth Sunday of Easter

Lectionary: 55

Reading 1
Acts 8:5-8, 14-17

Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed or crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem
heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God,
they sent them Peter and John,
who went down and prayed for them,
that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
for it had not yet fallen upon any of them;
they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then they laid hands on them
and they received the Holy Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20

R/ (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R/ Alleluia.

Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,
sing praise to the glory of his name;
proclaim his glorious praise.
Say to God, “How tremendous are your deeds!”

R/ Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R/ Alleluia.

“Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,
sing praise to your name!”
Come and see the works of God,
his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam.

R/ Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R/ Alleluia.

He has changed the sea into dry land;
through the river they passed on foot;
therefore let us rejoice in him.
He rules by his might forever.

R/ Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R/ Alleluia.

Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me.
Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!

R/ Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R/ Alleluia.

Reading 2
1 Peter 3:15-18

Beloved:
Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.
Always be ready to give an explanation
to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,
but do it with gentleness and reverence,
keeping your conscience clear,
so that, when you are maligned,
those who defame your good conduct in Christ
may themselves be put to shame.
For it is better to suffer for doing good,
if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
that he might lead you to God.
Put to death in the flesh,
he was brought to life in the Spirit.

Gospel
John 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father, 
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows him.
But you know him, because he remains with you,
and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me, because I live and you will live.
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father
and you are in me and I in you.
Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: TO HELP YOU LOSE TO WIN

"If you love Me and obey the commands I give you, I will ask the Father and He will give you another Paraclete — to be with you always: the Spirit of truth." –John 14:15-17

A paraclete is someone who helps us, usually in the context of a legal trial. For example, a paraclete could be a lawyer or a witness on our behalf. A paraclete must be convincing to the judge or jury, or he would not help us win the case. However, the Paraclete Whom the Father sends us is not accepted by the world "since it neither sees Him nor recognizes Him" (Jn 14:17). Therefore, the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, might not help us win our case on earth. Rather, He is with us and within us so we will have the strength to remain faithful when unjustly persecuted and condemned (see Jn 14:17). While we lose our case on earth, we will be more than conquerors in life (Rm 8:37). Though we may be condemned rather than acquitted on earth, the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, will make us holy so that, on the final Judgment Day, Jesus the Judge will give the verdict: "Well done! You are a good and faithful servant!" (Mt 25:21, our transl) "Come. You have My Father's blessing! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world" (Mt 25:34).

Come, Holy Spirit, the Paraclete! Help us be acquitted in the final judgment, even though we may be condemned in this world's trial.

PRAYER: Father, show me those on whom I am to lay hands so that they may receive the Holy Spirit (see Acts 8:17).

PROMISE: "Should anyone ask you the reason for this hope of yours, be ever ready to reply, but speak gently and respectfully." –1 Pt 3:15

PRAISE: Praise Jesus, Who "died and came to life again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living" (Rm 14:9).

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Readings for Saturday, May 24 2014. Today is Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 290

Reading 1
Acts 16:1-10

Paul reached also Derbe and Lystra
where there was a disciple named Timothy,
the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer,
but his father was a Greek.
The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him,
and Paul wanted him to come along with him.
On account of the Jews of that region, Paul had him circumcised,
for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
As they traveled from city to city,
they handed on to the people for observance the decisions
reached by the Apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem.
Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith
and increased in number.

They traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian territory
because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit
from preaching the message in the province of Asia.
When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia,
but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them,
so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas.
During the night Paul had a vision.
A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words,
“Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
When he had seen the vision,
we sought passage to Macedonia at once, 
concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 5

R. (2a) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

The LORD is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
John 15:18-21

Jesus said to his disciples: 
“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
and I have chosen you out of the world,
the world hates you.
Remember the word I spoke to you,
‘No slave is greater than his master.’
If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,
because they do not know the one who sent me.” 

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: THE MISSING PIECE

"Come over to Macedonia and help us." –Acts 16:9

Today begins the "we" section of the Acts of the Apostles. When Paul and his companions were prevented from going to Asia and Bithynia, Luke, the author of Acts, uses the pronoun "they" (Acts 16:6, 7). Then "they came down to Troas" (Acts 16:8). The missionaries were encountering closed doors and were seemingly wandering about aimlessly.

