Monday, June 30 2014; Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 377

Reading 1
Amos 2:6-10, 13-16

Thus says the LORD:
For three crimes of Israel, and for four,
I will not revoke my word;
Because they sell the just man for silver,
and the poor man for a pair of sandals.
They trample the heads of the weak
into the dust of the earth,
and force the lowly out of the way.
Son and father go to the same prostitute,
profaning my holy name.
Upon garments taken in pledge
they recline beside any altar;
And the wine of those who have been fined
they drink in the house of their god.

Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorites before them,
who were as tall as the cedars,
and as strong as the oak trees.
I destroyed their fruit above,
and their roots beneath.
It was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,
and who led you through the desert for forty years,
to occupy the land of the Amorites.

Beware, I will crush you into the ground
as a wagon crushes when laden with sheaves.
Flight shall perish from the swift,
and the strong man shall not retain his strength;
The warrior shall not save his life,
nor the bowman stand his ground;
The swift of foot shall not escape,
nor the horseman save his life.
And the most stouthearted of warriors
shall flee naked on that day, says the LORD.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 50:16bc-17, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23

R. (22a) Remember this, you who never think of God.

“Why do you recite my statutes,

and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”

R. Remember this, you who never think of God.

“When you see a thief, you keep pace with him,
and with adulterers you throw in your lot.
To your mouth you give free rein for evil,
you harness your tongue to deceit.”

R. Remember this, you who never think of God.

“You sit speaking against your brother;
against your mother’s son you spread rumors.
When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.”

R. Remember this, you who never think of God.

“Consider this, you who forget God,
lest I rend you and there be no one to rescue you.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”

R. Remember this, you who never think of God.

Gospel
Matthew 8:18-22

When Jesus saw a crowd around him,
he gave orders to cross to the other shore.
A scribe approached and said to him,
“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
Another of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But Jesus answered him, “Follow me,
and let the dead bury their dead.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: CRUSHING

"Beware, I will crush you into the ground as a wagon crushes when laden with sheaves." –Amos 2:13

The Lord promised to crush the Israelites because of their sins. Some of the sins they committed were:

putting money and a comfortable lifestyle above people (see Am 2:6).trampling the heads of the weak and forcing "the lowly out of the way" (Am 2:7). (Compare this to abortion.)being lustful and therefore idolatrous (see Eph 5:5). Both parents and children were impure (see Am 2:7).charging interest on loans (see Am 2:8).financing their drinking of alcohol through unjust practices (Am 2:8).

There are striking parallels between the sins of Amos' time and those of our society. Living a comfortable lifestyle is the main issue on the minds of most people in our culture. We hardly notice our injustices against the poor, weak, and lowly. Impure behavior is a regular occurrence and is either condoned, ignored, or encouraged. Moreover, abortion is commonplace.

We must repent or give God no alternative but to crush and damn us. The Lord wants to forgive and save us, but He won't force us to accept His love. God does not have a double standard. He is just. He will treat us like Sodom, Gomorrah, or the Israelites of Amos' time, unless we repent.

Go to Confession as soon as possible. Take responsibility for your part in the sins of our society. Let God love, not crush, you.

PRAYER: Father, may I repent and then help others take the sins out of their lives (see Mt 7:5). May I crush Satan under my feet (Rm 16:20).

PROMISE: "Teacher, wherever You go I will come after You." –Mt 8:19

PRAISE: It was the seed of the outpoured blood of the First Martyrs of Rome that gave great life to the Church and provided an enduring witness to Christ for the ages.

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Sunday, June 29 2014; Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

Reading 1,
Acts 12:1-11

¹ It was about this time that King Herod started persecuting certain members of the church.

² He had James the brother of John beheaded,

³ and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he went on to arrest Peter as well.

⁴ As it was during the days of Unleavened Bread that he had arrested him, he put him in prison, assigning four sections of four soldiers each to guard him, meaning to try him in public after the Passover.

⁵ All the time Peter was under guard the church prayed to God for him unremittingly.

⁶ On the night before Herod was to try him, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with two chains, while guards kept watch at the main entrance to the prison.

⁷ Then suddenly an angel of the Lord stood there, and the cell was filled with light. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him. 'Get up!' he said, 'Hurry!' -- and the chains fell from his hands.

⁸ The angel then said, 'Put on your belt and sandals.' After he had done this, the angel next said, 'Wrap your cloak round you and follow me.'

⁹ He followed him out, but had no idea that what the angel did was all happening in reality; he thought he was seeing a vision.

¹⁰ They passed through the first guard post and then the second and reached the iron gate leading to the city. This opened of its own accord; they went through it and had walked the whole length of one street when suddenly the angel left him.

¹¹ It was only then that Peter came to himself. And he said, 'Now I know it is all true. The Lord really did send his angel and save me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.'

Responsorial Psalm,
Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

² I will praise Yahweh from my heart; let the humble hear and rejoice.

³ Proclaim with me the greatness of Yahweh, let us acclaim his name together.

⁴ I seek Yahweh and he answers me, frees me from all my fears.

⁵ Fix your gaze on Yahweh and your face will grow bright, you will never hang your head in shame.

⁶ A pauper calls out and Yahweh hears, saves him from all his troubles.

⁷ The angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them.

⁸ Taste and see that Yahweh is good. How blessed are those who take refuge in him.

⁹ Fear Yahweh, you his holy ones; those who fear him lack for nothing.

Reading 2,
Second Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18

⁶ As for me, my life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to depart.

⁷ I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith;

⁸ all there is to come for me now is the crown of uprightness which the Lord, the upright judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his appearing.

¹⁷ But the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed for all the gentiles to hear; and so I was saved from the lion's mouth.

¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Gospel,
Matthew 16:13-19

¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of man is?'

¹⁴ And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.'

¹⁵ 'But you,' he said, 'who do you say I am?'

¹⁶ Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'

¹⁷ Jesus replied, 'Simon son of Jonah, you are a blessed man! Because it was no human agency that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.

¹⁸ So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it.

¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.'

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: TODAY IS THE DAY

"No mere man has revealed this to you, but My heavenly Father." –Matthew 16:17

Because the Church is founded on the apostles, today is a very significant day. In some countries, today's feast of Sts. Peter and Paul is a holy day of obligation. The Lord has done such astounding works on this day that the Church in some countries believes that in charity it should oblige Catholics to celebrate the Eucharist today and receive all the Lord wants to give them.

Today God sends an angel to free those in bondage (see Acts 12:7). Today the Lord thwarts the murderous plans of wicked governments (see Acts 12:1ff). On this holy day, people are pouring out their lives in total surrender to the Lord's will (see 2 Tm 4:6). Today the Lord is giving the grace of a happy death to many thousands (see 2 Tm 4:7-8). On this special day of grace, God is changing people's names and lives, as these people profess Jesus as "the Messiah" and "the Son of the living God" (Mt 16:16). Today the Lord Jesus is raising up leaders for His Church (see Mt 16:18). In turn, these leaders will raise up the Church to attack and conquer the very gates of hell (Mt 16:18).

