brotherseph

[brotherseph]

Jesus And The Beloved Disciple

May 22, 2021, Saturday Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter - Mass in the Morning (White) FEAST OF SAINT RITA OF CASCIA, RELIGIOUS (White) Cycle A - Year II Lectionary: 302

Reading I Acts 28:16-20, 30-31

When he entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him. Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered he said to them, “My brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or our ancestral customs, I was handed over to the Romans as a prisoner from Jerusalem. After trying my case the Romans wanted to release me, because they found nothing against me deserving the death penalty. But when the Jews objected, I was obliged to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no accusation to make against my own nation. This is the reason, then, I have requested to see you and to speak with you, for it is on account of the hope of Israel that I wear these chains.”  He remained for two full years in his lodgings. He received all who came to him, and with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Responsorial Psalm

11:4, 5 and 7

R.    (see 7b)  The just will gaze on your face, O Lord.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

The LORD is in his holy temple;     the LORD’s throne is in heaven. His eyes behold,     his searching glance is on mankind.

R.    The just will gaze on your face, O Lord.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

The LORD searches the just and the wicked;     the lover of violence he hates. For the LORD is just, he loves just deeds;     the upright shall see his face.

R.    The just will gaze on your face, O Lord.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia Jn 16:7, 13

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord;

he will guide you to all truth.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL Jn 21:20-25

Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?   You follow me.” So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?” It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.

REFLECTION:

The blank page at the end of a bible is for us to write our own gospel! All the books in the world cannot contain responses to the Christian story. Our gospel story begins at birth through the times in life we have, like the apostles, ‘met the Lord’. Maybe today you can give thanks to the Lord for the ways you have found him close in life: in times good and bad. In the journal of life are the love and the action of God in life. And in the Journal of God, our names are written ‘in the book of life.

PRAYER:

Dear God, you have said ‘I know the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope’ (Jeremiah 29:11). When I call on you, my God, come to me. Be my constant guide and companion.

[brotherseph]

Jesus Reinstates Peter

May 21, 2021, Friday Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter (White) Saint Christopher Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs (Red) CYCLE B - YEAR I Lectionary: 301

Reading I Acts 25:13b-21

King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea on a visit to Festus. Since they spent several days there, Festus referred Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There is a man here left in custody by Felix. When I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and demanded his condemnation. I answered them that it was not Roman practice to hand over an accused person before he has faced his accusers and had the opportunity to defend himself against their charge. So when they came together here, I made no delay; the next day I took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in. His accusers stood around him, but did not charge him with any of the crimes I suspected. Instead they had some issues with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died but who Paul claimed was alive. Since I was at a loss how to investigate this controversy, I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these charges. And when Paul appealed that he be held in custody for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”

Responsorial Psalm 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20ab

R.    (19a)  The Lord has established his throne in heaven.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

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

R.    The Lord has established his throne in heaven.

or:

R.    Alleluia. For as the heavens are high above the earth,     so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west,     so far has he put our transgressions from us.

R.    The Lord has established his throne in heaven.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

The LORD has established his throne in heaven,      and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the LORD, all you his angels,     you mighty in strength, who do his bidding.

R.    The Lord has established his throne in heaven.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia Jn 14:26

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all I told you.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL Jn 21:15-19

After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them,  he said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”  He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;  but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

REFLECTION:

Many people repeat often in prayer, ‘Lord you know I love you. It’s a humble prayer because often we feel we don’t live up to our call from God or to the goodness of love we receive in life. We may feel the shame Peter felt on looking at his history of denying his friend, Jesus. God looks into the heart and sees what we would like to be, as well as seeing what we have done in life. Prayer is giving our time to be aware that God is looking into our hearts and loving us for who we are.

PRAYER:

Lord, I see here your unbounded mercy and forgiving love for me. You remind me that everything in the world is redeemable because of your rising from the dead. From your acceptance of me may I learn how to accept others who fail me.