At Troas, "Paul had a vision" (Acts 16:9). There the team found the open door, leading to Macedonia. In Troas, they suddenly received vision, discernment, and direction (Acts 16:10). What made the difference?

In Troas, Luke joined the missionary team. Notice that the pronoun "we" is used beginning in Acts 16:10 and continuing throughout a good portion of the rest of Acts. Before Luke arrived, the mission was floundering. After Luke arrived, the door was opened to bring the gospel to Europe for the first time.

Luke is never mentioned in Acts as performing any noteworthy service. He is simply "with" Paul (see 2 Tm 4:11). Luke quietly used his spiritual and natural gifts, and that led to an open door. Luke was chosen by God to play this role (see Jn 15:19).

How about you? Are you a Luke? Is there a ministry, community, or vocation for which you are the missing piece? Pentecost is rapidly approaching. Pray diligently for docility to the Holy Spirit and discernment in all the areas of your life. May "the Spirit of Jesus" (Acts 16:7) fix you "like a peg in a sure spot" (Is 22:23).

PRAYER: Father, thank You for preparing a life of good deeds for me in advance (Eph 2:10). May I joyfully complete all of them.

PROMISE: "I chose you out of the world." –Jn 15:19

PRAISE: For years, Mary tried to be a good person and do good works, but it wasn't until the Holy Spirit touched her heart and showed her Jesus as Savior that she had empowerment beyond imagining.

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Readings for Friday, May 23 2014. Today is Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 289

Reading 1
Acts 15:22-31

The Apostles and presbyters, in agreement with the whole Church,
decided to choose representatives
and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. 
The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,
and Silas, leaders among the brothers.
This is the letter delivered by them:
“The Apostles and the presbyters, your brothers,
to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
of Gentile origin: greetings.
Since we have heard that some of our number
who went out without any mandate from us
have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your peace of mind,
we have with one accord decided to choose representatives
and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are sending Judas and Silas
who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:
‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us
not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,
namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from meats of strangled animals,
and from unlawful marriage.
If you keep free of these,
you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’“

And so they were sent on their journey.
Upon their arrival in Antioch
they called the assembly together and delivered the letter.
When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 57:8-9, 10 and 12

R. (10a) I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

My heart is steadfast, O God; my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and chant praise.
Awake, O my soul; awake, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn.

R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O LORD,
I will chant your praise among the nations.
For your mercy towers to the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the skies.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
above all the earth be your glory!

R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
John 15:12-17

Jesus said to his disciples:
“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: WHAT IS LOVE?

"The command I give you is this, that you love one another." –John 15:17

When the Lord says "I love you," He doesn't mean "I like you," "I'm attracted to you," or "I want to socialize with you." When the Lord says "I love you," He means "I have died for you." "It is precisely in this that God proves His love for us: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rm 5:8). "The way we came to understand love was that He laid down His life for us; we too must lay down our lives for our brothers" (1 Jn 3:16). "There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (Jn 15:13).

For a Christian, love is not selfish and superficial; rather, it is crucified and divine. Love for a Christian is not an attraction as much as a command. Jesus said: "This is My commandment: love one another as I have loved you" (Jn 15:12). "There are in the end three things that last: faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love. Seek eagerly after love" (1 Cor 13:13–14:1).

PRAYER: Father, You are Love (1 Jn 4:16). In this Easter season, send the Holy Spirit to purify me for a genuine love for my brothers and sisters (1 Pt 1:22). This Pentecost, may the Holy Spirit produce in me the fruit of love (Gal 5:22).

PROMISE: Paul and Barnabas "have given over their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." –Acts 15:26, our transl.

PRAISE: James has witnessed publicly of his vasectomy and how the Lord showed him its sinfulness, restored him through reversal surgery, and blessed him with more children.

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Readings for Thursday, May 22 2014. Today is Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 288

Reading 1 
Acts 15:7-21

After much debate had taken place,
Peter got up and said to the Apostles and the presbyters,
“My brothers, you are well aware that from early days
God made his choice among you that through my mouth
the Gentiles would hear the word of the Gospel and believe.
And God, who knows the heart,
bore witness by granting them the Holy Spirit
just as he did us.
He made no distinction between us and them,
for by faith he purified their hearts.
Why, then, are you now putting God to the test
by placing on the shoulders of the disciples
a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?
On the contrary, we believe that we are saved
through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they.”
The whole assembly fell silent,
and they listened
while Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders
God had worked among the Gentiles through them.

