Reflections on Daily Readings 2025
June 1st - June 28th, 2025
June 1 – June 7, 2025
7th Week of Easter | Readings: Sunday Cycle C; Weekday Cycle 1.
The Ascension of the Lord
Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 46; Hebrews 9:24-28, 10:19-23; Luke 24:46-53
Our first reading today recounts the Ascension of Jesus into heaven. It was now forty days after his resurrection and he had appeared to his disciples on numerous occasions but now they see him face to face for the last time. As they are speaking he is taken up into heaven. In the second reading the Hebrews are reminded that when Christ ascended he went straight to heaven and not to anything human. He went to heaven to be in the presence of God where he would intercede on behalf of his followers. The author also tells them that because Christ had sacrificed himself there would be no need for any other sacrifice for sin and wrong-doing – Christ’s sacrifice wipes away all sin and is eternal. Our gospel reading gives St Luke’s second account of the ascension in which Christ promises the disciples the Holy Spirit who will lead and strengthen them. As soon as he has blessed them he is taken from them for ever. It is our Christian hope that as Christ has ascended into heaven, we too will follow him and will join him in the kingdom. But we can only do this if we remain faithful to his teaching handed on through the apostles and if we are open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Acts 19:1-8; Psalm 67; John 16:29-33
In our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles today we see St Paul on his third missionary journey in what is present-day Turkey. Paul arrives in the port town of Ephesus, where he will remain for almost three years – the longest he stayed anywhere. Today we learn from him that baptism in to the Christian faith does not complete our lives. Only the gift of the Holy Spirit can do this. In the gospel, Christ tells the disciples that they are about to leave him and be scattered. They will do so in order to spread the Gospel throughout the world. He also tells them that this will not be an easy task. We, as heirs of the first disciples, have a duty to help spread the Gospel and we should have no fear in this for Christ, as he says in the text, has already conquered the world.
Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Acts 20:17-27; Psalm 67; John 17:1-11
Today’s reading from the Acts sees St Paul bringing his time with the Ephesians to a close after almost three years. He is leaving to go to Jerusalem though he does not know what lies in store for him there. The parting is sad and emotional. In our gospel today, Christ is praying to the Father and making an account of his doings on earth. His work has finished but those who are left behind must now continue the spread of that work.
Memorial of St Kevin, Abbot
Kevin (Coemgenus) was one of the great sixth-century Irish saints. He grew up in Kilnamanagh and later went to Glendalough to become a hermit and settled in Disert Caoimhghin, by the upper lake. In time, several other hermits joined him and soon the great monastic settlement of Glendalough grew up by the lakes and continued to spread after his death in 618.
Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Acts 20:28-38; Psalm 67; John 17:11-19
Today’s first reading continues St Paul’s emotional farewell to the Ephesians. He warns them that they will face trials of faith after he has gone but he commends them to God’s protection. The reading also reveals the affection the Ephesians had for Paul. Jesus is praying to the Father in the gospel and asking that his followers be kept faithful and unified in their work and belief. He then calls them together so that they may dedicate themselves to the work he is leaving them.
Memorial of St Charles Lwanga & Companions, Martyrs
Charles Lwanga was in charge of the servant boys of King Mwanga of Buganda (Uganda). The king opposed both Christians and Muslims which led to an attempt by the British to remove him from power. During one persecution the king ordered his Christian servants to be executed. Some of the boys were quite young and only preparing for baptism at the time but, despite the pleas of their families to obey the orders of the king, they remained faithful to Christ. They were martyred by being burned to death at Namugongo in 1886 and canonized in 1964.
Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Acts 22:30, 23:6-11; Psalm 15; John 17:20-26
Today’s reading from the Acts sees St Paul on trial in Jerusalem where many of the Jewish community are not happy that he has abandoned aspects of the Law of Moses. Paul has been arrested – partly for his own safety – and he now stands trial before the Sanhedrin – the Jewish Supreme Court. From this too he has to be rescued by the tribune who fears for Paul’s safety. In a vision at the end of the text, the Lord tells Paul that he is now to go to Rome. In the gospel, Jesus prays to the Father and asks that all believers may be unified. He also prays for strength for his followers who carry his Gospel to all peoples. We too are called on to witness to Christ wherever he may send us knowing that he is always with us to guide and protect us.