Today is a holy day. It is set apart (see Sir 33:7-9). It is a day of love, power, conversion, forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, and hope. Sts. Peter and Paul, pray for us.

PRAYER: Father, today I open my heart to receive more than I can ever ask for or imagine (Eph 3:20).

PROMISE: "The Lord will continue to rescue me from all attempts to do me harm and will bring me safe to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen." –2 Tm 4:18

PRAISE: Sts. Peter and Paul, a fisherman and a tentmaker, were the chosen apostles to the Jews and Gentiles, who spread the good news to all the earth.

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Saturday, June 28 2014; Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lectionary: 376/573

Reading 1
Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19

The Lord has consumed without pity
all the dwellings of Jacob;
He has torn down in his anger
the fortresses of daughter Judah;
He has brought to the ground in dishonor
her king and her princes.

On the ground in silence sit
the old men of daughter Zion;
They strew dust on their heads
and gird themselves with sackcloth;
The maidens of Jerusalem
bow their heads to the ground.

Worn out from weeping are my eyes,
within me all is in ferment;
My gall is poured out on the ground
because of the downfall of the daughter of my people,
As child and infant faint away
in the open spaces of the town.

In vain they ask their mothers,
“Where is the grain?”
As they faint away like the wounded
in the streets of the city,
And breathe their last
in their mothers’ arms.

To what can I liken or compare you,
O daughter Jerusalem?
What example can I show you for your comfort,
virgin daughter Zion?
For great as the sea is your downfall;
who can heal you?

Your prophets had for you
false and specious visions;
They did not lay bare your guilt,
to avert your fate;
They beheld for you in vision
false and misleading portents.

Cry out to the Lord;
moan, O daughter Zion!
Let your tears flow like a torrent
day and night;
Let there be no respite for you,
no repose for your eyes.

Rise up, shrill in the night,
at the beginning of every watch;
Pour out your heart like water
in the presence of the Lord;
Lift up your hands to him
for the lives of your little ones
Who faint from hunger
at the corner of every street.

Responsorial Psalm 
Psalm 74:1b-2, 3-5, 6-7, 20-21

R. (19b) Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Why, O God, have you cast us off forever?
Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
Remember your flock which you built up of old,
the tribe you redeemed as your inheritance,
Mount Zion, where you took up your abode.

R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Turn your steps toward the utter ruins;
toward all the damage the enemy has done in the sanctuary.
Your foes roar triumphantly in your shrine;
they have set up their tokens of victory.
They are like men coming up with axes to a clump of trees. 

R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

With chisel and hammer they hack at all the paneling of the sanctuary.
They set your sanctuary on fire;
the place where your name abides they have razed and profaned. 

R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Look to your covenant,
for the hiding places in the land and the plains are full of violence.
May the humble not retire in confusion;
may the afflicted and the poor praise your name.

R. Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.

Gospel 
Luke 2:41-51

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them;
and his mother kept all these things in her heart. 

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: OBEDIENCE SCHOOL

"Just give an order." –Matthew 8:8

Jesus learned obedience from what He suffered (Heb 5:8). Even to His dying day, Jesus grew in wisdom (Lk 2:52) regarding obedience. Therefore, we also will always have a lot to learn regarding obedience.

The centurion whose servant was healed by Jesus can teach us the following things about obedience:

We should ask the Lord to give us commands (Mt 8:8).Obedience is often the way to bring healing to ourselves and to others (Mt 8:9).Obedience is an expression of faith (Mt 8:10).Certain works of God happen at the moment we obey (Mt 8:13; see also Jn 4:52-53).

"Just as through one man's disobedience all became sinners, so through one Man's obedience all shall become just" (Rm 5:19). Jesus "humbled Himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross!" (Phil 2:8) Learn obedience as Jesus did. Be obedient as Jesus was. Through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, by obedience to the truth purify yourself for a genuine love (1 Pt 1:22). Realize that each time you receive Jesus in Holy Communion you ask Him to give you orders (Mt 8:8). Live a life of obedience (see 1 Pt 1:2).

PRAYER: Father, teach me obedience in any way necessary.

PROMISE: "Rise up, shrill in the night, at the beginning of every watch; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord; lift up your hands to Him." –Lam 2:19

PRAISE: Walter was not able to have victory over sexual temptations until he dedicated himself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

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Friday, June 27 2014; Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Lectionary: 170

Reading 1
Deuteronomy 7:6-11

Moses said to the people:
"You are a people sacred to the LORD, your God;
he has chosen you from all the nations on the face of the earth
to be a people peculiarly his own.
It was not because you are the largest of all nations
that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you,
for you are really the smallest of all nations.
It was because the LORD loved you
and because of his fidelity to the oath he had sworn your fathers,
that he brought you out with his strong hand
from the place of slavery,
and ransomed you from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
Understand, then, that the LORD, your God, is God indeed,
the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenant
down to the thousandth generation
toward those who love him and keep his commandments,
but who repays with destruction a person who hates him;
he does not dally with such a one,
but makes them personally pay for it.
You shall therefore carefully observe the commandments,
the statutes and the decrees that I enjoin on you today."

Responsorial Psalm 
Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 10 

R/ (cf. 17) The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and forget not all his benefits.

R/ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.

R/ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.

R/ The Lord's kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.

Reading 2 
1 John 4:7-16

Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God.
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

God is love, and whoever remains in love
remains in God and God in him.

Gospel 
Matthew 11:25-30

At that time Jesus exclaimed:
"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father. 
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves. 
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: "THE BREADTH AND LENGTH AND HEIGHTAND DEPTH" OF LOVE (Eph 3:18)

"If we love one another God dwells in us." –1 John 4:12

The vision of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is probably the most powerful prophecy in history. The picture of the Sacred Heart continues to open millions of people to the unconditional love God the Father has for them. The Sacred Heart of Jesus proclaims a God Who loves us so much that:

He became a human being. He suffered and died on the cross for us. He makes Himself present under the appearances of bread and wine. He literally lives inside us. He will come back to take us with Him, and we will be perfectly happy with Him forever in heaven. He disciplines and chastises us to prevent us from damnation (see Heb 12:7).He will never reject us even if we reject Him (Jn 6:37).He respects our freedom to the point that He lets us choose to decide to go to hell forever (see Dt 7:10).No eyes have seen, no ears have heard, nor has it even dawned on our minds what He has prepared for us (1 Cor 2:9).

The Sacred Heart of Jesus proclaims that God's love for us is forgiving, merciful, unconditional, crucified, infinite, perfect, everlasting, Trinitarian, eucharistic, and mysterious. May we "come to know and to believe in the love God has for us" (1 Jn 4:16). Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

PRAYER: Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You.