After they had fallen silent, James responded,
“My brothers, listen to me.
Symeon has described how God first concerned himself
with acquiring from among the Gentiles a people for his name.
The words of the prophets agree with this, as is written:

After this I shall return
and rebuild the fallen hut of David;
from its ruins I shall rebuild it
and raise it up again,
so that the rest of humanity may seek out the Lord,
even all the Gentiles on whom my name is invoked.
Thus says the Lord who accomplishes these things,
known from of old.

It is my judgment, therefore,
that we ought to stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God,
but tell them by letter to avoid pollution from idols,
unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood.
For Moses, for generations now,
has had those who proclaim him in every town,
as he has been read in the synagogues every sabbath.”

Responsorial Psalm 
Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 10

R. (3) Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all you lands.
Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Announce his salvation, day after day.
Tell his glory among the nations;
among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.

R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel 
John 15:9-11

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that
my joy might be in you and
your joy might be complete.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: SUBMISSION, UNITY, AND WORK

"It is my judgment, therefore, that we ought not to cause God's Gentile converts any difficulties." –Acts 15:19

The early Church had been working for almost twenty years in proclaiming the Gospel and building God's kingdom. Many of them had been martyred. Many had sacrificed everything to live a new community life (see Acts 2:44ff; 4:32ff).

Finally, the devil decided to put a stop to the Church and to nullify the grace, faith, love, sacrifices, prayers, and work of the previous twenty years. He encouraged dissension from which a major controversy developed (Acts 15:2). This situation became so volatile that it was almost certain to result in the splitting, splintering, and dismantling of the Church. Then a great miracle occurred. The love and unity of the Church was maintained through the authoritative leadership of Peter, James, and the Jerusalem community, and the subsequent submission by the Antioch community and other Gentile Christian communities.

Without unity, we can lose everything we've worked for. Without authority and submission, we can lose unity. Thank God for authority and submission!

PRAYER: Father, may we all receive the anointed power which comes from unity (see Ps 133:1-2). St. Joseph, patron of the Universal Church, pray for us to be one (see Jn 17:21).

PROMISE: "You will live in My love if you keep My commandments, even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and live in His love." –Jn 15:10

PRAISE: St. Rita, in deference to her parents, did not become a nun but married a man who caused her nothing but grief and sorrow. St. Rita became a widow at age thirty, and eventually God enabled her to achieve her goal of becoming a religious sister.

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Readings for Wednesday, May 21 2014. Today is Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 287

Reading 1
Acts 15:1-6

Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers,
“Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice,
you cannot be saved.”
Because there arose no little dissension and debate
by Paul and Barnabas with them,
it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others
should go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and presbyters
about this question. 
They were sent on their journey by the Church,
and passed through Phoenicia and Samaria
telling of the conversion of the Gentiles,
and brought great joy to all the brethren.
When they arrived in Jerusalem,
they were welcomed by the Church,
as well as by the Apostles and the presbyters,
and they reported what God had done with them.
But some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers
stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them
and direct them to observe the Mosaic law.”

The Apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5

R. (see 1)  Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
John 15:1-8

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: BEAR FRUIT

"My Father has been glorified in your bearing much fruit and becoming My disciples." –John 15:8

Jesus proclaimed that He is the true Vine and His Father is the Vinegrower (Jn 15:1). Before completing His thought by calling His disciples the branches on the Vine (Jn 15:5), Jesus interjected some comments on barren branches and fruitful ones (Jn 15:2-4). Jesus can't wait to proclaim the necessity of our bearing fruit abundantly (Jn 15:5). He is preoccupied with our fruitfulness. He insists we bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit and of holiness (see Gal 5:22-23), and demands that we bear the fruit of evangelization.