Memorial of St Boniface, Bishop & Martyr
Known as the ‘Apostle of Germany,’ Boniface was born in Devon, England, about the year 680 and christened Winifrid. He became a monk and left England in 716 to preach the Gospel in Germany and was given the name Boniface by Pope Gregory II. He travelled throughout Germany and established monasteries and dioceses before carrying out an ecclesiastical reform in Gaul. He was consecrated bishop in 722 and was later Primate of Germany. In his seventies, he retired as bishop and travelled about the country again. He was martyred for the faith in Friesland in 754.
Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Acts 25:13-21; Psalm 102; John 21:15-19
In our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we see that following his unfinished trial before the Sanhedrin a group of Jews conspire against St Paul. He is now in Caesarea but knows that he won’t get a fair trial in Jerusalem and so asks that, as a Roman citizen, he be tried in Rome itself. In this Paul is complying with Christ’s vision for him to go and preach the Gospel in Rome from the end of yesterday’s reading. Today’s gospel text is a well-known one in which Christ asks St Peter if he loves him. He also gives Peter a hint as to how Peter is to die. Peter, having denied Christ three times, now affirms three times that he does indeed love him. While it is easy for us to say we love Christ, would it be easy for others to see it by how we live our lives?
Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Acts 28:16-20, 30-31; Psalm 10; John 21:20-25
St Paul has now arrived in Rome in our first reading, and quickly sets about teaching about Christ while still under house arrest. This is the conclusion of the Acts of the Apostles and St Luke ends it here to show that the fledgling church has now spread well beyond Jerusalem and has now reached Rome – the centre and capital of the world as they knew it. In today’s reading from St John’s gospel we have the closing verses of that gospel. The author tells us that though a lot has been written about Christ there is so much more that could be written. What we have is all that we need for our faith – if we are willing to accept it.
June 8 – June 14, 2025
10th Week of Ordinary Time | Readings: Sunday Cycle C; Weekday Cycle 1.
Pentecost Sunday
Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 103; Romans 8:8-17; John 14:15-16, 23-26
In our first reading we read of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and how they immediately went out and began preaching to the people about the risen Lord. Not only did they preach but they were able to do so in many languages so that everyone who heard them that day could understand what they were saying, such was the power of the Holy Spirit at work in them. Our Psalm is a hymn requesting the Father to send the Holy Spirit among us and, through him, to renew the face of the earth. In the second reading, the Romans are told that if they have the Spirit within them then what they do will be directed towards God at all times – the things of this earth will be of no great interest or lasting value to them. In the gospel reading from St John, we see Jesus telling his disciples that he will send them the Spirit – whom he calls the Advocate – to be with them to strengthen and to guide them. This is the Spirit who is sent in the first reading. As heirs of the apostles we too have received the Holy Spirit, most notably at Baptism and Confirmation, and it is up to us to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our lives and to give praise and glory to God by the lives we lead.
Feast of St Columba (Colum Cille), Abbot & Missionary, Secondary Patron of Ireland
Romans 12:1-2, 9-13 or 2 Cor 5:14:21; Psalm 33; Matthew 8:18-27 or Matthew 19:27-29
Columba was born about the year 521 in Co Donegal of royal stock and having completed his studies spent 15 years founding churches and preaching in Ireland. In 561 – for reasons still not clear – he left Ireland for Scotland and arrived on the island of Iona with twelve companions. He preached the Gospel far and wide while returning to Ireland occasionally. His monastic rule had a great influence on Western monasticism. He died in 597.
St Colum Cille was of royal lineage but he gave up that privilege and gave his whole life to Christ, founding churches and monasteries wherever he went. As Colum Cille became a servant of the Gospel of Christ we too are challenged today to continue his great missionary work in our own communities.
Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
2Corinthians 1:18-22; Psalm 118; Matthew 5:13-16
St Paul tells us in the first reading today from his second letter to the Corinthians that the answer to all our prayers and God’s promises are found in Christ. God assures us of this and has sent us the Holy Spirit who is present in us always. In our Gospel we are told by Christ himself that we are the light of the world. Our world is in need of the true light that will guide it out of conflict and the darkness of sin into the true radiance of the Father’s glory. We are that light but if we don’t let our light shine then the world will never be saved. We are called on today to say ‘yes’ to the Lord, as Paul tells us Christ did, and so bring the world to him.