PROMISE: "Come to Me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you." –Mt 11:28

PRAISE: Praise the Heart of Jesus, on fire with love for us!

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Thursday, June 26 2014; Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 374

Reading 1
2 Kings 24:8-17

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign,
and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 
His mother’s name was Nehushta,
daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
He did evil in the sight of the LORD,
just as his forebears had done.

At that time the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
himself arrived at the city
while his servants were besieging it.
Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother,
his ministers, officers, and functionaries,
surrendered to the king of Babylon, who,
in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive.
And he carried off all the treasures
of the temple of the LORD and those of the palace,
and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel,
had provided in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had foretold.
He deported all Jerusalem:
all the officers and men of the army, ten thousand in number,
and all the craftsmen and smiths.
None were left among the people of the land except the poor.
He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon,
and also led captive from Jerusalem to Babylon
the king’s mother and wives,
his functionaries, and the chief men of the land.
The king of Babylon also led captive to Babylon
all seven thousand men of the army,
and a thousand craftsmen and smiths,
all of them trained soldiers.
In place of Jehoiachin,
the king of Babylon appointed his uncle Mattaniah king,
and changed his name to Zedekiah.

Responsorial Psalm 
Psalm 79:1b-2, 3-5, 8, 9

R. (9) For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of heaven,
the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.

R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

They have poured out their blood like water
round about Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?

R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.

R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake. 

R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.

Gospel 
Matthew 7:21-29

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

"He carried off all the treasures of the temple of the Lord and those of the palace." –2 Kings 24:13

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem and destroyed it. He captured the Israelite leaders, carried off the treasures of the Temple, and exiled eighteen-thousand people. Is Satan doing something similar to the Church today?

Many of our religious leaders seem captured by the religion of our day, secular humanism. They even look down on orthodox Christianity.

The evil one has also carried off many treasures of the Temple. Mass is celebrated less frequently, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation is ignored by many. Some pastors rarely preach God's Word but merely tickle people's ears (2 Tm 4:3). Also missing are over half the registered Catholics from Sunday Mass.

Finally, Satan has exiled many, many thousands of Christians by seducing them to go back into the world. The Lord has chosen us out of the world (Jn 15:19), so the world is not our home. Don't let history repeat itself. Repent!

PRAYER: Father, may I learn from others' mistakes rather than make my own.

PROMISE: "Anyone who hears My words and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on rock." –Mt 7:24

PRAISE: Mariano, a Christian businessman, witnesses to every customer with whom he deals. His secret of evangelization: "I listen attentively to them and am interested in what is going on in their life. Soon, when they return the favor, I tell them what Jesus is doing in my life."

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Wednesday, June 25 2014; Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 373

Reading 1
2 Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3

The high priest Hilkiah informed the scribe Shaphan,
“I have found the book of the law in the temple of the LORD.”
Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.
Then the scribe Shaphan went to the king and reported,
“Your servants have smelted down the metals available in the temple
and have consigned them to the master workmen
in the temple of the LORD.”
The scribe Shaphan also informed the king
that the priest Hilkiah had given him a book,
and then read it aloud to the king.
When the king heard the contents of the book of the law,
he tore his garments and issued this command to Hilkiah the priest,
Ahikam, son of Shaphan,
Achbor, son of Micaiah, the scribe Shaphan,
and the king’s servant Asaiah:
“Go, consult the LORD for me, for the people, for all Judah,
about the stipulations of this book that has been found,
for the anger of the LORD has been set furiously ablaze against us,
because our fathers did not obey the stipulations of this book,
nor fulfill our written obligations.”

The king then had all the elders of Judah
and of Jerusalem summoned together before him.
The king went up to the temple of the LORD with all the men of Judah
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem:
priests, prophets, and all the people, small and great.
He had the entire contents of the book of the covenant
that had been found in the temple of the LORD, read out to them. 
Standing by the column, the king made a covenant before the LORD
that they would follow him
and observe his ordinances, statutes and decrees
with their whole hearts and souls,
thus reviving the terms of the covenant
which were written in this book.
And all the people stood as participants in the covenant.

Responsorial Psalm 
Psalm 119:33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40

R. (33a) Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Instruct me, O LORD, in the way of your statutes,
that I may exactly observe them.

R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.

R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight. 

R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Incline my heart to your decrees
and not to gain.

R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Turn away my eyes from seeing what is vain:
by your way give me life.

R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your justice give me life.

R. Teach me the way of your decrees, O Lord.

Gospel 
Matthew 7:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down
and thrown into the fire.
So by their fruits you will know them.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: RAISING YOUR "RENT"

"When the king had heard the contents of the book of the law, he tore his garments." –2 Kings 22:11

When King Josiah heard the book of the law read, he rent his garments. Josiah knew that God's people were accountable to obey God's Word whether they cared enough to know it or not. He also knew that God's people were not obeying God's Word and thereby were under condemnation (2 Kgs 22:13). Thus, in deep sorrow for sin and in dread of punishment, Josiah rent his garments.

The prophetess Huldah prophesied regarding Josiah and his rending of his garments: "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: As for the threats you have heard, because you were heartsick and have humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard My threats that this place and its inhabitants would become a desolation and a curse; because you tore your garments and wept before Me; I in turn have listened, says the Lord" (2 Kgs 22:18-19). Josiah was forgiven his disobedience of God's Word, and he was also spared seeing the punishing of God's people (2 Kgs 22:20).

We too have disobeyed God's Word, and therefore we have "a fearful expectation of judgment and a flaming fire to consume the adversaries of God" (Heb 10:27). "Yet even now, says the Lord, return to Me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God. For gracious and merciful is He, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment" (Jl 2:12-13). "Rend your hearts!" (Jl 2:13)

PRAYER: Father, send the Holy Spirit to convict me of sin (Jn 16:8).

PROMISE: "You will know them by their deeds." –Mt 7:16

PRAISE: Simon, an agnostic, went to Linda's church in hopes of getting a date with her. To his surprise, the pastor's preaching touched him so deeply that he became a Catholic. He also married Linda.

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Tuesday, June 24 2014; Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Reading 1
Isaiah 49:1-6

¹ Coasts and islands, listen to me, pay attention, distant peoples. Yahweh called me when I was in the womb, before my birth he had pronounced my name.

² He made my mouth like a sharp sword, he hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into a sharpened arrow and concealed me in his quiver.

³ He said to me, 'Israel, you are my servant, through whom I shall manifest my glory.'

⁴ But I said, 'My toil has been futile, I have exhausted myself for nothing, to no purpose.' Yet all the while my cause was with Yahweh and my reward with my God.

⁵ And now Yahweh has spoken, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him and to re-unite Israel to him;-I shall be honoured in Yahweh's eyes, and my God has been my strength.-

⁶ He said, 'It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I shall make you a light to the nations so that my salvation may reach the remotest parts of earth.'

Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 139:1-3, 13-14, 14-15

¹ [For the choirmaster Of David Psalm] Yahweh, you examine me and know me,

² you know when I sit, when I rise, you understand my thoughts from afar.

³ You watch when I walk or lie down, you know every detail of my conduct.

¹³ You created my inmost self, knit me together in my mother's womb.

¹⁴ For so many marvels I thank you; a wonder am I, and all your works are wonders. You knew me through and through,

¹⁵ my being held no secrets from you, when I was being formed in secret, textured in the depths of the earth.

Reading 2
Acts 13:22-26

²² he deposed him and raised up David to be king, whom he attested in these words, "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will perform my entire will."

²³ To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David's descendants, Jesus, as Saviour,

²⁴ whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel.

²⁵ Before John ended his course he said, "I am not the one you imagine me to be; there is someone coming after me whose sandal I am not fit to undo."

²⁶ 'My brothers, sons of Abraham's race, and all you god fearers, this message of salvation is meant for you.

Gospel
Luke 1:57-66, 80

⁵⁷ The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son;

⁵⁸ and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had lavished on her his faithful love, they shared her joy.

⁵⁹ Now it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,

⁶⁰ but his mother spoke up. 'No,' she said, 'he is to be called John.'

⁶¹ They said to her, 'But no one in your family has that name,'

⁶² and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called.

⁶³ The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, 'His name is John.' And they were all astonished.

⁶⁴ At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God.

⁶⁵ All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea.

⁶⁶ All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. 'What will this child turn out to be?' they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.

⁸⁰ Meanwhile the child grew up and his spirit grew strong. And he lived in the desert until the day he appeared openly to Israel.

REFLECTION

SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: YOU AND THE NATIONS

"I will make you a light to the nations, that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth." –Isaiah 49:6

God has raised up multitudes of incredibly zealous and dedicated people who for years have passed on One Bread, One Body to others because of their love of God's Word and of Holy Mass. Through God's grace, these teachings "become known afar off" (Sir 24:30) and, incredibly, reach many throughout the world. The Lord has raised up others who type, edit, print, post, and link these teachings for the world to read. All of these blessed people are "a light to the nations." God has enabled our humble ministry to "reach to the ends of the earth" (Is 49:6).

What about you? Do you consider yourself too insignificant for Almighty God to use powerfully? We are all unworthy to serve Jesus (Acts 13:25), but that doesn't stop God from using us powerfully. You are, like St. John the Baptizer, a prophet by virtue of your baptism (Catechism, 1268). You are even greater than John because of your faith in Jesus (Mt 11:11). God is telling you: "You are My servant...through whom I show My glory" (Is 49:3). Allow the Lord to shine through you as He wills.

PRAYER: Father, I am totally Yours. Be glorified through my life.

PROMISE: "His mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God." –Lk 1:64

PRAISE: St. John the Baptizer gave encouragement to his mother and praise to his Savior even before he was born.

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Monday, June 23 2014; Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 371

Reading 1
2 Kings17:5-8, 13-15a, 18

Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, occupied the whole land
and attacked Samaria, which he besieged for three years.
In the ninth year of Hoshea, king of Israel
the king of Assyria took Samaria,
and deported the children of Israel to Assyria,
setting them in Halah, at the Habor, a river of Gozan,
and the cities of the Medes.

This came about because the children of Israel sinned against the LORD,
their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt,
from under the domination of Pharaoh, king of Egypt,
and because they venerated other gods.
They followed the rites of the nations
whom the LORD had cleared out of the way of the children of Israel
and the kings of Israel whom they set up.

And though the LORD warned Israel and Judah
by every prophet and seer,
“Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments and statutes,
in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your fathers
and which I sent you by my servants the prophets,”
they did not listen, but were as stiff-necked as their fathers,
who had not believed in the LORD, their God.
They rejected his statutes,
the covenant which he had made with their fathers,
and the warnings which he had given them, till,
in his great anger against Israel,
the LORD put them away out of his sight.
Only the tribe of Judah was left.

Responsorial Psalm 
Psalm 60:3, 4-5, 12-13

R. (7b) Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

O God, you have rejected us and broken our defenses;
you have been angry; rally us!

R. Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

You have rocked the country and split it open;
repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering.
You have made your people feel hardships;
you have given us stupefying wine. 

R. Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

Have not you, O God, rejected us,
so that you go not forth, O God, with our armies?
Give us aid against the foe,
for worthless is the help of men. 

R. Help us with your right hand, O Lord, and answer us.

Gospel
Matthew 7:1-5

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
For as you judge, so will you be judged,
and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother,
‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’
while the wooden beam is in your eye?
You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: LEARNING FROM SINNERS

"The Lord put them away out of His sight. Only the tribe of Judah was left." –2 Kings 17:18

The kingdom of Israel received the wages of its sins, that is, death (Rm 6:23). The Israelites "rejected His (God's) statutes, the covenant which He had made with their fathers, and the warnings which He had given them...till, in His great anger against Israel, the Lord put them away out of His sight. Only the tribe of Judah was left" (2 Kgs 17:15, 18).

The culture in which we live has been called by Pope John Paul II a "culture of death." Our culture has begun to be paid the wages for its sins of idolatry, rebellion, racism, abortion, unforgiveness, and selfishness. Like the tribe of Judah, only a few Christians, families, marriages, and churches are left that have not been destroyed or warped.

Judah did not learn from the self-destruction of the kingdom of Israel. It continued to sin and eventually destroyed itself. Will we, the survivors in our culture of death, take the plank of sin out of our own eyes (Mt 7:5) and escape destruction, or will we let ourselves be sucked into the sinkhole of sin?

Sin is naturally contagious. The misery of sinners loves company. However, God's grace is sufficient (2 Cor 12:9). We have the grace to repent, be different, be uncontaminated, and live holy lives. Go to Confession at the earliest opportunity. Do not destroy yourself.

PRAYER: Father, I accept Jesus as my Justice and thereby receive Your mercy.

PROMISE: "The measure with which you measure will be used to measure you." –Mt 7:2

PRAISE: Louise led her kidnapper to give his life to Jesus. He felt Jesus take away the hatred from his life.

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Sunday, June 22 2014; Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

Lectionary: 167

Reading 1 
Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a

Moses said to the people:
"Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God,
has directed all your journeying in the desert,
so as to test you by affliction
and find out whether or not it was your intention
to keep his commandments. 
He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger,
and then fed you with manna,
a food unknown to you and your fathers,
in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live,
but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD.

"Do not forget the LORD, your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
that place of slavery;
who guided you through the vast and terrible desert
with its saraph serpents and scorpions,
its parched and waterless ground;
who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock
and fed you in the desert with manna,
a food unknown to your fathers."

Responsorial Psalm 
Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

R/ (12) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R/ Alleluia.

Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.

R/ Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R/ Alleluia.

He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!

R/ Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R/ Alleluia.

He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.

R/ Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R/ Alleluia.