[brotherseph]

Jesus Prays For All Believers

May 20, 2021, Thursday Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter (White) Saint Bernardine of Siena, Priest (White) CYCLE B - YEAR I Lectionary: 300

Reading I Acts 22:30; 23:6-11

Wishing to determine the truth about why Paul was being accused by the Jews, the commander freed him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene. Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them. Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees, so he called out before the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.” When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the group became divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge all three. A great uproar occurred, and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party stood up and sharply argued, “We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” The dispute was so serious that the commander, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst and take him into the compound. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.”

Responsorial Psalm 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

R.    (1)  Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;     I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.” O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,     you it is who hold fast my lot.

R.    Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

I bless the LORD who counsels me;     even in the night my heart exhorts me. I set the LORD ever before me;     with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

R.    Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,     my body, too, abides in confidence; Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,     nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.

R.    Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

You will show me the path to life,     fullness of joys in your presence,     the delights at your right hand forever.

R.    Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia Jn 17:21

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

May they all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you,

that the world may believe that you sent me, says the Lord.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL Jn 17:20-26

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”

REFLECTION:

Many of us live life from the outside in rather than from the inside out. Does the life that I lead reflect my innermost truth, that I am the focus of intense divine loving?

PRAYER:

Jesus is praying for me! I am one of those who believe through the word handed on over the years, person to person in an unbroken chain. I take my place in that honorable line and ask that I may pass on the word in all its truth, remembering that it comes from Jesus.

[brotherseph]

Jesus Prays for Unity

May 19, 2021, Wednesday Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter (White) CYCLE B - YEAR I Lectionary: 299

Reading I Acts 20:28-38

At Miletus, Paul spoke to the presbyters of the Church of Ephesus: “Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, in which you tend the Church of God that he acquired with his own Blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth to draw the disciples away after them. So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day, I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears. And now I commend you to God and to that gracious word of his that can build you up and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated. I have never wanted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You know well that these very hands have served my needs and my companions. In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” When he had finished speaking he knelt down and prayed with them all. They were all weeping loudly as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him, for they were deeply distressed that he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.

Responsorial Psalm 68:29-30, 33-35a, 35bc-36ab

R.    (33a)  Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Show forth, O God, your power,     the power, O God, with which you took our part; For your temple in Jerusalem     let the kings bring you gifts.

R.    Sing to God, O Kingdoms of the earth.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God,     chant praise to the Lord     who rides on the heights of the ancient heavens. Behold, his voice resounds, the voice of power:     “Confess the power of God!”

R.    Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Over Israel is his majesty;     his power is in the skies. Awesome in his sanctuary is God, the God of Israel;     he gives power and strength to his people.

R.    Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia See Jn 17:17b, 17a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Your word, O Lord, is truth; consecrate us in the truth.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL Jn 17:11b-19

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely. I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the Evil One. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth.  Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.”

REFLECTION:

Jesus tells us that we too are ‘sent’ to continue his mission. Friendship with Jesus is being with him, and being sent in his name. Our mission as his followers is in the midst of and in the depths of the world. He wants his love and message inserted in the center of the world, the city, the neighborhood. In following him in mission and love, we are ourselves sanctified. How do I experience this ‘being sent?

PRAYER:

No, Lord, do not take me out of the world. I belong there, with all its messiness, just as you belonged there, and took all the risks it involved. I do not seek a lily-pure existence untouched by the struggle for survival. But I do beg you to protect me from the evil one, from the malice in my own heart.

[brotherseph]

Jesus Prays To Be Glorified

May 18, 2021, Tuesday Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter (White) CYCLE B - YEAR I Lectionary: 298

Reading I

Acts 20:17-27

From Miletus Paul had the presbyters of the Church at Ephesus summoned.  When they came to him, he addressed them, “You know how I lived among you the whole time from the day I first came to the province of Asia. I served the Lord with all humility and with the tears and trials that came to me because of the plots of the Jews, and I did not at all shrink from telling you what was for your benefit, or from teaching you in public or in your homes. I earnestly bore witness for both Jews and Greeks to repentance before God and to faith in our Lord Jesus. But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. What will happen to me there I do not know, except that in one city after another the Holy Spirit has been warning me that imprisonment and hardships await me. Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace. “But now I know that none of you to whom I preached the kingdom during my travels will ever see my face again. And so I solemnly declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God.”