Jesus loves the world so much that He does not want His sacrificial death on the cross to be in vain (see 1 Cor 1:17). He wants to light a fire on the earth (Lk 12:49) so that all will "be saved and come to know the truth" (1 Tm 2:4). He made us His witnesses (e.g. Acts 1:8) and we must be willing to become the slaves "of all so as to win over as many as possible" (1 Cor 9:19). Jesus' love is so great, and His salvation so necessary that He threatens to throw us into the fire and burn us forever if we refuse to try to bear abundant fruit (Jn 15:6).

Love Jesus and be fruitful.

PRAYER: Father, may I be willing to die to lead others to Jesus.

PROMISE: "The church saw them off and they made their way through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling everyone about the conversion of the Gentiles as they went. Their story caused great joy." –Acts 15:3

PRAISE: St. Christopher and his twenty-four companions in Mexico, three laymen and the rest being priests, chose eternal life by giving up their earthly lives in martyrdom.

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Readings for Tuesday, May 20 2014. Today is Tuesday of Fifth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 286

Reading 1
Acts 14:19-28

In those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium
arrived and won over the crowds. 
They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,
supposing that he was dead.
But when the disciples gathered around him,
he got up and entered the city. 
On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

After they had proclaimed the good news to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished. 
And when they arrived, they called the Church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Then they spent no little time with the disciples.

Responsorial Psalm 
Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 21

R. (see 12) Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.

R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.

R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.

May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD,
and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel 
John 14:27-31a

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.
I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming.
He has no power over me,
but the world must know that I love the Father
and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: UNFINISHED BUSINESS?

"They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, leaving him there for dead. His disciples quickly formed a circle about him, and before long he got up and went back into the town." –Acts 14:19-20

On the first Christian missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas were thrown out of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. As soon as possible, they went back into these three places to finish the job of starting these churches (Acts 14:21). "They gave their disciples reassurances, and encouraged them to persevere in the faith with this instruction: 'We must undergo many trials if we are to enter into the reign of God.' In each church, they installed presbyters and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord" (Acts 14:22-23). Likewise, to build the Church, we must encourage the disciples to persevere in the faith while suffering many trials, and we must pray, fast, and raise up leaders for the Church.

Is your parish church, Christian community, and family frequently encouraged to suffer redemptively? Are you praying and fasting as a community for your leaders and for new leaders in the Church throughout the world? If we shared our faith enough to merit persecution and suffering, the Church wouldn't be divided, weakened, and watered down. If, in our sufferings, we also prayed and fasted for the Church's leaders, we wouldn't be having a vocations crisis but an explosion of leadership and new life in the Church.

Evangelize, suffer, pray, fast, and see the Church as the Lord intended it to be.

PRAYER: Father, teach me to pray, fast, and suffer.

PROMISE: " 'Peace' is My farewell to you, My peace is My gift to you; I do not give it to you as the world gives peace. Do not be distressed or fearful." –Jn 14:27

PRAISE: St. Bernardine was a special champion of promoting devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. In addition, his weak and hoarse preaching voice was healed in response to his frequent intercession to and devotion toward Mary.

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Readings for Monday, May 19 2014. Today is Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 285

Reading 1
Acts 14:5-18

There was an attempt in Iconium
by both the Gentiles and the Jews,
together with their leaders,
to attack and stone Paul and Barnabas.
They realized it,
and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe
and to the surrounding countryside,
where they continued to proclaim the Good News.

At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth,
who had never walked. 
He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him,
saw that he had the faith to be healed,
and called out in a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet.”
He jumped up and began to walk about.
When the crowds saw what Paul had done,
they cried out in Lycaonian,
“The gods have come down to us in human form.” 
They called Barnabas “Zeus” and Paul “Hermes,”
because he was the chief speaker.
And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city,
brought oxen and garlands to the gates,
for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice.

The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments
when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,
“Men, why are you doing this? 
We are of the same nature as you, human beings. 
We proclaim to you good news
that you should turn from these idols to the living God,
who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.
In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways;
yet, in bestowing his goodness,
he did not leave himself without witness,
for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons,
and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts.”
Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds
from offering sacrifice to them.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 115:1-2, 3-4, 15-16

R. (1ab) Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but to your name give glory
because of your mercy, because of your truth.
Why should the pagans say,
“Where is their God?”

R. Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Our God is in heaven;
whatever he wills, he does.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the handiwork of men.

R. Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

May you be blessed by the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
Heaven is the heaven of the LORD,
but the earth he has given to the children of men.

R. Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
John 14:21-26

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him,
“Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit 
whom the Father will send in my nameB 
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: "NO OTHER GODS"

"They shouted frantically, 'We are only men, human like you.' " –Acts 14:15

The first and most basic temptations are to try to be like gods (Gn 3:5), or even to try to be gods. For example, Peter refused to be treated like a god (Acts 10:26), while Herod accepted the title "god" (Acts 12:22-23). Herod, therefore, "died eaten by worms" (Acts 12:23). When Paul and Barnabas heard the crowd calling them gods by the names of "Hermes" and "Zeus," they realized how dangerous this temptation was. "They tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd" in order to correct the people's mistaken attribution of divinity to them (Acts 14:14-15). Contrary to what some cults teach, we are not gods.

Rather than each of us becoming one of the gods, God became one of us. He became a human being. Instead of making us man-gods, He became the God-Man. In this way, we don't become God, but we can have a share in His divine nature (2 Pt 1:4) and "become the very holiness of God" (2 Cor 5:21). We can even have God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, make Their dwelling place within us (Jn 14:23). We are not gods; we are tabernacles and temples of God (1 Cor 6:19).

Be yourself. Be a human being transformed by the indwelling God.

PRAYER: Father, with power may I bear witness for Your risen Son (see Acts 4:33).

PROMISE: "This much have I told you while I was still with you; the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit Whom the Father will send in My name, will instruct you in everything, and remind you of all that I told you." –Jn 14:25-26

PRAISE: When his wife became permanently bed-ridden, Alfred counted his blessings and was as loving a husband as ever.

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Readings for Sunday, May 18 2014. Today is Fifth Sunday of Easter

Lectionary: 52

Reading 1
Acts 6:1-7

As the number of disciples continued to grow,
the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews
because their widows
were being neglected in the daily distribution.
So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said,
“It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.
Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men,
filled with the Spirit and wisdom,
whom we shall appoint to this task,
whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer
and to the ministry of the word.”
The proposal was acceptable to the whole community,
so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit,
also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
They presented these men to the apostles
who prayed and laid hands on them.
The word of God continued to spread,
and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly;
even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19

R/ (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R/ Alleluia.

Exult, you just, in the LORD;
praise from the upright is fitting.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.

R/ Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R/ Alleluia.

Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.

R/ Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R/ Alleluia.

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.

R/ Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
or:
R/ Alleluia.

Reading 2 
1 Peter 2:4-9

Beloved:
Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings
but chosen and precious in the sight of God,
and, like living stones,
let yourselves be built into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For it says in Scripture:
Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion,
a cornerstone, chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame.
Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone, and
A stone that will make people stumble,
and a rock that will make them fall.
They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.

You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people of his own,
so that you may announce the praises” of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Gospel 
John 14:1-12

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, AI am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: JESUS, THE G.P.S.

"How can we know the way?" –John 14:5

In recent years, the G.P.S., that is, the Global Positioning System, has become extremely popular. The GPS device knows your exact location on earth. You type into the GPS where you want to go. Then the GPS talks to you in a voice that tells you each street to turn on, and exactly where to drive. People trust the voice on the GPS.

Each of us has problems in this life, and we want to know "the way" out of these problems. We'd like a GPS to show us "the way" to get from debt to financial freedom, from addiction to freedom, from discord to unity, etc. We want directions for the way out. We ask: "How can we know the way" out of our situation? (Jn 14:5)

We want a roadmap, but God has a better plan; He gives us directions in the form of a Person: Jesus, the Way (Jn 14:6). Jesus always knows our exact physical location on earth. Moreover, He knows exactly where we are spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. Finally, His plan for us is the perfect will of God!

Our ultimate destination in this life is to spend eternity with God in heaven, and Jesus says: "No one comes to the Father except through Me" (Jn 14:6). Jesus is the Way. Follow Him (Jn 21:19).

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, Your voice tells me whether to turn to the right or to the left (Is 30:20-21). I will do whatever You tell me and follow You the rest of My life (see Jn 2:5).