Reading 2 
1 Corinthians 10:16-17

Brothers and sisters:
The cup of blessing that we bless,
is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?
The bread that we break,
is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
Because the loaf of bread is one,
we, though many, are one body,
for we all partake of the one loaf.

Sequence - Lauda Sion

Laud, O Zion, your salvation,
Laud with hymns of exultation,
Christ, your king and shepherd true:

Bring him all the praise you know,
He is more than you bestow.
Never can you reach his due.

Special theme for glad thanksgiving
Is the quick’ning and the living
Bread today before you set:

From his hands of old partaken,
As we know, by faith unshaken,
Where the Twelve at supper met.

Full and clear ring out your chanting,
Joy nor sweetest grace be wanting,
From your heart let praises burst:

For today the feast is holden,
When the institution olden
Of that supper was rehearsed.

Here the new law’s new oblation,
By the new king’s revelation,
Ends the form of ancient rite:

Now the new the old effaces,
Truth away the shadow chases,
Light dispels the gloom of night.

What he did at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
His memorial ne’er to cease:

And his rule for guidance taking,
Bread and wine we hallow, making
Thus our sacrifice of peace.

This the truth each Christian learns,
Bread into his flesh he turns,
To his precious blood the wine:

Sight has fail’d, nor thought conceives,
But a dauntless faith believes,
Resting on a pow’r divine.

Here beneath these signs are hidden
Priceless things to sense forbidden;
Signs, not things are all we see:

Blood is poured and flesh is broken,
Yet in either wondrous token
Christ entire we know to be.

Whoso of this food partakes,
Does not rend the Lord nor breaks;
Christ is whole to all that taste:

Thousands are, as one, receivers,
One, as thousands of believers,
Eats of him who cannot waste.

Bad and good the feast are sharing,
Of what divers dooms preparing,
Endless death, or endless life.

Life to these, to those damnation,
See how like participation
Is with unlike issues rife.

When the sacrament is broken,
Doubt not, but believe ‘tis spoken,
That each sever’d outward token
doth the very whole contain.

Nought the precious gift divides,
Breaking but the sign betides
Jesus still the same abides,
still unbroken does remain.

The shorter form of the sequence begins here.

Lo! the angel’s food is given
To the pilgrim who has striven;
see the children’s bread from heaven,
which on dogs may not be spent.

Truth the ancient types fulfilling,
Isaac bound, a victim willing,
Paschal lamb, its lifeblood spilling,
manna to the fathers sent.

Very bread, good shepherd, tend us,
Jesu, of your love befriend us,
You refresh us, you defend us,
Your eternal goodness send us
In the land of life to see.

You who all things can and know,
Who on earth such food bestow,
Grant us with your saints, though lowest,
Where the heav’nly feast you show,
Fellow heirs and guests to be. Amen. Alleluia.

Gospel 
John 6:51-58

Jesus said to the Jewish crowds:
"I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my flesh for the life of the world."

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,
"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 
Jesus said to them,
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you do not have life within you. 
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. 
This is the bread that came down from heaven. 
Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died,
whoever eats this bread will live forever."

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: COMMUNION DISTRIBUTORS

"Is not the bread we break a sharing in the body of Christ?" –1 Corinthians 10:16

This book, One Bread, One Body, is intended to motivate us to celebrate Mass and receive Holy Communion daily, or as often as possible. Therefore, the feast of Corpus Christi is of special significance for us. We pray that everyone who has ever read this book is totally committed to Jesus and in a deep communion with Him. Then it would be normal to express this communion in the way Jesus taught us at the Last Supper.

As we do this in memory of Him (1 Cor 11:24), we grow into deeper communion with Jesus. Through Jesus, we have communion with the Father and in the Spirit. We are also in communion with all those who receive Holy Communion. "We, many though we are, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf" (1 Cor 10:17).

If we could receive and give communion in the deepest sense of the word, our communions would be catalysts to change the world. Nations would be united. Denominations would crumble, and all Christians would be one as Jesus and the Father are one (Jn 17:21). We would see deep unity within church congregations instead of pettiness and jealousies. Marriages and families would be one in mind and heart. The whole world would be radically and quickly changed into the image and likeness of God if we received and distributed communion in the deepest and fullest way.

PRAYER: Jesus, give me a desire to receive You daily in Holy Communion.

PROMISE: "For My flesh is real food and My blood real drink. The man who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him." –Jn 6:55-56

PRAISE: "O body of Christ! O blood of the Lord!"

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Saturday, June 21 2014; Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious

Lectionary: 370

Reading 1
2 Chronicles 24:17-15

After the death of Jehoiada,
the princes of Judah came and paid homage to King Joash,
and the king then listened to them.
They forsook the temple of the LORD, the God of their fathers,
and began to serve the sacred poles and the idols;
and because of this crime of theirs,
wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem.
Although prophets were sent to them to convert them to the LORD,
the people would not listen to their warnings.
Then the Spirit of God possessed Zechariah,
son of Jehoiada the priest.
He took his stand above the people and said to them:
“God says, ‘Why are you transgressing the LORD’s commands,
so that you cannot prosper?
Because you have abandoned the LORD, he has abandoned you.’”
But they conspired against him,
and at the king’s order they stoned him to death
in the court of the LORD’s temple.
Thus King Joash was unmindful of the devotion shown him
by Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, and slew his son.
And as Zechariah was dying, he said, “May the LORD see and avenge.”

At the turn of the year a force of Arameans came up against Joash.
They invaded Judah and Jerusalem,
did away with all the princes of the people,
and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.
Though the Aramean force came with few men,
the LORD surrendered a very large force into their power,
because Judah had abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers.
So punishment was meted out to Joash.
After the Arameans had departed from him,
leaving him in grievous suffering,
his servants conspired against him
because of the murder of the son of Jehoiada the priest.
He was buried in the City of David,
but not in the tombs of the kings.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 89:4-5, 29-30, 31-32, 33-34

R. (29a) For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations.”

R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

“Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm.
I will make his posterity endure forever
and his throne as the days of heaven.”

R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

“If his sons forsake my law
and walk not according to my ordinances,
If they violate my statutes
and keep not my commands.”

R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

“I will punish their crime with a rod
and their guilt with stripes.
Yet my mercy I will not take from him,
nor will I belie my faithfulness.”

R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.

Gospel
Matthew 6:24-34

Jesus said to his disciples:
“No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’
or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: WHEN THE MAJORITY DOESN'T RULE

"Though the Aramean force came with few men, the Lord surrendered a very large force into their power, because Judah had abandoned the Lord." –2 Chronicles 24:24

How did a few atheists and secular humanists stop prayer in the public schools despite the fact that the great majority of Americans wanted prayer in the schools? How did a few anti-life people get control of the Supreme Court, mass media, Congress, presidency, and business community when twenty-five years ago they were a very small minority? How can a few homosexual activists change our government's definition of the family and make sodomy a civil right despite the fact that a little over a decade ago these things were unthinkable for a vast majority of Americans?