Responsorial Psalm 68:10-11, 20-21

R.    (33a)  Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth. or: R.    Alleluia.

A bountiful rain you showered down, O God, upon your inheritance;     you restored the land when it languished; Your flock settled in it;     in your goodness, O God, you provided it for the needy.

R.    Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth. or: R.    Alleluia.

Blessed day by day be the Lord,     who bears our burdens; God, who is our salvation. God is a saving God for us;     the LORD, my Lord, controls the passageways of death.

R.    Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth. or: R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia Jn 14:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL Jn 17:1-11a

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began. “I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.” REFLECTION:

Jesus speaks from the depths of his heart. He tells us of the Father’s love for him and his love for his Father, who is the heart and core of his very being. The Father’s love continues to be with him right to the end, even to the Cross, to the point of giving his all, his life.

“This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent”. All the life we struggle to know him, through words and parables, and through the world which he has entrusted to us. At no stage can we say that we understand God. Saint Augustine wrote: “Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore do not seek to understand in order to believe, but believe that you may understand”. My human mission is to seek God through every means and to remain a God-seeker until the day when he reveals himself to me face to face.

PRAYER:

God, protect me and those I love. Keep me in the hollow of your hand, and draw me ever more deeply into your friendship.

[brotherseph]

Take Courage

May 17, 2021, Monday Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter (White) CYCLE B - YEAR I Lectionary: 297

Reading I Acts 19:1-8

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior of the country and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples.  He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered him, “We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” He said, “How were you baptized?” They replied, “With the baptism of John.” Paul then said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Altogether there were about twelve men. He entered the synagogue, and for three months debated boldly with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God.

Responsorial Psalm 68:2-3ab, 4-5acd, 6-7ab

R.    (33a)  Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

God arises; his enemies are scattered,     and those who hate him flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so are they driven;     as wax melts before the fire.

R.    Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

But the just rejoice and exult before God;     they are glad and rejoice. Sing to God, chant praise to his name;     whose name is the LORD.

R.    Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

The father of orphans and the defender of widows     is God in his holy dwelling. God gives a home to the forsaken;     he leads forth prisoners to prosperity.

R.    Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia Col 3:1

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL Jn 16:29-33

The disciples said to Jesus, “Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

REFLECTION:

Do you become discouraged by your failures? Do you trust that with God you can overcome obstacles and challenges in your life, and be a unique beneficial presence of God’s love in the world?

PRAYER:

Lord, let me take comfort from your patience with your disciples. You looked past their present failures to see what they would become – bearing steadfast witness to you as they faced torture and death. Grant me the grace to be forever beginning, forever becoming – untrammeled by my past failures, always open to growth and change.

[brotherseph]

The Ascension of Jesus

May 16, 2021, Sunday SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD (White) CATHOLIC COMMUNICATION'S SUNDAY CYCLE B - YEAR I Lectionary: 58

Reading I Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

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

R. (6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

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 mounts his throne to shouts of joy:  a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

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 mounts his throne to shouts of joy:  a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

For king of all the earth is God;     sing hymns of praise. God reigns over the nations,     God sits upon his holy throne.

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy:  a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Reading II Eph 1:17-23

Brothers and sisters: May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

OR:

Eph 4:1-13 or 4:1-7, 11-13

Brothers and sisters, I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.  Therefore, it says:     He ascended on high and took prisoners captive;     he gave gifts to men. What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended into the lower regions of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature to manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

OR:

Brothers and sisters, I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.  And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature to manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

Alleluia Mt 28:19a, 20b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Go and teach all nations, says the Lord; I am with you always, until the end of the world.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL Mk 16:15-20

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

REFLECTION:

Each of us is called into the ministry of Jesus in some way. We are called to be 'other Christs', to be people who wish to make known and spread the love of God and his care for his people in the world. We may never know how much we have done this; it is sufficient that we do what we can. God has some work to do that can be done only through each person. In a time of prayer, we ask that we use our gifts and talents as best we can in God's service.