PROMISE: "The eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear Him." –Ps 33:18

PRAISE: Praise our risen Lord, "a Stone Which the builders rejected that became a Cornerstone"! (1 Pt 2:7)

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Readings for Saturday, May 17 2014; Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 284

Reading 1 
Acts 13:44-52

On the following sabbath
almost the whole city
gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 
When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy
and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. 
Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said,
“It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first,
but since you reject it
and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life,
we now turn to the Gentiles. 
For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.”

The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord. 
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region. 
The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers
and the leading men of the city,
stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas,
and expelled them from their territory. 
So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them
and went to Iconium. 
The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm 
Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.

The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.

R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel 
John 14:7-14

Jesus said to his disciples: 
“If you know me, then you will also know my Father. 
From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 
Philip said to Jesus, 
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” 
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip? 
Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. 
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? 
The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. 
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. 
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,
or else, believe because of the works themselves. 
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father. 
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread, One Body
THEME: SPITTIN' IMAGE

"Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father." –John 14:9

I have an adult son who looks like me, has my height, build, and a similar personality, though he doesn't yet have my gray hair! We are both involved in the same ministry. As a father, I rejoice that my children carry my image. It is a joy beyond description to minister side-by-side with my son.

Jesus "is the Reflection of the Father's glory, the exact Representation of the Father's being" (Heb 1:3). Jesus so conformed Himself to His Father's will that to see Jesus was to see the Father (Jn 14:9). Likewise, we humans are made in the image of our Father (Gn 1:27). In Baptism, we received "a spirit of adoption through which we cry out, 'Abba!' (that is 'Father')" (Rm 8:15). "We are God's children now" (1 Jn 3:2). Like Jesus, we strive to conform our wills to the Father's will. As Jesus prayed, we pray constantly to our Father: "Not my will but Yours be done" (Lk 22:42; see also Mt 6:10).

My son has grown to maturity, and looks like his father now. We also can grow and mature so that we "look like" and reflect our heavenly Father. Jesus said: "My command to you is: love your enemies, pray for your persecutors. This will prove that you are" children "of your heavenly Father" (Mt 5:44-45).

Children of God, let us love our enemies, surrender ourselves to our Father's will, and thereby reflect our Father's glory. May we, His children, always give our Father cause to rejoice over us (Zep 3:17).

PRAYER: Father, may I live in such a way that Your name is hallowed (Mt 6:9) by all who meet me.

PROMISE: "I have made you a light to the nations, a means of salvation to the ends of the earth." –Acts 13:47

PRAISE: Sally put aside her fears and trusted that God was speaking to her through her husband's strong desire to have a fourth child. After a rough pregnancy, God blessed her with a son.

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Readings for Friday, May 16 2014; Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 283

Reading 1
Acts 13:26-33

When Paul came to Antioch in Pisidia, he said in the synagogue:
“My brothers, children of the family of Abraham,
and those others among you who are God-fearing,
to us this word of salvation has been sent. 
The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders failed to recognize him,
and by condemning him they fulfilled the oracles of the prophets
that are read sabbath after sabbath. 
For even though they found no grounds for a death sentence,
they asked Pilate to have him put to death,
and when they had accomplished all that was written about him,
they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb. 
But God raised him from the dead,
and for many days he appeared to those
who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. 
These are now his witnesses before the people.
We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you
that what God promised our fathers
he has brought to fulfillment for us, their children, by raising up Jesus,
as it is written in the second psalm,
You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.”

Responsorial Psalm 
Psalm 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11ab

R. (7bc) You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.

“I myself have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.”

R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.

“Ask of me and I will give you
the nations for an inheritance
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
You shall rule them with an iron rod;
you shall shatter them like an earthen dish.”

R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.

And now, O kings, give heed;
take warning, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice before him;
with trembling rejoice.

R. You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel
John 14:1-6

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. 
You have faith in God; have faith also in me. 
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.” 
Thomas said to him, 
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?” 
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. 
No one comes to the Father except through me.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: DOCTOR JESUS

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith in God and have faith in Me." –John 14:1

Imagine that you are scheduled to undergo open heart surgery tomorrow. You've met with your surgeon, and you have complete confidence in your surgeon's skill and personal care for your body. Although you're naturally anxious about such major surgery, you anticipate a successful outcome. There will be a lot of pain, but your surgeon has told you what pain to expect, how long it will last, and has prescribed medication to make the pain tolerable. Your trust in your surgeon has put your heart at rest.