A large force is defeated by a few people when the "moral majority" is not very moral, when many of them have abandoned the Lord (see 2 Chr 24:24; see also Jos 7:3ff). When we transgress the Lord's commands, we cannot prosper (2 Chr 24:20).

Because we "have abandoned the Lord, He has abandoned" us (2 Chr 24:20). Only when we are under the Lord's authority are we in authority over Satan and the forces of evil. Only the totally committed win. Only the obedient conquer (see 2 Cor 10:6). Repent! Return to power – God's power.

PRAYER: Father, may we take back this country for You.

PROMISE: "No man can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other or be attentive to one and despise the other. You cannot give yourself to God and money." –Mt 6:24

PRAISE: St. Aloysius died a young man of twenty-three who triumphed, "unspotted by the world" (Jas 1:27) and immersed in prayer and acts of penance.

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Friday, June 20 2014; Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 369

Reading 1
2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20

When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah,
saw that her son was dead,
she began to kill off the whole royal family.
But Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah,
took Joash, his son, and spirited him away, along with his nurse,
from the bedroom where the princes were about to be slain.
She concealed him from Athaliah, and so he did not die.
For six years he remained hidden in the temple of the LORD,
while Athaliah ruled the land.

But in the seventh year,
Jehoiada summoned the captains of the Carians
and of the guards.
He had them come to him in the temple of the LORD,
exacted from them a sworn commitment,
and then showed them the king’s son.

The captains did just as Jehoiada the priest commanded.
Each one with his men, both those going on duty for the sabbath
and those going off duty that week,
came to Jehoiada the priest.
He gave the captains King David’s spears and shields,
which were in the temple of the LORD.
And the guards, with drawn weapons,
lined up from the southern to the northern limit of the enclosure,
surrounding the altar and the temple on the king’s behalf.
Then Jehoiada led out the king’s son
and put the crown and the insignia upon him.
They proclaimed him king and anointed him,
clapping their hands and shouting, “Long live the king!”

Athaliah heard the noise made by the people,
and appeared before them in the temple of the LORD.
When she saw the king standing by the pillar, as was the custom,
and the captains and trumpeters near him,
with all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets,
she tore her garments and cried out, “Treason, treason!”
Then Jehoiada the priest instructed the captains
in command of the force:
“Bring her outside through the ranks.
If anyone follows her,” he added, “let him die by the sword.”
He had given orders that she
should not be slain in the temple of the LORD.
She was led out forcibly to the horse gate of the royal palace,
where she was put to death.

Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD as one party
and the king and the people as the other,
by which they would be the LORD’s people;
and another covenant, between the king and the people.
Thereupon all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal
and demolished it.
They shattered its altars and images completely,
and slew Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars.
Jehoiada appointed a detachment for the temple of the LORD.
All the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet,
now that Athaliah had been slain with the sword
at the royal palace.

Responsorial Psalm 
Psalm 132:11, 12, 13-14, 17-18

R. (13) The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

The LORD swore to David
a firm promise from which he will not withdraw:
“Your own offspring
I will set upon your throne.”

R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

“If your sons keep my covenant
and the decrees which I shall teach them,
Their sons, too, forever
shall sit upon your throne.”

R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

For the LORD has chosen Zion;
he prefers her for his dwelling.
“Zion is my resting place forever;
in her will I dwell, for I prefer her.”

R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

“In her will I make a horn to sprout forth for David;
I will place a lamp for my anointed.
His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but upon him my crown shall shine.”

R. The Lord has chosen Zion for his dwelling.

Gospel 
Matthew 6:19-23

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

“The lamp of the body is the eye.
If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.
And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: TREASURY BONDS

"Make it your practice instead to store up heavenly treasure, which neither moths nor rust corrode nor thieves break in and steal." –Matthew 6:20

Athaliah, the wicked queen of Israel, stored up earthly treasure. She built up her treasury by killing off the whole royal family (2 Kgs 11:1). However, wealth gained out of wickedness is like a flash flood: it rises quickly, flourishes for a short time, and then "suddenly, once and for all, comes to an end" (Sir 40:13-14). This proved true for Athaliah, as she suddenly lost not only her wealth, but also her life. The point is that earthly treasure can quickly vanish (Mt 6:19; Lk 12:16ff). Anyone who lived through the Great Depression in the U.S. in 1929 can testify to that.

Jehosheba's courageous act of hiding the baby king, Joash, in the temple (2 Kgs 11:3) prefigures Jesus' admonition to store up heavenly treasure (Mt 6:20). Heavenly treasure, such as acts of charity, almsgiving, and prayer, is also "hidden in the temple of the Lord" (2 Kgs 11:3) and cannot be destroyed (Mt 6:20). Just as a United States savings bond reaches full financial maturity after a period of time, so did Jehosheba's treasure mature as the boy-king Joash grew up in the safety of the temple (2 Kgs 11:4).

Our heavenly treasure will always yield a return. It will never be lost or stolen. It is like seed a farmer sowed in a field. Day after day, it slowly matures without our knowing how it happens (Mk 4:26ff). When the time is ready, our heavenly treasure yields a sure, indestructible return.

PRAYER: Father, may I use my finances to bring many into Your kingdom.

PROMISE: "Remember, where your treasure is, there your heart is also." –Mt 6:21

PRAISE: Julie put aside her plans for a career as a pharmacist in order to raise and home-school her eight children.

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Thursday, June 19 2014; Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 368

Reading 1
Sirach 48:1-14

Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah
whose words were as a flaming furnace.
Their staff of bread he shattered,
in his zeal he reduced them to straits;
By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavens
and three times brought down fire.
How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!
Whose glory is equal to yours?
You brought a dead man back to life
from the nether world, by the will of the LORD.
You sent kings down to destruction,
and easily broke their power into pieces.
You brought down nobles, from their beds of sickness.
You heard threats at Sinai,
at Horeb avenging judgments.
You anointed kings who should inflict vengeance,
and a prophet as your successor.
You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire,
in a chariot with fiery horses.
You were destined, it is written, in time to come
to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,
To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,
and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.
Blessed is he who shall have seen you 
And who falls asleep in your friendship.
For we live only in our life,
but after death our name will not be such.
O Elijah, enveloped in the whirlwind!

Then Elisha, filled with the twofold portion of his spirit,
wrought many marvels by his mere word.
During his lifetime he feared no one,
nor was any man able to intimidate his will.
Nothing was beyond his power;
beneath him flesh was brought back into life.
In life he performed wonders,
and after death, marvelous deeds.

Responsorial Psalm 
Psalm 97:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7

R. (12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. 

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes round about.
His lightnings illumine the world;
the earth sees and trembles.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

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.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

All who worship graven things are put to shame,
who glory in the things of nought;
all gods are prostrate before him.