PRAYER:

Lord, send me out each day, to witness to you by my actions. I am to minister to you in the sick, the poor, the hungry, the displaced, and the imprisoned of our world.

[brotherseph]

The Hour is Coming

May 15, 2021, Saturday FEAST OF SAINT ISIDORE THE FARMER (Labrador), MARRIED MAN (White) Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter (White) Lectionary: 296

Reading I Acts 18:23-28

After staying in Antioch some time, Paul left and traveled in orderly sequence through the Galatian country and Phrygia, bringing strength to all the disciples. A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus. He was an authority on the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and, with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way of God more accurately. And when he wanted to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. After his arrival he gave great assistance to those who had come to believe through grace. He vigorously refuted the Jews in public, establishing from the Scriptures that the Christ is Jesus.

Responsorial Psalm 47:2-3, 8-9, 10

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.

For king of all the earth is God;     sing hymns of praise. God reigns over the nations,     God sits upon his holy throne.

R.    God is king of all the earth.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

The princes of the peoples are gathered together     with the people of the God of Abraham. For God’s are the guardians of the earth;     he is supreme.

R.    God is king of all the earth.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia Jn 16:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I came from the Father and have come into the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL Jn 16:23b-28

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. “I have told you this in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but I will tell you clearly about the Father. On that day you will ask in my name, and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you. For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

REFLECTION:

The Father himself loves you. This is where I fit into the inner dynamic of the Blessed Trinity. As Jesus is joined to the Father through the Holy Spirit, so too are we, because Jesus is our brother.

We ask often in prayer and sometimes prayer is answered very directly. Even when this appears not to happen, no prayer, like no act in love, is wasted. The true gift of prayer is always the Father's love, given to us no matter what we ask for. We are always gifted with the Spirit of Jesus, alive in our lives and in our love. We ask always in his name, knowing that in his name God will always hear us, inspire us, direct us, and love us.

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, you are the way, the model for humankind. You came from the Father, and with your death, you left the world and went to the Father. That will be my pattern too. I love this world in which you have placed me; I love the glimpses which it offers of your transcendent beauty. My life does not end here; this is a beginning.

[brotherseph]

Abide in MY Love

May 14, 2021, Friday FEAST OF SAINT MATTHIAS, APOSTLE (Red) CYCLE B - YEAR I Lectionary: 564

Reading I Acts 1:15-17, 20-26

Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers and sisters (there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons in the one place). He said,

“My brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David, concerning  Judas, who was the guide for those who  arrested Jesus. Judas was numbered among us and was allotted a share in this  ministry. For it is written in the Book of  Psalms:     Let his encampment become  desolate,         and may no one dwell in it. and:     May another take his office. Therefore, it is necessary that one of  the men  who accompanied us the whole time  the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up  from us, become with us a witness to his  resurrection.” So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and  Matthias. Then they prayed, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have  chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.” Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.

Responsorial Psalm 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R.    (8)  The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Praise, you servants of the LORD,     praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD     both now and forever.

R.    (8)  The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

From the rising to the setting of the sun     is the name of the LORD to be  praised. High above all nations is the LORD;     above the heavens is his glory.

R.    (8)  The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Who is like the LORD, our God, who is  enthroned on high     and looks upon the heavens and the  earth below?

R.    (8)  The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

He raises up the lowly from the dust;     from the dunghill he lifts up the  poor To seat them with princes,     with the princes of his own  people.

R.    (8)  The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia See Jn 15:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last,  says the Lord.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL Jn 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples,

"As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love,

just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.

I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you,

and that your joy may be complete.

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved 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 do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not  know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends,

because I have made known to you everything that  I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you.