Memorial of St Barnabas, Apostle
Little is known about Barnabas but, like St Paul, he is always counted as an apostle because he was divinely called to spread the Gospel with Paul. He is the one who was sent to Paul to ‘bring him into Christianity’ after Paul’s vision on the road to Damascus, and is the one in Acts 4 who sold his land and gave the money to the common fund. He also attended the first council of the Church in Jerusalem with Paul. He is said to have been martyred in Cyprus.
Readings
Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3; Psalm 97; Matthew 10:7-13
Our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles recounts some of the work done by St Barnabas in spreading the Gospel of Christ in various communities. The gospel today sees Jesus sending out his Apostles and telling them how they should act. We are called to be like Barnabas and to give our life to the service of God and the Word.
Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
2Corinthians 3:15-4:1, 3-6; Psalm 84; Matthew 5:20-26
In our first reading today from his second letter to the Corinthians, St Paul tells us to remove the veil from over our minds which prevents us from listening to, understanding and accepting the word of God for what it is – the true word of God and not some human invention. In the Gospel Jesus reminds us to be reconciled with our brother – that is, all those with whom we live or meet. He tells us that we sin even by thinking negatively about others and so we should make reparation for that before approaching the altar of God. We must lay aside all anger and resentment and live by the Law of the Lord in harmony and peace with one another and with God.
Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
2Corinthians 4:7-15; Psalm 115; Matthew 5:27-32
St Paul reminds us that with God on our side nothing can ever trouble us. We may be persecuted from time to time but this will never trouble us because God will be out at side to free us. If we believe in God and are open to the workings of the Holy Spirit we will live as true Christians and so bring glory to God. In the Gospel we continue reading from St Matthew’s section on the Sermon on the Mount where Christ lays down the blueprint for true Christian living. Today he gives us his instruction in favour of marriage and the indissolubility of marriage – a passage which few want to acknowledge today because it prevents them living the free and easy life they wish to live with whoever they wish to live it. But Christ’s teaching is clear and unambiguous – divorce is not in keeping with God’s will.
Memorial of St Anthony of Padua, Priest & Doctor of the Church
Anthony was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1195. He first joined the Augustinian canons regular but later left to become a Friar Minor of St Francis and preached in Italy and France. He was known to his contemporaries as “The Hammer of Heretics” for his dedicated preaching of the true faith. He has a reputation for retrieving lost objects of careless people. According to a story he received a vision of the Child Jesus and this is why statues of Anthony show him holding the Child Jesus. He died in 1231, was canonized a year later in 1232, and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1947.
Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
2Corinthians 5:14-21; Psalm 102; Matthew 5:33-37
In our first reading St Paul reminds us of the great necessity of reconciliation – reconciliation with our neighbour and reconciliation with God. Paul is an ambassador of this great work and so are we who have heard this message and who have been reconciled with God ourselves. The Psalm today takes up this theme of reconciliation. In the Gospel, Christ tells us that we should not swear. This may seem odd but when we think of the commandment – “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” – and the fact that everything we swear by comes from God in the first place, then in a way he is reminding us not to belittle God’s name by using it in vain and so break the commandment. Our word should be our bond and when we say that we will do something then we should do it. If we are living truly Christian lives then people will need nothing more from us than a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’
Carmelite Memorial of St Elisha, Prophet
Elisha came from a wealthy family and was appointed by God to be successor to the great Prophet Elijah. Just before Elijah was taken up into heaven, Elisha asked for a double portion of his mentor’s spirit and this was granted and can be seen in Elisha’s placing on himself the cloak mantle of Elijah as he was taken up in the chariot. Elisha is noted in the Old Testament for curing the leprosy of Naaman and for raising a dead child to life, both of which were referred to by Jesus Christ in his preaching.
June 15 – June 21, 2025
11th Week of Ordinary Time | Readings: Sunday Cycle C; Weekday Cycle 1.