R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Gospel
Matthew 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:

‘Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.’

“If you forgive others their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: PRAYER-POWER

"This is how you are to pray: 'Our Father in heaven...' " –Matthew 6:9

Elijah's "words were as a flaming furnace" (Sir 48:1). "By God's word he shut up the heavens and three times brought down fire" (Sir 48:3). He "brought a dead man back to life" (Sir 48:5) and "sent kings down to destruction" (Sir 48:6). Elijah was awesome (Sir 48:4).

Nevertheless, "Elijah was only a man like us" (Jas 5:17). In fact, the least born into the kingdom of Jesus is greater than Elijah (Mt 11:11, 14). We can do greater by far than Elijah or even Jesus (Jn 14:12). Our prayer is "powerful indeed" (Jas 5:16) because in prayer we talk to our Father, Who loves His children more than any father ever loved his children. Our heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask Him (Mt 6:8) and loves us more than we love ourselves. Our Father even sent our older Brother Jesus to die for love of us.

So if we, with all our sins, know how to give our children what is good, how much more will our "heavenly Father give good things to anyone who asks Him" (Mt 7:11).

PRAYER: Father, may I expect my prayer to change the world.

PROMISE: "If you forgive the faults of others, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours. If you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive you." –Mt 6:14-15

PRAISE: St. Romuald discerned that he should offer his life to the Lord and enter the monastery to do penance for his father, who murdered a relative in a duel.

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Wednesday, June 18 2014; Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 367

Reading 1 
2 Kings 2:1, 6-14

When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind,
he and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here;
the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.”
“As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live,
I will not leave you,” Elisha replied.
And so the two went on together.
Fifty of the guild prophets followed and
when the two stopped at the Jordan,
they stood facing them at a distance.
Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up
and struck the water, which divided,
and both crossed over on dry ground.

When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha,
“Ask for whatever I may do for you, before I am taken from you.”
Elisha answered, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.”
“You have asked something that is not easy,” Elijah replied.
“Still, if you see me taken up from you,
your wish will be granted; otherwise not.”
As they walked on conversing,
a flaming chariot and flaming horses came between them,
and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
When Elisha saw it happen he cried out,
“My father! my father! Israel’s chariots and drivers!”
But when he could no longer see him,
Elisha gripped his own garment and tore it in two.

Then he picked up Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from him,
and went back and stood at the bank of the Jordan.
Wielding the mantle that had fallen from Elijah,
Elisha struck the water in his turn and said,
“Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?”
When Elisha struck the water it divided and he crossed over.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 31:20, 21, 24

R. (25) Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,
And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the children of men.

R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.

R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant,
but more than requites those who act proudly.

R. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.

Gospel 
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform righteous deeds
in order that people may see them;
otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in secret.
And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is hidden.
And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: STAYING POWER

"You have asked for something that is not easy." –2 Kings 2:10

Elijah was about to be taken up to God. Elisha, his successor, asked Elijah: "May I receive a double portion of your spirit?" (2 Kgs 2:9). Elijah told him that he had "asked for something that is not easy" (2 Kgs 2:10). However, Elisha did receive what he asked for, because he persevered and stayed with Elijah, no matter what. Mary Magdalene stayed with Jesus, whether she had to be at the foot of the cross or at His tomb (Jn 19:25; 20:1ff). Both Elisha and Mary received power because they stayed.

Often in the beginning of a new ministry or spiritual venture, there is a period of freshness, a "spiritual honeymoon." Like St. Peter, we want to stay in the "honeymoon" graces of the mountaintop (see Mk 9:5). Yet Jesus moves elsewhere (Mk 1:38). As His disciples, we follow in His footsteps (Lk 9:23), for there can be no joy apart from Jesus (Jn 15:5). If Jesus moves on, we stay by His side. Wherever He leads, we "will not leave" Him (2 Kgs 2:6).

Staying with Jesus seems easy on the spiritual honeymoon. Eventually, however, Jesus goes to places we'd just as soon not go. As He leads us to the cross, we're tempted to stay put rather than stay with Him. Yet if we don't stay with Jesus, the power of the Spirit doesn't stay with us.

Staying with Him is "something that is not easy." Jesus, the Suffering Servant, looks at us and asks, "Can you stay with Me, no matter what?" (see Mk 14:37) Where is Jesus leading you now? Will you stay with Him?

PRAYER: Jesus, "I will not leave You" (2 Kgs 2:6).

PROMISE: "Keep your deeds of mercy secret, and your Father Who sees in secret will repay you." –Mt 6:4

PRAISE: James stayed with his wife and his marriage vows even when it seemed most difficult.

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Tuesday, June 17 2014; Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 366

Reading 1 
1 Kings 21:17-29

After the death of Naboth the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite:
“Start down to meet Ahab, king of Israel,
who rules in Samaria.
He will be in the vineyard of Naboth,
of which he has come to take possession.
This is what you shall tell him,
‘The LORD says: After murdering, do you also take possession?
For this, the LORD says:
In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth,
the dogs shall lick up your blood, too.’”
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me out, my enemy?”
“Yes,” he answered.
“Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the LORD’s sight,
I am bringing evil upon you: I will destroy you
and will cut off every male in Ahab’s line,
whether slave or freeman, in Israel.
I will make your house like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat,
and like that of Baasha, son of Ahijah,
because of how you have provoked me by leading Israel into sin.”
(Against Jezebel, too, the LORD declared,
“The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.”)
“When one of Ahab’s line dies in the city,
dogs will devour him;
when one of them dies in the field,
the birds of the sky will devour him.”
Indeed, no one gave himself up to the doing of evil
in the sight of the LORD as did Ahab,
urged on by his wife Jezebel.
He became completely abominable by following idols,
just as the Amorites had done,
whom the LORD drove out before the children of Israel.

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments
and put on sackcloth over his bare flesh.
He fasted, slept in the sackcloth, and went about subdued.
Then the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite,
“Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me?
Since he has humbled himself before me,
I will not bring the evil in his time.
I will bring the evil upon his house during the reign of his son.”

Responsorial Psalm 
Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 11 and 16

R. (see 3a) Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me. 

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

For I acknowledge my offense,
and my sin is before me always:
“Against you only have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight.”

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Turn away your face from my sins,
and blot out all my guilt.
Free me from blood guilt, O God, my saving God;
then my tongue shall revel in your justice.

R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Gospel 
Matthew 5:43-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: LORD, HAVE MERCY

"Then the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, 'Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before Me?' " –1 Kings 21:28-29

The Lord is so merciful that, when we even begin to repent, He pours out His merciful love. Ahab was the most wicked man that had ever lived up to that time (1 Kgs 21:25). He had murdered Naboth just for a garden site. He would fit in well with Stalin or Hitler. Nonetheless, when Elijah prophesied the downfall of Ahab and his family, Ahab "tore his garments and put on sackcloth over his bare flesh. He fasted, slept in the sackcloth, and went about subdued" (1 Kgs 21:27). The Lord was pleased with Ahab's humility and fasting. He promised: "Since [Ahab] has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his time" (1 Kgs 21:29).