And I appointed you to go and bear fruit,  fruit that will last,

so that the Father will give you whatever you ask  him in my name. I am giving you these  commands so that you may love one  another." REFLECTION:

"God, who calls us to generous commitment and to give him our all, offers us the light and the strength needed to continue on our way. In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. He does not abandon us, he does not leave us alone, for he has united himself definitively to our earth, and his love constantly impels us to find new ways forward.”

(Pope Francis, Laudato Si 245).

PRAYER:

Lord, I have so much to learn from you about love. Open my heart to show my unconditional love not just for my family but also for my friends & loved ones.

[brotherseph]

The Return of Jesus

May 13, 2021, Thursday Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter (White) FEAST OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA (White or Blue) CYCLE B - YEAR I Lectionary: 294

Reading I Acts 18:1-8

Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. He went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade, stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue, attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. When they opposed him and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your heads! I am clear of responsibility.  From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” So he left there and went to a house belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God; his house was next to a synagogue. Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard believed and were baptized.

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

R.    (see 2b)  The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

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.    The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

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.    The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

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.    The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

or:

R.    Alleluia.

Alleluia See Jn 14:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I will not leave you orphans, says the Lord; I will come back to you, and your hearts will rejoice.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL Jn 16:16-20

Jesus said to his disciples:  "A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me." So some of his disciples said to one another, "What does this mean that he is saying to us, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?" So they said, "What is this 'little while' of which he speaks? We do not know what he means."  Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, "Are you discussing with one another what I said, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy."

REFLECTION:

Our sorrow also will turn to joy. We interpret the troubles of our lives in this way, in the light of the cross. Sorrow is an opportunity to enter into the experience of the cross as the way to eternal life with Christ.

PRAYER:

Reflecting on my life, I realize that there have been times of light and shade. I pray for all of those who are in the darkness just now; that they may draw hope from Jesus' promises: I pray that all who rejoice may give thanks for God's blessings.

[brotherseph]

The Spirit's Role

May 12, 2021, Wednesday Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter (White) Saints Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs (Red) - Opt. Mem. Saint Pancras, Martyr (Red)- Opt. Mem. CYCLE B - YEAR I Lectionary: 293

Reading I 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 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. Alleluia Jn 14:16 R. Alleluia, alleluia. I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always. R. Alleluia, alleluia. GOSPEL Jn 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: Here is Jesus, nearing his own death,  and he is pouring out the depth of his  love for his followers. He spoke these  words at the Last Supper, as he  gathered with his disciples, sharing  life with them. His words and actions  comforted and strengthened them in  ways that only the Holy Spirit might  help them to understand. The love that God the Father has  for Jesus is the love Jesus has for  each of us! Can I ask for this grace,  of knowing and experiencing deep down,  this tremendous love? PRAYER: Jesus still speaks to us: prayer helps  us to grow in love, in friendship, in  understanding of the ways of God. The  Spirit assists us, mediating God’s  the message, helping us to recognize how  our way of living conforms to what God  asks of us and revealing how it does  not. Lord, strengthen my ability to  receive and listen to your Spirit, to  remember that your Spirit speaks your word to me.

[brotherseph]

The Coming of the Paraclete

May 11, 2021, Tuesday Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter (White) CYCLE B - YEAR I Lectionary: 292

Reading I 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.

Responsonrial Psalm Ps 138:1-2. 2-3. 7-8 R. 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.

Alleluia See Jn 16:7, 13 R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord; he will guide you to all truth.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL Jn 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:

I notice how often Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit during this time after Easter, and as we approach the Ascension. The coming of the Spirit of Truth to us is clearly of great importance to Jesus. How important is it to me? Do I consciously rely on the grace of my confirmation, and recognize the reality of the Holy Spirit in my life?

PRAYER:

As I look at my life, I pray for the grace of the Holy Spirit to shed light, to bring truth and to be the consolation that Jesus promises.

[brotherseph]

The Work Of The Holy Spirit

May 10, 2021, Monday Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter (White) CYCLE B - YEAR I Lectionary: 291

Reading I 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 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.