The Most Holy Trinity
Proverbs 8:22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15
It is our firm belief that God is a Trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – and even though we may not understand how this can be, today we celebrate that fact in the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Our readings for this solemnity reflect this Trinitarian aspect of God. In the first reading from the Old Testament Book of Proverbs we see Wisdom telling us that she had existed before anything was created and she was at the Creator’s side through all of creation. Today, we understand Jesus to be the personification of Wisdom and so we believe that he was at the Father’s side through all of creation. In the Gospel reading from St John we see Jesus telling his disciples that he has many things to say to them, though not enough time, but that the Spirit will guide them after he has returned to the Father. The word ‘trinity’ may not have been used by Christ but in this short passage all three persons are mentioned by him and all are clearly equal. In our second reading from St Paul to the Romans, Paul too speaks of the Trinity because he tells us that through Christ we draw close to the Father with the perseverance and hope given us by the Spirit. The Father wants us to be with him and his Son has shown us the way while the Spirit fortifies us for the journey. All that remains is for us to accept that guidance and follow the path marked out by Christ.
Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
2 Corinthians 6:1-10; Psalm 97; Matthew 5:38-42
In our first reading today from his second letter to the Christians in Corinth, St Paul is urging us to prove that we are servants of God. God has already given us the grace to do this work and he urges us not to neglect that grace but to work with it and so give glory to God in all things whether we are being persecuted, working or resting. In all things we must let the glory of God shine through so that others may come to believe in him. Paul also tells us that we should never put this duty off until tomorrow because we might not have a tomorrow. In our Gospel for today, Jesus says the same thing but he tells us not just to do as we are told by those who don’t believe or who are testing us, but to do what they have asked and more besides. We must not offer resistance to anyone because through it all we have Jesus with us to strengthen and guide us and to bring us to victory for the glory of God.
Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
2 Corinthians 8:1-9; Psalm 145; Matthew 5:43-48
In a very gentle way in the first reading St Paul is reminding the community at Corinth of their duty to live the Gospel and also to aid in the spread of the Gospel. He is in Macedonia and building up the Church there and he tells the Corinthians of all that is happening there so that they will feel, perhaps, a little envious and will work all the harder themselves to keep the faith. He also reminds them that Jerusalem is the focus of the faith. In our Gospel we are called on by Jesus to be perfect just as our Father is perfect. This is not an easy thing to do and in particular he tells us that we should love our enemies which many people shy away from. But given God’s law of love we are not asked to like our enemies which is very different from loving them. In loving them we pray for their salvation and for an increase in them of the grace which has been poured out into the whole world. Nothing can disarm our enemies more than our prayers for them.
Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
2 Corinthians 9:6-11; Psalm 111; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
In our first reading today St Paul urges us to be cheerful givers. If we give to others out of charity it will mean nothing if we do so simply to fulfil the commandment to look after one another. However, if it is done out of genuine concern for the receiver then we will receive many graces and favours ourselves and will move a step closer to full union with God. Paul speaks of this because he was organising a special collection for the community in Jerusalem – the birth place of the faith. In our Gospel reading today from St Matthew we see Jesus instructing us on how to give to others and on how to pray – we are to do both without any show or arrogance. God alone sees all that we do in secret and God is the one we must please. Putting on an act for our fellow man is mere folly if it is simply done to win his approval. This doesn’t mean that we don’t make a special effort and dress appropriately when coming to church but it does mean that our reason for attending church must be of far greater importance than how people see us.
Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
2 Corinthians 11:1-11; Psalm 110; Matthew 6:7-15
At the time that St Paul was writing to the Corinthians they had begun to fall away from the true faith and disunity was creeping in among them. Paul’s letter was an attempt to keep them in tune with the correct Gospel as is seen clearly in today’s passage. He is telling them that the message which he brought is the right one and that there is only one Good News – anyone who comes with differences from this are not to be followed. As proof of what he is saying he tells them that he taught them for no fee because he did so out of love – love for God and love for the Corinthians. In our Gospel we see Jesus teaching his disciples the ‘Our Father.’ It is a prayer which encompasses all of life – past, present and future and one which we should pray with great reverence and care. At the end Jesus also reminds us that we must forgive others who have hurt us or sinned against us because if we do not forgive others, then we have no right to expect God to forgive us the sins we commit against him and our fellow men and women.