Jesus is the Divine Physician (Mk 2:17). He's decided that the best way to bring us to full health is to give us a new heart (see Ez 36:26). In the process of this heart transplant operation, Jesus may, in His surpassing skill, care, and wisdom, find it necessary to expose us to pain for a time (see Lk 2:35). Yet Jesus didn't promise to eliminate all pain; instead, He promised that by having faith in Him, we can keep our hearts from being troubled (Jn 14:1).

Out of love for us, Doctor Jesus has not told us everything about our operation and recovery because we are not yet ready to bear it (Jn 16:12). We don't know what kind of pain we'll experience or how long it will last. The pain may come physically, mentally, spiritually, relationally, etc.

So, it all comes down to believing in the Doctor. Doctor Jesus, the Creator of your body, knows more anatomy and has far greater personal care for you than does the world's finest physician. Jesus tells us: Have "faith in Me" (Jn 14:1). "Dismiss all anxiety from your minds...Then God's own peace...will stand guard over your hearts" (Phil 4:6-7).

PRAYER: "Jesus, I trust in You. Mercy of God, I trust in You."

PROMISE: "It was to us that this message of salvation was sent forth." –Acts 13:26

PRAISE: Brother Mark counseled a mother of a troubled teen to put her anxiety on the altar of God.

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Readings for Thursday, May 15 2014; Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 282

Reading 1
Acts 13:13-25

From Paphos, Paul and his companions
set sail and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. 
But John left them and returned to Jerusalem. 
They continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. 
On the sabbath they entered into the synagogue and took their seats. 
After the reading of the law and the prophets,
the synagogue officials sent word to them,
“My brothers, if one of you has a word of exhortation
for the people, please speak.”

So Paul got up, motioned with his hand, and said,
“Fellow children of Israel and you others who are God-fearing, listen.
The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors
and exalted the people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt. 
With uplifted arm he led them out,
and for about forty years he put up with them in the desert.
When he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan,
he gave them their land as an inheritance
at the end of about four hundred and fifty years.
After these things he provided judges up to Samuel the prophet. 
Then they asked for a king.
God gave them Saul, son of Kish,
a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 
Then he removed him and raised up David as their king;
of him he testified,
I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
he will carry out my every wish.
From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise,
has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. 
John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel;
and as John was completing his course, he would say,
‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.
Behold, one is coming after me;
I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’“

Responsorial Psalm 
Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 and 27

R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.

R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

“I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
That my hand may be always with him,
and that my arm may make him strong.”

R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

“My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,
and through my name shall his horn be exalted.
He shall say of me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.’

R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Gospel 
John 13:16-20

When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. 
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: IDENTIFICATION PAPERS

"I solemnly assure you, no slave is greater than his master; no messenger outranks the one who sent him." –John 13:16

The Lord has called us to be His messengers, even His ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20). If we accept this call, our lives are no longer our own (Gal 2:20). We then do nothing but His will and say only what He authorizes us to say, as He wants it said (Jn 12:50). We become slaves of Christ (Jn 13:16), who act and talk like Christ.

This means we get the same reaction Christ got. While being loved by a few people, we are rejected and persecuted by many others. Even those closest to us may raise their heels against us (Jn 13:18). We "will suffer in the world" (Jn 16:33). However, we can be encouraged because Jesus has "overcome the world" (Jn 16:33). When we identify with Jesus and become His messengers, He identifies with us. He takes personally the way others treat us (see Acts 9:4). He states: "I solemnly assure you, he who accepts anyone I send accepts Me, and in accepting Me accepts Him Who sent Me" (Jn 13:20). Jesus protects and raises from the dead the members of His body.

Be Jesus' messenger and slave. Act, speak, suffer, and love as Jesus does. Look like Jesus. Identify with Him. He will identify with us, and with Him we will overcome the world forever (1 Jn 5:5).

PRAYER: Jesus, make me look like a member of Your body.

PROMISE: "God testified, 'I have found David son of Jesse to be a man after My own heart who will fulfill My every wish.' " –Acts 13:22

PRAISE: St. Isidore treated animals and poor humans with the loving respect due God's beloved.

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