Alleluia Jn 15:26b, 27a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord, and you also will testify.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL Jn 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:

Jesus is telling us these things “that our faith may not be shaken”. The Holy Spirit has come to strengthen our conviction, to keep us secure and at peace. “And all shall be well”.

We are to be his witnesses. Not necessarily by striking words. Remember the thought attributed to St Francis of Assisi, that we are to preach by our lives, only occasionally in words.

PRAYER:

To testify and bear witness to something, I must have personal experience, so that I can say: ‘This is true, and I know it.’ Lord, I have not been with you from the beginning. I am one of those who did not see and yet believed. Show me yourself, strengthen your spirit in me, so that my life and my words may testify to you.

[brotherseph]

Love One Another

May 09, 2021, Sunday Sixth Sunday of Easter (White) MOTHERS DAY CYCLE B - YEAR I Lectionary: 56

Reading I Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48

When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, paid him homage. Peter, however, raised him up, saying, “Get up. I myself am also a human being.” Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.” While Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word. The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also, for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter responded, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?” He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

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

R. (cf. 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

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. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

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. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

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. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

or:

R. Alleluia.

Reading II 1 Jn 4:7-10

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.

Alleluia Jn 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord, and my Father will love him and we will come to him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL Jn 15:9-17

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 may be in you and your joy might be complete. 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:

This costly love will bear rich fruit, whether I see it or not. Just so, Jesus’ love bears fruit only after his death. I must not be discouraged when my love seems to be wasted. True love never comes to an end (1 Corinthians 13:8). Loving actions are the building blocks of eternal life.

PRAYER:

You are my friends if you do what I command you. This sounds like a strange statement, but on second thoughts I realize it makes sense, for that is my experience. I find myself spontaneously doing what pleases my friend, not because I am afraid of losing their friendship or because I want to appear good in their eyes, but just because we are friends. I have called you friends, not servants. I relish these beautiful words, with deep gratitude.

[brotherseph]

The World's Hate

May 08, 2021, Saturday Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter (White) CYCLE B - YEAR I Lectionary: 290

Reading I 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 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.

Alleluia Col 3:1

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL

Jn 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:

Not everyone accepts Jesus, which was his experience from the start. Opposition to him took him to death, and love took him from death to resurrection. Persecution and similar opposition is the experience of many of his followers. Goodness sometimes offends people; evil can seem for a while to be stronger than love, but the message of Jesus is that love conquers all.

PRAYER:

I bring any aspect of my life in which I feel rejected or unappreciated before the Lord, considering whether my treatment was because of my being a disciple. I stand beside Jesus who knows how I feel.

[brotherseph]

May 07, 2021, Friday Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter (White) CYCLE B - YEAR I Lectionary: 289

Reading I 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 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.

Alleluia Jn 15:15b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I call you my friends, says the Lord, for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL Jn 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:

God, who calls us to generous commitment and to give him our all, offers us the light and the strength needed to continue on our way. In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. He does not abandon us, he does not leave us alone, for he has united himself definitively to our earth, and his love constantly impels us to find new ways forward.”

(Pope Francis, Laudato Si 245).

PRAYER:

Lord, I have so much to learn from you about love. Open my heart to show my unconditional love not just for my family but also for my friends & loved ones.

[brotherseph]

Remain in HIS Love

May 06, 2021, Thursday Thursday of the Fifth week of Easter (White) CYCLE B - YEAR I Lectionary: 288

Reading I 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 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.

Alleluia Jn 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL Jn 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:

The deepest joys and satisfactions of life have to do with our experience of loving and being loved. Parents live forever in the atmosphere of the love they always have for their children. Love of friends is strong and lasts. Love enables us to die for others, love spends itself for another. Only love lasts as a motive for any good we want to do. Jesus knows that and links love and joy. Prayer nourishes love and is at the service of love, the greatest of God's gifts.

PRAYER:

Lord, I do not know why you should care that my joy may be complete. But you do, so let me give time now to savor this and to praise and thank you.