2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30; Psalm 33; Matthew 6:19-23
Many people boast about their successes in life and the great things that they have done so St Paul in our first reading to the Corinthians today boasts about himself also. But Paul doesn’t boast about the wonderful things he has done or about the amount of travelling he has done, or about the number of times he has been in prison and punished by the civil authorities. He boasts about the occasions when he was in dangerous situations and in all his boasting he comes across as being weak or naïve. And yet all of this was done at the Lord’s command so that the Good News might spread throughout the land and because Paul’s greatest treasure was Christ. In the Gospel Jesus tells us that where our treasure is, that is where our heart will be found. On the last day there is little point if our treasure is in a bank vault and our heart with it, or in the jewels in our trinket box, because they are not the keys to heaven. If we wish to enter heaven then heaven must be our treasure so that our heart will always be there – in life and in death.
Memorial of the Irish Martyrs
Between 1579 and 1654, seventeen Irish people were put to death for the Catholic Faith during the persecutions in Ireland. Of the eleven clergy: nine belonged to religious Orders, four were bishops (three Religious), four were priests (one secular). Of the six lay people: one was a woman (Margaret Ball), three were sailors, and one – Francis Taylor – was Lord Mayor of Dublin. These seventeen were canonized in 1992.
2 Corinthians 12:1-10; Psalm 33; Matthew 6:24-34
We have that great line in our first reading today from St Paul – “For it is when I am weak that I am strong.” It is not always easy to see what Paul is saying here but when people are doing very well in life they tend to forget about God and all that they have received from his bounty. When people are at their lowest ebb it is then that they turn to God and are most open to his mercy and generosity. So in a way Paul is telling us that we are the best Christians when things are not going so well for us. While this is true it is a reminder to us that we must always give thanks to God for what we have received whether it be family, material wealth, good health, or even the things which we regard as ‘bad’ – only then can we be true Christians all the time. Christ takes up this idea in the Gospel and tells us not to worry about tomorrow but to live for today and leave tomorrow in his care. Everything else in creation does not worry and still it all continues to work smoothly. So we too should not worry about anything but live Christian lives in keeping with the Gospel and in so doing give glory and praise to God.
Memorial of St Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious
The patron saint of Youth, Luigi Gonzaga was born in Castiglione in northern Italy in 1568. Born into high society he refused to allow corruption and worldliness take hold of his life, preferring instead to become a Jesuit. He joined the Society of Jesus in Rome in 1585 but after six years of tending to the sick he too became ill – probably with the plague – and died in 1591.
June 22 – June 28, 2025
12th Week of Ordinary Time | Readings: Sunday Cycle C; Weekday Cycle 1.
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 109; 1Corinthians 11:23-26; Luke 9:11-17
Today we celebrate the great solemnity of Corpus Christi – the Body and Blood of Christ. Traditionally, this day was marked by processions with the Blessed Sacrament carried through towns and villages whose streets and neighbourhoods were cleaned up and decorated for the occasion. The solemnity marks one of the great mysteries of our faith and with it one of the great gifts which God has given to his Church. We celebrate the fact that bread and wine become the very body and blood of Christ and which strengthen us and the Church along the path to salvation. In the first reading from the Book of Genesis we see Melchizedek offering bread and wine to God in thanksgiving for the victories achieved with God’s help. This bread and wine is a foreshadow of the bread and wine offered by Christ at the Passover meal. The second reading from St Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians reminds us of the first Eucharist in the upper room on Holy Thursday night. In the Gospel we have St Luke’s account of the miracle of the loaves and fish in which Christ fed a multitude that was hungry. Christ has told us that he is the bread of life and that those who partake of his body and blood will want for nothing because his body and blood will strengthen and guide us. It may be difficult to grasp how a small wafer or a drop of wine can be so important or undergo such a change, but faith is not dependent on proof and so we keep today’s solemnity, asking the Lord to lead us toward our true homeland and to strengthen our faith in this most precious of sacraments.
Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Genesis 12:1-9; Psalm 32; Matthew 7:1-5
We return to the Book of Genesis which we will read from over the next three weeks. Today we begin at the twelfth chapter where we see Abram being called by the Lord and told to move with his family to a land that the Lord would point out. Even though he did not know where he was going, how long it would take or what sort of welcome he would find there, Abram went without question because he believed in the Lord and knew that the Lord would look after him no matter what lay ahead. Our Psalm tells us that those who have been chosen by the Lord will be blessed. In our Gospel today we are reminded by Jesus not to be hypocrites but to remember that as we judge others so too we will be judged by others. Quite often the things we see in others which we don’t like are only seen because we ourselves do the very thing we are giving out about. Therefore we should not judge others but should leave the judging to God and strive to make our lives perfect for the day when he will judge us. If we respond to the Lord with the same trust as Abram did, then we will not go wrong.
Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist
John was a cousin of Jesus and was just a few months older than him. In the gospel, John is the fore-runner to Christ and is known as ‘the Baptist’ because he was the one who began baptising with water for the forgiveness of sins. He suffered martyrdom by beheading because of a promise foolishly made by King Herod.
Readings
Isaiah 49:1-6; Psalm 138; Acts 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66, 80.
Our readings today speak to us about St John the Baptist and his life. John was the last of the prophets – those people who were called by God to remind the people of the covenants and to point out to them when they were straying from the Law of God. The first reading from the Prophet Isaiah reminds us of the messenger who would prepare the way for the Lord. In the second reading from the Acts of the Apostles we see St Paul speaking about John and his life’s work. The gospel recounts for us the birth and how it was that John got his name. It also indicates the great destiny which lay before him as the cousin and herald of the Messiah. We also remember how some saw him as Elijah or one of the other great prophets come back to life.
Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Psalm 104; Matthew 7:15-20
In today’s first reading we see the Lord reward Abram for his faithfulness and his willingness to go into the unknown for his Lord and God. Despite the fact that Abram has no children the Lord promises that he would be the father or a great nation. Part of the covenants of old was a ceremony which sealed the covenant. In the case of Abram, he and God were to pass between the animals prepared for sacrifice as a reminder that this lay in store for whoever broke the covenant. The Psalm speaks of this covenant and of the “children of Abraham” showing that the covenant has been fulfilled. In the Gospel, Jesus is warning us about false prophets who pretend to come from him. He is telling us that there is only one kingdom and one Good News and it is the only door by which we may enter. Others may come with promises of immortality but we must listen to what they say because in their speech we will know whether they are true or false prophets. How we act shows clearly the sort of person we are at the heart of our being. Through everything we must remain faithful to Christ and to his Gospel alone.
Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16; Psalm 105; Matthew 7:21-29
In our first reading from Genesis we see Sarai, who is well on in years, giving her servant-girl to Abram in the hopes that this is how the Lord will give Abram his descendants. Sarai failed to have faith in the promise of God and followed a custom of the day for barren women – that of giving their servant-girl to their husband so that the girl may provide a child in her place. Hagar, the slave-girl, does indeed give Abram a son but this is not the child that the Lord had promised. Hagar’s child was called Ishmael and he did indeed have many descendants for it is from him that the Moslem faith traces its lineage. In our Gospel we come to the end of the passage on the Sermon on the Mount and today we are reminded by Christ that speaking about him and calling out to him in our need is not enough if we are to be saved. We can only call ourselves Christian if what we say is reflected in what we do. If we say one thing and do another then we are hypocrites and are not worthy of the kingdom or eternal life. We must also give an example to others of true Christian living and therefore we must put our professed faith in to practice each and every day.
The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Ezekiel 34:11-16; Psalm 22; Romans 5:5-11; Luke 15:3-7
The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart calls to mind images of the Sacred Heart in which the heart of Christ is emblazoned upon his chest for all to see. In the images Christ points to his heart which on the one hand invites us to draw closer to him and on the other reminds us that he has been rejected and his heart has been pierced because of that. For today the first reading and Gospel present us with the image of the shepherd who looks after this sheep. Christ is not just any shepherd but one who loves his sheep as we are reminded in the text from the letter to the Romans. Because of the love Christ has as a shepherd he is willing to do more for us than any mortal shepherd even to the point of laying down his life for us out of the great love he has for us. We know that Christ did this on the cross and that in that action he has redeemed us and brought us back into the sheepfold which is the kingdom of God. All we are asked to do is to have faith and to believe in the Gospel.
Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Isaiah 61:9-11; Psalm 1Samuel 2:1, 4-8; Luke 2:41-51
The first reading speaks of rejoicing in God for what he has done for the speaker. It could so easily be the prayer of Mary in thanksgiving for the great honour which God has bestowed upon her in making her the mother of his Divine Son. The Psalm continues this theme. The gospel text tells us how Mary stored up everything about her Son in her heart as a truly loving mother. No doubt Mary thought about these things from time to time – something which we too should do regarding Christ and his place in our lives.