When one of the criminals crucified next to Jesus stopped blaspheming the Lord and asked Jesus to remember him, Jesus with His dying breath promised the man paradise with Him that day (Lk 23:43).

Jesus died to meet the demands of justice. Now He wants to do nothing but extend mercy to us. Let the Lord give you what you don't deserve: forgiveness, love, and mercy.

PRAYER: Jesus, may I not waste Your death on the cross for me (see Gal 2:21).

PROMISE: "My command to you is: love your enemies, pray for your persecutors. This will prove that you are sons of your heavenly Father, for His sun rises on the bad and the good, He rains on the just and the unjust." –Mt 5:44-45

PRAISE: Rhonda had an abortion. She repented and turned to Jesus. Now she is happily married with six children.

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Monday, June 16 2014; Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 365

Reading 1 
1 Kings 21:1-16

Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel
next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.
Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden,
since it is close by, next to my house.
I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or,
if you prefer, I will give you its value in money.”
Naboth answered him, “The LORD forbid
that I should give you my ancestral heritage.”
Ahab went home disturbed and angry at the answer
Naboth the Jezreelite had made to him:
“I will not give you my ancestral heritage.”
Lying down on his bed, he turned away from food and would not eat.

His wife Jezebel came to him and said to him,
“Why are you so angry that you will not eat?”
He answered her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite
and said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard, or,
if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in exchange.’
But he refused to let me have his vineyard.”
His wife Jezebel said to him,
“A fine ruler over Israel you are indeed!
Get up. 
Eat and be cheerful.
I will obtain the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”

So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and,
having sealed them with his seal,
sent them to the elders and to the nobles
who lived in the same city with Naboth.
This is what she wrote in the letters:
“Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people.
Next, get two scoundrels to face him
and accuse him of having cursed God and king.
Then take him out and stone him to death.”
His fellow citizens—the elders and nobles who dwelt in his city—
did as Jezebel had ordered them in writing,
through the letters she had sent them.
They proclaimed a fast and placed Naboth at the head of the people.
Two scoundrels came in and confronted him with the accusation,
“Naboth has cursed God and king.”
And they led him out of the city and stoned him to death.
Then they sent the information to Jezebel
that Naboth had been stoned to death.

When Jezebel learned that Naboth had been stoned to death,
she said to Ahab,
“Go on, take possession of the vineyard
of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you,
because Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
On hearing that Naboth was dead, Ahab started off on his way
down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite,
to take possession of it.

Responsorial Psalm 
Psalm 5:2-3ab, 4b-6a, 6b-7

R. (2b) Lord, listen to my groaning.

Hearken to my words, O LORD,
attend to my sighing.
Heed my call for help,
my king and my God!

R. Lord, listen to my groaning.

At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight. 

R. Lord, listen to my groaning.

You hate all evildoers.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.

R. Lord, listen to my groaning.

Gospel 
Matthew 5:38-42

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: "CONQUER EVIL WITH GOOD" (Rm 12:21)

"Do not resist one who is evil." –Matthew 5:39, RSV-CE

We disciples of Jesus no longer want to get even with our enemies and persecutors. Instead, our battle is against the kingdom of evil (Eph 6:12) and our goal is to reclaim souls stolen from the Lord and restore them to His kingdom. Our aim is to conquer souls for Jesus, by using good means and not evil ones (Rm 12:21).

Because this is our overriding goal, "why not put up with injustice, and let [ourselves] be cheated?" (1 Cor 6:7) What does it matter if we have to walk an extra mile or do without some things? Did someone take our shirt? (Mt 5:40) Jesus told us not to bring an extra shirt when we serve Him (Mt 10:10), so He is responsible to provide another shirt that we might continue to serve Him (Mt 6:30; 10:9ff). "He Who calls us is trustworthy, therefore He will do it" (1 Thes 5:24).

"Beloved, do not avenge yourselves; leave that to God's wrath, for it is written: 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay,' says the Lord" (Rm 12:19). Getting even with our enemies is contrary to God's mercy. Only because Jesus led the way in trusting the Father and living without vengeance can we hope to follow in His footsteps.

"Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good" (Rm 12:21). By following Jesus in loving evildoers, "we are more than conquerors" (Rm 8:37). We conquer the world when we express our belief in Jesus (1 Jn 5:5) by obeying His difficult teachings.

PRAYER: Father, give me the grace to deny myself, take up my cross, love my enemies, do good to those who hate me, and fix my eyes on Jesus so I can follow You in perfect love.

PROMISE: "You, O God, delight not in wickedness; no evil man remains with You." –Ps 5:5

PRAISE: Linda found that praying a "Hail Mary" whenever she thought of a person with whom she had difficulty kept her heart open and loving toward that person.

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Sunday, June 15 2014; The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Lectionary: 164

Reading 1
Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9

Early in the morning Moses went up Mount Sinai
as the LORD had commanded him,
taking along the two stone tablets.

Having come down in a cloud, the LORD stood with Moses there
and proclaimed his name, "LORD."
Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out,
"The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God,
slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity."
Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship.
Then he said, "If I find favor with you, O Lord,
do come along in our company.
This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins,
and receive us as your own."

Responsorial Psalm 
Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

R/ (52b) Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.

R/ Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.

R/ Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

R/ Glory and praise for ever!

Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

R/ Glory and praise for ever!

Reading 2 
2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Brothers and sisters, rejoice. 
Mend your ways, encourage one another,
agree with one another, live in peace,
and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the holy ones greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

Gospel 
John 3:16-18

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: THE MYSTERY AND GLORY OF TRINITARIAN LOVE

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all!" –2 Corinthians 13:13

The Trinity is the heart of divine revelation and of the Christian faith. The Church teaches: "The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in Himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith" (Catechism, 234). Because God is Trinity, we are family, and holiness is being one as the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are One (see Jn 17:21). Because God is three Persons in one God, we, though many, are the one body of Christ (1 Cor 12:12). Because God is the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, we can become children of the Father and cry out in the Spirit, "Abba" ("Father") (Gal 4:6; Rm 8:15), and "Jesus is Lord" (1 Cor 12:3).

The Trinity is the basis of the Church, the Bible, the Creed, the Sacraments, the Beatitudes, etc. We as Christians are constantly living in the Trinity and the Trinity in us (see Jn 17:23). Because God is Trinity, we can live forever in the mystery of His love. "Praise the Holy Trinity, undivided Unity, holy God, mighty God, God immortal, be adored!"

PRAYER: Father, Son, and Spirit, I immerse myself in Your Trinitarian love.

PROMISE: "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him may not die but may have eternal life." –Jn 3:16

PRAISE: Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever!

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